What Is Kinaesthetics?

The Tenors

The term Kinaesthetics can be translated with “art/science of motion perception”.

Kinaesthetics deals with following tenors:

  • The development of differentiated and cognizant perception of the own movement.
  • The development of movement capacity, which means a healthy and flexible use of the own movement in private and business activities.
  • The differentiated analysis of human activity via angles based on experiences in Kinaesthetics.
  • The ability to use the own movement in contact with other people so they are targeted supported in their own movement capacity and property.
     

Kinaesthetics approaches to these contents in two ways. On the one hand it provides instruments and methods to classify and to get to know about the individual experiences. In this way it nurtures the care for quality and differences of movements in everyday activities. On the other hand Kinaesthetics affords the cognitive examination with theoretical basics and scientific research. The connection between these two ways represents fascination and innovation of Kinaesthetics.

The Effect

Motion is a basic of life. The sensitization of motion perception and the development of movement capacity are able to have a lasting share on human of all ages in advancement in the terms health, development and learning. Kinaesthetics may help to stay agile and independent in seniority, to relieve backache, tensions and other physical pain and also examinations with your own creativity and flexibility (e. g. the exposure to stress) are possible.

The effect of Kinaesthetics always shows in a double sense while steering infants, old people, handicapped, patients: The attendants and the people they attend benefit in equal measure from the growing movement capacity. Creating care intervention as an interaction based on Kinaesthetics is not only leading to amazing proceedings at high-maintenance people but also aids health of the attendance.

In a company it is possible to develop the practical expertise and self-responsibility of staff but Kinaesthetics can also be used as a central element of organisation and quality development.

Kinaesthetics wants to aid learning and development processes with respect for the autonomy counterpart to make a contribution to quality of life all parties concerned. 

The Practise

Kinaesthetics is an important part of educating specialised staff in the domain of welfare and health care. Each year over 3’000 basic courses take place with altogether 40’000 attendees in sundry institutes.
The large request is covered by various Kinaesthetics programmes. The most popular program is Kinaesthetics in care which is directed to staff in hospitals, foster homes a. s. o. but also gets more important at work with handicapped persons. Infant Handling is the next program generated for the care of newborns and infants. A new deployment with an increasing public interest is Kinaesthetics Nurturing Relatives.
Kinaesthetics also reaches the area of personal health and development advancement with the programmes Kinaesthetics Health At Work, Agile Growing Old and Creative Learning.
In the organizational domain Kinaesthetics on enquiry accomplishes Kinaesthetics-Assessments in institutes. These assessments may lead to a Kinaesthetics-mention.

The existing Kinaesthetics-programmes and special new developments get evaluated regularly and adapted to the needs of all involved.

The History

Kinaesthetics was evolved by F. Hatch and L. Maietta in the 80s of the 20th century based on their scientific contact to behavioural cyberneticist K. U. Smith and the interest in motion, dance and learning. Their courses quicken interest especially in the range of nurture. In the 90s began the first Kinaesthetics trainer with regular schooling in different institutes in the German-speaking part. The consistent growth of educational establishment Kinaesthetics caused several reorganizations. The last one in 2006/2007 leads to the current organisation of Kinaesthetics.

The Theoretical Basics

The researches of behavioural cyberneticist K. U. Smith and the connected Kinaesthetics field investigation process are the scientific basic for Kinaesthetics. The theoretical considerations of cybernetic by scientists like G. Bateson or H. v. Foerster affected the creation of the Kinaesthetics theory.

The description of living systems by the two neurobiologists H. Maturana and F. J. Varela is the third basic.

The development of this basics is build up by own research projects of Kinaesthetics and current analysis in related sciences.
 

The Learning Comprehension

The Kinaesthetics system of learning is the didactic base of learning opportunities. The issue of movement competence involves courses that are based on autonomous learning and are exceedingly individualised and process-oriented. The individual movement experiences in everyday activities provide a basis and a connection to cognitive contention with Kinaesthetics. The sensitization of the own body perception has a concrete effect on the movement competence and the behaviour of the attendees during practice. The Kinaesthetics partners create established on this basics a learning environment and interaction with the group.

The Organization

Kinaesthetics is a European education organization with about 1000 Kinaesthetics trainers. The company Kinaesthetics is a peripheral managed network, made up of three levels:

  • The Kinaesthetics trainers are employees or self-employed. They organize and arrange the base courses (basic, advanced and peer tutoring courses) by themselves. They cooperate closely with their country organization.
  • The country organizations are economically and juristically independent and act for the interests of Kinaesthetics in their country. They are responsible for the trainer apprenticeships and further educations, the administration and the network.
  • The European Kinaesthetics Association (EKA) is the union of all country organizations. It coordinates the overall tasks and is responsible for research and development. 

The Country Organizations

Do you have any further questions about Kinaesthetics, not answered in this leaflet? Please contact your Kinaesthetics organization.



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