Seitai: The Culture Of Harmony And Health
Seitai is movement, bodily harmony and health. It is a practice with roots in traditional Japanese culture created by therapist Haruchika Noguchi. Seitai is above all the art of spontaneous movement. It is able to regenerate us, relieve tension and give us amazing energy.
You may have never heard the word “seitai” before. Maybe you think it’s like yoga, taichi or mindfulness. In fact, seitai is not in the same family as these other exercises. It is not a discipline where movements are carefully planned, or where there are different strategies with their own therapeutic goals.
It is not a therapy, meditation technique nor spiritual discipline. In reality, it is something much better, and perhaps more ambitious. Seitai is a culture that orients us towards a simpler existence where we can return to intense confidence in life and improve our physical and mental health.
Seitai, or the meaning of healthy movement
Movement is life, we all know this. But sometimes we get confused. Sometimes we make other movements that actually impair harmony and health, our inner balance and our well-being.
In Alice in Wonderland , for example, there is a metaphor that fits perfectly with our current society. When Alice arrives in the kingdom of the Red Queen, she discovers that the inhabitants are forced to run to stay in the same place. If they want to go somewhere new, they have to run “even faster”.
That’s exactly what we do too. We run faster every day because every day the world demands more of us. This type of movement goes towards our own body. Sometimes the mind goes faster than your life, and your body slower than you want it to be. We get rusty because tension and stress grip us. Pain appears, then fatigue, and we do not know how much longer we can last…
Society conditions us, that’s something we know. Seitai reminds us of that. From there , it suggests that we are doing another form of movement, a regenerative, life-giving, spontaneous movement where every part of us (the physical, the mental and the energy in us) returns in harmony and health.
Benefits of seitai
As I said, seitai is a type of culture. Katsugen Undo is a fundamental part of it and invites us to do something we are not used to: to move freely and in accordance with our needs.
When someone enters a Katsugen Undo class for the first time, they will see that everyone moves as they want, stretches, dances with their eyes closed, lies on the floor… This gives you an idea of how cleansing this type of exercise can be. The benefits are remarkable. It may:
- Relieve and prevent back pain. These movements help straighten your spine and make it more flexible.
- Release your worries and tensions. It reduces stress and helps you cope better in your daily life.
- Arouse positive emotions in you. You feel more animated, free and open to experiences.
- Improve your self-esteem
- Improve your digestive system and immune system.
Seitai, freedom of movement for harmony and health
In seitai, we express ourselves in our own way and move as we please. In addition , there is one special thing we should note: Katsugen Undo emphasizes the spine.
These movements are free, but we should make sure that everything is in harmony so that the spine is safe. To do this, use breathing techniques. Let’s look at some basic movements:
- Look up and stand on your toes. Relax and take a deep breath.
- Move your shoulders forward for a few seconds, then move them back to where they were. Repeat this movement while walking slowly.
- Move your waist from left to right and keep your spine straight. Follow this movement with your arms.
- Move your abdomen and pelvis and exercise this area slowly, without forcing anything. Work to increase flexibility, freedom of movement and strength.
Listen to your body, trust it and let it guide harmony in your movements.
