Offering Shiatsu Massage
Many of our patients have asked for referrals for message. Body work is a great adjunt to Five Element Acupuncture and in particular we feel that Shiatsu is a very good match. In Five Element Acupuncture we address the symptoms by addressing the underlying imbalances, allowing for a more complete and thorough treatment that has lasting results.
Shiatsu is similar. Shiatsu, Japanese for “finger pressure,” consists of finger and palm pressure, stretches and other techniques applied to the body. It is traditionally performed on a futon mat, with clients fully clothed. Similar to Five Element Acupuncture it treats underlying energetic imbalances causing stiffness, pain and discomfort that the body can present. While we use pulses and other diagnostic skills to focus on the core problems, shiatsu uses hara diagnosis, a form of abdominal palpitation, that allows the shiatsu practitioner to focus in on the cause of the problem. The treatment is gentle and relaxing and has lasting benefits. We recommend a session of three shiatsu massages to address those nagging body discomforts.
In particular, we are proud to have Sande Mullany, Shiatsu practitioner, here at our offices one day a week. Sandy began her studies in 1987 at the Ohashi institute in New York and is an outstanding practitioner and teacher here in Portland since 1991. She has taught Shiatsu and East West College of Healing Arts and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and brought her skills in Shiatsu to the Immune Enhancement Program and Institute of Traditional Medicine.
You can make an appointment with Sande by emailing or calling the office and we will schedule your first session.
Zero Balancing
Zero Balancing (ZB) is a hands-on bodywork system designed to align your energy body with your physical structure. Simple yet powerful, it focuses on your whole person, even when addressing specific needs. Considered at the leading edge of body/mind therapies, ZB moves beyond Western scientific approaches to body structure by incorporating Eastern concepts of energy and healing. This enables a practitioner to work simultaneously with your structural and energy bodies to bring balance.
The Zero Balancing process generally takes between 30 and 40 minutes and is performed with you fully clothed. Sessions begin with you in a seated position moving from there to a comfortable reclining position on your back. Using touch, the ZB practitioner evaluates your energy fields and energy flow in these two positions and balances the structures as needed. He or she may focus on body, mind, spirit, or all three, depending on where the fields are disturbed or the energy is blocked. Throughout the Zero Balancing session, attention is given to the skeleton in particular because it contains the deepest and strongest currents.
“Zero Balancing promotes quieting and centering of the body/mind, much as meditation might do for the skilled meditator. With the blending of Eastern wisdom with Western science, this process not only helps to relieve physical and mental pain, but also helps to improve the effectiveness, quality and joy of daily life.”
- Glen Rothfield, M. D., M. Ac.
Holistic Healthcare Physician
