hello all
I am new to this sub forum.
I have been growing a big fan of TCM over the months because of its clairvoyance in all aspects of health. One book that changed everything for me was "Healing with wholefoods, Asian traditions and modern nutrition" by Paul Pitchford. It explains everything about each food, and its meaning in TCM, and the relation with organs and seasons etc.
I admire TCM also because of the meridiens system, like may other people.
Ive thought about studying it some day but the 4 years of hard study include things I am honestly not too interested in:
- "manual medicine" (taught in French schools). basically it is osteopathy. about the structure: bones and spine. My TCM doctor put my cervical vertebrae straight one day.
- chinese herbal medicine. I love my "Western" plants (Europea + Indian + even south American) too much as it is and cannot see myself learning strangely named cryptic plants I have never seen nor will ever see growing.
I have therefore thought about Shiatsu. It seems to stem from the same oriental medicine tradition. However on this forum I have read the Yin and Yang are reversed (jbarry's posts) and basically I understand that shiatsu is very distinct from TCM. which is somehow disappointing for me, because I thought that by studying shiatsu I was could learn about the powerful balance at work in the body: yin-yang, meridiens etc.
So I am coming here to ask you if shiatsu is that different from TCM and Tao/chinese nutrition (not as in chinese food stuffs like weird fish or vegetable never seen in Europe but as in each food stuff is either warming, cooling, drying or moistening and having a clear impact on each organ and the mind).
It may have come through my post but I am fascinated by the chinese and overall asian (ayurvedic too) nutrition philosophy and I wish there was a course about it.
At last, what would be the best book to approach shiatsu? I have seen many mentioned in the forum and I am less intesrted right now about the acupressure and "moves" or the technique than the organs descriptions (pancreas=earth...heart warmer etc) and the merdiens. Id like to understand how it works!
many many thanks to all.
hello all
I am less intesrted right now about the acupressure and "moves" or the technique than the organs descriptions (pancreas=earth...heart warmer etc) and the merdiens. Id like to understand how it works!
has quite an interesting article on meridians, and about the organs clock.
Rustic 🙂
thanks Rustic! alot to read. 🙂
so this would apply to both TCM and shiatsu?
Hi Fadette,
Shiatsu a massage discipline comes from Japan and TCM comes from China.
TCM has many branches - Herbs, Tui Na (massage), Chi Gong and Acupuncture - All of which are based on energy, meridians and elements.
I feel you need to do some research to get clarity on the distinction between the 2 modalities.
To understand how the energy systems work within the bodies takes a long time of work and study. I spent 6 days in Beijing observing/working in Tui Na out patients, and I only scraped the tip of the huge iceberg and I went to China.
You've chosen a huge subject to understand and comprehend.
You go girl!!
Cheers, Sue
Go well, Sue
Hi Fadette
has a bit about the Chinese origins of Shiatsu which might help.
Rustic 🙂
Hi Fadette, I apologize for any confusion I have caused. The yin, yang thing is insignifigant as they are two sides of the same coin and work well together. Sue says it best because you need to find within yourself what level of commitment you want to make and what is convenient for you. Research more and decide, a fun and easy route is Janice MacKenzies "Discovering the Five Elements, one day at a time". A more studious approach might be David Sergel's "The Natural Way of Zen Shiatsu".
thank you all. I will have a look at the link Rustic, I think you've hit ther nail on the head. thanks Jbarry, the second book looks like what I need.
Sue, thank you but somehow I knew what you've said! sorry if I sound pretentious, but I am well too aware TCM is Chinese and shiatsu Japanese, and what TCM is...Ive been fascinated by TCM in the recent months and have been reading colleges'course literature too as well as nutrition according to TCM.
I am going to try to sort out how far shiatsu departs from the TCM system. Both have energy and meridiens... but it s different energy systems, and that s where I am intrigued.
Anyway that's typically me, each time I get all obsessed with a therapy or science I go all philosophical and can get unbearably annoying with absurd questions. Only recently did I read a post about cranio sacral therapy I wrote 4 years ago and couldnt believe I wrote it: my thinking was so absurdly conceptual, I was embarassed to recognize the typical time-waster/artists/airy mind amateur I am. 🙂