ECTU Community of Practice
An invitation to all previous TECTU Alumni and Faculty.
The Embodied Critical Thinking and Understanding (ECTU) Community of Practice (CoP) is a pilot programme running from April to November 2026.
It invites alumni from all previous cohorts to come together, moving beyond the initial training to apply these methods in a collaborative, experimental context.
It invites alumni from all previous cohorts to come together, moving beyond the initial training to apply these methods in a collaborative, experimental context.
Why join?
Carrying forward what we have been given. We hold a set of powerful methods: Thinking at the Edge, Environmental Immersion, Focusing, Microphenomenology, Intimate Reading and others. While the specific list has changed over the five years of TECTU, what is essential remains the same: bringing the body into thinking, and thinking into the body. Learning these methods is only the first step. We are establishing a collaborative space not just to practice them, but to create skilful adaptations and evolutions through experimentation and play.
A sense of wider purpose. The polycrisis we face is rooted in a deep cultural severance between body and mind. ECTU methods are crucial because they address this root cause directly. In a landscape rapidly transformed by AI and digitalization, nourishing the creaturely intelligence of this community is vital. At the same time, skilfully bringing embodied thinking and understanding into our professional lives has enormous potential to effect systemic change.
Connection to an international community. Making these methods a path of personal practice or research can be lonely; in many ways, we are swimming against the stream. Coming together with old friends and new provides encouragement and inspiration. We hope to create a space for the ‘unfinished’ – a place to share ideas before they are fully formed. What we make together will have its own life: collaboration and exchange will spark deeper, stranger insights.
A sense of wider purpose. The polycrisis we face is rooted in a deep cultural severance between body and mind. ECTU methods are crucial because they address this root cause directly. In a landscape rapidly transformed by AI and digitalization, nourishing the creaturely intelligence of this community is vital. At the same time, skilfully bringing embodied thinking and understanding into our professional lives has enormous potential to effect systemic change.
Connection to an international community. Making these methods a path of personal practice or research can be lonely; in many ways, we are swimming against the stream. Coming together with old friends and new provides encouragement and inspiration. We hope to create a space for the ‘unfinished’ – a place to share ideas before they are fully formed. What we make together will have its own life: collaboration and exchange will spark deeper, stranger insights.
How it will work
This programme runs from April to November 2026. The structure is designed to provide a reliable container for the whole group while leaving ample space for individual interests and collaboration. It consists of two main elements:
1. All-Cohort Meetings We will hold six large group meetings online throughout the year. These sessions are the heartbeat of the programme – a time to reconnect as a full community, practice together, and coordinate our activities. These will always run for three hours (14:00 - 17:00 CET), and include a mix of process, practice, discussion and input. They will be on the following Saturdays:
2. Community Initiatives Alongside the fixed meetings, there is open space for us all to self-organise smaller groups or initiatives. These can be proposed by anyone and might range from a single discussion to a months-long project.
We already have some ideas of things that we’d like to do, including but not limited to:
These streams can be as short as a single session or as long as the whole year. They are self-organised, and the hope is they can be deeply aligned with what you personally need.
We will use the first cohort meeting (April 18th) to host a marketplace where you can propose topics and find others who share your interests.
1. All-Cohort Meetings We will hold six large group meetings online throughout the year. These sessions are the heartbeat of the programme – a time to reconnect as a full community, practice together, and coordinate our activities. These will always run for three hours (14:00 - 17:00 CET), and include a mix of process, practice, discussion and input. They will be on the following Saturdays:
- April 18th – Initial all-cohort gathering
- May 30th
- July 11th
- August 22nd
- October 17th
- November 14th – Final all-cohort gathering
2. Community Initiatives Alongside the fixed meetings, there is open space for us all to self-organise smaller groups or initiatives. These can be proposed by anyone and might range from a single discussion to a months-long project.
We already have some ideas of things that we’d like to do, including but not limited to:
- A monthly 'work-in-progress' circle to share research.
- Inviting Prof. Donata Schoeller to teach about TAE steps 10-12.
- Investigating possibilities for Focusing certification.
- A deep-dive reading group on a specific text.
- A casual space to share how these methods are landing in your teaching practice.
These streams can be as short as a single session or as long as the whole year. They are self-organised, and the hope is they can be deeply aligned with what you personally need.
We will use the first cohort meeting (April 18th) to host a marketplace where you can propose topics and find others who share your interests.
Logistics and Commitment
- Platform: All meetings will be hosted on Zoom. We will use a shared online timeline (Padlet) to manage the schedule and resources, and a Signal group for day-to-day connection. To keep administration light and inboxes manageable, we will send a Monthly Digest containing the upcoming schedule and links.
- Cost: This programme is free to join. We are currently unfunded, but by sharing organisational responsibilities and building a structure that is nimble, we believe this can be a sustainable initiative for this year.
- Participation: We encourage you to attend at least four of the all-cohort meetings to help maintain the group dynamic. Everything else is entirely optional. We want this space to be ‘guilt-free’ and responsive to the demands of our professional and personal lives.
Who are we?
We are ten TECTU Alumni from the 2025 cohort. We came together at the start of this year with a shared desire to continue these amazing practices. We are acting as an interim planning team to get the project off the ground. Once started, anyone who wants to get involved with the organisational side is very welcome to join.
How to join
Registration is open to all previous TECTU students and faculty. If there are friends from your cohort that you’d like to see again, please also give them a nudge in case they’ve missed the announcements about this programme.
To help us plan the April 18th marketplace, we ask that you register via the short form below. This asks for your cohort year and any specific themes or questions you are currently holding.
Once you have registered, we will email you before April 18th with the Zoom link we’ll be using, and the invitation to the Signal group.
To help us plan the April 18th marketplace, we ask that you register via the short form below. This asks for your cohort year and any specific themes or questions you are currently holding.
Once you have registered, we will email you before April 18th with the Zoom link we’ll be using, and the invitation to the Signal group.