Shiatsu is a form of body massage which was originally developed in Japan around 100 years ago. It is based on ideas anchored in traditional Chinese medicine, in particular the meridian system, i.e. the paths in the hu- man body along which energy is conveyed.

The aim of any Shiatsu massage is to promote the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of the person being treated. To do this, energy blocks and bottlenecks in the meridians need to be dissolved and the self- regulating ability of the body needs to be stimulated.

Shiatsu therapists achieve this by exercising pressure in flowing movements along the meridians. Although Shiatsu can be literally translated as finger pressure, practitioners also use the heels of their hands, their elbows and knees as well as their fingers. In the process, the therapist will use his or her full body weight in order to generate the required pressure.