“More Than Just Surfing: Why The Hague is Learning to Slow Down, Connect and Smile
Moving to a new country is a big adventure, but navigating life abroad can also bring quiet waves of loneliness and burnout. On Saturday, July 11 two foundations, The Happiness Tour and Soul Surfers are teaming up in Scheveningen to help you hit pause and ride out those challenges together.
Waves of Happiness is a unique workshop that blends evidence-based happiness science with the therapeutic flow of surfing. Whether you’re a total beginner or just looking to find a new flow, we’re inviting locals and internationals to swap screen time for sea air, get out of your head, and connect with people looking for the same thing: a little more balance and genuine community.
Ocean Therapy Meets the Science of Happiness
While the Netherlands is celebrated for happiness, a mental health crisis is gripping its political capital: 56.4% of adults in The Hague suffer from loneliness, while 20.7% of the national workforce faces severe burnout – burdens that multiply for expats navigating isolated, transient lives without a local safety net.
To break this cycle, our upcoming event brings the international community together to swap stress of the city with the ebb and flow of the waves. Join us to learn practical ways to handle stress, build real friendships, have fun and remember that no one has to navigate the ups and downs of living in a new country alone.
“Our mission is to get doctors prescribing places, people, and play to prevent and manage burnout and loneliness. Instead of waiting months on healthcare backlogs, we can start healing together right now. And that is social prescribing! ” Nuthan explains. “This tour isn’t just about learning to stand up on a surfboard; it’s a gentle invitation to pause, listen beneath the noise of our busy lives, and rediscover our collective resilience.”
Partnering for the water session is Stichting Soul Surfers, a Hague-based non-profit that has been using surf culture as a catalyst for physical and mental wellbeing since 2008. Their professional coaches will lead the “Free The Funk” surf session, which welcomes everyone regardless of background or athletic ability. Learning resilience and connection – with the waves!
Together we hope to launch this new initiative to help expats and internationals find happiness, kinder connection in the Netherlands.
What to Expect on the Beach
The morning is structured into a step-by-step journey of mindfulness and movement:
Kinder Connections: The day begins on the sand with a mindful beach walk and guided meditation to help participants ground themselves and connect with nature.
Free The Funk Surf Session: Participants will suit up (wetsuits and boards are fully provided) and head into the waves for a beginner-friendly surf lesson focused on joy and confidence rather than competition.
Science of Happiness Circle: The event concludes with an interactive sharing circle exploring the data-backed science of resilience, allowing attendees to share stories and walk away with a practical toolkit for daily life.
An Inclusive Space for Expats
Recognizing that the international community often seeks meaningful ways to meet like-minded people outside of traditional bar settings, the entire event will be conducted in English. No prior surfing experience is necessary, though basic swimming skills are required for safety.
Event Calendar Listing Details
Event Title: Waves of Happiness | Surfing Mindfulness & Connection
Date: Saturday, 11 July 2026
Time: 10:00 – 13:00 (Arrival by 09:45)
Location: The Shore, Strand Noord, Scheveningen, Den Haag
Language: English
Suitability: Beginner-friendly. No surf experience required. Basic swimming literacy is mandatory. Wetsuits and surfboards are included.
Burnout is becoming one of the most common yet misunderstood challenges of our time – especially for internationals navigating life, work, and identity in a new country.
This global online Summit brings together 23 international experts to explore burnout from a more human and holistic perspective.
Topics include women’s health, ADHD and neurodivergence, the role of nature, relationships and parenting, and mental health.
Whether you’re experiencing burnout yourself or supporting others, this Summit offers practical tools, fresh perspectives, and a space to better understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.
There is a free ticket option for live attendance.
Vassia is an international speaker specialising in perfectionism and burnout recovery, supporting ambitious professionals and entrepreneurs to quiet the inner critic, replace trauma-driven patterns, and build sustainable success without sacrificing well-being.
Her work combines science-based, trauma-informed strategies with a compassionate, practical approach to help people thrive in both work and life.
She is the founder of AntiLoneliness, an international mental health collective, and The Therapy Business Circle, a community for mental health professionals growing their practices in a sustainable, values-aligned way.
Self-criticism, comparison, perfectionism, shame… Beneath these inner voices of “not enough” often lie subconscious loyalties, absorbed expectations, and inherited standards.
SYSTEMIC CONSTELLATIONS WORKSHOP: Self-Acceptance
brings hidden dynamics to light, allowing you to soften the inner pressure and nourish a deeper, more compassionate self-love.
Very often, the way we treat ourselves mirrors early relational dynamics. We may carry parental criticism as our inner voice. We may remain loyal to family narratives of struggle, modesty, or self-sacrifice. We may unconsciously reject parts of ourselves that once felt unsafe to express.
This workshop is for you if: 🌀 You struggle with harsh self-judgment 🌀 You tie your worth to performance or productivity 🌀 You feel persistent shame or “not enoughness” 🌀 You sabotage success or intimacy 🌀 You long for inner steadiness, entangled in constant self-correction
Through Systemic Constellations, we externalise the inner voices. Parts of you that criticise, protect, strive, or withdraw can be represented and observed. This creates space between identity and conditioning — allowing a new internal order to emerge.
What to expect
Using the Systemic Constellations method, participants step into Representative roles that reflect aspects of the Questioner’s internal system. Their embodied responses provide insight into subconscious dynamics shaping his/her self-perception.
The process is experiential and clarifying — it offers diagnostic insight into the underlying dynamics shaping your current challenge, functioning as a focused exploration that makes hidden patterns visible and clarifies where deeper work or realignment may be needed.
We work on a first-registered basis and will hold as many constellations as time allows, understanding that not everyone may have the opportunity to bring their personal inquiry into the centre of the circle as Questioner.
During the workshop, we will: 💫 Identify the origin of your inner critic 💫 Recognise loyalties that maintain self-rejection 💫 Restore a balanced relationship between strength and vulnerability 💫 Support a grounded, embodied sense of self-worth
The workshop is facilitated by Nadia Eliseeva (www.NadiaLifeEnergy.com), ICF-certified coach with background in psychology, trained in Systemic Constellations therapy and Psychosomatics. Her specialty lies in uncovering the subconscious dynamics and blocks that impact mental and physical well-being. She regularly conducts Constellations Workshops, holding a precise and respectful space for deep systemic work.
English-spoken. No prior experience with Systemic Constellations is necessary – only your openness and willingness to explore.
✨ Step into a process where self-love becomes embodied — and your relationship with yourself deepens into steadiness, compassion, and quiet inner strength.
This Constellations Workshop helps reveal the unseen forces shaping your connections and how you relate.
CONSTELLATIONS WORKSHOP Relationships
Romantic partnerships, family, friendships, colleagues: every connection has an outer dynamic and hidden emotional layers. Attraction, tension, closeness are often driven by subconscious influences and inherited family imprints.
🤔 Why do certain dynamics repeat, even with different people? 🤔 Why does closeness sometimes trigger withdrawal? 🤔 Why does conflict escalate beyond the present situation?
Many relational tensions are systemic in nature. Early attachment experiences, family beliefs about love and loyalty, unresolved past bonds, and unconscious identifications within the family system can all shape how we connect today.
This workshop is for you if: 🌀 You notice repeating patterns in romantic or close relationships 🌀 You struggle with boundaries — either too rigid or too diffuse 🌀 You feel over-responsible for others’ emotions 🌀 You experience jealousy, fear of abandonment, or difficulty trusting 🌀 You are navigating a breakup, reconciliation, or complex family dynamic
Through Systemic Constellations, we explore the relational field around you.
Other participants (Representatives) step into roles that reflect elements of the your relational system (Questioner). Their embodied responses reveal implicit dynamics, hidden loyalties, entanglements with former partners, or inherited models of partnership you may carry.
When these dynamics are acknowledged, new movement becomes possible.
The process offers diagnostic insight — a way of looking into a mirror that shows what lies beneath the surface, often opening space for clarity and direction.
We work on a first-registered basis and will hold as many constellations as time allows, understanding that not everyone may have the opportunity to bring their personal inquiry into the centre of the circle as Questioner.
During the workshop, we will: 💫 Map the relational system influencing your current situation 💫 Identify unconscious bonds that may interfere with present connection 💫 Clarify where responsibility truly belongs 💫 Restore balance between giving and receiving
The workshop is facilitated by Nadia Eliseeva (www.NadiaLifeEnergy.com), ICF-certified coach with background in psychology, trained in Systemic Constellations therapy and Psychosomatics. Her specialty lies in uncovering the subconscious dynamics and blocks that impact mental and physical well-being. She regularly holds Constellations Workshops, creating a structured, respectful, and confidential environment for deep exploration.
English-spoken. No prior experience with System Constellations is necessary – only your openness and willingness to explore.
✨ We invite you to enter a space where relationship patterns become visible — and connection can shift from reaction to conscious choice.
Join us for a transformative 4-hour journey of healing, soft cacao, and deep remembrance. This special collaboration brings together two powerful modalities to help women and the next generation of young women to reconnect with their innate feminine power.
Soft Cacao & Yin Body Work
Willemijn will begin by guiding you gently into a descent of “Yin” energy. Through soft cacao, breathwork, and body-oriented exercises, you will be guided to unwind the pelvis and hips. This portion includes a Trance Journey, a gentle form of hypnosis which encourages deep relaxation and a subconscious “cleansing” of the womb space. It is a time to feel safe in your body and surrender to your natural softness. We recommend wearing loose comfortable clothing so that you can move without restrictions.
The Rite of the Womb
Following your inner journey, Sandra Quist will share the 13th Rite of the Munay-Ki. This lineage blessing from the Amazon reminds us: The womb is not a place to store fear and pain; the womb is to create and give birth to life. Through this transmission, we gently release stored sorrow, restoring the womb as a center of joy and vitality. We will take time to acknowledge our ancestral lineage, be grateful for the present and send blessings into the future.
Mothers, Daughters & Sisters
This edition is extra special as we recognize the bond between mothers and daughters. We invite young girls stepping into womanhood to sit in circle with us, fostering an empowered relationship with their bodies from the start. Women are equally welcome to attend solo; we all sit as sisters in this sacred lineage.
What to Expect:
Duration: Approximately 4 hours.
Intimacy: Limited to 13 participants for a nurturing environment.
Preparation: Bring a journal and wear something that honors your divine femininity.
Impact: A collective healing that ripples out to the Great Mother Earth.
Is my daughter ready? A Guide for Mothers
Bringing a daughter into a healing circle is a beautiful way to break the chain of inherited silence or shame. Here is how to know if this ceremony is a good fit:
Age & Transition: We generally recommend this for girls aged 12 and up, particularly those who have started their menstrual cycle or are showing signs of moving into puberty.
Emotional Maturity: The ceremony involves about 4 hours of focus, including quiet meditation and reflective journaling. If she can sit comfortably in a calm environment for this duration, she is ready.
The Choice: To ensure she feels “safe in her body,” the choice to attend should be hers. We suggest describing it as a “special celebration of becoming a young woman and learning how to listen to her body’s wisdom.”
Sisterhood Bond: This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage healthy emotional expression. Sharing this space helps her see that her “magic” resides within her, and she can feel connected to a community of women supporting her growth.
This session is being offered on May 11 & August 24
Note: People are welcome to any of the 3 topics and are not required to attend all 3 topics.
This third topic in our death awareness series, we venture into the terrain of grief and explore what arises when we purposefully process loss in our day-to-day lives.
Grief often begins long before a loved one passes, taking us on an unanticipated physical and existential journey. If we tend to our grief like a garden, it reveals its potential for growth. It may arrive timidly upon a diagnosis, hurriedly as an end nears, or suddenly with unexpected loss. Most importantly, grief forces us to pay attention by slowing… us… down.
Together, we will explore the different dimensions of loss—relational, functional, material, and the shifting of roles. We will discuss the “six needs of grief,” understand grief as a reservoir, and find ourselves held within the intimacy of a safe, supportive container. We will also introduce creative rituals as “helpers”, tools designed to bridge the gap between grief and a sense of healing and hope.
Over a bowl of fresh summer soup, Amanda will facilitate a deeper understanding of the subtle needs of grief. We will explore how being present in the body and in nature can support us, showing us how the heart can grow even in the midst of pain. Here, we learn that suffering can be a wise companion, helping us tend to and mend the holes left in our hearts.
“Go into your grief, for there your soul will grow.” – Carl Jung
“Grief is life turning toward itself,” Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
“If you live deeper in the Heart, the mirror gets clearer and clearer.” – Rumi
Participants should be at least six months past a significant grief experience, or receiving individual support before the workshop. This helps ensure everyone is appropriately supported during the event.
Amanda Coggin has led death awareness conversations for the last 15 years in Buddhist hospice work and as a hospital chaplain in San Francisco, California. She is leading this series of talks discussing various aspects of the dying process with the aim of bringing awareness to this important topic that has been largely left unspoken in the past. We hope these discussions will support and prepare the community for the dying process.
