This program begins with an overview of human development as the foundation for exploring ways of working positively, creatively and proactively to harmonise the effects of trauma and stress disorders.
Human Development:
Rudolf Steiner’s picture of human development divides life into 7 year phases. In each phase a new aspect of consciousness is born and further developed, and brings with it particular tasks, potential and challenges.
We will consider and discuss: key turning points; the patterns of experience and behaviours we commonly experience over the 7 year phases; and learn about how this understanding of human development can help us know more about ourselves and others, providing insights into how we can work with the challenges that arise in life. It provides the basis for working with strategies to address the expression of trauma and stress disorders, whether in adult life or with children.
3 and 4 and 9 fold human being:
In addition to the 7 year phases Rudolf Steiner gave other models how we can view and understand the human being. While the 3, 4 and 9 fold human are included in the theory of human development-here we will look at his indications in some more detail.
Nourishing and healing the 12 senses:
All education must have a therapeutic element and it is our task as educators to equip children with strengths and abilities so that they can master the challenges they will face.
Sensory perception forms the basis of your relationship with yourself, your surroundings, and the people around you. There is a strong relationship between sensory perception, and health and vitality. When our sense perceptions are disrupted, this hinders our development, learning and functioning in the world. We will explore each of the 12 senses and their roles, but also what this means on an emotional and relational level. We will investigate how the senses develop, what happens if a sense is under or over stimulated, and what we can do to nourish, support and harmonise the healthy unfolding of each sense.
Trauma and stress disorder:
What is Trauma? What is stress?
How does trauma impact on:
- overall human development;
- development of consciousness;
- 3 and 4 fold human being;
- thinking, feeling, willing and the 4 members ;
- 12 senses ;
- brain development;
- the polyvagal system
- primary prevention of PTSD
Resilience building and trauma education overlap:
- Conditions for resilience building
- Attachment Theory
- Attitudes of the teacher to help the traumatised child
Educator’s role:
- What is the educator’s task?
- Which attitudes of the educator/parent/therapist support the child?
- Which activities are helpful?
- How do we help to build resilience?
- What other support can we call upon?
- Clarifying the role of the educator as distinct from a therapist.
Artistic activities to support the healthy development of the senses.
Clay modelling:
Sculptural modeling works on human development in many ways. As we mold the clay, as we find the right amount of pressure or movement, the clay molds us and works deeply on our Etheric bodies. Modeling becomes like a dialogue between the individual and his/her work, which is stimulating and ever changing, and allows many discoveries. Through forming and reforming, through the observation of form in nature, through engaging an open mind and flexibility of thinking, the hand becomes the teacher of our mind as it explores and stumbles through the many possibilities, unexpected combinations and configurations of convex and concave shapes. Our mind and intellect are quite likely to have a planned outcome in mind for our piece of clay. However, it is our intelligent hand which ultimately guides the way with sensitivity and intuitive will.
Form Drawing:
Form drawing is a free hand, versatile and very stimulating artistic activity unique to Rudolf Steiner education. In these sessions, we will explore ways in which form drawing can be applied either in the classroom or as a personal development and therapeutic tool. Form drawing teaches us to work with the polarity of the straight and the curved line, and the spaces created in between—the plane.
We will experience several different form drawing techniques, consider the difference between them and determine how they may contribute to harmonising the effects of trauma and stress. When we participate in Form Drawing, it brings about an inner feeling of the ‘I’, a feeling which is often fractured and disconnected when a person has experienced sustained stress or trauma. It strengthens the sense of the self, and helps restore a feeling of balance and harmony within, by bringing form and order to inner chaos, or conversely, by bringing fluidity to a ‘frozen’ inner feeling.
This drawing practice has many applications and benefits:
- it prepares and improves the way we write and draw;
- It encourages thinking, feeling and will development;
- It works deeply on our sense development, in particular the four lower senses: touch, life, movement and balance. We learn to move with certainty across the paper. These skills may allow us to move with greater clarity and precision through our life. We can learn to move freely, dynamically and with courage.
