Zen Shiatsu: How to Harmonize Yin and Yang for Better Health

by Shizuto Masunaga, Wataru Ohashi, The Shiatsu Education Center of America

The basic approach of oriental medicine is to emphasize natural powers of self-cure and to evolve a therapy that is entirely in harmony with the entire organism of the patient. Shiatsu is one of the oriental medical disciplines that have made great progress in such therapy.
The common conception that shiatsu is no more than the application of strong digital pressure on single points on the body misrepresents the truth. Shiatsu is based on a full oriental medical system, which explains the human body in terms of a network of meridians through which flows an energy
called Ki in Japanese. If the flow of Ki through the meridians is smooth, the person is healthy. If the flow becomes sluggish, the person falls ill. The nature of the flow is analyzed on the basis of the Chinese conception of the duality Yin and Yang into two states called Kyo and Jitsu. In the Kyo
state, the flow of Ki is sluggish, and the body functions are dulled. In the Jitsu state, the flow is too rapid, and the body functions are overactive. A therapy that fails to take these states into consideration can only further retard the activity of sluggish functions and further stimulate
hyperactive ones. In short, such therapy can produce no beneficial effect at all.
The way to restore the proper balance to the system of Ki energy is the subject of Zen Shiatsu , the first book on the topic ever published in the English language. In this richly illustrated work, the author thoroughly covers to-nification-sedation, meridian shiatsu (Zen shiatsu). In addition to
the services he performs as a therapist, he has devoted many years of study and much effort to developing new shiatsu ideas. Zen Shiatsu is the result of all these efforts. The inclusion of a chapter on self-shiatsu makes this an unusual and valuable book from the standpoint of people interested in
home remedies.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 1977

Reviews

[Mrs Reddy Mallender-Katzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book not only tells you how to do Shiatsu on other people but also on yourself ! it's an interesting read, i looked at it for personal reasons just to get an idea of the practice, it's so modern you wouldnt think it was written in the 70's

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know much about zen-shiatsu before reading, this was very informative!

[Grant Knuckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

the cold is yin being the problem. Heat is required to yang ie, moxa is one suggestion .Though with that malady there are others, far more qualified, with other treatments .