The
term "Shiatsu" literally means "Finger Pressure" in Japanese. The term
itself is relatively new,
as it was officially recognized by the
Japanese government in 1964 as a form of healing therapy. However, the
tradition of
the "healing touch", as well as Oriental
philosophy which is the backbone of shiatsu goes back thousands of
years.
As such, shiatsu shares its heritage with
acupuncture, and other forms of Oriental medicine.
Oriental philosophy states that
everything is comprised of energy in various densities. As human
existence is included
in "everything" it is also formed by this
energy, referred to as Ki in Japanese and Qi in Chinese. Oriental
medicine
attributes illness or wellness to the various
state and condition Ki/Qi assumes in the human body, mind and spirit.
Shiatsu seeks to harmonize and improve the condition of this "vital force" according to natural law by accessing
its superficial channels using "finger pressure" and other forms of energetic manipulation.
The goal of shiatsu is very simple.
"To harmonize the energy (Ki/Qi) within us to continually improve the overall wellness of one's existence."