▁as ▁the ▁It a ▁Weg man ▁C lin ic . ▁She ▁also ▁developed ▁a ▁special ▁form ▁of ▁mass age ▁ther apy , ▁called ▁rh ythm ical ▁mass age , ▁and ▁other ▁self - c laimed ▁th era pe ut ic ▁treat ments . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁It a ▁Weg man , ▁as ▁she ▁was ▁known ▁throughout ▁her ▁life , ▁was ▁born ▁as ▁Maria ▁It a ▁Weg man ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁in ▁Kar aw ang , ▁West ▁Java , ▁the ▁first ▁child ▁of ▁a ▁Dutch ▁colonial ▁family . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century , ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁Europe ▁( she ▁had ▁visited ▁before ) ▁and ▁studied ▁th era pe ut ic ▁g ymn ast ics ▁and ▁mass age . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 2 6 , ▁she ▁met ▁Rudolf ▁Ste iner ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁Five ▁years ▁later , ▁she ▁began ▁medical ▁school ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Zur ich , ▁where ▁women ▁were ▁not ▁disc rimin ated ▁to ▁study ▁medicine . ▁She ▁was ▁granted ▁a ▁di pl oma ▁as ▁a ▁medical ▁doctor ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁with ▁a ▁special ization ▁in ▁women ' s ▁medicine ▁and ▁joined ▁an ▁existing ▁medical ▁practice . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁having ▁opened ▁an ▁independent ▁practice , ▁she ▁developed ▁a ▁cancer ▁treatment ▁using ▁an ▁extract ▁of ▁mist le to e ▁following ▁indic ations ▁from ▁Ste iner . ▁This ▁first ▁rem edy , ▁which ▁she ▁called ▁Is