About Us

Our Origin Story

I want to start by saying this clearly: New Eden was not created by me alone. 

In 2015, my partner Sumir Brown, and I brought this place to life together. What exists here now was born from a shared vision, a deep devotion, and an extraordinary convergence of timing, trust, and community.

At the beginning of 2015, we weren’t looking to buy a retreat centre. We were actually looking for a home — one that could hold us, and that was large enough to accommodate Sumir’s mother as well. Out of curiosity, I did a reverse search on a real estate site: show me the houses with the most rooms.

At the very top of the list was something called Sparjeburd Meditation & Retreat Centre.

I clicked the listing, saw one image, and felt something land. I turned to Sumir and said, “We should go see this — not to buy it, just to get inspired.” It had always been a dream of ours, someday, to create a place like this.

On a cold winter day in February, we arrived and met the owners, Jan and Marjolijn Stiphout. Almost immediately, there was a sense of recognition — not just between people, but between paths. They had spent over twenty years devoted to this land, raising a family here, hosting thousands, tending the soil, and building something sacred. This wasn’t a commercial property. It was a living lineage.

It felt less like a sale, and more like a passing of the baton — from one couple to another.

The place itself already carried a deep history. Since 1995, Jan and Marjolijn had transformed an old Dutch farm into a sanctuary for healing and retreat. Long before that, the land was known for its natural well water — water people travelled great distances to drink from, believed to carry healing qualities. There is something about this land that reveals truth gently, but clearly. Nothing stays hidden here.

During the months that followed, we asked a very real question: How on earth do we make this work? 

Through a long and uncertain process — full of doubt, courage, and trust — we said yes.

In July 2015, we signed the purchase agreement. Shortly after, we launched a community crowdfunding campaign through Heart iQ. We sold assets, and I offered something radical at the time: an unlimited five-year retreat ticket for future events at New Eden. The response was overwhelming. Our community showed up. Together, we raised €400,000 for the deposit.

On January 7th, 2016, we moved in. It was snowing heavily — white, quiet, and surreal. It felt like stepping into Narnia. New Eden still feels that way to many people: you arrive, time bends, something essential happens, and when you leave, it feels like you’ve lived a lifetime in a few days.

Within ten days of moving in, we hosted our very first retreat: 80 people on site, with over 150 more joining via livestream from more than 50 countries. The previous owners had left everything — tables, chairs, cutlery, artwork. We simply opened the doors and began.

That first event changed everything. I could feel it in my body: my nervous system was supported, clarity flowed, depth emerged effortlessly. I knew immediately — this land amplifies the work. 

Sumir was instrumental in shaping what New Eden became. She named it. She held the original vision of New Eden as a home not only for our work, but for other teachers and leaders. 

Together, we went on to attract €2.5 million in investment to support the growth and evolution of New Eden. What unfolded over those years felt nothing short of miraculous.

In June 2024, Sumir moved back to the United States and sold me her share of New Eden. With deep gratitude and respect, I stepped into full stewardship of the land as New Eden enters its next chapter.

Today, New Eden stands as it was always meant to:

A place designed by people who do the work, for people who do the work.

A sanctuary where land, structure, team, and technology align to support deep, transformational experiences.

This is not just a venue.
It is a field.
A lineage.
A home for truth, healing, and emergence.

Welcome to New Eden.