What Shiatsu Isn't
September 23, 2009
The other day I got caught in a conversation with a very enthusiastic masseuse who was proposing a different style of massage that enabled deep tissue massage without resistance. His spiel was that people associate pain with depth but that it wasn’t depth that was achieved, it was resistance to pressure, his technique was better than traditional massage and Shiatsu because it achieved depth without pain. Now this is great, it looks very innovative and the guy sure pulls in the clients, but it reminded me of what Shiatsu is not.
Shiatsu is not just a massage.This is not to say that massage is a bad thing, I go for massage regularly and I love it, it’s just the emphasis is different.
The goal of Shiatsu is to re-balance the body and mind for better health there is some massaging of muscles and some of this can be quite deep and some of the points painful, but the intention is to move Qi or not just muscles.
Some Shiatsu practitioners would argue that there is no necessity to make a clear division between Shiatsu and other forms of massage. I disagree, the reason being that you would choose them for different reasons you would choose Shiatsu. You would go for Shiatsu if you want something more than just relaxation or muscular work.
You go to a Shiatsu practitioner because they are able to help you on many levels and help with many different symptoms, from depression and anxiety to digestive problems and PMT.
The oriental medicine underpinnings of Shiatsu enable a good practitioner to focus in on diverse problems and help a person correct all kinds of physical and emotional issues. To declare that some form of massage is better than another because of the depth of the massage is to miss the point.
The aim of the therapy is different. The aim of every therapy is different and people choose according to their needs
In fact I would be tempted to declare that Shiatsu isn’t really a massage and is more similar to a Yoga or a medicine than anything else. This, despite the fact I still describe Shiatsu as form of massage! This is because it is the easiest way to give people a picture of what it is that I do without getting too technical but maybe I should start describing it as more a combination of
acupuncture without the needles and passive yoga! What do you think?
Filed under: Allopathic medicine, Alternative medicine, Chinese Medicine, Health, Shiatsu, marketing, massage
6 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
ank | October 27, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Good post, and I'd like to comment.
I've been running a campaign of sorts here in Spain with APSE to eliminate the word massage from descriptions of shiatsu.
It may be understandable to try and connect with the public using tag words like this, and, since a recent UK court case (and laws in France and Spain) that forbids members of some shiatsu societies to use words like 'treatment' and 'improvement' in a description of their services, the task of telling people what we do has become even more difficult. But I believe, in particular, using the word massage, is not serving the interests of shiatsu for at least 3 important reasons.
As far as the general public is concerned, if practitioners make no distinction between massage and shiatsu, why should they? By using the massage label we, the practitioners, are only speaking to those who want to feel good, along the same lines as those who want the typical massage experience. We miss capturing the interest of those who seek to change their state, who seek a difference in how they feel for the long-term.
Similarly, it's difficult to persuade the health industry of our seriousness; to persuade doctors to think about complementing their world-view with ours, if all we do is variants of 'massage'.
We are easily dismissed when we do not differentiate our practice from other techniques. By using words of common currency like 'massage' we are handing over shiatsu to lay people, such as those in the beauty and cosmetic industry, who also claim to the techniques of 'shiatsu massage' for themselves.
An extreme example of this, as I have noted elsewhere, is the sale of a mechanical chair that allegedly performs shiatsu massage without the intervention of the human hand or mind.
Having said all this, the most important question still remains unanswered.
Shiatsu practitioners do perform a service that's quite different from almost anything else, including acupuncture, why then, do we have such difficulty in establishing a solid identity for it?
2.
Rob | October 28, 2009 at 11:49 am
Great words Ank, thanks for your comment, as you could guess I agree with what you say but other practitioners don't feel this way. In fact consider it too big a minefield to get Shiatsu recognised as something that does anything other than relax. In fact are actively trying to blur the lines between shaistu and massage. Language is the problem here I feel but like many marketers would say the general public couldn't give a damn about what it's called or what it's related to but , how it can help them, they don't wnat to know what it doeas but will it sort out there gammy knee, sleepless night etc.
3.
Paige | January 11, 2010 at 12:25 pm
HI Rob, I found you via Gina and just was reading thru- kudos for your writing and inspiring – I was interested in your idea about dividing Shiatsu from other types of massage. And have pondered this myself as my training has been first straight-forward western style and then with further additions of the various different ‘brands’ of massage-like treatments via weekends and workshops-o-plenty and now a full blown acu degree. So while I do ‘massage’ I like to think that, like you, I am a healer and bring about change in various areas of my clients life – rather than just muscular manipulations and off you go. But I feel that when we (as therapists) all get a bit caught up in the enthusiasm for our particular brand we sometimes can confuse and alienate clients. So I have chosen to embrace the more basic term of massage and leave the whole discussion of what I do to my interaction with my clients. Now as I am nearly done with an acupuncture degree, I again am wondering how to embrace the wholeness of my skill set without alienating people. I think that the whole ‘My therapy is x and is better than y’ sort of discussion is like religions all vying to tell people their path is the valid one, when perhaps the path is really the same, just different strokes for different folks. And I really want revolution in health and well-being so we are not marginalized, so I’m not sure all the differentiation is causing us to be splintered and therefore less cohesive in both our reputation and ability to communicate the wonders of what we do to the larger public. Just my two cents. The calmest revolution ever staged begins….
4.
admin | January 12, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Hi Paige,
I agree with your points(!) on the whole and I think the issue is less about being divisory and more about being clear. Yes it is important not to alienate the general public but on the other hand it is important to make sure they know why you would choose one thing over another. They all have their benefits, Shiatsu is particularly hard to define. I was not trying to day one is better than the other in fact it was just this I was trying to say. It’s not better just different. Sure anything that is going to make apparent the connection between body and mind and the practice of healthcare is good. The problem that Shiatsu faces is that people don’t know what it is so it is in danger of being ignored or avoided.
I think, like I said before it is imortant to say what it can do not how necessarily.
People who want a burger are not going to be satisfied with soup. they need to know what they are getting, saying everything is a burger does not help the public see the benefits and does not help them choose what is good for them. Did that make any sense?
5.
Paige | January 17, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Yes you do make lots of sense. I do see your point and I do agree that the public needs to be informed, but I guess I find it hard to see how or why you couldn’t just advertise as a massage therapist and THEN educate them once they buy into a general category.
To confuse people with all the divisions is counterproductive as you agree, so why not advertise it as a burger (they know and like) and give them a different (better! go on you can say it, this is your site!) type of burger? And then you get referrals and so it goes on… plus we cannot legally say that we can cure anything without getting in trouble, so the proof has to be in the pudding. And whether it is Zen thumb or acupressure or poking someone with your finger it really is kinda, sorta the same thing – we get a bit attached to how we were taught to classify it at times. And I feel people chose the therapy often on the basis of what is known and comfortable, so starting on that level is always going to be easier. But do you think it is somehow disrespectful or diluting what you feel is important about what you do?
6.
shiatsurob | January 29, 2010 at 10:19 am
Heyup there Paige,
I’m kinda new to all this marketing gubbins etc. So I reckon you are probably right, I think introducing it as massage gives people a ballpark in which to place there expectations. I think the difficulty lies in that massage does have lots of benefits but Shiatsu, because of the three years training, because of the oriental medicine underpinnnings, is able to help with very specific problems in a very direct way, much like acupuncture. Because of the difficulty in stating that it actually helps legally, complicates the matter but there must be a way of saying it other than letting people just find out by accident. I am not saying Shiatsu is better. I would and do, as I have said before, go for massage instead of shiatsu when I want that sort of body work, but if I have a specific problem, digesitive issue, cold, or feeling like I am not functioning properly then it will be Shiatsu everytime!
i don’t think it undermines too much what I do classing it as massage. I hope people realise the training and the difference when they recieve some from me. It is only my ego that could be hurt when people compare what I do to something that some one learnt in a weekend. In the end as long as peopole are feeling healthier and getting what they need and the best possible care thats all that matters!!!
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