RECENT & UPCOMING
Events
Courses
Engagements
We focus mostly on engagements and projects in service of a better world.
Making-Humans-Possible
Announced soon
Prinsengracht 493, Amsterdam
This event is offered to share and collect wisdom and awareness from fellow pioneers, co-thinkers and co-creators in the field of youth-centric development. We will be introducing our project , insights on the why and how of this philanthropy project which Open Up launched in 2021 in Uganda, Nakivale refugee settlement, Africa..
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Executive Leadership Program
THNK, Amsterdam
Katrien is part of the faculty of THNK School For Creative Leadership. She is designing and facilitating inner work and breathwork methodologies for THNK's Executive Leadership Program. In in-person and online workshops, she inspires leaders to find mentorship in the living-breathing-body's intelligence. To open to new places of power and responsivity. Katrien is part of the faculty, guiding and mentoring executive leaders one-on-one.
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Selected
Past Events
Set & Setting in psychedelic use
Breathwork workshop
29 Aug 2023, Lorentz Center Leiden, NL
In the week of August 28 to September 2023, 50 international researchers and experts from different disciplinary backgrounds (including academic, clinicians, and expert practitioners) came together to foster an exchange of idea sand best practices around the roles and functions of set and setting in psychedelic use. A group of 25 people will be experiencing a breathwork workshop as part of the program.
This private event is organised by:
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Joost Breeksema of OPEN Foundation
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Michiel van Elk (Leiden University)
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Gemma Blok (Open Universiteit)
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André van der Braak (Vrije Universiteit)
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Robert Schroevers (University Medical Center Groningen)
Regenerative Stewardship
Legal Psilocybin Retreat
30 Nov 2022, The Netherlands / 16.00 - 19.30
Katrien Franken designed and facilitate a breathwork journey for a group during the Awaken The Medicine Within psilocybin retreat in the Netherlands. A retreat that is hosted by Alexander Beiner and Natasja Pelgrom. Open Up's work closely relates to psilocybin through the legacy of Stanislav Grof and Holotropic Breathwork.
Breathwork as Psychedelic Therapy at Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research.
21 September 2022, Haarlem NL
Katrien Franken will be hosting and developing a workshop for The Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research; the leading scientific conference in Europe dedicated to advancing psychedelic research and therapies organized by OPEN Foundation since 2010.
Breathing exercises are used throughout centuries by ancient &native cultures as a means of cultivating expanded states of consciousness in order to facilitate transformative experiences that deepen connection and help access healing. States which can resemble a psychedelic experience. With the rise of psychedelic therapy, questions emerge regarding breathwork within this context for/as psychedelic therapy.
This workshop combines breathwork as a practice of self-exploration in non-ordinary states of consciousness in a psychological, sacred and ritualistic bedding. We invite psychiatrists, psychologists, healthcare organisations and professionals, breathwork or psychedelic researchers, therapists, and people who are interested in learning and exploring the topic and possibility for emotional breakthroughs and healing in non-ordinary states of consciousness without taking any substance.
LEADERSHIP
THNK School for creative Leadership
Katrien is a THNK faculty fellow since 2020
Open Up was the first to introduce and facilitate breathwork at THNK in 2019 for the Executive Leadership program. Open Up founder, Katrien Franken, became part of the faculty in 2021. Leading groups into deep journeys into Self, other and the world.
The Breathwork Group Series
10 editions - In-person in Amsterdam
The Breathwork Group Series is a unique five week journey and exploration of who you are, created by Katrien Franken. She has run 10 editions & versions of The Breathwork Group Series in person in groups of max 25 people.
Series 1: 19.10.2017 - 10.12.2017
Series 2: 05.01.2018 - 02.02.2018
Series 3: 08.04.2018 - 20.05.2018
Series 4: 02.09.2018 - 30.09.2018
Series 5: 14.10.2018 - 18.11.2018
Series 6: 09.09.2019 - 09.03.2019
Series 7: 18.04.2019 - 16.05.2019
Series 8: 04.09.2019 - 02.10.2019
Series 9: 23.10.2019 - 20.11.2019
Series 10: 31.08.2022 - 29.09. 2022
Duration: 5 weeks | In-Person
Be The Earth Foundation (online)
1 April, 25 May 2022
We are inspired by Be the Earth Foundation, their vision and action. Katrien Franken is part of the Aura and Flow Fellowship, and will be offering individual tailored and collective guidance in breathwork and inner work.
WORKSHOP
Breathwork at Soho House Amsterdam
Monthly workshops in the years 2018 - 2021
Especially for Soho House Amsterdam, we offer monthly Open Up breathwork group workshops
for members. Our sessions are in constant reflection with the inner and outer world. We support humans to open up to the whole of their experience and find depth and meaning and joy in what is presenting itself. This in-person event is for Soho House members only.
KINSHIP:
An exploration into being together
15 March - 5 May 2022
Community is the vessel, the social infrastructure of life, relationality is the alchemical catalyst, the yoke of togetherness, and belonging is the meaning and magic amidst it all.
Open Up is partner of Advaya in the KINSHIP course; a transformative form of relationship that perhaps offers an answer to the crisis of belonging, curated by Hannah Close. Katrien will join her voice with Hannah's and will be leading the facilitation of inquiry. We invite you to open up with us, to explore with us, to travel with us.
Read more: kinshipcourse.com
Darkness Meditation at Soho House
19 Aug, 9 Dec 2020
28 July, 28 sept, 23 Nov 2021
Katrien designed an exceptional meditation which connects us with darkness as a practice to awaken, transform and heal. With facilitated preparation we will look into the blackness where without visual stimuli the mind and soul can wander. This process releases fear of the unknown, and invites us to look and listen into our own world and being. This is an in-person event for Soho House members only.
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Nike Europe - Directors team
3, 4, 8 June 2021 - Zoku Amsterdam, NL
From Whole Person to Whole Organization. Katrien will lead the directors team of Nike Europe into a process around values and choices in an encounter with the shadow. In a mix of psychological practices and breathwork, we will explore the make up of their values, and work on what is needed to live more authentically and fully.
CORPORATE
Open Up at Elsevier
5 April 2018 / 7+9 May 2019, Amsterdam, NL
Elsevier provides information and analytics that help institutions and professionals progress science, advance healthcare and improve performance. Open Up is offering breathwork workshops for its teams and employees. Katrien will facilitate one hour group sessions to teams to connect deeper with the power of breath, feeling the inner and outer support of breathing together.
ICPR
25-27 September 2020 - Online
Open Up is Gold Sponsor of ICPR. Katrien Franken is speaker and will be facilitating 3 breathwork workshops at the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research. An online event due to Covid-19.
WORKSHOP
New Womanhood
Friday 5 April 2018: 18.30 - 22.00
De Roos, Amsterdam
New Womanhood created by Katrien Franken explores women (and men) and support(ed) networks to have courages conversations, explorations and learnings in service of our collective growth. Facing and embracing and living our truth and acknowledging and integrating our blind spots. This gathering is for the rebel woman who wants to light the spark of what it might look like to create a new culture around womanhood. We are calling it "New Womanhood". Come and join us if you are ready for next step.