Do-in Exercises

Practice these exercises daily to maintain suppleness, strength, and optimum sensitivity in your hands and feet. They can be practised at any time, but you should take care to work on the left and right sides equally. Even if you do not perform shiatsu every day, you will feel the benefit of these exercises in every manual task you undertake. Start by shaking out your hands to loosen any unconscious tension.

1 Hold your big toe and rotate it around its knuckle while exerting a gentle pull. Do this in both directions and repeat for each toe on both feet.

2 Pull each toe backwards so that you feel a gentle stretch in the underside of the foot. Hold the stretch for a few moments, breathing steadily.


3 Use a loosely clenched fist to tap firmly all over the sole of each foot. Enjoy the energizing, tingling feeling in your feet when you stop tapping.


Moving ki from wrist to fingertip:
4 Grip one hand just below the wrist with the other. On an out breath, squeeze and pull downwards from the wrist to the fingertips. Repeat several times on each hand.

Wrist-flexing
5 Place your palms together in front of your chest. Press your hands inwards and downwards until you feel a stretch in the heel of your hand. Then turn our hands so the fingers are pointing downward and press inward and upwards until you feel the stretch.

Widening the finger span
6 Insert the closed fist of one hand into the space between each of your fingers on the other hand, pressing in until you feel a stretch. Do this for both hands.

(Excepts from Secrets of Shiatsu by Cathy Meeus)