What is Shiatsu?

Background of Shiatsu

Shiatsu is Japanese bodywork, which draws on the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Translated as ‘finger pressure’, Shiatsu applies pressure to the body using fingers, thumbs, palms, knees and barefoot techniques.
Shiatsu works similarly to acupuncture and is needle-free.

What Shiatsu can address

Shiatsu can assist with many conditions including musculoskeletal pain, injury rehabilitation, headaches, digestive complaints, sleep difficulties, menstrual problems, asthma, hay fever, depression and stress. Shiatsu is excellent for pregnancy, birth and postnatal support.

Shiatsu is tailored to your needs

Pressure applied can be deep or gentle depending on the client's needs.  Shiatsu focuses on acupressure points that connect meridian pathways and organ systems in the body, treating the person in a holistic way.
Where required other techniques including cupping, moxibustion, stretching and spooning (scraping)  are also incorporated into this deeply connected form of therapy.

Purpose of Shiatsu

Shiatsu balances all aspects of a person's health - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  Two approaches are used to achieve this. Firstly areas and organs holding tension or excessive energy are released, then those with deficiencies are supported. This flushes the body with fresh energy to reinvigorate the entire system.

What to wear

Shiatsu is performed through clothing on a futon. To allow ease of movement during stretching and limb rotation, wear loose fitting comfortable clothing.

Health rebates

Health rebates are available on most insurance plans with extras cover.

Techniques that can be incorporated in a treatment

Your body and health is an ever-evolving system whose needs vary on any given day.  With the changing of seasons and with time, meeting the needs of the body in that moment is the art of Shiatsu.  Every treatment is tailored to ones individual needs and therefore can involve the inclusion of different techniques and pressure for the most beneficial outcome.  

Acupressure

Cupping

Barefoot
The classic technique of Shiatsu, using finger and thumb pressure, palming or elbows and knees on the body to release tension and stimulate the flow of blood and qi.
This is the predominant technique used in every Shiatsu and the style that makes the treatment feel like a full body massage.
Heated glass cups are applied to the skin, creating suction to draw tension and heat to the surface in order to stimulate the flow of blood.  Cups can be placed in a static position or sliding cups on oiled skin are used depending on the needs of the body.
Cupping usually leaves purplish/red marks on the treated area which may be apparent for a couple of days.
A strong style where feet are used to apply stable, satisfying pressure to areas that require deep release.
The broad and powerful foot efficiently treats a larger area, making it a highly effective technique.

Moxibustion

Stretching

Spooning / Scraping
Small cones of the dried herb, mugwort or a moxa stick are burned on acupressure points with differing techniques to either support deficient energy or to disperse excessive energy.
Traditionally there were moxibustion practitioners that treated solely using this technique.  The balancing of yin and yang energy in the entire body can be achieved this way. Currently it is a more common practice to use moxibustion as only one of several tools in a treatment.
The action of flexing or stretching muscles and tendons improves elasticity and comfort.  This helps improve range of movement, flexibility and prevents injury.  Muscle cramps can be alleviated with correct stretching techniques.
A Shiatsu treatment will include stretching when necessary.  Enjoy all the benefits of yoga without the effort!
Using a blunt edge such as that of a ceramic soup spoon, repeated pressured strokes are performed on oiled skin to expel heat, increase oxygenation and/or release excessive tension.
Spooning leaves discolouration on the skin which generally dissipates over a couple of days.
If used at the onset of symptoms, spooning is a highly effective technique in preventing the deepening of a cold or fever.

Health rebates available

Wear comfortable clothing

Gift vouchers available