Derived from traditional Chinese medicine and refined in Japan over centuries, Shiatsu (meaning "finger pressure") is performed through loose clothing or a thin sheet on a floor mat or table. The therapist uses thumbs, fingers, palms, elbows, and sometimes knees to apply sustained pressure along the body's energy meridians.
Unlike Western massage styles, Shiatsu does not use oil and focuses on the body's energetic pathways rather than physical muscle tissue alone.