An introduction
Rudolf Steiner described six simple exercises intended to develop and purify thinking, feeling and willing. They are called basic exercises or additional exercises (German: Nebenübungen), because in the anthroposophical tradition they are practised in addition to meditation. According to that tradition they are also worthwhile for people who do not meditate: those who practise them are said to get to know themselves better and to find life more interesting.
In anthroposophy, thinking, feeling and willing are the three faculties of the soul. Practising them, first separately (thinking, feeling, willing) and then in combinations, is seen as a way of developing the soul.
The tradition gives several reasons for these exercises:
- In meditation, thinking, feeling and willing become detached from each other and can go their own way.
- In ordinary life, too, a disconnection between thinking, feeling and willing can be observed. Someone may feel something and think something that has no connection with that feeling: a person may feel pity and at the same time think that it is none of their business. Or someone does something without having thought about it and is not satisfied with it afterwards. A person watches television, sees someone eating peanuts, goes to the kitchen, takes some and eats them, and only then wonders why they are eating peanuts and whether they wanted to do that at all. The exercises are meant to strengthen the integration of the three.
- Thinking, feeling and willing can run automatically, and some thoughts, feelings and actions are not so pretty. The basic exercises are described as a way to purify them.
The six exercises
- Control of thought aims to gain control over what one thinks.
- Control of will aims to gain control over one's actions.
- Equanimity, the exercise of feeling, aims to become aware of one's feelings, to weaken strong feelings, to strengthen weak ones and to balance them.
- Positivity aims to see the positive alongside the bad and the ugly. In this exercise thinking and feeling are combined.
- Open-mindedness aims to remain open to new experiences. In this exercise feeling and willing are combined.
- Inner harmony is the sixth, in which the previous exercises are practised together to create harmony between thinking, feeling and willing.
The goals of the exercises
- To be more aware of how one thinks, feels and acts.
- To gain more control over thoughts, feelings and actions.
- To think, feel and act more clearly.
- To make a harmonious whole of thinking, feeling and willing.
The exercises can be practised alone or in a group. A group makes it possible to exchange experiences, to encourage one another and to keep up the exercises for a longer period. They look easy, but practitioners often find them hard to maintain for four weeks, and everyday life can seem to leave no time for them. Some keep a short daily record of which exercise they did and how it went.
Although Steiner made several statements about the duration of the exercises, a common practice is to do all exercises consecutively, in the order given, for four weeks each. In anthroposophical terms, after four weeks of practice the acquired skill becomes a habit that is taken up into the vital or etheric body.
Practitioners often describe a similar course. In the first week the novelty of an exercise brings enthusiasm, so the exercise pulls the person along. Somewhere in the first or second week the novelty wears off, and the enthusiasm has to be generated from within. The exercise becomes more difficult and requires more effort, which, in this view, also makes its effect stronger.
Another approach is to do each exercise for one week and then move on to the next, alternating the exercises week by week. How they are practised is ultimately a personal matter that depends on possibilities and interest. The tradition's own advice is to take them seriously, but not too seriously, so that they do not become a duty; humour is considered a help.
Literature
Dam, J. van, 1999. Het zesvoudige pad. Vrij Geestesleven, Zeist (Dutch). Steiner, Rudolf, 1910. An outline to esoteric science. Steiner books. Flensburger Hefte 47, 1994. Übungen zur Selbsterziehung (German).
Questions
What are the six basic exercises?
They are exercises described by Rudolf Steiner: control of thought, control of will, equanimity, positivity, open-mindedness and inner harmony. In the anthroposophical tradition they are meant to develop and purify thinking, feeling and willing.
Why are they also called additional exercises?
The German name Nebenübungen refers to exercises done alongside meditation. The tradition also presents them as useful for people who do not meditate.
How long is each exercise usually practised?
Steiner made several statements about duration. A common practice in the tradition is to do each exercise for four weeks, in the given order, although some people alternate the exercises week by week.