Mark Oostermeijer &
Anna Prat i Bascompte
MARK & ANNA - Our relationship of 37 years is characterized by many transformations and growth. There were times when we struggled with our communication, our desires, and our daily life together. As parents of three girls, busy with work and family, we didn't always find the time to nurture our relationship. This changed after our first Tantra training, 12 years ago at Centrum voor Tantra in Amsterdam. We provide workshops and coaching on tantra, relationships and sexuality for couples and singles. Since a couple of years we follow the teachings and are part of the kula of Christopher Wallis Hareesh in his platform Tantra Illuminated.
MARK - (he/him) I am born and living in Amsterdam and started working as an entrepreneur at a very young age. When the children came, I changed to work for Social Health Care. Twelve years ago I missed living from the heart more and more and, as a hobby, I did a Yoga Vinyasa Krama Teacher training at Svaha Yoga in Amsterdam. Yoga turned out to be my passion. Life with Anna and our girls was busy and not always in tune with my desires and needs. From yoga I rolled into various Vipassana meditations and my calling for a more conscious live was awakened. As Anna is the love of my live I wished to undergo a transformational journey for us as a couple. We found this growth in tantra. I offer private coaching session to men to be brave and make choices to live their wished live.
ANNA - (she/her) Already during my study Psychology I realized that psychologists have too little knowledge and attention for the relation with our body. This gap brought me to engage more education in haptonomy, Transactional Analysis, EMDR, Psychodrama and Voice Dialogue and dearmouring. I am a certified Mindfulness trainer and giving couples coaching with EFT (Emotional Focused Therapy). I am convinced that our love relations are our best chance to heal old pain. It brings me so much joy to contribute to this higher purpose with tantra and couples coaching.
1. OPENING CEREMONY - We wish the festival to be a space where you can be yourself and you feel part of the hole experience. In the Opening Ceremony we will have the first contact with the other participants in way that fits what you need at that moment. During the ceremony we will also have some practices needed to be aware of how different we all are in boundaries and communication about them. It is the base we want to set together for the rest of the festival en therefore it is mandatory for all participants.
2. DAY OPENINGS - Every morning we want to begin together and set an intention for the rest of the day. We will also have some practices connected to the theme of the day.
3. TEMPLE NIGHT - Together with AmoSoma & DJ Anica we will hold space for the first Temple Night suitable for beginners and more experienced participants. We will guide you in a space were you can express yourself, try something new, or just look others and dance. You don’t have to do anything but just being there if you wish. You can wear clothes you feel happy, joyful, sexy or just nice (jeans and jogging trousers are not really suitable for temple nights). There will be designated areas for nudity.
4. RITUAL OF INNOCENT LOVE - There is not much to say about this ritual because it is ment to be a space where you immerse in, were you come without knowing what the ritual will be. What it can be said is that this ritual could bring you to a deep connection with others, it could be a healing proces, it could be a deep emotional proces, it could be a high joyful process, it could be a beginning of a new way of perceiving yourself, it could connect you with your ancestors and old believes. It could also be nothing of that all. The workshop is suitable for everybody. We will explain at a certain moment what the ritual entails and if you feel that is not what you need, of course you can always leave. Meditation, nudity, ritual, no words, please bring a towel and a matrass cover.
Beside being the organizers of the Tantric Joy Festival Amsterdam, Mark & Anna also co-host workshop weekends with other teachers. See the website of Mark & Anna - Growing Loving Relations