The exercises by Audrey McAllen as published in The Extra Lesson are not just an example
of what an individual teacher can develop when confronted with the needs of her students.
Audrey developed an archetypal concept, deeply rooted in Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy
, which goes far beyond the level of the individual. The exercises address the spirit forces
within the body and integrate the movements of the students into the universal movements
of the earth. Practicing the exercises oneself will reveal their effectiveness; studying the
concepts from which these exercises are developed will deepen our understanding of
why they work.
In writing The Foundations of the Extra Lesson, Joep Eikenboom brings the gift of his
skillful and ever so clear writing about the spiritual scientific underpinnings of the
Extra Lesson work. This alone makes the book extremely valuable for educators to
study. Furthermore, he doesn’t stop there. Rudolf Steiner admonished people to
work toward linking spiritual science to the outer science of the day, but that step
has rarely gone beyond informal conversations.
Joep has pioneered in bringing fragmentary glimpses into a comprehensive picture
of possible links between Extra Lesson work and current knowledge in neuroscience.
Thanks to his bold first step, the field can look forward to many years of fruitful
conversations about how outer science can shed light on the mysteries of the
Extra Lesson. Let the dialogue begin!
—Dee Joy Coulter, EdD
Neuroscience educator
The twofold human being, the nervous system as home of the ego, the currents of earth
and human being—these are concepts not commonly heard in anthroposophical medical
circles. They deserve to be studied and applied widely, since they have such depth and
breadth and application for good. Joep Eikenboom brings together three things:
the explanation of these truths (from Steiner’s and others’ works), their exemplification
in culture and history, and their application to bring good into the world. Esoteric information
at its best leads to reverence, gratitude, and action. Please get a mirror, a spoon, a copy
of The Extra Lesson, Learning Difficulties, and Sleep, schedule your own adult Extra Lesson
assessment, and begin reading The Foundations of the Extra Lesson. Beginners like me,
in the trenches of trying daily to meet human needs, will find solid instruction, a sound map
for deeper study over time, and renewed reverence that feeds our will to heal.
—M. Kelly Sutton, MD
This book is a delight for all those who have seen Joep Eikenboom “live on stage.”
The Foundations of the Extra Lesson is inspired equally by deep anthroposophical
insights and the author’s playful sense of humor.
—Uta Stolz
Director of Extra Lesson training, Germany
Contents
1. Human Development
2. Lectures on the Senses and Supersensible Currents
3. Right-angled Triangle and Threefold Spiral Exercises
4. Two Painting Exercises
5. Copper Ball and Moving Straight Line and Lemniscate Exercises
6. Eye Color Affinity: Blue Moon and Red Sun Drawing
7. The Qualities of the Colors
8. Colors in the Extra Lesson Painting Exercises
9. Mirroring and the Imprinting Process
10. Handedness Pattern Assessment and Flower Rod Exercise
11. The Cube as Reversal of Three-dimensional Space
12. The Divine Architecture of the Structural Physical Body
Appendix A. Notes on The King of Ireland’s Son, Joep Eikenboom
Appendix B. Intrusion of the Adversarial Powers, Audrey McAllen
Appendix C. The Physical Body as Educator of the Soul, Audrey McAllen
Appendix D. Earth as a Picture of the Human Being, Audrey McAllen
