Sotai (corrective exercises)

Sotai is a Japanese method of kinesitherapy, developed by doctor Keizo Hashimoto in the 1950s.

In sotai it is believed that the wrong move or the wrong posture creates tension and tightness resulting in injury and inflammation of tissues. What is special about these corrective exercises, is that they do not focus on the directly affected areas, but they emphasize on the practice of the healthy side of the body.

So, sotai focuses on the movements that you can make and not the ones that you find it hard to. Basically it is isotonic contraction of antagonist-protagonist muscles and their stretching.

Finally, correct breathing is very important during this treatment, as it contributes to the restoration of the smooth movements of the body in a gentle and painless way.

In the west, sotai, is used in conjunction with acupuncture, shiatsu or physiotherapy.