DevKi Training 2023-2026 Hungary

Developmental Kinesiology in Hungary 

A Training that has shaped me professionally and personally

When the Developmental Kinesiology training began in Budapest in November 2023, organized by the Hungarian Kinesiology Foundation, I had no idea how formative the following two and a half years would be for me. Of course, I hoped to gain a great deal of professional knowledge, but in the end I received far more than that: a comprehensive, lively and deeply transformative perspective that not only changed my professional work, but also shed new light on my own, functioning and my relationships.

From the very first beginning, Developmental Kinesiology appeared to me as something special. This holistic approach helps us understand our adult functioning, our relationships and the recurring patterns in our lives through the processes of early childhood development. It follows the stages of human development from conception, pregnancy and birth, through motor development, reflexes and sensory integration, all the way to the development of speech and hand-dexterity skills. For me, it was particularly meaningful to realize that everything we experience during the earliest stages of life continues to affects us today and that these patterns are not unchangeable but can be reshaped through awareness, attention and appropriate support.

The method was developed by Renate Wennekes and Angelika Stiller. One of the greatest strengths of Developmental Kinesiology lies in its practical nature, which enables deep understanding. It helps make the underlying patterns within ourselves visible and supports us in becoming more flexible, conscious and present in everyday life.

The first module focused on motor development. It was incredibly inspiring to enter a room filled with open-minded and curious people. More than twenty participants attended and from the atmosphere alone, it was very clear that something special was beginning. The program was dynamic, engaging and professionally rich. I had always considered motor development to be important before, but here I came to understand much more deeply how early movement patterns fundamentally influence later learning, self-regulation and the nervous systems organization. It was of no surprise that after the first module almost everyone was eagerly waiting to continue with the program.

The next module, which focused on reflexes and their reactions. The material we had learned about motor development suddenly gained new layers of meaning and many things started to fall into places. What I especially appreciated was that the reflexes were not taught purely theoretical, more of an experience, that could be directly applied. There were many moments when a new piece of information felt both, like a professional insight and a personal “aha” experience.

The sensory integration module also left a lasting impression on me. Through my own experiences, I truly understand today, how important sensory processing for our sense of safety and the learning processes is and the ability to be joyfully and actively present in our own lives. I especially loved that vision, hearing, touch, smell, taste and balance were approached not only by theory, but through experiential and playful activities. This sense of lightness and lived experiential learning has gone through the entire training program.

The module focusing on the development of speech and hand-dexterity skills, became particularly close to my heart. It was fascinating to experience that language development is not simply a cognitive process, more of a result of a highly complex neurological organization. During the training, we explored in depth the brain areas responsible for movement, perception and language development. This was where I truly felt that everything is connected to everything else. Motor development, reflexes and sensory integration all came together in this module as one coherent system.

The later stages of the training became for me, an even deeper and in many ways spiritual journey. The modules of conception, pregnancy and birth are already profound in themselves and the way we worked with them during the training created a truly unique experience for every participant. We explored these life stages from a biological, psychological and personal perspectives alike. What I found especially valuable was that everyone could connect to these themes through their own story and at their own pace. For me personally, it was factinating to reflect of my own arrival into this world and still lives within me, how it may influence my decisions, relationship to trust, or the ability to adapt to change.

The module of conception was most strongly connected to themes of decision-making, commitment and the feeling of belonging. The module of pregnancy helped me tune more deeply into those early experiences related to trust, adaptation and inner development. The module of birth was especially powerful, since I gained a lot from the idea that our very first experience of major change „the way we arrive into this world” may later shape how we respond to new situations. These modules were not only professionally meaningful for me, but also deeply touching on a personal level.

Regarding my own professional path, as a teacher with a psychological background, it was especially inspiring to see how developmental psychology, education and body awareness came together within this training. I received many insights that I can directly incorporate into my work.

The many playful, movement-based and creative activities throughout the training were valuable to me not only methodologically. I rediscovered the joy of movement, curiosity and the freedom of exploration. I noticed that my overall attitude toward everyday life became lighter and more relaxed. That was more then just a gift for me.

I would like to also especially highlight the balance sheets, which I found extremely helpful. They guide through each theme with remarkable precision and provided incredibly accurate starting points for balancing. In addition to muscle testing, I became especially connected to “noticing”, meaning an inwards-directed body awareness. I learned to listen to the body’s signals with sensitivity and respect, this became very valuable within my own self-awareness process.

A great part of the training experience was thanks to our Head of Training, Brigitte Muhr-Berthold, with whom our group developed an excellent relationship and with whom we were consistently very satisfied throughout the entire training. Over the two and a half years she accompanied us with support, great professional expertise, dedication and genuine personal presence. What mattered especially to me was, that she created a safe space for questions, insights and personal experiences. This supportive presence meant a lot to me and contributed significantly to making the training not only informative, it also made it deeply transformative.

Developmental Kinesiology is not simply a method. It is much more a perspective that teaches us to gentle look at our own story with respect and to trust the developmental potential that lives within us. These two and a half years enriched me professionally and gave me experiences for which I am sincerely grateful.

rI wholeheartedly recommend this training to anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of human development, who is open to the connections between body and mind and is looking for knowledge that can be applied in a professional way, as well as personal.

Text and Translation from the Original Hungarian to German and English by Angéla Remete, April 2026