The Open Forum on Esoteric Training for those who work in anthroposophically based support services for people with special needs focuses on spiritual and inner development and on deepening the understanding of human development. It is offered by members of the Circle on Esoteric Aspects of Professionalism and is open to anyone interested in issues of inner development in the context of educational and social professionalism.

Drawing on Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy, the participants explore inner schooling practices, such as the exercises Rudolf Steiner gave in his course on education for special needs, meditation and self-reflection, to support caregivers, educators, and therapists in cultivating awareness, empathy, and a deeper connection to people with special needs.

The aim is to deepen the understanding of the human being and human development, integrating spiritual insights into practical caregiving, considering the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of each person.

The open forum provides a space for collaboration and reflection, where colleagues can discuss challenges, share experiences and describe good practices. Further development of exercises and their integration into training and education is also an important theme. The results of this collaboration will be presented as exercises and contributions at conferences.

For our collaboration we will have Zoom meetings and we will use the Sutra (*) learning and collaboration platform of our section. On this platform we can share information about the meetings, reference documents, descriptions of exercises, etc. Here you can also reach out to other participants to ask questions, start a conversation, give feedback or share good practices.

If you would like to join this open forum, you can register here or send an e-mail to bart.vanmechelen@goetheanum.ch.

Zoom-Link

* Link to the Sutra learning platform

Upcoming Meetings of the Open Forum on “Esoteric Aspects of Professionalism”
At the online meeting in June 2026, it was decided to set the new dates for the next online meetings only after the conference in October 2026. A forum on these topics will take place as part of the conference. Anyone interested is cordially invited to participate in this in-person forum.

For feedback and questions in advance please email to bart.vanmechelen@goetheanum.ch.