2nd European Conference of Reflexology

Orpheus Conference Centre - Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

27 - 29 September 1996

Organising committee:

Henk Homberg
Wil ten Ham
Hans van der Werff

All members of the Board of Bond van Europese Reflexologen, Sectie Nederland (Association of European Reflexologists, Dutch section), in co-operation with RiEN.

 

In the conference book, the organisers stated that they "had one goal in mind: to offer the participants the broadest variety of matters relating to reflexology at a reasonable price. Additionally, we felt that we should try to include a number of pauses in the programme, so that the many speeches and reports would get a chance to be digested.

The realisation was yours because you were present as colleagues who had the courage to open yourselves to the many new ideas; because you showed respect for the various opinions you were confronted with; because you managed to hold the hand stretched out to you so full of love."

 

 

 

 

 

Orpheus Conference Center is beautifully located in the centre of Apeldoorn, a town in a wooded area called Veluwe, right in the middle of Holland. The delegates had a choice of five hotels in different price classes, all in the area of the conference hall. The price of the full conference was NLG 310,00 except B&B, which could be booked through the conference administration. The meeting point at Amsterdam Airport was used to give directions to delegates flying in how to reach Apeldoorn by through train and the travellers were met at Apeldoorn station to guide them to Orpheus. 

 

As many as 265 delegates from all over Europe (one came by bike all the way from Denmark) . participated in this international event, which began Friday afternoon with a talk about the history of RiEN by Mo Usher and Anneke van 't Wout, who also performed the RiEN opening ceremony with the bell & candle, and followed by a report of Sweden by Ann-Chatrine Jonsson. Jan Dries from Belgium continued with a talk about podosegmental reflexology, after which there was a break with an artistically 'interlude', one of many (music, singing or acting) during the whole programme of the conference.

The afternoon continued with reports from Denmark (Peter Lund Frandsen), England (Hazel Goodwin), France (Michel Regnouf), Belgium (Hedwige Dirkx) and Germany (Josef Hackenfort) as well as talks by Imre Somogyi (Reading toes) and Leif Pedersen (Company reflexology). 

The programme on Saturday started with workshops in the morning (Psychosomatic disease, Kirlianphotography, Reincarnation, the Rwo-Shr health method, Relationship with father/mother) and included a few hours of 'sharing techniques hands-on' in the afternoon. During the gala-dinner in the evening an Indonesian dancing group performed with traditional dances. After dinner everyone showed their best with American line-dance for which the music was played by the band "Something Else".