Gurdjieff Movements

G.I. Gurdjieff collected and developed the Movements through contact with sources he discovered through travels in the middle east and central Asia.

The Movements are a unique method of training attention and working with all three centers —physical, emotional, and mental. Undertaken as a cooperative activity, the Movements raise awareness of the group while expressing a symbolic language. They communicate ideas and inner states through the language of gesture. We teach and practice the Movements at Camp Caravan as part of an integrated exploration of Fourth Way ideas.

John Bennett and Paul Anderson

John G. Bennett, remarkable teacher, philosopher, and writer was one of the most influential direct pupils of G.I. Gurdjieff. For forty years the MREC Community, has kept his teachings alive. Mr. Anderson, another of Gurdjieff pupils, had a loose affiliation with Mr. Bennett, and they often shared students in the early 1970s.

Some members of the Anderson group were sent to participate in the nine-month seminars organized Bennett at Sherborne, England. Young American seekers who contacted Bennett, inspired by his writings, were referred to Anderson. The participation of these seekers became the basis of the formation of the Anderson group.

In recent years, MREC has invited the Movements teacher, Margit Martinu, to lead periodic intensive seminars with them, including the October 2017 event. (Link to the poster recently provided for the October workshop) Margit, who originally studied at Sherborne, and subsequently with Mr. Anderson, also became an avid pupil of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

With the encouragement of Norbu, she has taught the Movements for three decades, primarily in Italy and Europe. She is also a teacher of Vajra Dance.

The Movements Project

Based on the many connections of the people and shared history, Tsegyalgar invited MREC, in collaboration with Margit, and other interested parties, to prepare and present the Movements in July 2014. This also served to develop the "Movements Project", an initiative evolving out of the collaboration between the MREC, Margit, and other groups.

The Project seeks to study and bring the knowledge that the Movements embody to life. Performing the Movements in public is challenging, primarily due to the stability of the inner state of presence required, in addition to the overall extensive preparation. The Movements, and Sacred Dance in general, can provide a direct experience beyond what is ordinarily accessible. They demand a balanced connection between the body, the emotions, and the mind, resulting in a harmonious state of being.

 

Margit Martinu biography     View her website

Born in Prague, Martinu was educated from early age in dance, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and artistic gymnastics. From 1975-76 she entered a one-year residential course at the International Academy for Continuous education (IACE) in Sherborne, England, founded and directed by J.G. Bennett. From 1977 to 1982 she deepened her studies of Gurdjieff's teachings at the American Institute of Paul Anderson, both as a student and as secretary of Gurdjieff in America.

Under his guidance she was trained as a teacher of the Movements and began her didactic activity at his Institute. In 1985 she returned to Europe where she studied and taught at the Gurdjieff Foundation. Since 1987 Margit has taught workshops at universities in Italy, directed public Movements demonstrations, and conducted seminars in Europe and in the United States. She has also promoted concerts of Gurdjieff/de Hartmann music, mainly for Elan Sicroff. She continues to make the Movements her lifelong work, and shares the results of her dedication through this project.

About the Gurdjieff Movements Project

As we become aware of the importance of discovering, developing, and preserving the teaching, we propose an in-depth study of the Gurdjieff Movements. Gurdjieff entrusted these legomonisms to us, and we value their transmission, based on the perception and understanding of their purpose, and of the inner work enclosed. This is fundamental not only for our personal and group work but also as a responsibility towards future generations.

An Invitation to Movements

This project involves people from all over the world. Because the intention is to develop the Movements, a core group of people already familiar with the Work are needed at its outset. We welcome people working at every level, and we envision reaching out to "new" people as the project continues. This outreach might take the form of special seminars for beginners, open days, intensive training for aspirant Movements teachers, and the study and development of Women's and Men's Movements as well. Possible public demonstrations and other public activities could develop as the Project unfolds.