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Elective: Opening the Heart


Course Info:

Professional Training >> Elective: Opening the Heart

Ruinen, Nederland

April 8-10, 2022

Faculty: Roger Tolle

Language of Instruction: Language of Instruction: English
German or Dutch translation as needed

Contact Info:

Sofie Meijer - Rebalancing School voor Lichaamswerk & Bewustzijn
06-83778683 | sofie@rebalancing.nl | www.rebalancing.nl

In this Opening the Heart workshop we engage in pleasurable, playful and profound movement explorations grounded in the principles of Trager Mentastics. Supported by a rich selection of music, and with images from physical anatomy and the body's subtle energy centers, we seek to deepen our relationship to ourselves and our partners -- body, mind and spirit. The hands-on portions of the workshops further develop the themes begun in our personal explorations, and provide inspiration for deepening our professional practices.

Each day begins with 1-2 hours of uninterrupted movement accompanied by recorded music and guided entirely by questions. Each day ends with a trade of a 30-60 minute tablework exploration. In the middle, one or more themes (groundedness, fluidity, compassionate listening, etc.) are developed through demonstration, solo and partner Mentastics explorations, and group discussion.

Throughout the weekend, we employ movement, sound, visualization and group support to open our Hearts and the associated subtle energies of compassion, healing and sense of oneness (Hook-up). We explore how and why our professional lives put extra demands on the Heart and how to avoid the "bodyworker's hunch". And we practice skills of compassionate listening, kinesthetic observation, and non-invasive touching.

Class Objectives

  • To learn how to release tension, reduce stress, and build balanced support in the upper body.

  • To palpate and assist freer movement and fuller awareness in a partner's hands, arms, shoulders, and ribs.

  • To sense breath, space, ease, elasticity, elongation, and freedom of movement in themselves, and in a supine partner.

  • To develop feeling connection to partners through kinesthetic observation, compassionate listening, and non-invasive touch.

  • To discover personal movement/awareness truths through open exploration.

  • To gain a basic understanding of the principles of Trager Somatic Movement Therapy.

  • To explore how these movement principles bring new depth and lightness to a bodywork practice.


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