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JAPANESE INSPIRED |
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Japanese Massage has its roots in ancient Indo-Chinese massage, it employs theories and techniques from these cultures and philosophies to create wholeness and well-being. In Japanese massage the fingers, thumbs, elbows, knees, and hands are all used to stimulate or sedate the energy channels flowing through the body. Six main pairs of meridians are all linked by ki. For the Orientals, all parts and functions of the body are interrelated; no problem can successfully be treated in isolation.
Along the meridians are tsubos, or specific points, where the ki is more or less active. There can be many interruptions along the way resulting in blockage. If this keeps happening, the ki will continue to be disrupted and blocked. On one side of the blockage, there is too much ki and on the other too little. The difference becomes more apparent the longer the blockages remain. Our blockages can be felt as stagnation in the body, with the “full” side as a pain or discomfort and the “empty” side as a weakness or apathy. Oriental body-work is a catalyst in the healing process. Healing is not something that just sometimes “happens” it is a continuous movement toward harmony, balance and wholeness. When Japanese massage is given, the skin surface is immediately stimulated, triggering a response in the nervous system. Any sensory stimulation is automatically picked up by the nervous system, and then taken to the brain for interpretation. The autonomic nervous system is the subconscious part of the nervous system that coordinates all involuntary movements and functions of the body. It is divided into two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. Our way of being and feeling changes considerably depending on the relative balance of these two systems. Many influences both internal and external can tip this balance and cause dominance in one or other of the parts of the autonomic nervous system, resulting in a feeling of being out of sorts. The sympathetic branch of the nervous system is concerned with the stress response and preparation for fight or flight when something stressful comes our way, the body tries to defend itself by either fighting or running away. The changes that take place when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant are:
• the muscles contract to prepare for escape All these responses prepare the body for action. Once the immediate danger has gone, the parasympathetic nerves become the more dominant. All the systems start to return to normal and there is a feeling of relief, letting go, and relaxation. The parasympathetic response is sometimes known as the peacemaker. There is a very fine point of balance between the two systems. We are constantly trying to maintain this balance, both consciously and subconsciously. Much of the stress that we encounter today is not from an immediate and identifiable source, it is in the background constantly digging away. With this persistent stress the body is on alert a lot of the time. As a result, the systems are always on the defensive, and a feeling of total relaxation is difficult to experience. Through Japanese massage we can encourage the body and mind to relax and let go of tension, to switch from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance. Then it is possible to feel with clarity the oneness that is blocked so much of the time. This “being in the present moment” is the most restful place to abide. Using quiet and gentle movements, we can encourage the parasympathetic response; through more active, vigorous movements we can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.
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lcgiac@gmail.com
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