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by Lúcia Sandler


In the Occidental Culture, the internal experiences that each individual goes through in relation to his own body are not granted a great importance, and little value is attributed to the repercussion of emotions upon the organism, its effects and results despite the fact presently we already know - scientifically proven - that the corporal tonus influences the psychological tonus and vice versa. We can also observe that children are barely taught about anatomy and organic functions ( rudiments only ), and, after all, the body is their first and definitive dwelling, and also what makes them be alive!

The body, the house we live in, a unique, singular and own universe!

I believe that in this context, Eutonia, created by Gerda Alexander ( Wuppertal, Germany, 1908/1994), plays an important role, for as a means of self knowledge, it gives the individual opportunity to progressively get in touch with several states of his being, promoting the possibility of the restauration of the psychophysical / physiopsychic unit.



THE PSYCHOPHYSICAL / PHISIOPSYCHIC UNIT



This chapter is dedicated to the understanding of the psychophysical / physiopsychic unit although emphasizing that the method of Eutonia is based on the relationship with "the corporal ".

Eutony presents itself as a deep highlight of processes and necessities inherent to the human being's nature. Gerda Alexander created a system of work and REcognition of the body deeply founted in studies of anatomy, physiology, psychology, where pedagogy plays a strict, clear and coherent role.

The word Eutonia comes from greek: "eu" = harmonious, good ,and "tonia" = tonus, tension. It was adopted by Alexander in 1956 to designate the possibility of a balanced tonic state, not only refering to the muscular tonus, but also to the psychic and neurovegetative ones.

I am used to saying that it is very difficult to explain, or to write "what Eutonia is", for basically it is knowledge that is achieved through corporal language. However, we could say that Eutonia, as a pedagogic therapy or a theraupetic pedagogy whit a psychophysical approach, encompasses procedures of postural reeduaction and neurological reorganization, where the person is not seen as a patient ( passive), but as an agent (active), in his process of "meeting" his body = self knowledge, this being done through a work aiming the balance or alignment of the spinal column in a scoliosis, or in a pathology as hemiplegia, or still in the case of disc prolapse,for example. Gerda suggested that the person who endergoes Eutonia never be called "patient", but "pupil".

Eutonia is performed in regular sessions that may be individual or in small groups depending on the case and on the person, whith an average duration of an hour, which in ordinary cases (disregarding critical states and some of certain seriousness) must be repeated once a week; the sessions are composed of movements (sometimes soft or even very subtle), touch, diverse propositions to stimulate the nervous system with or without action; in certain moments, procedures are suggested, and these go from the simplest movement involving one only joint to unnumbered variations with two or more parts of the body. These procedures always include some aspects: time, rythm, effort, direction in space, observation of the action of gravity to name some, and they are almost always accompanied by the attitude of "being present”, attention to what is done at the moment, how one performs it, how one fells, how one noticies it, and how one has felt. One of the fundamental aspects of Eutonia is the respect the therapist / eutonist must have to his pupils,observing their actions and reactions, concerning their limitations, and the time of "assimilation" of each proposition, of each movement. During the sessions, individual or in group, the eutonist uses several objects or instruments that have an important function; not always are the exercises or procedures transmitted orally being always avoided "showing how to do"in order to prevent copying and pure and simple repetition. Sometimes, the eutonist doesn' t touch directly the pupil's body; thus, he/she will use objects such as bamboos, wooden boards, small balls that have several sizes and textures, cushions, and other objects that can be seen performing the function of the transitional object, in the sense described by the psychoanalist Donald Winnicott. He oral propositions that are conveyed during the sessions / classes must be simple, clear, direct, without the use of expressions that try to influence the way they are performed, or the psychocogical state of the person being eutonized as it is done by the methods of induction to relaxation or to euphoric states passing through different moods.

The eutonist' s activity in his / her contact whit the pupil must be the one of "neutrality" ( to use a Gerda Alexander's specífic term ) , in the oral contact ( communication ) as well as in the visual or tactil one. His / her presence must be receptive, never an imposing one, or the one that aims in any way to influence the pupil, who, therefore, will be able to notice that, during the session, there is a free area for the occurrence of any manifestations , sensations, perceptions or comments that may emerge. The awakiening of sensibility brings as fundamental consequence the recuperation of the corporal image; moreover, the act of experiencing through the skin , more specifically through touch, the spaces, the portions, the limits, the proportions and the textures of the own body makes possible to experience its external shape, which conveys self identification. This kind of "exercise" allows the development of corporal awareness, and the possibility on the body perception as a unit. "It's always noticed that false corporal images, conscious or semiconsconcious, disturb corporal functions" (G. Alexander ).

Eutonia represents a new field for the treatment of neurological diseases, hemiplegias, paraplegias, arthroses, polio, the treatment of the spinal column, in short it's connected to whatever relates to the osteo-joint-muscular set. And not only this, for it can also be used for psychosomatic illnesses; Eutonia can be a therapy or can be practiced by the human being from the first day of life to more advanced ages. Gerda says that "Eutonia concerns the heathy as well as the sick, the sportsman as well as the dancer, the ones who deal whit the physic as well as the ones who deal with the psychic...Eutonia is constantly linked to all aspects and activities of life".

Professional formation existed only at the school founded by G. Alexander in Copenhague, Denmark; presently it occurs in Canada, France, Swizerland, Germany, Belgium, Argentina and Brazil ( the first group recently graduated in 1995). It lasts 4 years, in which the future eutonist must have practical classes the whole period ( he will be the one being eutonized ) in addition to the folowing subjects: anatomy, physiology, neurology, psychology, pathology, pedagogy, pedagogy of Eutonia, and methodology of Eutonia.

The elements that establish the basis of Eutonia, in other words, its principles are:

The ways to reach these aims are:

Eutonia is not a method in the tradicional sense of the word, but it offers the human being a new approach in relation to life. The specific manner Eutonia presents itself is done as a coherent device being a new holistic way for an integral education, and a future development for man.

I usually say that Entonia (for those who practice it, or have already submitted themselves to it for any reason) becomes a hygiene habit of life.

I'll finish this small explanation by way of presentation with a player. I believe, will give a great meaning to what we have just read:


for more informations: lucia_sandler@hotmail.com