Shiatsu in Pregnancy and Birth
Shiatsu is very different from traditional massage as it is not related to working with muscles. Shiatsu is a form of Japanese bodywork based on the theoretical framework of traditional Chinese medicine that includes such terms as qi, acupressure points and meridians. The main idea is that the problems of the human physical body are caused by energy imbalance and stagnation: there is too much energy in one part and too little in another. Accordingly, it possible to heal one`s body by moving this vital energy and bringing it back to harmony. During pregnancy Shiatsu may help alleviate nausea or swollenness. During birth it may help to accelerate labor, release fears and remove emotional blocks that don’t allow labor to progress. Although to this day there is still no research that would properly test effectiveness of this method, many women are ready to try it out if their spiritual views are aligned with Shiatsu philosophy or when other methods have not shown much result.