Shiatsu

Be Natural, Don't Press

What this is referring to is the state of mind the practitioner is in when giving shiatsu. By being in an aware yet not overly concentrated state, the practitioner is able to fully relax and lean all of their weight into the receiver, thus achieving the desired firmness of pressure you require.

When giving Shiatsu, the practitioner's arms and hands must be free of tension, using only the energy needed to keep them engaged and listening in the session.

Shiatsu is given by leaning the body weight of the practitioner onto the receiver. The practitioner leans in at a 90 degree angle to the contour of your body, not the floor or table.

Both hands are always used when giving Shiatsu. One hand is called the Mother, or listening hand. The other is called the Child, or messenger hand. The Mother hand stabilizes, listens, and provides comfort to the receiver. The Child hand moves along the meridians to where it is called and sends feedback to the Mother hand.

When working along the meridians of the body, you always want to remain "in" the meridian. The Mother stays "in" as the Child moves to the next point and sinks to the bottom. It is at this bottom of a point where the receiver feels the deepest relaxation, in that extra moment of stillness before moving on to the next point.