Home Articles Decongest Your Lymphatic System for Vibrant Health. Decongest Your Lymphatic System for Vibrant Health. Since the lymph does not have a mechanical pump to propel it through the body, it relies on unrestricted flow and natural muscle movement to keep flowing. One simple way to prevent restricting lymphatic flow is to.
Sotai or Sotai-hō (操体法, Sōtai-hō) is a Japanese form of muscular or movement therapy invented by Keizo Hashimoto (1897–1993), a Japanese medical doctor from Sendai. The term So-tai (操体) is actually the opposite of the Japanese word for exercise: Tai-so (体操). Dr. Hashimoto conceived Sotai as an antidote to the forceful and regimented exercises of Japan, that anyone could practice easily to restore balance and health.
Sotai is different from regular exercise because it distinguishes between balanced movements that are natural and beneficial and those that are unnatural and cause strains and physical distortions. The aim of Sotai is to help the body restore and maintain its natural balance.
Dr. Hashimoto developed a model of treatment based on restoring structural balance that is claimed to work with the breath and movements toward comfort (or away from pain). He developed Sotai Therapy from traditional East Asian medicine (acupuncture, moxibustion, bone setting (Sekkotsu), Seitai Jutsu[1]) in concert with his knowledge of modern medicine.
Sotai Therapy is intended to be a method of neuromuscular reeducation and unwinding muscular holding patterns. According practitioners, Sotai Therapy balances the nervous and muscular systems.[2] Its central principle is backtracking movement or 'reverse-motion' treatment. The idea is that structural distortions can be returned to a more normal condition by moving the body in the comfortable direction. Using the effects of an isometric contraction followed by a sudden relaxation (post-isometric relaxation) can normalise the strained condition.[3]
- 3Basic Principles of Natural Movement
- 5Therapy
Philosophy[edit]
Dr. Hashimoto held that Sotai was not just a system of exercises or a method of therapy, but that it was part of a deeper broader principle that embraced all of life. Health is the natural result of right living, and its improvement and maintenance is the responsibility of each individual. Most human beings go through life without much awareness of the essential processes of life until there is some dysfunction or disease. These essential functions are breathing, eating/drinking, moving, and thinking. These four functions are interrelated and help keep our body in balance or otherwise cause imbalance and disease.
Most imbalances begin small and barely perceptible but gradually increase to eventually produce pain, physical distortion, and organic disease. People in this modern age need to re-connect with the natural principles of life, (the interrelationship of breath, ingestion, movement, and thought) that is a unique combination for each person. Sotai is intended as a system to help re-establish a natural and effortless relationship with our environment and engender balance, health, and wellbeing.
The Sotai theory follows the guideline that stiffness or pain should be regarded as a sort of stop light: if a movement hurts, the patient should stop doing it. According to the theory, Sotai(-hō) is a guide to determine which movements are harmful and which are helpful (therapeutic).[2]
Four Functions of Life[edit]
Most human beings go through life without much awareness of the essential processes of life until there is some dysfunction or disease. These essential functions are breathing, eating/drinking, moving, and thinking. These four functions are interrelated and help keep our body in balance or otherwise cause imbalance and disease. Most imbalances begin small and barely perceptible but gradually increase to eventually produce pain, physical distortion, and organic disease. People in this modern age need to re-connect with the natural principles of life, (the interrelationship of breath, ingestion, movement, and thought) that is unique combination for each person. Sotai is a system that helps re-establish a natural and effortless relationship with our environment and engender balance, health, and wellbeing.
As to the first function breathing, essential to life, Dr. Hashimoto advised abdominal breathing. Breathing is the most vital function in our life, which cannot be interrupted for more than a few minutes. It follows that the healthier one is, the deeper one's breathing. To this end, Dr. Hashimoto advocated abdominal massage and abdominal breathing every night before going to sleep. About the second function of eating/drinking, or diet, Dr. Hashimoto advocated a simple macrobiotic diet. Nevertheless, he cautioned against being too strict about one's diet. He suggested learning which foods were most nourishing and what was best for one's own health. The most important thing in diet, Dr. Hashimo maintained, was not what or how much food was eaten, but how well the food that was eaten was chewed and digested.
Regarding the function of movement, Sotai advocates natural movement or aiming for ease and effortlessness as much as possible. The aim of Sotai is to release abnormal tension, which can eventually lead to functional and structural problems. All interventions, be they small or large, are aimed at facilitating the body's recovery of functional and structural integrity. This is accomplished not by force, but by inviting the body to relax, breathe, and move in the direction of ease. As to the last function of thinking, unique to human beings, Dr. Hashimoto regarded positive thinking to be no less essential to health than breathing. This is achieved by preeminently directing our thoughts towards those things that are pleasant, beautiful, and delightful. One need not pay any attention to depressing things and events that cannot be changed. Dr. Hashimoto said, 'Our thoughts are the steering wheel of our destiny.'
Basic Principles of Natural Movement[edit]
Among the abovementioned four functions of life, Sotai works specifically with movement and breathing. In respect to movement Dr. Hashimoto set out some basic principles of natural movement, which support balance and health (in contrast to those movements that cause strain and injury and compromise health). These basic principles of natural movement have broad implications on all types of movement.
The movement chain[edit]
According to Hashimoto the law of the reciprocal effect has not only validity within the model of the four health factors: it refers to every kind of movement. A movement never (!) takes place in one segment only.[4] It is not detached from the remaining body! It spreads out as a kind of a chain starting from one link going to the adjoining and finally over the whole body.
In Sotai it is said that the whole organism is always involved in performance. Following this idea, one could regard the birth of a local hardening as the result of a process which works in the whole organism (see: Philosophy). According to this vision, one could regard a prolapsed disc as an appearance at those places within the chain which are not permeable, where the forces are held, leading to a collapse.
Doshin (self-detection)[edit]
According to Hayashi, Sotaiho is not a curation treatment in the usual sense. Sotaiho requires the co-operation of the affected person.[5]This is meant as a sort 'listening to yourself' during the treatment. Hashimoto claims that therapists, doctors and medications cannot heal. He states that this can only be done by nature. So it is an essential part of Sotai therapy to hunt up independently false positions of the several joints and to understand them as a cause of the problem.
While Dr. Hashimoto's work has concentrated in essence upon the partner's work, it was Dr. Sato who had strongly developed the Self-Sotai.[6] From his point of view it belongs to an extensive therapy to train an affected person in self-exercises.
Practitioners claim that if the affected person has understood the Sotai idea once, he can extend it to all areas. They say that this understanding also includes the idea that there is an optimal degree of the pleasant. Too much of it is again harmful: e.g., a piece of cake may be probably tasty, however, a whole cake causes certainly stomachaches.
Meridian tendons[edit]
![Movement Movement](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126291443/841541170.jpg)
In the traditional eastern medicine (TEAM) one knows about muscular leading roads which are very similar to the course of the associated meridians. They are named 'meridian tendons'.
For didactic reasons, the 'tendon' of the gallbladder meridian is chosen: this meridian tendon runs down the outside of the body and connects the temples with the outer area of the foot. In between there are several interfaces:
- on height of the fibula's head
- at the level of the sacrum
- on height of the waist-line
- in the shoulder
- in the area of the temple.
Practitioners frequently have to work on problems within this tendon.[7] They claim that many loins complaints stand in connection with a disturbance of this chain.
According to Dr. Masunaga (founder of Zen Shiatsu), who has assigned psychological functions to the Functional Circles, the meridian of the gallbladder stands on behalf for the function of short-time decisions: 'Do I go to the right or to the left?'
In the bioenergetic concept of Alexander Lowen, it is said that emotional habits are incorporated in postural patterns. Probably Dr. Hashimoto's approach transfers this theory to the level of the movement chains: all kind of (movement) habits will be reflected within the meridian tendons. E.g., everybody knows the situation in which one could not make a proper decision, to do something somehow and, nevertheless, also again not. According to Masunaga the appropriate movement would be a kind of twist, an unclear movement which leads to one side, but also to the other side. According to Masunaga's idea, such samples will establish as strained conditions in the gallbladder's meridian tendon.
According to Kawakami[2] one could state a change of the muscle proteins at microscopic level, called 'strain'. Via neuronal feedback mechanisms the vegetative nervous system is affected, which has an influence on the metabolism of the internal organs. It is possible that through this way disturbances in the organ system could be caused.
To speak to Manakas[8] words, a correction in the software - in this case the muscle apparatus - could cause changes in the somatic condition of the related segment.[9]
Therapy[edit]
According to Hashimoto the pelvis is the centre of all movements. Goal of therapy is to synchronize movements of hands and feet with those of the pelvic girdle.
Facilitate the lower abdomen[edit]
According to Hayashi[10] with this technique an exercise is presented with which all basic treatments are started practically.Palpating the popliteal fossa one can feal hardenings of the local tendons by moving one's fingers. The technique will be executed on the more reactive side.Here the affected person should raise his forefoot and shift his weight gently towards the heel. If both sides are reactive the technique will be done on both sides. The practitioner puts on his hand lightly to strengthen the tension within the movement chain positively.After three to five seconds the affected person should relax suddenly, afterwards the exercise will be repeated three to four times.Applying this technique facilitates the connection of the center of the foot with the lower abdomen.
Right or left?[edit]
The following technique probably adjusts the tension in the diaphragm[11] and in the gall-bladder's meridian tendon[12] as well.If for example, the trunk rotation is unpleasant to the left, the affected person turns to the right, to the painless side. Starting from the place at which the movement is still pleasant the practitioner initiates the movement. Close to the end of the movement the practitioner will build up a light resistance which ends in an isometric contraction. The final point of the exercise is where the segment can be adjusted on an optimal degree. Mostly it lies exactly opposite facing the starting point.After three to five seconds the affected person should relax suddenly, afterwards the exercise will be repeated three to four times.
Notes[edit]
- ^Hashimoto (1983) about the reverse motion treatment, developed in the 1920s by Michio Takahashi (founder of Seitai Jutsu: http://yomi.mobi/egate/Seitai/a)
- ^ abcHashimoto & Kawakami, 1983
- ^According to neurophysiological knowledge, a contracted myofibril will lose its holding pattern during the post-isometric phase of movement.
- ^Hayashi in his Reader, 2nd ed., pg. 4, 2003
- ^Hayashi in his Reader, 2nd ed., pg. 30, 2003
- ^Hayashi, 2006
- ^Meridian tendons
- ^see Manakas book: Chasing the dragon's tail
- ^Kawakami claims that orthosympathical dystension is generated via muscular hypertonus (Hashimoto & Kawakami, pg. 182, German edition of Balance and health through natural movements, ch. 'Die tägliche Gesundheitspflege' (daily health hygiene) )
- ^Hayashi in his Reader, 3rd ed., pg. 35ff, 2009
- ^Alice Schaarschuch developed in the 1920s a therapy to integrate postural and respirative patterns. Her method was further developed by her student Hedi Haase in the 1970s, called 'Lösungstherapie nach Schaarschuch-Haase'. In their method there is a description of a supine rotation stretch to release tension of the diafragm. This position seems to be quite similar to the here described Sotai exercise
- ^According to Schulze this exercise releases tension of the gall-bladder's meridian tendon (http://www.physiotherapeuten.de/index.html?http://www.physiotherapeuten.de/pt/archiv/2010/pt04/a_pt_10_04_lehre03_fort-weiterbildung.html)
References[edit]
- Guimberteau, J. C. (2008). 'Die Gleitfähigkeit subkutaner Strukturen beim Menschen'. Osteopathische Medizin, Zeitschrift für Ganzheitliche Heilverfahren. Osteopathische Medizin, 08-01, Urban & Fischer. 9: 4–16. doi:10.1016/j.ostmed.2008.01.002.
- Hashimoto, Keizo (May 1981). Sotai Natural Exercise. Study Series. George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation. ISBN978-0-918860-33-0.
- Hashimoto, Keizo (November 1983). Sotai Balance and Health Through Natural Movement. Japan Publications. ISBN978-0-87040-534-1.
- Hayashi, Kenji (2009). 'Sotaiho Bewegungsübungen für die Körperbalance'. Self publishing. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- Heine, Hartmut (October 2006). Lehrbuch der biologischen Medizin. Hippokrates. ISBN978-3-8304-5335-2.
- Hoepke, Hermann; Kantner, Max (1971). Das Muskelspiel des Menschen. G. Fischer Verlag. ISBN978-3-437-10081-9.
- Manaka, Yoshio (July 1995). Chasing the dragon's tail. Redwing Books. ISBN978-0-912111-32-2.
- Myers, Thomas W. (August 2004). Anatomy Trains (German ed.). Urban & Fischer. ISBN978-3-437-56730-8.
- Thomas W. Myers (LMT.) (19 September 2001). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 280. ISBN978-0-443-06351-0. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- Onoda, Shigeru (2008). El Alma del Sotai: Fundamentos Básicos de Sotai Ho. Editorial Dilema. ISBN978-84-9827-124-9.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sotai&oldid=929889826'
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The four factors that invluence our health [1]
Sotai(ho) is a Japanese form of muscular ormovement therapy which was invented by Keizo Hashimoto, a JapaneseMedical Doctor (1897 - 1993). He developed a model of treatmentthat was based on returning natural body alignment by working withthe breath and moving toward comfort rather than adjusting towardpain. He developed his system from traditional oriental medicine(Acupuncture, bonesetting (Sekkotsu),Seitai Jutsu [2]) inconcert with his knowledge of modern medicine.
A top-down view of a skeletal muscle
Sotai is said to be a method for neuromuscularreeducation, untwisting muscular holding patterns. According totheir practitioners this balances the nervous and muscular systems[3]. Itscentral point is the backward movement or reverse motion treatment.The idea is that the wrong point of the frame could be returned bymoving the body in the comfortable direction. Using the effects ofan isometric contraction followed by a sudden relaxation (post-isometric relaxation)normalises the strained condition [4].
Contents
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Philosophy
Sotai practitioners claim that stiff structures should beregarded as a sort of stop light: if a movement hurts you shouldstop it. They claim that Sotai(ho) helps to determine where themovement is going wrong [5].
Like the acupuncturemeridians in traditionaleastern medicine, there are also muscular 'meridians' along the body [6].Landsberger and Hoepke (1936) invented the term of muscular chains('Muskelketten') [7]. Sotaiclaims that it detects the 'strains' within these chains. Accordingto its philosophy these 'strains' arise through habituatedmovements.
Moshe Feldenkrais said that a free personis able to do one action within one plot. Probably Hashimototranslated this thought into neurophysiological terms: He said thatif one puts his centre of gravity adequately over his feet the bodywill raise naturally. Hashimoto claims that people often shifttheir weight more to the outside of the foot instead of shifting ittowards the bale of the big toe. He said that our body is notcentred then, which means that the natural set reactions (Statomotorik) will notoccur properly. Additional muscular work is needed to keep the bodystraight. To speak in Feldenkrais words, body energy is not focusedon the act but is spent in keeping the trunk raised.
Theconstruction of the body
Dr. Hashimoto claimed that the organism always moves as a unityand formulated from it 'the law of the reciprocal effect'('Doji-sokan-sohosei').
According to Hashimoto the construction of the human bodyresembles in the principle that of a house. Four supporting pierscorrespond to our arms and legs, the ridge corresponds to thespinal column. If the balance one of these pillars is disturbedsensitively, this will become apparent as a malfunction in thebackbone. [8]
Thelaw of the reciprocal effect (Doji-sokan-sohosei)
a) Four factors
Dr. Hashimoto's opinion was that there are in fact four factorswhich contribute to our inside balance.
Dr. Hashimoto's opinion was that there are in fact four factorswhich contribute to our inside balance.
Respiration: A slow, quiet and deep respiration isimportant for optimization of body processes. (moving the diaphragmin consonance with respiration the circulation will be improved,particularly the fast buffer system'seffects will improve, which contributes cell metabolism byexchanging carbon dioxide with oxygen)
Nutrition: Regular, balanced nutrition is a presupposition for thedevelopment of healthy organs ('You are what you eat!')
Movement: One should always do those movements which aregood for our body, which fit to us. [9]
Thinking: Gratitude is the key to moderate thinking andpositive life attitude[10][11][12].
In the ideal case balance rules in all four points. But this israther rarely the case. So a person who moves normally can affecthis health by bad nutrition negatively. On the other hand is abalanced point, for example respiration in state to equalize aneglected area, for example the nutrition.
As long as within this system balance rules, one says, the personis healthy. Only if at least one of these pillars collapses,disease appears [13].
Nutrition: Regular, balanced nutrition is a presupposition for thedevelopment of healthy organs ('You are what you eat!')
Movement: One should always do those movements which aregood for our body, which fit to us. [9]
Thinking: Gratitude is the key to moderate thinking andpositive life attitude[10][11][12].
In the ideal case balance rules in all four points. But this israther rarely the case. So a person who moves normally can affecthis health by bad nutrition negatively. On the other hand is abalanced point, for example respiration in state to equalize aneglected area, for example the nutrition.
As long as within this system balance rules, one says, the personis healthy. Only if at least one of these pillars collapses,disease appears [13].
Environment: Also the environment affects the bodybalance, for example, by stress factors like noise or frantic. [14]
b) The movement chain
The law of the reciprocal effect has not only validitywithin the model of the four health factors: it refers in everykind of movement. A movement never (!) takes place in one segmentonly [15]. Itis not detached from the remaining body! It spreads out as a kindof a chain starting from one link going to the adjoining andfinally over the whole body.
b) The movement chain
The law of the reciprocal effect has not only validitywithin the model of the four health factors: it refers in everykind of movement. A movement never (!) takes place in one segmentonly [15]. Itis not detached from the remaining body! It spreads out as a kindof a chain starting from one link going to the adjoining andfinally over the whole body.
To repeat hir vision, the whole organism is always involved inperformance. So the birth of a local hardening is the result of aprocess which works in the whole organism (Philosophy). According to this vision one couldregard a prolapsed disc as an appearance at those places within thechain which are not permeable, where the forces are held, leadingto a collapse.
Within the Sotai system it is also well conceivable, forexample, going out from the model of the movement chain, that alsotoothaches and jaw joint syndromes find their origin in a falseload of the lumbar vertebral column!
Doshin Selfdetection
Sotaiho is no curation treatment in the usual sense. Sotaihorequires the co-operation of the affected person [16]. Thisis meant as a sort 'listening to yourself' during the treatment.Hashimoto claims that therapists, doctors and medicaments cannotheal. This can only be done by nature! So it is an essential partof the therapy to hunt up independently false positions of theseveral joints and to understand them as a cause of theproblem.
Doshin Selfdetection
Sotaiho is no curation treatment in the usual sense. Sotaihorequires the co-operation of the affected person [16]. Thisis meant as a sort 'listening to yourself' during the treatment.Hashimoto claims that therapists, doctors and medicaments cannotheal. This can only be done by nature! So it is an essential partof the therapy to hunt up independently false positions of theseveral joints and to understand them as a cause of theproblem.
While Dr. Hashimotos work has concentrated in essence upon thepartner's work, it was Dr. Sato who has strongly developed theSelf-Sotai [17]. Itis said that it belongs to an extensive therapy to train anaffected person in self-exercises.
Practitioners claim that if the affected person has understoodthe Sotai idea once, he can extend it to all areas. Thisunderstanding also includes the idea that there is an optimaldegree of the pleasant. Too much of it is again harmfully: e.g., apiece of cakes may be probably tasty, however, a whole cake causescertainly stomachaches.
Meridiantendons
In the traditional eastern medicine (TEAM) one knows aboutmuscular leading roads which are very similar to the course of theassociated meridians. They are named'meridian tendons'.
For didactic reasons the 'tendon' of the gall-bladder meridianis chosen: This meridian tendon runs down the outside side of thebody and connects the temples with the outer area of the foot. Inbetween there are several interfaces: · on height of the fibula'shead · at the level of the sacrum · on height of the waist-line ·in the shoulder · in the area of the temple
Practitioners frequently have to work on problems within thistendon[18]. Theyclaim that many loins complaints stand in connection with adisturbance of this chain.
According to Dr. Masunaga (founder of Zen Shiatsu), who has assignedpsychological functions to the Functional Circles, the gall-bladder meridianstands on behalf for the function of short-time decisions: do I goto the right or to the left?
' It is not the life event but the daily hazzles that kill aman! ' wrote the American author Charles Bukowski once. If one extendsthe bioenergetic attempt Dr. Hashimotos with the one of Dr.Masunaga, all kind of (movement) habits could be reflected withinthe meridian tendons: Everybody knows the situation in which onecouldn't make a proper decision, to do something somehow and,nevertheless, also again not. The appropriate movement is a kind oftwist, an unclear movement which leads to one side, but also to theother side. Such samples are found within pathological conditionsin the gall-blader's meridian tendon.
![Movement Movement](http://www.pattayamail.com/354/cp6.jpg)
At microscopic level one could state a change of the muscleproteins, called 'strain'. Via neuronal feedback mechanisms thevegetative nervous system is affected, which has an influence onthe metabolism of the internal organs. It is possible that throughthis way disturbances in the organ system could be caused.
To speak to Manakas[19]words, a correction in the software - in this casethe muscle apparatus - could cause changes in the somato-emotionalcondition[20].
GAGs
GAGs (Collagen III) belong to the buffer systems ofthe connective tissue. According to latest scientific research [21][22] therecould be a structural channel system on the level of theextracellular matrix spread over the hole human organism. Thischannel system is very similar to the meridian-system. It ispossible that this system links the energetical with the structuralsystem.
Notes
- ^Graph according to Dr. Hashimototos point of view, taken from http://sotai.eu
- ^Hashimoto (1983) about the reverse motion treatment, developed byMichio Takahashi in the 1920s (founder of Seitai Jutsu: http://www.traditional-japanese-acupuncture.com/acupuncture_styles/therapy3.html)
- ^Hashimoto & Kawakami, 1983
- ^According to neurophysiological knowledge one knows that acontracted Myofibril (akind of muscleprotein) will lose its holding pattern during thepostisometric phase.
- ^Hashimoto & Kawakami, 1983
- ^Myers, 2004, described anatomical trains which are very similar tothe meridian tendons in TEAM (traditional eastern medicine)
- ^Landsberger, Hoepke, 1936
- ^Hashimoto, 1981
- ^Hashimoto, 1981
- ^see TempuNakamura and his point of view about neurophysiological effectsin consonance with life attitude
- ^Hashimoto, 1981
- ^Hayashi in his Reader, 2nd ed., pg. 27, 2003
- ^Hashimoto & Kawakami, 1983
- ^Selye, 1936 - HansSelye
- ^Hayashi in his Reader, 2nd ed., pg. 4, 2003
- ^Hayashi in his Reader, 2nd ed., pg. 30, 2003
- ^Hayashi, 2006
- ^Meridian tendons
- ^see Manakas book: Chasing the dragon's tail
- ^Kawakami claims that orthosympathical dystension is generated viamuscular hypertonus (Hashimoto & Kawakami, pg. 182, Germanedition of Balance and health through natural movements, ch. 'Dietägliche Gesundheitspflege' (daily health hygiene) )
- ^Guimberteau, 2004
- ^Heine, 2007