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ABOUT ME

I was around 19 years old, I just came out of a one-year solitary meditation retreat and we were in the garden having a farewell party for a visiting Buddhist master. It was summer, there was dancing, laughter and some drinking. Everyone was joyful and at ease. I sat down next to my buddhist teacher and at one point he turns to me, looks me in the eyes and says: “This is the happiest day of your life”. I was so puzzled. How could this insignificant day be the happiest one of my life? I still had my whole life ahead of me, surely there would be more exciting things ahead. Is this feeling of happiness the highest that I can achieve in life? This moment embarked me on a journey in life that questioned what happiness really is.

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Fast forward to today, after lots of travel, several university degrees, loss of father and teacher, marriage, divorce, having all, having nothing, having time and having no time, after success and failure, stress, and more stress, making mistakes, not learning from my mistakes, good health, bad health, and lots of more meditation, my path has brought me some profound answers to that question. Along the way, it also threw in some sarcasm and a sense of humour to deal with the things I can't change. I feel great gratitude to my many teachers, guides and friends for all that I have learned. 

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Since 2011, I have been coaching and training independently. I work in ways that give me and my customers joy, pleasure and fulfilment in life. I believe humour to be my greatest gift as it is the short-cut to make people feel at ease and to open their hearts. We must not take life or ourselves too seriously. 

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Diplomas & Certificates

  • Certified Category 1 Mindfulness trainer, Gentleminds Instituut voor Mindfulness

  • Certified Category 2 Mindfulness trainer, Centrum voor Mindfulness Den Haag

  • Non-Violent Communication, Ai-Opener

  • Non-Violent Communication Teacher Training, Connecting2Life

  • Master in Business Administration, Radboud University Nijmegen

  • Bachelor in Cultural Anthropology, University of Leiden

  • Philosophy, University of Utrecht

  • Happiness Coaching at Heart4Happiness

  • Joy of Living, Tergar

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