about Asian Bodywork
WHY? because it’s important to tend to yourself.
Asian Bodywork Therapies are rooted in thousands of years of observation of nature. All help you tune into your body, settle into relaxation, and bring to a re-energized state—all in about an hour!
Asian Bodywork styles can be helpful for conditions such as: stress, muscle aches & pain, fatigue, headaches, jaw pain, menstrual difficulties, depression, anxiety, injury, addiction recovery, life changes, fibromyalgia, pregnancy, digestive disorders, health maintenance.
Shiatsu originated in China and was developed in Japan. Thai Yoga Bodywork has roots in China and India and was developed in Thailand. Both use energy pathways as well as musculo-skeletal structures to enhance your well-being. Both Shiatsu and Thai Bodywork are clothes-on modalities of bodywork and incorporate relaxation, various types of pressure, and stretching.
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Shiatsu
Shiatsu (“she“ shi, meaning finger + “ott-sue” atsu, meaning pressure) is a form of bodywork developed in Japan. Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, Shiatsu utilizes acupressure points & meridians to ease aches and calm your mind. Shiatsu rhythmically kneads, rocks, presses and stretches your body, opening its energy channels, relaxing tight muscles and joints, helping you feel better.
Shiatsu can be used for specific conditions such as headaches, digestion problems, and chronic pain, as well as for health maintenance, stress reduction and relaxation. A session is usually about an hour long, with 5-15 minutes of intake and 55-60 minutes of hands-on work. You remain fully-clothed and rest comfortably on a Shiatsu mat or table.
Shiatsu is calm and relaxing, but with vibrant effects! The body becomes more balanced and healing takes place naturally. You may leave the session feeling more relaxed than ever, but will also feel energized, often for days after the session.
Thai Yoga Bodywork
Thai Yoga Bodywork is similar to Shiatsu in its Asian roots, its use of energy lines, and its meditative nature. It involves a lot more stretching, and you are placed in a series of positions throughout the session (seated, supine, prone, supine, in cobra pose, etc. etc.) Sometimes it is referred to as the “lazy person’s yoga.” It is much more necessary to be on the floor mat for a Thai session, due to all this moving around.
Thai Bodywork has its roots in India and China originally (depending who you ask), and ended up in Thailand with the migration of Buddhism. The traveling of cultures around Asia contributed to the creation of both Shiatsu and Thai Yoga Bodywork. Lucky for us!
Chinese Medicine Background
Chinese Medicine is over 5,000 years old. One of the most important ideas in Chinese Medicine is that the human body reflects, follows, and is subject to the laws of nature. Much of Chinese Medicine was developed through the observation of nature and its patterns. You may be familiar with acupuncture, which is one part of Chinese Medicine. The other branches of Chinese Medicine are: diet, exercise, herbs, and bodywork. Generally speaking, Chinese medicine focuses on how the essential energy of life, or qi (“chee”) courses through the body on pathways called meridians or channels. The goal is to promote or keep this energy flowing smoothly and freely and in sufficient amount. While Chinese medicine does involve practitioners of acupuncture, bodywork, qi gong, herbal medicine, etc., it also recognizes the power and responsibility of an individual in his or her own well-being.
“The ancient Chinese perceived human beings as a microcosm of the universe that surrounded them, suffused with the same primeval forces that motivated the macrocosm. They imagined themselves as part of one unbroken wholeness called Tao, a singular relational continuum within and without. This thinking predates the dissection of mind from body and man from nature that Western culture performed in the seventeenth century….
The true physician teaches the Tao—how to live. Traditional Chinese doctors are trained to cultivate wellness as well as to correct ill health. Planning ahead, Chinese medicine knows that storms interrupt clear weather, that illness stalks and gains a foothold when we are vulnerable. Its strategy is to accumulate resources in times of good weather, peace, and plenty… Sages describe a state without suffering and a way to get there. That way is not to search for a single remedy, a panacea, a “magic bullet,” but to engage in the ongoing process of learning to become more animated, more connected: more charged with life.”
-Between Heaven and Earth, Beinfeld and Korngold
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Recommended Reading
- Wood Becomes Water: Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life Gail Reichstein
- Acu-Yoga Michael Reed Gach
- Between Heaven and Earth Beinfeld & Korngold