INTO THE HEART OF MY SOUL 12 years in a convent’s hermitage

What happens to a modern woman who chooses to live like a Carthusian? Miek Pot is such a person, who describes a remarkable pursuit in her book.   At a young age Miek Pot already has a deep sense of the emptiness and pointlessness of her existence. While she engages in student life, is a member of the Leiden student corps and apparently has a lot of fun, her soul hungers for something indefinable.   When she studies in a convent for a few days to make up arrears, she is touched by the silence. Her inner pursuit begins and eventually brings her to one of the most stringent of orders: a Carthusian convent’s hermitage. This is not easy, the Spartan lifestyle makes her ill at first. Miek perseveres and embarks on a spiritual journey, in which mysticism and meditation play an important role, which finally lasts twelve years.   After her departure she finds her way in society. By means of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), the Enneagram and the Contemplation she now coaches people on their way to a transpersonal level of being. These new experiences interact with her inner life. It is exactly in this period that she finds the key to her child soul. Order Berneboek.com Order Bol.com

INTO GREAT SILENCE Contemplation for a life in balance, a happy life, peace of mind, peace from within and a non-material focus.

Many people experience stress in their lives. You have your life dictated by circumstances and drift away from yourself. Seeking out silence offers a way out. In our culture silence is still often regarded as dull, but the contrary is true. Silence has a restorative effect. Silence and peace do something to you, but as long as we continue to think, talk and do things, we limit the silent space within us. By seeking out silence and turning inwards (contemplation), you can pull yourself together and hence enjoy yourself more. Spirituality is, at root, being yourself. What is more, you make room for new insights. Silence is a source of creativity and inspiration. Not everyone finds being silent easy – silence can be confrontational – but you can train yourself, alone or in a group. The more you practise, the easier it becomes and you get back to being yourself more quickly. Miek Pot herself also lost her way in life and sought out silence: she spent twelve years in a convent’s hermitage (Naar het hart van mijn ziel. Twaalf jaar in een kluizenaarsklooster - To the heart of my soul. Twelve years in a carthusian’s hermitage). There she experienced silence and learnt a lot about contemplation. She is now transferring this wisdom to the people of the earth. The reader obtains an understanding of silence and contemplation and is thereby helped by mystical meditations that are spread throughout the book. Order Berneboek.com Order Bol.com

How do you exert influence on your environment? GODDESS HILDEGARD The wild and wise woman within us

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was abbess of a monastery on the Rhine. She had a tremendous impact on her environment and culture. From what wells did she draw water? Miek Pot follows her trail. Hildegard is formed in the silence of the monastery. She has visions in which she sees very feminine symbols of God. It is her mission to show the world what it means to live for God – for Goddess. Her rich inner life results in tremendous creativity and decisiveness. She composes music, writes books on a variety of topics, and numerous letters of advice to senior people. By following her own star, she leaves an indelible trace that far exceeds the limits of her time and culture. If also we allow to be inspired and carried away by this female, divine symbolism, it is possible for us to follow our own unique star. Inspiration, creation and manifestation will merge easily. We obtain the life that fits us and thus affect our environment. Miek Pot spent twelve years in a convent’s hermitage herself. She found her focus in the convent as well. Upon leaving, she has passed on the found wisdom to others through training. Order Berneboek.com Order Bol.com