Introductory workshop

Core Strokes™ is a comprehensive evolutionary process bridging psychotherapy, spirituality and bodywork in the service of self-development, developed by Dirk Marivoet, MSc. after 35 years of experience in psychotherapy, psychomotor therapy, spirituality, shamanism and bodywork. It works within a relational alliance in order to connect with and ground in the Core (Center of Right Energy) or the personality. This workshop will allow you to discover a personal development and therapeutic method to reduce pain and to enhance the probability of success in achieving a productive, creative and fulfilling life.

Upcoming workshops

A powerful combination of experiential and didactic learning opportunities

This workshop will give you an understanding of how blocked energy affects you emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. You could experience powerful energetic techniques that open the flow of life force in a systematic way.

You will also discover the many ways in which you unconsciously prevent yourself from being well aligned, clear minded, fully alive and joyful through:

• self-diagnostic exercises to develop sensitivity to non-verbal communication,
• a body of theories regarding human development and maturation,
• powerful verbal and non-verbal psychotherapeutic and bodywork techniques and interventions.

Through this work, you could be able to let go of old/historic psychological maps (beliefs, images, perceptions) which correspond with the “holding patterns”, the “protective armor” of physical tensions in your body. The freeing of these tensions and holding patterns will allow for the creation of new more satisfying bodymind maps (both in body and mind) and a deeper “yes” to life.

You will be able to find out how your body and your feelings are very important guides for finding your purpose in life and for desired change. The three phases of psychological healing in Core Strokes, personal growth and spiritual practice are thus: “Let be, Let go, let in”.

Participants testify that the work helps them to experience more pleasure and satisfaction, and a sense of meaning and connectedness.

For all those willing to go deeper personally and professionally, this workshop is also an introduction to the professional training modules that are being organized in different countries (these may be followed separately in the locality of your choice).

Liberate your heart and find your true self with Core Strokes!

Core Strokes touches upon the evolutionary process of the living Soul by unlocking the hidden treasures of the bodymind. «Core» refers to our «Center of Right Energy», which is connected to goodness in your heart. «Strokes» refers to our ability to literally and symbolically touch and be touched in our «Deep Soul» by others. “Strokes” in our understanding are “units of recognition”). We can say that any transaction between people is an exchange of strokes. Most transactions involve verbal and non-verbal exchanges. In Core Strokes, we also introduce “myofascial strokes” that touch the psychosomatic unity of being. Core Strokes believes that the primary evolutionary push in the universe is Love and that every person is good by nature and has a loving heart.

All of us have a genetic push for self-realization – to become who we truly are – in service to self and others. We try to understand, therefore what is required to gain greater mastery of all aspects of our physical and emotional being : how to own and harmonize our genetic, neurological, sensori-motor, behavioral and symbolic sides. The cautious manner in which in Core Strokes the body is involved in the therapeutic process, the attention to the expression of emotions without applying pressure, and the focus on ego-integration, all offer you a safe working-method in which you can connect with your uniqueness and potentiality. We develop greater consciousness by naming the inner and the outer world and internalizing its meaning.

Are you ready to live fully?

Are you determined to own yourself, to know in your bones that you belong to yourself? We believe that, in order to live fully, we have to claim our life as our own, apart from the conditioning and programming of family and society. In our story of individual development —in order to develop a consciousness and to move forthrightly out into the world — we need to call ourselves out of unconsciousness by way of free will.

Core Strokes is in other words a way of entering heart-first into the visceral world of your feelings. By becoming conscious of your automatic “old maps” and supplementing your experience with new experiences and possibilities, you create “new inner maps” that guide you in the world. We then naturally and spontaneously embrace life in the way suited to us.

What is Core Strokes?

Core Strokes combines, in an innovative and accessible manner, theoretical and practical aspects of Bodymind Integration methods and techniques such as Postural Integration®, Energetic Integration® and Pelvic-Heart Integration® – developed by Jack W. Painter, PhD, Core Energetics – developed by John C. Pierrakos, MD, Psychomotor Therapy (especially influenced by Al Pesso) and the neuroscience concerning emotion, memory and traumatization. As a rich synthesis, Core Strokes works with :

• The model of a “natural energetic cycle/wave in steps”: work with the safe breath, nourishing breath, exploratory breath, free breath and orgasmic breath – uses exploration of the blockages in terms of character structure.
• A map of consciousness and a map of personality as an orientation for estimating the depth of the work and better understanding of defense mechanisms. You will be able to resolve conflicts and relationship problems with yourself and others.
• Structured exercises to increase physical sensitivity and awareness.
• Dynamic body reading: discover what the body tells in posture and movement.
• The profile and economy of “Strokes” with the inclusion of “myofascial strokes” that affect the psychosomatic unity of being.
• Development of the inner “pilot” and “witness”.
• Gestalt exercises.
• Role play with accommodation in pairs, triangles or larger constellations
• Emotional Process work, hands-on work and other support work for solving segmental and “myofascial armor”

release and Transform your holding patterns, Defenses and armoring with ‘Hands-On’ Core Strokes techniques

Core Strokes supports a growth process of the whole person, which is reflected in one’s physical appearance and posture. Your body tells a lot about who you are.

One set of techniques used in Core Strokes, helps you to deeply liberate the myofascial tensions in your body in combination with simultaneous work with breath, movement, energy and consciousness within the interpersonal relationship. In a comprehensive and systematic way, the different areas of the body are made aware and re-balanced individually and in relation to each other. We simultaneously work with a synthesis of Charging and Discharging Breathwork techniques, Gestalt, bodymind drama and character self-analysis supplemented by connective tissue work. Participants will have the opportunity to experience this work in a safe and inviting environment under the guidance of experienced teachers and supervisors.

Concretely, what will you do and experience during this workshop?

In a Core Strokes introductory workshop you have an opportunity both to do your own work and to begin acquiring skills as a practitioner. You will have a chance to explore, experience and learn:

• Connecting with the self /other; individual / pair / group
  • Literal body, virtual body; Literal mind, virtual mind; Mind’s Body, Mind’s Eye
• Identifying, witnessing, naming, grounding sensations and feelings
• Opening the bodymind with movement, stretching, breath, touch, sound, etc
• Grounding, centering, focussing, containing, skying, bonding, bounding,
• Ways of charging and discharging energy:
  • Slow-quick; surprise charge; super-dooper charge; Charging parts of the body; Confusional method for charge / discharge; etc.; paradoxical breathing; pauses in breathing
  • Sounds: Ah, Uh, Huh, Ha, Hu, Who, Ga, Ugh; moan, groan, shout, growl, words, no sound
• Work with segments: tonic eyes, open/closed, feeling eyes; roll eyes; bug eyes, skull eyes;  face: lips, nostrils, jaw, chin, tongue; Shoulders: shrug up/down, tonic shrug, shake, hit, choke, reach, etc.; Chest; Diaphragm; Pelvis: roll, toss, slam,..Legs: kick, open/close; slam kick fast/slow, pressure;
• Breathing:
  • Belly breathing, chest breathing; accessory muscle breathing; advanced breathing
  • Secure Breath, Nurturing Breath, Exploring Breath, Free Breath, Excited Breath, Orgastic Breath, etc.
  • Connected breath; Staircase-breathing; staccato breath; rhythmic breath; shock breath; push breath; gasp breath; complete breath; cry breath; smile breath, blow breath, frown breath, cough breath, gag breath; inverting the general breathing pattern, etc.
  • Breathing assisted by touch (self-touch; other touch); assisted by roller; etc.
  • Breathing blocks: dispersing, collapsing, inflating, repressing or rigidifying,  dissociating, overextending, crashing and confusing, etc.
• Myofascial strokes:
  • Position for the client; position for the facilitator
  • Hands-on techniques – working with fingers, fists, elbows, etc.
  • Depth of touch – superficial, intermediary deep, deep
  • Reception of touch:
    • refuse it, look for it, welcome it
    • for, against, with
    • confronting, containing, suffering, calming, living, …
• Movement modalities: reflexive, involuntary, voluntary
  • pulsation, trembling, yawning, perspiring, shaking, receiving, giving, aggressing, taking, let go, etc. etc.
  • kicking, hitting, stamping, falling, emoting, etc.
• Body Reading: phenomenological, feeling, seeing, touching, physical, energetic, etc.
  • Alignment, gravity
  • Hang ups, falling anxiety, grounding, symmetry, dimensions: left-right, top-bottom, back-front, inside-outside, horizontal-vertical,
  • Energy leaks, blockages, etc.
  • Belts of tension
• Verbalizing:  Emotive words; Questions, Sharing techniques
• Phenomenological, feeling, seeing, touching, physical, energetic, etc.
• Character Styles:
  • Healthy character styles: Grounded, Receptive, Expressive, Free, Passionate, Creative, Mellow, Joyful, Satisfied
  • Defended Character styles: Schizoid, Oral, Psychopathic, Masochistic, Rigid
  • Defenses and their role – cognitive, physical, emotional patterns
  • 41 coping mechanisms other than repression
• Etc

Through individual and group practices, you will be able to experience how your entire body, energy, feeling and attitude begins to change visibly and tangibly. People who have experienced this work firsthand, tell us that they become livelier, more powerful, more connected, satisfied, joyful, courageous. Joy instead of pain. Meaning and Connection instead of despair and alientation. 

Is this workshop for me?

This workshop is an excellent opportunity for personal work and development in a group context. Given the integrative character of this workshop, we welcome both interested students from the general public and professionals.

Bring especially your curiosity, your willingness, and your desire to «move on» so that you can experience your body, feelings and emotions!

For people who are interested in taking the professional training modules, it is advised to follow this workshop. Contents and work methods as shown and taught in the training modules are sufficiently covered.

Who are the facilitators?

Dirk Marivoet, MSc. is the main facilitator of this workshop. He is a certified psychotherapist (ECP) and a licensed psychomotor therapist (University of Leuven), director of the International Institute for Bodymind Integration. He is also a certified trainer and supervisor for all methods of Bodymind Integration (Postural Integration®, Energetic Integration® and Pelvic-Heart Integration®) and a teacher and supervisor of Core Energetics®, a Body Oriented Psychotherapy modality. After more than 35 years of working and teaching, both in the academic, alternative and complementary fields of psychotherapy, he created the Core Strokes ™ approach, which he offers worldwide.

Dirk Marivoet may be accompanied by another facilitator depending on the place.

Join an introductory workshop Core Strokes™!

You will find below all the upcoming workshop worldwide. If you don’t find any in your country and want to host one in your place, do not hesitate to contact us. 

What next?

Those individuals and professionals who are looking forward to improve their skills with this integrative approach to personal development, growth and therapy or who want to acquire a deeper understanding of the process, methods and techniques of Core strokes ™ can apply for the longer certifying training modules of 7 days each.