From Dance to Deep Bonds – Life at H88.
Between 2001 and 2006, Yoni and I called two places home.
Our suburban house in Gein, and a truly magical spot in the heart of old Amsterdam—Herengracht 88, affectionately known as H88.
H88 became a vibrant sanctuary for transformation, laughter, and unforgettable moments.
This wasn’t just a place; it was an experience.
Nearly every week, we’d fill the space with Trancedance.
Trancedance was a powerful evening of blindfolded dance and breathwork that helped people heal and dive into alternate states of consciousness—all through pure breath, without a trace of drugs.
We saw incredible changes: participants who regularly joined were able to leave medications behind, reduce diabetic symptoms, and even minimize epileptic episodes.
Once a month, we hosted an AUM (Awareness Understanding Meditation) evening,
It was a 2.5-hour emotional workout that invited participants to move through the whole spectrum of human emotion.
They’d cry, laugh, rage, dance, meditate, and connect deeply with their hearts.
It was a gym for the soul, a place to feel fully alive.
There were also full-day Trancedance events and shamanic Healing Concerts, wrapping up with a celebration dinner in the cozy solarium lounge—a feast for both the spirit and the senses.
H88 also hosted our flagship course, the One Experience, or “One-X.”
This intense 2 long weekends journey, held several times a year was designed to peel away the layers of the past and empower people to live authentically.
For those weekends, the house became a home-away-from-home for everyone, from participants to trainers.
We shared meals, late-night talks, and an overwhelming sense of camaraderie.
But the most life-encompassing of all was our Leadership from the Heart Program,.
A two-year immersion of five weekend sessions, weekly gatherings, and a full week’s retreat each summer.
Between these events and all our other programs, Yoni and I found ourselves spending just as much time at H88 as we did at our place in Gein.
It became not just a workspace but a beloved community—a place where lifelong friendships, and even a few families, were born.
Rani, Peter, Petra, Eva, Fay, David, Dieter, Neva, and so many others became friends, and in some cases, family.
This place was a haven for connection, joy, and emotional freedom.
And it wasn’t only work. H88 was perfect for parties, celebrations, and even a few fun-filled sleepovers for our daughter Thom.
One night, she and I camped out there to be first in line for the new Harry Potter release.
We stayed up all night dancing, reading, and making memories in the training room,
For Yoni and me, H88 became our own place of freedom too.
We were the trainers, yes, but we were also deeply connected to the people we met here.
After each event, we’d laugh, share stories, and enjoy the friendships we’d built.
We lived those moments as much as anyone else, reminded that joy and freedom were waiting inside each of us, not in the outer world.
But like all beautiful eras, it had to come to an end.
As we grew and set our sights on reaching more people, we knew we needed a bigger space than H88 could offer.
Our farewell was bittersweet: we wanted to wrap up by December 2005, but the contract kept us until 2006, stretching our resources as we shifted to hotels and larger venues.
It was an end, yes, but one that paved the way for new beginnings.
The spirit of H88 will always stay with us—the friendships, the transformations, and the unforgettable memories made within its walls.
It wasn’t just a chapter; it was a foundation of love and growth that we carry forward, always.
