There is a common ground between shiatsu and western massage. Both systems are excellent ways to relieve stress and promote health, and they focus on the body of the person to be treated. In addition, no system uses any sophisticated electronic or mechanical mechanisms to diagnose or implement treatment. The third common point of view is that shiatsu and massage are classified in most western countries in order to remain outside the bastion of western medicine based on modern western traditional science. Outside of Japan, both Shiatsu and Western massages share field fields of alternative treatment or alternative medicine with healing, reiki, hypnosis, or crystal healing.
Shiatsu practitioners tend to distance themselves from alternative treatment approaches such as Reiki or faith healing, demonstrating their use of anatomy, physiology, and pathology along the same lines as Western medicine. This may be one explanation for the great popularity of Shiatsu in the West when it overtakes the West and the East.
When we explore the differences between shiatsu and western massages, we notice four major differences.
- The historical evolution of treatment methods.
- Used technique and ingredients in the treatment.
- The philosophy of the approach and the essence that each practitioner is trying to capture.
- The nature of the derivative systems that have arisen.
Body massage can be one of the oldest forms of medical care known to man. Although we may not know what the ancient Egyptian practitioners believed, drawings of Egyptian tombs show that people are being massaged. Chinese book from 2700 BC, The Classics of Internal Medicine Yellow Emperor, recommends skin and meat massage as a suitable treatment for many diseases. Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old traditional Indian medicine system, greatly emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of massage with aromatic oils and spices. Writing in the 8th century BC, Homer from Greece mentions that massage is usually used also for Olympic athletes in the same way as today.
1. History and evolution of Shiatsu
Although the earliest modern reference to the term Shiatsu in a publication may be a Japanese book of 1915, Shiatsu reho written by Tenpak Tamay, followers of Tokudzhiro Namikoshi (1905-2000) consider it to be the founder of Shiatsu. His approach was completely different from Chinese meridians or methods based on qi. At the age of seven, Namikoshi in 1912 independently developed a pressing technique with his thumbs and palms when he tried to feed his mother suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The influence of Namikoshi on shiatsu can be compared with the role of Picasso in art, because he not only created an important genre, but also became a source of inspiration for many other creators of derivative therapies.
Tokujiro Namikoshi opened his first clinic for Shiatsu therapy in 1925 in Hokkaido, using a system that he improved. In addition to creating the Shiatsu first school of therapy in Tokyo in 1940 (now known as the Japanese Shiatsu College), Namikoshi was involved in legal recognition of Shiatsu in Japan, which may explain his emphasis on Western medical theories. Namikoshi achieved fame and successfully coped with many high-ranking officials, such as former Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Yoshida. As his fame spread such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali sought his treatment. Currently in Japan, the Namikoshi system has a special legal status. Beginning in 1947, after an eight-year period of clinical studies, in order to find out which of the 300 treatment procedures could be legalized, the Japanese Ministry of Health recognized Shiatsu therapy, since it had proven effective. Shiatsu was placed in the same category with Anma and Western Massage in 1955.
In 1964, Shiatsu was recognized as a separate therapy in itself in Japan. Every Shiatsu practitioner in Japan must obtain a license from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Licensing also requires Shiatsu practitioners to study the 2,500-hour Shiatsu therapy education program, which lasts about three years at universities or colleges authorized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and to pass a national exam.
2. Used technique and ingredients in the treatment
The second difference between shiatsu and western massages is the technique and use of ingredients such as oils and spices. The Shiatsu technique relies on finger and palm pressure, while Western massage uses friction. Since shiatsu is not involved in friction, oil and lotion are never used during treatment.
3. Philosophy of Western Massage and Shiatsu
The third and main difference comes from the philosophy of Western massage and shiatsu.
The main difference between shiatsu and other modern western body styles, for example, Swedish massage, is that shiatsu is a holistic lifestyle, and modern western massage is based on traditional western views on health and healing. Western massage usually considers the human body the area of the massage therapist, while the mind is the area of psychology and psychiatry. Adapting a holistic approach, Shiatsu regulates the nervous system and promotes natural healing, stimulating chemical reactions in the body.
Western massage is based on the idea that muscle tension and improper leveling can cause or worsen physical, mental and internal imbalances. Massage techniques try to reduce the tension inside the body to facilitate the free flow of blood and energy. This, in turn, makes the basic systems of the body (immune, circulatory, nervous, etc.) more capable of naturally curing diseases and promoting health and well-being.
In Shiatsu, there are 838 main pressure points for shiatsu, or Atten in Japanese, located on the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, bones and endocrine glands. Depending on the condition of the body, the therapist applies the appropriate types of pressure. The stiffer the muscles, the easier the pressure. When the muscles relax, the pressure becomes deeper, but always steady and steady. This leads to the release of hormones and body chemicals needed to heal, calm and improve your body and body. This method of launching your own body healing system does not cause side effects or toxins and, thus, is a completely healthy way of getting rid of ailments.
Casually looked from the distant diagrams of the whole body of Shiatsu, which can be confused with the Qi or Meridian maps used in Chinese medicine. But Namikoshi Shiatsu practitioners quickly point out that Namikoshi’s Shiatsu style focuses only on regions based on anatomy and physiology, and not on energy channels / paths / meridians. Shiatsu works on the whole body (including stretch marks).
4. Derived treatment methods
The last area of difference between shiatsu and western massage is derivatives. Derived Shiatsu usually refers to other current shiatsu styles that have evolved after Namikoshi Shiatsu, such as Meridian Shiatsu, Zen Shiatsu, Dao Shiatsu, Tsubo Shiatsu, Ohasiatsu and Quant Shiatsu. None of these derivative styles is recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan.
Inside the Western massage there are many styles and techniques that focus on certain areas of the body (for example, deep tissue massage, tenso-muscle massage, head massage, etc.). However, Western massages can generally be grouped into three camps, sports massages, wellness massages and erotic massages. Sports massage aims to keep the athlete in shape and provide excellent performance. Creating a certain type of atmosphere with candles, flowers, incense or music is very important for well-being and erotic massage, but is almost completely absent in sports massage. The camp of wellness massage demonstrates the widest discrepancy in various types of derivative forms, such as aromatherapy, reflexology or deep tissue massage.
Sensual massage or erotic massage have been derived from traditional massage for centuries in all corners of the world, but today there is no sensual or erotic therapy for Shiatsu.
Shiatsu and Western massage have a common ground, but in theory, philosophy and practice, they are much different. However, despite the differences, the goal of both systems is the same - a balanced, healthy and happy person.
Recommendations:
- Tokujiro Namikoshi, Japanese therapy with finger pressure Shiatsu, Japan Edition - (1974)
- Tokujiro Namikoshi, SHIATSU; HEALTH AND LIFE ON YOUR FINGERS Japan Edition - (1971)
- Canadian Shiatsu Therapy College
- Association of Canada Shiazupraktraktor
