Zen Shiatsu At San Francisco School of Massage

By Richard Seeber

Richard Seeber is a bodyworker and freelance writer in San Francisco.

Shiatsu simply means finger pressure. Like other folk medicines, there are many varieties of shiatsu, varying on a regional basis. The form most common in the United States is Zen shiatsu. Imported from Japan as recently as the 20th century, Zen shiatsu includes some of the basic tenets shared by many other forms of shiatsu: The mindful application of static pressure along the body's 14 major energetic pathways (called meridians); a fully grounded and present connection between practitioner and client; close attention to breath; the transmission of energy from the practitioner's abdomen, known in Japanese as the hara; and the restoration of the body's energy to a state of balance. Emphasis is placed on health and healing by strengthening the body's responsiveness to disease and injury.

As a distinct style of shiatsu, Zen shiatsu is sensitive to the modesty around nudity and touch characteristic of life in the western hemisphere. A typical Zen shiatsu session is performed on a mat, with the client dressed in comfortable, light-fitting clothing. The application of pressure is slow and deep. The practitioner and client are both relaxed and supportive of one another, so that both receive the benefits of the session.

In addition to promoting self-healing, Zen shiatsu relaxes and reunites the mind and body through attention to breath and the movement of joints, and provides long-lasting relief from stress.

For the practitioner of massage and bodywork, learning Zen shiatsu is a powerful way to expand one's practice to meet the needs of clients looking for energetic balancing, as well as those who are uncomfortable disrobing for a massage. It is also a great way for the experienced and beginning practitioner alike to refine their skills of palpation, developing sensitivity to rhythms that run deeper than the musculoskeletal system. And finally, it offers the practitioner a chance to engage in a form of bodywork that supports the health and healing of the therapist as much as it does the client.

The San Francisco School of Massage has provided exceptional bodywork training since 1969. We offer the only comprehensive Zen Shiatsu training program in the Bay Area. Our 115-hour Beginning Zen Shiatsu Practitioner course, offered each trimester, provides students with the skills to begin a successful practice as a Zen Shiatsu therapist. Each summer we offer a 103-hour Advanced Shiatsu Therapist course that enhances the therapist's skills of assessment, treatment and practice-building.

Additional workshops in Thai Massage, Reiki, and Table Shiatsu are held throughout the year, offering practitioners the opportunity to further develop their Asian bodywork skills and define their individual styles.