Winter Solstice: A Season of Stillness and Renewal
The Winter Solstice marks a profound moment of stillness and renewal. As the longest night of the year, it invites reflection, gratitude, and preparation for the gradual return of light....
Can you share with us the journey that led you to become a certified creative wellbeing director, and how your personal experiences influenced your decision to offer holistic therapies and wellbeing coaching?
I feel very grateful and lucky to have been brought up by my mother who exposed me to the universe of health & wellbeing from (literally) the first second I was born. I was born at home, surrounded by Indian meditation music, incense & candles under the light of the full moon. Even before giving birth to me, she religiously practiced pre-natal yoga & meditation, which must have influenced the formation of my personality. My mother always included my sisters and I within her yoga sessions, meditations, tarot card readings, and her flower healing & holistic coaching modalities. As well as teaching me how to nourish my body with organic, healthy & seasonal foods that were grown in our fruit & vegetable garden at home. I spent my formative years going to a Rudolf Steiner School, which has also helped me to establish a profound interest & understanding of alternative ways of healthy living.
At the age of 12 I decided to sign up for a vinyasa yoga class down the road where I grew up, and ever since that moment, I have not spent more than 3 days without practicing yoga. This was a pivotal moment in my life since I experienced the incredible healing effects of yoga, both for my body, mind & spirit. The after effects of that one particular yoga class were includible & almost unbelievable! The intense migraine pain disappeared within 24 hours, I felt less stressed, more comfortable in my body, and my overall emotional mood was highly improved. From that day onwards, I would religiously go to that yoga studio (Mani Yoga Studio in Kapellen Belgium) at least 5 times a week. At the age of 18 I decided to do my first yoga teacher training in Bali after graduating high school. Mainly to deepen my personal yoga practice, with the idea to eventually share the healing powers of yoga with others. Throughout the past 12 years I have dedicated my time to constantly feeding my hunger to learn more about both Eastern & Western healing modalities, schools of thought & alternative healing methodologies, by attending workshops, courses & trainings from my favourite inspirational teachers. It did take me quite some years to find the confidence for me to start sharing all the experience & knowledge that I had accumulated throughout the past years, but as I grew more confident within myself, I organically started sharing this my friends & family. I eventually came to a point where my friends & family had to sit me down & start forcing me to charge some money for all the time that I was dedicating to teaching them in my free time. Initially it felt unnatural to charge a fee for my teachings, since it gave (& still does & always will!) so much fulfilment, but in hindsight this energy exchange makes a lot of sense.
After graduating from university in Florence, where I studied creative direction, I naturally dedicated most of my time to establishing Clarity Collective. The home of my wellbeing coaching, holistic retreats, face yoga, yogalates, moon ceremonies, cyclical living masterclasses & all things Clarity. I am so incredibly grateful to have expected all the challenges & pain that I had to go though on a personal level, since this has allowed me to establish a profound appreciation for all the incredible wellbeing tools that have helped me into becoming theClairethat I am today. Throughout my teenage years, I experienced an extremely challenging relationship with my own body & mind, which eventually lead me to dedicating every single free second of my time to find constructive alternative ways of improving my relationship with my (higher) Self & cultivating a nourishing & balanced lifestyle. I feel blessed to be able to share the holistic first aid kit that I managed to curate throughout my own experiences of this life.It would have been very selfish of me not to share all these healing tools, practices & medicines with others! The blissful feeling that I experience, every single time, when witnessing the positive impact I had on my students & clients after a CLARITY session, goes beyond words! This is really what keeps me going & flowing; it is my purpose to direct others others onto the path of finding clarity in body, mind & spirit.
Your daily yoga practice has been a consistent source of support and guidance in your life. How do you believe the practice of yoga specifically contributes to cultivating connection, balance, and clarity within oneself, and how do you incorporate these insights into your holistic therapies?
Yoga literally means “union” in the ancient Sanskrit language, and this connection, I have personally experienced in my daily life throughout the past decade. To me, yoga serves as a bridge that connects me with my physical body, as well as my mental/emotional mind & spiritual self.
My daily yoga practice has allowed me to literally go back to the essential basics of this physical lifetime: the breath. Without the breath we are not alive, and yet we (as a society) have almost forgotten what it really feels & means to actually breathe! The (re)connection that the pranayama (breathing) exercises found within the yoga practice offers me, goes beyond words. My breath becomes the vehicle that allows me to move though physical, mental & emotional challenges; proving me the opportunity to transform obstacles into solutions. Naturally speaking, the reconnection with the breath allows us to reconnect with our body, as we become more aware of our physical bodily sensations. The enhanced circulation, activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) & decrease of stress hormones caused by profound breathing, allows the mind to calm down. This in turn allows anxious & negative thoughts to leave the mind; transforming chaos into clarity.
Balance is another core principle of yoga, embodied in the philosophy of yin and yang. Yoga postures (asanas) are designed to create physical alignment and balance in the body. I believe in embracing a philosophy of "both/and" rather than "either/or," experiencing the full spectrum of life’s joys and challenges. This perspective allows for a realistic understanding of life’s macro picture—recognising that both good and bad experiences are part of the journey. This holistic view helps me face pain and challenges with hope, trust, and energy, reminding me that life encompasses a full spectrum of colours, including black and white.
In my holistic therapies, I integrate these insights to help clients achieve balance. For example, if a client tends to rush through life, I suggest slowing down with practices like yin yoga, preparing slow-cooked meals, and focusing on mono-tasking instead of multitasking. For clients with specific physical imbalances, such as a flexible upper body but tight lower body, I design yoga flows that emphasise hip openers and leg stretches. By incorporating these principles into my holistic therapies, I guide clients toward a balanced, connected, and an overall state of Clarity.
In your sessions designed to clarify body, mind, and spirit, what unique elements or approaches do you bring to help clients achieve their best selves? How do you tailor your holistic therapies to meet the individual needs of your clients and guide them towards a more balanced and connected life?
All my sessions are designed to cultivate and maintain a state of clarity in body, mind, and spirit. Clarity, to me, means an optimised state of Self, where the body, mind, and spirit are connected, aligned, and in harmony. I believe that humans are holistic entities composed of multiple bodies—physical, emotional, and energetic—that are directly influenced by the thoughts and patterns within our minds, as well as our connection to the spirit within ourselves and our environment.
My approach to working with clients is highly intuitive. I strive to fully connect and tune into the person or people I am working with. Before starting one-on-one sessions, I offer an introductory meeting to establish a connection and identify the specific areas we could work on together. This helps me tailor my approach to each individual’s unique needs. Even when teaching large yoga groups, I can read the room and curate sessions that match the energy and needs of the overall group. I rarely prepare exact lesson plans in advance because I prefer to design classes that align with the energy present in the room or studio. This spontaneity is a result of my long-term dedication to practicing yoga and exploring holistic therapies.
To tailor my holistic services, I incorporate various practices and tools depending on the individual needs of my clients. For example, if a client is dealing with high stress, I might focus on pranayama (breathing exercises) and restorative yoga to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote relaxation. If another client has physical imbalances, such as tight hips or hamstrings, I design yoga flows emphasising specific stretches and postures to address those areas.I also integrate elements such as meditation, guided visualisations, and energy healing techniques to support emotional and energetic balance. By combining these various approaches, I help clients achieve a more balanced and connected life, guiding them towards their best selves.
Given your expertise in promoting holistic wellbeing, could you share some of your personal tips or practices for maintaining beauty and wellness in our daily lives?
I would love to share my daily rituals that help me find balance & clarity in my body, mind & spirit!
The first thing I do when I wake up is open my journal and write down my dreams of the past night. To me, my dreams always communicate essential messages and visions that need to receive and learn. If I don’t write them down immediately after waking up, I will forget my dreams, and therefore also lose the opportunity to receive this wisdom from the higher divine. After that I plant my feet firmly onto my sheepskin next to my bed, place my face in the direct sunlight & take a deep grounding breath whilst setting my intention to feel & be my best self though out the upcoming day & night. Followed by a pranayama (breath work) practice that helps to alkalise my entire system and regulate my nervous system. To maintain healthy oral hygiene, I tongue scrape with my copper Ayurvedic tongue scraper and oil pull with virgin coconut oil. As I swish the oil in my mouth for at least 7 minutes, I use this time to activate my lymphatic system by giving myself a lymphatic full body massage and follow up by dry brushing my body from head to toe. This always makes me feel so energised & ready to start the day. After brushing my teeth I apply my skincare & perform my daily face yoga routine that is composed of relaxing acupressure massage, sculpting facial exercises and gua sha massage. After I have glass with lukewarm lemon juice and a shot of apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper to kickstart my digestive system and regulate my glucose levels. Followed with an almond milk matcha latte with Depuravita’s “Hello Wrinkles” collagen, which is my absolute favourite since it also contains the essential electrolytes & Q10. Depending on where I am in my menstrual cycle, I will spend an hour moving my body, either a yogalates session, an energising power pilates with weights or a relaxing yoga flow. I prefer to have protein as my first meal of the day, as it helps regulate my hormones and keep my glucose levels steady throughout the day.
Lately, my favourite breakfast has been scrambled eggs with avocado, spinach, mixed seeds, and a blend of seaweed. An integral part of my personal nutrition journey is blessing my food before eating it. This practice involves removing any toxic and negative energies and charging the food with healing and positive energies. I express gratitude to all the plants, animals, and people involved in providing the food on my plate. This moment of pure intention setting allows me to be present and fully appreciate the healing benefits of nourishing my body with healthy, nutritious meals.
As a skin-boosting snack in the afternoon, I love to have your collagen chocolate with a home made fresh fruit smoothie in which I add the Absolute Glow powder to optimise my skin health.
My evening ritual includes taking a bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil while enjoying a cup of Depuravita’s Detox tea and reading a book. Before bed, I love to journal, which helps me digest the day and prepare for the next. I always sleep on a silk pillowcase to prevent wrinkles and smooth my hair. For the past few years, I have been taping my mouth, which has significantly improved the quality of my sleep. I love to get a long night’s rest, allowing my body, mind, and spirit to fully recharge.
CONNECT WITH CLAIRE
instagram.com/claritycollective