Traditional Chinese Medicine for Shiatsu Practitioners and Other Complementary Health Therapists

One of the greatest challenges for Shiatsu practitioners (but not only) is learning how to apply Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in a practical and concrete way in their treatment. Knowing about Yin and Yang, the Five Phases (elements), and a few acupoints is clearly not enough to meet the immense challenge posed by the practice. In reality, basic training is largely insufficient. Many additional theoretical and practical tools are needed.

TCM is organized in a very logical way, but it is much more extensive than what we know about it. Furthermore, if you know how to make a diagnosis and identify a Chinese pattern of disease, you’ll come across a list of points that are easy to find in reference books. But we’re not acupuncturists! While the principles are the same, the practice is completely different. And switching from static needles to using your fingers for an hour or more is VERY different.

Let’s get this out of the way straight away,this training program is also open to therapists in complementary health care who are not beginners (see prerequisites) and who wish to deepen their understanding and application of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Training Objectives

The goal of this 22-sessions live online course is to enable you to:

• to learn about the many theoretical frameworks of TCM that you are missing
• to learn its logical structure
• to learn new meridians and useful point families from the standard TCM curriculum
• to improve your diagnostic skills (which you’ll practice during the workshops)
• to be able to develop and create a therapeutic Shiatsu treatment plan
• And above all, to KNOW HOW TO TRANSITION FROM TCM TO THERAPEUTIC SHIATSU

Prerequisites

• Already hold a degree in your field (Shiatsu, Tuina, Anpuku, Qineizang, Qigong, Physical Therapist, Osteopath, Naturopath, Massage Therapist, Sophrologist, Integrative Physician, Nurse, Coach, Meditation Practitioner, Martial Arts Practitioner, etc.)
• Already be familiar with the 12 meridians, the Zang-Fu (organs), and their functions
• Understand the families of Yuan (Source), Mu (Alarm, on the abdomen), and Bei Shu (Transport, on the back) points
• The principles of Yin and Yang, the Wuxing (the Five Elements and its table of correspondences)
• Have a basic understanding of palpatory anatomy

Online Course Instructor

Ivan Bel, an international instructor, author of “The Spirit of Shiatsu“, and founder of Ryoho Shiatsu, has come to this conclusion: more and more people want to learn a clearer, more precise form of Shiatsu and, above all, to be able to use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to provide targeted, specialized treatments that address the specific ailments, imbalances, and conditions that concern their clients. In response to the growing demand worldwide, he decided to develop this unique training program, consisting of 22 two-hour sessions. While this may seem brief, for students and practitioners, the goal is not to provide extensive training in TCM (there are already excellent programs for that), but to offer the tools to think more deeply and transform a series of points from a Chinese pathological chart into a therapeutic Shiatsu treatment.

Drawing on 16 years of training experience—with an average of 450 participants in his workshops each year—as well as 26 years of practical experience in private practice and 25,000 hours of treatment, Ivan Bel will help you organize your thinking, your practice, and your knowledge so you can transition from family or holistic Shiatsu to therapeutic-level Shiatsu.

Note: This training course is in no way a substitute for comprehensive training at a specialized school, which remains an essential foundation provided it is recognized by a national federation or organization.

Program

1. Introduction to Chinese Medical Classics
2. In-Depth Study of the Triple Burner (San Jiao) + Global Mechanics of Qi
3. The Three Treasures (San Bao)
4. The Triptych: Earth-Human-Heaven
5. The Four Directions, Seasons, and Movements
6. The 5 Movements and Their 4 Cycles
7. The 6 Layers of Qi
8. The 5 Excesses, the 6 Extremes, and the 7 Injuries
9. Diagnosis: observation + palpation
10. Assessment: questionnaire + personal impressions
11. Communication Meridians (Luo Jing)
12. The Marvelous Vessels (Qi Jing Ba Mai) and Their Roles
13. Point families: emergency (Xi),
14. Communication (Luo) + Rules for Use
15. Lower Sea (Xia He) + Windows of Heaven (Tian You),
16. intersection points of the 8 VM (Bā Mài Jiāo Huì Xué) + regional master points (Sì zǒng xué)
17. Point Family: The Five Ancient Shu (Wu Shu Xue),
18. Causes of the Disease + Symptoms and Pathogenic Factors
19. The 8 Principles of Eastern Diagnosis + The Principles and Rules of Treatment
20. Distal Points vs. Local Points + Rules for Pairing Points
21. How to Develop a Therapeutic Shiatsu Treatment Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine
22. Training: Practical Case Studies

Disclaimer: it is important to understand that this course provides the keys to intellectual understanding, but that none of these topics can be fully explored in just two hours. Specific, practical training on each of these points will be necessary for those who wish to become true professionals, in order to internalise them, understand them deeply and experience them from within. Hence the value of face-to-face workshops.

Practical Details

• 2-hour live class on Zoom: You’ll receive the link to join the class once payment is complete
• Replay: Each class will have a private YouTube link available for those who can’t attend online
• Tools: Install Zoom for free on Your PC or Smartphone
• When: Tuesday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This time slot was deliberately chosen so that we can start the week with training and apply what we learn immediately throughout the week, allowing us to put it into practice rather than letting it remain merely theoretical knowledge.
• Dates 2026: September 22 & 29 – October 6 & 27 – November 2 & 10 – December 1, 8 & 15
• Dates 2027: Feb. 2, 16 & 23 – Mar. 2, 9 & 16 – Apr. 13 & 20 – May 4, 11 & 19 – June 1 & 7
• Price: Early bird €550 before September 1, 2026. Full price €650
• Online payment: €250 deposit. You can then pay the balance in 1 or 2 installments.
• Recommendation: For those involved in diagnostics, it is recommended that you attend the training session on November 14 and 15, 2026, in Khel/Strasbourg (in French). To practise the 6-layer technique, attend the workshop on this topic on 5 and 6 December 2026 in Paris (in French)
• Refund Policy: Cancellation and refunds are permitted up to 1 month before the first day of class (through August 21, 2026). No refunds will be issued after that date.

We look forward to seeing many of you at this exceptional online training course.

• About
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Ivan Bel

Ivan Bel was born in 1971 and grew up in France on the Atlantic Ocean. A sailing enthusiast, he discovered Japanese martial arts at the age of 13 and continues to do so today. After studying journalism and Chinese at the Oriental Languages School, he travelled for many years to all the countries of Asia and directed the first online magazine on Aikido: "Aïkidoka Magazine". At the age of 28, he discovered Shiatsu, a passion that would never leave him. He set up several schools in Belgium, founded the blog Ryoho Shiatsu and the NGO Missions Shiatsu Humanitaire. He finally moved to Malawi in Bosnia and finally in Italy. He teaches all over the world and continues his journalistic work on Shiatsu and conducts historical research through the group "History of Shiatsu".

Latest posts by Ivan Bel (see all)

• Traditional Chinese Medicine for Shiatsu Practitioners and Other Complementary Health Therapists - 19 July 2026
• Zagreb: Abdominal massage Chinese (qineizang) and Japanese (anpuku) traditions – March, 19th-21st, 2027 with two specialists - 16 July 2026
• Italy: Between Heaven and Earth – An Immersion in Shiatsu and Taoist Philosophy, with Ivan Bel, June 9–13, 2027 - 16 July 2026
• Neck and stiffness in Shiatsu - 26 June 2026
• Poland: Anpuku & Qineizang in Warsaw -11-13th of September 26 - 22 April 2026
• Switzerland: Workshop for all levels on the principles and concepts of Shiatsu – October 16–18, 2026 - 10 December 2025