Mastering the Three Planes of Space

Bothmer Gymnastics: Mastering the Three Planes of Space

Count Fritz von Bothmer developed certain physical exercises under Steiner's guidance to help the human being find their true orientation within physical space. The genius here of Bothmer is the tension between a grounded center and an expanded periphery.

[ UP: Luciferic Elevation ]
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[ BACK: Past ] <– HEART --> [ FRONT: Future / Intention ]
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[ DOWN: Ahrimanic Gravity ]

When you step into a Bothmer stance (one foot forward, the other to the back, knees slightly bent, sinking into the tension between weight and levity):

* Addressing Ahriman:

Hereby, by the ensuing exercises, gravity is consciously being met. You do not collapse into it (depression); you "sit" in the dynamic tension of the flexibly bending knees. You use the heavy earthly forces to anchor your center.

* The Planes of Conscious Will:

By stretching the arms far into the horizontal planes (Front-Back, Left-Right) and rotating on your axis, you are mapping out your the directional dynamics of space.

* Front-Back is the axis of time and intention (Past vs. Future).

* Left-Right is the axis of social breathing and boundary.

* The Spiritual Result:

This prevents the Luciferic flight. You are expanding wide into space, but because your heart remains the unmoving center, your Ego stays awake and in control.

Eurythmy: Moving Out of the Periphery

While Bothmer works with the structural geometry of space, Eurythmy works with the sensible, perceptible etheric realm. It is about "taking hold of the air as such."

A description of the Eurythmics gesture for the sound "O" would be a perfect esoteric illustration :

* In a mechanical movement, you just move your arm muscles.

* In Eurythmy, you realize that space itself is not empty; it is a living, breathing etheric sea. When you form the "O"—a movement unfolding in front of you— you generate an impulse, out of your "etheric" heart, that actively sculpts the space in front of you.
Alternatively, you are not only in your center, but project outwards, where you take hold of the periphery (the "air") while gently pressing inward, orboutward—of the arms—making your arms move by the densifies etheric you have just given a "cosmic" impetus to.

This is then, when further going into it, the ultimate training to combat the abstraction of the soul. It forces the human being to experience and sense what is happening, rather than just thinking about it.