I have found three major types of shiatsu being practiced, each having the goal of balancing energy flow: shiatsu, acupressure, and zen shiatsu.

I spoke earlier in my amma post of shiatsu massage and how it views the body purely from an anatomic perspective. Along with using massage techniques, hard pressure is applied to the body at certain points to give relief from specific symptoms. From what I’ve read the most widely known form of shiatsu massage is the Namikoshi method.

There isn’t much of a difference between acupressure and shiatsu massage. However, acupressure incorporates the same theory of meridians used by acupuncture.

Zen Shiatsu uses a broader set of meridians than does acupuncture. The level of pressure applied to the tsubos and meridians is significantly lighter than that in other types of shiatsu. Unlike shiatsu massage and acupressure, zen shiatsu incorporates the theory of kyo-jitsu. If the energy level is low or deficient, it is known as kyo, and if there is an excess or the energy is high, it is known as jitsu.

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