Rites of passage and initiation spaces for our children and teenagers
Two weeks ago, I asked my 13-year-old daughter Nikita to come and experience a sweat lodge (Tamazcal) with me. I was overjoyed to see her smile light up her face when she said “oh yes” with stars in her eyes.
She immediately reconnected with the experience she’d had with her brother a few years ago. They were 6 and 8 years old. We had gone out in the middle of winter, in sub-zero temperatures, to take part in “la coulée du castor”: a sweat lodge followed by a jump into the icy river. Those memories have stayed with us.
This time, in balmy summer weather, we went to the home of my friend Élodie, who had organized a tamazcal under the beautiful shamanic guidance of Alizée and Marco, initiates in Mexico. The connection was immediate; Alizée and Marco have a very gentle, humble and benevolent energy. They share their knowledge with those who feel called.
You can’t improvise a tamazcal. You need lots of wood, large stones and lots of blankets.
We began by transporting the stones, large 8-10 kg cobblestones, to the ceremony site. To do this, we formed a human chain, crossing the river and the forest. Everyone joined in. I could see my daughter, smiling, wading into the water while carrying the stones. Then we gathered wood to make a big fire. A knowing look between my daughter and me: it’s going to be a beautiful fire.
The stones had to heat up for several hours. Meanwhile, we made music and finished covering the hut with blankets to keep the heat in. My daughter, in her own rhythm, retired to read a little in her hammock, which she had decided to take with her.
Then it’s time to enter the hut and pour water over the glowing stones. The steam rises, and so does the heat. It’s dark, like in our mother’s womb. We’re close to each other. Our bodies are sweating; it’s an opportunity to let go of all the clutter in our lives, to release old wounds, sorrows and disappointments, and to welcome new energies, behaviors aligned with the person we aspire to be.
We sing, we support each other. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, we leave the hut transformed.
Nikita held out. She could have gone out earlier if the heat got too intense, but no, she stayed right to the end. Wow! I’m impressed, because I almost went out three times myself. We bathed together in the river, filled with joy and gratitude for having shared this magnificent experience.
These moments remind me of a father-son weekend I took part in with my son Sacha when he was 8 or 9. We went away together with other fathers and sons for a weekend. We had had talking circles about what’s precious in our relationship, played in the woods, built a raft, lit a fire by friction with a bow and drill, and sung around the fire. Following that weekend, my daughter asked me to do the same thing, but at the time I couldn’t find a similar proposal at her age.
I also remember when my father used to take me and my brothers and sisters to sleep in the forest to watch the animals at dawn. Later, I did the same with my children and their mother near a lake. I also remember the time my father made us sleep in an Indian railway station, in a circle around our backpacks, or when he made us get out of a bus in the middle of the jungle in Thailand to reach an isolated village, and ask the inhabitants for a place to sleep, safe from snakes, under our mosquito nets.
I have so many memories like that… Thanks, Dad…
What did it bring me? Confidence in myself, in my ability to find solutions to the challenges life throws my way. But also confidence in human generosity, solidarity and the joy of encounter. Trust in my intuition, and openness to the unknown. The belief that I have the right to dream, and to make those dreams come true.
Today, my children are growing up and asking me to travel. This summer, I let my 15-year-old son follow his dream of surfing in France, Portugal and Spain. I know he’s taking risks, that the ocean can be dangerous, that he may meet the wrong people. But I don’t want to stop him from living out his dreams. I also guide my daughter, Nikita, 13, in her desire to travel and train in aerial acrobatic circus, even if her requests sometimes confront my own fears.
Their needs and dreams are as precious as mine. I seek to create a framework where they can grow and take their first steps in life, equipping them with concrete tools to protect themselves and follow their intuition.
As our children enter adolescence, their bodies are turned upside down by hormones, puberty, first loves and first experiences. It’s not all plain sailing.
Each step is an invitation to celebrate life, honor their path, and offer them a safe space to explore their questions, give them experiences that expand their minds and open up new horizons.
Letting children travel, live their dreams and support them in their passions means growing up with them.
Thank you for this wonderful gift of guidance in this adventure of life.
I’d still like to name a few places or associations that offer introductory courses for our teenagers:
- The Aurore School with the Encounter Your Inner Hero course.
- Father-son or father-daughter courses organized by men from the Mankind Project (MKP).
- Self-defense classes for girls organized by Garance non-profit organization in Brussels.
And for you, as an adult, if you would also like to experience initiations and discover this vibrant transformation, you can have beautiful experiences with :
- MKP (Mankind Project)
- Sacré Femme.
- You can also dare to take part in one of my courses at La Voie du Plaisir, depending on the themes that resonate with you.
Here are a few more photos of other moments of initiation for my children.
Rites of Passage and Initiation Spaces for Our Children and Adolescents
Two weeks ago, I invited my 13-year-old daughter, Nikita, to join me in a sweat lodge (Tamazcal). I felt immense joy when her face lit up with a smile, and she answered with sparkling eyes, “Oh yes.”
She immediately reconnected with this experience, which she had already lived with her brother a few years ago. They were 6 and 8 years old at the time. We had gone in the middle of winter, with sub-zero temperatures, to participate in “the beaver pour”: a sweat lodge followed by a plunge into the icy river. These memories stayed with us.
This time, in the warmth of summer, we went to my friend Élodie’s place, where she had organized a Tamazcal under the beautiful shamanic guidance of Alizée and Marco, both initiated in Mexico. The connection was instant; Alizée and Marco have a gentle, humble, and caring energy. They share their knowledge with those who feel called.
A Tamazcal doesn’t happen by chance. It requires lots of wood, large stones, and many blankets.
We started by carrying the stones, large 8-10 kg boulders, to the ceremony site. To do this, we formed a human chain, crossing the river and the forest. Everyone participated. I saw my daughter, smiling, wading through the water while carrying stones. Then, we gathered wood to build a large fire. A knowing look between my daughter and me: this is going to be a beautiful fire.
The stones need to heat for several hours. During that time, we played music and finished covering the lodge with blankets to keep the heat in. My daughter, following her own rhythm, retreated for a while to read in her hammock, which she had decided to bring along.
Then came the moment to enter the lodge and pour water over the glowing stones. Steam rises, and so does the heat. It’s dark, like being inside our mother’s womb. We are close to one another. Our bodies sweat; it’s an opportunity to release all that weighs us down in life, to let go of old wounds, sadness, and disappointments, and to welcome new energies, behaviors aligned with the person we aspire to be.
We sing, we support each other. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, we leave the lodge transformed.
Nikita held strong. She could have left earlier if the heat became too intense, but no, she stayed until the end. Wow! I’m impressed, as I almost left three times. We bathed together in the river, filled with joy and gratitude for having shared this beautiful experience.
These moments remind me of a father-son weekend I participated in with my son Sacha when he was 8 or 9 years old. We had gone with other fathers and sons for a weekend. We had sharing circles about what is precious in our relationships, played in the woods, built a raft, started a fire using a bow and drill, and sang around the fire. After that weekend, my daughter asked me to do the same, but at the time, I couldn’t find a similar offering for her age.
I also recall when my father used to take my siblings and me to sleep in the forest to watch animals at dawn. Later, I did the same with my children and their mother near a lake. I also remember the time my father had us sleep in an Indian railway station, circled around our backpacks, or when he made us get off a bus in the middle of the Thai jungle to reach a remote village, asking the locals for a place to sleep, protected from snakes under our mosquito nets.
I have so many memories like that… Thank you, Dad…
What did this give me? Confidence in myself, in my ability to find solutions to the challenges life throws my way. But also confidence in human generosity, solidarity, and the joy of meeting others. Trust in my intuition and openness to the unknown. The belief that I have the right to dream and to make those dreams come true.
Today, my children are growing and asking me to travel. This summer, I let my 15-year-old son follow his dream of surfing in France, Portugal, and Spain. I know he’s taking risks, that the ocean can be dangerous, and that he might encounter bad situations. But I don’t want to stop him from living his dreams. I also support my daughter, Nikita, 13, in her desires to travel and train in aerial acrobatic circus, even though her requests sometimes confront my own fears.
Their needs and dreams are just as valuable as mine. I aim to create a space where they can grow and take their first steps into life, equipping them with concrete tools to protect themselves and follow their intuition.
When our children enter adolescence, their bodies are shaken by hormones, puberty, first loves, and new experiences. It’s not always easy.
Each stage is an invitation to celebrate life, to honor their journey, and to provide them with a safe space to explore their questions, offering experiences that expand their minds and open them to new horizons.
Allowing children to travel, live their dreams, and supporting them in their passions is also a way of growing with them.
Thank you for this beautiful gift you give me in accompanying you on this life adventure.
I also want to mention a few spaces or organizations that offer initiation opportunities for our teens:
- The Aurore school with the Meet Your Inner Hero workshop.
- Father-son or father-daughter workshops organized by men from the Mankind Project (MKP).
- Self-defense courses for girls organized by the association Garance in Brussels.
And for you, as an adult, if you also want to experience initiations and discover this vibrant transformation, you can have beautiful experiences with:
- MKP (Mankind Project)
- Sacred Woman.
- You can also dare to participate in one of my workshops at La Voie du Plaisir according to the themes that resonate with you.
