Julie Foster is an anthroposophist. In addition to Family Medicine, she is Board Certified in Anthroposophic Medicine.

What is Anthroposophy?

Anthroposophy was developed by Rudolf Steiner. The word anthroposophy means ‘human’ in divine feminine ‘wisdom.’ Through anthroposophy a person can access universal knowledge of our cosmic evolution and strivings for humanity. Anthroposophic Medicine (AM) does not replace the wisdom of ancient and modern medicine.

Its application is limitless as the human is to perceive and wake up to one’s purpose within humanity’s true potential.

History of Anthroposophic Medicine

In 1920, in response to a request, Rudolf Steiner PhD (1861-1925), gave a course of lectures on medicine in Dornach, Switzerland, to about 30 doctors and students. Some doctors, already familiar with Anthroposophy, had approached him and asked, “Could medical science be extended to include the spiritual scientific view of human beings?”

The result was the beginning of what is now called Anthroposophical Medicine. At the time it was the culmination of more than 30 years of research. Five years following, until he died in 1925, Steiner laid the foundations for a new medicine, through lectures, consultations, the creation of a laboratory (Weleda), a hospital in Arlesheim, Switzerland, and a book, written with Dutch physician, Ita Wegman, called Fundamentals of Therapy.

Since his death AM has grown steadily and now is a worldwide movement with thousands of providers, working in hundreds of hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and training centers to help human beings heal themselves.

What are the elements of Anthroposophic Medicine?

Rudolf Steiner and the physicians of the time saw AM as an extension of conventional medicine with the goal to consciously understand the essence of health and illness. Anthroposophic therapies include herbs, minerals, and animal extracts either in a tincture or in homeopathic dilutions. Furthermore, art (painting, modeling,etc.), movement, music and color therapy, nutrition, meditation, baths, massage, external applications, and counseling are used.

We trust the medicines prepared by Anthroposophic pharmacies, such as Uriel, Botanica, and Weleda, because of the special attention given to timing and biological rhythms when making these medicines. For example, a plant might be harvested when the sun’s influence is optimal, and the dosing schedule may be determined by a specific rhythm. In concert with the cosmos, seasons, and constellations the medicines are prepared in a purposeful and ceremonial reverence. This way we work in concert with those vital connections between the human being and Nature.

What to expect at an appointment with an Anthroposophic Medicine provider

Experiencing an appointment with a provider who is trained in AM is not like visiting any other conventional or natural provider. Consultations typically begin with a 1 hour exploration of your health and include extensive conversations that reveal the rhythms and dislocations in one’s biography, as well as review of one’s personal habits and tastes. It becomes clear that AM is a human, person-centered approach to healing.

The healthcare provider is interested in you and wants to get to know you. An intimate relationship develops. We have been taught in mainstream medicine to regard illness as an intrusion, something to fight away. If you consult a provider trained in AM, you may come to see your illness as a gift—a blessing—not something to be aggressively attacked, but rather an opportunity for positive change and a new view of balance in your life.

AM guides us to view the human and the world around us to find health in lieu of the many demanding forces. This is a much different approach than what has been generally taught to us in our culture.

Studying the life of Rudolf Steiner and his development of Anthroposophy may serve you well. One does not need to understand fully or even be able to say the word “Anthroposophy” to benefit from the insights or medicines.

Some patients specifically seek AM out for this type of medicine and others are introduced to it through the use of treatment suggestions or biography review. Many find this philosophy complements a natural and healthy way of living and caring for our minds, bodies, and souls.

In a world full of strife, concerned with the unessential and materialism how do we find that which connects us in a meaningful way? How do we know what matters most?

We are not our troubles, our Dis-Eases. We are not our illnesses. Our troubles, difficult relationships, our illnesses our pain shows us where we need attention. Our dis-eases shows us where our thinking is out of balance. It may show us the effect of our ancestors, our heredity.

Illness may show us the results of our choices. Steiner wrote, ‘The patient is sick before the disease and through the disease becomes healthy.’ We are not to blame, there is no shame here. We are humans, striving in the best way we can. We are perfect in our imperfections. It is important to remember our concerns and troubles are what we GET to work with. Having the courage to look at and be ourselves amidst it all, is our PRIVLEGE. Yes indeed. What makes you healthy? What do you engage in that feeds your Spirit, soul? What enlivens you? What activity warms your Heart? How will you bring this out in your life?

AM brings a focus to what is that creates health in an individual? In anthroposophical medical training we review salutogenesis. Salutogenesis is a term coined by Aaron Antonovsky, a professor of medical sociology. Salutogenesis describes an approach focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause disease. More specifically, the “salutogenic model” is concerned with the relationship between health, stress, and coping.

The word “salutogenesis” comes from the Latin salus = health and the Greek genesis = origin. Antonovsky developed the term from his studies of “how people manage stress and stay well.”

He observed that stress is ubiquitous, but not all individuals have negative health outcomes in response to stress. Instead, some people achieve health despite their exposure to potentially disabling stress factors. How is this possible?

In his book, Health, Stress and Coping, he described a variety of influences that led him to the question of how people survive, adapt, and overcome in the face of even the most punishing life-stress experiences. Later, in another book, Unraveling the Mysteries of Health, he focused more specifically on a study of women and aging; he found that 29% of women who had survived concentration camps had positive emotional health.

The resistance to stress related to the ability to comprehend, manage, and find meaning in the challenges. Finding meaning was the most significant variable for better health outcomes. The women who could find meaning lived longer and more healthier. Julie Foster has seen this over and over.

Victor Frankl a psychologist who also lived through the Nazi war camps also concluded that the meaning of life is found in every moment of living; life never ceases to have meaning, even in suffering and death. His advice for one’s life, ‘Get to work.’ Instead of asking, “What do I want from life? Why am I unhappy?,” ask ‘What does life at this moment demand of me? Frankl ensued, “Happiness must happen. Life should find us out there in the world doing good things for their own sake.”

An Anthroposophic provider looks to guide the patient to discover “What is it that creates health in oneself.” What is meaningful? How may one manage their circumstances well? What is the value or worth for prevailing in lieu of difficult circumstances? And if not, an Anthroposophic provider draws on resources to help a person find their way back to themselves, to what is essential for their life path and enrichment.