Zen Shiatsu

One of Derivative Shiatsu. Shizuto Masunaga graduated from the Japan Shiatsu College. He wrote the book “Shiatsu” in 1974. It was translated in 1977 and titled “Zen Shiatsu” in English. It was the first publication relating to Shiatsu in North America. The purpose of the book was to re-educate Shiatsu practitioners. In the book there is no mention of the religion of “Zen” or the religious and philosophical inferences of this word in Japanese. Zen Shiatsu is just one form of Meridian Shiatsu and, in Japan, there is no special category for it. However, the book helped spread the oriental trend in North America and Europe due to its mysterious name. It is also known as Masunaga Therapy. One difference between Zen Shiatsu and Shiatsu is that Zen Shiatsu uses not only thumbs and palms but also fists, elbows and knees.

There is a strong presence of Zen Shiatsu practitioners in the U.S. and the U.K. Zen Shiatsu was founded by Shizuto Masunaga, who emphasized the importance of remaining in a Zen-like, present state when practicing shiatsu; nourishing weak kyo areas primary to dispersing excess jitsu areas; using two-handed technique to better feel the flow of qi; working from the hara, or belly, which is the body's energy center; and using perpendicular pressure to access the qi. Masunaga moreover expanded the meridian system, discovering extensions of the classical Chinese meridians, and developed an effective new system of hara diagnosis.