Antigymnastics® is a method of bodily well-being.
It was created in the 1970s by Thérèse Bertherat, a trained physiotherapist. “ My mother wanted a discipline without purely mechanical gym exercises that we do without thinking and which do not take into account the Human Being with his emotions, his thoughts… » explains Marie Bertherat, Thérèse’s daughter, who is the facilitator of the method and responsible for training in France and around the world. Far from being interested only in the muscles, this discipline focuses on the person, their personal history and even on the evolution of the body (from quadruped we became biped, which had an impact on the way we hold ourselves and we has developed defense mechanisms to protect areas of the body not previously exposed). It allows you to discover your body‚ to put back into action muscles that you no longer use as in childhood‚ with the words of the practitioner and the movements that the latter asks you to do.
Antigym® is work on the mind and the body
“ It requires presence in what we are doing. The practitioner gives those who participate in the workshops the opportunity to speak. He or she may ask you, for example, “which muscle is stimulated during the small movement you are performing?” » explains Marie Bertherat. This method is above all a search for bodily awareness. It’s about finding or rediscovering the harmony of your body and mind.
The Antigym® practitioner never shows the movements to be performed
“ This describes the movement precisely and in stages starting with the simplest using images‚ a formulation that makes the body want to do the movement. This is made easier and is no longer mechanical because it becomes something that the part of our body involved wants to discover », Explains the training manager. The workshop is punctuated by moments of silence. “ It’s important to create a connection with your body and inhabit it fully again. ». Marie Bertherat tells us that even if Antigym® is not a therapy, it has therapeutic effects (in particular to relieve chronic back pain) because “it puts the body back in motion by allowing all the muscles to be alive “.
This method is practiced in a mini-group even if everyone performs the movements alone.
“ The group is a support‚ a stimulant », underlines Marie Bertherat. Certified Antigym® practitioners can be found almost everywhere in France, as well as throughout the world. They offer one-off workshops of 2 or 3 hours or cycles of 6 to 10 sessions with a weekly course lasting 1h30 which can be renewed. “ It is also possible to practice Antigym® independently‚ with family or friends‚ with the help of a book or videos », informs us Marie Bertherat.
There are no contraindications
Everyone can practice Antigym! The movements practiced are gentle and of low amplitude. You do them at your own pace. It is a global and preventive health approach that is aimed at everyone.
To read: Thérèse and Marie Bertherat, My Antigym® lesson‚ Editions Eyrolles, October 2023
www.antigymnastics.com/fr/
