The Pantarei Approach Turns Five

Five years ago, we opened our first official class of the Pantarei Approach. And this happened during one of the most intense and challenging periods of our lives.

The Pantarei Approach was born out of a professional crossroads. But way more than that, it was a crossroads of identity, values, and inner attitude. What gave us the necessary trust and strength to see this dream though, was knowing that Pantarei simply had to be born. We felt as if we didn’t have any other option but to follow the light we felt in our hearts.

At the time both of us – Claudia Glowik and Vered Manasse, were running a successful somatic school of a different methodology. And our view on what we were teaching had started to shift dramatically in the preceding years. We understood that we had to break free, follow our hearts, and create a path of our own.

Two women founders

During the first course of the Pantarei Approach, one of our students approached us and told us how happy she was to learn an approach founded and developed by two women. Up until that moment, we hadn’t given it any thought at all. And only then realized that even in the field of self-development, there are more men in leadership positions than women.

It was clear for us from the very beginning that we were going to lead our approach without trying to be anyone we were not. We so enjoy exploring how it is to lead an approach, trusting our intuition to guide us. With time we learned to hold space for each other and give room to our emotions and life events, just as we make space for more structured discussions and business plans. Experience showed us that it is when our emotions are in flow, that everything else seems to flow much more smoothly too.

Friends and founders

Our friendship was something that developed over time. And it began with the opening of our first school that we started together in 2004, when Vered made her move to Berlin. We trusted each other from the start. And when we talked about our future vision, we quickly recognized that we were speaking the same language, even if our cultural background was so different.

Over the years our friendship grew, and we realized that even though we are so different, we can enjoy each other’s individual traits. Vered’s idea of some time-off involves traveling, discovering new peoples, cultures, and cuisines. Claudia loves spending time in the countryside at her family home with her nearest and dearest. When something bothers Vered, she talks about it until a solution is found, while Claudia takes her time to think things through alone, first.

The differences between us shaped our friendship and later solidified the base of what we teach our students when they become Pantarei practitioners.

The Pantarei Community

One of the most significant gifts of the Pantarei Approach is the kind of people that are attracted to come and learn with us. This might be a result of how much Pantarei influences people’s ability to think, be creative, and be empathic. It might also have to do with the emotional intelligence required when you communicate with another person beyond the words that are exchanged.

Whatever the reasons might be, this is one of the gifts we feel so blessed to have. To teach people, who can be our friends; to teach people, we are proud to have around us; to teach people who become colleagues and partners along the way. We feel a tremendous amount of gratitude with every class we teach. We feel grateful that people have found us and trust us to learn from and with us. And our hearts are filled with joy every time we hear about the experiences that clients have in their sessions with one of our practitioners.

What has happened over the last five years?

Whether you are new to the Pantarei community or not, we would like to share a brief overview of what has happened over the last 5 years.

To date, we have opened a total of 11 classes of the Pantarei Approach. And we have graduated over 200 students as certified practitioners. Our training program consists of six 5-day-long modules, spread over a period of 16 months. Until now all classes have been taught personally by us, the co-founders of the Pantarei Approach. And in 2022 Merav Gur-Arie will join our team and begin teaching.

In these years we have established our international school We also established our Facebook page, an Instagram profile, a YouTube channel, and most recently, a LinkedIn page. On all the platforms, we share stories, messages, and content that is related to the Pantarei Approach. And we welcome you to follow us there.

In November 2021, we finally established our very own school space in Berlin. Until that time, we rented spaces from others in order to teach our five-day modules. Having our own school space has made such a big difference in the way we feel while teaching. And it’s truly a place we can call home.

Plans and reality

Just before Covid changed all our plans, we were just about to open a Pantarei school in New York, USA. We are still thinking about teaching in the USA, but until then, our base remains in Berlin, Germany.

We are glad to run an international school taught in English. The structure and the language allow students to join us from many countries and cultures. At the moment the Pantarei Approach is practiced globally in different countries including Austria, Belgium, Brasil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK, and the USA.

And our future?

Our biggest vision is to let people feel what it means to live by using the concepts of the Pantarei Approach. And this is whether you wish to learn directly with us in our practitioner training program or through one-on-one sessions with a practitioner. We can see and feel the impact of Pantarei on people and how it allows them to express their uniqueness. And we wish for many more people to be encouraged to fully express themselves.

When we imagine the impact of Pantarei on society, we envision a rich, engaged, and creative society. A community of individuals who contribute to each other and together, make a better world. A community where every individual matters. Where every person can enjoy exploring their lives and with it, hold space for others to explore theirs.

How has your experience with the Pantarei Approach been so far?