About me
My name is Lonneke Craemers. I grew up in the beautiful countryside of Limburg and later moved to Amsterdam to study, where I still live a large part of the time. I love the inspiration of both the city and nature, and I like to keep the two in balance. That is why I spend more and more time in my cabin in the woods of the Veluwe, in Ermelo. I am also often in Portugal, where my partner and stepdaughter live.
It is my mission to let love flow. I believe in the authentic strength of every person, and that we can make the world more beautiful when we learn to connect with our true nature. That is what I would love to contribute to.
Does this sound familiar?
Your mind is working overtime, your calendar is full, and somewhere you feel: this isn’t quite right. You are not alone. Research by RIVM, CBS and TNO shows that 1 in 5 employees in the Netherlands gets stuck. Among young people under 35, it is even more than 1 in 4. I know how that feels, because I got stuck myself too.
Off to the playground
Ten years ago I set out to explore. I discovered an enormous playground full of ways to learn to listen to yourself. My first thought: “Why did I never learn this at school?!” And: “This is actually great fun!”
Your body already knows
In that playground I found my favourite place: the body. It never stops amazing me how much information your body keeps for you. I took courses in Ayurvedic, Zen and Shiatsu massage and the two-year training Touch & Awareness. I have now started the training to become a breath coach at the Adem en Bewustzijn Academie.
Looking at the whole
I work holistically: where does it flow, and where is it stuck? I feel where something isn’t right and say honestly what I see. Where needed, I lovingly put my finger on the sore spot. Together we discover which little cogs make the system get stuck and what can be let go. That way there is room again for new connections, zest for life and growth.
Playing together
There is of course much more than what I offer myself. That is why I also organise (multi-day) events with others. Together with them, I would love to introduce you to a delightful sweet shop of tools and let you experience playfully how much fun self-inquiry actually is.
Making the world more beautiful
Before this, I worked as a social entrepreneur for twenty years. With a background in marketing and cultural anthropology, I have always focused on the role of businesses in social issues. I worked on internet and solar energy in Africa and helped set up the B Corp network in Europe. After that I was director of the Dopper Foundation and developed the Secrid Impact Fund.
Real change
What I have learned is that sustainable transitions start with a story that rings true and with daring to let go of what no longer works. That applies to organisations as well as to people. As long as we choose from old beliefs, we are putting the cart before the horse. Real change starts with ourselves.
Mental gymnastics (at school)
That is why I now see the greatest impact in training our social and emotional skills. We live in a society that revolves around reason, performance and efficiency. However wonderful our minds are, as far as I’m concerned we also teach our children to ‘feel’ at school, alongside reading and maths. But then we first have to learn it ourselves.
Your true nature
We are nature, I believe. By reconnecting with ourselves and our true nature, we naturally connect more with each other and the world around us too. When you learn to make choices that fit who you really are, rather than who you think you should be, the world truly becomes a little more beautiful.
