Masunaga - RenaissanceMan

Introduction
WithinthefieldofOrientalmedicine,shiatsuisnowadaysconsideredtobean
establishedmodality,especiallywhenviewedfromaWesternperspective,althoughnot
necessarilyfromastrictlyChineseoneitmustbenoted.WithinthefieldofShiatsuitself
thereareoftensaidtobedistinctstylesandonethemosteasilyidentifiableisheldtobe
ZenShiatsu,createdroughlyhalfacenturyagoinJapanbyMasunagaShizuto.

Thisarticlewillpursuethreemainthreads.Oneofthemwillbetoprovideahistorical
accountofthebirthofastyleofShiatsuanddescribetheprocesswithinthelarger
contextofJapanesehistoryandculture.IndoingthiswewillalsoexamineMassunaga's
creationintermsofbothtraditionandinnovation.Further,wewillattempttoidentify
theattributesofZenwhichgaveititsnameandwhichmightdistinguishthisstylefrom
othershiatsuforms.

Thisarticlemakesnoassumptionsastotheamountofspecialisedknowledgean
individualreadermighthave.Insteaditisacceptedasagiventhatvariousreaderswill
beinterestedandknowledgableindifferentareasandtovaryingdegrees.Forsome
therewillbesuperfluousdetailinplaces,whileforotherscertainbasicconceptswill
alreadybeunderstoodandcanbequicklyscannedthrough.

TheBirthofZenShiatsu
ZenShiatsuisarecentlyfoundedtherapeuticstyle.However,duetoitsuseofconcepts
andpracticesfromthetraditionsofOrientalmedicinewemayusefullyregarditasa
youngandvibrantbranchonanancientandpowerfultree.

ThegradualformationofthestylethatcametobeknownasZenShiatsuisprimarilythe
workofoneman:ShizutoMasunaga.BorninKure,Hiroshima,Japanin1925,hisfirst
professionalfieldwaspsychology,inwhichhegraduatedfromKyotoImperial
Universityin1949.Movingontobodywork,followinghismother'sinfluenceshe
hostedShiatsuclasseswithmasterTempakuintheMasunagafamilyhomehe
graduatedfromthefirsteverclassattheJapanShiatsuSchoolinTokyounderTokujiro
Namikoshi.From1959hetaughtclinicalpsychologyfortenyearsattheschool,which
heldatthetime,andstillholdstothisday,theexclusiverighttolicenceshiatsu
practitionersinJapan.

Wecanonlyguessattheexactstagesintheprocessofdevelopmentandseparationthat
tookplaceinMasunagatheteacherandpractitioner,butby1968hehadestablishedhis
ownschool:theIokaiShiatsuCentre.Fromhere,andtogetherwithadedicatedgroupof
students,heproceededtoleadtheprocessofdeconstructionandreconstructionwhich
wouldgraduallyleadtothedevelopmentofZenShiatsu.

Intermsofdeconstruction,Masunagawenttoextremelengthstodismantlethestylehe
hadinheritedtheNamikoshishiatsuofhisteacher.Asfarasreconstructiongoes,he
wasable,asweshallsee,toputtogetheraholisticmethodwhichintegratedthevital,
energetictheoriesoftraditionalOrientalmedicinewithkeyaspectsoftheresultbased
scienceofthewest.ThestoryofMasunaga'seffortsentailsnotonlyhisbringingthe

spiritualessencebackintoShiatsu,butalsosignificantcontributionstotheevolutionof
Shiatsuthroughdevelopingtheoriesandpracticesuniquetohissystem.

ShizutoMasunagacreatedastyleofshiatsuthatreintegrateditsoriginalcoreof
spiritualityandvitalenergy.Followinghisspecialinterestinexploringthemental,
emotional,andspiritualcomponentsofthehumanentity,hecraftedasystemthat
mergedideasfromwesternpsychologyandphysiology,traditionalChinesemedicine
andZenBuddhism.

BecauseMasunagawasabletoframetraditionalEasternconceptsinconventional,
modernWesternterms,hisstyle,ZenShiatsuattainedawideappealandhasbecome
perhapsthemostpopularformofshiatsuinternationally.

TheIokai(EeOhKai)Centrestillexists,eventhoughitsfounderpassedawayin1981.
ThenameIokaisaysagreatdealabouttheambitionsofitsleadingfigure.Translated
literally,itwouldmean:EmperorofMedicineAssociation.ThismaystriketheWestern
readerassomewhatlackinginhumility,andthusthefollowingsetofcontextual
referencesmaybehelpful.

"Zen"inShiatsu
Masunaga'sattentionhadbeenseizedbyacertainpassageinthebuddhistsutraknown
inJapaneseaszoagonkyo.Thepassageinquestionexplainstheimportanceofa
thoroughandspiritual(whatwemighttodaycallholistic)approachtohealing.The
Emperorofmedicineshould,iturged,thoroughlyexaminethenatureofdisease,clearly
identifyoriginandcause,treatthediseasebutalsocareforandenlightenhimselfasto
theconstitutionofhisownbeing.

Inthisshortpassagewefindaconcisedescriptionofsomeofthekeytenetsof
traditionalOrientalmedicine:theenquiryintothenatureofdisease;itsoriginsand
causesaswellasitseffectivetreatment,butalso,andperhapsaboveallelse,thecaring
forofone'sownpersonandthepathtoenlightenmentthroughthecallingofhealing.

Theseideasarenotoftenstatedquitethisdirectlybyeithermodernortraditional
practitionersandteachersofOrientalmedicine,butMasunagaseemstohavebeenvery
clearonthispoint:thewayofhealingisawaytoenlightenment.Thisofcoursegoesa
longwaytoexplainwhygenerationsofpeoplethroughouttheagesandinallcultures
andsituationsinlifehavefeltcompelledtodedicatetheirlivestohealing.

Thushealingworkshouldinnowaybemistakenforaselflessgivingoftime,energyand
liferesources.Itisawayinitselfwithitsownpromiseofreward.Intheprefacetohis
seminalEnglishtextfrom1977,"ZenShiatsu",wefindthefollowinglineswrittenby
Masunaga:

"InZenitisimportanttohaveagoodmastertolearnfrom.Inshiatsu
yourpatientisyourmaster.Youcanachievesatoribytreatingdisease
andrestoringhealth."

ThisunderscorestheimportanceofthewordZeninthecontextofthenameMasunaga
gavetohisstyleofshiatsu.Furtheroninthisarticlewewillbetakingacloselookatthe

practicalaspectsofthestyle,andinparticulartheemphasison"naturalpressure",fluid
movementandergonomicpostures.Oncewehavedonethis,wewillbeabletoconsider
thequestionofwhetherornottheword"tao"mightnothavebeenequallyasfitting,if
notmoreso,todescribetheessenceofMasunaga'scontributiontoshiatsu.

TherearetwointerestingstoriesregardinghowMasunagaeventuallycametonamehis
styleZenShiatsu.Thefirstistheonewithwhichthemajorityofpractitionerstendto
identify.ThestorygoesthateitherMasunagatreatedaZenmonkorthatamonk
witnessedMasunagagivingatreatmenttoathirdparty.Eitherway,itisrelatedthatthe
monkthenlikenedwhathehadexperienced,orseen,asZenpractisedbetweentwo
people.

TheotherstoryissomewhatlessappealingtopractitionersofZenShiatsu,butperhaps
nolessimportantinthelargercontextofOrientalbodyworktherapiesmakinginroads
intoWesterncultures.Thisstoryrelatesthatduringtheprocessoftranslating
Masunaga'sbook"ShiatsuRyoho"literally"ShiatsuTherapy"intoEnglish,his
collaborator,WataruOhashi,suggestedthename"ZenShiatsu".Ohashiarguedthatsuch
anamewouldhaveafargreaterappealamongWesternreaders.Thishasprovedtobea
powerfulinsight,andthestoryisnotlikelytobedismissedoutofhandbythoseaware
ofOhashi'spenetratingknowledgeofthehumanpsyche,and,onapracticallevel,of
whatsells.

Whatiscertain,however,isthatZenShiatsuhasbecomearecognisedandpopularstyle
ofshiatsuintheWesternworld,notwithstandingitsrelativeobscurityinJapan.This
obscurityispartlyexplainedbythecompletemonopolystillenjoyedbytheNamikoshi
familyorganisationovertheissuingoflicencesforshiatsupractitionersinJapan.The
othermajorfactoristhecurrentlowstatusaccordedmostformsoftraditionalJapanese
andOrientalart,withafewnotableexceptions(sumo,kabukiandikebanabeingthe
mostprominentamongthem).

TheTwoSidesofMasunaga

1.Thescholarsage
ThisbringsustothetwoverydifferentsidesofMasunagaslifestory.Ontheonehand,it
ispossibletoseeMasunagaasamodernexampleofthescholarsage,auniversalfigure
knownandreveredthroughoutOrientalhistory.Ontheotherhand,heisverymuchable
toberegardedasaproductofhisownparticulartimeandplace.

Ultimatelywewillfindthathecanperhapsbestbeviewedasanexceptionallygifted
individualwhomanagedtosuccessfullycombinethesetwopolarities.Fromthe
particularsoftimeandplace,butequallyfromtheresourcesoftradition,Masunaga
createdathingoflastingvaluethatoutlivedhisownphysicalexistenceandstill
continuestogrow.

IfwechoosetoregardMasunagaasoneinalonglineofscholarsages,wehavemuchto
supportourview.Asmentionedabove,heinitiallystudiedpsychologytoaprofessional
level.Augmentingthis,hemovedontoincorporatenotonlytheartofbodywork,but
alsothefieldofmovement.Asiftoemphasisetheimportanceofthelatter,hisother
translatedtextpublishedin1987wascalled:"ZenImageryExercises".

Inthislaterbook(fluidlytranslatedbyStephenBrown),weseethesecondmajorresult
ofhislifelonginvestigationintowhathecalled"theechooflife".Themainbodyofthe
textconsistsofseveralseriesofexercises.Thepronouncedaimwastointroducethe
readerandhopefullypractitionertosimplemovements,whichwouldawakenand
kindletherelationshipoftheindividualtohis/herownlifeenergyorki(qi).

InthistexthealsodevelopedhisdescriptionsofthemeridiansofOrientalmedicine,and
itisherethatweencounteryetanotherareaofendeavourinthisremarkableman'slife.
Masunagawasamanwhoseemstohaveceaselesslyanalysed,interpretedandapplied
traditionalaswellasmodernstreamsofknowledge.Hisworkwasoneofreevaluation,
reinterpretationandsynthesis.Thissynthesiswasachievedoveralifetimeandthrough
thedualprocessesofmentalexertionandpracticalapplication.Wecaninferinhiswork
aspirallikeprocessofcontinualreassessment.Bythiswecanunderstandarelentless
instincttodiscoverandlearn,butalsotothoroughlytestalltheoriesanddiscoveriesin
theclinic,thatmostexactingofarenas.

Thesevariousattributesandaccomplishments,whentakentogether,bearthehallmark
ofthescholarsage:endeavourinseveralparallelandconnectedfields;traditional
knowledgepainstakinglyaccrued;moderntheoriesandpracticesexaminedandtested
and,finally,apersonalsynthesisofthemosteffectiveandrewardingcomponents
containedwithinasubstantiallynewcreation.

2.AManofhisTime
Ifwenowtakealookatthereversesideofthedichotomy,wefindamancompletelyin
harmonywithhiszeitgeist:thespiritoftheageinpostwarJapan.EversincetheMeiji
restorationinthe1800's,Japanhadbeenundergoingarapidtransformation.Ina
relativelyshortperiodoftimeJapantransformeditselffromahermeticallysealed,
feudalculturetoamodern,progressivesociety,openandwillingalmostinasense
desperatetoassimilatethatwhichhadpreviouslybeenstrictlyforbidden:Western
valuesandpractices,andofparticularinteresttous,naturalscientificmethod.

Inmedicalterms,thismeantanatomyandphysiologyandthemodernpracticesof
Westernmedicine.ThecrisisforthetraditionalOrientalhealingartsthatthisinevitably
precipitatedtookmanyforms,rangingfromcompleteabandonmentthroughpartial
integrationtooutrightdenialandentrenchment.Thecrisishad,however,merelybegun
andwastobothaccelerateandintensify.

BytheendoftheSecondWorldWar,Japanwasutterlydevastated.Inmaterialterms,
foodwasscarce,infrastructuredestroyedandnationalhealthdepleted.Themostnaked
symbolsofthiswere,ofcourse,thesoutherncitiesofNagasakiandevenmorenotably
Hiroshima,Masunaga'sbirthplace,bothofwhichwereannihilatedbyatomicbombs.

Spiritually,theJapanesewerenolessdiminishedatthistime.TheEmperor,having
traditionallyenjoyedthestatusofagod,hadbeenthoroughlyhumiliatedbythe
"cultureless"Americans,andshowntobenomorethananordinarymortal.

Itisprobablyimpossibleforamodern,westernreadertoimaginehowthismighthave
feltorgaugetheimpactitmusthaveexertedonanentirepeople.Whathistoryhas
objectivelyandemphaticallyshownushowever,isthattheconsequenceswerefar

reachinginthecombinedfieldsoftheartsexpressiveandstageartsnolessthan
medicalandmartialarts.

Theindepthexaminationwhichhadsteadilyprogressedduringthepastcentury
intensifiedexponentially.Adistinctfeelingoflifeordeathimportanceseemstoinvest
thisperiod,togetherwithafierceneedtoreinventandreinvigoratethecultureand
identityofJapan.

WecanseetheconsequencesinsuchdiversefieldsasButohdance,ryodoraku
acupuncture,aikido,macrobiotics,and,notleast,ZenShiatsu,althoughineachcasethe
ratioofassimilationtoconservationvariesslightly.

WhereasButohdanceisasuperbexampleofdancepioneerssearchingbacktowardsthe
rootsof"Japaneseness"intheirart,Ryodorakuacupunctureis,bycontrast,asystem
thatwasdevelopedtoreinterpret,explainandpractiseacupuncturethroughthe
applicationofcertainkeyconceptualtoolsderivedfrommodern,Westernmedicine.

Aikidocameintobeingasanurgetoderivethemaximumeffectivenessoutofthe
traditionalfightingartsofjujitsuandswordsmanship,whileframingthemovertlyinthe
languageandpracticeofloveandharmony.Aikidobecameamodern,syntheticart
steepedinthetimehonouredtraditionsofJapanesemartialarts.

GeorgeOhsawafoundedMacrobioticsinanattempttoredefinetheprinciplesof
Orientalphilosophy(primarilyyinandyang)andapplythemtothedailybreadall
humansingest,inthewiderserviceofworldpeaceandharmony.

TherearenumerousexamplesofthisprocessrightacrosstheboardinJapanesecultural
lifeexamplesofreinvention,reinterpretationandreincorporation.Synthesisof
varyingdegreesisthecommondenominatorandZenshiatsuisaprimeexample.

Inshort,wecouldsaythatMasunagareintroducedsomeofthemajorphilosophicaland
practicaltoolsfromtraditionalOrientalmedicineintotheexistingframeworkofshiatsu
asitthenwas.Wemightevencontendthatthenewstyle,onceestablished,represented
acompleteoverhauloftheexistingtherapy,includingasitdidcertainvitalaspects
derivedfromtheWestsomesuperficialandothersmoreintegral.

Masunaga'sCreation:aSynopsisofaSynthesis
Asnoted,Masunagamadeseveralstartlingchangestotheshiatsuheinherited.Inthe
followingsectionwewillidentifyandexplorefourkeyareasofinnovationthat
distinguishthenewstyle.EachinitsownwayhelpedtoestablishZenShiatsuasa
robustnewcomerwithfirmfoundationsandawilltosurvive,prosperandmakea
lastingcontributiontotheintegratedfieldofhealthandconsciousness.

(1)Hereemphasisedtheimportanceofki,vitalenergy,andreincorporatedthebasic
conceptofthemeridiansystem,evenextendingthetraditionalpathwaysforeaseofuse
bybodyworkers.TheseareusualyreferredtoasMasunaga'sextendedmeridians.

(2)Heupdatedtheoldsystemofzonesforabdominal(hara)diagnosis,andalsomapped
outdiagnosticzonesonthebackofthebody.


(3)Hedevelopedasimplediagnosticsystem,onebasedonthetraditionalconceptsof
kyoandjitsu,comparabletoxuandshiinChinesemedicine,androughlytranslatableas
"deficiency"and"excess".

(4)Finally,andperhapsmostimportantly,herevolutionisedtheactualpracticeof
shiatsu.Thishedidthroughtwomajorcontributions:firstlyheintroducedtheconcept
of"naturalpressure".Secondly,hedevelopedanentirelynewkataorform.This
consistedoffluidmovementsandergonomicposturesdesignedtocreatepressureand
stretchopeningsusingnotonlythumbsbutalsopalms,elbows,kneesandfeet.

Wewillexaminethekatainmoredetailfurtheron,butcanusefullysummariseitstotal
effectasfollows:treatingthewholebodyusingthewholebody.ThekataMasunaga
developedisbothpracticalandpragmatic,offeringasitdoesthepossibilityoftreating
inawaythatenhancestheflowofenergyinthepractitionersownbody.

Inallofthis,Masunagacombinedconceptsandpracticesprimarilyfromthestorehouses
oftraditionalOrientalmedicine,andalsofromthevariousschoolsandbranchesof
Westernmedicine,scienceandphilosophy.Inthefollowingpageswewillexploreeach
ofthesefourareasofinnovationinturn,eachunderitsownheading.

(1)MeridiansinZenShiatsu:LocationandFunction
WhenMasunagalearntshiatsuatNamikoshi'sinstutionitwaswithouttheuseof
meridiansineithertheoryorpractice.Asystemof"points"or"tsubos"didexist,but
thesewerepurelysymptomaticallyemployed,andthoughusefulpractically,not
arrangedinanyconceptuallyenlighteningmanner.

Masunagawasatpainstopointoutthatthemerepressingofpointswouldnever
achievelonglastingorsatisfactoryresults,asthisquotefrom"ZenShiatsu"eloquently
testifies:

"Thecommonconceptionthatshiatsuisnomorethantheapplication
ofstrongdigitalpressureonsinglepointsonthebodymisrepresents
thetruth.Shiatsuisbasedonafullorientalmedicalsystem,which
explainsthehumanbodyintermsofanetworkofmeridiansthrough
whichflowsanenergycalledki."

Indeed,ZenShiatsuwasapparentlyevenreferredtobyitspioneerpractitioners
asMeridianShiatsu.

(i)MeridianLocationaccordingtoMasaunaga
AparallelandcontemporaneousdevelopmentinJapanwastheMeridianTherapy
movementinacupuncture.OrientalmedicineinJapanhadformanyyearsundergonea
crisiswhichhadresultedinalossoftraditionaltactileskillsandaconsequentover
relianceonpointprescriptions.YanagiyaSorei,hiscolleaguesandfollowersinstigateda
vigorousreturntostudyoftheclassicaltextsofOrientalmedicine,especiallytheNan
Jing.Theirstatedaimwastorevitalizeacupuncturethroughareturntocareful
treatmentofthemeridiansaccordingtotheageoldtheoriesofthefiveelements,paying

specificandrigorousattentiontopulseandabdominaldiagnosis,aswellasmeridian
andpointpalpation.

Masunagasubmittedthetraditionalmeridiansystemtoasimilarkindofintense
scrutinyinhisclinicalwork,bymeansofpointbypointandzonebyzonepalpationand
observationofmicrofunction.However,notcontentwithutilizingthetraditional
pathwaysofthemeridians,astheMeridianTherapyacupuncturistsdid,Masunaga
extendedthemeridians,usingthetraditionalpathwaysashisbasisbutextendingeach
meridiantonewareas.

Simplyput,Masunagasinnovationconsistsoftwoparts.Firstly,allmeridianshavetheir
originintheHaraorabdomen.Secondly,thetraditionalarmmeridianswereprovided
withpathwaysonthelegs,whilethetraditionalmeridiansofthelegswerenowalsoto
befoundonthearms.

Inpractice,thislatterinnovationmeansthatabodyworkercanalwaysreachany
meridianatanytime,nomatterwhereonthebodys/hehappenstobeworking.For
example,apractitionerisworkingwithadiagnosisortreatmentplanthatcallsforthe
inclusionofboththeSpleenmeridianandtheSmallIntestinemeridian.

Usingthetraditionalmeridiansystem,thiswouldentailworkingwiththechanneland
pointsonthelegandtorsofortheSpleenand,separately,onthearmandshoulderfor
theSmallIntestine.

Figures1&2ExtendedmeridiansofSpleenandSmallIntestine

InMasunagasnew,extendedsystem(seefigures1&2above),thepractitionerisableto
workonbothmeridiansonthelegsorbothonthearmsatthesametime.Furthermore,
itmakesnodifferencewhetherthetreatmentisbeingcarriedoutintheprone,supine,
sideorseatedpositionallthemeridiansarealwaysavailabletothebodyworker
schooledintheextendedmeridiansystemofZenShiatsu.

Figure3Masunaga'sextendedmeridianschart

Atfirstglance,Masunaga'smeridianchartcanappearsomewhatintimidating.Even
practitionersalreadyfamiliarwiththetraditionalmeridiansofChinesemedicinemight
experienceaninitialfeelingofbewilderment.Ausefultechniqueinnavigatingthechart
istobeginwiththetraditionalpathwaysandworkfromthere.

Forexample,wemightchoosetocharttheLargeIntestinemeridian(solidgreylines).
Beingayangmeridian,itretainsitstraditionalpathwayrunningfromindexfingeralong
theradialportionoftheforearmandupperarm,thefrontalareaoftheshoulderandvia
theneckandjawtotheoppositenostril.Noneofthisisnewtothestudentor
practitionerfamiliarwithtraditionalmeridianpathways.

WhatisnewisthebranchwhichoriginatesintheLargeIntestinezoneinthelowerback
andrunsbetweentheGallBladderandBladdermeridiansalongthelateral,dorsal
aspectofthethigh,calfandfoot,endingfinallyinthepadsofthefoottogetherwithits
yinpartner,theLung.Anothernewbutfairlylogicaladdition,isthebranchwhicharises

intheLungzoneintheupper,lateralareaoftheabdomenandrisestomeetthe
traditionalLargeIntestinemeridianontheshoulderatLI15.

SimilarconsiderationsapplytotheSmallIntestinemeridian(solid,darkredlines).Its
traditionalpathwayisretained,runningasitdoesfromthelittlefingeralongtheulnar
aspectofthearm,viatheelbow,shoulderbladeandposterioraspectofthenecktothe
cheekandear.

Additionally,thereisalogicalextensionfromtheshoulderbladedownthelateralaspect
oftheback,shadowingtheBladdermeridian(solidbluelines),itsTaiYangorGreater
Yangsixdivision*partner,andenteringtheSmallIntestinezoneinthelumbararea.
(*seebelow,p.910andglossaryforabriefexplanationofthesixdivisionsorcombined
meridianpathwaysconceptintraditionalOrientalmedicine.)

Thereisevenasmallbranchoriginatinginthezonefortheovariesinthelowerback
andrunningdownproximallytothetraditionalsiteoftheSmallIntestineandBladder
Shupointsonthesacrum.Thismicrobranchserves,incidentally,tohighlighttheclose
connectioninZenShiatsutheorybetweentheSmallIntestinemeridianandthe
functionsofthefemalereproductiveorgans.

ContinuingwiththeSmallIntestinemeridian,thefinalandmostcontroversialaddition
originateslogicallyenoughintheSmallIntestinelowerabdominalzone.Ratherless
logically,itthencontinuesdownthemedialportionofthethighandlowerleg,running
parallelwiththetraditionalSpleenmeridian.ThisSmallIntestineextensionfinally
curvesaroundundertheinsteptounitewithitsyinpartnerintheFireelement,the
Heartmeridian(brokendarkredlines).

Aninterestingphenomenoninthecurrentcontextofthesetwoyangmeridians,isthat
Masunagachosetomakeabundantlyclearsomethingwhichisoftenonlyimplicitin
traditionalmeridianchartsalongwithalltheirfellowyangmeridians,theybothmakea
significantdetourtoconvergeatGV14atthebaseoftheneck,belowtheseventh
cervicalvertebrae.Thisservestoemphasizethenodelikenatureofthisareaofthebody,
andmarkitoutasakeycentreofyangenergeticactivity,anaspectoftraditional
OrientalmedicaltheoryMasunagachosetomakeexplicitandvisiblyunderline.

Ageneralpointofinterestregardingthechestandthroatareaonthechartisthatmany
oftheinternalbranchesfromthetraditionalpathwaysarehereliftedtothesurface.This
appliesspecificallytotheyinmeridians,especiallyHeartandPericardium(brokenred
lines),butalsoKidney(brokenbluelines)andLung(brokengreylines).

AnotherpointofinterestformeridianbuffsisthebroadsweepoftheGallBladder
meridian(solidgreenlines)aroundtheposteriorandmedialaspectoftheshoulder
blades.ThusdoesMasunagaprovideuswithhispersonalanswertothemysteryofthe
exactpathwayoftheGallBladderchannelbetweenGB21and22.

Acertainamountofdiscussionhasrevolvedaroundthesimilarityorotherwiseof
Masunaga'sextensionstotheancientsixdivisonsorcombinedmeridianpathways
mentionedabove.Previously,wehavenamedtheTaiYang(BladderandSmallIntestine)
combinedchannelfromtheclassicalsixdivisionsmeridianmodel.

IfweexaminethelegextensionsoftheLargeIntestineandSmallIntestinemeridians,
weobservenosimilaritywhatsoeverwiththedynamicsofthesixdivisions.Indeedthe
SmallIntestineextensionislocatedonthemedialaspectofthelegtraditionallythe
exclusivedomainoftheyinmeridians!

However,ifweinsteadconsidertheTripleHeaterextensionintheleg(solidredlines),
wewillfinditrunningimmediatelyparalleltotheGallBladder,itspartnerintheShao
Yangdivision.Similarly,thePericardiumsitstightlyparalleltotheLiver,theotherhalf
oftheJueYinunit.InthecaseoftheSpleenextensioninthearm(brokenyellowlines),
wemaynoteitscloseproximitytotheLung,itsTaiYinsixdivisionpartner.

TheHeartextensioninthelegisinthemedialandposteriorportion,exactlywhereits
ShaoYinpartnerKidneytraditionallyflows.Theeffectissomewhatspoiledhowever,by
Masunaga'snewplacementoftheKidneywherethetraditionalouterBladderlineis
usuallytobefound;notentirelyillogicalofcourse,butenoughtospoilanypossible
exactnessofoverlapwiththesixdivisionssystem.

Indeed,ifwelookcloselyateachandeveryoneoftheextensionsoftheZenShiatsu
system,wefindthatexactlyhalfareinalocationwhichcouldbesaidtomatcha
plausibleSixDivisionssetting.Thequestionthenbecomeswhetherfiftypercentis
sufficienttosustainsuchaweightycomparison,andistheexercisethus,intheend,a
fruitfulone?

(ii)MeridianFunctionaccordingtoMasaunaga
Sofar,wehaveconsideredtheinnovationsMasunagamadetothemeridiansystemwith
referencetoanatomicallocationofspecificpathways.Conceptually,Masunagaalso
redefinedthefunctionsofthemeridians,whilealsoreincorporatingtheancient
nomenclatureofthemeridiansas"officials."

Forexample,herestatedthatthetraditionalofficeoftheHeartmeridianwasthatof
Emperor.Hethenhowever,wentontodefineinmoderntermswhatthiswouldimply
withregardtofunction:

"theheartmeridianconvertstheinputfromthefivesensesinto
appropriateinternalresponsesandthuscontrolsthewholebodyasthe
centerofkiandblood."

ContrastthiswiththetraditionaldescriptionfromtheNeiJingasrenderedbyWangJu
YiandJasonRobertsonintheirtextAppliedChannelTheoryinChineseMedicinefrom
2008:

Theheartholdstheofficeofemperorandistheissuerofspiritclarity

Anotherexamplefromthesametext,"ZenImageryExercises",mayservetoillustrate
thispointevenmoreclearly:

"ThekidneysandbladderfromthestandpointofChinesemedicine,
includethefunctionoftheadrenalsandtheautonomicnervous
system,aswellasthatofthereproductiveorgans."

10

Thismaywellbethemostglaringexampleofahelpfulattempttoelucidatethrough
updatedterminology,theeffectofwhich,however,isinsteadtodistortandobscure.
ComparewiththedefinitionfirstgivenintheNeiJing,againcourtesyofWangand
Robertson:

Thekidneyholdstheofficeofforcefulaccomplishmentandisthe
issuerofwondroustalent.

WhatweseeinthesequotesfromMasunagacanbeunderstoodasanattemptto
modernisetheancientandarguablyobscuredefinitionsofmeridianfunctionaslaid
downintheancienttexts.Wemay,however,regardtheattemptaslessthanentirely
convincing,anditmightperhapsbeobservedthattheriskofmodernisingisoftenthat
ofoversimplification,therebyexcludingthedepthofnuanceembeddedinthemore
poeticandnecessarilydiffuselanguageutilisedbytheancients.

Wemightalsoremindourselvesthattotranslatemedicalsystemstoexplainonein
termsofanotherisariskyandambitiousundertaking.Realmsofsubtletymayeasilybe
neglectedandgrossoversimplificationsbecomethenorm,notwithstandingthatthe
exercisemayinitselfbeausefulandenlighteningonefortheindividualpractitioner.

(2)DiagnosticZones:FrontandBack

(i)TheZonesoftheHara.
SystemsofHara(abdominal)diagnosishaveexistedinOrientalmedicinesinceancient
times.Historicallyspeaking,abdominaldiagnosishasitsrootsinChinesemedicine,but
aswithnumerousaspectsofancientChineseculture,itsusageisnowdaysextremely
limitedthere.TheJapanese,ontheotherhand,haveneverdroppedthepracticeofHara
diagnosisandhaveoverthecenturieselevatedittonewheightsandtolevelsofextreme
subtlety.

TheHarahasaspecialplaceinJapaneselifeandisacknowledgedasacenterof
intelligence,powerandvitalityinareasoflifeasdisparateashealing,archeryand
business.Itisbelievedtobetheseatofbothhealthandillnessandassuchisregardedas
anoptimalplaceto"read"theenergylevelsofthepatientinatreatmentsituation.

OnesimpleandmuchutilisedsystemisframedaroundthedynamicsoftheFive
Elements(seefigure4,right).

Figure4Fiveelementsharadiagnosischart

11

Simplystated,thepractitionerusesbothobjectiveandsubjectivesignsinthezonesof
theharatoassesstherelativehealthoftheorgansandmeridiansbelongingtotheFive
Elements.Suchsignscouldincludeforexample:pain,lackofsensation,flaccidity,
hardness,nodules,stringytextures,cords,discolouration,whitenessandrelative
warmthorcoolness.Themapisstillusedinmanymodalities,especiallythose
pertainingtothevariousJapaneseschoolsofacupuncture,shiatsuandacupressure.

Arathermoredetailedmapoftheabdomenwasdevelopedduringthelate1600sin
MisonoIsaisMubunschool:

Figure5Mubunschooldiagnosticchart

TheMubunmethodinvolvestappinggoldandsilverneedlesintotheabdomenwitha
smallmallet.ItdisregardedotheraspectsofOrientalmedicine,focusingallattentionon
thediagnosisandtreatmentoftheabdomen.Todaythischartisusedsolelyby
practitionersoftheMubunmethodofacupunctureinJapan.Inhislandmarktextfrom
2007:IntheFootstepsoftheYellowEmperor,PeterEckmanarguespersuasively
however,thattheMubunschoolwasresponsiblefortheemphasisofJapanesemedicine
onHaradiagnosis,whichwassubsequentlyadoptedbymanyotherschools.

Masunaga,truetohisbeliefintheimportanceofclinicaltestingandreevaluation,
designedhisown,evenmoredetailedmapoftheabdominaldiagnosticareas:

Figure6Masunaga'sharazones

12

Acasualglanceatthesethreemodelswillshowthattherearecommondenominators,
butalsokeydifferencesbetweenthem.Letusnowtakeacarefullookatthemtogether
forthepurposesofcomparingandcontrasting.

Tothesimilaritiesbelongthisabsolutelycentralandkeyphenomenon:

Firerisestothetop
Earthsettlesinthemiddle
Watersinksdowntothebottom.

Thiscentralfeatureisvirtuallyidenticalinallthreeoftheaboveharadiagnosischarts
andillustratesafundamentalaspectoftraditionalChinesemedicalphilosophy:

Firebelongstotheheavensandstrivesconstantlyupwards.
Earthrevolvesonitsaxisandholdsthecentrestable.
Waterbelongstothedepthsandflowsinexorablydownward.

Masunagahasnotdeviatedfromthismostancientoftouchstones,andweseeclearly
howhisHeartzonesitsatopthehierarchyasbefittingtheEmperor.Directlybelowis
thePericardiumzone,alsocommonlyassociatedwithFire.CentrallyplacedistheSpleen,
representingEarth.Occupyingthelowest,centralareawefindthezonesfortheKidney
andBladder,themeridiansoftheWaterelement.

Thisiscertainlythemoststrikingcommondenominator,butthesimilaritiesdonotend
there.WhatwemayalsoobserveisthatMasunagacontinuedtheworkofrefiningthe
individualmeridianzoneswhichfigureprominentlyintheMubunsystem,butwhichare
conspicuouslyabsentfromthesimplerFiveElementsmodel.Onereasonforthisisvery
likelythelargelyunstatedandthusimplicitattemptbyMasunagato"rebalance"theyin
andyangmeridiansofOrientalmedicine.

Somebackgroundmaybeusefulhere:traditionallytheyinmeridianswerealsoknown
asZang."Zang"inChinesestandsliterallyforanorgancapableofcontainingsomething
precious.TheHeart,Spleen,Kidney,LiverandLungmeridianswereregardedasthe
storehousesforvarioustypesofpureandvitalenergiesandsubstances.(Theseare
respectivelyShen,nutritionalenergy,Jingessence,BloodandQi).Contrastingly,the
yangorgans,theFu,wereviewedratheraspassagewaysandrunoffsforimpure,
intermediateandevenwasteproducts.

Thisinturnhasgivenrisetoatendencyinmanyschoolsofacupuncturetoemphasise
theimportanceintreatmentanddiagnosisoftheyinZangovertheyangFu.The
problemthispresentsforthebodyworkerisquitesimple:theyinmeridians,bytheir
verynature,(i.e.yin)areinvariablylessaccessible,shorterinlengthandhavefarfewer
points.CompareforexampletheyangBladder(67points)withtheyinKidney(27
points).Anotherexample:theyinPericardiumhas9pointswhileitsyangpartner,the
TripleHeater,has23.TheGallBladderyanghas44pointswhiletheLiver,itsyin
partnerintheWoodelement,hasonly14.

Masunagamadeadefactocasefortheelevationoftheyangmeridiansbothconceptully
andevenmoreimportantlyinpractice,tothesamelevelastheyin.Thisrepresentsa

13

kindoflevellingordemocratizationofthemeridiannetwork,whichisconsistently
reflectedinallaspectsofhissystem:meridianchart,harazonesandbackzones.Inthe
absenceofanydetailedwrittenexplanationsregardingthis"levellingout"effect,we
maysurmisethatbothitsderivationandimpactwereprimarilyclinical.

AnotherintriguingaspectofMasunaga'sharazonesaretheobviousanatomical
influences.IfwelookatthesimplerFiveElementschart,wenoticethatthezoneforthe
Woodelementisontherightsideaswelookatit.Masunaga'szonesfortheLiverand
Gallbladderareontheleftaswelookdirectlyunderneaththeactual,physicallocation
oftheirrespectiveanatomicalorgans.

ThesameanatomicalconsiderationsmaybesaidtoapplytotheStomachzoneand,toa
certainextent,thezonesfortheSmallandLargeIntestinesinMasunaga'schart.Evenhis
Lungzones,symmetricallymatchingtheirmetalelementpartner,theLargeIntestine,
areneatlyplacedatthelowertipoftheanatomicallungorgans.Thisprovidesuswitha
crystalclearexampleofMasunaga'smethodofincorporatingWesternmedical
knowledge,whilealsophasingoutcertaintraditionalOrientalinsightsandpracticesas
partofhissynthesis.

ThesolemysteryinMasunagas'schartoftheabdominalzonesistheadmittedlyalready
rathermysteriousTripleHeater(alsoknownastheTripleWarmer,TripleBurnerand
evenTripleEnergizer).Noclearexplanationhasbeenforthcomingastowhythezone
forthisoverarchingandomnipresentmeridianwasplacedbetweentheStomachand
LungzonesandabovetheBladderzone.Intheabsenceofanyexplicitrecorded
statement,wemayperhapsinferthatthiswaseither:(i)theactualzonelocatedthrough
clinicalpractice;or(ii)theonlyspaceleft!

(ii)TheZonesoftheBack
Numerousclassificationsystemsexistfordiagnosingviathedorsalareaofthehuman
bodywithinOrientalmedicine.Wecanemploythesamemethodof"compareand
contrast"tounderstandthezonesofthebackasMasunagaenvisagedthem.

Tobeginwithwewillexamineasimpleone,againbased
ontheFiveElementsmodel(seeright).Inthiscase,we
seeMetaloccupyingthehighestpositioninsteadofFire.
Thisiseasilyexplainedbyoneofthetraditionalnames
giventotheLung:"thelidoftheorgans",aswellasits
relationshiptotheorgansofrespirationintheupper
body:mouth,nose,trachea.Thecentralplaceistakenby
Wood,whichwewillseeisduetothepositionoftheShu
points(seebelow,figure14andglossary)oftheLiver
andGallbladder,thosebelongingtoEarth(Spleenand
Stomach)beingslightlylower.Water,masterofthe
depths,assumesitsindisputableplaceatthebase,asthe
lowestofthezones.

Figure7Fiveelementsbackzones

14

Themostcommonmethodofmappinganddiagnosingfromthebackis,ofcourse,via
theBackShupoints.BelowandontheleftisamapoftheShupoints,onwhichwewill
findnumeroussimilaritiestotheFiveElementschartabove:

Lu

Pc

Ht

Liv
GB
Sp
St
TH
Kid

LI

SI

Bl

Figure8BackShupoints

Figure9Masunagabackzones

ThehighestShupointbelongstotheLung(Metal),followedbythoseofthePericardium
andtheHeartitself(Fire).SkippingdiscussionoftheotherwiseinterestingShupoints
forDuMaianddiaphragmandpassingbelowtheshoulderblades,wefindtheLiverand
GallBladder(Wood),slightlyabovetheSpleenandStomach(Earth).Theyareinturn
followedbyTripleHeaterandKidney(Water).Arrivinginthelumbararea,we
acknowledgebutomitdiscussionoftwohighlyintriguing,buthereirrelevantShupoints
belongingtoQiHai("SeaofQi")andGuanYuan("AncestralGate").Insteadweproceed
directlytothehighlyrelevantShupointsoftheLargeIntestine,SmallIntestineand
finallytheBladder.

ComparethistotheillustrationofMasunaga'sbackzonechartbesideit,wherewewill
onceagainwitnessthecurrentoftraditionaswellasthespiritofinnovationinhiswork.
Thesimilaritiestothetraditionalchartsare,onceagain,asinterestingasthedifferences.

Intermsofsimilarities,wefindseveralcommonthreadsrunningthroughallthree
systems:MetalorLungatthetopandWater(BladderinthecaseoftheShupointand
Masunagazonesystems)atthebottom.Wewillalsonoteageneralconvergence

15

betweenthezoneforWood,theShupointsforLiverandGallBladderandMasunaga's
LiverandGallBladderzones.ThesamecanbesaidofthezoneforEarth,theShupoints
forSpleenandStomachandMasunaga'sSpleenandStomachzones.

Whatbecomesapparent,ofcourse,isthedissimilaritythisimmediatelyreveals:the
elementzonesaresimilartotheShupointsbilateralwhereasMasunaga'szonesare
unilateral:LiverandGallBladderontheright;SpleenandStomachtotheleft.Onceagain,
weseeclearlyhowthismimicstheanatomicallocationoftheWesternorgans,revealing
theinfluenceofWesternideasonMasunaga'sworkofsynthesis.

ThesameconsiderationcanbesaidtoapplytothezonesfortheSmallIntestine,here
takingtheplacetraditionallyallotedtoWaterandtheKidneys,whicharenowplaced
bothlowerdownandtoeitherside.TheLargeIntestinezonesare,muchliketheirhara
zones,placedlowdownandsymmetricallytoeitherside,notunliketheLargeIntestine
Shupoints.

Finally,themysteriousTripleHeaterisslottedintoanintriguingthoughunexplained
location.ThistimeitissqueezedinbetweentheStomach,Spleen,Pericardiumand
Kidneyzones.DoesthisinitselfrevealsomethingofthenatureoftheTripleHeater?Itis,
afterall,understoodtobe"everywhereandnowhere"and"occupyingthespaces
betweeneverything".

Itshouldbenotedthatthesezonesontheabdomenandbackarenottoberegardedas
purelydiagnosticinfunction.Theyarealsoofuseastreatmentzonesinpreciselythe
samewaythattheShuPointsareusedforbothdiagnosisandtreatmentinacupuncture
andotherstylesoftraditionalOrientalbodywork.

(3)ASimpleDiagnosticParadigm:KyoandJitsu
FromthemyriadofdiagnosticmethodsandmodalitiesavailableintraditionalChinese
medicine,Masunagachoseone.Itmaybesupposedthatwhathewantedwasatoolwith
thefollowingkeyqualities:simplicity,practicalityandflexibility.Thenamegiventothis
systemis:KyoandJitsu.

ThewordsthemselvesaretheJapanesetranslationsoftheterms"xu"and"shi"from
Chinesemedicine.Theyarederivationsofthemoreuniversalyinandyang,andhave
beenvariouslytranslated.Ausefulinitialobservationtobearinmindisthatnooriental
termiscapableofonedefinitive,singleanddirecttranslation.ThusKyoiscommonly
renderedasdeficiencyordepletion,whileJitsuoftentranslatesasexcessorrepletion.

MasunagadescribedtheminthefollowingtermsonthebackcoverofZenShiatsu:

"Iftheflowofkithroughthemeridiansissmooth,thepersonishealthy.
Iftheflowbecomessluggish,thepersonfallsill.Thenatureoftheflowis
analyzedonthebasisoftheChineseconceptionofthedualityYinand
YangintotwostatescalledKyoandJitsu.IntheKyostate,theflowofkiis
sluggish,andthebody'sfunctionsdulled.IntheJitsustate,theflowistoo
rapid,andthebodyfunctionsareoveractive."

16


Figure10KyoandJitsuportrayedasthemostunevenpointsonacircle.

Howeverwechoosetotranslatetheterms,thesystemisgenialinitseaseofapplication.
KyoandJitsumaybelocatedthroughtouchinthezonesoftheabdomen,thezonesof
theback,themeridiansthemselvesoreveninthevariousjointsandmuscleswith
regardtoleftandrightsidesofthebody.Additionally,thestatesofKyoandJitsumaybe
inferredconceptuallythroughsignsandsymptoms.

WhatisextremelyimportanttonoteinMasunaga'ssystemistheverystrongemphasis
placedontheKyo.DepletionorhypoactivityisveryoftenregardedinZenShiatsuas
thetruecausativefactorindisease.Thisinturnmeansthatintreatment,attentionis
oftendirectedawayfromsitesoftension,stiffnessandsharp,superficialpainusually
thoughttoberepresentativeoftheJitsuphenomenon.Attentionisinsteaddirected
towardsareasofweakness,emptinessanddeep,dullpain,whicharemorecommonly
associatedwiththeKyostate,andbytheirverynaturesomewhatmoreelusive.

Further,itisdeemedadvantageousinZenShiatsutreatmenttobeginbytreatingKyo.
Thisisinitselfatraditionalconcept,wherethereasoninghasbeenthatitmaybesafer
totonifyorstrengthenan"empty"weaknessthantoriskaggravatinganalready
overstretched,"full"tension.Thisideacanbeextendedtoembraceanotherenormously
strategicdiscovery:ifwesuccessfullynourishaweakKyoarea,pointormeridian,we
mayintheveryprocessofdoingsofindthatwehavealready,tosomeextentatleast,
drainedawaysomeoftheexcessfromarelated,correspondingornearbyJitsu.

TheinitialattentionpaidtotheKyothusrevealsitselftobenotonlyacautiousbutalso
anergonomicchoice,reducingtheamountofstrugglenecessarytocalmtension.Ifthe
generaltendencyinZenShiatsutherebyveerstowardstheminimalistic,italsoconfirms
aclosekinshipwiththe"bareminimum"ethosofZenpracticeandthe"barebones"
aestheticsofzendesign.

Thisconceptualandpracticalminimalismhasgraduallybecomeoneofthehallmarksof
ZenShiatsu,andhelpstoexplainwhyseeminglypassivetreatments,wherethe
practitionerattimesappearstodoverylittle"work",havefarreaching,deepandlong
lastingtherapeuticeffects.ItalsoprovidesusefulinsightsintowhyMasunaga'sshiatsu
cametolookasitdid;gracefulmovements,economicuseofbodyweightandergonomic,
elegantposturebecametheoutwardsignsofaZenShiatsupractitioner.

17

(4)NaturalPressureandthe"Kata"ofZenShiatsu
Whenweusethewordkataweneedtoremainawareofitsinherentsubtletyand
flexibility.Wearefamiliarwiththetermfrommartialarts,inparticularthemanyand
variedstylesofkarateyetanotherexampleofaradicallymodernized,traditionalartin
thepostwareraofJapan.

Werecognizeittomeanform,setorprogramme,andindeed,thetraditionalmartialarts
ofChinaarecharacterisedbythephrase:"fixedandunchanging".Thisimpliesthatthe
formsare,notwithstandingpersonalidiosyncraciesandbodytypes,notsubjectto
whimsicalmodification.Theyarehandeddownthroughthegenerationsinaformas
clearlydefinedaspossible.Thisthenistheprimaryaimoflineageandtraditionto
transmitpackagesofhardwon,distilled,practicalknowledgeinarelativelyunchanged
form.

However,"kata"alsomeans"shape"inJapanese:ieverysimplyhowsomethinglooks,
theformittakes.Whilethereareschoolsandteachersallovertheworldwhoteacha
ZenShiatsukataandpassthisontotheirstudentsinarelativelyunchangedformyear
byyear,itisneverthelessthecasethateachandeveryoneoftheseformsisrelatively
speaking,mutuallydistinct.Thispointcannotbeemphasisedstronglyenough:notwo
schoolsandnotwoteachers,indeednotwopractitionersofZenShiatsupractiseexactly
thesameform.

ThismeansthatinourconsiderationofthekataofZenshiatsu,wecannotsimplycount
onthesequenceofmovesbeingthesamefromschooltoschoolandfromcountryto
country.Rather,themosthelpfulnuancetoguideusinouruseoftheterm"kata"inthe
presentcontextbecomesthegeneralshape,lookandstyleofit:itsoutwardappearance.
TheoutwardappearanceofZenShiatsuisusuallycharacterisedbyvarious
permutationsofthefollowingcomponents:

lackofforce
naturalpressure
openanduprightposture
solidandearthedfoundation
useofmanybodypartstodelivertechnique
fluid,lightandnaturalmovementaroundthepatient

Tothismustnecessarilybeaddedthatthepatientisinvariablylyinginrarecases
seatedonafutonmattressonthefloor,andthatthepatientisusuallyfullyclothed.
Bothoftheseconsiderationshavetheirimportance.

Beingfullyclothedallowsthepatienttoretainbodywarmth,whichotherwisehasa
tendencytodropduringintenserelaxation.Italsoprovidesasenseofsecurityduring
thetreatments,whicharedesignedtopeelawaythelayersofthebodymindtogradually
revealandeliminateburiedpatternsoftraumaanddistress.Experiencehasshownitto
beentirelyunnecessary,infactstrategicallydisadvantageous,tohavethepatient
undressedinthepracticeofZenShiatsu.

Thefloorisalsoofvitalimportance.Theearthedandrootedpositioninproximitytothe
earthitselfisasourceofnourishmentandenergy.Inaddition,thisenablesthe

18

practitionertomakemaximumuseofhisowninfiniteresourcebodyweight.Byusing
bodyweight,thepractitioneravoidstheneedtopush,pressorotherwiseexert
muscularforceagainstthepatient.Thisinturnmeansthatthetendencytoreactback
towardsthepressureissidesteppedtoaverysignificantextent.Thissavestimeand
energyforbothpractitionerandpatient.Energyandawarenesscaninsteadbedirected
towardstheotherwiseelusive,subtleinnerprocesses,whicharetheessentialmainstay
ofaZenShiatsutreatment.

NaturalPressureDefined
Masunagadefinedtheterm"naturalpressure"withthehelpofthreeprinciples.These
threepriciplesarguablyconstitutethemajorcharacteristicsofZenShiatsutothisday:

1)Verticalpressure:morepreciselyperpendicularpressure,deliveredfirmlybutgently
canbeabsorbedandacceptedintothepatientsbodywithaminimumofresistance.

2)Stationarypressure:iepressurewhichdoesnotoscillate,vibrateormove.Thistypeof
pressureemphasizesstillness,andisalsoveryeasyforthebodytoaccept.Accordingto
Masunaga'sobservations,ithastheeffectofrapidlyactivatingtheparasympathetic
nervoussystem(PNS),thatpartoftheautonomicnervesystem(ANS)responsiblefor
activatingthedeeprelaxationresponse.

3)Supportedpressure:thisintroducestheallimportantconceptofthe"motherhand".
Consistentwiththeprinciplesofyinandyang,Masunagafounditefficienttomaintain
equalpressurebetweenthetwohands.Inpracticethismeansthatthemotherhandof
theZenShiatsupractitionerlearnstoabsorbpressuremomentarilyfromtheactive
handduringtransitionmovements.Inthisway"nothingislost",andtheeffectofthe
perpendicularandstationarypressureisnotremoved,butremainstoasignificant
extentconstantthroughoutthetreatment.

Thecombinedeffectofthesethreeprinciples,whenpractisedinafluidmanner,canbe
likenedtotheeffectofwhitenoiseonaninsomniac.Theverysecurityprovidedbythe
constant,perpendicularandsupportedpressurerapidlyeasesthebodymindintoastate
whereitcanletgo,ceasequestioningandstopspinninginmeaninglesscircles.The
"dropdown"intotheparasympatheticmodeofactivityisthoughttobetheprerequisite
fordeeprelaxation,selfhealingandreparationatthecellularlevel.

Ithasbeennoted,andisworthemphasizing,thatusingthisapproach,thepractitioneris
leftfreetoconcentrateonlisteningtothesignalsofthereceiver.Whatthismeansin
practiceisthatbyfreeingupvaluablelisteningresources,thepractitionerisableto
deliveratreatmentappropriatetothepresentneedsandrequirementsofeach
individualpatientinthemoment.

TaoShiatsuorZenShiatsu?
Thisbringsusbacktotheperhapsacademicbutnonethelessintriguingquestionof
whetherthewordZen,orperhapsrathertheoldertermTao,mightmorefittingly
describetheessenceofMasunaga'sstyle.Wehavealreadyidentifiedandelaboratedon
theaspectswhichderivefromorreflectaZeninfluence.Itmayhowever,beequally
relevanttoapplythedescriptiveepithetTaotothestyle,especiallynowthatwehave
lookedcloselyatthemannerinwhichitispractised.

19

Theemphasisisclearlyonflow,involvingasitdoeslisteningtoandrespondingtothe
naturalandspontaneousrhythmsofenergyinthe"hereandnow",andonutilisingthe
toolsthathappentobeimmediatelyavailable,iethevariouspartsofthepractitioner's
body.TheseattributesareconsiderablymorereminiscentofTaoistthanZenpractices.

Thepointmayofcoursebeconsideredmootinthelightoftheenormousinfluence
TaoismexertedonBuddismasitenteredChina,whereitbecameknownasCh'an.Bythe
timeBuddhismtravelledviaKoreatoJapan,whereitfinallymetamorphosedintoZen,it
wouldbefairtosaythataprofoundcrossfertilizationbetweenBuddhismandTaoism
hadoccurred.

Interestingly,EndoRyokyu,astudentofMasunaga,laternamedhisownstyleone
highlyderivativeofhisteacher'sexactlythis:TaoShiatsu.Readersinterestedinthe
developmentofZenShiatsuaredirectedtothetextpublishedbyEndounderthetitle:
"TaoShiatsu:LifeMedicineforthe21stCentury".

TreatmentandDiagnosisinZenShiatsu
Inconcluding,thereadershouldbearinmind,asstatedearlier,thattreatmentstyles
varysomewhatwithinZenShiatsu.Inplainterms:thereareaprofusionofapproaches
to,interpretationsofandapplicationsfortheextensiveZenShiatsuvocabulary.

TheshapeandpatternofaZenShiatsutreatmentisgenerallyinfluencedbythe
diagnosisformedbythepractitioneratthebeginningofthesession,andmodifiedbythe
informationforthcomingduringthecourseofthetreatment.Inotherwords,itisfluid,
constantlyinflowandalwayschanging.

ThisbringsustoanotherofMasunaga'sandthusZenShiatsu'sguidingprinciples:
"diagnosisistreatment,andtreatmentisdiagnosis".Thisisacentralanduniversal
maximwithintraditionalOrientalmedicineandimpliesthatdiagnosisandtreatment
aresointertwinedastobeinseparable:itisimpossibletodiagnoseapersonatadeep
levelwithoutsimultaneouslytreatingthem.Itisequallyimpossibletotreatatadeep
levelwithoutspontaneouslygleaningdiagnosticinformation.

Thetruesignificanceofthephrasethen,isthatevenwhilediagnosing,weshouldbe
awarethateverythingweaspractitionersdoandsay,eventhemannerinwhichwe
observe,hasapotentiallytherapeuticorotherwise!effectonthereceiver.Conversely,
everynuanceofinformationwhicharisesduringthecourseofthetreatment,isusefulto
modify,complementorupdatetheinitialdiagnosis.

Thispointsusinthedirectionofaspirallikephenomenon,whereadiagnosisnever
reachesafixedstate,andatreatmentplancanneverwithcertaintybemappedout
beforehand.InZenShiatsu,asinlifeitself,everythingisconnected,andeachpartofthe
processorganicallyandsymbioticallyinfluenceseveryotherpartofthewhole.

Ceaselessly.

ChrisMcAlister2014

20

Timeline:MasunagaShizuto
1925BorninHiroshimaPrefecture,Japan.
1949GraduatedfromKyotoImperial
Universitywithadegreeinpsychology,and
enteredintothepracticeofshiatsu.
GraduatedfromthefirstclassoftheJapan
ShiatsuSchoolfoundedbyNamikoshi
Tokujiro.
1959BeganteachingattheJapanShiatsu
School(clinicalpsychology),wherehetaught
for10years.
1968FoundedtheIokaiShiatsucenter.
1977PublicationofhisseminalEnglishtext
ZenShiatsu.
1981Chosenasaboardmemberofthe
JapanOrientalMedicineAssociation.
1981Deathfromcoloncancer.
1987Posthumouspublicationofhissecond
EnglishtextZenImageryExercises.

Glossary

Aikido:literally"thewayofharmonyandki".MethodcreatedbyUeshibainthepost
warperiodinJapan.Saidtobeafusionoftraditionalswordandgrapplingtechniques.
Popularworldwidetodayasthe"peaceful"martialart.

Buddhistsutra:teachingtextintheBuddhisttradition.Oftenchantedoutloud.

Butohdance:aJapanesestageartincorporatingaspectsoftraditionalJapanesedance
methodsandaesthetics,butalsoinfluencedbysurrealismandothermoderncurrentsin
artandphilisophyfrombothEastandWest.

Combinedmeridianpathways:amodernnamefortheSixDivisionmeridiansandtheir
pathways.Thesixcombinedpathwaysarenamedasfollows:TaiYang,YangMing,Shao
Yang,TaiYin,JueYinandShaoYin.ShaoYinforexample,incorporatesbothHeart(Fire
element)andKidney(Waterelement)meridians.Thisnomenclatureenablesustosee
vitalrelationshipsexistingoutsideoftheFiveElementssystemoforganisation.The
combinedpathwayofShaoYinstretchesfromthesoleofthefootouttothetipofthe
littlefingerviatheabdominalandthoraxregions.Muchofthiscombinedpathwayis
hiddenfromsightunderordinarycircumstances;thusShaoYinmeaning"lesser"yin,
thoughnotintermsoffunctionbutintermsofvisibilityandaccessibilit.Seealso:thesix
divisions.

Diagnosticzonesoftheback:areasonthebackusedinpalpationtoassessthestateofa
person'senergeticresources.

Expressiveandstagearts:thoseartswhichhaveanovertlyexpressiveandcreative
aspect,frompaintingandsculpturethroughpoetryandliteraturetotheatreandopera.

21


Extendedmeridians:Masunaga'ssystemofmeridians,wherethetraditionalmeridians
formthebasisandareextendedintonontraditionalareasofthebody.Usedalmost
exclusivelyinZenShiatsuandderivativestyles.

Haradiagnosis:thetechniqueofusingabdominalpalpationtoassessthestateofa
person'senergeticresources.

Ikebana:literally"livingflowers"theartofJapaneseflowerarranging.Traditionallya
veryspartanaesthetic.Caninvolvetheuseofforeignobjectsbothnaturalandartificial.

Kabuki:heavilystylisedformofJapanesetheatre.Certainkabukiactorsattaincultstatus
inJapan,thoughnowadaysmainlyamongtheelderlypopulation.

Karate:literally"emptyhand".AgroupofJapanesemartialartsstyleswithacommon
rootinOkinawan,andgoingfurtherbackintime,southernChinesemartialartsstyles.

Kata:form,shape,programme.

Ki:atermusuallytranslatedaslifeenergy.Alsounderstoodtobethecommonmatrix
whichallthings,materialandimmaterialaremadeupofanddissolvebackinto.In
Chinese:Qi.

Kyoandjitsu:derivedfromtheChinesediagnosticparameters"xu"and"shi".Inthis
contexttheyaresynonymouswithnegative,pathologicalphenomena,andindicatethe
statesofscarcityandoverabundancerespectively.Inothercontextstheyhavequite
differentmeanings.Kyo/xudenoteaphilosophicalstateofemptiness,whichhasvery
positiveconnotationsintraditionalspiritualphilosophy.Jitsu/shicanalsomeantruth.

Macrobiotics:takenfromtheGreekwordsmeaning"great"and"life".Schoolofthought
foundedbyGeorgeOhsawa,wherefoodisclassifiedintoasomewhatidiosyncratically
definedsystemofyinandyangthathasaninternationalfollowing.

Medicalandmartialarts:thoseartswhichhavetheaimofhealingillnessand/or
promotinghealth,andthosedevotedtocultivatinglifeforcethroughthedisciplineof
martialartstudy.

Meridianfunctions:thegroupoffunctionstraditionallyassignedtothenetworkof
meridians.

Meridiantherapy:movementinitiatedinearly20thcenturyJapantorevitalise
acupuncture,throughstudyoftheclassicsandintenselydetailedanalysisofsimple
protocol.BasedlargelyonthedynamicsoftheFiveElements,andhighly
clinical/empiricalinapproach.Keyfigure:YanagiyaSorei.

Meridianandpointpalpation:thetechniqueofgatheringdiagnosticinformationthrough
palpatoryexaminationofthemeridiansandacupointsonthebody.Oftenperformedon
theforearmsandlowerlegs,butalsoonsuchpointgroupsastheBackShuandFrontMu
points.

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Motherhand:inZenShiatsuthisdenotesthehandwhichhasthemorepassive,
supportiverole.Itiswidelyheldthatthemotherhandisinfactthemostinfluentialinits
roleofgroundingandprovidingcontinuity.Thesignofamaturepractitioneristhe
automatic,reflexlikenatureofthemotherhandinpractice.Byprovidingcalmsolidity
andreassuranceitkeepspatientscomfortablyanchoredinthemoment,holdingthem
steadythroughpotentiallychallengingenergeticexperiences.

NanJing:the"ClassicofDifficultQuestions".AclassictextfromtheearlyChinese
dynasticperiod(probablyaround100200AD)ofuncertainauthorship.Itdiscusses81
controversialissuesarisingfromtheearliertextknownastheNeiJing,theYellow
EmperorsClassicofInternalMedicine,itselfinalllikelihoodacompilationofwritings
fromvariousscholarsduringtheearlyHandynastyperiod.

Naturalpressure:thenamegiventothetypeofpressuredefinedandtaughtby
Masunaga.Hasthreemaincriteria:perpendicular,supportedandcontinual.

PostwarJapan:theeraimmediatelyfollowingtheJapanesesurrendertotheallied
forcesafterWW2.

Ryodorakuacupuncture:astyleofacupuncturefoundedbyNakataniinthe60's,and
todaypracticedequallybymedicalandnonmedicalpractitioners,bothinJapanand
internationally.Seekstoprovideanaturalscientificrationaleandmethodologyforthe
practiceoftraditionalacupuncture.StrongtheoreticalrelianceontheANS(See:the
autonomicnervoussystem),andpracticallyonrefinedtechniquesofelectro
acupunctureinbothtreatmentanddiagnosis.

Satori:"awakening".TheultimategoalofZenBuddhistpractice.

Seiza:literally"correctsitting"inJapanese.OneoftheclassicposturesfromZazenand
Shiatsu,aswellasTeaCeremonyandmanyotherJapanesearts.Thebackiseasilyheld
straightasthekneesarefoldedunderneaththebody.Thestraightbackallowsthe
diafragmtomovefreelyandthekitodecendtothehara.InJapanesecultureitis
traditionallyheldthatseizaisoneoftheonlytruly(iedeeply)relaxingpostures.

ShuPointsorBackShuPoints:providethemostcommonmethodofmappingand
diagnosingfromtheback.TheshupointslieontheBladderchannelbutrelatealsoto
individualmeridianswithinthenetworkofthe12mainmeridians.TheShupointsas
locatedonthebackfromtop(Lung)tobottom(Bladder)alsorepresentapictorialmap
oftheTripleHeaterenergeticsystemasawhole.Theshupointsareusedequallyfor
diagnosisandtreatmentofthetwelvemainmeridians.

Sumo:Japanesewrestling.SteepedintraditionalShintoritualandceremony.Todaya
multimilliondollarbusiness,andimmenselypopularbothinJapanandoverseas.

Tao:literally"TheWay".Atermusedtodescribeawidegroupofteachingsandpractices
fromancientChina,includingthefamousTaoTeChing(orDaoDeJing)ofLaoZi,but
alsoavastnumberofotherteachingsbothwrittenandoral.Therearedifferentstreams

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oftaoismincludingthesocalledreligiousbranch,butalsosectsmoredevotedto
longevitypracticessuchasmeditation,qigongandtaijichuan.

Theautonomicnervoussystem(ANS):oftencalledthevegetativenervoussysteminthat
itisnotsubjecttoconsciouswill.Influencesallautonomicfunctionsinthebody
includingheartrate,bloodpressureandrespirationaswellasendocrineandimmune
systemfunction.

Theparasympatheticnervoussystem(PNS):thatbranchoftheautonomicnervous
system(ANS)responsiblefordirectingattentioninwardsandthusactivatingthedeep
relaxationresponse.Oftencontrastedwithitssisterbranch,thesympatheticnervous
system(SNS),whichtendsinsteadtodirectattentionoutwardsandintotheexternal
world.

Thesixdivisions:ancientsystemofnomenclatureandenergeticorganisationofthe
meridiansystem.EverymeridianhasaSixDivisionnameindicating:(i)whichisits
partnermeridian,(ii)whereonthebodyitistobefound,and(iii)whatkindofgeneral
functionsitisresponsiblefor.Seealso:Combinedmeridianpathwaysabove.

Thetwelveofficials:atermusedparticularlyintheschoolofacupuncturefoundedbyJ.R.
Worsley.Denotesthemeridians,orZangFuastheyareknowninTCM.Thisterminology
assignsatitleandroletoeachofthemeridians.TheHeartforexample,hastraditionally
occupiedtheroleofEmperor.Itsroleistofilltheseatofawarenessorconsciousness.

Tsubo:literally"pot".TheJapanesetermforacupoint.Addsauseful,threedimensional
perspectivetotheotherwisetwodimensionalimagesuggestedbytheEnglishterm.

Westernmedicine:thebodyofmedicalknowledgebasedgenerallyonhippocraticand
morespecificallyonpostenlightenment,naturalscientificmethod.

Zeitgeist:thespiritofthetime,generaltrendofthoughtorfeelingofaparticularperiod
oftime.

ZenBuddhism:styleofBuddhisminJapan,derivedfromtheChinesestyleCh'an.Main
practiceisZazenmeditation:sittingZen.

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