Shame & Innocence

Shame is one of the hardest experiences to name, and one that shapes us on a deep level.. It is complex and it runs deep. It touches identity, survival, connection, and longing.
It moves through nervous systems, families, cultures, and collective stories. It is not only a thought or a belief. It can live in the body as a filter on reality, so familiar we barely notice it. It shapes what feels safe to express, what feels “too much,” and what we brace for others to reject.

Like a “no” we learned to offer ourselves before anyone else can.

And if we are honest, shame is not something most of us want to look at, especially not in front of other people.

So why would we?

Because so much of what shapes us lives beneath the surface. And when we build capacity to stay with the sensations and meanings of shame, gently and at our own pace, something can begin to soften.

We stop abandoning ourselves when it gets uncomfortable. We stop assuming every contraction is a signal to hide. We learn to stay, to listen, and to meet what matters to us.

Over the weekend, we will explore
Shame as a lens and how it shapes perception, identity, and belonging
The intelligence inside shame and how it has protected connection and belonging
What it costs us when shame runs the show, often invisibly
Building nervous system capacity to stay present with impulse, longing, feeling and the rhythms of contraction and expansion
Reconnecting with innocence as freedom, permission, and the pulse of life
What becomes possible when we no longer need to protect ourselves from our own aliveness

We will work through body, energy, and awareness practices. These include consent based touch, movement, meditation, relational inquiry, group processes, and deep connection work. There is no demand to get somewhere.

The invitation is simple and radical: to turn towards ourselves and what has been hidden with kindness, and listen.

An important note:

This weekend is an experiential playground for exploring shame and innocence. To fully engage with this work, participants need a basic capacity to regulate their emotions and not be completely identified with their own shame. If shame feels all consuming or overwhelming, this may not be the right container.

Being seen within a group setting is part of the process, and participants are invited to engage with the exercises at their own pace, stepping in and out as much or as little as feels right for them.

Space is limited for an intimate group experience.

Practicalities

Dates: Sat 9th and Sun 10th May 2026
Timings: 10:00 – 18:00 with a lunch break

(Please arrive at 9:45; the workshop will start at 10:00)

Location: De Ruimte (upstairs), Weesperzijde 79A, 1091 EJ Amsterdam

Integration call (online): Tuesday May 19th 2026 7:30-9pm

Registration:

Early bird pricing by 20th of April 2026: € 345,00*

Standard pricing as of 21th of April 2026: € 395,00*

* Price including VAT for private individuals, excluding VAT for businesses.
Invoices will be only issued to businesses.
* To register, send an email to workshops@schnizer.nl – payment details to follow.

Spots are limited.

Cancellation policy – (Non-Medical Reason)

Until 9th of April 2026: 50% refund
10th of April 2026 onwards: no refunds

For questions feel free to reach out to: workshops@schnizer.nl or marysia.pst@gmail.com

About us

Marysia and Markus share an enormous passion for exploring embodiment, energetics and human relating. Their shared body geekery has led them to create this space to dive into themes that they see in their work again and again. They love to create spaces for exploration, experimentation and play.

Markus Schnizer

Markus is easily seduced into following his interests, immersing himself in them and then combining and free-wheeling between them. This path has led him into a variety of fields, from computer programming and physics, to being a professional dancer for more than a decade, teaching in a film-acting school for 18 years among others.

His drive and passion is combining different fields of knowledge and wisdom, exploring collaboration and creating spaces of mutual learning.

He has spent 20 years working with clients in his centre for body-awareness and in the last years has expanded his field into other forms of practice with a particular emphasis on human connection, mostly via Circling/Transformational Connection and We-Flow.
More about Markus

Marysia Pstrokońska

Marysia is a bodyworker specialised in pelvic and abdominal work, energy work and earth connection practice. She spent almost a decade teaching in high schools in London and spent many years immersed in creating spaces for exploring presence, emergence and collective intelligence through the practice of Circling.

Marysia is also a passionate gardener, plant medicine maker and devotee of the realms of dirt — working closely with plants for medicine and magic. She works with people through deep listening, somatic exploration, education, ritual, herbalism and hands-on bodywork.

marysia-pstrokonska.com
https://www.instagram.com/__bodyofearth__