The Japanese Art of Touch
Be aware of your body and yourself through Shiatsu
Shiatsu, literally translated as “finger pressure” in English, is a traditional holistic Japanese acupressure. Shiatsu practitioners use not only their thumbs and hands but also elbows, knees, or even feet to apply pressures on specific acupressure points called tsubo, or meridians, as if breathing together with their beneficiary.
We have a number of tsubo on our body’s energy pathways, and they are important channels for the body’s vital energy, called ki in Japanese. Shiatsu can release blockages of the meridians thereby stimulating tsubo and can maintain and strengthen the body’s natural ability to heal. Shiatsu can also reduce stress and increase the overall physical and emotional well-being of a person, such as increasing blood & lymph circulation, regulating neural conduction, organ function, and hormonal secretions, healthy digestion, strengthening of the immune system and greater mind-body integration, just to name a few.
Hiroko Mizuguchi is a Kyoto-raised Shiatsu therapist who is now based in Reims, France with her two twin children and husband. Why she is fascinated with Shiatsu and what has Shiatsu brought to her life?
KVG: What made you become a Shiatsu therapist?
Hiroko: When I was a little girl, my parents suffered from shoulder pain and often asked me to apply pressure on their shoulders to relieve pain. I noticed that my touching their shoulder gave moments of serenity and affection not only to them but to me, too. I was confident in the benefit of the art of “touch” even though I was a little child knowing nothing about the method of Shiatsu.
After I graduated from Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (and KVG was always my favorite and useful reading during my student days!), I worked for a company and as an independent interpreter. I got married to my Chinese-French husband and we were blessed with our twins 13 years ago. We lived in Shanghai for eight years and came to settle here in Reims, in eastern France, in 2014.
I can tell these early years of my life were full of big life-time events, both happy and hard ones. Sometimes I had to face the passing of my precious family members. It was a really sad and difficult time for me, however, it gave me a significant understanding: passing happens to all of us, no matter who we are. And I felt it was worthwhile and brought happiness being together with the person even if they are suffering great pain and doing what I could do for them with compassion and kindness.
While I was living in Shanghai, I learned foot reflexology and obtained the therapist certificate. Then, I decided to expand my career as a therapist in the path of Shiatsu in France. During my four years’ training, the more I learned and practiced Shiatsu, the more I noticed tremendous improvement in my own health. I had no doubt that Shiatsu has infinite beneficial possibilities for our health. Shiatsu soon became an essential part of my life.
KVG: What is the beauty of Shiatsu?
Hiroko: I believe that Shiatsu is one of the most peaceful techniques for helping others. I work for the Renaissance Center in Reims as a Shiatsu practitioner and heal people suffering from various problems including pregnant women and children, and also regularly visit retirement homes to heal seniors. However, what I’m doing as a Shiatsu therapist is very simple: providing peace in others, and in myself.
Shiatsu is not just about relieving pain. I try to be compassionate with every patient I have a chance to meet. Sometimes I meet them as a woman, and at other times as someone’s child or a wife or a mother. It is my great pleasure to meet anyone who comes to me due to an interest in Oriental therapy for their physical problems, and what makes me even more happy is when I could feel that the person became more aware of their own body and mind through Shiatsu.
Shiatsu is a universal path of interpersonal harmony. Shiatsu enhances our health, encourages peace, and creates harmony. I would like to share Shiatsu as a loving practice because the human touch is universal. I’m interested in working together with other therapists of Shiatsu or others who are skilled in healing so that we, therapists, can spread the harmony throughout the world.
Hiroko is a licensed Shiatsu practitioner in Reims, France, a member of French Shiatsu Professionals union, and an assistant teacher at the School of Do-In and Shiatsu of Toshi Ichikawa, Paris France. She is enjoying her organic and peaceful life with her family. Her personal interests besides Shiatsu is climbing mountains in France and visiting hot springs in Europe.
"I try to live as myself, being organic and peaceful as much as possible.” The family grow their own vegetables and enjoying working with the soil, smelling fresh air and relaxing, and we are all excited when we harvest our organic vegetables.