Therapeutic Eurythmy for Children

Book excerpt: Therapeutic Eurythmy for Children is a collection of exercises gathered by Anne-Maidlin Vogel from 1968 until 1998. Many arose from lectures the author attended, given by experienced therapeutic eurythmists--especially Trude Thetter and Ilse Rolofs, as well as medical doctors and colleagues. Much of the material she used in her own therapy lessons with patients, with some of the exercises created from her own work with children for over thirty years. As a form of movement therapy, eurythmy has been very effective in treating physical and mental developmental disorders. This book is a rich source of information for professional eurythmy therapists, physicians, and teachers of children up to fifteen years of age. Therapeutic Eurythmy for Children provides not only examples for exercises, but also offers useful references for personal development and additional training for therapists. Included here are eurythmy therapy exercises to be performed with premature infants, babies, and young children up to the age of four. Although based firmly on Rudolf Steiner's spiritual science and his general recommendations for eurythmy, anyone can follow the descriptions and sketches for individual exercises, which are based on healthy movement of the developing human organism. Speech eurythmy exercises (specific spoken sounds and sequences) are included for postural problems, enuresis, lack of concentration, and more. These encourage readers to study the principles behind the practice of eurythmy performance and eurythmy therapy. Therapeutic Eurythmy for Children will inspire and enrich the work of therapists, provide a means to more holistic pediatrics, give teachers a better understanding of how to approach their students through movement, and encourage parents toward a more effective, holistic aid to their children's overall health and development.