ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Lidija Martinović Rekert

I respectfully and with gratitude acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people.

I was born in a small tribal country, Montenegro, in the south of Balkans opening into the Adriatic Sea. I immigrated to Canada in 1995, in the midst of a civil war (ex-Yugoslavia) with a three year old daughter, after graduating from the University of Belgrade, and receiving extensive training in Counselling Psychology, Psychodynamic and Gestalt Therapy.

My counselling approach and therapy is influenced by Social Phenomenology, Yogic training and Buddhist Philosophy. I have been practicing, first as a client, then in supervision, with Psychotherapist Andrew Feldmar since 1996, who apprenticed with famous counter-culture Psychiatrist R.D. Laing.

My approach to yoga and movement is influenced by somatic embodied practices, Vijnana Yoga and Kundalini Yoga, both of which I taught for over twenty years (see appendix bellow). 

Since 2002, I have been studying and practicing Buddhist Teachings within the Theravada school, as well as Nyingma and Kagyu Tibetan schools.  I am trained as a Meditation Instructor (MI) though Shambhala Lineage. 

Initially, I worked as a Refugee Officer (YVR) and Settlement Counsellor (ISS), and in 2001 became a full-time Yoga & Meditation teacher and Counsellor in private practice. Starting in 2018, I began offering  Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy. 

Note that I am NOT a REGISTERED Counsellor. 

Volunteering Experience: WAVAW, B.C. largest crisis line, supporting survivors of sexual assault and sexualized violence, who have shared experience of gender marginalization.

Here is my interview on the Soundcloud,  should you want to hear more about my ancestry, lineage, somatic approach and views on death and dying.

In my practice, I hold the ethic of  inclusion and intend to create the conditions for psychosomatic and spiritual integration and embodiment.

 I offer ongoing somatic education, privately and in groups as well as training for individuals and professionals who seek to integrate body and mind as a whole.

I hold Ceremonial space for legal Wedding ceremonies, Rights of Passage (crossing into age, claiming name and/or gender), and support in Death and Dying.

I’m a member of the Vancouver Mindfulness Network, a network of professionals dedicated to practicing and applying mindfulness in all sectors of society.

Contact me if you have questions or inquiries.