About Nishi System
The Nishi System is a methodology for the maintenance and
recovery of good health that was first introduced in 1927 by Katsuzo Nishi, who
at the time was the chief technical engineer for Japan’s first subway project,
the Tokyo subway.
From childhood Nishi was weak of constitution, and
realizing that the medical science of the day could not cure his ailments, he
independently undertook in his late teens the study and practice of what would
amount to some 360 types of folk cures and health methods, both ancient and
contemporary, Oriental and Occidental. Adding to these his own theories about
the dynamics of the human body based on the mechanical science he studied in
his own specialty, civil engineering, he established the Nishi-shiki Health
Method.
What is all about?
Nishi system theories are characterized by the idea that,
while the human bone structure and positioning of the internal organs are
basically the same as those evolved for the mammalian species that ambulate on
four legs, human being have adopted a different upright two-legged life style. This
dissonance causes certain structural strains on the human bone structure,
resulting in problems like obstruction of the flow of food through the
intestines (constipation) due to the unnatural (vertical) positioning of the
organs. Nishi developed efficient approaches to compensate for these structural
defects through exercises such as the goldfish (movement) style spinal column
rectification exercise and the Nishi-shiki health fortifying technique (lateral
vibration exercise known as the “Haifuku Undo”).
Furthermore, based on the structure of the human network
of arteries and veins, Nishi refuted the heart-driven blood circulation theory
of William Harvey, proposing instead a theory that the capillaries provided the
true driving force of the circulatory system. And, in order to compensate for
the obstruction of circulation in the four limbs resulting from the human
species’ vertical posture, he proposed the Capillary Action- Inducing exercise
(Mokan Undo), which involves lying on the back, raising the arms and legs and
applying a slight vibrating motion.
Besides these exercises, Nishi also recommended using hard,
half –cylinder pillow, to keep the cerebral vertebrae in the ideal position, and
a flat sleeping platform (flat board) designed to do the same for the vertebrae
of the spinal column. He also recommended the use for a hand (touch) healing
method equivalent to what is known today as the Chinese “kiko” method using the
flat of the hand.
So, to correct disturbances in body and mind and assure a
good health is the purpose of the Six Rules of Nishi medicine: 1) Flat bed, 2)
Solid pillow, 3) Goldfish exercise, 4) Capillary exercise, 5) Palm and sole
joining exercise and manual contact cure, 6) Dorso ventral exercise.
While practicing Nichi System is helpful in any age, the accumulated
internal damages over the lifetime make its use for the aging organism the mere
necessity.
1. Flat Bed
(Kochin)
The bed on which you lie should be flat and hard as much
as possible and the coverlet should be light without your having to fell cold.
You must try to lie flat on this bed.
When you lie on a hard-leveled bed:
* Your body weight is distributed equally.
* The muscles are given the maximum relaxation.
* Any subluxation or deflexure of the spine caused by the
upright posture during the daytime is easily corrected.
* Bed secures the functional activities of the skin and
prevents the liver from becoming sluggish.
* Bed stimulates the proper blood circulation. This leads
to the better liver functioning, so all the waste will be easier removed from
the body.
* The intestines will be secured against constipation or
stasis.
* You get a good sleep proper rest.
2. Solid Pillow
(Heisho)
When using the solid pillow you should lie flat and place
the neck on the pillow so that the third or fourth cervical vertebra rest
properly on it.
3. Goldfish Exercise
(Kingyo Undo)
* Lie straight on hard floor on your back.
* Stretch your body as hard as possible, releasing all
muscle tension.
* Bend your toes back toward your face, creating the
tension.
* Place your clasped hands under the neck, crossing them
against the fourth or the fifth cervical vertebra.
* In this position, oscillate the whole body just as a
swimming goldfish does. Move your feet left and right and your head as well,
trying to keep your shoulders and hips at the same position. Alternatively, if
that does not work for you, you may shake your hips left and right, while
pulling toes hard towards the head. In both approaches, you will look more or
less as a goldfish in the water.
* Repeat the exercise for a minute or two, twice a day:
in the morning and in the evening.
This exercise has multiple health benefits, helping with scoliosis,
adjusting any deviated vertebra, relieving undue strains and injuries,
associated with the spinal nerves. It helps to improve blood circulation and
restore proper functionality of the internal organs.
4. Capillarity Exercise
(Mokan Undo)
* Lie on your back on a hard floor.
* Raise the head slightly by placing a pillow or cushion.
* Rise your arms and legs.
* Stretch them as straight as possible, keeping the soles
of the feet parallel to the floor.
* Shake your arms and legs for about 1min.
* Repeat the exercise for a minute or two, twice a day:
in the morning and in the evening.
This exercise will help to normalize the state of capillaries
and veins in the body, and stimulate the blood flow, promoting the
extraordinary body cleansing.
5. Palm and sole
joining exercise (Gassyo-Gasseki)
* Lie flat on the back on a hard surface, holding both
arms over the breast
* Assure both your hands fingertips are pressed together.
* Press and relax them several times.
* Move the hands forward and backward several times, with
the fingertips and palms still tightly pressed together.
* Reposition both palms over the breast, completing the
first phase of this exercise.
* Starting the second portion of this exercise, continue keeping
the body lie flat on the back.
* Stretch both legs, with bent knees.
* Joining soles, move the legs forward and backward for ten
times within a distance of about one and half times the leg’s length.
* With connected both palms and soles, stay in this
position for five or ten minutes.
* As done, get a rest for 2 minutes, before you get up.
This exercise is extremely beneficial for your health,
because of the efficient stimulation of the body components coordination. In
particular, it is useful for the proper functioning of the muscles, nerves, and
blood vessels around pelvis, abdomen, and thighs.
6. Dorso ventral (Hifuku
Undo)
The practice consists of 11 preparatory exercises (each
one takes just one minute) and a main exercise:
1. Move the shoulders up and down, helping to release
tension.
2. Bend the head rightward to strain the left side of the
neck to stimulate the pumping action of the thoracic duct.
3. Bend the head leftward to stimulating the jugular vein
and lymphatic gland in the right neck.
4. Bend the head forward.
5. Bend the head backward.
6. Turn the head right backward:
7. Turn the head left backward:
The exercises from #1 to #7 should be repeated 10 times
each.
8. Stretch out both arms horizontally and turn the head
right and left one time.
9. Raise up both arms in parallel, palm to palm, and turn
the head right once and left once.
10. Pull down both upheld arms on the level of shoulders,
bending each arm at the elbow, forming firm fists.
11. Draw as far backward as possible, both arms as in the
same position of #10 exercise, and turn the head backwards with the chin
stretched upwards as far as possible.
Viewed as a whole, these exercises first release the
trapezius muscles then stimulate the vagrant nerves in such a manner as to
antagonize with sympathetic nerves. Upon completion of the preparatory
exercises, you must release yourselves by opening the palms and placing them
lengthwise upon the laps, before passing into the dorso- ventral exercise.
The Main exercise: Putting the pivotal point of the
coccyx (a small triangular bone at the base of the spinal column) and keeping
the trunk (from the coccyx to the top of the head) as straight as possible,
swing it laterally as if it were a stick. The ventral movement, which is done
as follows, should accompany this swinging movement: each time the backbone is
inclined to the right or to the left; the lower abdomen should be pushed
outward. In other words, there are two ventral movements for one swing (a pair
of right and left inclinations) of the backbone. The exercise is done
independently from the rhythm of respiration.
This exercise should be practiced rot ten minutes, every
morning and evening. Its standard speed is 50-55 swings per minutes, which
amounts roughly to 500 swings in ten minutes. Move and speed up the exercise in
moderation. It should take, probably, at least three months to reach the target
speed.
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