Born in the Netherlands, I spent a great deal of time in the forest near my home. This was a haven where I felt a deep sense of interconnectedness.

 

I found that same sense of interconnectedness while passing long afternoons in the sauna with my mother and her sisters. Saunas in Northern Europe are more than a place for relaxation. There, in the presence of these older women, I felt this sacred sense of acceptance where everything is held just as it is - sorrow when someone dies, exuberance at birth, and the witnessing of ones truth.

 

After living in Paris, I moved to Amsterdam and spent several years working with a theater company. Improvisational theater offered me an avenue for creativity where inner exploration was possible. Just as in the forest, I felt how every small action is connected to a larger whole. This strengthened my sense of trust and surrender in each moment.  I wanted to bring this sense of trust and inner exploration to others.