Accupressure Therapy (Iatsu) – More Information

*The following information is provided from the leaflet on I-atsu for people by Jacquleine Molony – Qualified teacher & practitioner.

Maximising your Potential

Today’s pace of life creates many demands and pressures both physically and emotionally to achieve the best and to be successful. Maintaining a good level of fitness is important to support these demands and to keep our body strong and supple. However these pressures ask a lot of our muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones and when any of these has a slight difficulty in functioning to its maximum potential, the body struggles to operate correctly re-sulting in the body becoming unbalanced.

The first signs of the body struggling to function correctly are muscle soreness, stiffness or pain, and in some cases all of these combined. We quickly get used to feeling like this and actually think this is doing the body good, so don’t feel it necessary to seek assistance and carry on as normal. This then makes the body compensate further by using another part or muscle more than previously so creating a vicious circle whereby the body becomes more and more out of balance and has to compensate even more. In time this action results in ‘pulled muscles’, ‘torn muscles’, ‘injured ligaments, tendons and hamstrings’.

Our muscles all have jobs to do

It takes many muscles working together to produce a supple, balanced movement in our body. The flexor muscles contract to make our joints articulate. The joint is then straightened by contraction of the corresponding extensor muscles. The abductor muscles carry the limb away from the mid-line of the body whilst the adductor muscles bring the limb towards the body. From this you can see how everything works in partnership and balance to bring about successful movement.

What is i-atsu?

i-atsu is a type of shiatsu, a sister therapy to acupuncture. Instead of needles we use our hands, using pressures, stretches and articulations to bring about beneficial changes. The touch is gentle using only our own natural body weight for natural pressure.

How does i-atsu work?

i-atsu is profound at putting the elasticity into the muscles and balancing the body as a whole. It alleviates muscle soreness and deterioration, pain and stiffness – so preventing ligament and tendon problems.

Our bodies have a natural source of energy that flows along pathways called ‘Meridian’ lines, which relate to all major organ functions. The Meridians run from muscle to organ and vice versa. If the Meridian becomes damaged either by accident, birth, over work or just general wear and tear, then the energy flow will become weak or non existent. This is repaired by gently stimulating the body’s natural healing ability, stretching the Meridian lines, pressing the energy points and helping the body to become aware of its own imbalances.

What are the benefits of i-atsu?

Among the many benefits are: early recognition and treatment of problems before they escalate: treatment and elimination of musculo-skelatal problems such as chronic and subtle diseases to include stiffness, maintaining suppleness, reducing susceptibility to injury, maximising physical potential, activating the immune system, stimulating circulation, the nervous system and the release of hormones, including endorphins, the body’s own natural painkiller, alleviating emotional problems such as stress.

Common Conditions which have been alleviated through i-atsu