Accredited Japanese Hand Massage Diploma Course

London Therapists - Japanese Hand Massage Diploma
© August 2006 Claire Mendelsohn

Accredited One-Day Practitioner Diploma: £105 (13 CPD Points)

Actually a massage of the arms and hands, Japanese Hand Massage is a unique blend of shiatsu and reflexology. This massage technique is exclusive to London Therapists - we aim to reintroduce the lost art of hand massage to the therapist’s repertoire!

Shiatsu (Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure) is a traditional Japanese healing art. It has its roots in ancient Oriental medicine and has evolved from traditional Chinese medicine and Anma, a traditional Japanese form of massage. The philosophy underlying Shiatsu is that vital energy (Qi in Chinese, Ki in Japanese) flows throughout the body in a series of channels called meridians. For many different reasons Ki can stop flowing freely and this then produces a symptom. Shiatsu can be beneficial for a wide range of conditions, from specific injuries to more general symptoms of poor health. Shiatsu for the hands uses touch to affect the flow of Ki in the meridians and techniques include gentle holding and pressing with palms, thumbs and fingers on the meridians. As the quality of the Ki changes, the symptoms associated with an imbalance in the movement of Ki will gradually improve. Shiatsu is a therapy that works on the individual as a complete being - the physical body and also on an emotional and/or mental level.

Anyone who has ever experienced a good hand massage will sigh with pleasure at the recollection. Our hands are one of the most overused parts of our body and work very hard, but in general they are sadly neglected. Even if we visit a salon for a treatment we will often only leave with beautiful nails and will probably have missed one of the greatest little physical luxuries one can experience - a hand massage. A good hand massage will help tremendously to de-stress your client, open energy channels and create a feeling of well being.

A Japanese Hand Massage lasts about 30 minutes.