Balancing Breath & Movement for Stress Relief
Sotaiho coordinates breath and resisted movement.
I like to think of Sotai as assisted Qigong. Sotai's method is that of moving away from pain and toward balance. The treatment is a fantastic way to relieve many forms of stress. Structural and Emotional imbalances are addressed.
Life incorporates stresses on each of us.
Among them are:
Sotai is the Manual Medicine that Keizo Hashimoto, M.D. (1897 – 1993) developed. He applied classical Oriental medical healing arts with modern medical knowledge. The treatment of Sotai is to move AWAY from pain. If it hurts to move to the left, move to the right. When the Sotai treatment is completed, the patient feels as though he/she has received a combination of massage, chiropractic adjustment, and acupuncture, all rolled into one treatment. It is THAT complete.
The Sotai treatment basically hits the reset button. The treatment itself takes a little under an hour and works each and every meridian in the body. Fewer needles are required, and the balance achieved is remarkable and long-lasting. Energy seems to flow smoothly, and the mind feels at ease. My teacher/mentor is Peter Guy Thompson, who learned this form of healing directly from Dr. Hashimoto in Japan and has brought it to America. Peter has built a systematic form to these moves and has worked with me to make them my own.
The four pillars of Sotai are:
Breath: Breathe Slowly
Food: The only line I remember from an old B'way play whose name I forgot was "TAKE HUMAN BITES !!"
Movement: Move with purpose. Take the middle path, and stay in balance.
Thoughts: Be Mindful and have a generous manner in thought and action.
Acupuncture and Sotai
The effects of acupuncture, when combined with Sotai, become greatly magnified.
I believe that the reasons are twofold.
- The meridians are opened, and energy/qi is free-flowing.
- The intentional interaction of the patient's energies, focuses on healing.
Sotai coordinates the actions of breath and conscious movement away from pain. This works on both the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. In effect, the action balances the body, unwinds the muscles, and removes stagnation in the cardiovascular and nervous systems, which will help with digestion and absorption. Likewise, the body is in a more receptive mode to deal with thought-to-action mechanics. Hence, the nickname I gave it was the "RESET BUTTON" for the body. In my practice, I also add in a cranial sacral treatment. The use of acupuncture needles during the treatment of Sotai is reduced due to the completeness of the Sotai treatment. Other modalities may be employed during treatment, such as Cold Laser, Electric Stimulation, Ion cords, and Diode chains.