Description
The Embryo In Us – Jaap van der Wal
16 Sessions, 22 hrs. £295.00
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This in-depth online course explores human development as a lifelong, living process. Drawing on decades of experience, Dr. Jaap van der Wal M.D., Ph.D. offers a deeper view of the human embryo, not as a mechanical structure, but as a dynamic and meaningful expression of being human.
Overview:
This series of lectures offers a radically integrative and holistic view of the human being — one that bridges biology, psychology, soma and soul, body and mind, and even science and spirituality. Overcoming the building-block doctrine of the anatomists: we are far more than machines, we are beings of body and spirit.
Jaap van der Wal M.D., Ph.D. invites us to see anatomy not as a static map of parts, but as a living, moving expression of becoming, where form arises through movement, and function is inseparable from experience. Via a phenomenological approach his work bridges classical anatomical science with the embodied realities of therapeutic practice, offering a unified language for those who study the body and those who work with it.
By integrating anatomy, embryology and fascia, with a phenomenological perspective, Van der Wal challenges both anatomists and therapists to move beyond modern reductionism of neurogenetic determinism, towards a polarity and triune image of the human being. Towards a holistic understanding of the human being, i.e mind AND body, honouring both structure and science but also experience and soul, the course offers a new, refreshing, complementary perspective.
What This Course Offers:
Across 22 hours of beautifully structured 4K video lessons, Dr. van der Wal guides participants through:
- How the human form develops in movement, folding and unfolding in gestures that continue to inform posture, behaviour, health, and embodiment.
- Why the embryo is best understood as an ongoing process, not a past stage—revealing connections between prenatal development and adult anatomy, function, trauma, and healing.
- The unity of body, mind, and spirit as understood through embryological morphology.
- New ways of seeing anatomy that deepen clinical practice, manual work, movement therapies, and holistic approaches to health.
- Embryology as a story of meaning, bringing together scientific precision and phenomenological insight.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is intentionally designed to be accessible and relevant for a wide range of learners, including:
- Anatomists
- Medical educators
- Students
- Osteopaths
- Chiropractors
- Craniosacral and manual therapists
- Somatic and movement practitioners (yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Qong, Pilates, Feldenkrais, dance)
- Holistic health practitioners and integrative therapists Midwives, doulas, and perinatal professionals
- Body-psychotherapists and trauma-informed practitioners
- Anyone who is looking for a connection between the conventional scientific view of humanity and spirituality
No previous embryology background is required.
Why is this Course Unique?
Dr. van der Wal’s internationally respected approach, known as Embryosophy or Dynamic Morphology, bridges scientific understanding with a holistic view of the human being. He moves beyond conventional textbook embryology to reveal the embryo as an expressive, intentional, and formative process.
The introductory cost of the Embryo In Us course is £295.00 or €349.00 (can vary based on exchange rate).
The course includes:
- 22 hours of clear, engaging teaching recorded in 4K for clarity and detail
- Helpful diagrams, illustrations, and visual explanations
- A downloadable glossary and study notes
- Reflection prompts for clinical or therapeutic integration
- Certificate of Completion
The Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Describe the major movements and gestures of early human development.
- Understand the embryo as a dynamic process continuous with adult anatomy.
- Recognise embryonic patterns in posture, movement, and somatic expression.
- Apply embryological insights in therapeutic touch, movement guidance, or clinical assessment.
- Integrate a more relational and meaningful view of human embodiment into professional practice.
The Embryo In Us – Jaap van der Wal
16 Sessions, 22 hrs. £295.00 Buy this product (Stripe)
Dr. Jaap van der Wal M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Jaap van der Wal, M.D., Ph.D. is a Dutch medical doctor, anatomist, and embryologist known for his innovative and phenomenological approach to human development and morphology. He trained as a medical doctor and completed his medical education in 1973, after which he specialised in functional anatomy, particularly focusing on the architecture of connective tissue (fascia) and proprioception. Over the course of his academic career, Dr. van der Wal served as associate professor of Anatomy and Embryology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where he taught and conducted research until his retirement in 2012.
Dr. van der Wal’s work bridges traditional science with a more holistic and philosophical perspective. He is particularly recognised for applying dynamic morphology and Goethean phenomenology to the study of the human embryo, viewing embryological development not merely as a mechanical process but as a dynamic, expressive, and meaningful unfolding of human form. This perspective sees the body as a living, temporal process rather than a static structure.
Throughout his career, Dr. van der Wal has also lectured widely on topics such as medical anthropology, the philosophy of science, and the intersection of embryology with consciousness and human existence. His work has influenced fields including craniosacral therapy, osteopathy, polarity therapy, prenatal psychology, and trauma therapy. Since retirement, he has devoted his time to the international educational project “Embryo in Motion”, teaching his approach—sometimes referred to as “Embryosophy”—through workshops, courses, and lectures across Europe and the United States.
In addition to teaching, Dr. van der Wal has contributed to literature on dynamic morphology and embryology, emphasising how a deeper understanding of developmental form can enrich both scientific and spiritual perspectives on what it means to be human.
16 Sessions, 22 hrs. £295.00 Buy this product (Stripe)
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