The Importance of Simple Touch in an Increasingly Technological World — Ohashi Institute
I went to the Ohashi Institute located in midtown Manhattan for my first shiatsu experience. In Japanese, the word “shi” means finger and “atsu” means pressure. Shiatsu, also known as acupressure, is an Asian style of massage in which the fingers are pressed on particular points of the body to ease aches, pains, tension, fatigue and symptoms of disease. At the institute I met with Wataru Ohashi, founder of this nonprofit educational organization, who along with his certified instructors has been teaching his own system of technique, exercise and meditation in many cities in the US and Europe for the last 35 years.
Ohashi Institute founder Wataru Ohashi standing at the entrance to his organization (banner reading “Touch For Peace” in back).
Ohashi distinguishes his style of shiatsu by combining his name with the practice’s name to create the term Ohashiatsu®, meaning a nurturing method of touch. This therapy manipulates the energy within the body and uses a framework of Eastern philosophy. However, Ohashiatsu® is distinct from other Eastern therapies in that its emphasis is on communication and synergism between giver and receiver and their respective self-development, as well as on their physical, psychological and spiritual harmony. According to Ohashi, “My patients are both my guinea pigs and my teachers. As we work together, I watch their reactions and adjust accordingly.”
Ohashiatsu® is about being in tune to patients’ bodies, so sensitivity is of the utmost importance and arrogance is unacceptable. Ohashi says, “My goal is not to fix people but to help them fix themselves. If they get better from what I do, that’s a fringe benefit.” His method combines hands-on touch techniques, gentle exercises and stretches, and meditations in a seamless flow of movement, and Ohashi emphasizes that it is different from traditional shiatsu in that he does not apply direct finger pressure. He lets his whole body’s gravity move towards pressure points, which leads to a force he is unaware of creating.
Ohashi slowly easing me into Ohashiatsu®.
I didn’t know quite what to expect as my impression of shiatsu was of someone poking me with their fingers, but indeed as Ohashi performed Ohashiatsu® on me it was a different type of sensation. While pressing, he stretched out my arms and legs to positions that could potentially be painful but for some reason weren’t. During the procedure itself, I was very conscious of what parts of my body were being worked on. Although I hadn’t been particularly tight going into the therapy I did feel a bit lighter when we were done, as if there had been something healing in his touch.
Feeling loose and limber by the end of the session.
Whether it is undergoing shiatsu, having a massage or just shaking someone’s hand, there is something special about physical contact with another. The theme adorning the entrance to the Ohashi Institute is “Touch for Peace,” and this is something that Ohashi strongly believes in, along with the idea of small actions having a large impact. In this vein, he highlights the expression “High Tech, High Touch,” which refers to the fact that the more technological our society is, the more disconnected we become and the more need there is for actual physical touch.
However, Ohashi is not opposed to keeping up with the times and using technology for the growth of his practice. In fact, he is in the process of developing a game for Game Boy via which he can virtually guide people as they practice Ohashiatsu® on themselves. He is also thinking of developing a series of instructional videos to be aired on You Tube. Clearly, Ohashi’s experience and adaptability ensure that his revolutionary method will continue to influence its patients and practitioners long into the future.
—– Reported by Stacy Smith
Ohashi has released two DVDs, FaceLift & VItalEyes DVD (left) and ULTIMATE RELAXATION DVD (right), guiding both professional therapists and aestheticians as well as people who are interested in relieveing /improving pain and improve their health. For purchase please contact; 1-800-810-4190, info@ohashiatsu.org or check ohashiatsu.org/Menu/store-ohashidvd.html.
Ohashi Institute
147 West, 25th St., 6th Floor
New York , NY 10001
TEL: 800-810-4190 / 646-486-1187
www.ohashiatsu.org
info@ohashiatsu.org
