The late Chris Jarmey, MCSP DS MRSS, qualified as a chartered physiotherapist in 1979 and subsequently taught body mechanics, bodywork therapy, and anatomy extensively throughout Europe for over 30 years.

At the age of 11, Jarmey (1954–2008) suffered a serious cliff fall that damaged his pelvis and thoracic spine and left him with a great deal of ongoing pain and movement problems. By 18, he had begun using yoga and Qigong in his quest for healing—and successfully corrected the problem. From that moment his passion for Asian healing practices blossomed.

Jarmey blended his love of Eastern methods with Western approaches and qualified as a registered physiotherapist in the United Kingdom in 1978, researching and evaluating the healing effects of yoga, shiatsu, and Qigong within NHS hospitals and medical rehabilitation centers. He founded The European Shiatsu School in 1985 and is the author of several best-selling books, including The Concise Book of Muscles and The Pocket Atlas of Skeletal Muscles.