RESOURCES

Acupressure massage, pressure applied with hands and feet, was invented over 5,000 years ago in China and was originally called Tui Na. It is mentioned in the book of Chinese medicine known as “Huang Ti Nei Ching” and is said that the treatment of herbs, needles, manual manipulation and breathing exercises were used in the various provinces for healing. Acupressure eventually migrated to Japan, and in the early 20th century practitioners began to combine the eastern philosophy and western medicine to form what we now call Shiatsu (the literal translation is shi-finger and atsu-pressure). It was formally established in 1964 as a form of bodywork, but is mentioned in texts as shiatsu in 1915 by Tamai Tempaku of Japan.