The Traditional Chinese Massage : Theory
Relying on a global conception
of the individual and on the application of treatments according
to syndromes, the Traditional Chinese Massage answers the
diagnostic rules, specific therapeutic principles and methods
dictated by Chinese medical theory. This method directly extracts
the source principles of the traditional Chinese medicine.
In
Chinese medicine, the accent is put on the interdependence
of all organs. Sickness is a sign of a general imbalance and
not that of a confined ailment. Health, according to Chinese
principles, can only result from the global balance of a human
being, both psychologically and physiologically. This perspective
opposes to the occidental vision, which has a tendency to
consider the body like a machine, constituted of independent
parts and susceptible to be repaired separately from one another.
Furthermore, it is the conception of sickness and health that
differs. While the occidental doctors work on sickness directly,
the Chinese are more preoccupied by health, they help their
patients to cultivate their state of health whereas our doctors
are interested by us when sickness has already struck our
physical bodies. Ying-Yang is balance… a dynamic that
is constantly moving.
The
Traditional Chinese Massage is therefore a way to prevent
illness. This is the reason why formerly in China (before
1949 under the old regime) the practitioner was paid as long
as his client was in good health! This massage helps prevent
the most current febrile illnesses (colds, thoracic oppression
etc.) and treats incurable neuralgia or psychological originated
illnesses (back aches, stress, insomnia, anxiety) which prevails
in Occident.
Special note: the Japanese manual therapy, called Shiatsu,
has inspired itself considerably from the earlier Traditional
Chinese Massage.
[ ORIGINS ] [ THEORY ] [ PRACTICE ] [ BENEFITS ]