Shiatsu is a finger pressure method based on the Oriental concept that the body has a series of energy (tsubo) points. When pressure is properly applied to these points, circulation improved and nerves are stimulated. The system is said to improve body metabolism and relieve a number of physical disorders.

Yin and Yang is essential in learning about shiatsu: it forms the basis for all diagnosis and treatment. Alone, they have no meaning: they cannot be separated either from each other or from existence itself. Yin and Yang are in constant but ever-changing interplay. Ki means "energy". In Oriental medicine, harmony of Ki within the human body is conceived as being essential to health. It is distributed throughout the body by an intricate web of subtle Channels. Twelve "primary Channels" connect the organs and flow near the surface in pathways on the sides of the head and trunk and along the limbs. The full name for each Channel is derived from the Organ to which it is connected, the limb along which it runs, the time of its activity, its position on the arm or leg and it polarity (Yin or Yang).