{"id":987492907,"date":"2026-11-10T14:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T13:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/shiatsu-werken-met-lichaamsgewicht\/"},"modified":"2026-11-10T14:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T13:40:08","slug":"shiatsu-works-with-body-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/shiatsu-werken-met-lichaamsgewicht\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you work with your body weight in shiatsu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Anyone who receives a shiatsu treatment for the first time is often surprised. The pressure is deep, yet it feels calm. The therapist hardly seems to be exerting any effort. That\u2019s also true: in shiatsu, you work with your body weight. In this blog you\u2019ll learn how that works, why it\u2019s beneficial for the recipient, and what it brings to you as the giver.<\/p>\n<nav class=\"toc\">\n<h2>Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#kracht-zetten-voelt-anders-dan-inleunen\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">Pushing hard feels different than leaning in<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hoe-werkt-inleunen\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">How does leaning in work?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#twee-handen-een-die-luistert-en-een-die-werkt\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">Two hands: one that listens and one that works<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#wat-de-ontvanger-merkt\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">What the recipient notices<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#wat-het-jou-als-gever-brengt\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">What it brings to you as a giver<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#je-leert-het-sneller-dan-je-denkt\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">You learn it faster than you think<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#zelf-voelen-hoe-het-werkt\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">Feel for yourself how it works<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#veelgestelde-vragen\" style=\"color: inherit; text-decoration: underline;\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"kracht-zetten-voelt-anders-dan-inleunen\">Pushing hard feels different than leaning in<\/h2>\n<p>If you push with your arms and hands, you tense your shoulders. You press harder too quickly, you get tired and the other person feels that tension too. The receiver\u2019s body then prepares itself.<\/p>\n<p>When leaning in, something different happens. You sit firmly on the ground, your arms are relaxed, and you slowly move your weight forward. The pressure comes from your entire body. Because of this, it is calm and even, and the other person can surrender to it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"hoe-werkt-inleunen\">How does leaning in work?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>You sit or kneel close to the other person, with a wide and stable base.<\/li>\n<li>Your hands lie relaxed on the body and distribute your weight.<\/li>\n<li>The movement comes from your abdomen and pelvis. That\u2019s where your center of gravity lies.<\/li>\n<li>You lean forward on your exhale and hold the pressure for a few seconds.<\/li>\n<li>You let go just as slowly as you entered.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The pressure is applied directly to the body. This ensures that it penetrates deep into the tissue without squeezing or pushing anything.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"twee-handen-een-die-luistert-en-een-die-werkt\">Two hands: one that listens and one that works<\/h2>\n<p>In the Zen Shiatsu of Masunaga, from which Iokai originates, you work with two hands simultaneously. One hand remains still and provides support. The other moves over the body and exerts pressure. This way there is always contact and you feel with the resting hand how the other person reacts.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"wat-de-ontvanger-merkt\">What the recipient notices<\/h2>\n<p>Because the pressure is calm and predictable, the body can let go. Many people notice that their breathing becomes deeper and that tension in their shoulders or back eases. The treatment feels deep and at the same time gentle.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"wat-het-jou-als-gever-brengt\">What it brings to you as a giver<\/h2>\n<p>Working with your own weight is also good for you. You save your wrists, fingers and shoulders because they don\u2019t have to do the work. This way, you can give a whole treatment without getting tired. And because you stay relaxed yourself, you\u2019ll feel better about what\u2019s happening under your hands.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we start the lesson with Do-In: exercises to free your own body and bring your attention to your belly. Those who are relaxed themselves can pass on the relaxation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"je-leert-het-sneller-dan-je-denkt\">You learn it faster than you think<\/h2>\n<p>Relaxing sounds simple and that is exactly what it is once you feel it. Jos\u00e9e wrote after the Intensive: \"After just 3 sessions, I was able to give a full shiatsu massage for the back of the body (in a supine position).\"<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/shiatsu-intensive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trial module<\/a> In two months you learn the basics: how to sit, how to lean in and how to work with two hands. After that, you decide whether you want to continue. The next groups start on November 30 in Amsterdam, December 1 in Delft and December 6 in Amersfoort.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"zelf-voelen-hoe-het-werkt\">Feel for yourself how it works<\/h2>\n<p>Reading about how to lie down is one thing. Feeling it is something completely different. On an open evening, we will do Do-In together, show you what a shiatsu treatment looks like, and there will be time for all your questions. You don\u2019t need any experience.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>November 19, Delft, 19:00 to 21:30<\/li>\n<li>November 21st, Amersfoort, 14:00 to 16:30<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/open-day-for-the-shiatsu-training\/\">Sign up for an open evening<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"veelgestelde-vragen\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"color: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;\">Do you need strength to give shiatsu?<\/h3>\n<p>No. You work with your body weight, so even if you have a small or light build, you still apply deep pressure.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;\">Does shiatsu hurt?<\/h3>\n<p>The pressure is deep and yet calm. You always decide what is comfortable yourself, and the therapist adjusts the pressure accordingly.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;\">Why do you lie on a mat on the floor during a shiatsu session?<\/h3>\n<p>On the floor, the therapist can sit stably and lean over you. On a high table, this is less easy to achieve.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;\">Can I learn shiatsu without any experience?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. In the trial module you start from the basics. You don't need to know anything beforehand.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Shiatsu, you lean with your body weight. This allows you to apply deep, gentle pressure without exerting any force. Learn how it works and experience it on an open evening.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":987492906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-987492907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-algemeen","tag-shiatsu-techniek"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987492907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=987492907"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987492907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":987492909,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987492907\/revisions\/987492909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987492906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=987492907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=987492907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iokai.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=987492907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}