Download Arm Techniques - Zen Shiatsu Chicago

Yin Arm Techniques
Transition to Upper Body
Begin in the hara.
Walk your outside hand (L hand in this case) up the sternum to
the opposite shoulder. Rest your hand on the flat shelf of muscle
surrounding Lung 1. Do not lean against any bony prominences.
Cross your other hand up the
sternum to the other shoulder.
Lean your weight evenly into
both shoulders to open the
chest.
Arm Rotations
R hand is mother hand at the
shoulder. Pick up the wrist
with your L hand.
Stretch the arm down to be on
the floor at a 45 degree angle
to the torso, ideally, or to
whatever lesser angle is
comfortable for the receiver.
Your L hand provides a gentle
stretch towards the receiverʼs
hand.
Your right hand
provides a gentle stretch
towards the chest.
Now lean back to stretch the
arm towards you.
Your
mother hand holds on the top
of the shoulder to draw the
shoulder towards you. Try to
apply an even amount of
stretch with both hands;
stretching the wrist and the
shoulder equally.
Move the arm to the working position for the Pericardium meridian.
(Arm should be at a 90 degree angle to the torso.)
The classical Heart Protector (Pericardium) meridian
begins just lateral to the nipple (PC1) and ascends the
breast to the level of the axillary fold, from where it
descends the Yin surface of the arm along the midline,
between the heads of the biceps. across the midpoints
of the elbow and wrist creases to the centre of the palm
of the hand (PC8) and thence to the tip of the middle
finger (PC9).
(Beresford-Cooke, Carola, Shiatsu: Theory and Practice,
Elsevier 2003. p166.
Treating the Pericardium meridian. Right hand is mother hand at PC1. Messenger hand follows the
meridian through the midline of the yin aspect of the arm, to PC8 in the center of the palm, and PC9
on the tip of the middle finger.
Move the arm to the working position for the Heart meridian. (Arm should be up over the head to
expose the axilla).
The classical Heart meridian emerges from the deepest
part of the armpit (HT1) and travels down the arm
between the biceps and the triceps (on the medial part
of the anterior surface of the arm in the anatomical
position) towards the little finger, where it ends at he
lateral side of the little fingernail (HT9).
(Beresford-Cooke, Carola, Shiatsu: Theory and Practice,
Elsevier 2003. p149
Treating the Heart meridian.
R hand is mother hand,
covering the entire axilla
(armpit), with emphasis on HT1
in the center of the axilla. Left
hand follows the deep yin
surface of the arm,
emphasizing an overhead
stretching motion of the arm
while working.
Transition to other side of arm
to work the Lung meridian
“Drawbridge” transition: lift the
receiverʼs arm as you move
your body to the other side of
the arm.
Set the arm in the working
position for the Lung meridian
(arm laying at a 30 degree
angle to the body, palm up).
The traditional Lung meridian travels from the upper
part of the chest down the lateral edge of the arm, to the
thumb.
(Beresford-Cooke, Carola, Shiatsu: Theory and Practice,
Elsevier 2003. p212.
Treating the Lung meridian. Left hand is mother hand at the chest (LU1), the messenger hand
follows the meridian down the lateral edge of the biceps, and the lateral edge of the yin aspect of the
forearm, through the pad of the thumb (LU10), to the radial (lateral) corner of the thumbnail (LU11)
Transition around the Body
Pick up the arm and position
yourself over your receiverʼs
head. Use one hand to hold
below receiverʼs wrist, one
hand to hold below the elbow.
Lean back to stretch your
receiverʼs entire body.
Move the hand that was
holding below the elbow to
hold below the wrist instead.
The hand that was holding the
wrist is now free to...
... pick up the receiverʼs other
arm.
Lean back to stretch both of
the receiverʼs arms. Engage
the whole body with the
stretch.
Set down one arm and move
into position to stretch the
other arm overhead.
“Drawbridge” transition to
move to the other side of the
arm. Lift the receiverʼs arm as
you move into position to work
the PC meridian on the new
side.
Position the arm to work the
PC meridian (arm 90 degrees
to the body, palm up). You
are now ready to repeat Yin
Arm Techniques on the other
side.
One hand holds below the
receiverʼs wrist, one hand
h o l d s b e l o w t h e e l b o w.
Stretch the entire body.
Yang Arm Meridians
Put the arm in the working position for the Triple Heater meridian
(yang aspect facing up, arm at a 90 degree angle from the body.
The classical Triple Heater meridian begins on the ulnar
side of the ring finger (TH1) and travels to the center of
the dorsal surface of the wrist joint, then up the midline
of the forearm, over the wrist extensor muscles. It
crosses the olecranon and travels in a straight line up
the back of the arm to a point just posterior and inferior
to the acromion (TH14), then travels along the top of the
shoulder (TH15) towards the neck and up the groove
between the trapezius and the SCM muscle to the
mastoid process. From here it travels to the hollow
under the earlobe, then follows the border of the ear up
and around to the upper attachment of the ear, and then
ascends to the lateral end of the eyebrow (TH23).
(Beresford-Cooke, Carola, Shiatsu: Theory and Practice,
Treating the Triple
Heater meridian in
the forearm.
R
hand is mother
hand at the wrist,
L hand covers the
forearm.
Stop
before you reach
the elbow.
Elsevier 2003. p176
Reposition the
arm so that
you can treat
the upper arm
(TH is in the
posterior
aspect)
Treating the Triple Heater meridian. L hand is mother hand at the wrist, holding the arm in a stretch
position across the torso. R hand treats TH meridan down the midline of the triceps and into the top
of the shoulder.
Put the arm in the working position for the Small Intestine
meridian. The arm bends over your knee to expose the posterior
surface. R hand is mother hand at the wrist and holds the arm in
a stretched position over your knee.
The classical Small Intestine meridian runs from the
ulnar side of the little fingernail (SI1) along the edge of
the hand (SI3) and wrist and up the edge of the ulna,
crossing over it to the medial part of the elbow. It then
travels up the center of the triceps muscle “on the border
of the red and the white skin”, via the back of the axillary
crease to the shoulder just below the acromion, then
zigzags twice diagonally across the scapula. It then
ascends to the vicinity of C7 before moving diagonally
up the neck across the SCM muscle to the area behind
the jaw, then up under the cheekbone, moving laterally
to end in front of the ear (SI19).
(Beresford-Cooke, Carola, Shiatsu: Theory and Practice,
Elsevier 2003. p156-157.
Treating the Small Intestine meridian. R hand is mother hand at the wrist, providing a gentle stretch
of the arm. Rock your hara away from the receiver to accentuate the stretch. Follow SI meridian
down the arm to the side of the shoulder blade.
“Drawbridge” transition: lift the
receiverʼs arm as you move
your body to the other side of
the arm.
Position the arm to work the
Large Intestine Meridian (arm
is 30 degrees to the body,
palm facing down)
The traditional Large Intestine meridian runs from the
tip of the index finger (LI1) up the anterior lateral aspect
of the arm, crossing the acromioclavicular joint (LI15) to
the top of the shoulder and traveling diagonally over the
front of the neck and jaw to the corner of the nose: it
then crosses under the nose to terminate at the side of
the opposite nostril (LI20).
(Beresford-Cooke, Carola, Shiatsu: Theory and Practice,
Elsevier 2003. p 220.
Treating the Large Intestine meridian. L hand is mother hand at the wrist. R hand treats the
meridian. Set your hand down naturally where it fits. The LI meridian points straight up to the sky in
this position.
Now you can follow the transition to the other side from the yin arm meridian sequence, and repeat
yang arm techniques on the other side.