ABOUT ME
I grew up in Holland in a loving multiracial family in a humble row house where my parents still live today. My Dutch Mom instilled in me the importance of love, caring, creativity and practicality and my Indian Indonesian father taught me how to create something out of nothing, how to research and organize and help out where you can.
I was a passionate, curious, spirited and happy little girl, always moving, talking, exploring, connecting, loving, caring, singing and dancing. I was born ready to go when I literally came shooting out of my mother’s womb barely being caught.
My parents love telling the story about us all weeding our backyard garden. I was about 5 and true to form taking my job very seriously and with much enthusiasm I had ripped out most of the weeds in no time and lots of pretty little plants as well…..
It was with that same drive, focus and energy that I took up playing the guitar, trained with the Dutch Olympic volleyball team and graduated with a master’s degree in Art History and Management while traveling the world as a fashion model.
I feel fortunate to have worked with so many talented and wonderful photographers for magazines such as as Elle, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Marie Claire. But what I loved most from my days in front of the camera was the opportunity to travel and live all over the world connecting with many different people, getting a great sense of their beliefs, cultures, foods, rituals, desires, passions and their stories.
After fifteen amazing wonder filled years in the fashion industry I embarked on one of my most inspiring, learning, magical, soul shaking, heart opening, challenging and beautiful adventures yet – motherhood. I fully devoted myself to being the best Mom I could be, taking on many responsibilities, ready to love, support, and care for my family. I gave it my all with little energy or time created in the day for me to recharge, pause and care for myself.
When Nina was barely 2 and Kai only a few months old, I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. Every three months I would visit my Endocrinologist, I was strongly urged to remove my Thyroid and take medication for the rest of my life. I was told there was a very small chance I would heal from this autoimmune disease.
But deep down I knew I was presented with an opportunity for growth and decided to figure out what I needed so desperately to learn to heal.
Ever since I was a kid, I have struggled to find a balance between doing and being and now I had gotten completely lost in the care for my family leaving no time for me– Leaving no time to be and feel. It was time for me to slow down, tune in and feel my emotional, and energetic body’s clues and wisdom to guide me. My body had whispered over the years. But I was and kept too busy to hear. It was now screaming and I had to find a way to finally listen.
It was time to take care of myself.
I started to look around for a practice to relief stress and connect to my body.
I fell head over heels in love with the soft and graceful, yet powerful ancient Chinese movement practice of Qigong. Through easy to learn, dance like movements, breathing exercises, visualization and self-massage I was able to slowly connect to the wisdom and language of my body. Within this practice I found time to breathe, move and feel. It became easier for me to slow down, let go of the need to control and find ease in my body and mind.
Feeling through movement helped me to release stuck physical and emotional energy and created space for healing from Graves's disease.
My journey has taught me to be grateful and fully embrace a time for doing and a time for being, a time for giving and a time for receiving. I have learned to open up, be vulnerable, curious, trust, and ask for help.
From this place I have developed a practice for you I call Sense You Qigong.
I share this practice with women in my Female Sensual Qigong Classes and I offer Private Qi-Coaching. I also have a passion and love for teaching Kids Qigong.
There is no age limit to this beautiful gentle practice. I move with people age 4-90. All can benefit and all move energy in their own way. This practice can be done seated and standing and no prior experience is needed. Each and every moment can be adjusted and adapted to what the mind, heart and body need in that very moment.
In my Female Sense You Qigong Group Classes I invite you to come home to your sensual body, your creativity, flow, pleasure, curiosity and intuition. To come home to your wild and open mind with visions of your dreams and desires. And to come home to the powerful healing energy of passion, joy and unconditional love in your heart.
In my Private Qi-Coaching Programs I combine wellness coaching with the movement wisdom of Qigong to awaken your energy, heart, and senses. In this unique experience I will provide you with information, tools and Sense You Qigong movements supporting you to experience life more fully, move more easily through challenges and tap into your body’s own healing power.
I am looking forward to meeting and moving with you. To not only be with you in the moment mindfully, but also experience the moment with all our senses activated.
