What to expect in a Shiatsu session
A Shiatsu session lasts between 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The session is given with the person fully clothed. You need to wear loose fitting clothes, for example a tracksuit, yoga clothes or leggings.
After an initial talk about your health and what you are intending to address with Shiatsu, you will be asked to lie down on a futon on the floor.
Generally, the practitioner works on the whole body. Gentle pressure is applied with the hands along energy pathways, in order to stimulate the correct flow of energy in the body. There may also be some work to free up tight or congested areas, this involves gentle stretching of the limbs and joint mobilisations. All this is done responding to your body’s feedback and in tune with your breathing.
At the end of the session you may be given some breathing exercises, that you can practice at home to help you continue the work of the session.
After a Shiatsu session, it is very important to rest or at least not to engage in strenuous activities, in order for the work of the session to be fully assimilated.
Frequency of sessions
Initially, regular sessions help you assimilate and understand the Shiatsu work. These could be every 2 weeks; in acute conditions, possibly every week. Later on the sessions can be spaced out to every 4 -6 weeks and used as a check-up.
The regularity also depends on what you want: to have regular support? A series of sessions to address a specific issue? A one off session to carry you through a difficult situation? Normally, most people work out the frequency of sessions that would benefit them after they have had 2 or 3 sessions and may change the frequency depending on the circumstances.