The Equine Shiatsu Association (tESA) was formed in 2002 to promote the benefits of Shiatsu to the equine world. As a professional body, tESA supports its practitioners, promotes high standards and maintains a register of qualified members across Europe. It also recognises training schools which adhere to these high standards. Equine Shiatsu combines the wisdom of Traditional Oriental Medicine with modern understanding of how the body functions. It is a powerful, non-invasive bodywork designed to work with the horse allowing them to release tension, improve flexibility, support the nervous system and thus restore physical and emotional balance. This is achieved through gentle rotations, stretches and pressure applied with palms and fingers along the channels known as meridians. In Oriental Medicine terms, this facilitates the free flow of energy, otherwise called Chi in Chinese and Ki in Japanese. By rebalancing the flow of Ki, a practitioner is able to identify the root cause of the imbalance and not just the resulting symptoms. In other words, we are looking for the source of any issues and not the effects. Relating to Western Medicine terms, it is widely agreed that meridians correspond to myofascial lines and other fascial structures. Fascia covers all parts of the body (such as organs, bones, muscles etc) and connects the entire body, including the skin which accounts for why Shiatsu is able to address so many different issues. Fascia is piezoelectric which means that when touched it sets up an electrical charge that moves along the body until it meets an obstacle such as a tight muscle, a stiff joint or a malfunctioning organ. An Equine Shiatsu practitioner aims to release the blockage and restore free flow to allow good health. Many of our members are also human trained and so can address rider problems too and some of them are also qualified in canine Shiatsu. Please come for a chat to discover more about Shiatsu and how you can find a practitioner for your horse, dog or yourself or even how to learn something more to help your own horse or indeed, many horses if trained to professional level.