I write about many different things. It started out as an online recipe book for friends an family who appreciated my cooking, and evolved into an online journal with subjects I care deeply about. May you enjoy reading some of these articles, and please feel free to share them with others who may benefit.
Yoga & breathwork
Jeff Foster: “Trauma, thank you for protecting me”
TRAUMA, THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING ME Here's the main thing you have to understand about trauma: it wants to keep you hidden. Why? It's trying to protect you. It's only ever trying to keep you safe. It imagines threats where [...]
Start with a sigh (breathe in…… let go)
Did you know that only breathing IN requires effort? Breathing out is simply a release. How it works: Breathing in, the diaphragm contracts, pulling down into the belly, creating a vacuüm in the lungs which are thereby filled with air... [...]
The 4-8 relaxation breath
I'm sure you have heard of the fight or flight response. That's when your adrenaline spikes, sending superhuman power to your arms and feet and razor sharp focus to your mind set to one thing: survive. Your breathing speed and [...]
Conscious connected breathing: technique and effects
If you are familiar with breathwork, you have probably heard of the conscious connected breath. You may know it by a different name, but the basic technique is this: 1. Relax your jaw, open wide and breathe through the mouth [...]
The Peace Portal
I wanted to share something with you which has changed my life and could change yours. Have you ever heard of The Presence Process? It's a book. And more than that, (you guessed it) it's a process. It is a [...]
Breastfeeding in mindfulness
Breastfeeding is a beautiful moment between me and my baby. A precious moment to rest, connect, and exchange. During breastfeeding, there is a direct energy connection between the baby and mother. Skins touch, hormones soar, reflexes act, milk flows. It [...]
Art of living
Dit is er mis met ‘jezelf positioneren als expert’
Nee, ik ga mezelf niet als expert positioneren. Want er is iets grondig mis met die aanpak. Het venijn zit [...]
Water pouring into water
Pondering the unspeakable And how to speak of it A thought comes: Life gave me life Water pouring into water [...]
Liberated from prison
One of my teachers, the beloved Ananta Kranti, was liberated while doing time in a Japanese prison. The intense regime [...]
Suffering and the meaning of life
A couple of days ago I read Sacha Post's post about asking yourself your Most Important Questions. In it, he [...]
Live your questions (Rilke quote)
I love this poem, which is not really a poem but a piece taken from a letter from Rilke to [...]
3 breath visualisations: ease your mind, open your heart, step into action
Three breathful visualisations for you today: Ease your mind Open your heart Step into action You can choose to do [...]
Eco-living
Boektip: Permacultuur in je moestuin
Sinds ik geïnteresseerd raakte in permacultuur heb ik vele video's gekeken (bijvoorbeeld deze), een gratis online introductiecursus permacultuur gedaan, overal waar ik kwam mijn ogen en oren gebruikt om meer te leren én alvast een beetje geoefend met de basisconcepten. Hier en daar heb ik zelfs de wijsneus uitgehangen met [...]
Deze permacultuur-video geeft mij hoop voor de toekomst van onze planeet
Toen ik deze video ongeveer een jaar geleden voor het eerst zag, was ik sprakeloos. Het werd me duidelijk hoe zeer oplossingen voor het grijpen liggen, als we maar de juiste acties nemen. Ik hoop dat iedereen die deze video ziet, er zo hoopvol en optimistisch van wordt als ik. [...]
Toch geen tiny house voor ons bij Calimero
Deng. Het plan waarvoor wij een aantal maanden lang helemaal gingen, gaat voor ons niet door. Jan en ik zijn afgelopen week uit Calimero gestapt. De vereiste investering is significant gestegen ten opzichte van de kostenraming op basis waarvan we zijn ingestapt. Dit maakte voor ons, aan het einde van [...]
‘We do not need a pandemic to #movethedate’ (maar het helpt wel)
"In 2020, the pandemic-induced lockdown measures around the world slowed human activity down. As a consequence, the date of Earth Overshoot Day – when humanity has used as much ecological resources as the planet’s natural ecosystems can regenerate in the whole year – was pushed back to where it stood [...]
Professionele hulp bij het (zelf?) bouwen van je tiny house
In een prachtige samenloop heeft zich juist nu een tinyhousebouwer en -adviseur bij mij gemeld om zijn website te maken: Joris Boons van My Tiny Home. Hij heeft eerst mijn online cursus Impact met je passie gedaan en zijn website is nu in de maak. Hoewel ik (nog) geen persoonlijke [...]
(Maxi-)Tiny houses in Ewijk: Ecowieck en CPO Calimero
Wie mijn blog volgt, weet dat we hopen in te stromen bij een gaaf ecowonenproject: het tinyhouse-initiatief van CPO Calimero. In deze blog een paar essentials en links voor wie meer wil weten. Beuningen energieneutraal in 2040 De gemeente Beuningen, waar Ewijk onder valt, wil in 2040 klimaatneutraal zijn. De [...]
Parenting
Mama circle
Are you pregnant (like me!) and would you in the coming weeks like to: Share with others Connect with your innate power Clear blockages and unhelpful patterns Prepare for a free birth And above all enjoy a mix of yoga, dance and breath? Starting next weekend I will host a [...]
We are social by nature (Jean Liedloff: The Continuum Concept)
"You get what you expect in life, not what you want." - Jean Liedloff A beautiful video about nurturing your kids with proximity, touch and the crucial practice of letting them explore the world by themselves. About trusting nature, our natural talents and our innate tendency to live up to [...]
The 4-8 relaxation breath
I'm sure you have heard of the fight or flight response. That's when your adrenaline spikes, sending superhuman power to your arms and feet and razor sharp focus to your mind set to one thing: survive. Your breathing speed and heart rate go up. Blood flow is redirected from some [...]
Parenting with Presence (book tip)
A little while ago, a friend had been cradling our then 13 month old daughter as she was struggling to sleep. "She required nothing but complete presence," he said afterwards, "or she would cry." Indeed, when he picked up a book, she would wake up and cry. For her to [...]
Breastfeeding and the circle of life
"It is pretty wonderful, this life cycle. I always found it interesting, how food is made and seeds grow and sunshine and rain become nutrition and we can eat and poo and seeds grow and so on. But now my body is taking that and making a whole new product [...]
Breastfeeding in mindfulness
Breastfeeding is a beautiful moment between me and my baby. A precious moment to rest, connect, and exchange. During breastfeeding, there is a direct energy connection between the baby and mother. Skins touch, hormones soar, reflexes act, milk flows. It is a deeply intuitive process that taps into the most [...]
Travel & digital nomading
I wrote some of these posts many years ago, in another lifetime, when I was still together with my ex, Marco. The posts no longer reflect our current situation, although we are still very good friends. I want to keep the posts for good memories, for archive, and because they can still be helpful to readers.
I now have a beautiful family together with Jan and our lovely daughter Lua. You can read all about them higher up in my blog timeline ;).
Simple medicine: chamomile
After journeying through tropical Costa Rica and Brazil for months, I thoroughly enjoyed the late Winter snow and early Spring sun rays in Holland during the last couple of weeks. The cold Dutch ground and early flowering trees helped me integrate the intense travel experiences and reaffirm my career and [...]
Awesome Travel Budget Tracker: Trail Wallet
When I travel, I like to keep track of my budget. It gives me insight and peace of mind, plus I can share some helpful insights later on with fellow travelers who are asking for advice. Track your travel budget wisely So far, I have always made due with the [...]
Exploring new grounds: Costa Rica (I)
Digital nomading in Costa Rica I landed in Costa Rica a few days ago, where I'll be servicing my clients and creating new ways to make online income, as well as travel, see the country and get to know its people. Digital nomading has been my lifestyle for the past [...]
Wild camping in Serra da Estrela, Portugal 2016 (Summer in a VW campervan VI)
After the amazing Boom Festival 2016, it was time again for silence. Whoever thought silence and nature are boring, think again. Huge rocks, the ice cold air, the vast darkness of the night, the thin morning clouds and a few hours later the burning hot sun: they all speak their [...]
Boom Festival 2016 (Summer in a VW campervan V)
After Santiago de Compostela, we headed further down south to Portugal. The center of our journey was the amazingly beautiful Boom Festival, every second year in the month of August near Lisbon. We spent over a week on the Boomland, and met with so many old and new friends. Marco, Anna, Alexander [...]
Santiago de Compostela (Summer in a VW campervan IV)
After Bilbao, we roamed around in Santiago de Compostela for a few days. The Camino de Santiago (Latin: Peregrinatio Compostellana, Galician: Camiño de Santiago), also known by the English names Way of St. James, St. James's Way, St. James's Path, St. James's Trail, Route of Santiago de Compostela,[1] and Road to [...]