Julian Morgan 2011

www.japanese-acupuncture.org.uk
Hara Shiatsu Self-Healing
Master Kuzome
During his sixty years of clinical practice Kuzome Sensei treated more than 280,000 patients. By releasing
tension and pain from the hara the abdominal area Kuzome Sensei was able to successfully treat an
extraordinarily wide range of conditions. This was possible because the hara is both the physical and
energetic centre of the human body. When something isnt working properly anywhere else in the body, be
it physical or emotional, the root cause of the problem can frequently be addressed through the hara.
Tension, weakness and pain in the hara mean that energy and blood are not flowing optimally through the
internal organs, musculature and deep energy pathways. This leads to elevated stress levels and impairs
the bodys self-healing capacity. As a result all manner of symptoms may develop. To eliminate these
symptoms the hara needs to be returned to a more natural state, free from pain, tenderness and weakness.
Hara Shiatsu accomplishes this painlessly and gently.
A strong and vital hara is the key to abundant energy and clarity of mind, so Hara Shiatsu is a wonderful
way to improve performance, reduce anxiety, manage stress and strengthen the immune system. Kuzome
Sensei was passionate about teaching his patients how to massage their own hara so their healing could
progress as rapidly as possible, while decreasing their dependency on him for treatment.
How to do Kuzome Hara Shiatsu for Self-Healing
Step 1: Regulate, Smooth and Relax Your Breath
To obtain maximum benefit from Hara Shiatsu self-healing your breath should ideally be:
a) diaphragmatic
b) smooth and unforced on both inhalation and exhalation, and
c) the inhalation and exhalation should be about the same duration
Diaphragmatic means that as your diaphragm muscle contracts to suck air into the lungs, your
abdomen expands. Your chest stays still. Thats the simple version anyway - full Taoist breathing is ideal
and I may teach this once you have a solid grasp of basic diaphragmatic breathing.
Lying on your back, put one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Breath in and allow your
breath to lift the hand on your belly while the other hand makes sure your chest stays still. As you breath
out, relax and feel the hand on your belly slowly sink. On the out breath it is important that there is no
muscular contraction of the abdomen: You allow the air to flow out, you do not push or force it out.
Self-healing involves taking responsibility for our health. The following self-massage techniques
should be practiced only after you have received proper instruction from a practitioner of Oriental
medicine. While these techniques are inherently very safe, and in any case should be done extremely
gently and lovingly, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice. By downloading,
opening and reading this password protected document you have effectively signed a waiver taking
full responsibility for your actions.
Julian Morgan 2011
www.japanese-acupuncture.org.uk
Now begin to count your breaths - perhaps have a clock with a nice loud tick nearby to help you
regulate your breathing: In, 2, 3, 4, Out, 2, 3, 4. and so on.
A breath thats more rapid than 4 seconds in and 4 seconds out is tricky to combine with Hara Shiatsu. If
you cannot manage this 8 second breath cycle (4 in + 4 out) at first, be patient and practice. Know that
simply by developing your ability to breath to an 8 second cycle you will be benefitting your health even
without any Hara Shiatsu.
After a little practice most people find they can manage an 8 second cycle, and while this can easily
become longer the important thing is for the breath to be even, smooth and without glitches or tension.
Most people find that when they start to extend their cycle they notice a loss of smoothness: It is better to
have a smooth breath cycle of shorter duration than an extended breath cycle that creates tension.
Step 2: Assess Your Hara
After taking a moment to study the picture below, first feel for the edge of your ribs with both hands,
allowing your fingers to curl gently around the edge of the rib cage. On the out breath press down gently
one hand at a time, moving your fingers as needed to explore each area. To start with you will be pressing
into the green and then the yellow areas numbered 1. Press in gently to a depth where you feel the
beginnings of some resistance or tension, or up to a depth that is no deeper than the second knuckle of
your fingers.
At this stage simply assess what you can feel? Tightness? Tension? Discomfort? Or is the area under your
fingers flaccid and weak, lacking in resilience? Or does it feel elastic, supple and yet soft?
Assess the other areas of your abdomen following the numbered sequence. If you find anywhere
especially uncomfortable then make a mental note of it.
Step 3: Begin Hara Shiatsu.
a) Take a moment to regulate your breathing again.
b) Go to the first area you identified as being a little uncomfortable, tense, tender, tight etc. This may also
be an area where something just didnt feel quite right, even if you cant describe it.
c) Rest your fingertips (one hand or two) over the area and, as you exhale, press gently down for the first
half of the out-breath. Go only as deep as the feeling of initial resistance - the edge of the tenderness.
Release the finger pressure on the second half of the out-breath.
d) During your inhalation allow your fingers to lift with your rising belly, offering no resistance.
e) Repeat - with each breath cycle you may find you can go a little deeper - maybe only fractionally - until
the tension is completely dissolved.
f) Explore the same area, making sure it is as free from tenderness as possible before moving on to the
next area.
Key
1. Green: Liver sub-costal region
1. Yellow: Spleen-Pancreas
2. Oketsu
3. Adrenal
4. Lung - Immune
5. Heart - Stomach
6. Stomach - Spleen
7. Kidney - Tan Tien
8. Stomach - Pancreas (L)
9. Constipation
10. Everywhere else*
* There are many other reflex areas.
Consul t your Or i ent al medi cal
practitioner if you would like help
i nterpreti ng a parti cul ar refl ex.
Frequently, we can only clarify the
significance of a given reflex by
identifying the treatment that helps it.
1 1
3
2 4
5
7
3
6
8 8
9
10
10
10
10
Julian Morgan 2011
www.japanese-acupuncture.org.uk
g) When you feel an area is improved - aiming for a minimum of 70% improvement - move on to the next
area in the numbered sequence.
h) Finally when you have either cleared your Hara or have done as much as you can manage in one session,
go back to the areas numbered 1 for a few breaths to make sure these are clear.
i) End the session by taking a few minutes to relax with both hands resting over the blue area 7.
Notes on Hara Shiatsu
1) It doesnt matter how long your breath cycle is - the downwards pressure is only ever for the first half of
the exhalation with NO pressure being applied on inhalation. You may imagine gathering energy at your
fingertips during the inhalation phase, though this is not necessary as its happening anyway.
2)The sequence suggested above is a guide only. It is born out of my experience with practicing
acupuncture in the style of Kiiko Matsumoto who studied with Master Kuzome. Though she does not
suggest this specific sequence in the context of Hara Shiatsu, it is a general rule of thumb that the 1
areas over the diaphragm, the Oketsu reflex area (green area numbered 2), the Adrenal reflex areas
(numbered 3) and the Immune / Lung reflex area (numbered 4) should be cleared first. When
energy and blood are moving freely in these areas it tends to open the way for other aspects of the Haras
energy to flow and balance. Ultimately everyone is different - you may be an exception to this general
rule, so approach this with an open-mind.
3) The sequence in which you clear areas of the Hara after clearing area 4 is less important. That said
working down the centre line of the body is probably a good idea. The most important thing is to end up
with the whole Hara feeling relaxed and comfortable to gentle pressure first, and then (following advice
from your practitioner about how deep to go!) at increasing depths.
4)Obviously the coloured areas do not cover every inch of skin on your torso. Let your fingertips and your
body-sense guide you as you gently explore. Ask yourself, where does my body need my attention to be
focused?
5) Often the area where we need to focus most of our attention will be the most tender or uncomfortable.
When we press on it we might feel sensations elsewhere in our body. If an area is especially tender then
do not approach it directly - instead work around the periphery of the tenderness. Like ice melting it can
be softened from the outside inwards. Be patient! Allow your breath, intention and the gentle pressure to
do their work. In meditation this is called active waiting - it is important to allow your body the time it
needs for things to change.
6)You may experience gurgling and rumbling happening as the combination of massage and breath helps
everything to move more smoothly. This is fine!
7) Remember that the golden rule is, Pain - No Flow. Flow - No Pain! What we are doing with Hara
Shiatsu is to restore the circulation of blood, energy and body fluids through the internal organs and to
promote the rhythmical movement of the bowel. Such gentle massage combined with breath CANNOT
create problems; it can however reveal problems. As such if an area is resistant to clearing (i.e. becoming
softer, more elastic and resilient) this is excellent information to give your practitioner, who can then use
the more precise and powerful tools they have at their disposal to help you.
8)Bear in mind Master Kuzomes oft repeated maxim that Hara Shiatsu should be continued until the
Hara is clear, and remains clear over several weeks . . . NOT just until your presenting symptom
improves.
9)Hara Shiatsu is self-healing, it is a form of meditation and therefore increases awareness of our internal
world. As such you may well become aware of much more than the purely physical sensations! For
example, you may feel emotions release from experiences you thought you had dealt with years ago. Also
as you promote the flow of blood through your organs of elimination you may experience a detox
reaction, or feeling your energy dip as toxins clear from your system. Help this along with pplentiful
drinks of water.
10) Hara Shiatsu combines exceptionally well with Taoist Breathing and the Taoist Dissolving meditation.
Ask me about them if you want to know more!