Seymour Koblin (born October 31, 1953) is a holistic health practitioner, educator, author and composer. He is the creator of three trademarked complementary health methods, Zen-Touch™  Shiatsu, Zen-Tone™ and Nutri-Journey™, and the founder and director of the School of Healing Arts and the International Center for Healing Arts. Koblin’s healing methods are based on teaching the body to regenerate itself through a variety of modalities including Chi King, Nei Kung, Tai Chi Chuan, Taoist meditation, Whole Foods Nutrition, emotional energetics, communication and intuition.
Koblin has written four books, including The Art of Zen-Touchâ„¢, Shaping Our Destiny, Food for Life and Home Remedies. He currently appears as a motivational speaker throughout North America, Asia and Europe.
- Early Life
- Philosophy on health
- Books and publications
- Awards
- Criticisms
- References
- External links
Early Life
Koblin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where his father worked as an optometrist. He studied pre-med at the University of Manitoba for one year before leaving school to pursue a career in music as a drummer. Koblin spent six years as a professional musician before turning to holistic health studies in 1977 in response to a near death experience from a ruptured appendix.
In the late seventies, Koblin began studying under Grandmaster C.K. Chu in New York City, where he learned the disciplines of Tai Chi Chuan, Chi Kung and Nei Kung. He followed his training under Chu with studies in Shiatsu under Wataru Ohashi and an apprenticeship with Michio Kushi, both in New York and at the Kushi Institute in Boston.
Koblin graduated from Ohashi’s school in 1984. It was there that Wataru Ohashi encouraged Koblin to create his own shiatsu style, eventually trademarked as Zen-Touch™ Shiatsu.
In 1987, Koblin moved to San Diego, California, where he founded the School of Healing Arts (SHA) in 1990. SHA was the first state-approved school to offer a Nutritional Consultant Certification Program in the United States, and Koblin’s successful campaign to convince the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to include the title “nutritional consultant†in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles was a landmark achievement in the field of holistic health.
Philosophy on health
Koblin’s approach to health and healing is influenced by his studies in the Eastern healing arts, and also focuses on the importance of emotional energy, personal accountability and intuition. In his classes and holistic training programs, Koblin espouses five key principles for cultivating vibrant emotional health. These principles are as follows:
- Personal choices attract life circumstances that are absolutely perfect.
- Every circumstance is an opportunity to improve and enrich one’s life.
- We have the skills necessary to transform every challenge into a soul-enhancing experience.
- Reverence for life, feelings, thoughts and actions results in beneficial change.
- Intuition is the force that will guide us in making life-improving decisions.
By uniting these principles with studies in massage and bodywork, compassionate communication and holistic nutrition based on a whole-foods diet informed by the energetic properties of the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Koblin teaches students to approach the healing arts with a combination of ancient traditions and contemporary perspectives.
Koblin’s professional credentials include certification as an Ohashi Shiatsu Practitioner (1984), Kushi Shiatsu Teacher (1985), California Holistic Health Practitioner (1988), and an American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia Instructor (1992).Â
Books and publications
- The Art of Zen-Touch(1988)
- Shaping Our Destiny(2001)
- Food for Life(2008)
- Home Remedies(2010)
Koblin has written articles for a variety of educational resources, websites and publications, including Vision Magazine, Prague Post, Professional’s Guide to Massage and Bodywork, and Men’s Fitness.
Awards
- Named a Diplomat NCCAOM (National Certifying Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) in 1995.
Criticisms
Koblin has faced some criticism for promoting unverified beliefs and evidence-based medicine similar to those encountered by other complementary and alternative medicine proponents including Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra.
References
External Links