Kientalerhof Workstudy Program

School for Body Therapy Kiental Wetzikon Uzwil

Workstudy Program

When does it start?

The vision

For detailed information and/or special time arrangements, please contact the Work Study Program administration (Elisabeth Jäger).

Our unique program is designed to provide you with an experience of self-growth and to broaden and deepen your own personal view of life, while living in community with others who share the same interest.

About Kientalerhof Kientalerhof is situated in a small, traditional Swiss village – Kiental – where life seems to slow down and provides a soothing and contemplative alternative to the „real“ world. At the same time Kientalerhof is a very active place, where people from many parts of the world and walks of life meet, live and study. It`s a most inspiring, rewarding and nurturing environment!

What is the Program about? The program consists of 4 parts: 1. study 2. work 3. self reflection 4. community life

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2017: 12.02. - 10.07. / 28.07. - 20.12.

The lectures and work The study part includes 210-220 hours of Qi Gong training as well as introduction lectures in Shiatsu, Cranio, Rebalancing, holistic cooking as well as other interesting body work and healing modalities – not to forget artistic and music programs. The Qi Gong is offered as a 20 times 1/2 day-training, distributed equally over the about 5 months stay in Kiental, as well as early morning classes from Monday to Friday. Morning meditation is from 6:30 o`clock until 7 o`clock, followed by preperatory morning exercices until 8 o`clock. The work part consists of 5 hours work, 5 days a week in the following areas: housekeeping – housemaintenance – dishwashing – kitchen – garden

Requirements Anyone who is in good health and willing to participate actively, with an open and inquisitive mind, a positiv spirit and a desire to team up is welcome! You should be able to speak English as the Qi Gong classes are held in English and the main language spoken in the Workstudy Program is English.

Why choose us? Apart from the Qi Gong training with Ron Timm (the main teacher) and his Assistents (Workstudies of former years who have gained more experience), there are many additional reasons why our Workstudy Program stands out:

• Our location is sublime (just look up ‚Kiental‘ and the surrounding area on the Internet)! • Our cooks prepare their food with love and mostly organic and locally grown products, mostly vegetarian (but not exclusively). Vegan options are available. Work hours are structured in a way that gives the student enough free time and flexibility to pursue personal interests. • Students have the possibility to attend the introductory classes of most trainings held at Kientalerhof (Shiatsu, Craniosacral Therapy, Rebalancing and Music Improvisation), at no additional costs. • Additional offers include cooking classes, creative classes for self-development and various possibilities depending on the current program and availability.

About Qi Gong „Qi Gong is the foundation for any kind of bodywork, energy work and martial arts. It embraces all levels of human life - the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Even though Qi Gong, unlike yoga for instance, is not well known in the West, it is a very complex and complete system. Being a Qi Gong teacher I would even call it “THE system”. Qi Gong has a history dating back some thousands of years and its teachings have been passed on, through time, from masters of many generations to their students. In this way the methods have been proven, improved, modified and adjusted. And to this day they are still serving the same purpose: to live life in a happy and healthy way, in congruence with oneself and in harmony with others and the earth (environment).

Some of the reasons why Qi Gong is not that popular may be due to the fact that its origins are in China. China has been closed for the West for many centuries. That is why Marco Polo became famous with his travel diaries when he talked about life inside of China for the first time. Yet today it is doubted whether Polo had ever travelled to China. The West has never colonized China. It was only with the political opening of the Chinese government in the 1990’s that it became easier for an individual to travel to (mainland) China. Personally, I see the main reason for why Qi Gong is not as popular as it should be in its very nature, in the way it deals with energy (Qi). Qi Gong is a Chinese term. In translation Qi is the „energy of life“ or „life force“. Gong means work or practice. So basically Qi 3

Gong means nothing more than to work with energy, to exercise the force of life. The human body is an energetic system that is run and even created by the universal life force (Qi). In fact, the various motions of Qi cause all expressions of life. The natural flow of Qi through our body is what makes us alive and feel happy and healthy. Now the problem is that the Western World has neither a concept nor an understanding of what the Chinese call Qi or life force. In the East it is contained in everything, from architecture to art, to medicine, to daily life. In the West, even in the esoteric fields the idea of energy is often very abstract, negligent of the body and daily life. Energy is mostly seen as something mental. The approach that Qi Gong takes in that perspective is but one: through practicing it (if you cannot do it, you don’t know it), connected to the body and its functions and focused on the betterment of day-to-day life. Practically there is no way you can do Qi Gong without being concerned with the energy and the flow of Qi (through your body). For instance, it is very easy to do an asana (yoga posture) while fully neglecting the aspects of energy; this is is actually done very often. Practicing Qi Gong in this way makes absolutely no sense because the outside (visible) motions have no pur4

pose of their own; they are merely the visible result (manifestation) of energy moving through the body. Observed from the outside the motions look very simple (and they are indeed) but inside many complex things are happening at the same time. And right here we are facing another problem. Modern life is so much oriented towards the outside and the surface that there is no(thing) inside. But life and therefore health, wellbeing, peace etc. is only found on the inside. There is no life outside of a tree, the life is inside. The outside is just an expression of the life that is pulsating inside. So when life dies inside the outside dies too. When the inside is in harmony, peaceful etc., so is the outside. Therefore even though the motions of Qi Gong are quite simple, after some time of practicing it people will refer to them as being very beautiful and touching. This comes from the inside. Through practice your inside becomes more beautiful or to say it differently, the beauty inside of you (present since birth and before) gets uncovered; now it can shine through and be expressed on the outside. Qi Gong is only oriented towards the inside, to where life is, to help the unfolding of life and beauty because: WE JUST HAVE ONE LIFE – TO SHARE.

With this in mind I try to teach people who are truly interested, the priceless values, virtues and deep insights that lie within the true Qi Gong practice. The Qi Gong training inherent in the Workstudy Program of Kientalerhof was created with this in mind. It is also true that serious Qi Gong practice needs time and regularity. This is granted by

the structure of the program. Another aspect of the Qi Gong training taught at Kientalerhof is that we are settled in this pure and beautiful valley in the Swiss Alps. In this way it will be much easier to connect with the strength and ancient wisdom of nature and to work with the different energies.“ Ron Timm

Creative space for self development „In 8 to 10 seminar units spread over the workstudy period we meditate to align ourselves with our essence. Through various exercises (f.e. from art therapy) we strengthen our awareness, recognize current dynamics within ourselves or in the group and begin to develop next steps, find alternatives, detect inner resources and discover how they can be used in everyday life.

is a perfect place to experience and practice all of this.

My wish is that each of us can connect with our higher self in every day life, to expirience that we are always guided and that we are individuals as well as we are part of a greater whole.

Supporting the workstudies in topics that are being touched through being part of a community or in regards of finding a new direction in life is my main task in this program.“

Kientalerhof with its purpose, in this great nature, with all the wonderful people here,

I love to assist people in this 5-month period, to get a broader view while doing every day tasks, as simple as housekeeping, dishwashing, gardening, preparing seminar-rooms... and to experience it as a small but important puzzle piece of the „big picture“.

Elisabeth Jäger

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Course Instructors Curriculum vitae Ron Timm

Born in Germany, 1970 • Training Martial Arts - Qi Gong, Kung Fu, Taiji – with master Thammavong from Laos • Study of the Healing Dao system by master Mantak Chia • Practice of Daoist Meditation and Zazen

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• Study of Macrobiotics with Steven Acuff, Françoise Rivière, Renée Levi • Shiatsu practitioner, graduated at ISSKiental with Saul Goodman • Training Martial Arts as a student of master Peng Wu Chi, Taiwan • Study of Seiki Soho with Akinobu Kishi Sensei • Living in Kiental, Switzerland, and teaching in the Workstudy Program, Kientalerhof • Teaching Qi Gong workshops in Poland since 2007 • Training with Bruce Frantzis (in the daoist water way) since 2007

Curriculum vitae Elisabeth Jäger

Born in Germany, 1959 • College for professional education in social pedagogy Karlsruhe – Federal recognition as Kindergarden Teacher • Medial development with Ruedi Schmid (Aura consultant and Spiritual Healing) • Training as a certified art therapist at A.P.A.K.T (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für psychoanalytische Kunsttherapie)

• 2 years of Group Management, 5 years Kindergarden Management at Waldorf Kindergarten Germany • Healertraining with recognition of „Dachverband für Geistiges Heilen“ • 2002 – 2012: Own practice as Energetic therapist, Art therapist and Parent consultant in Germany • Training in aura reading and in the method of the lightfield activation • Teacher training for the „Basic Course New Lightbody“ with Cecilia Sifontes • Since 2013 Energetic therapist / art therapist in the treatment center of the Kientalerhof. • Since June 2013: Management of the Workstudy program in Kientalerhof, guiding workstudies, instructing them in the field of housekeeping and supporting them in the creative offers for self development. • Participation in the practice „Forum für Gesundsein & Kreatives“ 3600 Thun

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Practical Information Costs and Accomodation

1. Course costs CHF 500 (Swiss francs) per month. This includes all classes, as there are: - Qi Gong - Introduction classes: Shiatsu, Rebalancing, Cranio Sacral Therapy - cooking classes - personal development classes - 2 guided tours to power places in Kiental There are no extra costs, except for your own personal expenses. Further possibilities to learn and experience Kientalerhof program offerings: upon availability. 2. Your working part, consisting of 5 hours of work per day (on average), 5 days a week in different departments of the house, pays for three healthy meals per day and for lodging. 3. For the length of your stay you will share a 4-bedroom with with people of your gender. Students have 2 days off with one of these days being a 'flexible course day' which is used for study classes and extra-curricular activities shown per number 1. 4. There is a ten day trial period. Both, the Kientalerhof management, as well as the Workstudy participant, will have the opportunity to terminate the engagement in case it becomes obvious that this program is not suitable.

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How to get to Kiental? By air: the nearest international airport is Bern. Other international airports: Basel, Zurich, and Geneva. By train: check train connections at http:// www.sbb.ch. The website has a version in English and the train schedules in Switzerland are fully reliable. Arriving by plane or train, continue to Bern, Thun, Spiez and then Reichenbach im Kandertal. Depending on the connection you might have to change trains in Spiez - be aware that the train is splitting up in two directions from there! (Take the one in the direction of Frutigen, not Simmental!) From Reichenbach you can catch a bus to Kiental. The Kientalerhof is right next to the bus stop called ‚Kiental Dorf‘. From Zurich or Geneva the whole trip to Kiental by train will take approximately 3.5 hours. From Basel it takes around 3 hours. It is advisable to ask for the fastest connection to Reichenbach (im Kandertal). A half price card for one year can be purchased at the train station. Sometimes it is worth buying it even if you do not plan to travel much during your stay. Check it out! Taxi service is also available from Reichenbach. Gerber Taxi: Cell phone: +41 79 652 65 08 / +41 79 311 81 16.

What to bring and important information about the house Clothing

Lodging

Both periods of the Workstudy Program have a little bit of all seasons in them. Therefore it is advised to bring warm clothing as well as lighter clothing. Temperatures can range from below zero to 30 degrees Celsius (mid summer) and there may still be some snow in April or already in November.

Students share a 4-bedroom and are responsible for keeping their room nice and tidy. We also ask you to please keep all common areas of the house clean. Kientalerhof provides sheets, blankets and towels. A laundry machine and ironing facilities are available at no extra cost.

It doesn’t matter in which time of the year you join the Workstudy Program. Because we are situated in a village in the Swiss Alps, it is always advisable to bring hiking shoes, gloves, a warm coat, a light raincoat, as well as sunglasses and sunscreen lotion. Comfortable house shoes to wear indoors, appropriate clothes and shoes for work, loose and comfortable cotton clothing for exercises and bodywork are needed as well.

Tasty, creative whole food meals are served 3 times a day. Additional drinks and snacks can be obtained in the self-service bar, at your own cost.

Meals

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Health Care – Insurance Switzerland has a different concept as far as health care is concerned. In order to get proper care, everyone has to have his or her own health insurance in case it is necessary to go to the doctor or to the hospital. We advise our students or visitors to have their own personal health/accident insurance so that in case something happens while staying in Switzerland you are covered. Otherwise you would have to pay huge amounts of money.

Other things that you will need • Alarm clock • Notebook and pens for classes (can also be obtained at the local shop)

Staying in touch: phone – e-mail – mail In the house there is a public phone, operating on phone cards. Phone cards can be obtained at the Kientalerhof, or at public kiosks. You can receive calls to the public phone, in the house: +41 33 676 1298. Mobile phone connection is only possible via Swisscom. You can have Internet connection through WiFi (if you have your own laptop), it‘s free of charge. We also have two computers in our beautiful new library! Any personal mail can be sent to: Kientalerhof, Griesalpstrasse 44, 3723 Kiental. Faxes (+41 33 676 1241) and emails to Kientalerhof can also be passed on to you.

Recreation

Smoking and drugs

You can bring musical instruments or anything that will make your stay enjoyable. We have a variety of books (from fiction, to theory in various fields in English and German) so if you have a passion for reading you do not need to carry many books with you. We have a heated swimming pool (during summer) and a sauna. There also is a campfire area outside, DVDs to lend from our library and pianos, if you‘d like to practice. Mountains, waterfalls, and lakes are also available, at no extra charge!

Kientalerhof is a non smoking/drug-free house! There is a reserved area on the outside terrace where smoking is allowed. Smoking is prohibited at any other place in the house.

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Some testimonials from Workstudy students I came to Kientalerhof to get in touch again with my true self. Time here is very intense. I love the vivid exchange with all the people here. The constant Qi Gong, brings me closer to my inner field, to my body and my stillness. It`s inspiring to watch my body and energetic system change in this short period of time and to notice how i am growing beyond my old self. The nature all around Kientalerhof is a big part of the magic you can sense everywhere in Kiental. It makes me aware of my own nature, transience and each and every moment. I am very happy to be able to be here as a Workstudy. It`s a benefit on all levels, if you dare to let yourself in and surrender to the magic. Then everything is possible or nothing. Katrin Jäger, Germany This experience made me feel more grounded, I feel more in my center and I see reality from another point of view. That was exactly what I was looking for. Cristina Crippa, Italy

This Workstudy has not always been easy, but overall, a good experience. Not always easy because sometimes I didn‘t find what I was looking for, but good because I always found something I would need. Victor Conception Marrero, Tenerife There is no place you can come in touch with mirror images - „reflections“- like here. Back to the roots, self-confidence, growing, beauty. After years of depression, joy of life came back to me. How wonderful that is!!! Irmi Beck-Hennecke, Germany What do I want from life? What is the intention behind anything I do? Is it the calling of a bird or the smiling face of human being who is just happy that you are there? Marcus Dittrich, Germany These three months are impayable. I’m thankful and feel privileged that I experienced and learned so much. It is not possible to put in words but this time is of enormous worth for my path! Martina Heinzer, Switzerland

Feel free to contact us with any other questions / concerns you may have. We are looking forward to helping you make your stay at Kientalerhof an unforgettable experience. Welcome!

Kientalerhof Learning Encounter Bodywork Evolving Consciousness School for Body Therapy Kiental Wetzikon Uzwil Griesalpstrasse 44 CH-3723 Kiental I Zürcherstrasse 29 CH-8620 Wetzikon T: +41 33 676 26 76 I [email protected] | www.kientalerhof.ch

29.08.2016