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Acupressure/Shiatsu — History & Philosophy</p>
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<p>Observing a river one day, Confucius is reported to have said, “Everything flows on and on like this river, without pause, day and night.” According to Eastern philosophy all things must and do change. Fu Hsi (Fuxi), China’s legendary emperor, realized the full impact of this observation around 2800 BCE. He noticed how the rhythms of life were cyclical, how day and night alternated, how cold seasons were followed by hot ones, and how all living things responded to this pattern. Each would dominate in turn and each was essential to the maintenance of life. Seeing these opposites as complementary, Fu Hsi called one yin and the other yang. So arose the Unifying Principle of Yinyang.</p>
<p>But it was the conversations of the Yellow Emperor Huang Di (2697-2597) and his physician Qi Bo that would eventually form the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine as recorded in the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wan or The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine around 300 BCE. It’s concepts of wholeness, Yin/Yang and the Five Elements, along with theories about meridians, organs, emotions, and pathogens, and its principles of prevention and treatment, have remained in use today in modalities such as acupressure and shiatsu.</p>
<p>Acupressure, as a healing art, evolved in Asia thousands of years ago. Rather than using the points of needles (as in acupuncture), the power and sensitivity of the hand was utilized to relieve and prevent ailments.</p>
<p>Shiatsu uses acupressure as a component of treatment. It originated through the confluence of “amma,” “do-in,” and “tuina”, the traditional massages of ancient China, and Japanese monks studying Buddhism in China in the 10th century. The word shiatsu means “finger” (shi) “pressure” (atzu), and is a combination of acupressure with massage and stretching. There are several main styles of shiatsu found in the West. All use the basic shiatsu principles but with differing emphasis placed on techniques or philosophy.</p>
<p>Three underlying principles form the foundation of both acupressure and <br />
shiatsu. They are The Five Elements, Chi, and Yin and Yang. The Five Elements — wood, water, earth, fire and metal — are what make up all life. Each of these elements is associated with different organs, meridians, and characteristics of the body. Qi (or Chi or Ki) is the vital force behind all life. Yin and Yang are interdependent opposites which create the cycles of energy and life. For good health and harmony, these three principles must be balanced.</p>
<p>The Chinese word qi translates as “breath.” Qi or chi flows through pathways, or meridians, in the body which are named in terms of their association with body organs or functions. This system of meridians links to the nervous system as well as the connective tissue and skin. Disease is believed to originate when there are stagnations or blockages in the flow of Chi along these meridians. Tsubos or acupoints, are found along the meridians, and are, in turn, named for their position along the meridian. The quality of energy within these points is perceived in terms of yin and yang, which may be expressed as jitsu (hyper) or kyo (hypo). This distinction determines the nature of treatment. </p>
<p>When you are healthy, chi energy is well distributed throughout. Any type of disease signals that the energy is out of balance. When there is a blockage, chi cannot nurture certain areas and the result is that those areas will suffer. One part of the body is getting too much chi, while another part is getting too little. If left uncorrected, symptoms will get progressively worse and diseases more serious.</p>
<p>Unlike Western medicine, which tends to resolve things symptomatically, acupressure and shiatsu practitioners consider the whole individual. It is the “root cause” that is considered to be the main cause of the disease/malfunction. If the root problem is corrected, the symptoms should resolve as well. A root cause could be anything like poor digestion, excessive heat, bad circulation, or depression. </p>
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<p class="timestamp">Content last modified on Mar 18, 2003</p>
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