Tui-Na/Shiatsu
Translated from Mandarin as “push/pull”, Tui-Na is a complete system of body maintenance. In China, there are specific Tui-Na hospitals, or wards within certain hospitals, devoted specifically to its practice.
Tui-Na is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, i.e., the balancing of the internal environment to achieve balance/homeostasis. The modality is a combination of various manual techniques that propel stagnation of blood to relieve circulatory congestion. At an advanced level, the technique of spinal and bone manipulation can also be prescribed.
Various cultures have influenced Chinese medicine throughout its history and adapted their own techniques to reflect the needs and preferences of their people. In Japan, Shiatsu is a well-known traditional type of bodywork. Shiatsu is also based on the principles of meridian balance, but maintains specific diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that are uniquely Japanese.
Modern Shiatsu is practiced on a massage table with the client fully clothed, or draped accordingly.
