Hi friend, my name is Rick Jansen. Three years ago (2020) I found myself sitting out on the land, in a circle of stones, during my Soul Quest in the North of Spain with a heart-breaking longing to find a deeper meaning and purpose for my life. Little did I know that enacting that ritual, or ceremony, would not only give me some very helpful insight but it would catalyze a whole new direction in my life that continues to unfold in meaningful and surprising ways.

It made me aware of the possibility to have a ”conversation with Life”, to be in dialogue with the Earth, within me and around me. To start to live into that attunement transforms my life little drop by little drop, it is as if I am in touch with a deeper ”mythic” thread that connects my life to something ancient, vast and intelligent. I believe that we are all connected in that way and when we find our own ways of being in touch with that ”thread”, we can start to live in alignment with our true nature and this implies that we will naturally fall ”in sync” with the wider web of life of which we are an intrinsic part.

I believe that finding our own unique thread, falling in sync with life and with our own inner nature, is a big part of the medicine that our world needs today. When we are able to find the very specific ways that we are called into service, when we find our own ”ecological niche”, we will feel connected to life and clear how to direct our energy.

What is calling me at this point in time is to be a guide for this path of Soul, Mystery and Purpose. I do that in the form of being a certified Purpose Guide and mentor with Purpose Guides Institute (PGI). Besides that I am part of the core-team at the Gaia Mandala Global Healing Community, where I work together with a small group of very wonderful people for the healing and regenaration of our world.*

My work as a guide is inspired by teachers such as Bill Plotkin, Michael Meade, Joanna Macy, Charles Eisenstein, Pat McCabe and Sherri Mitchell. I had the good fortune of receiving guest teachings from them during my trainings with PGI.

I was born in the Netherlands, but currently I live at walking distance from Plum Village, which is Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Mindfulness Center and Monastic Community in the South of France. There I spend time with my hands in the dirt on the Happy Farm, in meditation on the cushion, in the kitchen and on the walking meditation paths with the Lay and Monastic brothers and sisters. In my free-time I love to hike, cook, write, dance and create or visit theatre.

* We work with an ancient Tibetan practice, called Earth Treasure Vases, which are healing vessels made out of clay and sacred substances. The vessels (filled with prayers, intentions, offerings and blessings) go into the Earth at places where healing and protection is most needed. The vases function as accupuncture for the Earth and form a connected global healing network with over 60 vases having been planted over the past 30 years.