Christine van Draanen in Dornach

News from the division Eurythmy for Animals

The annual medical conference took place in Dornach again in mid-September. This time, in addition to physicians, dentists, and various therapists, veterinarians were also in attendance again. These forums were held four times in total, taking place every afternoon from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. For the veterinarians, a different vet gave a PowerPoint presentation each day on a topic related to trauma—the conference’s central theme. Afterwards, there were opportunities—twice for me and once for my colleague Sarah Weber, who works in the US—to speak about eurythmy for animals.
We have been conducting workshops together at conferences in Dornach for several years. This coming spring—at Easter 2027—we will again be giving four workshops and a marketplace presentation during the major international triennial eurythmy conference at the Goetheanum.

During my first session I provided an introduction to eurythmy for animals and then focused on a sound sequence specifically designed for birds. A dog attended the second presentation; this was the reason the forum was held in the Holzhaus (Wooden House), the only building where dogs are permitted. This dog had originally been intended for blind guide dog training but proved unsuitable due to his temperament, sensitivities, allergies, and nervousness; consequently, he was returned to the family that had socialized him during his first year of life. We did an exercise together for the dog’s benefit.

Sarah spoke about her experiences with cows and a traumatized cat in America.

To keep this text concise, I will omit further details. Just one final note:
During the past year, I have been giving online Zoom workshops for little groups in several countries around the world. The distances are too great to bridge, and furthermore, the participants—eurythmists, farmers, beekeepers, and other interested individuals—live far apart from one another in those areas as well. If anyone is interested in joining one of these small groups, please let me know via email.

Christine van Draanen
christinevandraanen@gmail.com