SAMANA is a heartfelt project born from the desire to inspire a life of mindfulness & conscious self-expression

I’m Klaudia - psychologist, art therapist, yoga teacher and artist - born and raised in Berlin to parents with Polish heritage. For the past 7 years I’ve been on a journey of self-exploration, which led me to many places and teachers around the world, including India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and most recently Portugal, where I chose to be home.

Growing up in a different culture and dealing with past ancestral trauma, I’ve experienced many challenges - both physically and mentally - early on in life. I noticed that the stressors and the disconnect I felt from living in a big city took their toll on me, affecting my mood, my cycle and my relationships. These experiences sparked my passion for understanding the connection between mind, body, and spirit and led me to my first yoga class at age 11. That’s when I began to turn inward for answers, sit still in meditation and listen to my body’s needs. The more I discovered how to calm my nervous system and soothe my symptoms, the more I began to understand the power of self-healing. What followed were many, many years of research and study. I completed a clinical and health psychology M.Sc., an art therapy M.A., 200h Yoga Teacher Training, an additional 100 h of Yoga for mental health, and 50h of Yin Yoga Teacher training. My slow lifestyle changes combined with the help of natural and plant remedies, finally helped me restore my cycle, find balance in myself and in my relationships.

So working through my own shadows and trauma has helped me understand the importance of a holistic and sustainable way of life. And as I allowed more space for wholesomeness, I suddenly began to access creative parts of me that had been dormant. This awakening to my creativity was the key for deeper grounding within myself and the transmutation of pain into beauty. Nature’s beauty and abundance is reflected in my work in many ways, for example through flower painting rituals and the making of watercolour with earth pigments.

I’m here to create spaces for reconnection – with the body, with nature, and with the creative spirit within you.

Nowadays, I draw on my past experiences and on my background in psychology, therapeutic arts, and 7 years of Yoga teaching, to support others on their journey towards more clarity and self-expression. My offerings include creative workshops, retreats, art therapeutic and yin yoga 1:1 sessions. In my yoga classes, I emphasize mindfulness, deep-tissue release, and apply principles from Traditional Chinese Medicine. I work with clients both online and on-site.

My artistic work continues to expand my horizons each day. I love abstract intuitive painting as a form of therapy, pigment foraging to reconnect to ancient crafts, and photography to capture my appreciation for nature. I also feel connected to healing through sound, especially when I’m playing the guitar, the shamanic drum, the harmonium, Koshi or when chanting Mantras.

Inspired by Yogic philosophy, SAMANA is a term in the ancient language of Sanskrit, meaning ‘equal, alike’ or ‘holding the middle ground between two extremes’. It captures the intention of my work: to inspire a life in symbiosis with self and the earth.