My first intense experience of practice was in a Tai Chi – Chi Kung class given by the extraordinary chan master Djie Han Thung during my college days. When he moved to the US after a few years, I ended up on a meditation cushion in Kanzeon Zen Center Amsterdam with Nico Tydeman in 1994. In that zendo I experienced the same space and a feeling of being at home, without fear. Zen and Zen practice has been my heart ever since.
As a student and dharmaholder (Hoshi) of Irène Kaigetsu Bakker Sensei, I currently lead the zen group of Zen Spirit Groningen under her wise supervision.
I have a degree in social psychology and a certified mindfulness and compassion trainer and coach. In that capacity I also train compassion trainers in the MBCL program of Erik Van den Brink and Frits Koster and I supervise mindfulness and compassion trainers. I have been the driving force behind it since 2001 The Workshop. There I provide training and intensives in Mindfulness and Compassion.