So you want to know more about me, eh? Get to know the person behind the website? You're absolutely right!

The 28th of May 1979, a little girl saw the light of life. Yes, it was me! I was born 6 weeks too early. I weighted only one and a half kilo. So you see, already at the beginning of my life I was a fighter. My mother had already lost a boy in pregnancy, so after my birth my parents decided to have no more children seeing the dangers it brought to the mother and the child. So I am an only child.

One of the principles I have always clung to is "Be yourself". You may experience difficulties from time to time, but being true to oneself will bring you the furthest. I didn't want to be a hanger on.

• 1991-1997 (secondary school): Greek and Latin.
  
• 1997-2001 (university): Germanic studies (Dutch & English).
  Thesis about fairy tales and their literary reworkings at the end of the 20th century.
  
• 2001-2002 (university): Library and Information Science.

• Reading
  For more about this topic you can go to Literature
  
• Going to the movies
  I like comedies, dramatic movies, romantic movies,... but I'm not pleased with horror films. One of my favourite actors is Robin Williams. You can go to my section movies to read about the movies I encourage you to see.
  
• Webbuilding & sharing quality stuff.
  
• Poetry
  Especially writing it! I've discovered this as a personal expression form in 2002 and my soul just loves it!
  Unfortunately somewhere along the way I've lost my connection with poetry. I do hope however that some day I can pick up writing again.
  Take a stroll through the Valley of Longing
  
• Etc. etc. ;-)

Since the end of 1999 I like to follow courses to broaden my knowledge. I'm very knowledgeable and want to learn more about all sorts of things. I've been following a course about fairytales, yoga, went to a lecture about life and death, a seminar about near-death-experiences and a lecture about positive contact with the deceased.
I also had ten lessons of djembe. This is African percussion. It's more difficult than it looks like, but it's fun! (Although your hands may hurt!).
I've also attended a course which was called "singing for fun". I'm not a great singer, but I like singing along with songs on the radio. To learn some techniques and new songs I signed up for this course. We've learned songs of different genres, like pop, blues, jazz, musical, spiritual,... It was really fun, as the title of the course suggested and you get a good humour. I always left the sessions humming a tune!

24 August 2002: Workshop Ontdekken van de wijze vrouw (Discovering the wise woman) organised by De kleine bron vzw

21 September 2002:"Bewustzijn als bedrieger?": Psychotherapie in tijden van eenzaamheid ("Consciousness as deceiver?": Psychotherapy in times of loneliness)
1e congres voor Interactionele Vormgeving
organised by the Educatieve Academie vzw
location: Provinciaal Vormingscentrum Malle

9 November 2002: Lecture Therapie: noodzaak of luxe? (Therapy: necessity or luxury?) op de Boekenbeurs in Zaal Retorica van het Antwerpse Bouwcentrum
How can a therapist, together with the family, create a context in which there's room for untold stories? This question leads to new questions, such as the position of the (family)therapist in society, the client's question for therapy, the effective elements in therapy, the function of a familytherapist,...
The panel is formed by Mieke Faes (moderator, psychologist and staff member Systeemtheoretisch Bulletin, Bob Cools (cabinet worker/advisor for Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg at the Kabinet van Volksgezondheid, Consumentenbeleid en Leefmilieu), Rik Van Nuffel (VVGG) and Peter Rober (author and family therapist).

5 December 2002: Lecture Creativiteit (Creativity) by Dr. G. Bakx
Organised by Elcker-Ik vzw
Creativity, humour, art, psychotherapy,... the link between those subjects may not be clear at first sight, but there definitely is one. Creative thinking is a skill which can be taught and practiced. Too often one thinks that creative thinking is a gift, something which appears on "blessed" moments, "inspiration" that has to "come" and should be awaited for, if it comes at all... Being creative is learning to use your brain more effectively. Creative thinking leads to a creative way of life which can be useful in your everyday life, in your workplace, when dealing with employees, when being confronted with conflicts, relational problems and when striving for your personal happiness.

19 December 2002: Lecture De mythe van het perfect zijn (The myth of being perfect)
organised by De kleine bron vzw
In our days there's an excessive emphasis on perfection. We notice this drive in regard to our bodies, our thoughts, our houses, our children, even in our spiritual growth and the offer of lectures and books.

20 February 2003: Lecture Je bent altijd/nooit alleen (You are always/never alone)
organised by De kleine bron vzw
Ronald van de Peppel talks about the survival techniques we use and which can make us feel very lonely. We then look for deeper insights and healing to re-establish the connection with ourselves and our essence. Then we can be open again towards others and we dare to love again.

March 2003: course Wat ik toon, wat ik verberg (The things I show, the things I hide) by Marleen Van Laere
organised by the Educatieve Academie vzw
The game of showing and hiding is a constant in the interactions we have with others ánd with ourselves. What do I show? What do I hide? How am I doing that? When? Why? "How do people experience me?" versus "How do I experience myself?"
Showing and hiding is a necessary skill: this way we protect ourselves, but it may also happen that we fool others ánd ourselves. "The mask shows ánd hides at the same time..." This process happens partly intentional, partly unconscious... with certain consequences. Which consequences?
Insight into and contact with our own behavioral patterns, our longings, our choices, the reasons why, makes us more conscious in experiencing and directing the "play" of our lives.
What "I" show and hide will however remain a question mark to ourselves, a lifelong adventure through a wonderful, sometimes scary labyrinth. To deal with that, is a challenge for the whole of our personalities.

14-16 March 2003: Kies dan zelf: weekend voor jongeren (Choose yourself)
organised by Encounter Vlaanderen vzw
location: Hof Zevenbergen in Ranst

22, 29 April, 6, 13, 20, 27 May 2003: Horen, zien en schrijven: Een initiatiecyclus verhalen en gedichten (Hearing, seeing and writing: An initiating cycle stories and poems) by Leen Van den Berg
organised by Antwerpse Volkshogeschool
Hearing and seeing, listening and writing, playing with words and leaving a paper track of yourself... Telling and making up stories, but also trying to say the unsayable, translating thoughts and feelings into images, making words sing and dance...

14 August 2003: Lecture Knelpunten in mijn bewustwordingsproces (Obstacles for my awakening) by Annita Bijnens
organised by De kleine bron vzw
Honesty is an indispensable condition for growth. However, traps may be hidden in our "honest" intentions. These keep us trapped in powerlessness or struggle for power. Annita Bijnens (therapist) discusses which are the traps, how we can recognise them within ourselves and others and what to do about it.

16 & 17 August 2003:Het zwaard van doorsnijdendheid by Kris De Schutter, educated at the School voor Zijnsoriëntatie
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen
Every time you adapt yourself out of fear for standing alone or out of fear for conflict, loss of appreciation or approval, you are sacrificing a piece of self-respect. You don't honour your own truth and eventually neither that of your fellow human and life itself. You keep yourself small. The sword symbolizes noble commitment to your truth, choosing with respect the things that serve you. But it also stands for cutting away what doesn't fit you. Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no". Live the beautiful human you are. In contact with yourself - through a fine tuning to your subtle signals - you can be present caring ánd "cutting". This is not an assertiveness training, but a way of love and compassion for yourself ánd the other in which to look for your solidity, your brightness, your courage to do and say what you have to do or say. With contact exercises, meditation, soft bodywork and "sword" exercises we explore the land of not knowing.

11 October 2003: Lectures & workshops Voorlezen is plezier voor 2,3,4,…(story telling is fun for 2,3,4,…)
organised by Nationaal Centrum voor Jeugdliteratuur vzw

4 & 11 December 2003:NLP en oplossingsgericht denken (NLP and thinking of solutions) by Robert Bellekens
organised by Elcker-Ik
NLP, neurolinguistic programming is part of modern behavioural psychology. It gives insight, models and solutions for communication, teaching & learning, and therapy. These two lectures show what NLP can do for you if you don't get what you want. To see differently, to think differently... is to do differently..., with another outcome as a result. What is your reality? What do you want to achieve and what prevents you from getting there? NLP reaches means to think of solutions.

22 & 23 May 2004:Een intieme relatie? (An intimate relationship?) by Kris De Schutter educated at the School voor Zijnsoriëntatie
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen
Do I still dare to take the step towards a next relationship? Do I dare to open my heart after it's been hurt (again?)? Are my demands of a possible candidate too highfetched? My caring for the other person is of that manner that I don't longer know what it is I want. Can't it be otherwise? Tell me about being free and still connected.
A workshop for men and women who currently don't have an intimate relationship, but have already had at least one and who are looking for it actively or passively. For men and women who -in an atmosphere of truth and curiosity- want to explore what it is that makes them long for a relationship. Are they driven by emptiness or fullness? A workshop which is both theoretical, practical and experiential. You sharpen your knowledge about what a relationship is really about. Through questionaries, sharing, meditation, contact exercises, visualisations and partner exercises we explore our longings and skills concerning relationships. An inspiring day about the land where our greatest longings lie, but also our biggest fear...

15 July 2004:Qigong by Ludwine Haegeman
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen

20 July & 26 August 2004:Bio-energetica by Magali Van Welie
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen

2004-2005: Jaartraining Bio-energetica: luik A, B by Magali Van Welie
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen

4,5,6,7,8 July 2005: Het wonder van adem en meditatie (The miracle of breathing and meditation) by Ludwine Haegeman
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen

8-12 August 2005: Buikdansen (Belly dance) by Vera Van Den Berghe
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen
Take a look at the websites of Amana Dance Theatre: buikdans.net and buikdans.info
Belly dance or oriental dance is an old-Egyptian dance with roots in the fertility cult. Nowadays it is a complex and abstract dance which is deeply connected with classic and popular Arabic music. Oriental dance is a highly sophisticated form of art, at the same time erotic and spiritual, melancholic and festive. There's a treasure of emotional, spiritual and mythical richness alive in this dance which she has gathered along her history of centuries. Belly dance is not only a voyage of discovery to another culture, it is also a chance to come home in your own body. With the belly as the middle point, the "basin" of your vitality. Reasons enough to enrich yourself with this earthly, feminin, powerful, sensual and festive art!

24 September 2005: massage evening for absolute beginners by Anieta Klingeleers
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen
Massage goes deeper than skin and muscles. It touches your soul. It's the art of touch, communication without words, a bridge between body and mind.
You let the body choose for relaxation. In an atmosphere of peacefulness and trust you are massaged carefully and respectfully so you can relax deeply and make contact again with yourself.

11 February 2006: Omgaan met je woede (Coping your anger) by Kris De Schutter
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen
Woede, kwaadheid, boosheid, irritatie, norsheid... Herken je ze? Eigenlijk is woede een prachtige kracht, maar hoe met dat vuur omspringen? Je woede geeft aan dat er een grens bereikt is, dat je iets niet wil. Dit helder gaan communiceren is de boodschap. Vanuit onze opvoeding hebben we vaak geleerd dat we niet kwaad mochten zijn. Vaak hebben we gezien dat onhandig omspringen met woede (verbaal of fysiek) veel kwetsing veroorzaakte. Omdat we niemand willen kwetsen hebben we ook onze kwaadheid weggeduwd, en vaak zijn we braaf en aangepast geworden. Hier zijn we onszelf gaan ontkrachten. Er is de neiging ofwel woede ongecontroleerd te uiten, ofwel kwaadheid te ontkennen, je deuren dicht te doen en in jezelf onder te duiken: 'Als het zo zit, krijg je me niet meer te zien'. Beide uitingen van kwaadheid kunnen heel belastend zijn voor een relatie. Maar hoe doe je dat, je kwaadheid erkennen, au sérieux nemen, en er toch niet beschadigend naar de ander mee omspringen? Je hoeft je boosheid niet te beheersen, je kunt ze beheren. Jij staat aan het stuur en jij bepaalt welk gedrag er op elk moment gewenst is, ook als woede langskomt.... In deze workshop gaan we aan de slag met het toe-eigenen van je woede, het opzoeken van de kracht in de woede, partneroefeningen, lichaamswerk en meditatie.

2006-2007: Jaartraining Aandachtstraining by Ludwine Haegeman
organised by Natuurlijk Genezen

19 December 2006: Last met de luchtwegen by Rik Vermuyten
organised by Oost West Centrum
Terugkerende verkoudheden, bronchitis, longontstekingen, astma, sinusproblemen, keelontstekingen; waar wijzen ze op? Waarmee worden ze verwekt en hoe verstaan we de samenhang met functies en organen zoals longen en darmen? Hoe helpen we ons op een natuurlijke manier met eenvoudige middelen en maatregelen zodat we vrijer kunnen ademen en ons te goed doen aan de aardse lucht?

February - April 2011 (7 lessons): Handige Henriëtta
Handige Henriëtta is een kluscursus, ideaal voor vrouwen die zelf thuis de technische problemen moeten oplossen. Na een cursus Handige Henriëtta kan je veel zelf doen, ken je beter de voorzieningen in en rond het huis en kan je veel kosten besparen. Probeer het eerst zelf eens voordat je andermans dure werkuren betaalt.

3, 4 & 5 June 2011: The Tibetan Book of the Dead
organised by Oost West Centrum
Een driedaagse workshop rond het Tibetaanse Dodenboek en de Bardo Thötröl. Transformatie van angst naar liefde - vertrouwd worden met veranderlijkheid en de eindigheid van het leven - de weg van "ik wil" naar "het zij zo" - bewust leven en sterven - stervensbegeleiding. Dit zijn enkele van de belangrijke thema's die aan bod komen in deze workshop.
De workshop is gebaseerd op het Tibetaanse Dodenboek en de Bardo Thötröl, gecreëerd in de afzondering van het Himalayagebied. Bardo is het Tibetaanse woord voor overgang en de diverse stadia daarin. "Bardo Thötröl" betekent bevrijding door toehoren. In de Tibetaanse traditie wordt de tekst gebruikt als instructie voor meditatie en bij het sterven om de geest voor te bereiden op de komende veranderingen. In de Tibetaanse cultuur zijn dood en geboorte niet meer dan één van de vele momenten in de continuïteit van het bestaan. Die opvatting heeft grote invloed op de omgang met en de voorbereiding op de dood.

9 & 10 July 2011: HipHop

5 september 2012: proefles natuurlijke keuken bij Oost West Centrum

28 september 2012: Vrolijke Vriendschap

10, 17 & 24 oktober 2012: Kennismaking met de natuurlijke keuken bij Oost West Centrum

25 oktober 2012: Hooggevoeligheid, vermoeidheid en zelfzorg door Ilse Van den Daele

In the summer of 2000 I started doing volunteer work. I wanted to give love and receive this wonderful feeling of fulfilment. I worked in the library of a children's hospital. I also worked in a home for the elderly. I went from room to room with a trolley full of sweets and cookies. People could buy something if they wanted to and have a chat with me.

In September 2001 I had my first work experience. I helped cleaning rooms in a rehabilitation centre in my neighbourhood. 2 days out of the 17 I worked there, I also assisted in the kitchen. I worked from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. It was an interesting experience!

September 2002 - April 2003: volunteer at the Educatieve Academie vzw

May 2003 - August 2003: secretary at the Educatieve Academie vzw

September 2003 - ...: assistant-librarian at a public library

Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
It is the beauty of things modest and humble.
It is the beauty of things unconventional.

Het is nogal simpel
om moedig te zijn
wanneer je voor een
tastbaar gevaar staat -
maar het vergt meer moed
om de vage, onduidelijke,
naamloze angst
het hoofd te bieden
die rondspookt in een
bezorgde geest.
En dat is de wereld
van de echte,
stilzwijgende helden.

Pam Brown

Ik heb een steen verlegd in een rivier op aarde.
Het water gaat er anders dan voorheen.
De stroom van een rivier hou je niet tegen.
Het water vindt er altijd een weg omheen.

Misschien eens gevuld van sneeuw en regen, neemt de rivier mijn kiezel mee.
Om hem dan glad en rond gesleten, te laten rusten in de luwte van de zee.

Ik heb een steen verlegd in een rivier op aarde.
Nu weet ik dat ik nooit zal zijn vergeten,
ik leverde 't bewijs van mijn bestaan.
Omdat, door het verleggen van die ene steen,
de stroom nooit meer dezelfde weg zal gaan.

Bram Vermeulen

It is all bullshit
But damned fascinating
And so beautiful

K.J.

Uit: Metafoor: Tijdschrift Interactionele Vormgeving. Derde jaargang, nummer 11, 15 juli-15 oktober 2001.

That somehow this black night feels warmer for the spark warmer for the spark to hold us 'til the day when fear will lose its grip and heaven has its way and heaven has its way when all will harmonise and know what's in our hearts the dream will realise Excerpt from the song "No Frontiers" by Mary Black	But touch can be a blessing to other people touch can bring blossom to things that decay I think life should be that simple especially in this day and age Excerpt from "Babes in the Wood" by Mary Black
So you dream of Columbus every time that the panic starts you dream of Columbus with your maps and your beautiful charts you dream of Columbus with an ache in your travelling heart Excerpt from "Columbus" by Mary Black	For all of you who must discover for all who seek to understand for having left the path of others you'll find a very special hand Excerpt from "Bright Blue Rose" by Mary Black

~ Recentste update: 17 februari 2013 ~