Over the winter season, while I was volunteering at the Fuyu Matsuri at the JCCC, I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate for a shiatsu massage in the big auction.
Back in Japan, I had some interactions with shiatsu, in the form of shiatsu massage chairs. In fact in Oita, where I lived, there were massage chairs at nearly every onsen, and there were onsens nearly everywhere. Since my favourite pastime was to go to the onsen, this naturally included being gently massaged by a massage chair afterward.
After experiencing a real shiatsu massage at the Tao Sangha Healing Centre, I now know how a Japanese massage chair is nothing like the real thing, and I can never go back.
I went to Tao Sangha with the pretext that I was going to get a massage, but I really didn’t know much about the shiatsu part. After doing some research I discovered that Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage and Tao Shiatsu is the Buddhist application of the practice. Its technique is to apply pressure mainly through the fingers at tsubo points or pressure points throughout the body to relieve underlying tension in the subconscious. Through Tao Shiatsu treatment, it is thought that a person’s ki (spirit) and any problems associated with it, like disease or stress, can be healed.
Upon entering Tao Sangha, I was ready to experience shiatsu and see if it was as amazing as the internet hyped it up to be. At the Centre, it felt instantly relaxing and natsukashii with tatami flooring and Japanese design. My practitioner was Mogi, and he first explained what Shiatsu was and the process. Then it began and I definitely felt the tsubo points as Mogi applied pressure to various parts of my body. I would describe it as both painful and pleasurable as the initial wave of thought throughout the application was ‘wow this really hurts but not so much now, and wow this really feels kimochi (good)’. I didn’t realize how damaged my body was, as it seemed there was a never-ending amount of pain and tension at each tsubo point. It is quite difficult to explain the sensation, but my body felt light and that the tension in it had been released. It felt good after the fact and that feeling continued for days after. I didn’t know why, but I was just happy and I definitely think it was because of the shiatsu treatment.
I would definitely recommend a Tao Shiatsu treatment at the Tao Sangha Healing Centre, which is located in the West End at 375 Jane St. In addition to Shiatsu they also offer acupuncture, ki and heart mediation workshops, nembutsu chanting, and yoga, in addition to other Japanese activities like aikido, shodo, and Japanese lessons.
Article and photos submitted by Judy Cerovski