Hi, I’m Estelle!
I am a mindfulness teacher based in Amsterdam. However, first, and foremost, I see myself as a “surfer” of life – someone who tries to surf the waves of life with all of its ups and downs, and share the lessons learned from that journey with the rest of the world.
I am not a monk, nor a spiritual guru; a contrary, I am a professional and true believer that Mindfulness is an accessible tool that can support anyone in their day to day well-being.
My mission
Everyone can learn this technique which involves making a special effort to notice what’s happening in the present moment (in the mind, body, and surroundings), and, trying to do that without any judgement. By practicing it regularly, the benefits on health are considerable such as, better stress management, less reactive behaviors or emotions, less sleep disorders, better concentration, etc.
+ My passion for teaching Mindfulness
Guided by my professional & personal background
My passion for teaching mindfulness and sharing the art of mindful living comes from my professional background as much as my personal experience. I’ve been working as an HR professional (and still do!) since 2004. I know the challenges of navigating in a fast-paced working environment and the difficulty of finding a work-life balance that is necessary for a healthy life.
During my career, I’ve encountered many people who seemed to face more or less, the same issue: they felt stressed, overwhelmed or burn out due to reorganizations, lay-off plans, companies moving, work overload, intercultural challenges, communications issues, etc. This hit home, as I myself have experienced burn out at one point in my life.
Guiding people on their way to Mindfulness
My mission is to guide people in their way to Mindfulness by empowering them and helping them to enjoy a meaningful life, fully connected with the present moment.
Enable professionals to be resilient
I want to enable professionals (due to my HR background) to build resources that will help them to be more resilient, to stay focused and responsive rather than reactive when they are under pressure and stress, and overall, to better understand themselves and become more compassionate about their own and other people’s journeys.
And I also want to support companies by bringing mindfulness in-house to reduce employees’ stress and, so, increase their well-being.
Setting up for an Mindfulness meditation at work
Enable parents to be more in the present moment with their children and with themselves
In 2021, I became a mother myself which added a new dimension to my mindfulness practice. I've encountered challenges during and after the birth of my child that I was not prepared for. Mindfulness was and is still now a solid tool to embrace motherhood and mindful parenting.
Mindfulness has and is still a solid tool since my pregnancy
+ My background & my values
Certified MBSR Teacher
Certified from the Institute from Mindfulness Based-Approaches in Germany in 2020, I offer the 8 weeks MBSR training to groups and individuals, both in a professional and non-professional setting. Besides this, I furthermore offer guidance in regular meditation sessions, in group sessions and personal programs for individuals.
Experienced HR professional
I’m originally from France, where I grew up and kicked-off my professional career after being graduated from a Master’s in Management of Human Resources. I had the opportunity to work for international organizations such as Newell Rubbermaid, Danone, Salomon, and Patagonia, which was the reason behind my relocation to the Netherlands in 2016. This is why I provide my training in English, with a personal touch: with a French accent!
My core values
My teaching style is fully connected to who I am as a person and my core values: authenticity, kindness, compassion, attention and support. I will not pretend to have all the answers and the Truth during my guidance. However, I will give my entire attention, use all my techniques and experience to help you feel empowered and support you on your journey to Mindfulness.
“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
In the sea of life, we never know on what type of stressful situations we may come across; nonetheless, we can always choose to learn how to “surf” and overcome them through mindfulness
+ My curriculum
- Master’s degree Management of Human Ressources – France 2007
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction certification - Institute for Mindfulness Based Approaches in Germany (2018 - 2020)
- 5 days silent retreat led by Jake Dartington with the theme "Ethics, meditation and wisdom: finding balance in a changing world" in Germany - January 2019
- 10 days silent retreat Vipassana Dhamma Pajjota in Belgium - May 2019
- 5 days silent retreat led by Jaya Rudgard with the theme “Awakening together: finding support in the community of teachers” in Germany - January 2020
- Mindfulness with your baby Training with Eva Potharst - June 2022
- Guiding online meditations within my workplace since 2020
