Shiatsu is a non-invasive therapy that facilitates the body's natural healing abilities and encourages the body and its functions to normalize.

This Japanese massage is a melding of Western massage and Eastern acupuncture. The word "shiatsu" literally means "finger pressure". This pressure is applied to the same points an acupuncturist would use. It is done with clothes on so, no oils are applied. Sometimes, stretches will also be incorporated into the treatment.

Oriental medicine recognizes the state of being "half-sick". It is the sense of not feeling well yet after a battery of tests, Western medicine can't pinpoint the problem. Through a series of questions and palpation, a shiatsu therapist can assess the root of the problem and begin a treatment plan to alleviate the “dis-ease” and to prevent anything more serious from developing.

In Western terms, shiatsu helps to calm an overactive sympathetic nervous system. As a result, stiff muscles will loosen, tension lessens, and circulation improves. You will also leave the treatment feeling calm, relaxed and grounded.

© 2008 Balance Shiatsu