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Acupressure

A form of body work which, as the name implies, is based in acupuncture. Acupuncturists apply pressure to the designated points on the body with the hand rather than using needles. A popular practice in Japan, it was severely restricted by laws against massage in the nineteenth century. That law was repealed in 1955. As acupressure revived, it found a receptive audience in the West. Acupressure is similar to but distinct from other body techniques like do-in and shiatsu. For further information, contact the Acupressure Institute, 1533 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709.

In the 1970s, Michael Reed Gach developed a variation on acupressure that he termed acu-yoga. It combines acupressure with hatha yoga. Individuals are taught to apply pressure on the points while assuming various yoga positions.