Good touch in shiatsu is not just physical. The touch within the shared resonance field between therapist and client is at least as important as physical touch, and many of the effects of shiatsu are generated here. Professional shiatsu therapists offer their clients this resonance field through open, relaxed body language.
This presence is enhanced when the therapist feels connected to the ground beneath them, rises gently, aligns themselves internally, and expands slightly in the shoulders, arms, and hands during physical contact. They avoid constricting their space, especially in the shoulders and arms. With this open space, they can resonate with and understand the recipient. For the recipient, such touch is dramatically different from purely physical touch.
Information about the speaker
WILFRIED RAPPENECKER
Is a general practitioner who works primarily with shiatsu. He has been training in shiatsu since 1981, as well as in craniosacral osteopathy. He directed the Hamburg School of Shiatsu from its foundation in 1987 until 2017 and the International Shiatsu School ISS Kiental in Switzerland until 2016. He initiated the European Shiatsu Congresses and directed the first four ESCs. He is also a co-founder of the Society for Shiatsu in Germany (GSD), and has written, co-written or edited seven books on shiatsu, including Yu Sen: Shiatsu for Beginners, Five Elements and 12 Meridians, and Atlas Shiatsu: The Meridians in Zen Shiatsu, as well as numerous other articles and publications. He continues to enjoy working in his practice and teaching.
