rediscovering belonging through deep presence
Eco—Relational Presencing
with Kirien
Breathing in, I notice the out-breath of the trees.
Breathing out, I notice the in-breath of the trees.
The trees are breathing me, and I am breathing them.
Noticing the physical sensations of breathing, I become aware of all the human bodies alive on Earth at this very moment, breathing, just like my own body.
Noticing any thoughts or emotions present at this moment, I am aware that billions of living, breathing humans also think and feel, just like me.
Breathing in, I practice receiving: "I am not alone in this world".
Breathing out, I practice offering: "You are not alone in this world".
Eco-Relational Presencing is a guided dialogical and experiential process for coming into deeper contact with oneself and one’s own belonging to the greater web of life in the present moment.
On the outside, it can look like a meditative conversation, in which we are sometimes directing our shared curiosity towards how you are experiencing your immediate environment right now, what stories and meanings those experiences may connect to, and how it feels to be revealing them to another person.
What you may experience on the inside when being guided through this process:
being able to slow down enough to notice many subtle details of everyday life — joy, wonder, and curiosity towards mundane things
greater ease with unmasking and empowerment to share your truth in human connection — while being held in a space of non-judgement that is directly informed by how nature holds space
discovering the transformative power of non-doing and non-efforting — clarity and actionable insights about problems often organically arise when we stop actively trying to “solve” them
increasing capacity to be with discomfort, complexity, uncertainty, and intense emotions — because you never need to hold it alone
cultivating embodied knowledge of one’s own interconnectedness with the living world — becoming aware of all the ways in which nature is supporting you, and IS you
how does it work?
Being with you in your world
During our time together, my intention and focus is to be with you in your world, and explore what it’s like to be you right now. You will have my undivided attention and genuine curiosity. You are welcome to talk about anything you like (or not talk at all), show up in any way you like, respond to my curiosities and invitations in any way you like. It’s not possible to “do it wrong”.
If there is anything specific you want to work on or explore, you can bring it — no matter what it is. Nothing is too big or too small. If “slowing down” and “staying in the present moment” sounds difficult for you, don’t worry about that — that’s my job as the space-holder, not yours.
Virtual sessions can be joined from any location, indoors or outdoors. In a virtual session, I will sometimes ask about the space you are in — where is it, and what is it like to be there? What do you see, hear, feel around you right now? What would I be able to notice if I was in the space with you? What happens inside of you when you bring attention to those details?
I may also invite us to experiment with interacting with objects and features in our environment, or changing our physical position and posture. For in-person sessions, I may invite you to take different positions in the room and notice what it’s like to be there. Even when we share a physical world, how might you experience this world differently than me?
Mostly, I will be in an actively listening role and following what you share, bringing my curiosities and invitations as genuine gestures of human connection and relational attunement — not as “interventions”.
If intense emotions and triggers arise, I can support you to safely stay present with them through widening our shared field of attention towards the more-than-human world. This can involve sensory awareness invitations (noticing the ways in which nature is all around you and has the capacity to hold you) as well as guided visualisations (imagining yourself in a safe, cosy, favourite place) depending on what is more helpful in the moment.
Session structure
Sessions are typically 60 minutes long and will begin with a short grounding moment, check-in, and a few moments for you to connect with any intentions you might have for our time together. There will be some time to write down or draw out your intentions if you wish.
In an hour-long container, the practice itself usually lasts around 40 minutes. The final 10-15 minutes will be for debrief, including revisiting the intention that was written down at the beginning — has something changed? How is it to be with that intention now? Have you learned anything new? How can you bring that insight into the rest of your day and week?
modalities which this work is based on
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Mindfulness Meditation
Practices for slowing down and being deeply connected to the present moment mind-body experience. Being with experience without trying to change or fix them. Influences from Buddhist practices and Daoist philosophies: non-attachment, non-action, compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity, yin-yang harmony.
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Relatefulness & Authentic Relating
Methods for practising mindfulness while in conversation with another human being. Being with another person as the focus of meditative awareness. Deep listening and genuine curiosity. Revealing of personal experience for the purpose of deepening trust and attunement.
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Nature & Forest Therapy
Guided somatic and sensory invitations to increase awareness of our immediate physical and ecological environment, and our own bodies’ relationship with it. Cultivating reciprocally healing and therapeutic relationships with the more-than-human world. Recognising the nature that is also in “human-created” environments.
walking alongside you in your journey
1-1 eco-relational presencing sessions
Introductory conversation
Interested in exploring whether this method of guided self-inquiry is a good fit for you? Feel free to find a time directly in my calendar. I am happy to answer any specific questions you have, share anything more which interests you about my background and approach, and give you time to get an embodied sense of what working with me is like.
If you cannot find an available time that works for you, please reach out by email or the contact form on this website and I’ll be happy to work something out.
This meeting may be up to 60 minutes and is free of charge.
Single session (60 min)
In general, we’ll meet for 60 minutes at a time, and you can bring whatever themes, topics, intentions, or goals you would like us to explore together. We can meet online, or in-person — in my studio or an outdoor location that feels appropriate. Online meetings can be joined from any location, either indoors or outdoors.
My standard rate is €50 for 60 minutes.
You can also book a double session — €100 for 2hrs.
Rates are negotiable in special cases.
Series of 6 sessions
Integrating new knowledge and awareness takes time. A commitment to 6 sessions, spread out over 3-12 weeks, gives us a stable frame for making concrete progress towards any learning goals or intentions you may have which require ongoing practice and integration. During a 6 session container, I may offer “homework” or invitations which you can try out between sessions if that is desired. I am also reachable by email or text at any time for questions about session contents.
Standard rate for 6 x 60 min sessions: €250.
Questions you may have
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The “quote” at the top of this page is a good example of that.
Some short and simple way of marking the start of our time together.
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I am currently based in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
All sessions can be done both online and in-person.
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Yes, we can discuss this in the intro call.
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This is a peer-support and educational offering, not a healthcare service. I do not offer diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of disorder or illness, neither according to the western model of mental health nor according to any non-western models. I do not see myself as having expert knowledge about the cause of or the solution to your life challenges. Instead, I am here to offer embodied, relational experiences that you may use to get to know yourself and your own patterns better.
A “supportive and educational” role looks like:
Deep and attentive listening
Asking curious questions to support your own reflection and self-inquiry
Offering and demonstrating practices that we can try together in-session and on your own time
Connecting you with other learning and community resources as needed
Committing to “practicing what I preach”: only guiding or teaching practices which I regularly practice myself, and can embody in-session through my way of being
Sharing personal or lived experiences when they are requested in support of your learning process
Referring to and collaborating with healthcare providers if issues and needs arise that feel beyond my knowledge and capacity to hold space for
Kind words
“Kirien is a gentle, soothing presence. They have a kind nature, are easy to talk to and share with, and - that voice! It's like being wrapped in satin, I could listen to it for hours. They did an excellent job of laying out expectations for how the session would go and of gently prompting. I'm not the meditative type, but I was softly led through one of my first experiences and felt it wasn't out of my reach to participate in. By the end my heart felt light as the leaves falling from the trees.”
— Janine S
“This series has been such a rich experience for me. It is full of depth yet very playful and creative. Kirien really took us on a journey of deep self-exploration, while forming soulful connection with people in the series, with an experience that was totally unique to me. I always felt really nourished and enlivened at the end of each session. As a facilitator, Kirien is thoughtful, vulnerable, and playful. Everything he showcased was well-crafted and brought tremendous value.”
— Annie, group participant
“Thank you for giving me the space to speak openly without any pressure (although I think I was putting some pressure on myself!). Your voice was so calming and grounding and just listening to you felt like a meditation in itself! I felt that you prompted me at just the right times and it was an amazing feeling to feel heard and understood. I've never felt that level of safety and comfort in a setting like that, even in therapeutic spaces where I'd expect to feel that kind of safety. You have a special gift and a natural way of making people feel heard and I really think you'd be an incredible healer.”
— Alisha