Tried and tested... the shiatsu of the belly by Maison Suisen

What is shiastu?

In this Japanese spa, inspired by Sandra's holistic vision of well-being, we practice shiatsu, a thousand-year-old tradition that combines a moment of well-being with numerous health benefits (both physical and mental). Each treatment at Maison Suisen is personalized and adapted to the season, carefully crafted to adapt this true manual medicine to our current needs and modern lifestyles.

Among the different treatments offered, there is "Wa" (harmony), a traditional shiatsu, "Jaku" (tranquility), a shiatsu with aromatic oil, "Sei" (purity), a youthful facial, "Kei", dedicated to the firming of the figure and finally, the "Fuku" (happiness) treatment, focusing on the well-being of the stomach and internal organs. And it is this one that I tested. Center of the intuitive life and often receptacle of stress and all tensions, the belly reflects our inner state. And because it is the center of the body and energy, this treatment allows the body to free itself from its bad vibrations, improving digestive comfort, relieving tensions caused by stressIt is a way to restore overall vitality and harmony between body and mind.

My experience…

After answering a few questions from Sandra, a Japanese practitioner opens the movable cedar partitions and I discover these walls lined with washi paper. I follow her up a small staircase and go upstairs to discover the warm atmosphere of my treatment room. The air is peaceful and I feel like I'm in a cocoon, wrapped in this linen, on this massage table. The practitioner begins by placing a warm flaxseed cushion on my belly, and while on my belly, and as it relaxes with the reassuring warmth of the cushion, she proceeds to a head and neck massage. Once this massage is over, I begin my belly shiatsu.

I am already in meditation and I quickly let myself be carried away by the sensations, without ever opposing them. Focusing on the solar plexus and hara region (which contains many vital organs and our digestive and reproductive functions), to the rhythm of my deepest breaths in and out, the pressures, effleurages and vibrations follow one another. This incredible practitioner untangles my intestines and frees the knots of energy that stagnate in my belly. And, as expected, I gradually feel that she is freeing me from emotions and tensions accumulated here and there.

I wish I could find the right words to describe this experience, but I feel like I could never really do justice to this hour of care that overwhelmed me. In this very particular and tormented period, this treatment is by far the most beautiful gift I could have given myself.