Movement Medicine® has its roots in a blend of our 18-year apprenticeship with Gabrielle Roth, the shamanic traditions we have studied with, Gestalt psychotherapy, Family Constellations, Neuroscience and systems theory.
On this page we celebrate our central teachers and practices from which Movement Medicine has emerged. The button below will link you to our Gratitudes page, which specifically thanks many other very important people, including our previous Admin Team, who worked so hard and over so many years to help us bring our work into the world.
No body of work arises out of the ether by itself and so honouring our lineage and the people we have been blessed to study with is important to us. Like all bodies of work, it stands on the shoulders of the generations of pioneers in so many areas of the healing and creative arts who preceded it.
Gabrielle Roth: 1941 - 2012
Gabrielle Roth was a central teacher for us between 1988 and 2007. We trained with her, worked with her and alongside her. We learnt profoundly from her teachings of deep dancing life wisdom. "Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that ' energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance." Gabrielle Roth
Bikko Mahte Penta: White Eagle
Ya'Acov: For 12 years, there had been a presence, quiet but always there, like an ancient stone running deep like the roots of an old silver birch. I assumed he was a dream figure…..but I was wrong. He was a real human being and I had come here to meet him. So began a lifelong apprenticeship with Sami Shaman, Bikko Mahte Penta. Matthis passed away chopping wood for the winter in 2017.
Helen Poynor: Movement Teacher
Helen Poynor was our movement mentor for over 27 years. Helen's intensive training with Anna Halprin at the San Francisco Dancers’ Workshop and with Suprapto Suryodarmo from Java served as the foundation for the development of her unique approach to non-stylised movement practice. We received so much insight, challenge and support through working with her.
Gestalt centre london
Susannah: The Gestalt Centre London is where I trained in the 1980’s, graduating as a Gestalt Psychotherapist in 1988. Gestalt theory and practice remains foundational for everything I do.
In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank my therapists and teachers:
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Family Constellations
Susannah: Vivianne Broughton ran the Family Constellations Training I did in 2006-2007 whilst we were in the process of creating Movement Medicine. The profound insights, understanding and methodology of Vivianne Broughton, Albrecht Mahr and Bert Hellinger are woven into my being and into the fabric of Movement Medicine.
music & voice
Susannah: Music, song writing, singing (solo voice and with others in harmony) and the power of vocal expression permeate my whole journey. Working and singing with Chloe Goodchild (voice) Julian Marshall (music theory) and Roz Walker (Global Harmony choir) were foundational in my learning. Thank you my teachers!
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Victor Sanchez
Victor has been an important teacher and companion along the way for Ya'Acov in particular. Even though his work prominently deals with the topic of shamanism, he does not describe himself as a shaman, but rather as a researcher in the field of indigenous knowledge, shamanism and personal development. He states that "shamanism is way too important to leave it in the hands of shamans".
Suprapto suryadarmo
Suprapto was the Founder of Amerta Movement, a form of non-stylised movement practice that draws on free movement, the practice of Vipassanā, Javanese Sumarah meditation and Javanese Buddhism. He was a great inspiration for both of us in bringing ritual and movement together.
Alongside these core teachers, we have been blessed to work with Heather Campbell, Sue Jamieson, Batty Gold, Jimpikit, Raphael and Sumpa - three extraordinary Achuar Elders from the Ecuadorian Amazon, and Merrilyn Tunneshende. And finally, we honour our participants over the past four decades, who have taught us so much in so many ways.
