Wednesday, October 9, 2019. Departing from Haneda Airport, entering Munich via Dubai. It became my first training in Munich in one year and eight months.
What surprised me on this journey was that no stamp was put in my passport at departure (a stamp is given to those who want one).
This time I renewed my ten-year passport, but until entering Germany, no stamp had been put in it, and it was striking that the immigration officer could not help smiling.
Unlike Japan, Munich’s low temperature is 6 degrees and its high is 18 degrees. The first day was rainy, but from the second day on, blue skies have appeared, making for very comfortable, easy-to-spend weather. The day after arrival (October 10), I reached the first day (for details, I also wrote in “Taking Part in the Workshop Held in Munich, October 10–13, 2019“).
This time, the Rolf Instructors are three: Rita Geirola (hereafter Rita), France Hatt-Arnold, and Herve Baunard.
Part 3 of the Rolf Movement Training began with the largest number of participants ever, 18. The first day was the homework presentation: based on the content learned in Part 1 and Part 2, each person puts together and presents a 10-to-15-minute Embodiment.
Since I had presented at the end of Part 2 (see “Presenting an Embodiment to the Group“), I was exempted; but each participant’s Embodiment presentation showed individuality and was interesting.
Before the Embodiment presentations began, there was an explanation:
- How was the Process? (how was the process?)
- What was easy/uneasy? (what was easy and what was difficult?)
- What triggered to your creativity? (what drew out the creativity?)
- What meaning you discovered? (what meaning was discovered?)
- How this meaning recites with general principles? (how does the meaning connect with general principles?)
- What was your strategy to connect the specific to general? (what strategy was taken to connect the general and the specific?)
As in the previous training, there was a guide; and the material on Feedback that Giovanni Felicioni, who looked after me in Phase II, had distributed was also shared as a printout
After a presentation ended, it proceeded in the order of:
- With what purpose the content was presented.
- What impression the surrounding students received.
- Feedback and advice from the Rolf Instructors, and pointing out of points for improvement.
Because time was spent on each person’s feedback, the finishing time ran about 30 minutes late.
The aim of Part 3 is “Introduction to Leading Rolfing Movement Groups” (how to use Rolf Movement in group lessons) (for details, see “With What Kind of Curriculum Does It Proceed?“).
Rita says there is much to learn by each person practicing and presenting an Embodiment.
And so, on the second day, after a briefing on the basic content of Embodiment, in groups of three (six groups in total), with one as leader and two as assistants, each presented a 10-minute Embodiment in turn. Until the final day, we will put the content together while discussing it among the three.
After a 30-minute preparation period, the first person’s presentation finished on the second day; the third day and the final day are for the second and third persons respectively. Since I am the third presentation, I present on the final day.
The real charm of the Rolfing and Rolf Movement training is that the Instructors of the European Rolfing Association (ERA) create a safe atmosphere. In December 2012, I took a class at the Under the Light Yoga School (UTL) to obtain the RYT200 Yoga Instructor teaching qualification (the class was called TT3). I presented a 15-minute yoga class in front of 15 people. I was able to get through it well, but I remember being very nervous.
The Rolf Movement Embodiment is a similar state — presenting in English in front of 17 people — but the good thing is that the participants, too, have an atmosphere of wanting to enjoy it. The Part 3 training is divided into a first half (October 10–13) and a second half (November 27 – December 1); the first half calls for a 10-minute Embodiment, and the second half calls for building and presenting a one-hour Embodiment.
Going forward, I’m thinking of offering a class that mixes yoga and Rolfing, so I’d like to continue taking on the training while looking forward to how I myself change and how I learn the way of presenting.