Shiatsu Massage
Simple Shiatsu Session:
The following sequences have been arranged so that each technique can flow into the next. Ideally the whole treatment should be experienced as a complete uninterrupted unit, not as a collection of separate movements. To achieve this, always maintain contact with your partner and make the transitions from one technique to the next with ease and fluency.
Yang:
Position yourself at your partner’s side. Take some time to centre yourself, clearing your mind so you can focus on your partner.
- Gently and firmly lay your hands on the small of your partner’s back. This contact is an important time for both receiver and giver to attune to each other’s energy. Use this time to assess the needs of your partner’ feel the quality of the energy, physically, emotionally and spiritually. This can focus your intention in all the techniques to follow.
- Turn to face your partner and place the heel of the hands in the space between the shoulder blade and spine. With the knees apart begin to rock back and forth from your Hara (centre of the lower abdomen) and let the movement transfer through your hands so your partner’s entire body moves in a wave-like motion. Continue to perform the rocking technique, working all the way down to the sacrum (lower back), moving the hands down the back in sequence.
- Repeat two or three times and then repeat the same movements on the other side of the spine.
- Left: This technique helps to disperse tension throughout, thus encouraging the energy to flow. It is useful to observe how your partner’s body is moving. You will quickly be able to diagnose areas which may need more attention by simply observing which parts of the body are not moving as you rock.
- Come up on to one knee, keeping an open posture. Placing your palms no higher than shoulder-blade level, on your receiver’s “out” breath, bring your body-weight forward applying perpendicular pressure.
- Work down the back, moving a palm’s width each time, and moving your body position to maintain perpendicular pressure. As you move below the ribs you may want to decrease the pressure slightly, as the internal organs are less protected here.
- Having relaxed the back you can now locate the bladder meridian, which has a structural and energetic relationship with the nervous system. Measure two fingers width from the centre of the spine and one hand’s width down from the top of the shoulder.
- Using the thumbs apply pressure at the points between the ribs. Thumb pressure is much more concentrated than palming. If you are unsure about how much pressure is appropriate, simply ask your partner how it feels.
