Some life’s works do not begin with a plan, but with a single question that never lets you go.
With this first blog in our four-part series about Energetisch Centrum Leonardus, we start at the foundation: what the center stands for, how the methodology originated, and the vision that underlies it.
Leon Bemelmans (left) during his years as a horse trainer. Working with horses sparked his curiosity about the body, health, and recovery — questions that would continue to occupy him later in life.
How does a new perspective on health emerge?
Every healthcare provider has their own story. Sometimes it begins during an education. Sometimes through personal experiences. And sometimes much earlier, without one realizing at the time which direction life will take.
For Leon Bemelmans, that quest began at a young age. He grew up in a family in Limburg where hard work was a matter of course. He spent a large part of his youth among the horses on his grandfather’s farm. There, he not only learned how to handle animals but also saw how important health, recovery, and trust are.
Early on, Leon noticed that he looked at people and animals differently. Not so much at the complaint itself, but at the question of why a body sometimes recovers and sometimes does not. That curiosity would continue to guide him throughout his life.
Later, he worked in various practical professions, namely as a racehorse trainer, master butcher, and energetic therapist. As a result, he developed a great interest in anatomy, the functioning of the human and animal body, and the importance of precise observation. At the same time, one question kept returning:
Is health only to be understood from what is visible and measurable, or is there more at play?
That question formed the beginning of a quest that would ultimately last for decades.
Learning through experience
In the years that followed, Leon immersed himself in various training programs and treatment methods. For example, he studied and completed programs in physiognomy, Reiki, coaching, and of course, Jin Shin Jyutsu. For Jin Shin Jyutsu, he followed courses at Sonnevelt Opleidingen. In addition, he completed the Energetic Therapy program at the E.E.N.-instituut.
He continued to develop himself, actively sought new knowledge, learned from different teachers, and built up extensive practical experience over the years. Not with the intention of replacing existing insights, but rather out of curiosity to understand how different approaches can complement and strengthen each other.
Those who meet Leon today might see a therapist. He sees himself primarily as someone who has remained curious. Someone who wants to keep learning, dares to ask questions, and is open to new insights.
A quest that is still ongoing
Looking back, there was not one single moment when Energetisch Centrum Leonardus was established. There were many successive experiences that slowly gave direction to a larger whole. What began with curiosity about health and recovery grew into a lifelong quest for ways to guide people as effectively as possible.
This was part 1 of our four-part series on Energetisch Centrum Leonardus. The second part will be published on September 8: “How thirty years of experience led to Leonardus Therapy”