When attending a massage school in Prescott, you may be exposed to the practice of Shiatsu. It is an ancient but modern approach to massage therapy. While it may take years to master, you can learn about the basics in class. In this way, you will be exposed to some of the basics of Eastern massage therapy.
What Is Shiatsu?
“Shiatsu” is Japanese for “finger pressure”. It was founded by Tokujiro Namikoshi Sensei (1905 – 2003) in the early 1900s in Hokkaido, Japan. It was not, however, formally founded until 1955. At that time it began to exert its influence in Japan before spreading further into Europe and the United States. Since then it has been accepted by the Japanese government as a legitimate form of therapy.
Shiatsu is a form of Asian bodywork that is both a preventive and alternative therapy that can work with conventional methods. It is based on the traditional concepts of illness and wellness. It is grounded in the traditional Chinese/Japanese belief in the presence within every individual of a life force or ki. In order to treat the affected person, a practitioner uses his or her fingers to press down on Tsubo (acu-points) to free blockage and allow the ki to restore balance. Yet, unlike other forms of Eastern massage, there is a distinctly scientific flavor to Shiatsu. The points and nature of the treatment are distinct from the traditional Chinese meridians.
The Shiatsu Way
Shiatsu massage therapists or practitioners perform Shiatsu in accordance with traditional ways. It is an approach that integrates the spiritual, the physical and the emotional. An individual taught the basics at a massage school in Prescott, will realize that it is more than “finger pressure.” It may also involve the thumb and palms and the practitioner’s own senses.
The specific Tsubo are pressed on in a distinctive fashion in order to help the body heal. In the initial probing, the pressure of the fingers becomes both a detecting and curing mechanism. Oils and creams are not part of treatment. Clothes remain on as the kneading, tapping, pressing and stretching techniques are employed. Mastering Shiatsu techniques can take years. Attending a course in a massage school in Prescott may seem insignificant, but it is an excellent way to start understanding the Shiatsu way of treatment and healing.
Styles of Shiatsu
Shiatsu is no longer a uniform massage therapy. It has since split into different variations or schools. Among them are:
- Zen Shiatsu
- Baby Shiatsu Massage
- Nippon Style Shiatsu (Namikushi
- Ohashiatsu
- Healing Shiatsu
- Essential Shiatsu
- Macrobiotic Shiatsu
- Barefoot Shiatsu
Many of the versions combine Eastern and Western traditional approaches to Shiatsu. Yet, the essence continues to remain.
Shiatsu Massage School, Preston
While no specific Shiatsu massage school in Prescott may exist today. There are schools that provide you with information on this particular type of massage therapy. They offer you the information you need to make an informed decision on what it is and what it does. Who knows, after exposure to Shiatsu in a local massage school in Preston, Arizona, you may go on to found your own school where a new variation of Shiatsu is taught.
