BFC Mindfulness & Compassie - Be Free and Connected

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BFC Mindfulness & Compassie - Be Free and Connected

Mindfulness & Compassie voor Zorg, Organisatie en Individu Mindfulness & Compassion for Healthcare, Organisation and Individual

25/05/2026

This morning, during meditation, I found myself looking at this small Buddha statue resting quietly among the lilies.

And again I was reminded of something that feels so central to mindfulness practice:

We can only let go of what we are first willing to notice.

A thought.
A feeling.
Restlessness.
Fear.
Longing.
Tension in the body.

So often the mind wants to move away from experience, fix it, control it, or take and make it personally.

But when we stay close with awareness …

Everything moves.
Everything changes.
Every experience arises and passes away.

We deeply experience impermanence is woven into life itself.

There is something deeply freeing in discovering that.

A beautiful reminder this morning, while preparing for tomorrow’s retreat with .

impermanence innerwork contemplativepractice mindfulleadership healthcareleadership wellbeing retreat buddhism nature stillness

21/05/2026

One of the things retreats reveal so clearly is how deeply conditioned many of us have become to constant stimulation, productivity and reaction.

Especially in healthcare and leadership.

For a few days, life becomes very simple.
Silence.
Meditation.
Mindful movement.
Walking.
Reflection.
Good food.
Rest.
A steady rhythm.

And when the usual distractions fall away, many people begin to notice how much tension the body and mind have been carrying.

Retreats are not always comfortable.

But they can be deeply clarifying.

Over and over again I see people reconnect with a quieter, steadier and more spacious way of being — one that allows for greater presence, emotional balance, creativity and compassion.

Interestingly, research now also suggests that intensive meditation retreats can have measurable effects on stress regulation, emotional wellbeing and even brain functioning long after the retreat itself has ended.

Perhaps because silence allows us to meet ourselves -and life- differently.

Find more information in bio in Dutch and in English ✨

awareness contemplativepractice wellbeing presence

19/05/2026

Writing is a practice as my dear friend would say.

This is a book about mindful attention.
About compassion.
About the invisible inner life behind healthcare, leadership and being human.

Slowly taking shape.

14/05/2026

We are deeply honoured to announce that the registration is now officially open for a truly exceptional retreat in the Netherlands May 2027.

For the first time in this unique setting, internationally renowned Zen teachers Koshin Paley Ellison and Chodo Campbell from the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care will join forces with Barbara Doeleman-van Veldhoven for an immersive retreat created especially for people working in healthcare and care professions.

This retreat is for those who know that healthcare is not only about expertise and decision-making, but also about presence. About remaining human in places where suffering, vulnerability, responsibility and complexity meet.

Physicians, nurses, psychologists, therapists, chaplains, healthcare leaders and other professionals from across the field are warmly invited.

Together we will explore:

— contemplative practice
— meditation and silence
— compassionate care
— emotional resilience
— mindful leadership
— and the question of how to remain open-hearted without losing ourselves.

What makes this retreat so unique is not only the extraordinary experience and international reputation of these teachers, but also the rare opportunity to access this depth of contemplative care training here in Europe, in an intimate setting close to home.

The response has already been overwhelming. Within 30 minutes after opening registration through our newsletter, the first places were filled.

We therefore expect this retreat to reach capacity quickly.

📍 May 18 - 22nd 2027
📍 The Netherlands
📍 Limited to 40 participants

More information via the link in the comments 👇

13/05/2026

"Happiness is the highest form of health."
~Dalai Lama

12/05/2026

One small sculpture in the Louvre stayed with me long after leaving Paris.

Deux Époux.
Almost 4,500 years old.

Parts of the wood had disappeared over time.
Faces softened.
Fragments missing.

And yet one thing remained unmistakably visible:

Two human beings holding one another.

What moved me too was how effortlessly my mind completed what was no longer there. Somehow, connection remained visible despite the erosion.

Maybe that is something deeply human.

We don’t only see with our eyes.
We see through memory, meaning, imagination and hope.

Walking through Paris - through ancient art, graffiti-covered streets, museums and moments with my family - I was reminded again of what human beings are capable of creating:

beauty,
care,
connection,
civilisation.

Even in fragmented times.

Art Humanity

10/05/2026

In de zorg leren we al vroeg hoe we aanwezig moeten zijn voor anderen.
Maar waar leer je aanwezig te blijven bij jezelf?

Juist in werk waarin veel gevraagd wordt - emotioneel, relationeel en professioneel - is het belangrijk om ook tijd te nemen voor reflectie en tijd om nieuwe energie en inspiratie op te doen. Om ruimte te nemen om te vertragen en je kompas voor het leven te herijken. Om opnieuw contact te maken met wat jou ten diepste draagt in je werk én daarbuiten.

Tijdens de Hartretraite staan vier kwaliteiten centraal die essentieel zijn voor jouw werk en welzijn als professional of leider in de zorg:
✨ vriendelijkheid
✨ compassie
✨ medevreugde
✨ innerlijke balans

Geen abstracte idealen, maar kwaliteiten die ontwikkeld en belichaamd kunnen worden; in hoe we zorgen - voor anderen én voor zelf- , samenwerken, leidinggeven en leven.

Onder begeleiding van Barbara Doeleman-van Veldhoven en Astrid van Wesenbeeck combineert deze retraite:
— meditatie en contemplatie
— stilte en natuur
— reflectieve oefeningen
— lezingen vanuit verschillende wijsheidstradities
— en lichaamsgericht werk vanuit yoga en somatic experiencing

Wat contemplatieve tradities al eeuwen beschrijven, wordt steeds vaker ondersteund door inzichten uit psychologie, compassiewetenschap en neurowetenschap: aandacht, emotionele balans en compassie blijken trainbare menselijke vermogens die bijdragen aan veerkracht, welzijn en aandachtige aanwezigheid; juist in veeleisende contexten zoals de zorg.

Deze retraite is bedoeld voor mensen die niet alleen willen herstellen van drukte, maar verlangen naar echte verdieping.

📍 Een unieke retraite dichtbij huis
📍 Kleinschalig en intensief begeleid door twee ervaren retraitebegeleiders
📍 Beperkt aantal plekken beschikbaar

Meer informatie via de link in de comments.

Adres

Tienhoven

Telefoon

+31650522671

Website

http://bfcmind.nl/

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