Shiatsu – Chair, Table and Floor Treatments – What’s The Difference?
Here at the Shiatsu Academy, prospective clients are sometimes confused when asked what type of Shiatsu Massage Therapy they are looking to receive.
At our clinics, we offer three options for those seeking a therapeutic massage.
An interested client has the option of receiving Shiatsu Massage Therapy on a massage chair, a massage table or on a floor mat, which is the more traditional method for conducting Shiatsu Massage.
When requesting a therapeutic massage session, a client should keep a few things in mind.
• How much time is available at their disposal?
• Does the client have any physical limitations that would prevent them from taking any of the positions required for the session?
• Does the client have any special areas of the body that needs to be addressed?
• What can the client’s budget afford?
Shiatsu Is Effective and Scientific
by Ross Oakes
Shiatsu is considered an alternative medicine meaning that it has not been cleared by the clinical trial system and formally recognized by government bodies like Health Canada and the FDA. This means if someone has problems that shiatsu can treat and asks their own doctor or another physician if they should try shiatsu (or another unrecognized treatment like acupuncture, aromatherapy, feldenkrais, etc.) the doctor will not mention it or even will oppose it Therefore in many instances, it is up to an individual to try shiatsu on their own, sometimes flying in the face of “established medicine” to “take a chance” on shiatsu or some other alternative medicines. Read the rest of this entry »
Sinus Sufferer Finds Relief With Shiatsu
by Joanne Latimer
At my wits’ end from serial sneezing, I decided to try Shiatsu Masters in Toronto. “It’s no quick fix,” warned Ross Oakes, who works at the affiliated Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo. “But the results speak for themselves.” Ross should know. He’s an ex-sneezer we met in an earlier post on my blog, Sinus Sister.
Arriving at the Broadview Street clinic, a sweetie named Mari ushered me into a cozy treatment room with a brick fireplace . There was a futon-cum-wrestling mat on the ground, and absolutely no clutter.
“I’m from Japan, but I didn’t know much about Shiatsu!” laughed Mari, her eyes twinkling. “I started here as receptionist. When I saw the look on everyone’s face after a treatment, I knew it worked and started my training.”
Mari arranged my limbs into the beginning position: lying on your side, bottom arm extended, top leg draped over and bent at the knee—the way pregnant women sleep. With the faint sound of rain outside, I was ready to doze off when she began pressing her thumbs into my neck and throat. It’s an odd sensation, but not unpleasant. Then she worked methodically down the entire body, leading with her two thumbs. Sometimes the pressure was a bit painful, but it was for the greater good. No pain, no gain. Mari asked me to tell her when to ease up (She isn’t into the pain-gain theory). An hour later, I was reborn, loosey goosey. Did I feel it in my sinuses? YES! When Mari did my head massage and stretch, I felt a pop and an easing of pressure. Was it miraculous? No, but I suspect the bigger impact will be long term, from a stimulated immune system. Ross is right, there’s no quick fix. If you’re also a sneezer or get frequent colds, please check out my blog, Sinus Sister and join my quest to breathe easy.
Self Shiatsu
By Anton Komar
There’s nothing more relaxing and beneficial to your health than a well performed Shiatsu treatment delivered by a skilled Shiatsupractor, but did you know that it is possible to do a shiatsu treatment on yourself! The students at the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo learn how as part of their Shiatsu Practitioner program. You can also learn!
Shiatsu Good for Weight loss
by Joe Figliola
He was in his early 50’s, the Lead Custodian for a large Mississauga High school when he began to receive regular shiatsu treatments in his life. At the time he packed 280 lbs. on a 5-10 frame. He believed that he would go through the rest of his life at the same weight, but after 2 ½ years at once a week treatments, he dropped over 40 pounds and continues to go down pound by pound. All the therapist asked of him was that he would work with him to control how much he ate per sitting. His hope was to get back to 200 pounds, the weight of his early 20s. The only variables in his life which accounted for his weight loss were regular shiatsu treatments and a concerted effort to watch how much he ate. He came to believe that in some way Shiatsu had accelerated his metabolic rate which over time has slowly meant a steady weight loss. His therapist remembers the special moment in the treatments when he was able to actually touch his spine which before had been covered with tissue. He remembers swollen areas in his body disappearing over time. He remembers when his pudgy fingers began to lose the extra tissue. He remembers when his calves began to lose tissue. His therapist was the first to notice many things which only lately were apparent to family and friends. Read the rest of this entry »
Shiatsu Can Treat A Variety Of Ailments
by Ross Oakes
Many people resort to the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo to find relief from a long list of ailments. When people come to the clinics for whatever reasons, our practitioners use a hands-on approach to the problems. Shiatsu is a therapy that uses its thumbs, fingers, and palms to assess a client’s problems and then relieve them. A practitioner’s hands are a shiatsu therapist’s “eyes” that find a problem and resolve it. After the end of a treatment, or after a few days, a client is asked if they noticed any difference. A positive response means that a shiatsu practitioner has done their work well, and that a client has been relieved of pain and suffering or at least is on the way to being restored to full health. More treatments may be required. Read the rest of this entry »
Shiatsu Brings Instant Relief
by Donna MacDonald
I am someone who enjoys walking. Daily walks are my therapy and I recently found myself unable to even walk even a short distance. My sister referred me to Shiatsu Masters in Toronto. I had the privilege of meeting Kensen who is a master therapist.
After a 45 minute treatment I was able to walk home and within 3 days my leg was back to normal. I was so impressed that I started receiving treatments on a monthly basis. I feel as if I have discovered the Fountain of Youth. I am 62 years old and feel as if I am 40.
I can honestly say that my health has seen a dramatic improvement since I began Shiatsu treatments.
It is as if my entire system has learned how to breathe deeply and is undergoing a healing process.
My energy level has increased significantly. I am sleeping more soundly and thus wake up energized instead of sleep deprived.
My leg injury was a blessing in disguise because it led me to Shiatsu Masters and their healing touch. I only wish I had discovered Shiatsu years ago.
Shiatsu Takes The Stage
by Ross Oakes
Did you know that most of the top actors in North America employ health professionals to help them maintain high physical and mental conditioning so that they can push themselves to excellence on the stage? In almost every area where high performance is expected, people turn to health professionals like Shiatsu Therapists. A stage actor who may have to give up to seven shows a week is no exception. An exhausting performance can make an actor’s body feel tired and run down and therefore some kind of rejuvenation is needed so that a similar performance can be given the following day. The actor has to be firing on all cylinders, both mentally and physically. show after show, especially if the performer has a leading role and has to take center stage most of the time. Read the rest of this entry »
Shiatsu Can Help Heal Sports Injuries
by Ross Oakes
Sometimes during recreational and sports activities, injuries can occur. A shiatsu treatment is one way of speeding up recovery. A full-body shiatsu treatment is an excellent choice for rehabilitation because it doesn’t just focus on the injured area but extends to cover the overall functioning of the entire body. A good shiatsu treatment realigns and rebalances the whole body while giving special attention to an injury. Some of the athletes we have treated told us how much shiatsu helped them to return to full health much faster than the remedies they were previously taking. In 1973, the founder of Namikoshi Shiatsu, Tokujiro Namikoshi gave therapy treatments to Muhammed Ali.
In 1988, the founder of the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo, Kensen Saito, accompanied the Canadian Olympic team to Seoul, Korea and treated many of them so that they could compete more effectively. Shiatsu can limber up the key areas of an athlete’s body beforehand, so that when a competition starts, an athlete is ready to give their best performance. Shiatsu can be part of any athlete’s daily training, so that they are ready to compete and recover quickly once the competition is over.
So if you play sports and want to get a better performance, check out what shiatsu can do for you.
Shiatsu Can Take The Pain Out Of Computers
by Ross Oakes
In today’s workplace most white collar workers (and some blue ones) have to work with computers, sometimes many hours at a time. These seem like undemanding physical jobs, but over time subtle changes can occur. Long periods in front of a computer can lead to stiff necks, tired eyes, and other muscles “locked” into set positions. Many people with these problems turn to shiatsu for help to loosen locked muscles and get the blood flowing again to provide energy once more.
Shiatsu can bring relief to computer overwork. It can prevent long term problems from occurring. It is a great insurance policy to have around. Many of our clients express the relief they feel from a shiatsu treatment after long days staring at a computer screen. A shiatsu treatment recharges their bodies so they can face the grind of the next day completely refreshed and be at their productive best. Read the rest of this entry »
Feldenkrais: Body Works and Psychotherapy: How One Thing May Lead to Another
By Kathy Vance,
I was asked to return and to teach a Spring time 2011 series of Feldenkrais workshops for the Shiatsu School of Tokyo. This prompted me to think of beginnings and where they may lead.
I warm to the body work developed by Tokujiro Namikoshi known as Shiatsu because it grew out of the love a boy held for his distressed mother and from there into a teachable technique, theory and licenced practice. This starting point, love and compassion for self and others is a wonderful motivational foundation.
Moshe Feldenkrais was a pioneer in neurogenesis. His method grew out of his personal fear that he would never walk again after suffering debilitating sports injuries. He was frustrated by an unsatisfactory medical response and frustrated by the scientific thoughts on recovery that were the accepted rule of his day. As he pursued his own treatment he developed a touch communication that helped his body regain its elegance and movement and he began to formulate a teachable method and registered as a trade mark the terms: Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration. Read the rest of this entry »
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