Some insights do not emerge behind a desk. They arise from years of observing, listening, and continuous learning.
Every treatment method has a beginning. Sometimes a new vision originates in a laboratory. Sometimes at a university. And sometimes a quest begins in a place where no one expects it. For the Leonardus Technique, that was not a treatment room. It was a horse stable.
The first lessons did not come from books
As a young boy, Leon Bemelmans spent a lot of time among horses. There, he discovered early on what would later become the foundation of his work: keen observation. After all, a horse cannot tell you where it hurts. You look at how it moves, how it reacts, how it stands, how it breathes, and above all: what changes.
It was precisely that attentive observation that made a deep impression. Not only because animals cannot explain what they feel, but also because their behavior often shows subtle signals before an injury becomes visible. That way of looking would never leave Leon.
When the location of the complaint does not tell the whole story
During his years at a horse stud farm, Leon experienced various situations that further fueled his curiosity. One of the horses had been written off for racing. The expectation was that the animal would never perform at its old level again. Leon started working with it and was able to handle the horse well. After a number of training sessions, Leon got the horse back on its feet and it was able to compete in races again. He got horses going again where others had failed. How was that possible?
Another experience followed when a horse remained lame for a long time. Despite examinations, no clear cause was found. Only when the animal was viewed from a different perspective did the situation change. The focus was not on the leg, but on the coherence of the body as a whole. These insights came to light after applying Jin Shin Jyutsu to animals. This technique can be applied to both humans and animals.
These experiences raised a question that would later play an important role:
Is the place where a complaint becomes visible always the place where the problem begins?
The answer to that proved to be less straightforward than a simple yes or no.
Curiosity as a compass
Some people settle for a single explanation. Others keep searching. The latter characterizes Leon’s development.
In the years that followed, he immersed himself in various training programs, courses, and treatment methods. In the process, he was introduced to Jin Shin Jyutsu, a Japanese healing art based on the harmony between body, mind, and life energy. That method appealed to him, not because it provided all the answers, but because it aligned with what he had already observed in practice.
Jin Shin Jyutsu became the foundation upon which he continued to build. Not as an end point, but as a starting point. In the beginning, it was mainly applied to horses, and later increasingly to humans.
Practice became the most important teacher
Education provides knowledge. Practice provides experience, including among horses. Over the years, Leon worked with people of various ages and backgrounds. Every encounter brought new questions.
- Why do two people with similar complaints sometimes recover very differently?
- What role do stress and personal circumstances play?
- Why does attention to a person’s whole story sometimes seem just as important as attention to the complaint itself?
There are rarely simple answers to such questions. That is precisely why he continued to observe, learn, and refine his working method.
From method to philosophy
Slowly, something emerged that went beyond following a single existing method. Jin Shin Jyutsu remained the basis. But alongside it, listening, observing, making connections, and the conversation with the client took on an increasingly prominent role. It was not the technique that became central; the person became central.
Every treatment began again with the same question:
What does this person need at this moment?
That also meant that no two treatments proceeded exactly the same way.
A bridge between different worlds
Over the years, a treatment philosophy grew that offers space for different ways of looking. On the one hand, conventional healthcare, with its indispensable knowledge of anatomy, diagnostics, and treatment. On the other hand, complementary insights that call for attention to relaxation, awareness, and the connection between body and mind.
Within Energetic Center Leonardus, these worlds do not have to exclude each other. In fact, they can complement each other. That thought runs like a common thread through the way of working.
Why the person is more important than the method
In discussions about treatment methods, the focus is often on techniques.
- Which method is used?
- Which manual techniques are involved?
- What theory underlies it?
For Leon, these are important questions, but not the most important ones. Ultimately, a method is a tool. Not an end in itself; the encounter with the person sitting across from you always remains the starting point. Perhaps that is the most significant development that has taken place over all those years. It was not the technique that changed the most; the way of looking changed.
When experience grows into a unique working method
After decades of treating, observing, and continuous learning, a recognizable way of working gradually emerged. Not a completely new method. Nor a departure from Jin Shin Jyutsu, but a treatment philosophy in which years of practical experience, training, and personal insights converge. Within Energetic Center Leonardus, this working method is called the Leonardus Technique.
Not because everything has been reinvented, but because practice sometimes places new emphases that can only arise through experience. Jin Shin Jyutsu is certainly still the basis of the treatment, but within Leonardus, the focus is on the cause of the patient’s problems. So, it is not just the complaint itself that is investigated; the person as a whole is included in the story of the complaint.
A story that is not yet finished
Perhaps that is the most beautiful thing about the Leonardus Technique. It did not arise from the conviction that all answers have been found. On the contrary. It arose from curiosity, from continuing to look, continuing to listen, and continuing to learn. And perhaps that is exactly what health requires. Not always an immediate answer, but sometimes first the willingness to look again and to start investigating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Leonardus Technique the same as Jin Shin Jyutsu?
Not entirely. Jin Shin Jyutsu forms the basis of the treatments, but the Leonardus Technique has been further developed over the years through practical experience, additional training, and a broader vision of health. It is not a method from books, but a combination of knowledge and experience.
Why did this development start with horses?
Leon started in the horse world, where he got horses back on their feet when others could not. This was achieved by applying the Jin Shin Jyutsu technique to horses. Horses do not communicate with words. As a result, you learn to observe well and pay attention to subtle changes in posture, movement, and behavior. That way of looking has strongly influenced the further development of the treatment philosophy.
Is the Leonardus Technique a replacement for conventional care?
No. Within Energetic Center Leonardus, the method is applied as a supplement to conventional healthcare, not as a replacement for it.
Disclaimer
This blog describes the development of the treatment philosophy of Energetic Center Leonardus. Personal experiences, practical observations, and the philosophy of Jin Shin Jyutsu are distinguished from scientific research. The content is intended as general information and does not replace medical advice or treatment.