Reflections on “The Art of Healing” – Medical Section Conference

Hereford Academy, Hereford, UK

Reflections on “The Art of Healing” – Medical Section Conference, May 2025 Steiner Hereford Academy, Hereford, UK

This year’s Medical Section Conference, The Art of Healing, felt like a healing event in itself. Held in the beautiful surroundings of the Steiner Hereford Academy, the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and rich with connection. Doctors, therapists, and practitioners gathered for a meaningful exchange of knowledge, experience, and inspiration.

The opening lecture by Martin Guenther-Sterner offered a deep dive into the principles of Anthroposophic medicine. He spoke about the twelve senses, three and fourfold human being, planetary principles, ethers, the four elements and seven life processes, exploring how the macrocosm and microcosm are interwoven within our own human experience. Using this foundation, he shared how illness can be seen as healthy processes manifesting in the wrong place, time, or intensity. His examples from immunology and cancer created a good introduction for the next speaker:

Dr Simon van Lieshout followed with a case-based presentation on mistletoe therapy for cancer. He gave both an overview and detailed insights into the different mistletoe preparations, their use in cancer treatment, and their relevance for other conditions like Fibromyalgia. The lecture was highly informative and rooted in practical experience.

The different workshops offered space for deeper, hands-on exploration. Our massage group had provided an inspiring experience of rhythmical massage — both giving and receiving this spiritually enlivened therapy. It was an intimate and warm exchange that left a lasting impression.

Another highlight was the demonstration of light therapy. The carved and gold coloured glass pane in particular, revealed how light itself can become an experience of warmth and spirit. That moment stayed with many of us — an unexpected, vivid reflection of healing through light and colour.

Thanks to the well organised conference, I left feeling enriched and inspired — ready to carry what I had learned back into my own work and community.