As a little girl I was already extremely fascinated by the nature of the Sallandse Heuvelrug, where I grew up. But as I grew older, I seemed to alienate myself both from nature and from myself. In my twenties, I hit rock bottom in clinging to my own distorted idea of society's expectations.
I thought I had everything. I had that perfect commercial job, a lovely partner and was living together. All the elements I thought I needed in order to find the happiness I was searching for. But none of it gave the satisfaction I so desired. In truth, I felt depressed, I had chronic intestinal complaints and I had been suffering from a severe fatigue disease for years. My zest for life was gone. I experienced my low point when I unexpectedly had a panic attack during a simple conversation. This aroused suppressed associations with my unprocessed bullying past. I knew I needed help. Thus, I applied for two types of therapy and decided to change my life completely. The adventure of my personal development began by letting go of limiting beliefs and everything I had built up.
Within three months I let go of everything, my house, my partner and my career...
“Het is november. De zon verschijnt achter de berg, we klimmen vanaf het huis vlakbij de top van de berg naar beneden, de mist in. We leggen netten om de oude olijfboom, blazen de vroege ochtenddauw uit en beginnen de oogst. We harken de rijpe olijven van de takken, klimmen in bomen voor de laatste boomscheuten en verzamelen alles in kratten. In de middag klimt Betta naar beneden met haar jongste op haar rug, en haar zoon van vijf vrolijk om haar heen rennend. In elke hand draagt ze een mand vol met de heerlijkste zelfgemaakte gerechten en wijn. Met de zon op ons gezicht genieten we de picknick, praten over eten en voelen dankbaarheid voor alle heerlijkheden. Het maakt alle pijn, zweet en insectenbeten goed. Na een siësta vervolgen we het werk tot de laatste zonnestralen achter de bergen aan de andere kant van de vallei verdwenen zijn. Zo oogstten we elke dag, een maand lang, tot de laatste druppel olijfolie geperst is.”
Through travelling and volunteering, I meet beautiful people and cultures, I discover new ways of living. In the mountains of Tuscany, I live with people who live mainly off their own land, bartering with friends and neighbors. In addition to processing olives into oil, I decide to overcome my fear of flying insects. For this I start beekeeping and processing honey. In addition, I am learning about self-sufficiency in organic food and medication. Including wild picking, maintaining herb and vegetable gardens and making resources with Propolis (Propolis cera) and herbs such as Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and Elder (Sambucus nigra). Ik ervaar dat gezondheid door natuurlijke wijze verbetert kan worden. Zo leer ik de beginselen van kruidengeneeskunde, wat zo’n razend enthousiasme in me opwekt dat ik me besluit om te scholen. Zoals Charles Darwin al omschreef, zouden we allemaal ontstaan kunnen zijn uit één oorsprong (Darwin et al, 2012), en in mijn ogen verbindt dat ons. Elk detail in de natuur heeft een functie, elk organisme zijn nut. Ieder individu in een ecosysteem heeft iets waardevols bij te dragen en dat geldt ook voor jou en mij.
As a shepherd in Norway, I am not only learning to lead a flock of 25 ewes and lambs, but also to lead myself. Suddenly, the shepherd has to be hospitalized immediately, a few days after my arrival. Now I am on my own and this herd is utterly under my care. One evening, one of the lambs misses, even after counting several times. Was it caught by a predator? Perhaps fallen into a ditch? Panic overwhelms me. A lamb's life may be at stake! Quickly I replace my fear with a sense of responsibility. I enlisted help from local residents and after hours of searching we finally found the lamb safe and healthy with its mother. The farm owner returns, but now one of the ewes becomes seriously ill. We see the life slowly drain from her and with her dying breath she leaves behind two lambs in the fields. Our mission is to catch and bottle feed them, now that they are no longer accepted by the herd. The triumph is therefore enormous when we catch the critters hours later and feed them for the first time. A great lesson from this journey is how to take care of myself more, by taking caring of sheep.
At this point in my story, I'm richer in my newfound passion for plants and nature and I already started my study to become a Phytotherapist. But while I feel sense of purpose when traveling, I still don't feel fully accepted by society. That's why I literally walk away via Camino de Francés, a pilgrimage to Spain. In such primitive circumstances, people come together sooner and I find this sense of connection phenomenal. I come to realize that others help me through the most dire and bizarre situations and that I can also play that role for others. Thus, I am supported by the arm of the one who later becomes my best friend; on days when the pain from the blisters is so intense that every step becomes more excruciating. After two weeks my wounds heal, the weight of the heavy backpack is no longer felt and all physical pains disappear. Walking has become a way of life. I experience the journey as a wonderful metaphor for the road in life, with geological and psychological peaks and valleys. A month and 900+ kilometers later, after crossing the length of Spain from France, I felt a never-before-experienced degree of euphoria and bliss as we arrived on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Finisterre, the end of the world.
Through my story and life experience, I know like no other what it’s like to
It has now been over eight years that I passed that low point and I enjoy living through the peaks and valleys of life. With this, I can help you too. I mentor you to feel what it is you need, what are your passions and what makes the sparkle appear in your eyes. This way, you'll learn how to transform pain and trauma into life lessons. Beliefs can be manifested by positive means, without thoughts or emotions hindering you. I believe everyone can master these skills and I wish the same for you. Are you ready to grant yourself this opportunity?
(Coelho, 2014)
In life, we don't always get what we want, but we always attract that what we are convinced of. Our stories and the reaction upon them create a part of our identity. They form our beliefs, which reflect the way we see the world. Therefore, it is important to realize that our beliefs are plastic, deformable. The belief that I didn't feel accepted by society came entirely from within myself. I had created my own prison of thoughts. When I decided to exchange this for the belief that we all originate from one source, I felt connected and it changed my story and my life completely. Now I feel part of society and feel useful in striving for my life purpose. That goal starts with you, but transcends us. So that you, in turn, can help others as well. Together towards a better world.
Ik geloof dat iedereen in staat is tot herverbinding met zichzelf en uiting van zijn authenticiteit. Om jou daarbij te helpen werkt Phytoria holistisch. Dit wil zeggen dat er tijdens het traject niet slechts naar directe symptomen wordt gekeken, maar naar jou als geheel; in fysieke, sociale, spirituele en psychologische context. Jij wordt dus behandeld in fundamentele verwevenheid. Hierdoor pakken we niet alleen jouw symptomen aan, maar de onderliggende oorzaak. Ofwel, we stoppen niet alleen de rook, maar doven het vuur. Er wordt aandacht besteedt aan toename van jouw welzijn, door middel van simpele en praktische oefeningen die je meer zelfvertrouwen zullen geven.
Can you identify with my story in a certain capacity? I am happy to offer help on your way to use your beliefs in a positive way, so that you can also feel that connection within yourself. Together we can determine whether we can be an added value to each other and if Phytoria's methods suit you. If it doesn’t match, I would be honest about it and I will refer you to a more suitable therapist if possible. When you schedule your first consultation with me, we’ll address your needs together.
References
Coelho, P. [@paulocoelho]. (2014, 29 december). Life is a long pilgrimage from fear to love [Tweet]. Twitter.
Darwin, C., The Editors of the Darwin Correspondence Project, Burkhardt, F., & Secord, J. (2012). The Correspondence of Charles Darwin: Volume 19, 1871, p. 50-52. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Visiting address, by appointment only
Kolweg 8
7451 AC Holten, The Netherlands
© Copyright Phytoria | All Rights Reserved | Terms & Conditions | Privacy & Cookie Statement
