Guido Madera

Co owner

Guido introduces himself

It all started for me when I was about 20 years old, reading the Tibetan Book of the Dead in my little attic bedroom. I was reading the letters, the words, the sentences, but was unable to truly grasp the context. I was, however, deeply fascinated, and could not help but want to understand more. I made the decision to exchange my budding career for a pair of sturdy walking shoes and went off to the Himalayas to find answers. I climbed majestic mountain summits, passing prayer flags caught in the wind, travelling from monastery to monastery. What is it those monks are doing when they meditate, what’s written down in those scrolls, why do they seem so deeply content and happy with next to nothing, and why do we in the west still feel discontented and unhappy even with everything we have at our fingertips?

Deeply touched, but also deeply lost, I met a Sadhu (a Hindu ascetic) by a waterfall. In a small, modest mountain hut, sleeping on hesian sacks for mattresses, he initiated me into the world of yoga philosophy, both mentally and physically. He never spoke, so we communicated through writing, and only ever if he felt doing so was ‘relevant’. And so I learned. ‘I am not my thoughts – life as I know it is an illusion.’ My worldview was turned completely upside-down, but in the process, I experienced a deep sense of peace and found the inner source of calm and wisdom. I decided to stay in India and move in with my teacher in his cave in Hampi, in the southern part of India. While on the way there, I fell ill and was forced to return to the Netherlands. Back home, with my illusions about life left shattered in my wake and my head still up in the clouds of the Himalayas, I had immense trouble grounding and finding my way again. I decided to spend a few years in Africa, working as a travel guide, driving my safari truck through wildife reserves, spending time among the elements and visiting local tribes to get my feet firmly planted on the ground again. It worked!

Once I returned to the Netherlands once more, I spent a few years happily, dedicatedly contributing to the growth of travel organisation Riksja Travel, while making sure to frequently get on my mat in my spare time. Many years later, a long way from where this journey first started, I now (finally) feel as though I am able to integrate east and west in my life. My calling, which aligns perfectly with all of this, is to offer private and group-based mindfulness training courses and workshops. I am also co-owner of the beautiful Liv Yoga studio, along with my wife Jasmijn. This is where we first met, and where we got the opportunity to take our respective yoga journeys to the next level that we had both been searching for. It is our wish and our mission to share the joys of yoga as a lifestyle with you all, to inspire one another and learn from one another, and make the world just that little bit more beautiful together.

Other team members

Jasmijn

yoga teacher

Guido

Owner & mindfulness trainer >

Layla

yoga teacher