Vivatomie® offers a radically different perspective on the human body.
What is vivatomy?
The term Vivatomie® is a neologism coined by Benita Cantieni—derived from viva (Latin for “alive”) and -tomie ( Greek for “incision”). While classical anatomy relies on cadavers, Vivatomie is based on the living, sentient, breathing human being. Benita Cantieni observes, models, and describes—with the goal of developing an ideal-typical model for upright, pain-free, intelligent use of the body.
Vivatomie is anatomy in motion. It doesn’t describe what we look like, but rather what we can be—when everything is in its right place.
Who invented it?
Benita Cantieni, a Swiss pioneer of anatomically based postural training, coined the term “Vivatomy.” Driven by the need to break away from the static thinking of conventional medicine, she developed a dynamic, breathing anatomy—observed in living human beings. Not pathology, but function. Not diagnosis, but potential.
What makes Vivatomie special?
A living model instead of a dead benchmark. Instead of relying on standardized skeletal models, Vivatomie is developing a “dynamic ideal”: upright, flexible, and functional.
Straightening from the inside. Targeted activation of the deep muscles (e.g., the pelvic floor and the intrinsic back muscles) creates an internal tension that relieves pressure on the joints and corrects poor posture.
Networked Thinking. The body is viewed as a single unit—from the arches of the feet to the crown of the head, from breathing to facial expressions. Joints, fascia, muscles, nerves—everything works together.
Example of Use: Straightening the Spine
In classical anatomy, the spine is a static structure. In Vivatomy, it is a living, pulsating organ of upright posture.
A simple example from training:
7 Think Vertically
Stretch vertically from the soles of your feet to the top of your head—and relax.
6. Release the shoulder joints
Stretch the collarbones wide apart, release the upper arm heads from the acromion, and let the arms hang relaxed. Keep the shoulder blades low and close to the back.
5 Keep your head up
Pull the crown of your head toward the sky along an imaginary thread; your head rests weightlessly on the last cervical vertebra. Say “Ng ng ng.”
4 Lengthen the Spine
Draw the sacrum deeper into the body and stretch upward with all the other vertebrae. Keep the midline on the abdominal side as long as the spine. Align the crown of the head directly above the perineum. Breathe from the perineum to the crown of the head.
3. Lift your pelvis, engage your pelvic floor
Align your sitting bones, pubic bone, and tailbone vertically and hold them high above your legs. Gently contract your sitting bones, release, contract, release. Pulsing day in and day out…
2 Think from the ground up
Stretch your lower legs upwards from the ankle. Stretch your thighs away from the knee.
1 Align your feet
. Place your feet hip-width apart and slightly in a V-shape. Let the center of your heel and the base of your big toe hover above the floor. Relax your knees.
From the bottom up
Previously:
The lumbar spine is hunched, the head is hanging forward, and the shoulders are slumped.
Afterward (as instructed):
The coccyx floats, the sacrum straightens, the atlas supports the skull—and suddenly the spine “breathes” from within.
Vivatomy in the CANTIENICA® Method
Vivatomie is the theoretical foundation of the CANTIENICA® method. It is incorporated into every training session—whether it’s pelvic floor exercises, posture training, back exercises, or Faceforming.
It is not a separate training module—but rather the way in which anatomy comes to life in every movement.
Why the Ideal-Typical Person Makes a Difference
Classical anatomy shows what is—often depicted on an old, worn-out male body. Vivatomy shows what can be:
- a living skeleton that floats instead of pressing down
- Joints that allow movement rather than restricting it
- Muscles that lift rather than pull down
This ideal is not a rigid model. It is dynamic, alive, and interconnected. And it emerges through observation, sensation, and refinement—in real life, in the living body.
In step with the times
Even the most advanced imaging techniques—MRI, CT, 3D visualizations—often provide only snapshots of the body at rest. They do not capture how the body functions when it moves, thinks, or feels.
Vivatomie continues:
- It incorporates tension, self-awareness, and body intelligence.
- It does not depict what is broken, but rather what can heal, grow, and blossom.
- She asks: How can I move in such a way that nothing rubs, nothing gets compressed, and nothing wears out?
Anatomy based on a dead body cannot explain life.
Vivatomie is anatomy in action
Vivatomie fosters a loving, mindful awareness of one’s own body. It invites you to explore, feel, and experiment—not as therapy, but as a form of self-responsibility in motion.
