Therapies Closely Related To Shiatsu

The following therapies are very closely related to shiatsu.

Do-in. This system of stretches, breathing, exercises and acupressure techniques is great for beginners. You can use do-in every day as a kind of acupressure workout.

Acu-yoga. Acu-yoga. This method uses yoga postures for the purpose of pressing many acupressure points with your whole body instead of with just your hands. It's meant for use at home. The yoga stretches are particularly helpful when you want to work on your back and other hard-to-reach places. For more details, see acu-yoga in HolisticOnLine.

Jin Shin Jyutsu. This is a Japanese form of self-help acupressure that involves gentle touching or cradling of the body rather than massage like movements. The goal of Jin Shin Jyutsu is to harmonize body, mind and spirit by touching 26 "safety energy locks" found along energy pathways in the body. Sessions can include a series of touches or can be as simple as the holding of one finger.

Zen shiatsu. Zen is a form of Buddhism that originated in Japan, and it often involves strenuous practices such as hours of meditation a day. Zen shiatsu is also strenuous, adding yoga-like stretches to help open the meridians. Health professionals who practice this technique also apply heavy pressure, using their full body weight when they press the points. This isn't an at-home technique.

Barefoot shiatsu. In this practice, feet is used to rub and press the points. Practitioners say this method delivers more pressure.