Domestic Seitai

Katsugen Undō

In the body there is an involuntary activity with which we have no direct contact such as the pulse or digestion for example. Another body activity may be said to be semi-involuntary, one that we cannot bring about but that we can stop or modify; for example, we can’t deliberately sneeze but we can exaggerate or hold back this movement when it comes.

All of these movements, specific to each person and each moment, are of value to our health because they produce constant adjustments to the body’s external and internal environment. Sadly, they become the target of education, manners and prejudices, which often prevent them from doing their job.

The practice of Katsugen undō is a dedicated time during which we suspend all will and give way to this semi-involontary activity in its simplest expression.

Yukihō

Yukihō refers to the practice of yuki, which is based on the sensitivity of our hands, which are able to “echo” the living body, our own or that of others. This practice is without knowledge, without skill and with no goal”, in the same way as katsugen undō. Thus in yuki we are not seeking to treat people, we are not based on beliefs or interpretations or on manual skills. We improve little by little our sensitivity and our particular savoir-faire through exercise and exchange.

Katsugen undō and yukihō, which were brought in France by Itsuo Tsuda from 1970 on, are part of Noguchi seitai. I became familar with these practices in 2003 through Andréine Bel, and also her health approach, seitai domestique, introduced in her book The Tuned Body (a cooperative English translation is in progress).