The 10 Principles

PRINCIPLE 1

The Feet and Grounding

Grounding

Table Shiatsu challenges the practitioner’s ability to be grounded and gives the opportunity to really develop this skill. Also, if a client can let go and relax on the treatment couch, the practitioner knows they have succeeded in making the client feel safe and relaxed.

Generally, for effective perpendicular pressure to happen, the legs need to sink and melt and receive the support of the ground. The arms and thumbs sink accordingly as the legs go down, rather than the arms pushing or forcing pressure onto the client. The practitioner can become a bridge between the floor and the client gathering up the solidness of the ground into the quality of their touch.

Using Kidney 1 to activate the deep core of the body, including muscles of the shin, adductors and transverse abdominous to support the upper chest (K27), the lower back and prevent over arching.

Using the heels to bear the weight of the body so the back extensor muscles can relax and to prevent the practitioner just leaning into the client, which tends to have a squashing effect on the recipient.

Using the sides of the feet which can support and allow a greater flexibility to the whole of the sides of the body.

Using the deep central arch of the foot which allows the horizontal structures of the body like the pelvic floor and the diaphragm to move and pulse freely.

Using the Spleen points on the big toe to support and uplift the whole front of the body and to stimulate the expansive function of Lung 1.

PRINCIPLE 2

Four Hands / Four Feet

For every movement of the hands the feet need to move and position themselves first. This allows the hands to sink into the client's body and apply perpendicular pressure effortlessly without getting twisted up in the shoulders .Table Shiatsu becomes like a dance where the whole body is involved and the feet discover they have a surprising sensitivity and intelligence.

PRINCIPLE 3

The Quas / Hara

Once the skill of using the Quas is in place, movement from the very centre of the body, the Hara, becomes easy.

PRINCIPLE 4

Axis of gravity

If a practitioner just leans onto the client they need the client’s body for support. This has the effect of limiting the options for the practitioner as they are less likely to be sensitive to what is happening under their hands, as well as less able to move and make tiny adjustments of pressure and angle when necessary. If a practitioner can maintain an independent posture while they work they have more freedom to be follow the energy of the body and respond appropriately.

PRINCIPLE 5

Small Intestine Connection

In order to avoid tense and hunched shoulders while working we can use the length of the Small Intestine channel to integrate the hands through into the ulnar bone, triceps, shoulder blades and then right down the sides and back into the sacrum and heels of the feet. This connection allows large forces to align themselves effortlessly through the body rather than the joints of the limbs becoming tense and blocked

PRINCIPLE 6

Breathing

We can use the out breath to allow the tummy to draw back to the spine, with the deep abdominal muscles sucking and wrapping around the spine. This can centre a practitioner’s movements, protect the lower back from any tendency to over arch and actually create length in the whole of the spine. This tone in the abdomen needs to be balanced with a soft relaxed Hara centeredness, where as we move around the treatment couch we use this area as our centre of gravity.

PRINCIPLE 7

Diagonals

What seems to work best in terms of solid, grounded pressure is connecting up the opposite sides of the body. So for instance, if I am applying pressure with my right palm, I ground myself with the heel of my left foot. These diagonal lines of force occur both at the front and the back of the body.

PRINCIPLE 8 & 9

Support and Intention

When we are working on our client and feel our hands on their body we can also feel for the floor underneath. As our hands connect to the body we can feel the table underneath their body, then how the table legs connect to the floor. We can then feel how the support of the floor can come back up and support us while we work. We can begin to experience a seamless connection with the floor.

As well as this intention, when we lean into the client’s body we can feel the buoyant support their body offers us back. As one student who received this quality of touch said, “I feel involved, not done to”. Table Shiatsu can become an interplay of different pressures and responses, and can develop a bouncy, listening, giving and receiving relationship between client and practitioner, like a contact dance between two people.

These two principles can be worked with together or separately. The intention and connection of the practitioner is more important than the amount of pressure used.

PRINCIPLE 10

Using the Whole of Ourselves

We can experiment with using and initiating a movement with different parts of our body. Our spine, our heart, our Hara, our knees? How can my foot support my thumb etc? How can the whole of us be involved? What would we have to do in terms of position and movements to allow the inside and outside of our body to assist our quality of touch and intuition?

If you are feeling tired, achy or bored while treating, you can ask yourself and your body if there is an area that is uninvolved. This can have surprising results.