Zijn En Worden

What Zijn En Worden does

Zijn & Worden is an independent Dutch institute for Zijnsoriëntatie (Being-Orientation), a methodology that integrates non-dual spiritual awakening with psychological and relational development. Founded in 2007 and led by Michaël Steinau, the organization delivers a complete multi-year spiritual education path comparable to the School voor Zijnsoriëntatie in Utrecht. Its product portfolio spans a three-year Jaartraining (year training) program, single workshops (Trainingen), multi-day retreats (Retraites, including the Pinksterretraite and Zomerretraite), small-group Padcoaching trajectories, one-on-one Begeleiding (guidance) sessions, and free/donation-based Webinars. Service delivery combines in-person programming in Northern Netherlands (Groningen, Drenthe, Friesland, Overijssel) with online and hybrid formats via Zoom and Mailchimp.

The business model is a mix of subscription-like multi-year program fees (Jaartraining), one-time payments for retreats and coaching (e.g., Padcoaching at €775 standard, Pinksterretraite at €930 all-in), professional-services pricing for 1:1 guidance, and freemium webinars with optional voluntary donation. A business/B2B pricing tier (ex. BTW) exists alongside consumer pricing, signaling early intent toward organizational customers, though no enterprise clients are named. Go-to-market relies on content marketing (blog, YouTube, LinkedIn, newsletter), external podcast appearances, event-driven enrollment through retreats and webinars, and word-of-mouth testimonials — no paid acquisition or third-party distribution is used. The company is a private, founder-owned micro-enterprise (1–10 employees, effectively a solo practitioner) with no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed revenue.

Underlying technology is commodity: a WordPress website, Mailchimp for email marketing, and Zoom for webinar delivery. There is no proprietary platform, mobile app, API, or data infrastructure. Competitive positioning rests on Steinau's personal brand, his lineage credentials within the Zijnsoriëntatie school, and the differentiated intellectual content of the methodology — not on technology or scale advantages.

Name

Zijn En Worden

Legal name

Zijn & Worden

Website

https://www.zijnenworden.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zijn & Worden is a Dutch independent institute, founded in 2007 by Michaël Steinau, offering non-dual spiritual and psychological training (Zijnsoriëntatie) — including a multi-year Jaartraining, retreats, coaching, and webinars — to individuals in Northern Netherlands and online.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual and Personal Development Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)

Keywords

• Spiritual development training
• Non-dual meditation programs
• Personal coaching services
• Wellness retreat experiences
• Mindfulness workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnhem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Jaartraining (Year Training): Multi-year structured training program in Zijnsoriëntatie (Being-Orientation), delivered in-person and online, with progressive curriculum across multiple years.
2. Padcoaching: Small-group coaching trajectory over six sessions (September–June), priced at €775 standard or €705 for Jaartraining participants.
3. Retraites (Retreats): Multi-day in-person retreats at Smalhoorn, Drenthe (and occasional international locations like La Vie Tara, France). Pinksterretraite 2026 priced at €930 total (€400 fee + €530 accommodation/food).
4. Webinars: Free online interactive evenings with voluntary donation option after attendance.
5. Individual Begeleiding (Guidance): One-on-one sessions with Michaël Steinau. Kennismakingsgesprek (introductory meeting) is free; in-person sessions incur a €22.50 contribution for costs.
6. Trainingen (Trainings): Shorter-format workshops and training sessions, available in-person and online hybrid format.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Zijn & Worden delivers Zijnsoriëntatie (Being-Orientation) programs for individual adults, including a multi-year Jaartraining, modular Trainingen (workshops), Begeleiding (one-on-one guidance), Padcoaching (six-session small-group coaching), multi-day Retraites, and free Webinars. The methodology combines non-dual spiritual awakening with psychological and relational development, delivered in-person in Northern Netherlands and online via Zoom.

Product overview

Zijn & Worden is an independent institute for Zijnsoriëntatie (Being-Orientation), founded in 2007 by Michaël Steinau. The organization offers a complete psychological and spiritual program centered on awakening and development, based on a modern, scientific perspective that combines non-duality with psychological and relational process work. The core offerings include: Jaartraining (a three-year comprehensive training), Trainingen (workshops), Retraites (retreats), Begeleiding (personal counseling), Padcoaching (path coaching in small groups), and Webinars. Programs are primarily delivered in-person in Northern Netherlands (Groningen, Drenthe, Friesland, Overijssel) with hybrid/online options for trainings and webinars. The approach takes inherent wholeness and goodness as its starting point, working with emotions as a gateway to recognizing one's essential nature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jaartraining Zijnsoriëntatie A comprehensive multi-year training program in Zijnsoriëntatie (Being-Orientation), teaching participants to skillfully work with emotions and develop psychological and relational skills from a non-dual perspective. Delivered in-person in Northern Netherlands and online.
• Trainingen (Workshops) Shorter-format workshops and training sessions covering Zijnsoriëntatie principles, meditation techniques, and emotional work, offered in hybrid format for both on-location and online participation. For adult individuals seeking depth in spiritual practice.
• Retraites (Retreats) Multi-day silent retreats including the Pinksterretraite (Whitsun), Zomerretraite (Summer), Tiendaagse Zomerretraite (ten-day Summer) and Soloretraite (Solo), focused on deep meditation, teachings, and integration of Zijnsoriëntatie practices. Held at Smalhoorn, Drenthe and occasionally at La Vie Tara, France.
• Begeleiding (Personal Guidance) One-on-one personal guidance and counseling sessions with Michaël Steinau addressing existential questions, work-related stress, burnout, and trauma from a Zijnsoriëntatie perspective. Online introductory meeting is free; in-person meetings carry a €22.50 contribution for costs.
• Padcoaching A six-session small-group coaching trajectory (6-8 participants) running September through June, focused on integrating Zijnsoriëntatie practices into daily life through relationship work and personal case studies. Standard €775; discounted to €705 for Jaartraining or Kring participants.
• Webinars

Quantifiable outcome

• Students report their lives as better than before starting Zijnsoriëntatie after just one year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• School voor Zijnsoriëntatie (Utrecht)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Zijn & Worden offers a complete Zijnsgeoriënteerd program comparable to the School voor Zijnsoriëntatie in Utrecht. Michaël Steinau is a member of the Zijnskring (core circle) of the school and is connected to his teacher Hans Knibbe. Zijn & Worden is explicitly independent from the school while following the same lineage.
• Beroepsvereniging voor Zijnsgeoriënteerde LerarenminorOthersMichaël Steinau is affiliated with the Beroepsvereniging voor Zijnsgeoriënteerde Leraren (Professional Association for Being-Oriented Teachers), which guarantees the quality of guidance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The School of Life: Educational platform offering classes, retreats, therapy, and content on emotional intelligence and personal development. Overlaps with Z&W's psychological/relational development focus but addresses a broader secular audience via digital and physical classrooms.
• Calm: Leading meditation and sleep app competing for the same end-customer attention and wallet as Z&W's audience, but operating at vastly larger scale with a B2C subscription model.
• Insight Timer: World's largest free meditation library with paid courses and live events, including teachers offering non-dual content. A broader incumbent that overlaps with Z&W in guided meditation and online teacher-led sessions.
• Headspace: Mass-market digital mindfulness and meditation platform with millions of subscribers. A broader incumbent in the same category that Z&W operates in, but delivers commoditized content at scale via app rather than high-touch teacher-led programs.

Regional players

• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: US-based retreat center offering residential programs on yoga, mindfulness, and personal development. Comparable retreat-led model and teacher-led training format, but operating primarily in North America rather than competing directly in the Netherlands.

Direct peers

• Tara Brach: Internationally recognized mindfulness teacher offering meditation retreats, online courses, podcasts, and teacher training — directly comparable to Z&W's combination of guided meditation, retreats, and structured training programs.
• Mooji: Non-dual spiritual teacher offering satsang (live and online), retreats at a dedicated ashram in Portugal, and a YouTube channel. Closely mirrors Z&W's non-dual orientation, retreat model, and online/hybrid delivery.
• School voor Zijnsoriëntatie: The originating Utrecht-based school teaching the same Zijnsoriëntatie methodology developed by Hans Knibbe. Z&W explicitly operates an independent program comparable to this school, and its founder is a member of the school's Zijnskring.
• Eckhart Tolle: Globally recognized non-dual author and teacher offering retreats, online courses, and streaming content via Eckhart Teachings. Comparable in non-dual positioning and premium-priced retreat/training offerings.
• Adyashanti: Non-dual awakening teacher offering silent retreats, online teachings, and satsang. Direct overlap in non-dual methodology, retreat-led GTM, and integration of awakening with everyday psychological development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@zijnworden1716
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zijn-en-worden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zijn En Worden