The room is maintained at a comfortable temperature, and soft background music can help to bring the person to a relaxed state of mind and body. Qi flows through the meridian pathways in all parts of the body. There are more than 300 acupoints along the way. Acupuncture requires the insertion of a single needle for each acupoint selected. In shiatsu, the application to these meridian pathways by the practitioner's hands, thumbs, elbows, knees, forearms and feet covers several of these critical points simultaneously.
Continual diagnosis is part of the treatment.
The healing energy and awareness build in this synergy for both practitioner and client. The client experiences no pain, but rather a comforting feeling of the awakening of powerful self-healing forces. Mutual meditation on the origin of deep breathing clears the mind, allowing fresh oxygen to replenish and rejuvenate the internal organs, so that a deeper sense of self-awareness evolves and healing occurs. Shiatsu strengthens the immune system and, if practiced consistently, truly becomes preventative health care. In the practice of shiatsu, each person is primarily responsible for his or her own health and well being.