Shakuju Therapy (SJT) is a dynamic and elegant method of acupuncture treatment that promotes deep healing.
(Photo: RUSS DESANTIS/CORRESPONDENT)
Shakuju Therapy is a distinctive form of acupuncture originating in Japan. It is sometimes called “Acupuncture Core Therapy” because it addresses healing your body at the deepest level. Dr. Shoji Kobayashi, the developer of Shakuju Therapy, refined thousands of years of healing tradition into a relevant and accessible method perfectly suited for our times. Isn’t it interesting that things often appear just when we need them most?
Shakuju Therapy is noted for many benefits, such as:
- A painless acupuncture experience. Even very sensitive and needle-phobic people can take advantage of the benefits of acupuncture treatment.
- Providing a very gentle treatment. It is ideal for a wide range of patients, such as elderly, very young, and those in a sick and weakened condition.
- Ability to treat difficult cases. Because it treats the body on a more fundamental level, it corrects deep imbalances. It can treat issues that have not previously responded to acupuncture therapy.
- Immediate results. Patients commonly notice marked improvement after their first treatment, including reduced pain, improved organ function, balanced nervous system, increased vitality, and overall well-being.
Shakuju Therapy works to balance the entire body.
Patients notice both their tension release and their pain disappear during a treatment. This relaxation – of both body and mind – is invaluable. This state of deep relaxation is where healing really occurs. All of your body’s tissues and organs begin to strengthen and repair.
The practitioner of Shakuju Therapy facilitates this healing experience by being present and gently guiding the healing process for the entire duration of your treatment session. He or she does not leave the room as is customary with other types of acupuncture. A Shakuju treatment is a conversation between your body and your practitioner.
In Shakuju Therapy, the acupuncture needle is not inserted. Instead, a specially-designed silver needle with a blunt, rounded point just touches your body. This makes for a very pleasant and painless acupuncture experience. “Contact needling” or “touch needling” actually has a more systemic effect than inserted needles. As a treatment session progresses, different body reference areas are then checked to monitor your response to the treatment being given.
This approach is based on the principle that all disease is caused by Fundamental Cold, or “chilliness”. It results from many factors: congenital, injury and physical trauma (including surgery), emotional states, lifestyle choices, and even climate. Warmth is life. As our life force weakens, we begin to cool down. This Fundamental Cold is the body’s diminished ability to function properly. The aim of treatment is to warm the body to eradicate the cold (the primary cause of disease) and restore proper function.
Our abdomen is our center – on so many levels.
This is the center of the human body, our center of gravity, where we received our first nourishment. It is also a sea reflecting the condition of the entire body. Organs show their level of health here. Tight or painful areas in the abdomen (the shaku and ju that give this therapy its name) reveal the location of your body’s core imbalance. After a treatment, we re-check the abdomen for changes. Improvement in the abdominal findings confirms the treatment was effective. The Fundamental Cold has been warmed, and the entire body will benefit.
More information can be found at the Shakuju Association website.
The goal of Shakuju Therapy is not just to relieve suffering, but to do this and prevent its relapse – to empower our own vitality and resiliency to keep us at our healthiest so we can live happy, healthy lives in accordance with our full potential.