Does anyone use a table on a regular basis? One of my instructors actually climbs up on one that he uses(a little scary, but he's not very heavy), they must be pretty strong but can you give as good a treatment as often as you can with a mat? How about one of those forward leaning chairs where the client has a pad to put their face in, I could see those being good for a short session but it would seem to be difficult to get good (deep) pressure on the lower back.
RE: Table or Chair?
Chairs are good for health shows and back/neck work. But try and work Spleen or Liver with someone on them!!!
Tables require some adjusting of your technique, but given you have the right height of table, you can be as effective as on a matt. I liek th ewide tables, so than I can perch myself on them. In the centre I work from once a week, I only have a narrowish table. Not overly happy about it but the room is too small for anything bigger. Tables are great for people with back problems or with less mobility and that would not be able to get down to the floor.
Artemis
RE: Table or Chair?
Hi
I have a table I use for massage but it also adapts for shiatsu and lies completely flat on the floor really easy, do not do shiatsu myself but you never know it is an Earthlite spirit couch they are American couches but have a UK dealer- IPM.
Love Coop
RE: Table or Chair?
Hi Coop,
The point of using a table for Shiatsu is to be able to work higher than floor level! Like when the practionnner has a bad knee and can't get down the floor...
Artemis
RE: Table or Chair?
I believe I will purchase a chair, I had a decent 5 minute treatment on one the other day for $5.
Its hard to choose though with lots of different styles and mostly seeing them online. I was looking at the Dolphin 2 for awhile and then the Custom Craftworks Freedom and Oakworks but I think I have decided on theStronglite Ergo-Pro and I hope to get to test it soon. It looks very stable and can hold up to 600 lb with removable knee pads but I like the table like structure with the 2 struts rather than one that hold the chest pad. Strong so maybe I can add my own adaptions to it. Shiatsu and Acupressure and Tuina seem to adapt well to a chair, has anyone had good experiences with them or bad?
RE: Table or Chair?
I bought the Stronglite, as soon as I saw one at the local dealer I knew this was the one. Very quick to adjust and very advanced design, you would have to see one yourselfand then you would understand.
Now all I have to do is get over the guilt when I look at the floor and feel I should be down there on a mat. LOL
RE: Table or Chair?
I had a very good chair massage today at the local mall, $22 whole body and $12 for half body and $12 for feet. I had the upper body done and I was very happy with the result. What I found most interesting was they were using Tuina and that they were from Honan, China. I will be visiting for more treatments and will report more on this method in the near future.
RE: Table or Chair?
Using table with shiatsu is quite wrong. Shiatsu is based on qi (or chi)energy and the base is in hara (or tanden). When you are doing shiatsu on a futon, you can use your hara. You can get your hara close to the patientwhich is very important for good shiatsu.
RE: Table or Chair?
Many Japanese martial arts use their hara while moving around on their feet, I would think that shiatsu should be able to do the same?
RE: Table or Chair?
Of course they can, and doing table shiatsu can be good but I can't agree that it's as good or better that doing it on futon. And how strech the legs etc.? Also leaning is the key. It's so easy and comfortable when you can just lean on your client and your hara gets close their hara.
Anyway, so I've been teached and I have to say, doing shiatsu every day, 2-4 hours per day, I feel it works! 🙂
RE: Table or Chair?
I've never tried a table, but it would be hard to beat a futon on the floor. The chair seems to work better in places like a mall or a pow wow etc..
RE: Table or Chair?
Doctors in China use table to do medical shiatsu, I guess I have to try it sometime 🙂