The Bulletin
on Shiatsu

May 31 2007 Page 87, "First Person"

Vyasa Ameeuw, 35, gives Shiatsu massages in Brussels. He uses his hands, knees and elbows to restore your energy

Shiatsu means `finger pressure' in Japanese. It is an ancient practice that began in Japan, although it is rooted in traditions of Chinese medicine where illness is thought to result from imbalances in the natural flow of energy. It incorporates physiotherapeutic techniques, and it's holistic: you are seen as a whole person, not a walking, talking body. Disease, stress and energy imbalances manifest themselves through tension in the muscles. By working on and stretching muscles and joints, energy balance can be restored.

It's best not to have a heavy meal before Shiatsu. Clients lie on a comfortable mat and remain dressed during the one-hour session while I apply pressure on the body using my hands, thumbs, knees and elbows. Tension is released, bodies loosen up and blocked energy is freed. That's when healing can take place.

People come to me with complaints like head and back aches or sleeplessness. Some people feel imprisoned in their bodies because of muscle tension and blockages. Or sometimes they're just in need of a bit of relaxation. Because you remain passive during the massage, you experience a deeper relaxation. You can relax completely in somebody else's hands. A session can even unlock forgotten experiences that are stored in your body. This produces a liberating feeling and is nothing to be afraid of.

Shiatsu is a very concentrated bodywork. There is usually no talking during a session. But touching someone is also a form of communication. I literally get `in touch' with people as one human being to another outside any of the roles we play in our daily lives. This is a very rewarding experience for me.

To be able to perform good Shiatsu, the practitioner has to feel good and comfortable with him or herself. Feelings of fear, tension or agitation can ruin a session. In order to feel relaxed, I meditate, sing and practise yoga every day. I put a lot of time into this. I also teach yoga.

I originally studied physics and engineering because science fascinated me. But the crystal purity of mathematics didn't answer all my questions about life and left me unfulfilled. I preferred working with my hands to working with a keyboard or a screwdriver. Through a friend, I discovered Shiatsu.

After my first session, I felt touched as a human being and not just as a heap of flesh and bones. I studied for two years in Germany but still very much from a scientist's point of view. I must have driven my teachers crazy with all my questions and demands for proof. But by now, my years of getting and giving Shiatsu have convinced me. Shiatsu works and is a unique experience time after time.

Shiatsu at the workplace can alleviate the discomforts of the modern office, but companies don't always provide a suitable environment for this. A good chair massage during your lunch break can do the trick, too.

A Shiatsu session can be a nice present to yourself when you're having a hard time or are feeling low. It's also a good gift. My girlfriend always haggles for one more Shiatsu massage. I would love to receive a Shiatsu session every day. Now I just have to look for someone who can give me one!

Interview by Peter De Bruyne