What is Japanese Massage And Types of Japanese Massage ?
Techniques of Japanese Massage are famous all over the globe, existing for the long journey of evolution and development for thousands of years. The Japanese word for massage is ‘Anma,’ where ‘AN’ means pressing and ‘MA’ stands for rubbing. It is the therapeutic method that used for about 7000 years. Even some believe that the Japanese massage has its roots in the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda.
What is Japanese Massage?
Practitioners utilize taping, kneading, pressure, and pulling methods to massage on legs, arms, neck, and back. Healing and relaxation is the primary goal of Japanese massage, which targets you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. People usually believe that Japanese massage has its origin in Japan, but it is not entirely true. Essentially, only two massages have Japan as their origin, and others are either their derivatives or a combination of different techniques.
Whatever massage method you choose, all have their deep roots in traditional Japanese massage and healing practices. They all focus on mind, body, and spirit to connect them all. Every session of Japanese massage will bring many benefits with the excellent contribution to your ongoing health, emotional stability, peace, energy, etc.
Few Benefits of Japanese Massage
Below are some of the main advantages of a Japanese massage:
- All forms of massage are not required to be on bare skin, so you can have light clothing to make you feel more comfortable.
- Massage is a non-invasive type of therapy that can be as gentle as necessary.
- Massage frees you from muscle tension, muscle pain, and stiffness.
- Japanese massage acts as a remedy and prevention for many diseases and sicknesses such as sciatica, chronic pain, headache, anxiety, frozen shoulders, and insomnia.
- It maintains and restores the body’s energy, which helps to decrease emotional and mental stress.
- Japanese massage increases energy levels and also helps to heal your injury faster and relieve your arthritis pain.
- It helps to decrease respiratory problems such as sinus and cold issues.
And many more.
Different Types of Japanese Massage
There are three sorts of techniques in Japanese massage where one is aesthetic, and the other two are therapeutic.
Anma: Anma is a technique of Chinese origin but perfected in Japan with its therapeutic functioning. This sort of massage is a derivation of Shiatsu massage.
Shiatsu: Shiatsu is the oldest technique with therapeutic functioning, which helps treat the entire body.
Kobido: Kobido is a Japanese massage that exists for hundreds of years with its aesthetic functions to rejuvenate your facial skin.
So, let us see the significance and benefits of these three types of Japanese massage.
Shiatsu Massage – Relaxing and Mesmerizing
Shiatsu massage has its origin in Japan and is also part of their traditional medicines. The pressure with fingers applied in this type of massage to different acupressure points helps balance and stimulate the body’s energies. Another name of Shiatsu massage is the holistic healing method that helps balance the body’s energy flows and process self-healing. It gives you a relaxing and pleasant experience along with impacting positively on your well-being.
Shiatsu massage is in existence for several centuries which is well-known for its natural properties and self-healing cure of many health problems. It is helpful to treat slow digestion, Arthritis, spine and neck pain, menstrual pain, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, and headache. This type of massage provides you the harmony of mind and body because it integrates the overall experience, knowledge, and wisdom of alternative healing. In this massage, the practitioner uses her fingers, knees, feet, palms, knuckles, elbows, and body weight to employ different techniques on a person on a particular mattress lying on the floor. The light cloth gets the pressure that the therapist applies on your acupressure points, removing any blockades.
Characteristics of Shiatsu Massage
Shiatsu involves the use of pressure applied with thumbs at a gentle or moderate pace. The elbows, palms, or knees are also used sometimes to the affected area when necessary. Shiatsu massage capitalizes on the same points as acupuncture in Chinese medicine for activating energy.
Some Benefits Of Shiatsu Massage
Below is a rundown of advantages you may gain from a Shiatsu Massage:
Arthritis and Muscle Pains
Acupressure and Shiatsu massage ease your Arthritis as practitioners focus on your hands and feet points. Shiatsu loosens your muscles giving your muscle nourishment to reduce muscle pain.
Ease in Pregnancy and Menstrual Cycles
Shiatsu massage seems helpful for women who face problems in their monthly cycles for many years to mitigate the issues such as depression, pain, etc. It is also beneficial for pregnant ladies to ease the swellings and morning sickness experience.
Severe Headaches and Migraine Problem
Migraine is a severe headache that patients feel on one side of their heads. Shiatsu massage helps relieve migraines and usual headaches to relax your body, giving rise to blood flow and circulation.
Skin Problems
The shiatsu massage helps emit the sebum from the sebaceous organs that keep your skin smooth and healthy. It stimulates blood circulation in the soft tissues of the skin to prevent wrinkles and aging. It enhances the look and keeps your skin moist.
Improves Digestive and Circulatory System
Shiatsu helps improve your digestive system and circulatory system, resulting in the proper blood flow and cell nourishment in the body. This massage therapy also digests your food, efficiently removing wastes. Moreover, Shiatsu also develops more stamina.
Anma – Ancient Method
Massage therapy is famous for decreasing muscle stiffness along with anxiety levels. Anma is the original ancient and traditional form of Japanese massage that provides treatment for the body and mind. Anma has around seven traditional techniques that heal, relax, and remove anxiety. It comprises pressing, stroking, tapping, vibrating, kneading, grasping, and compressing actions, also famous as ‘hand music. Anma massage is performed on a floor mat, but a table can sometimes be helpful, according to the receiver. Shiatsu is the derivation from Anma, which is popular in western areas.
Characteristics
Anma is the technique that works on the energetic meridians with pressure, percussion, stretching, and manipulation. It decreases the unfavorable effects on the mind and body, rebalancing the circulation.
Benefits Of Anma Massage
Anma treats many sorts of injuries and conditions, along with headaches. You can treat many diseases and sicknesses such as
- Fatigue
- Irregularity in Menstrual cycle
- Insomnia
- Constipation
- Irregular Blood Pressure
- Respiratory disorders
And many more. Those who undergo Anma therapy get benefitted from improved blood circulation and reduced stress, anxiety. Anma is famous for treating patients as it provides relaxation to the weary body and typical nerve irritation.
Kobido Massage – Harmonize Energy
Kobido is one of the oldest massage techniques known as an ancient beauty, from balancing spirit, mind, and body. It is the therapy that harmonizes energy within us, making it different from other massages. People start feeling peace, calm, and well-being from the movement stimulation in a Kobido massage. It works on the face sparkling muscle tone and oxygenation of the epidermis. Yes, it is a facial treatment as your face tells the story of all the processes going inside your body. Your facial expressions with the emotion of joy, fear, anger, or sadness show the state of your body. Hence this Kobido facial treatment, with its deep fluid touch, helps you solve issues leaving you with glowing skin. The glow is not only from the exterior, but it also comes from within the body.
Characteristic of Kobido Massage
The purpose of this Japanese massage is to work with the face meridians to balance the Qi of the facial muscles and skin to rejuvenate your skin and health. Therapists perform Kobido on the neck, scalp, and face with gentle movements that facilitate circulation, produce collagen and elastin, oxygenate the skin, and tone up your muscles.
Benefits of Kobido Massage
According to the practitioners, this Japanese technique brings many benefits besides glowing skin.
Stress elimination
During the treatment, therapists provide massage to face, neck, and head muscles for stimulation with their fingertips. Well, dosage movements ease headaches and remove facial stiffness. It improves the vital energy flow by providing oxygen to skin cells to recover and rejuvenate the skin and automatically eliminates stress levels.
Stimulation
Kobido massage tones the body as the treatment gives positive and relaxing effects on your soul, mind, and body.
Eliminates Facial Tension and Relax Contractures
Kobido massage softens the deep face muscles that relax your contractures and reduces facial tension. It enhances the beauty of the skin along with the inner body.
Fight Wrinkles and Sagging
Kobido makes your skin appear young and refreshing. It tones up your face muscles by increasing blood supply, as it is the most effective method to improve skin conditions. It slows down your aging process because it reduces wrinkles.
Other benefits
This Kobido massage eliminates the dirt that stays on your skin due to factors like cosmetic products and environmental pollution. Its movements are simple but effective as it covers meridians, lymph drainage, and acupuncture points, making your skin smoother, brighter, and firmer.
Summing Up
Thus, there are three Japanese massages in which Shiatsu is the most popular one in many areas across the globe. All massage therapies combine modern and traditional methods that focus on your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health.
