Shiatsu is a Japanese "finger pressure" technique based on bionatural arts, which evolved in the Far East by the philosophic traditions and the ancient healing arts.

The background is similar at that of acupuncture, for the use of meridians, tsubo and diagnostic methods, but to the contrary, it doesn't use needles.

The true root of Shiatsu is simple, it's in the instinctive reaction of touching the painful part. In contrast with the other manifold forms of bodily treatments, Shiatsu technique doesn't include the use of oils and unguents, but it's made on clothed body on a futon (special mattress) set on the floor.


Pressure can be applied with the tips of the fingers, hands' palms, feet's palms, elbows or knee, according to the position, and adjusted to the intensity of stimulation demanded.

Shiatsu is a Japanese word, made of two characters meaning fingers (shi) and pressure (atsu). The application of pressure is the principle of Shiatsu. It's often called "finger-pressure", although it isn't technically correct. Sometimes pressure is applied on rather big areas, others is directed with precision on the acupoint. Additionally to pressure, recognised characteristic, Shiatsu include also some techniques of stretching, manipulation methods, and movements finalised to posing. The stretch exercises and other structural adjustments are used to obtain the regulation of the whole energy network. Shiatsu is neither an alternative therapy, nor a medicine not conventional, nor a therapeutic, sports, esthetical massage. Shiatsu works on the flowing of energy (Qi/Ki), which flows in our body in specific energetic canals or meridians. Chinese Traditional Medicine tells that all us have a "vital force" or "vital energy", which determines our physical structure and it regulates our physical, emotive, mental and spiritual stability. This vital energy, called QI (in Chinese), or KI (in Japanese) maintains an homeostasis balance in our body. (Homeostasis is the capacity of the living organisms to maintain a stable balance, although the variation of the external conditions).

Free flow of QI (KI) can be affected by external (as accidents, traumas) and internal (depression, distresses) reasons. The illness, in Chinese Traditional Medicine, is the expression of an energetic imbalance, and it's caused by an obstacle to the free flowing of energy (QI/Ki) in this network. With the passing of time this situation can damage organism and it determines the premise to the arising of different pathologies.

With Shiatsu the physical touch is used to permit the distribution of the QI/Ki in the whole body, trying to correct every imbalance.

The contact is the essence of Shiatsu. With the touch the practitioner activates the natural principle of the self-cure in the receiver. Every living organism gives an answer to the touch and Shiatsu helps to grant the deep and imperceptible demands of our body. The touch is a great instrument to communicate our love and compassion to others in a very direct manner, it's able to lead a sensation of big wellness in Body-Mind-Spirit and to allow the beginning of a wide and complicated route of auto-development and awareness. In Western countries Shiatsu became a respectable form of complementary medicine and it's proposed in a lot of hospitals as integrative therapy to the treatment and prevention of a lot of common disease.