The heart of shiatsu is like pure maternal affection; the pressure of the hands sets the springs of life flowing.
Alberto Polidori quotes Tokujiro Namikoshi as he works on Emanuela's back. Her shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, legs—one by one, they soften under his touch. This is the philosophy of shiatsu at its core, he explains, walking me through the group's mission: who they are, what they do, how they began, the path that brought them here to Emanuela, who grows heavier with each breath, more relaxed, slowly dissolving into calm. Shiatsu is a Japanese word, composed of shi (fingers) and atsu (pressure). It describes finger pressure—especially with the thumb—applied in an attempt to restore balance between mind and body. To the careless eye, the technique might seem almost random. But it carries thousands of years of knowledge behind it. When practiced with skill, it delivers both steady pressure and exquisite sensitivity, bringing real and tangible benefits to the person receiving the massage.
The evidence comes from questionnaires filled out by clients at Rome's APIS center after at least ten sessions. Pain decreases. Physical and emotional relaxation deepen. Spasticity lessens in intensity and frequency. Movement becomes easier. Muscles recover. Body control improves. Sleep grows sounder. Digestive function normalizes. Anxiety and depression lift. Of course, each person responds in their own time and their own way. But shiatsu can work across many conditions—for those born with illness, those injured in accidents, those struck by sudden disease.
APIS—the Italian Professional Shiatsu Association—was born in May 1994, when delegates at the First European Shiatsu Congress in Hilversum, Holland, decided to bring the practice to Italy. Once the Italian association took shape, some members committed themselves to founding a volunteer section in Rome, to serve interested patients free of charge. Through their persistent dedication—particularly Alberto's—the APIS Volunteer Section opened its doors on May 16, 1997. A similar initiative emerged in Cagliari that December. Soon after, the association launched a school: the Denis J. Binks Italian Institute of Shiatsu. Those serious about learning to practice shiatsu could study theory in the classroom and refine their hands in the volunteer section itself.
The whole thing is remarkably well designed—serious and genuinely generous in both vision and practice. Generous in vision, because the founders understood that real knowledge must spread not just to more clients, but to more practitioners. The school doesn't churn out amateur masseurs. It develops skilled hands, hands trained deeply enough to help people, Monday and Friday, at the center. Still, like all initiatives sustained by word-of-mouth enthusiasm from those who've lived them, Alberto's group faces growing difficulty keeping up with demand. But they remain hopeful—hope is what brought them here in the first place. And it shows in the serene smile on Emanuela's face after an hour and a half of shiatsu, utterly at peace.
- Giulia Galeotti, 2004