Five Element Shiatsu: Japanese Bodywork Rooted in Classical Chinese Medicine

Five Element Shiatsu is a therapeutic, whole-body form of Japanese bodywork that draws deeply from the wisdom of Classical Chinese Medicine. It blends the hands-on, grounded quality of traditional Japanese manual therapy with the philosophical richness and diagnostic depth of the Five Element tradition. Each session becomes a full interweaving of physical technique, classical theory, and intuitive presence, meeting you exactly where you are and guiding you toward balance, regulation, and ease.

At its root, the word “Shiatsu” means “finger pressure”. 5 Element Shiatsu incorporates acupressure, stretching, compression, and rhythmic rocking to support the body’s natural ability to reorganize and heal. Sessions are done fully clothed, on a mat on the floor, to allow for movement and leverage. 

The Five Element Perspective

The Five Element system - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water provides a map for understanding movement, emotion, personality, and the cyclical nature of change. In Five Element Shiatsu, each element represents a dynamic expression of body, mind, and spirit. A session explores where an element may be overworking, under-resourced, or out of relationship with the others. This process is gentle, respectful, and rooted in the idea that each person carries an innate healing blueprint that can be accessed through targeted touch and thoughtful listening.

Rather than treating symptoms alone, Five Element Shiatsu seeks to harmonize patterns beneath the surface: how stress is held, where vitality is blocked, how emotions express through the body, and how the nervous system organizes itself. The work is subtle, yet deeply transformative.

The Influence of Classical Chinese Medicine

Because this approach is informed by Classical Chinese Medicine, sessions incorporate a high level of diagnostic understanding. Classical theory emphasizes seasonal cycles, constitutional patterns, organ networks, and the unity of body and spirit and provides a rich lens through which the practitioner interprets what the individual is communicating.

Tongue and pulse assessment may be included when helpful, as well as a traditional Hara (abdominal) evaluation, which offers a clear picture of energetic tone and underlying imbalances, as well as strengths. Acupressure points, channel pathways, and classical energetics are selected with precision to address the client’s individual needs.

What a Session Feels Like

A session begins with an in-depth intake and collaborative conversation. From there, the practitioner uses palms, thumbs, elbows, knees, gentle traction, rocking, and soft stretching to guide the body into a state of grounded awareness. 

Many people describe the session as meditative: a feeling of being listened to on multiple levels, physically and emotionally.

Benefits

Five Element Shiatsu supports:

• nervous system regulation

• deeper relaxation and improved sleep

• circulation and digestive health

• emotional processing and grounding

• structural ease, movement, and breath

• an overall sense of integration and balance

It is both a therapeutic modality and a practice of returning home to oneself—where body, mind, and spirit meet in harmony.

Traditional Usui Reiki

A Japanese energy healing technique developed by Mikao Usui that uses gentle, hands-on placements to promote relaxation, stress reduction, and a sense of well-being. During a session, a practitioner places their hands on or just above various parts of a clothed client's body, and the client may experience sensations like warmth or tingling while the practitioner channels universal life force energy to restore balance and support the body's natural healing abilities. 

Core principles and practice

• Universal life force energy: Reiki is based on the belief that a universal energy flows through all living things, and that blocks or imbalances in this energy can lead to physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments.

• Hands-on healing: The core practice involves the practitioner placing their hands in a series of specific, non-intrusive positions on the client's body to facilitate the flow of this energy.

• Holistic treatment: The technique aims to treat the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—rather than focusing on specific symptoms.

• No pressure or massage: The method is non-invasive, involving only light touch or placement of hands, with no pressure or manipulation. 

Session experience

• Client position: The client remains fully clothed and typically lies on a massage table, though it can also be practiced in a seated position.

• Relaxation: The goal is deep relaxation, and sessions often include soft music.

• Sensations: Recipients may experience a variety of sensations, such as warmth, tingling, or nothing at all, while others report feeling things like seeing colors or having emotional responses.

• Duration: 60 Minutes