Area of expertise
Stress and Trauma Management, Yogic Lifestyle
Kundalini Yoga Specialist
Job Description
I left my academic career in Belgium behind to fully focus on my work as a Kundalini Yoga (KY) teacher and to develop new programs in the UK. Over the past 4 years I have been teaching up to 5 KY classes per week in Belgium and have experienced what a difference this yoga practice can make to people’s lives.
KY helps people deal with stress and burnout, chronic pain, trauma, illnesses, cancer and chemotherapy. It helps individuals become more effective in their work and helps them excel in their endeavours. Generally, it makes them healthier and happier in their lives while deepening their spiritual awareness.
Apart from regular KY classes, I also run half-day and full-day workshops on specific themes, weekend workshops, and week retreats, both in the UK and in mainland Europe. Some of these are specifically aimed towards women, as part of a program called ‘Excel & Celebrate – The Radiance of Woman’. I am also very passionate about nutrition and generally help people to adopt a more healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.
Specialist area of interest
One area I have specialised in is teaching morning and lunchtime KY, pranayam (breathing) and meditation classes in the workplace, to help reduce stress, absence through illness and the risk of burnout or depression, to help increase vitality, focus and efficiency, and to support the general well-being in the company. These business yoga sessions can range from short 15 or 30 minute sessions to sessions of an hour or an hour and a half, depending on the time available and the needs within a company.
Having worked for 9 years in a highly stressful working environment – academia, namely Leuven University in Belgium, where I did a PhD in Literary Studies and later worked as a postdoctoral researcher – I am a ‘hands on’ expert on the issue of stress and burnout. For the last 4 years I taught up to 3 weekly KY and meditation classes at Leuven University.
In my other regular weekly KY classes I have helped students deal with all kinds of illnesses, stress, burnout, depression and anxiety, and have also counseled cancer patients going through chemotherapy.
I am currently involved in the development of integrated KY/mindfulness programs for dealing with post traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Contribution to StressManagement.co.uk
- Kundalini Yoga & meditation videos aiding stress management, burnout prevention and increased productivity
- Lunchtime Kundalini Yoga events for stress management, increased productivity and well-being
- ‘Kundalini Yoga and Mindfulness for PTSD’ workshop leader
- Newsletter material
- Integrated health courses
Formal Qualifications
- Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) and International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association (IKYTA) certified Kundalini Yoga teacher to ‘Aquarian Teacher Level I’
- Certified children and teenagers Yoga teacher – Radiant Child Yoga Program RCYP Level 1 & 2
- Certified Facilitator for the Kundalini Yoga Women’s Program
‘Excel & Celebrate – The Radiance of Woman’. - I also hold a PhD in Literary Studies (as Nele Bemong)
Personal Practice
I honour a sadhana (daily practice) of KY and meditation at home, take weekly classes with other teachers and follow regular trainings and workshops with the most highly esteemed international KY teachers and trainers.
In the past I have studied with respected teachers such as Gurmukh Kaur (New York and Los Angeles, VS), Pritpal Kaur Khalsa (New Mexico, VS), Gurumarka Singh Khalsa (Heidelberg, Germany), Ram Singh (Paris, France) and Simran Kaur / Cristin Tighe (Washington, VS; Ghana).
I have attended the European KY Festival in France for 3 years in a row, and regularly practice White Tantric Yoga and Meditation as a way to clear my unconscious and subconscious mind.