Health and wellness through 'Shiatsu'

Reflexology, shiatsu, acupressure or pressure therapy are the same as these systems work in the same lines. Learn about 'Shiatsu' which is a form of reflexology. A slight difference might be that reflexology talks about feet whereas shiatsu is concerned with hands, feet and other pressure points of the body.

'shiatsu' is based on the holistic system of traditional Chinese medicine, where illness is thought to result from imbalances in the natural flow of energy, or qi (pronounced "chee") through the body.

According to a definition by 'wikipedia': 'Shiatsu' is a traditional hands-on therapy originating in Japan. Shiatsu is regulated as a licensed medical therapy by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and elsewhere by various governing bodies set up by Shiatsu practitioners.

Shiatsu therapists use finger and palm pressure to energetic pathways, called meridians to improve the flow of qi.

What conditions is shiatsu used for?

* Relaxation
* Back pain
* Headache
* Premenstrual syndrome
* Anxiety
* Insomnia
* Neck and shoulder pain
* Tiredness
* Recovery from injuries
* Stress
* Arthritis pain
* Poor digestion
* Constipation
* Depression

Shiatsu is also called acupressure.

Acupressure is an ancient healing art using the fingers and other parts of the body to skillfully press key points, which stimulate the body's natural self-curative abilities. When these trigger points are pressed, they release muscular tension, and promote circulation of blood, and the body's life force energy to aid healing. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same pressure points and meridians, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses gentle to firm pressure and integrates bodywork therapies, therapeutic touch, somatic work, healing imagery, energy psychology, and massage therapy techniques.

Useful links:

* 'Shiatsu Society'

* 'Shiatsu Massage Guide'

* 'What is reflexology?'

* 'Hand Reflexology Chart'

* 'Reflexology'

* 'Acupressure'

Health and wellness through reflexology

I have plan to write a series of articles by providing essential and useful links, resources about pressure therapy which is called 'reflexology or shiatsu. As I have personally used this therapy to heal minor health problems, I would like to share this experience with all. The first post of this series is how this reflexology or shiatsu system can bring health and wellness for humans?

'Reflexology' is based on the principle that certain points on the feet and hands, called reflex points, correspond to various parts of the body and that by applying pressure to these points in a systematic way, a practitioner can help to release tensions and encourage the body’s natural healing processes.

'International Academy of Medical Reflexology' explains: What reflexology does?

Reflexology allows the body to self-correct, and to do for itself. Every time a person has his/her feet worked on, it is an examination, an evaluation, or a re-evaluation. This is accomplished through first doing a visual observation, and then by applying an exercise pressure upon relax areas to achieve a specific, highly specialized relaxation in that area of the body. This improves the nerve, blood, and lymphatic supply. The entire foot is assessed; and throughout the session, whenever a trouble (sore) spot shows up, more time is spent on that area of the foot reflex. By working on that area, the corresponding part of the body receives improved nerve, blood and lymphatic supply, in addition to working all 12 systems of the body: cardio-vascular, central nervous, digestive, endocrine, immune, lymphatic, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, sensory, skeletal, and urinary.

The purpose of the nerves is to carry messages and instruct the body. When the nerves improve that instruct the body, the instruction has to improve, the body has to improve. Every nerve in the body begins and ends in the hands and feet. By applying this specialized exercise pressure on the foot, the outcome is improved instruction to each and every part of the body, resulting in a re-educating, a re-patterning, and a re-conditioning of the nerves& instruction through the reflex/neutral electrical system of the body.

The purpose of the blood is to transport nutrition, glucose, and oxygen to all parts of the body. The blood travels approximately 168,000 miles per day to supply about 60 trillion cells in the body. The heart pumps about 103,000 times per day.

It is in the hands and feet that blood transfers from arteries to veins to return back to the heart. This is the reason why the feet must be flexible and dexterous. Stress, which can be responsible for 80 percent to 90 percent of ailments, can act like a tourniquet, wrapping around the body, squeezing so tightly that it causes an impediment of blood flow which results in an ischemic condition. Since the capillaries feed the functioning part of the body, we are only as healthy as our capillaries.

Again, by using this specific, relaxation technique, reflexology is able to relax a specific area of the body enough to improve the blood supply to that area. This will then allow improved transportation of the nutrition, glucose and oxygen which that area of the body desperately needs to function or to regulate. It is essential to remember that we are not only what we eat, we are what we supply to our cells, and then assimilate.

The purpose of the lymphatic system is to cleanse and purify the body and lubricate the muscles. A healthy system is a cleansed system; congestion is disease. The absence of balance in the body is disease. The lymphatic system cannot cleanse or purify very well if it is weak, sick or congested. A healthy person's body will rid itself of at least eight pounds or toxic waste per day through the four channels of elimination: kidneys, bowels, skin and the breath. The lymph flows in one direction only, toward the heart; also every lymphatic vessel begins and ends in the hands and feet. By using this specific, highly specialized relaxation technique (reflexology) we are persuading the body to correct, strengthen, and reinforce itself.

Reflexology, which is not invasive but persuasive, can enable the body to obtain and maintain this healthy condition. In essence, healthy, strong feet are attached to a healthy, strong body.

* 'Reflexology hand charts'

* 'Reflexology of the hands'

Related posts:

* "Finger Tips" - A blog about Message Therapy

* When a journalist devoted his life for a volunteer purpose!

"Finger Tips" - A blog about Message Therapy

I have personally learned "Massage Therapy" basics from an accupressure consultant and noticed the benefits of massage therapy myself. I have plan to write more about "Shiatsu", "Accupressure", or "Massage therapy" because this system offers the free treatment of any ailments. I use massage or acupressure therapy myself for common sickness and found it really effective.

Today I am here with a review of a blog "Finger Tips" which is written by a practicing, nationally certified licensed massage therapist, and offers tips, pointers and information about improved health and wellness. Massage therapy news and insights are also covered.

Few article links:
- How Snoozing Makes You Smarter

- The Endocrine System

- Tennis Ball as Pressure Point Accessory

Related post:

When a journalist devoted his life for a volunteer purpose!'

When a journalist devoted his life for a volunteer purpose!

This is a true story of a journalist who left his profession, fame, career and everything which was a milestone for his success, just for a cause.
He is not a doctor or a health practitioner, but he is providing research based alternative cure for all diseases. He has been deeply involved in spreading the nature cure system called acupressure, on volunteer basis.

It began about 5 years ago, when Sagar Sagir, a journalist
working for some leading newspaper agencies became sick. For a long time he was suffering from indigestion, but there was no sign of improvement. As he felt a severe pain in abdomen, and it prolonged for few hours. There was no evidence of any abnormality in his reports. He was tired of consulting all the leading practitioners of the country and listening the same words, “your reports are normal”

He decided to go to the neighboring country India, for treatment. There he was told to have ultrasound or x-ray, when he felt the pain. He waited there for the time, when the abdomen pain would occur, and during his stay, he went to a bookstore. Just looking around he saw a book with the title “Health in your hands”, it was about shiatsu or acupressure.

From few years, he was thinking seriously about his sickness, and his questions were, why we become sick, how to cure from it and is there any prevention from the illness. He asked these questions to some doctors, but there were no satisfactory answers. Having a look at few pages of the book, he asked the shopkeeper, “Are these kinds of books effective? ------Is there any reality in what is said in this book?”

Shopkeeper asked him to show his hand and after pressing at some points asked him,” Are you suffering from serious abdomen problem?” Sagar watched surprisingly towards the book seller, as leading practitioners, modern diagnostic methods were applied to diagnose his ailment. But a person without any tool, any degree could tell the same diagnoses result by examining his hands. The shopkeeper suggested him to read the book, implement it and said that this book is enough for cure of any disease.

Sagar decided to leave for his home land without taking any treatment. He came back and started treating his sickness according the rules and techniques told in the book, and it is now 5 years, he never looked back again. Not only he could cure himself, his only daughter, who was suffering from chronic asthma was also cured by this treatment. He got training courses from the author of that book, directly going to Mumbai and Calcutta. He decided to do something on volunteer basis for humanity. His aim is to spread this therapy as a self help system, and take the benefits of nature cure.

Right now he has established a research and diagnostic center, where at a time; people are diagnosed, given acupressure therapy from a trained staff of about 35 persons. The main purpose of this centre is to train everyone to learn these techniques to cure one selves, and the fee is very nominal, only enough to cover salaries of the staff.

I asked Sagar about the success rate for ailment cure and prevention. He told me that most of the suffering persons come here with serious problems, which were partially or not cured from ordinary medial procedures. The success rate of curing chronic and prolonged diseases when having therapy at the centre was around 70% to 80% or more. Number of persons consulting the centre is about 35 to 40, among which most of the people get the therapy training and do it at their own. Patients coming to the centre are between the ages of 20 to 40 years.
Institutionally this is the first establishment at Bangladesh, where ancient acupressure therapy is successfully applied with the aim that everybody should learn this wonderful way to heal their selves.

You can get more information at search engines, and may be getting helpful books could give you some knowledge of this therapy which is very easy to apply, as you need nothing for diagnosis or treating yourself. Your fingers or thumbs are the best tools for use in this therapy. This therapy has no side effects, so it is harmless.

But a few more things are to be noticed. When you are going to use this natural system of healing yourself, you should also take some measure about your diet, eating habits. And most of all you should have some positive attitude to increase the speed of your cure towards health and longevity.

Sagar was emphasizing on the fact that Islam is a nature based religion, and if Muslims follow the simple manners, rules and regulation according to their religious teachings, this therapy can do miracles for them.

Here are few guidelines for prevention of illness:

1- Come close to nature. These therapies help nature to cure us, so be helpful in following rules of nature to get cured.

2- Be tension free. Depression, anxiety or tension is the base of very critical and chronic diseases.

3- In this fast age, we eat in a hurry and it has become our routine. Chewing our every bite properly and slowly can prevent us from many diseases, i.e diabetes is one of them.
Read this amazing article "5 Poweful Reasons to Eat Slower":
5 Poweful Reasons to Eat Slower at Zen Habits

Note:
In my next article, I am giving some basic information about acupressure, how we can learn it easily, and implement it to get cure from our ailments. So keep checking the blog!