Eutony means “good tonus” or “right tonus”. Tonus is the level of tension in the muscles. We all know that when contracting, a muscle tenses, and this enables it to perform a task. But this takes a significant amount of energy, and we would not want the muscles to be tensed when the task is not needed. When you feel ‘tense’ generally, that’s exactly happening — muscles are tensed unnecessarily. Understanding and controlling the level of tension in each and every one of the body’s muscles is part of what occurs in eutony.

But eutony goes further than this. Do you ever feel yourself becoming tense in a confrontational situation, or when speaking to someone you feel you must defend yourself against? Likewise, do you feel relaxed and calm when speaking to certain people who are confident but also welcoming and gentle? This is the tonus of your muscles reacting to social situations. Through the practice of eutony, the possibility to manage oneself socially and emotionally emerges. This gradually transforms the relationships you have with others, deepening your understanding of yourself and others.

The course will develop participants to an advanced level in the practice and art of eutony. Gerda Alexander, who developed eutony approximately 100 years ago, did not see a hard line distinction between students and teachers of eutony. Rather there is a gradual transition. This training will accept students and graduate teachers of the discipline.

Eutony is complementary to Bothmer gymnastics because eutony focuses on raising awareness of everything happening inside the body, while in Bothmer, the focus is on consciousness of the spatial context in which the body exists. Jessie has been a teacher of Bothmer and eutony for many decades. The course is open to those without a background in Bothmer as well as current Bothmer students and qualified Bothmer teachers.

Jessie usually teaches in French, answering the call for eutony in Paris where she lives. However, the course starting next year represents the first ever international eutony training course, and will be taught in English. Luckily, Jessie is fluent in English so will not require translation. Jessie provided the following comments about the training:

While there is no dedicated website for this training programme, there is a pdf flyer which is linked below. The flyer includes contact details, which are reproduced below for ease of access. The first meeting will take place 4-8th March at Otevřený prostor, z.ú. Zikova 708/5, Praha 6 -Czech Republic.

Eutony Training In Prague

503KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Flyer for Eutony Training 2027-2029

Download

• Email: jessie.delage@posteo.net

• Tel: 00336 73 20 14 43

• Address: 14 rue d’Aligre – 75012 Paris

More information about eutony is available at the link below:

London Eutony Centre

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to contact Jessie directly on her email address above if you have questions about the training.

The Bothmer summer intensive was full, rich and very warm.

The experience was comparable to having a bath - not in water, but in space. The high heat contributed to this feeling. While the air was hot, it was not humid on account of low rainfall in Hungary this summer. By the end of the week I was tired but in a sense I felt cleansed and rejuvenated.

Across the full programme there was movement from dawn till dusk. My highlights, as a participant and as a teacher, are briefly described below.

I continued on the dance thread that had begun the year before, teaching dance one evening to a group, 40-strong, of enthusiastic movers. They ranged from experienced dancers to dancing beginners. We engaged five musicians to assist us - three djembe drummers and two flautists. The combination of live music and live dance was very special. A small group contributed to a performance for the open evening on Saturday night, again with live music.

I was also grateful to attend sessions led by a range of very experienced Bothmer teachers on the post graduate programme. We discussed topics such as the role of Bothmer movement in today’s society, what benefit it would bring to the average man or woman. I for one see apathy and disinterest in working-age people around me. These attitudes or ‘moods’ shows up physically, especially in the posture of the shoulders and spine. These physical postures crystalise the disturbed mood and thereby lock in the distress, and it becomes very difficult to return to health. I believe Bothmer can release these movement patterns and allow health to be sought once more. In the healthy body, Bothmer enables a further step to be taken - the orientation of the body in space and towards one’s goal. The aim. The why question. Why are we here. Or phrased slightly differently, what are we working towards? This question is brought back to the fore in Bothmer movement, and it feels possible once again to begin to seek meaning in life.

The latest newsletter from Bothmer Movement International contains many other reports of experiences from the week as well as details of next year’s summer intensive. I have included a link below.

Impressions of Bothmer Intensive 2026

The good news is that next year, the summer intensive will be held at the same venue. I’m already looking forward to it.

For the third year running, the international Bothmer Summer Intensive will be held in Kiskunfélegyháza, a small Hungarian town close to Budapest.

The summer intensive is a week-long programme, starting at 9am on Monday 27^th July, and running until 12:00 on Sunday 02 August 2026.

The location offers several gymnasiums, as well as outdoor space and a swimming pool complex, all within walking distance. Low-cost accommodation is also available.

For those currently working towards their Bothmer teacher training qualification, the summer intensive is a formative part of their course. For those new to Bothmer, a separate ‘Open Course’ programme is offered, which serves as an introduction to Bothmer Movement. No prior experience is required to attend the Open Course.

Catering is offered as full or half board, and there are shops in walking distance.

Last year more than 250 people attended the summer intensive, many with young children who are accommodated by a separate schedule.

Full details including the booking form can be found here:

Summer Intensive 2026 Flyer