Sotai is a Japanese therapy used to correct imbalances in posture and ease muscle tension, pain, and headaches. This movement therapy is a gentle realignment of muscles and balance, based on the principle that over time, muscles can become twisted into unnatural, uncomfortable positions. Sotai works to move body parts in a comfortable direction, retraining the muscles into proper balance. Sotai therapy focuses on the neuromuscular structure of the body, eliminating stiffness and postural misalignment, thus opening up the energy pathways of the body and relieving disorders of internal organs affected by structural imbalance. Once the areas of stiffness and pain are identified by Oriental Medicine Practitioner, the practitioner works with patients to design a stretching exercise program to lengthen the muscles. There are two ways to stretch and heal the muscles.
Post-isometric relaxation is a technique of stretching or relaxing a muscle to its normal resting length, after the muscle has been worked. Reciprocal inhibition is used to relax a muscle that causes chronic pain, by tensing the opposing muscle; for example, a patient may stretch a sore bicep by flexing the opposing tricep. Sotai’s gentle movements and emphasis on comfortable alignment make it a suitable therapy even for people with severe, chronic conditions.
