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Eutony: definition and practice
Eutonia is an unconventional medical technique that connects body and mind and aims to achieve an ideal muscle tone adapted to the needs of the person being treated.
The benefits of eutony
Etony is used to treat different ailments. These include:
- muscle and joint pain, such as back pain or neck pain;
- poor posture, especially with the use of computers and cell phones;
- depression and anxiety.
This technique is also used in personal development by healthy people who want to learn to relax, by pregnant women and also by people with disabilities or the elderly. It is sometimes performed as part of the rehabilitation of the perineum after childbirth.
Remember that these benefits are not supported by scientific studies.
How does a eutony session go?
The very vague definition of eutony – restoring tone to the body – allows great freedom in the interpretation and development of tone promotion exercises. Etony practitioners use a variety of gentle exercises to open up to unusual sensations and to feel the position and movements of the body.
Sessions can take place alone with the practitioner or in groups and are tailored to the needs of the participants. The use of objects, such as balls of different sizes, bamboo, bags of seeds or even chestnuts is frequent. Each manipulation aims to raise awareness of a part of the body and the sensations associated with it. A eutonic exercise to relieve upper back pain, for example, consists of lying on your back, placing a tennis ball between the shoulder blades, before exerting pressure with the weight of the body and rolling it slightly, then remove it while remaining lying down and thus feel the difference in the absence of the ball.
Where can I get information?
Therapists practicing eutony are called “eutonist” or also “eutonist”. This technique is used as an alternative in several disciplines, in particular by psychotherapists, psychomotor therapists and osteopaths.
For information, it is preferable to contact the practitioner directly, who can indicate whether or not he uses this technique.
It is important to note that this alternative technique is not supervised by any authority, and that it is possible to call oneself a “eutonician” without any prior training. In France in particular, eutony is not taught in the faculty of medicine and only private institutes offer training and issue diplomas not recognized by the state.