A wellness massage unlike any other, a theoretical framework from a distant civilization, sensations and effects that are sometimes difficult to measure… Shiatsu eludes basic explanations, to the point of seeming strange to those who have never experienced it, either as a receiver or as a giver.
It has been eleven years now since I started studying Shiatsu, soon seven since I became a certified practitioner, and four that I have been working permanently… and yet, I still sometimes feel embarrassed when asked about my activity. Several reasons explain this difficulty in presenting Shiatsu simply.
A Singular Massage
“Massage” is an unavoidable word when describing a Shiatsu treatment to someone who doesn’t know what it is. However, the term evokes diverse images, often far removed from our reality: that of a highly medicalized environment with a massage table, or, conversely, that of sensual, or even sexual, contact!
It is then necessary to specify that “massaging,” during a Shiatsu session, consists of:
- attentively palpating certain areas of the body: muscles and abdomen
- applying pressure according to a defined scheme
- mobilizing the joints.
Among the particularities of this massage, we also note:
- the absence of contact with the skin: the person remains clothed
- the practice on a mat on the floor, which is not an absolute rule, but one that I personally use most often
- the connection with Japanese martial arts, which imparts a certain rhythm and dynamic to the treatment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a Backdrop
To explain the choice of pressure points, it is convenient to refer to acupuncture, which is now well known. But locating points (tsubos) and the meridians that connect them is not enough to explain the effectiveness of Shiatsu. This entire practice is part of a theory of human health, called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Ivan Bel, the author of The Spirit of Shiatsu, emphasized in a recent podcast (in French) the importance of TCM for the practice, and also noted how this system, coherent and complex, is not easily assimilated. As Westerners, we must first digest the numerous cultural and religious references that permeate this medicine, and then explore its functional intricacies. I do not claim to have much expertise in this area, but the treatment techniques transmitted by my Shiatsu teachers, and primarily by Jérôme Voisin of the Angers Shiatsu Academy, are based on this fundamental theoretical foundation, to which I am led to refer.
Admitting the Invisible
The last notion I mention to explain my practice is “Qi,” most often translated as energy. At the heart of TCM, “Qi” brings us into the mysterious dimension of Shiatsu, the one that escapes external observation and cannot be quantified. When I was younger, I would undoubtedly have been unable to face such a situation. At 55, I more willingly admit a part of the invisible. I no longer seek to understand everything nor to control everything. Practicing, or receiving, a Shiatsu treatment is not magic, but it partially escapes rational explanation. Is it weird? Yes, probably, and who cares! What matters is that the experience is honest and beneficial for the person receiving it. Not to promise them the moon, but to guide them toward another way of inhabiting their body.
