Documentary Photographer Aydin Cetinbostanoğlu is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this article. From the project Paneurhythmy – Living in harmony with nature, Bulgaria. To see Aydin’s body of work, click on any image.

Paneurhythmy is a system of physical musical exercises developed by Peter Deunov between 1922 and 1944, focused on achieving inner balance and harmonization. The emphasis of the exercises is on giving and receiving, with the goal of creating a conscious exchange with the forces of nature. Paneurhythmy is practiced for both physical fitness and spiritual development. The Paneurhythmy practice promotes the processes of self-perfecting, expanding of the consciousness, and attaining virtues. These exercises are in harmony with the creative universal rhythm that constructs and organizes the entire nature, so they are powerful. They allow you to conduct the earthly and heavenly energies through yourself in a balanced way achieving inner peace and harmony with the surrounding world. The reception and proper distribution of the solar energies carried out during these exercises support the functions of the physical body as well as the functions of the subtler human bodies. Practicing the Paneurhythmy stimulates the creation of healthy habits and will raise the sense of wellness. The idea of living in harmony with nature is prominent in the practice of Paneurhythmy. Based on Deunov’s recommendations, Paneurthythmic exercises were to be done in the early morning and outside, preferably in a green meadow, and were most effective in the Spring, beginning the 22nd of March. In his opinion, this was the time when nature was most receptive and contained the most prana or living energy that could be absorbed by the human body. The society was set up by Bulgarian spiritual teacher Peter Deunov in the 1920s. Deunov died in 1944 but followers continue to apply his teaching. The society’s name does not refer to ethnicity or race but to light and purity of the soul and the belief that all people can live in harmony, followers Paneurhythmy, aims to help devotees link with cosmic energy. Over time, Paneurhythmy has attracted the attention of people from different cultures and nationalities, despite the 40-year communist regime in Bulgaria that forbids such practices.