I’ve written about this before, but I figured I should write about it again. I’ve had some realizations on this subject and would like to share. I have always had a hard time explaining what eurythmy is because it’s more of a feeling than words I can use to describe. So try to feel what I mean as I explain!
What is eurythmy? I always laugh when someone asks me this. It is not an easy one to explain. I don’t know why I have such a hard time. Maybe it’s because words are bland, no matter what language you use, compared to what eurythmy really is. Like I said, it’s more of a feeling. My short answer is that eurythmy is an exercise for your etheric body. It allows you to stretch and strengthen your etheric. It allows you to gain control of it, and in doing so, allows you to help the physical body obey the higher laws of the etheric.
When I have time to give a full answer, this is how I explain it. We have all experienced this: when someone, who is very grumpy, walks into a room, you can feel that they are grumpy without even looking up from what you are doing. You can cut through that grumpy energy with a knife! Their etheric energy is coming into that room and filling the space. When you tell your grandma or mom, or some other loved one, that you love them and they say “Aww! I love you too!” They are feeling the energy of your words, the feeling behind it. BUT! If you show Grandma with a gesture how much you love her, a hug, she now knows how much you love her. Sometimes she will say “Aww! I love you too!” yet you didn’t say a word! This is that etheric energy coming from our etheric body that we learn to exercise and control in eurythmy. We have the power to “paint” a room in any feeling we so desire! Just like that grumpy guy. It’s like magic!
We learn to harness that etheric energy and use it for good! If you ever feel tired, well there are things we can do to call on our angels to hand them some of our burden and allow us to be strengthened and supported by them. If you feel stressed, if you have high blood pressure, if you have anxieties, if you’re mad, if you need to calm down… guess what? There are exercises we can do that can help us in all those areas. We learn the power and support of our etheric (and our astral) to our physical bodies! When doing eurythmy we put on certain feelings, gestures, and other elements. We become them. It’s not a dramatization of something we act out, but similar. What we are really doing is digging down into our souls in search of real emotions and feelings of the soul. We call upon them and bring them forth! This is eurythmy.
So why is eurythmy important? Well, if you didn’t feel the need for eurythmy in the last paragraph, let’s talk a bit about it. Again, when we put on these gestures, it has an effect on our physical body, our etheric, and our astral. When we do eurythmy, we become the instrument of speech. There is power in our words! If you tell someone over and over again, “you’re so stupid,” they will actually begin to undergo a physical change. Just hearing those words again and again (whether that person believes them or not), will cause stress hormones to pump throughout their bodies. Suddenly, their immune system is not functioning properly. Now they are susceptible to all kinds of illnesses. They get sick often and their life span is shortened. Now, on the other hand, imagine you tell someone again and again “you are wonderful and beautiful and amazing!” What do you think will happen then? Feel good hormones start to pump. Dopamine and serotonin levels increase, which in turn affects melatonin levels. Because of this, they feel good and have energy during the day. They sleep better at night. Their immune system and all other organs are strengthened and supported. All is in balance. They live a longer healthier, happy life! In eurythmy, our whole body become the instrument of speech; we put on the sounds and the words. Can you imagine that effect on your body? Now we don’t just hear the words but become them! We become creative, formative forces and begin to use the creative and formative forces within us, not just for ourselves, but to influence those around us. We “paint” our room; we “paint” our home. And then as we practice and get stronger, we “paint” our whole community, influence our region, our continent… the world!
Eurythmy has the power of formative forces. When we understand this, then we understand that we literally have the power to create. We begin to understand the things we cannot see. It’s not just about the words, but about what is going on in between the words. What is happening? How is it having an effect on me, those around me and things around me? What can I do to better my surroundings?
Let’s do an exercise of the etheric this week. Let’s try “painting” the rooms that we are in. Walk into a room of your home. Take a deep breath and see what you feel? How does the energy feel? Now, turn within yourself and think about what you want it to feel like in that room? Do you want it to be happy, energetic, calm, peaceful…? Now, think about something that makes you feel that way. For example, if I walk into my room and my children are bouncing all over the place, out of control, I need to bring peace to that room. I will imagine a peaceful, serene beach with water lapping gently on the shore. I will start by painting my own aura. I will put on this feeling. I walk through my room. I touch each of my children gently on the head, back or shoulder. I sit down with them and talk gently with them about peaceful things, asking them to imagine what it would be like if, say, we were walking in a sunlit wood and found a little hut surrounded by the most fragrant flowers… something that paints a peaceful picture. And before you know it, all the kids are joining in on this imaginative play and story making. But you know what just happened? With your energy and your aura, you expanded into your room. Now peace resides there. Some people may call it redirecting, but it’s more than that. I’ve redirected my children only to have them throw a fit a few moments later. In doing this exercise, I became peace. I gave peace to each of my children and invited them to help me paint the room in peace. It’s like magic. And honestly, after spending a few moments with them in this peaceful space it stays that way, rarely needing to be “repainted.” So try it! If you don’t have children then great! You won’t be having a battle of etheric energies! You get to work with a blank canvas. Now go out and give it a try! It takes practice so don’t get discouraged or you will paint that everywhere! Just practice painting yourself and your own aura first, then go from there. Do one room next. Then every room in your house… etc. Let’s get to repainting our rooms! (Give our house a makeover…? Hahaha!)
image by Marie Hall
Resolute Rhythm 
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