Liz - About Me![]() Hello, thank you for finding me! If you like to find out more about me and my personal story, continue reading below. My Journey so far: Growing up in the Netherlands on an agricultural and tulip flower farm, I (Elisabeth 1977) received my bachelor in Communication (Windesheim University, Zwolle) and after that worked in an advertising agency for two years. It didn’t take long for me to feel that the ‘Monday to Friday’, ‘9 to 5’, commercial orientated work field was not my place. I signed up for the ‘adventurous’ job as a flight attendant for KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines at 23 years old. Not knowing that my ‘1 year in between’ idea of a job adventure, would turn out to be a 13-year journey all over the world and within myself. The numerous encounters with passengers and always changing crews, and facing the many cultural and communication differences on board and on route, have given me many opportunities to practice my patience, flexibility, empathy and communication skills. The many travels from beautiful bounty islands, to deprived slums and families living on dumpsters, has widened and shaped my world view. The irregular ‘free’ lifestyle of my job gave me many opportunities to grow and learn into the field of my true interests. From working for our airline crew NGO Wings of Support (www.wingsofsupport.org), to following numerous courses and training's in reiki, yoga, thai-massage, sport massage, natural therapies, languages, retreats, meditation and mindfulness. My first meditation experience was in my mid twenties, which immediately connected deeply with me. A few years later I attended my first 10 day silent retreat. Although the years after it was an irregular practice in my life, a seed had been planted. It wasn’t until 2011, when this seed began to flower when I signed up for the 8 week MBSR training, to help me deal differently with my pains from a herniated disc in my back. I felt an immediate urge to train myself into sharing this easy accessible, down to earth knowledge of how to deal and be with (difficulties in) life. I picked up on the teachers program while recovering from surgery, soon after promoted to Purser/Inflight Manager with KLM, shifted to working part-time,(to be able to start sharing Mindfulness and the 8 week MBSR), and moved to a beautiful place in the South-West of Portugal. As my personal life changed after meeting my partner in Portugal and welcoming our beautiful daughter (2015), I decided to extend my parent leave with KLM to the maximum possible. It took me 3 years of absence to officially resign from my job with KLM. Looking back with enormous gratitude for those 13 years of flying, which have shaped my life and being to the present moment; Living a beautiful, simple & basic lifestyle in nature with my little family and sharing the practice of Mindfulness and supporting families and preganant women with Doula care. The last 6 years in Portugal I have focused my time on finding possibilities to share the 8 week MBSR and Mindfulness. In tourist season I work together with Yogaion in offering Yoga and Surf and Womens retreats. The other main and most important focus is to fully connect to motherhood, practicing conscious parenting and providing a loving home base for our little daughter. I have offered the 8 week Mindfulness training at different locations, Moagem (Aljezur), Kultivarte (Barão de São João), Dawn Collective Shala (Vale da Telha) and Portas do Sol (Portimão) and currently am offering several trainings in Aljezur and Barão de São João area. Widening my wings of mindfuness; doula care. Over the last few years, I felt a growing interest to work with women who are going through the transformational phase of becoming mothers. To offer them emotional, physical, non judgemental, mindful support during the phases of pregnancy, birth and after birth. To hold space for this journey to unfold in it's own unique way within every women and family. This year, 2020, for 39 weeks and 140 contact hours I emerged myself into a Doula training with Materlua on the Portugese continent. This training was so much more then expected, it has given me precious, deep and countless opportunities to go deep within myself, and at the same time dive into the world of pregnancy, birth and beyond. Because the training was spread out over a longer period of time, it really got it´s time to grow on me and within, coming to the point now where I feel trust to companion and welcome women and families to connect with the doula care that I offer. It´s the start of a new chapter and at the same time a continuation of my book of life. My trainer Carla Silveira shared with me the heartfelt words when offering my certification of completion `I believe you always have been a Doula, you were only here to be remembered of that´. The words of my trainer Rita Leite Purdente upon completing my training;´I recognize in you a profound wisdom and the ability to secure and ground/hold space in transformational processes´. My intention is for every mother and family to have the best birth experience possible, given the cirumstances of the moment, and to support them every step of the way See here for more information on my doula services. If you have come to read so far, I really hope that one day our lives cross. Gratitude to all of you who have joined me on one of my workshops or trainings. You all have contributed to my learning, growth and being! * Liz Dyota is Sanskrit for Sunshine, Light & Brilliance Mindfulness & Doula CV Following is an overview of the teacher and professional trainings I have followed so far. I am a Certified Mindfulness Trainer by See True Mindfulness Institute in the Netherlands since 2012 * Oct. 2020 - Jan. 2021 - Holding Space for Pregnancy loss, (Online training, Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath and Death, Amy Wright Glenn, USA) * Aug. 2020 - Mindfulness for Life - 2 day teacher training, (MBCT-L, Online Summerschool, Oxford Mindfulness Centre, UK) * Jan – Oct 2020 - Doula Training - Curso de Formação de Doulas by Materlua, Sintra, Portugal with Carla Silveira, Rita Leite Prudente, Patricia Lemos, Raquel Cajão, e.d.) * 2020 - Participant in online webinars offered by See True Mindfuleness: ´Intention Matters´ with Juliet Adams,´Internalizing your practice´ with Miles Kessler, Family and the Practice of Mindfulness´ with Kate Munding,´Working on Difficulties´ with Trish Bartley. * 2019 - Participant of monthly SITT Portugal group meetings since 2019 (Supporting Integrity in Teaching and Training mindfulness, inMindsight, Algarve) * 2018 - 7 week Online training Power of Awareness by Tara Brach & Jack Kornfield, by Sounds True, supported by Greater Good Science Center, University of Berkeley, California, USA * 2018 - Supervision by qualified See True Mindfulness supervisor during 8-week training * 2017 - Mindfulness Advanced Teacher Training, 2 day Inquiry Intensive (See True Mindfulness, Rob Vincken, Maastricht, Netherlands) * 2017 - Mindfulness For Children & Adolescence, A Still Quiet Place with Dr. Amy Saltzman, USA. (Sociedade Portuguesa de meditacão e bem-ester, Barcelos, Portugal, www.spm-be.pt) * 2017 - Mindfulness Advanced Teacher Training (See True Mindfulness, David Dewulf (Belgium), Maastricht, Netherlands, www.aandacht.be) * 2016 - Mindfulness Advanced Teacher Training (See True Mindfulness, Trish Bartley (UK), Maastricht, Netherlands, www.trishbartley.co.uk) * 2014 - Mindfulness & PregnancyTeacher Training (See True Mindfulness, Sanne Claas, Amsterdam, Netherlands) * 2012 - Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Teacher Training, (ACT, See True Mindfulness, Gijs Jansen, Amsterdam, Netherlands) * 2011 - Mindfulness Basic Teacher Training MBCT/MBSR, (See True Mindfulness, Rob Vincken, Amsterdam, Netherlands) * 2011 - MBSR participant Training, (See True Mindfulness, Caroline van Haperen, Amsterdam, Netherlands) Personal Practice One of the basic needs and commitments of a Mindfulness Trainer is his or her own daily practice. To deepen my personal practice I try to visit a (silent) retreat as often as possible. I have attended the following so far: 2005 - 10 day Vipassana Silent Retreat - Netherlands - (www.internationalmeditationcentre.org) 2011 - 10 day Vipassana Silent Retreat - UK - (www.internationalmeditationcentre.org) 2012 - 6 day Mindfulness Retreat - Thich Nhat Hanh - EIAB, Germany - (www.plumvillage.org) 2014 - 6 day Mindfulness Retreat - Thich Nhat Hanh - EIAB, Germany 2016 - 3 day Silent Retreat - Netherlands (www.simsara.nl) 2017 - 6 day Mindfulness Retreat - Thcih Nhat Hanh - EIAB, Germany 2018 - 10 day Vipassana Silent Retreat - UK - (www.internationalmeditationcentre.org) 2019 - 3 day Embodiment Retreat by Jana Krohn, Ocean and Yoga, Algarve, Portugal I will continue to learn, grow and share and look forward to meet you somewhere on this planet! Breathe & Smile, * Elisabeth Dyota is Sanskrit for
Light, Brilliance & Sunshine ...... |