OUR TEAM
We form a close and open minded community with psychotherapists, music-breathwork and plant medicine teachers, who are convinced that the challenges of the future are best addressed by reconnecting with nature and self-discovery.
MAURITS HOFMAN
Maurits Hofman is a father, groundkeeper of AVANI, and a facilitator of ceremonies. Above all, he is simply human. For over 20 years, he has been sitting in and around the sweat lodge (Inipi), inviting people to drop in, to remember, and to come home.
His work navigates the intersection of the visible and the invisible, where silence speaks and truth becomes palpable.
Rooted in systemic work and nourished by the Lakota tradition, he creates spaces where the essential is allowed to emerge. With a sharp eye and an open heart, he invites honesty, simplicity, and connection—with yourself, with others, and with the greater whole.
AVANI is his home, shared with Anke and their sweet children, Bodhi and Frida. In the Netherlands, Italy, and France, he facilitates programs, retreats, and ceremonies that are not about becoming, but about remembering who you already are at your core.
ANKE
VAN
DONKERSGOED
Together with Maurits, Anke is the groundkeeper of AVANI and the mother of Bodhi and Frida. Alongside co-creating and facilitating the Touchdown retreats at AVANI, Anke runs her own coaching practice. Through her program While We Rise, she supports women in reclaiming their strength and living fully. With her enthusiasm, warm presence, sharp eye, and strong character, she brings energy and vibrancy to AVANI.
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DEWI
STAAL
Dewi is the location guardian of AVANI and the right hand to Maurits and Anke. She is the point of contact for renters and facilitators and handles practical matters. Alongside her organizational skills, she brings warmth, attentiveness, and an open energy into her interactions with everyone who visits AVANI.
In addition to her work at AVANI, she assists with a year-long tantra training and is the mother of Maya and Noah.
CHIEL VAN KOLLENBURG
Chiel is AVANI's founder. Chiel connects people with the power and wisdom of nature. He works with the elements, the sweat lodge, the truffles and the power of the breath. Nature helps to discover who we are, where the pinch is, what can be let go and what we want to contribute to. He believes that when we activate the natural wisdom of our mind and start living more consciously, it has a domino effect on others and on a more sustainable future for our children. Chiel is a nature lover and adventurer. He lives in a small community and with his animals in a house in beautiful Brabant.