Rhythm and Repetition in Waldorf Education

Living in this world and have more and more question lead us about the truth of human being, Waldorf education helps to discover deeper. Rhythm and repetition are two factors that very reliable in our daily life. It started from the day we were born in this world, cardiovascular system, breathing, and digestive system. But not only its works for human beings also with all animals, our cosmic system, and plants. The plant gets life forces to grow and strength from the sun, soil, and water. In some season they bloom, show their best flower, and next season they let it go the leaves, sleep for one more season, and wakes up again in spring. This repetition has a big meaning that everything comes back with balance and synchronizes. It will be different when we attempt to cut the rhythm, creates unbalance and that’s what happens when we used a chemical protector that helps the tree overworked and even can lead to the death of the tree. When its flow then it will create a rhythm, which comes with the sense of security for the tree and all animals who depend on that tree.

In evident that happens in the human, which Waldorf concerned about the rhythmic system as an organic system. Education will arrive with the quality of the rhythmic system through the development of artistic quality. So, the art activities will make the child’s breathing and circulation is healthier. The term breathing in and breathing out activities are good examples of help children to find the rhythm which shaping the child’s whole being and take into consideration their well-being.

In my school we have a rhythm that tries to balance the need to be intellectually active through art or project, and free play or music time. We had one case that one mother had difficulty to apply rhythm in the house. Every morning they come late to school, in a hurry and sometimes the mother missed the chance to say a proper goodbye to her daughter. Day by day past and she looks more tired, dragged her foot towards the classroom, and most of the time forget to bring school stuff for her daughter. The daughter had difficulty especially in the morning to adapt to classroom, she chooses to play in the corner missed circle time and had a tantrum. I met with her parents and found that they never have a schedule or rhythm. They brought their experiences as nomad parents that make rhythm was impossible. In conclusion, they agree to make the new rhythm adapt to some activities that they feel need to be part of it. In a few weeks, the daughter came earlier in the school, had time to play with friends and with a better mood feels secure.

Rhythm and repetition connected with the sense of life which built our consciousness, interconnected with our senses. Those senses nourish physical senses will impact our well-being. The lacked sense of life will create a lack of recognition of their own feeling.  Astrid Lackner explained that from the lecture series of Rudolf Steiner he defines that sense of life as vital senses that create a feeling of freedom, energy, or faintness. The children need to expose with rhythmical, predictable morning, have enough rest, enough time to play, participate in practical work, etc. Then they can flourish and found a connection to the sense of life with trust.

Rhythm and repetition once again will help us to organize ourselves, train our sensitivity to the inner self and the world around us, and also bring discipline. The process to be part of our rhythm will not be easy and somehow need to be committed. Regarding the story before, the parents build up again the rhythm and sometimes it works sometimes is not. Being persistence and never giving their hope to help children connect with the new rhythm is to help the children to feel secure and confident. In rhythm and repetition, we know what we want to do, how effective it will be, and how it will affect our life.

“Receive the children in reverence, educate them in love, and send them forth in freedom”. Rudolf Steiner

Sources: Lackner, Astrid. The Sense of Life. https://www.waldorflibrary.org/images/stories/Journal_Articles/gw_71lackner2.pdf

                 Steiner, Rudolf. (1923). Lecture 7; Rhythm, Sleep, Imitation. https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA307/English/RSPC1943/19230811p01.html