My Educatonal journey
My Yoga Journey
The first yoga class I ever participated in was in 2005 when I was living in London. It was my final year of my life sciences education and I had chosen to do my internship in the big city. There was a gym nearby that offered ashtanga yoga. A friend of mine and I signed up and I remember not liking it too much because I wasn’t flexible at all, but I was interested.
For years I was practicing different kinds of classes with different teachers, discovering my affinity for more yin, restorative, slower yoga practices. Slowly I started practicing at home and got some dvds to help me. In my small collection was Simon Low his dvd.
When he came to Utrecht to give a workshop in 2013, I knew that if I would ever do a teacher training it would be with him. His approach to movement that prevents injury and is respectful towards each body was really inspiring.
A year later, when I went on my first surf and yoga holiday in Portugal, our yoga teacher got sick and the group I was with decided I should teach a class since I had the most experience.
As I shared my first class, I realised that this was something amazing that I really loved to do.
When I got back home, I looked up a training with Simon and several months later the deep dive started.
In that training, through the anatomy part, I got connected to the work of Susi Hately, which I really enjoyed. Six years later I did my yoga therapist training with her.
Slowly over the years, my interest and practice in slowing down and more therapeutic application of yoga and movement has grown and is still developing!
BSc Life sciences, Molecular Biology
My 4-years study at Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands. After this I worked as a research technician, doing scientific research, in several labs for over 10 years.
Yin and Yang Yoga Teacher Training and Study Immersion
A month intense 200-hours yoga teacher training with Simon Low from the Yoga Academy on Koh Samui, Thailand.
Working with injuries in yoga classes
A 5-day course with Julie Gudmestad in London.
Inner axis teacher training
A 3-day course with Max Strom in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
A therapeutic eye in yoga teaching and practice
A 4 day training with Doug keller in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Study immersion on yin and restorative yoga, pranayama, meditation and somatic awareness
A 50-hour training with Simon Low in Huzur Vadisi, Turkey.
I love anatomy online training
15-hour online training with Susi Hately.
Body Reading 101/102
A 14-hour Anatomy Trains training at Incitus in Antwerp, Belgium.
Intro into somatic movement part 1&2
Online live course with Martha Peterson.
Therapeutic yoga intensive module 1
A 6-day online intensive with Susi Hately.
Therapeutic yoga case studies module 2
assignment of 20 case studies with clients and online review calls with Susi Hately.
3-month private yoga therapy trajectory
with Susi Hately
IAYT Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification Program
A 1000+ hours online training, including 150 case studies, with Susi Hately
My Bodywork Journey
When I came back from my yoga teacher training in Thailand, I had received several Thai massages. Those were really nice, not so intense and made me curious for more. It was such an interesting way to also explore the body and movement, through touch, both receiving and giving. After doing a Thai massage workshop with my sister and aunt, I decided that this was something I also wanted to learn. The meditative flow while giving a massage, on a futon on the ground, was a whole new movement, anatomy and meditation experience.
I’ve also always been fascinated by fascia.
First through Paul Grilley in Yin yoga, then through Anatomy Trains by Thomas Myers and the work of somanaut Gil Hedley.
All this works shows how incredibly connected everything is within the body and training my eye to see, feel and understand what is there and how to work with that, including the amazement for the body’s capacity to adapt itself.
Thai Yoga Massage (Nuad Bo-Rarn) level 1&2
Two 30-hour trainings excluding practice sessions at ITM Thai Hand in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Thai Therapeutic massage (Wat Po style) level 1
A 30-hour training at ITM THai Hand in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Anatomy Trains in Structure
A 2-day training at Incitus in Antwerp, Belgium.
All-round tantra masseur training
Four 3-day trainingsweekends at Helios centrum in Heerde, the Netherlands
Body Reading 101/102
A 14-hour Anatomy Trains training at Incitus in Antwerp, Belgium.
Introduction to ATSI 3 Series and BodyReading
An online course by Thomas Myers
My Ayurveda Journey
This journey started during my Yoga therapy training in 2021. I got to know my teacher Mona Warner who introduced Ayurveda in such a way that it clicked and made all the sense in the world. The science that is Ayurveda has reconnected me with my inner scientist and it has been greatly supporting me in my journey with my auto-immune kidney condition. The more I learn about Ayurveda, the more empowered I feel about what is happening within me and how to bring back balance again.
Ayurveda Foundations
A 200-hour foundational training by Mona Warner.