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ZEN SHIATSU - Finger tip acupuncture
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Shiatsu came about in Japan in the early part of the twentieth century. The art of Shiatsu is a cross between Anma and Do-In. Anma is like western massage, while Do-In is like Yoga. Shiatsu was created out of these two forms in order to treat illness.
Shiatsu is the application of pressure along the energy pathways or meridian system of the body. This pressure is applied with the fingers, hands, forearms, elbows, knees and feet. The meridian system is much like the nervous system, except that there is no physical pathway. The meridians are energetic in nature and structure. The meridian system connects the internal organs to the exterior of the body and the exterior surface to the interior organs. In this way, exterior influences can affect the interior of the body and interior influences can affect the exterior surface of the body. .
The energy that runs in the meridians is called Chi, Ki, or Universal life force. This energy is the very nature of all that is. Everything is made up of, and supported by, Chi. .
While Shiatsu can be learned as a purely mechanical process, it is not until you start to feel and work with the energies of the body, that the true understanding of Shiatsu emerges. Understanding and working with Chi is one part of the true art of Shiatsu; the other part is a knowledge of Eastern medicine. .
Eastern medicine's basic principal is to balance the internal and external environments of an individual - this includes balancing the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. Eastern medicine examines the way in which external environmental influences specifically affect the internal environment. Such influences include hot, cold, dryness, dampness and wind. These five elements reflect the condition of our internal "climate" as well as the external environment around us. If a person has too much heat in their system, for example, they may have various skin problems and/or headaches and/or dry mouth, as well as an aversion to sun or hot summer weather, to list a few conditions. .
The emotions also play a big part in an individual's health and well-being. The main emotions which affect us include grief, joy, anger, fear, worry and anxiety. Each of the six emotions affects specific internal organs. For example, grief affects the lungs, joy or lack of joy affects the heart, anger the liver, fear the kidney, worry the spleen, and anxiety the stomach. When an emotion becomes unbalanced, this can create a blockage in the meridian system. For example, if a person has an excess of fear in their emotional body, they may experience low back pain and/or knee problems as well as bladder infection and possibly hearing difficulties, amongst other things, in their physical body. .
Balancing the spiritual aspect of an individual is simply developing the awareness of how one feels and how these feelings affect the environment within us, as well as around us. Shiatsu is highly effective in the prevention of dis-ease, as well as helping to heal dis-ease. Because of its gentle application, it may be applied to people of all ages, from infants to the elderly. .
Shiatsu can effectively treat neck/back pain, carpel tunnel syndrome, shoulder and joint pain, digestive disorders, menstrual problems, PMS, cramps, headaches, and migraines, as well as various other stress-related conditions and emotional difficulties. .
Read Gregory's article on
Detoxing your Body
Gregory Axelson ST CCIr
Essential Choices
416 579 9179
www.essentialchoices.ca
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