What is Koshi Balancing / Sotai?

 

Koshi Balancing is the culmination of Jeffrey's years spent studying with masters of acupuncture, teishin, bodywork, movement arts, and the martial arts.

 

Bob's work in Yin Sotai should be seen as an evolution of Dr. Keizo Hashimoto's Sotai-ho in an even gentler direction.

 

This workshop is designed for students and novice and experienced practitioners; no experience in Traditional Japanese Medicine is necessary. Our focus throughout will be on practical skill development with a focus on the teishin. As such, it is appropriate for non-acupuncturists too.

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Additional Resources Located Here...

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Brief Overview of Seminar...

In this course Jeffrey Dann, PhD, RAc and Bob Quinn, DAOM, LAc explore the fascinating overlap and mutual enrichment between the treatment styles they have pioneered, Koshi Balancing and Yin Sotai. Koshi Balancing is culmination of 

Jeffrey's years spent studying with masters of acupuncture and teishin, bodywork, movement arts, and martial arts. It is a style that is highly palpatory and can be practiced with acupuncture needles or non-insertive tools, like the teishin. Koshi Balancing, as originally conceived, has a key role for a few important Sotai movements.

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Bob's work in Yin Sotai should be seen as an evolution of Dr. Keizo Hashimoto's Sotai-ho in an even gentler direction. Sotai is an indirect style of movement-bodywork that is often referred to as a system of neuromuscular reeducation. What Bob has done in Yin Sotai is ask himself two questions: What happens in Sotai if the patient's level of muscular effort in the movements and the weight of the practitioner's touch in the assessments are significantly reduced, and what changes when the movements become more sophisticated, involving always two or more joints that engage both sides of the body? The result of his investigations is called Yin Sotai.

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This course will be taught with a focus on the teishin and manual techniques. As such, it is appropriate for non-acupuncturists. PTs. DCs, LMTs, and shiatsu therapists are all welcome. Acupuncturists after the course will understand how needles can be used instead of the teishin, but in the course no needling will be taught. Participants are encouraged to have someone on hand that they can practice on as a model, so that the learning can immediately come alive. 

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In this second part in the series, we will explore the upper realms, covering prone positions, the upper body, cervical and cranial treatment approaches. 

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Day one...

Introduces Koshi Balancing assessments for the pelvis with both Sotai and Teishin techniques. Moving upward in the supine position, the class focuses on abdominal teishin work and a special attention to palpating and understanding techniques for digestive sphincters and introduces the osteopathaoic technique of Viscoelasticity for Liver Qi Stagnation.

 

Day Two... 

As we move further up the body, we explore techniques for shoulder alignment and thoracic-cervical alignment with particular emphasis on the first rib as well as for C-1 occipital zone. We will discuss and explore the neural pathways of the vagus nerve and its association with cranial nerves. The 11th accessory nerve is explored for its relationship with the Sternocleidomastoid and mid trapezius muscles. A key emphasis is on teishin techniques for regulating vagal tone will be explored and practiced.

  

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At the completion of this seminar, participants will emerge with:​

• An understanding of the principles of Koshi Balancing, Sotai, Yin Sotai, and Teishin work

• An ability to perform Koshi Balancing moves in the prone position; Sacroiliac, lumbar-pelvic and Thoraco-lumbar alignments

• A knowledge of Koshi Balancing techniques for Shoulder and Cervical alignment

• Teishin techniques for unwinding fascial restrictions (e.g. abdominal, paraspinal, SCM and scalenes)

• An understanding of how to assess 4 key sphincters; KI-21/22 (LES); CV-12 (Pyloric); ST-23 (Oddi); ST-27 (Iliocecal Valve)

• A knowledge of facial and scalp Teishin techniques for increasing vagal tone

  

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