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2025: Celebrating 10 years as a mindfulness trainer contributing to healing, awakening and human evolution

mindfulness imageAs I approach the milestone of 10 years as a mindfulness trainer, I reflect on the incredible journey that began between the birth of my first and second daughters. Motherhood has been one of my greatest teachers in mindfulness, showing me the importance of slowing down, nurturing life, and being fully present. It deepened my understanding of how essential it is to contribute to a brighter future—one that can only exist with a healed, evolved, and awakened human presence.

These years have been a profound exploration of transformation, not only for myself but also for the many individuals who have trusted me with their mindfulness practice. Together, we’ve cultivated moments of deep connection, compassion, and self-awareness, creating a ripple effect that touches the lives of others. Every session, every interaction has enriched my understanding of the power of presence and the transformative capacity within each of us.

I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me and the incredible experiences we’ve shared. From those just beginning their journey to those who’ve continued with me, I’ve witnessed firsthand how mindfulness can spark change, bringing more kindness, trust, and compassion into the world. The testimonials below reflect just a few of the many ways this work has touched lives and helped individuals grow.

Mindfulness awakens our consciousness by grounding us in the present moment, fostering clarity and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It invites us to shift from reactive patterns to conscious living, nurturing individual and collective growth. As we cultivate presence, we contribute to the broader human evolution, reconnecting with our true essence and cultivating a compassionate way of living. Mindfulness paves the way for a healed humanity, allowing us to thrive rather than struggle, creating a world where we live in harmony with ourselves, others, and the planet.

Elodie Ly Tri
Marjorie is incredible at creating a safe space to invite well-being practice. I had the chance to be part of her mindfulness group, and it was a deep moment of connection to myself. I can only recommend her. Thank you, Marjorie.

Sophie Boulanger
I attended a mindfulness training led by Marjorie. It was a beautiful journey. She created a safe space for participants, maintaining a calm and supportive presence throughout. She seamlessly blended knowledge and practice, making the experience truly enriching. I would recommend this to anyone looking to reconnect with themselves.

John Oswald
I recently did Marjorie’s 8-week MBSR course and would highly recommend it. Marjorie’s authenticity created such a welcoming space, and her ability to lead a group in inward exploration and outward connection made for an experience that I am greatly appreciative of. I look forward to further deepening my mindfulness practice through sessions and activities led/organized by Marjorie.

Eser
Marjorie is a very dedicated mindfulness trainer. She is calm, sincere, open-hearted, experienced, and lovely 🙂 I really like to join every event she organizes since it makes me feel happy and at peace, especially when we connect with nature ☺️

Kim Koster
Marjorie is a very kind and calm mindfulness teacher. She puts a lot of love into her work, and it’s very clear she cares a lot about each of her students. She truly takes the time to listen to everybody, and I could always turn to her if I had any questions or concerns, which I found very helpful and reassuring. I highly recommend Marjorie to anyone wanting to explore the world of mindfulness!

Volker Dohne
I was following Marjorie’s mindfulness course in early 2021. Due to Covid, this was mostly done online. It worked for me! I appreciate very much Marjorie’s style, which guided me very well into the world of mindfulness. I had no experience before and was lucky to have Marjorie as my teacher. Could not imagine a better teacher for my first steps into this fantastic experience.

Ebru Ipek
With Marjorie’s guidance, the 8-week MBSR training has provided me with tremendous awareness of my thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions. Marjorie is insightful and a genuine instructor, thus onboarding anyone new to mindfulness practices successfully.

Marina Chene
Whether you already have a daily meditation practice or have no clue how to start, Marjorie is the perfect person to awaken all your senses again and make you realize that your life is beautiful and that accepting the challenging aspects is also part of life. She has this natural calmness and warm heart that makes you feel safe within minutes. The 8-week course was the perfect timing for me to digest the information and practice at home as well.

Fritzie Draper
I’m grateful to be part of this 8-week Mindful Based Stress Reduction Course guided by Marjorie. This course helped me to go beyond thinking by having the awareness to fully live in the present moment, embracing what is here now. The beauty of non-doing and simply being the being we are brings so much clarity and balance. Self-compassion meditation brings so much healing and power. I highly recommend this course to everyone to help nurture your mind & well-being. Marjorie is one of the best mindfulness mentors to guide you. She is approachable and has a very calm energy that is soothing to the mind and soul.

Christian Vezjak
My mindfulness course with Marjorie was life-changing. I had the chance to really understand mindfulness and the power of meditation. Meditation is finally part of my life after so many unsuccessful tries. Highly recommended for anyone looking to slow down and start living life as it was meant to be lived 🙂

Anne Gélébart
Marjorie is an amazing mindfulness teacher. I followed her 8-week MBSR program in 2017, and I loved her kind and comprehensive approach. Marjorie is open-minded and very curious. I highly recommend following her courses because she is competent, can explain complex things in a simple manner, and is passionate about her work.

Natalia Doroshenko
Marjorie’s mindfulness meditation course not only helped me overcome the hardships and enormous stress caused by the war in my country (Ukraine), but also had a transformative effect on my entire life. Marjorie always radiates love, and that’s what makes her sessions so special. You feel totally safe, accepted, and loved during the session, and it stays with you after. To add that she has a magic voice, it makes the practices even more pleasant, effective, and healing! I continue the practices by myself with pleasure as they are now fixed in my mind and my body. Highly recommend!

Tika Kruse
If you are looking for an individual MBSR training, I can highly recommend working with Marjorie. Even for “matter-of-fact” people like I am (nuchtere mensen in Dutch), she had me at hello. 🙂 Marjorie is great to talk to, share experiences, and thoughts, and her voice is super calming, which is an added bonus for the wonderful meditations & exercises she leads you through. The sessions are connected to a workbook, which is easy to read and take in, and handy to discuss certain topics per session. All in all, I can highly recommend her!

Alina Vinogradova

Joining Marjorie’s MBSR course was an impulsive decision at a difficult moment in my life, when I knew I had to both work on accepting my situation and try to change some unhelpful behavioral patterns. I’m very glad I did, it gave me much needed headspace. Marjorie is a real professional, and also such a kind, open and empathetic person. She’s easy to connect with and to trust, and she has such a magnetic voice perfect for guided meditations. I started somewhat skeptical about the sitting meditations, but this course taught me to find comfort in it and truly appreciate the experience. And I really enjoyed learning about the theoretical foundations of mindfulness, both through the reading materials and the group discussions. It gave me food for thought, made me more conscious of my actions and reactions, and overall offered practical 21st-century guidance.

Romy Grotenhuis

Marjorie is very professional, a warm and lovely person and her voice is very soothing. I didn’t know what to expect at first but I am so glad I followed her course. We had 8 lessons in total including a day of practice. It does help if you have time at home to practise yourself with the audio you get and the workbook. The evenings and practice days flew by, it was never boring and the meditation was better than expected. I can say that after 8 weeks my mindset has been changed for the better. It’s very pleasant to experience the physical sensations and I definitely recommend everyone to follow a course with her. Even if you start sceptical, you will benefit from it. I hope to follow another course with Marjorie in the near future and work on myself!

David Rick

It was a real treat to experience the 8 week mindfulness course with the guidance of Marjorie! An eye and heart opening experience itself, Marjorie provided a professional and compassionate base to turn to. Catering towards a very diverse group of people is difficult, but she did a great job taking into consideration everyone’s thoughts, desires and struggles. If you have the chance to take a course or a session with Marjorie – do it!

Thank you so much for this wonderful experience Marjorie!  –

Otilia Griga

Hello, I would to share my experience with mindfulness training. It was coming to me via a very good friend who recognized that I’m in a transformation process! I went there with open mind but no expectations. And I must say that this course became the most impactful experience in my life so far. It was a revelation, opening my eyes and my mind for a new journey. Marjorie is the best tutor you can have. I was calming down just by simply seeing her or hearing her voice. We had a great group sharing different challenges and going on different paths, therefore a lot of added value. What I learnt landed very easily and created the safe journey for who I am today. All my friends, colleagues and my family are really noticing the new me. I recommend with all my heart this sessions and Marjorie as a guide for your future you. Although I’m not so disciplined as I would like, I must say once assimilated it will be always in you. The peace, the calm, the happiness! I hope all of you trying this will receive at least what I have got. Amazing experience!

Sabine Binns

I found Marjorie’s MBSR course last minute when I was going through a big restructure at work, lots of stress on every level for me and my team. I was lucky to get a spot and what has started in this course was the beginning of the biggest transformational journey of my life… I have continued every since with going deeper and have come sooo far since then with my personal development, thanks to Marjorie’s compassion, passion and skills she shared with each of us. She has helped me a lot on so many levels… forever grateful I met her at this stage of my life! Thank you! Love, Sabine

Sanna Sumner

I’ve wanting to dig deeper into mindfulness for quite some time but ‘never had the time’. This 8-week course was just what I needed – more calmness, focus and time for myself. I learnt tools how to destress and making me more mindful of little daily things. I certainly have benefited and I think my family has too. Marjorie is a fantastic teacher and very knowledgeable.

Kim Brice

I followed a 8 week Mindfulness course led by Marjorie. I am not new to Mindfulness. When I took the course, I already had lots of meditation experience and I teach a sensory-based movement form which incorporates mindfulness i its technique. What is great about Marjorie is that her teachings are as pertinent to beginner’s as they are to people like me, who have more experience. She is experienced, clear, creates a supportive and trustful setting, and gives the space people need to share and explore, and to be where they are at in their learning process. I highly recommend her classes. Most importantly, she walks her talk. She knows what she is teaching, because she practices it and it is her life.

Magdalena Matei  

Enjoying every day from inside out and being less influenced by the dynamics outside oneself. This practical course of 8 weeks is a journey of learning how to implement mindfulness in the day to day life. It is a journey of becoming aware of your behavior, embrace it and change it when you consider it necessary. I recommended this experience to everyone I know. It is literally a lifechanging experience.

Thank you Marjorie for your kindness and inspiration!

Bea SilvaZegarra

I took the course with Marjorie, she is an excellent coach and open-hearted person, extremely sensitive to personal needs. She is very professional and at the same time a sweet person. I am very happy that I followed the course with her, and I would certainly recommend her course because it is very didactic and easy to follow. We only need to be consistent in order to attain the best of it. Thanks, Marjorie. It was really precious moments that I experienced in your course. Thanks, thanks, thanks!

Eser Yanat

Experiencing mindfulness is a great journey. If you are ready to do some radical changes in your life in a positive way, you are in the right place

I was ready to direct my life to a healthier way of living and I have met Marjorie. I was also contacting other trainers but Marjorie was so reliable and understanding that I cut the contact with others immediately

For me, it has really worked a lot. I was catastrophising the future, past mistakes was making me crazy, I couldn’t accept people or circumstances, I was often in the fighting mode, I couldn’t let go anything and a lot more. I realized that there is a program called mindfulness-based stress reduction and I am not alone in these struggles. Everything that was preventing me from enjoying life with my loved ones was addressed by this program. It was amazing for me to see that I was in the right place.

I am still in fighting mode when its necessary and still struggle occasionally with acceptance but  many of my unhelpful patterns are gone. I don’t bite my nails anymore, something I’d done for over 20 years!

So have a good luck, have faith in yourself and be kind to yourself. Marjorie will support you a lot in this.

Kate Bradbury

I recently did a Mindfulness course with Marjorie and it really turned my life in the direction I wanted. Before the course, I walked around feeling stressed. Even when I didn’t have any reason to be. I would get angry when the lights turned red. It was impacting my most precious relationships.

Doing the course was a venture to find out can I change this pattern. I found Marjorie and I’m so glad that I did. She was a fantastic coach along this very personal journey as I unravelled my life patterns. I felt completely supported and so comfortable to take this journey with her.

I think everyone would learn and benefit from the mindfulness lessons. I’m just so happy I learnt with Marjorie in her wonderful open heart.

Joel Sinnott  

Marjorie’s course was exceptional and I feel great about having a very strong knowledge and understanding of mindfulness and it’s theoretical framework and application. It’s a powerful set of tools to acquire and is making a huge difference to my daily routine and outlook.

Marjorie’s approach is patient, respectful and informative ensuring all members of the group have a voice and learn together in the best setting and environment.

The course is thoroughly recommended………

 

 

 

Amsterdam Active Hope Circles : A Story of Regenerative Connections and Shared Transformation

In January 2023, I started an Active Hope Circle in Amsterdam to enhance our ecological consciousness and nurture a regenerative culture in my little corner of the world. I had no idea this circle—and a core group of people—would continue the journey with me for 1.5 years, until this summer, and still thrive even after my move to Switzerland. Its been a joy to witness the power of this work to build community and lasting support and inspiration.

As the year draws to a close, I am filled with deep gratitude and awe reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve shared. This blog post is a celebration of the community we co-created together, of the joy, creativity, and strength we cultivated through these gatherings, and of the lasting impact they’ve had.

From the very beginning, my intention was to create a space where  changemakers could come together in the spirit of deep ecology—reconnecting with ourselves, with nature, and with each other. . I hoped to empower us to face today’s challenges with resilience and creativity, offering Active Hope as a guiding light. Together, we’ve nurtured ourselves and supported one another in embodying a regenerative culture that ripples out to inspire positive change beyond our circles.

Here are some heartfelt testimonials from participants sharing the story of our journey, our growth, and the magic we’ve co-created together.

“Being part of this ‘tribe’ is the biggest gift I have given myself in terms of self-development and learning. Those times when I feel I am freezing due to climate change anxiety, this spiral makes sure I feel reconnected and calm. Empowering me to think and act creatively—and undertake initiatives I otherwise wouldn’t dare or take the time for.” – Noor

“I am amazed at the strength of this work to bring people together and organically grow a connected inspiring community.” – Esther

“I feel so very grateful for this experience and this circle. Being outside and doing ritual together created for me the most profound experiences and memories. It creates an additional dimension when we are held and guided by the trees and plants around us. I have very special memories of our walk around the gardens and the campfire. Also, the evolutionary practices are very profound for me. Going through all the steps in evolution and imagining roaming around 1000 years ago. I want to continue having this as part of my life. Marjorie, you really embody this connection with the earth and your guidance was deeply nurturing.” Sarah

“I’m participating a second time in the ‘Active Hope’ spirals with Marjorie. Marjorie creates a safe space, where we land, look around us with curious eyes, and feel close to nature and also to those around us—we reconnect with all that we forget about during our ‘busy’ days.”

“Thanks to the Active Hope circle, I dared to put myself out there. I dared at work to put more of my ‘female’ warm side in the work, and ask for emotions from my colleagues/clients on how they felt about reaching their environmental targets. I dared in my private life, starting conversations at the dining table, practicing Active Hope exercises with groups of friends weekends away. Taking my friends outside on a walk and feeling the nature with eyes closed. I have a better understanding of my purpose in life and strengths: connecting people with the beauty of nature and people you didn’t know before. We are all connected, let’s take care of each other.” – Noor

“It was a wonderful experience to spend almost one year getting to know how to better connect with nature and humans. Marjorie’s passion and authenticity glued us together, she is naturally in sync with nature and can share it with the wisdom of an ancestor. I enjoyed the calmness and self-awareness, the clarity of her sharings.” – Sofia

“I had a very warm and heart-filling experience in all sessions. I always went home with stillness and hope inside myself. It felt like a safe space which allowed me to open slowly. In the winter, it was hard for me to keep my optimism to see the darkness outside, but the circles helped me to find warmth within myself.” – Deepali

“I really treasure the time I had with Marjorie and this group. We truly became a small community. I really valued being around people who look at ‘sustainability’ in a more holistic, spiritual, and systems way of seeing the world. I felt held and nourished.” – Esther

“These Active Hope circles are a way to ensure I take time monthly to reconnect with community, nature, and myself. It has been a deeply nourishing experience, filled with joy and creativity.” – Juliette

“I love your calm, humble yet deep presence. I think you find a good balance between guiding the process and creating space for people to share and for what wants to emerge. You are very present and at the same time in the background to give people the space they need to share and express. I just love your presence and calm and steady way of being. I hope you realize how powerful your work and the way you bring it is.” – Esther

“This more feminine way of sharing feels so good and safe that we can all share our knowledge with each other in a very equal manner. Feels very different than the patriarchal way—it strengthens each individual’s gifts and invites us to bring these out into the world. Your presence, Marjorie, and enthusiasm and warmth were so nurturing. I feel really sad that you are leaving. You really inspire me and your courage to lead these circles and all your interests and love you have inside. That we can be so vulnerable with each other. This was really thanks to your presence and warmth.” – Sarah

“I was surprised by how in such a short time we really became a little community. I was also moved when so many people started to bring songs of their own and share—so many levels of co-creation!” – Anneke

“You have a welcoming presence which helps us all to ground ourselves. I loved all the grounding meditations, they are so precious. And the way to guide them really is something I wish you continue always.” – Deepali

“It keeps my connection with life alive. It keeps me sane in a very nice, nourishing, joyful, peaceful way.” – Juliette

“What I enjoyed so much about this group is the way we spend time together: sharing deep thoughts, sharing silence, sharing wonder and awe, just being together, drawing, dancing, walking together, sharing our passions and the questions we are exploring. It is just simply a way of being together that feels very easy, meaningful, joyful, simple, and loving. All at the same time. It made me realize how much I enjoy this way of being together and that I want my life and the time I spend with groups to look more and more like this.” – Juliette

I am filled with deep gratitude for each person who joined this journey and enabled the circles to exist as they did—through their unique contributions and co-creations. And the fire is still burning strong. Join a fireside evening in “our” green heaven in Amsterdam here

After 15 years in Amsterdam, life led me and my family to Terre Sainte, Switzerland. After a few months of landing, grounding, and connecting with this beautiful region, I am beginning to sow seeds for this work here. Inspired by the land and the people I’ve begun to meet, I am committed to carrying forward the teachings of Active Hope and The Work That Reconnects—to spread this work in our commune, in schools and organizations, to start new circles, and to nurture the kind of regenerative culture that supports both personal and collective transformation.

My heart is open to what will emerge here. For now, it is time to rest, reflect, recharge, and dream into the Winter Solstice and the end-of-year festivities.

Goodbye Amsterdam

This photo is in De Groene Hemel in Westerpark where I spent a lot of time this last couple of years offering Active Hope Circles and breathwork ceremonies. Gratitude to this magical place.

This is our last week in Amsterdam before moving on to our Swiss adventures. Amidst this busy and emotional transition, I want to express my deep gratitude to Amsterdam and my community for 15 incredible years.

It is love that brought me to Amsterdam! My life here has been an expansion into love in so many ways. ❤️ 1 year after arriving, I became a 1st-time mother, experiencing the joy of giving birth in a culture where home births, midwives, kraamzorgs and doulas are cherished.

Motherhood brought me closer to myself, teaching me to listen to the rhythms of my body, to nurture myself and others, connecting with my intuition. This transformative journey led me to mindfulness.

After the birth of my second daughter, I took a leap of faith, leaving my job as a global communications consultant to share the practice of mindfulness with my community and to be more present for my daughters.

Amsterdam has been not only the birthplace of my 2 beautiful daughters but also of my heart-centred business “Experience Mindfulness”. Over the past decade, I had the privilege of supporting my community and organisations as a mindfulness and self-compassion trainer and through mindful birthing and doula work to empower women during their birthing journeys.

Thank you to all the people and families I have supported through this work. Thank you for your trust and allowing me into such vulnerable moments in your life. It’s been absolutely heart opening in so many ways to witness your Life transformations and guide you along the way.

I then pursued additional training as a coach supporting others towards more joy, balance and purpose, also co-creating the Awaken Your Potential retreat with Anne Gélébart. My journey later led me to discover spiritual ecology and become a facilitator of the Work that Reconnects bringing together purpose, environmental awareness & community. For the past 1.5 years, the Active Hope community I initiated has gathered bi-weekly, enabling connection, empowerment, and inspiration to anchor a regenerative culture and embody the change we wish to see in the world.

With profound gratitude to my teachers and co-facilitators in Amsterdam and beyond, all my clients and those who attended my retreats & circles.

Earlier this year, I became a breathwork coach further empowering my offering, a special thank you to the Nieuw Yoga School . The transformations I’ve witnessed in breathwork sessions have been life-changing.

Thank you to my amazing friends supporting me along the way of my own huge personal transformation and growth. Huge gratitude to myself for taking this brave leap of faith, the road less travelled, creating my own way, to be continued in Switzerland.

Saying goodbye is the hardest but I carry all these experiences and connections with me. Farewell and thank you Amsterdam, you’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Forever grateful. I’ll be back! 🙏❤️🌟💫

Dancing Between Old and New: Embracing the In-Between ✨

photo credit: Alejandro Contreras

I wrote this 2 years ago in 2022, nice to revisit as I prepare to move countries from Amsterdam, NL to Geneva, Switzerland : a giant leap into the unknown – feeling that in between… Thank you Flamingo spirit for your wisdom of finding balance in change and embracing the in-between.

* * *

Lately, I’ve been feeling like a flamingo – one foot still rooted in the old, caught up in my own limiting patterns as well as dysfunctional structures, systems, and beliefs. Not entirely free to fly away from what I may have partly outgrown. And the other foot is up in the air, bravely exploring, feeling into, and reaching out towards the magic of what could be – a vision of a more beautiful world I long for and feel called to co-create alongside others in my humble way.

Some days, I lean into the old; other days, I venture into the unknown. It’s a dance, not always graceful, often uncomfortable or messy. It feels like I’m doing a massive split, falling apart, collapsing, or breaking open – I’m not quite sure.

I long for a world where we move SLOWER, in tune with the rhythms of nature, taking time to simply be, to feel deeply, breathe deeply, and embrace the fullness of being Alive, knowing that it is more than Enough.

A world where values, intentions, and visions guide us rather than deadlines and goals to be achieved. Surrounded by green and wild nature, spending more time outdoors, connecting rather than indoors, sitting in front of multiple screens, surrounded by concrete, consuming things, and mindless entertainment.A world conscious of our interconnectedness, where we act with gratitude and respect for the natural world.

Where we support and empower one another, co-creating and collaborating, not competing or conforming. Celebrating and gathering more in community, singing, dancing, storytelling, using our hands more to feel, create, and make things that bring us joy and meaning.

A world where we reclaim our health and autonomy, remembering the healing properties of Nature and plant wisdom. Where children are born in peace through empowered birthing goddesses who trust their bodies and the power of Life moving through them, not in systems of fear and control.

Where education offers children more freedom, more time outdoors, more creativity, and the space to discover who they are and their unique gifts.A world of unlearning much of what we’ve been taught, discovering our boundless potential as we follow our hearts, our intuition guiding us in every moment. A world where we stop doing anything that doesn’t make sense, that isn’t sustaining Life.

A world in which every cell of our being Vibrates LOVE. Some days, I get glimpses of this more beautiful world I dream of. I embody it, everything flows, and I even get to live it. I see that it’s not utopia, as I used to tell myself, but within reach. I meet many like-minded souls who share this vision. Yet it’s far from my daily reality as a mother of two school-aged girls living in the city. Some days, I feel like fast-forwarding into that reality, taking a giant leap. It’s frustrating that I can see it so clearly, taste it, and yet it isn’t always so.And then it strikes me – embracing the present moment, the stretch, the split, the weaving of old and new, the bridge that I am building into the unknown, the journey yet to be travelled, made with every step, no matter how small, is what it’s all about.

Spiritual Ecology Retreat – Beaumont, Belgium – 28 June to 2 July 2023

Inner Work for Outer Change…
How can we integrate a spiritual response to the ecological, social and political crises we are facing? At this time of great uncertainty in the world, we need to find the strength to put compassion into action.
We welcome you to join us on this 5-day learning journey on the beautiful land of a Buddhist retreat centre, just 30-minute south of Charleroi in Belgium, to explore what compassion means in relationship to yourself, to others and to the natural world.
Together we will move through a spiral of the Work that Reconnects and engage in powerful practices to grow our ecological consciousness and empower our capacity to make a positive difference in today’s world.
We will explore how to manage strong emotions, how to engage with wisdom and how to stay connected to joy in challenging times. We will bring this inner work together with our outer environment, deepening our connection with Mother Earth, with each other, and also sensing into what wants to emerge in the larger system.
Beyond excited to be co-facilitating this retreat with Annick Nevejan.
More detail & registration here

Deep Ecology Retreat Experience

May be an image of 10 people
Throwback to summer 2021 when I attended my first spiritual ecology retreat in Belgium with the beautiful guidance of Annick Nevejan and Maaike Boumans.
On this picture a playful pose of our amazing group after an afternoon of learning & helping in the gorgeous permaculture garden of the Beaumont Buddhist retreat center cared for by Gregory.
This retreat felt like a coming home and brought me a sense of wholeness through deep connection with my core being, oneness with nature & soulful encounters with inspiring people caring for Life in their own unique ways. A sense of an Earth care community that I was thirsty for was born through our time together, filling me with a huge sense of aliveness, hope and the courage to step up increasingly to act on behalf of Life.
This process made so much sense to me, more than anything I had come across. I felt a strong call to deepen and share this deep
ecology work.
In autumn 2021 I trained with Roseaux Dansants (the French arm of the Work that Reconnects) and @transalquimia (Spanish WTR) after experiencing a 5 day retreat with them (The Council of All Beings).
Last Spring I further trained to facilitate Active Hope Circles with Chris Johnstone and Madeleine Young.
Since then I’ve been sharing with passion the Work that Reconnects through retreats & workshops for open groups as well as organisations of change makers & activists: Cityplot, the Transition Network of SW France, Ecofeminist organisation Shelter FR, Extinction Rebellion, Reclaim the Seeds Amsterdam and Climate Action NL (in the making).
This Spring, I started the first Active Hope Circle in Amsterdam which is ongoing & to be continued.
I was intending to assist facilitation for the Beaumont Spiritual Ecology retreat but this weekend I stepped into an unexpected fuller co-facilitation role as dear friend and colleague Flo from @mindful.change has her hands full with the launch of the second edition of the @plumvillagefrance online course “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet” sharing Thay’s teachings.
Will miss her presence and also honoured for this unexpected opportunity. It feels like a circle coming round.
Our retreat will be held in Beaumont again in Belgium from 28 June to 2 July 2023, join us here

Balancing Being & Doing to Restore Harmony

BALANCING BEING & DOING to restore HARMONY 💫
Started a new mindfulness couMay be an image of 3 peoplerse earlier this month with this intention of restoring this sacred balance between:
being & doing,
yin & yang
feminine & masculine
giving & receiving
Letting go, letting in (we need to let go to make space for the new to emerge, to be empty and receptive)
When this balance exists in our body our health is optimal (homeostasis state)
This balance exists in our breath. I invited us to feel these energies of yin and yang in our breath, deeply feeling one at a time and then noticing how they balance one another.
This balance exists everywhere in us and everywhere in nature, in the seasons, everything rises and falls, begins and ends, works and rests, all of life expands and contracts.
As human beings, we have forgotten about the BEING part. Mindfulness practice helps us remember & tend to our aliveness.
When we do we restore balance within ourselves. And when we restore the balance within it can exist without.
We have brought ourselves completely out of balance with our industrial growth society, only expanding, addicted to growth, profit, efficiency, powered by fossil fuels, evolving in a linear way, forgetting our biosphere is cyclical and cannot sustain these ways.
We have gotten so caught up, so consumed in unbalanced doing that we have forgotten we are held, we are immersed in Mother Earth and us being out of sync with Her has brought our very planet out of balance 🌎
Restoring the balance without begins within. Doing less, being more. Slowing Down. Being present with our doing so that we are doing things with awareness and love and letting go of all that isn’t necessary and doesn’t make sense.
It is simple: what doesn’t regenerate us, doesn’t regenerate Life. Our personal and planetary wellbeing are completely intertwined.
Our minds can get us stuck but our bodies are hardwired to know. Calm the mind and access an infinite source of wisdom
Time to LISTEN, BALANCE, HARMONISE
I feel so passionate about this, I struggle with short posts, thank you if you’ve slowed down enough to make it here. Sending you so much love 💚🌷✨

Active Hope Circle – Honouring our Pain

Grateful for a beautiful, connecting and heart-opening Active Hope Gathering.✨
Feeling cracked open and so nourished by the deep ecology practices we engaged in with a beautiful group of change-makers, regenerating the land, transforming education, leading the energy transition, healers, artists and activists.
I’ve been looking for fertile ground to share this work and finally these intentions are manifesting, the work is magically finding the right people, moving to where it’s most needed.
Honored to initiate and guide this process and co-create together. Grateful to my many teachers, soul connections, support along the way allowing me to align to this new path I have been called to. 🙏
Yesterday after opening with a gratitude prayer “The Words that come before All Else” from the Haudosenee people (their gift to the world supporting us to remember what is sacred), we moved into the second stage of the Spiral 🌀 Honouring our Pain with an inquiry, a circle dance, a profound grief ritual with such touching sharing of our pain for the world. We ended the evening singing, my heart is full with all the beautiful songs shared honouring the Earth and our wild nature, so healing to sing together with intention, simple and powerful ❤️🙏✨
One particularly touching moment was hearing a man in the circle voice how it was time perhaps for men to pause and listen to the women, he recognized the deep connection of women with the land. It was such a gift beyond words to receive his words.
And totally aligned with my path of harmonizing with the Earth and diving deeper into the feminine.
Enjoying the journey and all the places it is taking me.
You can join our last gatherings before the summer or autumn circles, please email me marjorie@experiencemindfulness.nl for more details.

Self-love : The Mindful Circle

SELF-LOVE ❤️🌷
In the mindful circle, I regularly share powerful self-compassion practices because I feel these are so essential to feeling vital, joyful and empowered. Join our next circles online or outdoors in warmer months, sign up here 
When we can really hold ourselves with unconditional love, we realize our wholeness.
All our wounds, past and present are healed through this loving presence. They don’t disappear but when we can hold them in this way, they become a source of wisdom, empowerment and purpose.
🌷
When we really have our best interest at heart, we almost magically break away from all the patterns which aren’t serving our highest good. ✨
It all starts with the most intimate relationship we will ever have – with ourselves. 💕
When we heal the relationship with ourselves, we can transform our relationship with others, the environment, our world. 🦋
We operate not from a place of lack, fear or scarcity but from a place of overflowing abundant LOVE which is the essence that nourishes our creativity. ☀️
The source of being of service and contributing to a more compassionate world is beginning to accept and love yourself just as you are ❤️
Join the mindful circle to empower your self-love

 

Summer in an Ecofeminist Retreat : a suprisingly liberating experience

This summer I had the joy of co-facilitating a Work that Reconnects retreat for Shelter, a French ecofeminist association. While I was familiar with the concept of ecofeminism and what I had read about it made a lot of sense to me, I was definitely in for a surprise being immersed in a 100% ecofeminist gathering for 2 weeks …

Ecofeminism is a movement linking the oppression of women, minority groups & indigenous culture & the degradation of the environment as consequences of capitalist patriarchy. 

It is impossible to describe in words and in a short post my experience but let me begin by saying it was intense and I came back from it a changed woman.

The ecofeminist gathering was in beautiful nature in the middle of nowhere, a hidden refuge nestled in the hilltops of the Aude region, the landscape a mix of pine forest and what they call “la guarrigue” locally. The place we met is a sanctuary for women, men aren’t welcome there. Initially I had quite some resistance to this, it felt really polarising to exclude men. If we want to build a more harmonious future, surely we need to do this together.

But I had signed up for this experiment, co-hosting with my dear soul sisters, so I just let go and saw it as an exploration of something new. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed, what an experiment in letting go of layers and layers of conditioning…

It was special to be in a land that had only been touched and walked upon by women and witness how little had been done to the land. There were a few wooden cabins, built by lesbian women who had lived there from the 70s onwards, completely crooked, imperfect and absolutely charming. There was no electricity, no source of water and “the shitter” wasn’t the place you want to hang around. We would collect water from a source at the village nearby, we needed to drive there and carry it by foot for the last meters up a hill during the summer heatwave. The whole symbolic of women carrying the water was special and the appreciation that stemmed from enjoying it for drinking or a rudimentary shower was immense.

I didn’t miss any of the comforts of modern life though during my time there. I discovered the joy of sleeping under the stars every night, of seeing the sun and moon rising and setting. I became really connected with these rhythms, it felt like all was in place and after a few days and would not miss one. I discovered what it was like to be in total darkness in the forest and how surprisingly safe and comfortable I felt especially knowing there was not any male presence or dangerous animals around, I didn’t feel like prey. It was so magical not to have artificial light for those weeks and no sign of civilisation anywhere close, how precious to see the night sky clearly, to experience and enjoy the darkness. I enjoyed sisterhood like seldom before, in profound and deep sharing in circles filled with words of wisdom and truth, hugging, tears, love, softness, fierceness, pain, power and rage. It was raw, moving, intense, peeling of layer after layer.

We were naked in every way, also physically, it was so hot and there were no men, so clothes were mostly superfluous. Initially as a retreat co-facilitator, I had some resistance being half naked but after so much intimacy and depth in our sharing, I felt totally comfortable in that nakedness. I never thought I would be facilitating a grief circle in my underwear with 18 women but it just happened and I completely surrendered…

I discovered what it was like to walk through my days without the male gaze, how suddenly it was totally safe to be completely naked. Being around this special group of women and without men gave me so much more space to be, so much freedom to express my sensuality, all of me. I experienced a freedom I had seldom experienced. It was blissful…

We had long walks under the moonlight in nature, walks in silence, singing songs, telling stories, laughing and howling with the wind in our hair and on our bare skin. I treasure images of our half nude bodies walking for hours in the moonlight and bathing and singing in the river down below.

I experienced the wild woman in me I had longed for, dreamt of, had glimpses of here and there. And the whole experience felt so sensual, playful, soft and powerful, with ann intense, feeling of aliveness and intimacy with nature. It was so liberating to be me so fully in this magical place surrounded by beautiful women and a couple of my dear soul sisters to share this experience with. Most of these women were healers, mothers, massage therapists, dancers, writers, artists, activists, etc.

It gave me a glimpse of what it feels like to be completely safe to be free, to be in a symbiotic state with the Earth and with a community of women. I carry this experience preciously in my heart and it motivates me to create and contribute to safe places for women to show up in their full power.