The Pantarei Approach Turns 4

It was 4 years ago that we, Claudia Glowik and Vered Manasse, founded the international Pantarei Approach school in Berlin, Germany. Whenever we think in terms of time, we surprise ourselves. It feels as if the Pantarei Approach has always been with us. And the concepts we now teach came into existence long before we were even concretely aware of them. What has always been clear for both of us though, is our desire to share; to join others; to join you in creating a better world for us all to live in.

Reflections that inspire

This week is one of celebration. It was exactly 4 years ago, on the 29th of November 2016, that we first stood in front of a class of 38 students to teach the Pantarei Approach for the first time. We were very excited. And the feeling dawned on us that we had now taken the biggest step into a new and great adventure.

Since that day, we have opened a total of 8 Pantarei practitioner training programs. The latest one started just this past Monday. We have certified over 200 practitioners and have given over 20 advanced courses. Most of these courses were hands-on, others, also online.

Global connections

We are proud to say that our practitioners can be found in 12 different countries around the globe. And as such, they have touched the lives of thousands of people worldwide. We are so happy to have such a vibrant community of practitioners; to engage with them, share with them, and exchange ideas in-person and online.

Even with such a wide-spread community of practitioners, it is always fascinating to hear how people find their way to our Pantarei Approach school. Many come to us after receiving sessions from our practitioners. By tapping into their own unique strengths and qualities in the sessions, they experience a personal shift. A desired change in their own lives that leads them to want this for others. We feel proud to be a part of such a positive change in people’s lives and to be able to teach a profession that contributes to a world of strength. And our joy is naturally amplified with every student who applies to begin their journey with us.

2020 in particular, reinforced our realization that part of what we do can be seen as creating an island of sanity in which human connection and touch are being offered, to replace isolation and social distancing. We love teaching our students to guide their clients toward their own unique qualities and strengths. And it never ceases to amaze us how powerful the transformative processes can be when someone is able to connect to who they are.

Looking back at the start

Looking back over the years, we realize that our start with the Pantarei Approach school was a challenging one. With hindsight, we can view everything that happened in our lives prior to this new beginning, as part of the starting process. And all of it, the good, the bad, the easy, the difficult, allowed us to step forward and give birth to our own approach.

We had already been working as a team, teaching and running a somatic school for over 13 years and it was clear that teaching was a source of strength and happiness for us both. However, our greatest challenge lay in the method we were teaching at the time. The more experience we gained and the more we connected with our own heart, the clearer it was that our path was a different one to that which we had been traveling down over the years. Understanding this incompatibility was difficult and almost resulted in us going our separate ways, starting new careers in vastly different fields.

Our path. Together

Fortunately, we decided to hold firm and unite even more strongly as business partners, teachers, and most importantly, as friends. We took the time to ask each other the necessary questions. We reminded each other of our values and the reasons behind doing what we so love to do. That is, working as somatic practitioners and running a school to teach a profession that gives so much to the world. It was clear that our path had to change in terms of methodology and approach. However, it was also clear that we would walk this new path together.

Clarifying our goals

As we are sure you can imagine, we spent a lot of time questioning ourselves and each other, sharing and discussing ideas and concepts around what we wanted to create. We spent hours brainstorming at our school, sharing while walking through the streets of Berlin, and exchanging over endless cups of coffee in our favorite cafes. We chatted over dinners, via phone calls and in the sauna, we so love to visit.

We knew we wanted to use all of our experience as somatic practitioners and teachers. We had accumulated thousands of hours with our clients, giving sessions, and supporting transformational processes. And we had hundreds of hours of experience teaching students.
Often, during our discussions, it felt like we talking about something we always knew to be true. But had never given words to. And so it was that the Pantarei Approach school took shape.

Laying down the foundations

In just a few months, we had decided on all the essential structures, topics, and values that form the base of what the Pantarei Approach school is today. Questions that led our thinking process, included: How do we approach and teach the topic of touch? Which kind of role will dialogue have in sessions? How can we use emotions to empower our clients? Can we teach an entire module in only 5 days? How many modules do we need to include in the training program? And, how do we build the content of each module upon the next?

There were so many decisions that had to be taken, yet with our strong connection to our aim, and the experience we had between us, we took them easily. It was as if the answers were there waiting for us. Naturally, we often doubted our first assumptions and spent days investigating if they held up to our vision. And time and time again, we learned that we could trust our intuition.

And before long, before we had even set all of our thoughts into motion, we were inundated with requests from people asking to learn with and from us. With every registered student, we felt our commitment strengthen. Our direction was established and our joy and pride took flight. Starting dates were set and we could finally give our child a name: the Pantarei Approach school.

Our first class

It was beyond exciting to be standing in front of our first class 4 years ago in the beautiful seminar rooms at Dock 11 Eden. Through presenting our own approach, we could finally communicate our own values and ideas. At that moment we felt that we were truly connecting to our destiny. It was as if we had joined a flow that would take us on the most beautiful journey through the life we had always wished for. And we would connect freely to the world and people around us. Everything had fallen into place. It was a moment of bliss that continues until today.

The sensation is as if we had chosen to teach the Pantarei Approach, just as much as it has chosen us. And with each challenge, since the opening of our first class in 2016, a new door has opened. And Pantarei has continued to grow from strength to strength.

Celebrating the Pantarei Approach is celebrating you

Four years on and we have so much to celebrate. Not only are we reminded of the early beginnings, but of all that has taken shape since then. We are fulfilled and blessed by being able to practice something that we love and, just as importantly, that contributes to others in the best way we know how. We are celebrating all the support that we received and the amazing people that have found their way to join us in the Pantarei Approach. We love that you are with us and know that it is only together that we can continue to grow.

We celebrate our luck, our fortune, our love, our destiny. Pantarei Approach school it is, all the way!

Written by Claudia Glowik & Vered Manasse