A happy heart – becoming centered and mobile
5 Exercises on level 2, duration 12 minutes, with pause and possible rest.

In the eurythmy exercises for I (I pronounced as in It) we practice experiencing our “happy heart” and do exercises which strengthen our balance as well as our spine and in so doing, our ability to stay centered and mobile simultaneously. This also supports our ability to hold our own on a daily basis. The texts to the exercises may be found at the bottom of this page.

Introductory videos

• Threefold walking
• Basic gesture of I
  
• I with legs and feet

Questions to deepen the eurythmy exercises

B2    What to pay attention to in “happily raying out” on the path forward and backwards.

• In raying out from the heart pay attention to your breath. Let it happen freely whilst the arms expand.
• Try retaining the happy heart whilst walking backwards and bringing the arms in.
• Can you notice that despite withdrawing the arms and returning to your center, your chest feels expanded?

C2    What effects do you notice when doing I with the legs?

• With which leg is it easier for you? Where can you retain your balance better?
• Did you notice whether you involuntarily lean back to counterbalance the weight on the leg? What do you do to prevent this and what effect does it have?
• How do you experience your legs and feet after the exercise? Are they more present, alive or how would you describe them?
• In the exercise we do the “I” with alternating legs. Do you notice a difference between the right and left side of your body after the exercise? If so, how would you describe it?

E2    Gaining strength by letting go. Could you experience that?

• How do you experience the exercise? Can you relate to it or is it too strange?
• Countercurrents can arise simultaneously or consecutively. What do you do to let the streaming up only take place once you’ve let go? How much time do you take for this? Has it also happened that no countercurrent came about?
• Why do we actually let go in this exercise?
• Have you noticed that it is more or less successful and how letting go can influence the streaming up?
• What do you notice in the pause after doing the exercise a couple of times? How do you feel afterwards? How does your heart respond? How does your soul respond? Do you perhaps feel lighter or warmer? What do you experience?

Exercise texts

 A2    Threefold walking

Walk forwards slowly, thereby placing the toes on the ground first and then slowly rolling down the rest of the foot. Sense into the earth from the heart through the soles of the feet.

Video: Threefold walking

B2    Going out and returning

Accompany the happiness raying from the heart with walking forwards and return to yourself by walking backwards.

Video: I with legs and feet

C2    I in the legs

Center yourself in your middle and ray down from your heart into your leg and foot. Take a step and repeat the exercise with the other foot. Stay so centred that raying through the leg doesn`t make you skew but rather straightens you up.

Video: I with legs and feet

D2    I with rhythm

Create the I gesture with four rhythmic steps. First to the front and then returning back. Pay attention that you move the arms smoothly and regularly despite the rhythm in the legs.

Video: I with legs and feet

E2    Gaining strength by letting go

Try to stream down and let go so effortlessly that a stream of strength from below comes about that straightens you from within and strengthens the heart.

IN LETTING GO

I GAIN

STRENGTH