THE SHIATSU MASSAGE
Literally translated from Japanese, “Shiatsu” means “finger pressure” and it was incorporated into the Japanese culture approximately 1,500 years ago. Today, the Shiatsu Massage is, in fact, just one out of a large assortment of Japanese massage methods known as Nihon Kaifuku Anma. The Shiatsu Massage is the best known among them all and the one most often used in Japan and elsewhere around the world. It is based on the meridian system passed down from ancient Chinese arts of healing as well as old Japanese teachings. Stated very briefly, meridians are the conduits or energy channels by which gi and blood continually flow through the body. Any interference with this flow of energy translates in an imbalance within the body which leads to an energy that is either depleted (kyoto) or overactive (jitsu) and symptoms of illness and disease occur. There are twelve major meridians that are directly associated with vital internal organs: kidneys, liver, spleen, heart, lungs, pericardium, bladder, gall bladder, stomach, small and large intestines as well as the body’s temperature-regulating system. The Yin (negative) meridians flow upwards while the yang (positive) meridians flow downwards.
Also known as acupressure and quite similar to acupuncture in that the same points are used, the Shiatsu Massage is a technique by which the massage therapist applies pressure, tapping, squeezing, stretching and rubbing of the client’s body by using his or her thumbs, fingers, palms, knuckles, elbows, knees and feet (not needles as in acupuncture) along the meridians to unclog passages in order to get the gi energy to flow optimally. Being a “touch communication” and an effective preventive Eastern medicine, the first and foremost goal of the Shiatsu Massage is to refine and perfect the body’s natural functions before health issues appear rather than after. The human body, in the Shiatsu philosophy, is viewed as a microcosmic miniature universe within the entire universe and both are reigned over by the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) and the yin and the yang. In a healthy state of body and mind, no element is dominant over any other element and that is what is to be strived for.
The Shiatsu Massage is performed while the client is wearing loose clothing of natural fibers and reclining on a floor mat. As the treatment works deeply on the entire being, the physiological, psychological, and spiritual, a variety of reactive emotions may come to the surface and the client may experience bouts of crying, laughing, joyous exclamations or mere stillness. These are all positive signs that the body is amending old energy patterns.
As one might expect, the benefits of the Shiatsu Massage are many but the most commonly recognized are the following:
* Calming of nervousness as well as reducing mental anxiety and depression.
* Improvement of the blood circulation and, with it, the flow of gi and fresh oxygen.
* Lowering high blood pressure and reducing stress.
* Relaxing deep muscles and other soft tissues (tendons, ligaments, joints, connective tissue, and skin).
* Relieving symptomatic aches and pains (headaches, backaches, stiff or pulled muscles and leg cramps) due to stress, overuse, menopause, constipation and so on and on.
* Improving respiratory and digestive systems.
* Alleviating the symptoms of arthritis,
* Releasing and clearing out metabolic waste and toxins.
* Enhancing the body’s immune system for disease prevention.
* Increasing flexibility and the range of motion.
* Raising mental and spiritual awareness and clarity.
* Promoting the overall feeling of energy, vigor, rejuvenation, and wellness.
Have a Shiatsu Massage and thrive.
Get Back All Of The Mobility That You Used To Enjoy And Reclaim Your Life Once And For All!
THE INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE
Its origins stem from an Indian remedial and grooming practice that had been and continues to be part of the Indian daily ritual for over 4,000 years. The ancient Indians believed that when energy channels become blocked and the flow of positive energy is obstructed, negative energy builds up and increasingly leads to a wide array of ailments and dysfunctions such as stress, depression, poor sleeping habits, localized and remote pains, and aches, hampered and sluggish blood circulation, overall poor health, as well as loss of hair or baldness. The main focus and intent of the Indian Head massage, therefore, is to open up the blockages and to allow the positive energy to flow freely through the entire body and in the process to get rid of the amassed negative energy.
Indians in times of yore, young and old and mostly women but not exclusively, sat in large groups and massaged each other’s heads. They began by applying a variety of nut and grain oils (coconut, almond, olive or sesame) which were to nourish the hair and scalp while, at the same time, the message promoted improved circulation. Today’s modern Indians get their head massage treatments regularly in beauty salons and barbershops.
The Indian Head massage was introduced into the Western world in the early years of the 1970s by Narendra Mehta, a native of Bombay, India and an osteopath and a massage therapist. As countless techniques for the Indian Head massage were passed down through the generations, Mr. Mehta developed his own particular technique by integrating the head, neck, and shoulder and massage into a single robust therapy which promotes and elevates the body to heightened states of physical, mental and spiritual health and wellness. Mr. Mehta branded his comprehensive massage treatment as Champissage. Champi means “head massage” in Indian and it is also, by the way, the origin of the English word “shampoo.” With the help of Mr. Mehta’s promotional campaign, Champissage rapidly gained popularity in Europe and elsewhere around the world, and he summarizes his own belief which, in fact, echoes the belief of his ancestors by making the following statement out of his current home base in London: “Unfortunately, in the West, many people worry about their hair’s health only when they start to lose it. Healthy hair should be promoted from childhood with the help of regular massage.”
The body has seven chakras which are centers that regulate the flow of energy all through the body. Champissage works on the top three energy centers or chakras which are found on the crown of the head, the forehead and the throat as it aims to bring the entire body into corrected alignment and proper balance. The resulting effects are strong, silky and shiny hair, relief from stress, restful sleep patterns, increased energy, and sharpened mental clarity.
The Indian Head Massage or the Champissage is performed in a quiet place where the client can sit comfortably on a chair and the massage therapist can either stand or sit directly behind him or her. The sequence of the treatment is as follows:
* The shoulders. Gently squeezing the trapezoid muscles at the base of the neck and moving outward toward the shoulders. This is repeated three times while slightly increasing the pressure.
* The neck. The neck is massaged with small circular motions, beginning at the collarbone and ending at the hairline. This is repeated three times.
The sides of the neck are then stroked with a rolling motion beginning under the jawbone and ending at the shoulders. This is repeated three times.
Avoiding the vertebrae, the back of the neck is pressed with a gliding and rotating motion from the collar bone up to the hairline and it is repeated five times.
* The head. The head is moved slowly and gently forward and backward three times.
The entire area of the scalp is massaged with rolling gentle pressure four or five times and then the scalp is rubbed briskly without causing pain for a full minute.
* The hair. Fingers are run through the hair from the forehead back three times.
* The temples. The temples are worked with small circular massaging and pressing movements three times.
* The end. Slowly stroking the entire head area from the forehead to the back for a minute and progressively making the strokes lighter and lighter.
Use The Thousand-Year Old Secrets Of Muscle Relief And How They Can Eliminate Your Pain!
SELF MASSAGE
Are you aware of having a personal massage therapist, actually two of them, available to you and ready to serve and fulfill your wishes twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week all year round and charge you not a dime? And would you believe me when I tell you that these massage therapists are perfectly happy to provide you with therapeutic sessions anywhere you please (your bedroom or living room, your office or car, in a public park or at the library), as frequently as you summons them and for the duration of your choosing? I am talking about your own two hands. Yes, your own two hands are perfectly capable of massaging away your stress, your tension, your stiffness, and your pains while bringing forth an increase of blood circulation to invigorate and rejuvenate you with a fresh supply of oxygen into every cell in your body. Research shows that massage therapy, whether it is performed by a paid professional massage therapist or by your own built-in and securely affix hands, also boosts your immune systems as the production of white blood cells is stimulated in the process as is your mental capacity.
Chances are that you probably perform self-massage therapy on a regular basis without ever calling it that. Stroking your forehead in a spontaneous reaction to a headache, grabbing the back of your neck to squeeze aware aches and stiffness, scrubbing yourself down with a loofah sponge in the shower or bath, rubbing your sore feet after a long day or hard work are all forms of self-applied massage therapy. Congratulations! You are an experienced self-massage therapist and you did not require formal training, a certification or a license.
The following is a list of techniques you can safely apply to your own body and promote overall wellness from the tip of your toes up to the crown of your head:
* Upon waking and upon going to sleep. Twice a day, morning and evening, treat yourself to a session of gentle punches. Always moving in an upward motion from bottom to top, begin with the legs, proceed to the arms, then the torso, the back, the head, and the face. This will beat out your tension, stress, kinks in your muscles, which will improve your blood circulation and will strengthen your body.
* A treat after dessert. Whether you have had a large meal or a small one, help your digestive process by rubbing your tummy in the same direction as your food travels through the systems; clockwise. Therefore, use the palms of both your hands in a clockwise circular motion.
* A therapeutic exercise before and after the more athletic type. Punch yourself before stretching, cardiovascular or strength exercises to get more blood flowing into your muscles. After exercising, rubbing your muscles in the direction of your heart will promote the elimination of metabolic waste as well as expedite the relaxation and recovery of your muscles.
* Massage your appended massage therapists. You may do this with or without lotion buy you should do it daily. Intertwine the fingers of both hands and rub the heels against each other in a circular motion. With on thumb, rub the entire palm of the other hand and then switch. Untwine your fingers and thoroughly kneading each hand, gently pull on each finger and finish by pinching the webbing between the thumb and the index finger of each hand.
* Play tennis without a racquet. To exorcise tension and stress, massage your feet by stepping on a tennis ball. Actually, a gulf ball will work just as well. From a standing position press one foot on top of the ball, apply as much weight as you can and slowly move your foot around.
Enjoy yourself a massage and stay well.
Enjoy A Relaxing Massage That Finally Brings Every Muscle In Your Body To Calm Peace!