As was pointed out in the section dedicated to the medicine, from the point of view of anthroposophical physiology the human being is constituted of the system of the head (called also the nerve-sense pole), from the system of the thorax (called also the rhythmic system) and from the system of the abdomen and the limbs (called also system of the metabolism).

The system of the head and that one of the limbs, if left to themsleves, on the whole leads the organism to become ill. The system of the head provokes sclerotic diseases like tumors, while the system of the metabolism provokes inflammatory diseases.

The third system, rhythmic, balances the excesses provoked from the others two poles and acts to reorganize the entire organism. So that it can fulfill this most important task it must be supported, be attended to and nourished, otherwise, with the passing of time, it is overwhelmed from the action of the head and the action of the limbs. As the head is the center of the thinking activity of the man and the limbs are the center of the activities for particulary strong-willed people, the rhythmic system is the center of feelings and, in more general terms, of the soul activity of feeling.

The rhythmic pole of feeling is supported and strengthened if appropriate artistic activities are undertaken to educate it. Therefore art acts like a hygienic measure in the development of the individual, reinvigorating and educating the entire sphere of feeling, rendering it able to radiate forces of health to the entire human being.

Rudolf Steiner, in the course of its life, has held numerous artistic seminars, in which he has given the basis for a renewal of the main limbs; moreover he has given the directives for the development of new limbs like Eurhythmy and the art of the spoken word.

Till now we have considered the art as a means of assistance for the harmonic development of an individual, but art can become also a therapeutic means in a position to recouperate from diseases.

Art therapy is regularly used in the anthroposophical medicine. The anthroposophical doctor, in fact, collaborates closely with the art-therapists and can together prescribe such artistic therapies. In this case the doctor prescribes a treatment and the art-therapist, with their experience, selects the therapy and follows the patient while they carries out the assigned therapeutic sessions.

The same artistic activity, for example the eurhythmy, can be used as a hygienic measure or as a therapeutic measure.

Eurhythmy is the new art of movement, created by Rudolf Steiner together with his wife Marie. It is continuing to spread around the world, where it becomes appreciated as an alternative element within modern dance, and can have hygienic and therapeutic validity.

'Therapeutic eurhythmy can reinvigorate our own original forces restoring our equilibrium. In artistic eurhythmy these forces are addressed towards the outside, while in therapeutic eurhythmy they are addressed inside, towards the sick parts.

The sounds of consonants are mainly used to stimulate vital processes and treat present malformations, while the vowels are generally strengthening but are particularly effective upon disturbed nervous functions. Therapeutic eurhythmy is destined to grow as are all therapies that consider the physical body as only the final expression of invisible forces and laws.