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This is a Japanese word referring to the energy center found in the abdomen. The Hara is a fundamental core concept of the Chinese and Japanese traditions, and it contains more than the organs found within; this is the seat of the Soul and center of our being, by every definition. It has been used as a diagnostic tool for millennia. Our life energy (Qi) flows in channels called Meridians but the Hara is thought of as a central starting point for the channels. Energy radiates outward from the Hara, like a light; and we nurture that flow with the application of the Supine segment of a Shiatsu treatment. According to TCM theory, the Meridians reflect the state of the body's health, specific to each major internal organ. The Hara contains an assessment site for each of the 12 meridians. Each spot is directly related to a Meridian and its associated organ, and is used for treatment and assessment simulaneously. |
For a thorough, brilliant discussion of the Hara, told eloquently, see the textbook Hara Diagnosis: Reflections on the Sea, by Kiiko Matusmoto and Stephen Birch. |
And of
course, The Hara is also used as a whole in addition to assessing the
individual meridians.
When the Hara is balanced, resilient, centered and grounded, so is the person; and that means much more than the homeostasis of good physical health. |
