Shanti Shiatsu

About Shiatsu

“The heart of Shiatsu is like mother’s love. Pressing the human body stimulates the fountains of life."

By. Tokujiro Namikoshi, the founder of Shiatsu.

Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning finger-pressure. Shiatsu is therapeutic and a relaxing form of bodywork. Melissa uses her thumbs, fingers and palms to apply pressure on points along the body to draw out the natural healing ability of the patient. One of Melissa’s main goals is to help the patient enjoy a healthy and positive life. The patient remains fully clothed during the treatment and no oils are used. The strength and techniques used during the shiatsu treatment are adjusted to suit their individual needs and concerns.

What Shiatsu can do for you:

  • Loosen and stretch tense muscles
  • Improve digestion, circulation and immunity
  • Relieve neck and back pain
  • Reduce stress
  • Relieve headaches
  • Release endorphins to bring a sense of well-being
  • Improve posture and increase flexibility
  • Promote restful sleep

Definition of Shiatsu

“Shiatsu technique refers to the use of fingers and palm of one's hand to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body, and for maintaining and promoting health. It is also a method contributing to the healing of specific illnesses."

- Japanese medical department of the Ministry of Welfare (current Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) in December 1957.

Essence of Shiatsu

The characteristic of shiatsu as defined by Namikoshi is to practice using only the fingers, palms and especially the thumbs, but the essence of shiatsu is "Diagnosis and Therapy combined." This is where the practitioner is able to use their palms, fingers or thumbs to detect irregularities, such as stiffness on the surface of the body and to promptly correct or heal these problems. Shiatsu therapy is promoting the prevention and recover of illnesses by stimulating the immune system and the natural healing power that the person already possesses. Practitioners are treating the body as a whole helps to restore the physical functions of the nervous system, circulatory system, bone structure, muscles and internal secretion. Shiatsu is helping the individual be in alignment with their own natural healing ability.

Why just hands, from the Namikoshi perspective

The reason why Namikoshi shiatsu focuses on the use of hands as the main form of healing art is related to blood circulation. Fumimasa Yanagisawa, a medical doctor explained that that palms of the hands have a large concentration of negative ions. When the hand is placed on the skin the blood circulation is improved, which increase the flow of oxygen to the brain.