Shiatsu massage

Yuki Murata, Shiatsu therapist at Four Seasons Wellness clinic, explains how hands can heal.

YUKI MURATA CAME to Australia from Japan in 1992 to study social and environmental assessment and policy at uni, but it left her cold. She felt more inclined to pursue a career where she could care for people directly. Murata’s subsequent experience working with the dying and suffering when she volunteered at Mother Theresa’s charity in India for six months made her calling clear: to provide a healing, hands-on service to people. Inspired by this knowledge, Yuki headed back to Japan to study Shiatsu at its birthplace, later returning to Australia to set up practice.

Shiatsu literally means ‘finger pressure’. “The difference between massage and Shiatsu is that massage works on the surfaces, which is nice and relaxing, but Shiatsu works on the meridian points,” Murata says. “Chinese medicine, which has about 5,000 years of knowledge behind it, talks about meridians running through the body. All organs have meridians and all meridians have acupressure points. In Shiatsu, I work to release the blockages in meridians, which are caused by stress, diet and other factors. Chinese medicine says that to have maximum wellness, you need to have no blockages in the meridians. That philosophy went to Japan about 2,000 years ago, and that’s where Shiatsu derives from.”

Owing to her 20 years experience and rigorous training, Murata knows almost intuitively where to find the knots. Her technique leaves the recipient energised and posessed with a newfound sense of wellbeing. Four Seasons Wellness Centre, 305 Johnston St, Abbotsford 3067. 0424 235 949. www.four-seasons.com.au. $95-$135. By appointment Mon, Tue & Fri.