Techniques

Somatic Practices – Coaching
Somatic coaching is a fairly new practice sitting at the border of two worlds: because it is coaching, it is a future focussed co-created conversation in which we will explore the potential that wants to emerge in your life and what may stand in its way. In this regard it is a cognitive process. And because it is somatic, that is body-oriented, the same conversation will slowly move away from being a cognitive process and will integrate the language of the body, its wisdom, its energy, and all the subtle cues that it constantly delivers. This will help you make further sense and serve this very same potential. Somatic coaching is thus both a cognitive and embodied process. And because it is embodied it has a therapeutic potential. As we connect to the body, we will come across trapped energies, emotions and feelings, forming your unconscious and waiting to be felt and released. If it is a fairly new practice, somatic coaching contains a vast array of skills that I will use according to your needs. It could be Focussing, Verbal Experiments, Looping, Contacting, Constellations or Hakomi…

Hakomi
Among the somatic practices mentioned above, Hakomi stands out, in my views, as the most potent one, precisely because it is a therapeutic modality entirely based in mindfulness. Under a gentle guidance the bodymind system will relax, the awareness sharpen and you’ll tune it to the cues, sensations, feelings, emotions or thoughts that the body is producing. It will allow you to feel what wants and needs to be felt, to sit with the trapped emotions which are remaining there because they are uncomfortable, even frightening for some. Being the bridge between somatic exploration, hypnotherapy and mindfulness, Hakomi offers a unique way to liberate yourself from the unconscious forces shaping your life. It is a quiet moment to sit with your emotions and feelings, allowing them to naturally run their course and be released, without being identified with them or overwhelmed by them. We are tapping into the self-healing capacity of the body. That will give you a renewed sense of freedom as well as a capacity to change which is not relying on willpower but coming from a deeper place of personal alignment and acceptance.

Each coaching session together will be another step towards a deeper connection to your body and to yourself; your body is the only place where the transformation of psychic contents can take place. It is also another step towards your vast inner world, giving yourself the chance to discover places within you knew existed but did not know how to reach. From these integrated places, love, trust, peace, authenticity, grounded presence are naturally flowing. Towards yourself and the world.

Mindfulness Meditation – Spiritual Guidance
The starting point of my journey began in 2016 when I attended my first Vipassana retreat in Kathmandu. Sitting in silent contemplation for ten hours a day, and doing it for 20 minutes every morning since then has been, and still is, the corner stone of my own transformation.

The implications of practicing mindfulness meditation goes much deeper then simply emptying the mind (which is not possible) or getting some relaxation (although it will be a byproduct). Meditating teaches us to reconnect to the body, gives us a deep understanding of the transient nature of the mind, can help in deconstructing sanely the limiting horizon of what we call our personality, it shows us how to be less identified with all the thoughts produced by the mind, learning to let go of them and being at ease in the present moment. Meditation can give an understanding of the subtlety at which human relationship is operating, it teaches us to listen deeply to both oneself and the world around us, we learn to feel more, accept more and project less. We are feeling more spacious and at peace for longer stretches of time… the list is long. Meditation is the central element in my life, in my coaching and my guidance.

Breathwork
Our ancestors throughout the world understood that breath and spirit are one. Breathing is the source of our life’s energy and yet it is so close to us that we too often take it for granted.

Get angry and you’ll breath short and shallow, cry and the rhythm gets jerky as if gasping for air, fall asleep and breathing becomes rounder and longer as the body dozes off. By looking closely we see that each state of consciousness has its own breathing pattern. By reverse engineering this fact we can begin to train our breath and explore consciousness. Either with under breathing and consciously inducing a calmer state of mind when stress arises in the body. Or with over breathing thanks to which we can access deeper layers within ourselves, possibly allowing stored emotions or insights to come to the surface of our conscious experience.

During the 2,5 hours session, you get my undivided attention and guidance. In a quiet and safe setting, we start with a conversation aiming to set your intention for the session to come. We then ground ourselves with a guided meditation. After that we dive in with a round of 45 minutes connected breath accompanied by a crafted music set; exploring the naturally expanded consciousness, giving the body the possibility of releasing stored emotions and energies, opening up to the intensity that may rise. We close the session with integration. A moment for you to enjoy the deep relaxation, connect to what came up and share your experience.

It is often reported that a breathwork session leaves us feeling deep love, gratitude or clarity. It is also a great and natural introduction to altered states of consciousness. An optional micro-dose of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in truffles, will enhance the experience, opening both heart and body a little more.

Psychedelic & Somatic Journey
Within our complex brain, one part is almost always activated and is responsible for a continuous stream of thoughts to which we are identified. It is called the Default Mode Network (DMN). It is the seat of what we call ‘I’ or ‘myself’; our ego. One way to dim its activity is to practice mindfulness meditation. The progress is incremental, slow and sustainable over time. Another way to reduce significantly and temporarily its activity is to ingest a dose of psilocybin, the active compound found in truffles. As a result, we may go through a revealing, some say mystical, experience which might lead to profound and transformational insights. The progress is much faster and thus requires a careful integration. Why would we want to reduce the activity of the DMN one may ask. Because calming down the activity of the mind will allow the bypassing of its usual protective mechanisms or the story we constantly tell ourselves. From this place, exploring consciousness, letting the body speak, having magnified emotions and surrendering to them can be a deeply transformative experience.

Undertaking a psychedelic journey presents some similarity with traveling with one major difference: the journey is happening inside oneself. I am simply walking by your side and holding a safe space for you. Having this said, it is important to mention two things: not everyone is eligible for such journey and mutual trust is a non-negotiable aspect of the relationship. I therefore facilitate psychedelic journeys only with clients who went successfully through a health questionnaire and only after a number of somatic coaching sessions (online or in person) had taken place.

I am also acutely aware that these compounds, which are illegal for most, are still considered taboo and classified as “drugs” by a wide range of the opinion. Yet, science is now showing a lot of interest in those substances, naturally occurring for most, for the promise they hold in curing deep psychological ailments. As I said, the benefits that these compounds may offer does not mean that everyone should be ingesting them and a well prepared mindset, as well as a safe and legal setting are absolutely fundamental. I am working with psilocybin, the active compound found in truffles which are legally available in the Netherlands.

Disclaimer: The decision to engage in a psychedelic journey is a deeply personal one. It is essential to acknowledge that the use of psychedelic substances carries inherent risks and potential consequences. By choosing to explore psychedelics, individuals accept full personal responsibility for their actions, decisions, and any outcomes that may arise from their use. The facilitator of the experience, cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the ingestion of a psychedelic substance.