Halei, at it's root means 'in his honour' - "him" being a two-fold character. The first is Hébert: the founder of the ideals that Halei represents. The second is you, your greater self, the extent of your untapped potential. It is the search for this person and all the challenges that stand in your way.
Hebérts system was inspired, in part, by the philosophy of Jean-Jaques Rousseau; an 18th century French philosopher who heavily influenced the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought. Rousseau argued that in a state of nature men are essentially animals, and that only by acting together in civil society and binding themselves to its laws do they become men. For Rousseau, only a properly constituted society and reformed system of education could make men good.
Essentially, this explains the altruistic focus of Hebért's vision and, in turn, the will of Halei. By identifying with our savage selves within the civility of a social environment and by adopting an active interest and focus on becoming more educated and skillful we can develop the ability to be 'good' or 'complete' as Halei describes.
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| John Prowse - Wallstand in Barcelona |
Halei is categorised in five ways:
The two pillars of strength - physical and emotional.
The three ascendants - knowledge, altruism and skill.
The pillars of strength form a basis for everything that can be achieved through Halei. Without them, one cannot truly embody the ideal of the complete Haleir.
By being physically strong we become physically able and physical ability represents freedom from the constraints of our environment - rural or urban. Physical strength is embodied by physical health and this is affected by every aspect of our daily diet. Training through the Haleiric methods and practices helps to build overall strength and flexibility within the body, avoiding over-specialisation in certain techniques or muscle groups. This is an important aspect of Halei, ensuring that a generalist appoach is employed and the body is worked in all facets during a training session. This improves recovery time whilst at the same time building evenly spread muscle tone and stamina.
Read more in the Physical Strength section...
Emotions are the manifestations of our thoughts and feelings. Therefore emotional strength is nurtured through many different mental processes. Fear, doubt, self confidence and even endurance are mental states that can be conquered and strengthened respectively. State-of-mind is a crucial part of the Haleir's training as becoming the master of your own emotions is the most efficient way of achieving your greater self. It enables you to generate the will to begin and the courage to continue in the face of adversity. In the same respect, being prepared to deal with the emotions of others is key when it comes to the more altruistic side of the training.
Read more in the Emotional Strength section...
By gaining knowledge we become more educated and this enables us to make better, more informed decisions. There can be no limit to the amount of knowledge we should seek because, by knowing the details of the world that surrounds us, we are better equipped to deal with it's complexity. Reading, engaging in conversation and exploring the known boundaries of our experience are all invaluable ways of gleaning valuable knowledge that may prove beneficial at some future point. That is not to say that pointless trivia should be hoarded and regurgitated in a random or showy fashion, but even the most banal scrap of information used at the right time could mean the difference between success and failure.
Read more in the Knowledge section...
Altruism is the ancient virtue of selflessness and concern for the welfare of others. It is the Haleiric way to actively respond to situations in which a positive external influence would be beneficial and well received. Traditionally, the inspiration of the Méthode Naturelle was a natural disaster in 1902 during which Georges Hébert was forced to orchestrate the escape of hundreds of people from a volcanic eruption in St. Pierre, Martinique. This event had such a profound effect upon him that he spent the following years of his life developing his system for the greater good of all human beings. This in itself was an altruistic act.
In a more daily aspect, altruism extends to the philosophy of responding magnanimously to the struggles, feelings and expressions of those in need. This encompasses a multitude of social interactions and situations including, for example: the personal and professional struggles of friends and colleagues, those who are under unreasonable pressure or threat and the loving, caring nature of family interactions with our children, partners, parents and siblings.
Read more in the Altruism section...
Skills are the means by which we complete tasks relevant to our requirements. The Haleir is taught to grasp at every opportunity to learn and develop new skills and refine the ones we already know. In this respect, the skills we require for life range from learning to ride a bike or drive a car to being able to survive outdoors using bushcraft and orientation. In order to perform the techniques involved in Haleiric Training it is necessary to develop a level of physical skill, not just in terms of strength, but also in terms of flexibility, manual dexterity, balance, landing from height and various other motions.
Again, in a more daily aspect, we can develop skills that enable us to become more efficent and proactive in the smaller tasks of life. Organisation, planning, craft, fluidity of movement and home economics are all essential parts of enabling yourself to become more complete in ability. Skills represent the tools we can use everyday to become more proficient in the tasks we carry out.
Read more in the Skill section...
Please note that none of the Halei team are qualified medical practitioners and we do not claim to cure any physical or mental ailment that has been medically declared as untreatable. We have developed the system of techniques based on our own experience, drawing from the teachings and knowledge that we have available to us. The system will work for anyone who is willing to adopt it's methods and practices accepting that the results will be completely individual and entirely personal depending on your circumstances, physical and mental condition and willingness and openness to the ideals of Halei. Anyone can improve their outlook on life - that much is fact. Halei is designed to help individual people identify their own needs and responds to them within a context of techniques that have shown positive results in others.
