Valérie's background
I was born and raised in Switzerland as the youngest of three children. After college, I moved to Berlin, where I lived and worked for several years. My last corporate job was as an advertising producer at a film production company in Zurich.
My interest in yoga and ancient Vedic traditions emerged during a period when I struggled to find balance in life. Seeking my unique voice, I explored different teachings and practices, transitioning from Bikram Yoga to finding joy in Vinyasa, traditional Hatha, and Restorative Yoga. In 2018, I completed the RYT-200 Yoga Teacher Training under Serge Bandura and Gloria Baraquio from Shivakali Yoga in Hawaii.
I constantly strive to live a purposeful life. Over the years, I participated in various workshops in analytical psychology, particularly focusing on inner child and shadow work, including sessions with Dr. Howard Lipp and Ena Vie at the Institute of Integration in Bend, OR. I am currently in training at the Center for Inner Ecology following Dr. Peter A. Levine's approach and furthering my skills in trauma-sensitive work.
In 2021, my husband, Marc, and I founded the Sacred Ways Institute of Transformational Arts, serving as a holistic hub for sound meditation, breathwork, and transpersonal modalities.
After becoming a Reiki Level 2 student in 2021 in the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition with Lara Elliott in Ojai, CA, I integrated the teachings and honored the ancestral Japanese heritage of Reiki into my weekly Sound and Breath ceremonies with Sacred Ways.
I attained the Master level in 2024 at the International House of Reiki and Shibumi International Reiki Association under the guidance of Frans Stiene.
As a mother of two, my primary intention is to provide a safe space where everyone feels welcomed and at home, fostering well-being and connection on a universal level in a beautiful and accessible way. I am the co-creator, alongside Denise Petrikat (mamahanna.ch), of the Sacred Women Circle & Sacred Mother Circle.
As a scent alchemist, I've crafted carefully curated Sacred Ways Essential Oils aroma sprays and roll-ons for our Sacred Ways Sound and Breath ceremonies. These organic, hand-harvested essences are distilled and processed right in my uncle's in-house laboratory in Thurgau.