Shiatsu massage is a Japanese Bodywork based on Traditional Chinese Medicine that uses deep pressure on acupuncture points along meridians. The intake process involves assessing both mental and physical body using inquiry, pulse and tongue. The shiatsu therapist can accurately perceive imbalances in the health of the client and design treatment plans that effectively alleviate problematic patterns. As we move through this complicated world we collect traumas (and joys) and these create physiological patterns that imprint our bodies and nervous systems. Due to this speedy overwhelming culture and/or a lifetime of neglect or injury our nervous system patterns may be embedded and multi-layered. The allopathic medical route lacks nuance and the inaccessibility of care leaves us feeling undersupported. Together you and your shiatsu therapist can dive deep to unravel health issues which may feel complicated, teasing out root causes and address imbalances layer by layer. Gentle rocking, deep thumb, elbows, and knees are used to free up blocked energy flow along pathways in the body.

Clients often come to Shiatsu after they have tried everything else and end up after the full five sessions pain free, with more flow through joints and muscles. The visceral manipulation at the beginning of the session is designed to build energy in the paired organs (the modern liver has much to process). Through simple yet potent techniques Shiatsu cleanses and revitalizes the root source chi that fuels a myriad of body/mind functions, allowing the client’s body to rearrange gently but powerfully over the days following the massage. By unblocking and restoring the flow of energy the client’s body will find it’s own homeostasis. With the point work the practitioner evokes a ventral/vegal state and the client’s nervous system naturally resets. Ease and vitality are restored. Joni specializes in neurodivergent nervous systems; and specifically the effect of perimenopausal and hormonal disorganization on upregulation and chronic illness, but shiatsu works equally as well with

• injury

• exhaustion

• chronic pain

• sleep issues

• digestive disturbances

• headaches

• arthritis

• cancer treatment support

• postural imbalances

• lower back pain

• knee pain

• low energy

• lung conditions like chronic cough or allergies

• tendonitis

• carpletunnel syndrome

• insomnia

• anxiety

• mental health issues (depression is very responsive to shiatsu)

The good shiatsu session can treat the physical ailments along with the emotional ailments. It is a deep-reaching technique that aims to harmonize the “four bodies”: the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual bodies.

“Joni’s sessions were deeply effective. She gave me my old life back. It was so nice just to be in her presence for that hour and a half. Just when I had gave up hope for being an active athletic outdoors person cause of my neck I got a recommendation from a friend and thought I had nothing to lose so I drove in every week for a month and a half. At the end of the month I was sleeping through the night and was back to my old self; running trails and biking with no neck pain at all. Thank you thank you I can’t thank you enough.”