Shiatsu is a form of Chinese acupressure developed in Japan approximately one hundred years ago and is used as a preventive or proactive health maintenance activity.

Shi means thumb, and su means pressure, which is applied to meridians (energy circuits correlating to organs in the body).

There are 12 meridians that correlate to organs or biophysical functions and two meridians representing the female and male circuits. Each corresponds to the five elements of nature, wood, fire, metal, earth and water.