 Shiatsu is a manual art that exerts precise forms of pressure to affect the energy flows in the human body; its purpose is to understand the workings of these energy flows and to facilitate their circulation round the body. Although in this sense Shiatsu has its roots in the common heritage of far-eastern culture, the practical principles on which it is based come from Japan. Starting from the 1970s, Shiatsu began to branch out from Japan throughout the rest of the world, including Italy. Shiatsu (from the Japanese Shi = finger and atsu = pressure) is actually pressure exerted with the thumb. The human thumb includes the largest number of the hand’s sensory receptors and boasts not only a larger corresponding area on the cerebral cortex compared to the fingers, but indeed compared to all other physical elements of the human body. Shiatsu manipulation can, however, make use of other areas of the body: the palm of the hand, when the area to be treated is greater and requires broader and more in-depth contact; or the elbow, when more forceful stimulation is required to release a significant build-up of energy. It is essential for the steady, static amount of weight applied in Shiatsu pressure to be constant. It is precisely this static, steady and slow application of pressure that enables the Shiatsu practitioner to work effectively not only on the receiver’s physical self but also on the psyche, contacting their innermost energy levels and thus every aspects of their personal sphere.
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