About Waives.
Hi, I’m Iris, founder of Waives
Nice to meet you!
Who am I? Or maybe better, what am I?
The first word that comes to mind is “curious“.
I have always been curious about life and interested in many different topics, from how humans think to how the universe works. I have a background in computer science and cognitive neuropsychology and have worked in the tech industry as a product manager for 10+ years.
About 5 years ago, it became really clear to me that I was not living fully, that I was unnecessarily stressed, not enjoying life as I could. My personal journey to more balance and fully living has lead me to my mission: to support people to lead an authentic, balanced life in which they are strongly connected to themselves and the world around them.
The main pillars of my work are: working smarter and embodied living. Continue reading to find out more!
My story.
From AI to ohm
Having pretty much been born curious, I was always looking for ways to satisfy my intellectual curiosity, always taking on new challenges. I did very well in school and enjoyed studying and working. I studied things like Artificial Intelligence (back in 2002!) and Logic, stretching my brain capacity. However, my body did not always cooperate and fatigue and illness became quite common for me. Someone once said to me: “your head wants more than your body can handle”, which felt like a very true statement (it still does!). I was so frustrated that I couldn’t seem to handle all the things I wanted to do. Something was out of balance but I didn’t know how to fix it.
Luckily, in 2017, I went through a transformation that helped me reconnect and restore the balance.
I started practicing yoga already while studying in San Diego back in 2002. At first it was simply a nice relaxing class once a week, but in 2013 it became a daily practice. This is when I first clearly started noticing the effect yoga was having off the mat: feeling more relaxed, more connected to others and more in touch with my body and feelings. In 2017 I did a 3 week immersive yoga teacher training, which was really transformative. It brought home a deep sense of connection, the need to not only be present in the head but also the heart. I learned that changing my breathing completely changed how I felt and being more in touch with my body and emotions made me feel much more fully human. Since then I have been on a path of not only intellectual but also spiritual curiosity and am eager to share with others the profound impact this has made on my life.
I combine both my knowledge and practical experience, from both ancient wisdom such as yoga as well as modern science, e.g. neuropsychology. I also bring in ideas from modern thinkers like Cal Newport and Adam Grant.
In the end, for me it’s all about:
– creating awareness about who you are (both mind and body)
-waking up from old patterns
– having the tools to manage the ups and downs of life
– making conscious choices
– feeling connected to yourself and others around you
– being fully present in the moment
Turn inward to move forward.
The tech workplace
Having worked in tech for 10+ years and experiencing the fun but also the stresses, I feel compelled to create change in the workplace. I see so many of us burning out due to imbalance and unconscious patterns. I myself have experienced the benefits of conscious breathing, body awareness and healthy work habits, so I know it works.
Ironically, I was working in tech and realised that although I loved the work, I also saw the industry was building products that were getting people too hooked and not serving their user’s interests as much as their business’s. This has made me passionate about digital wellbeing: finding a balance with technology that is right for you.
Why Waives?
It is my mission to support people to lead an authentic, balanced life in which they are strongly connected to themselves and the world around them.
Are you curious what I can do for you?
Values
Connection
Connection is so important. To our body, our inner world, the people around us and the world around us. We are all interconnected, yet in our modern society we tend to forget this. To me, coming back to the feeling of connectedness truly feels like coming home.
Freedom
I believe we are meant to feel free. To be free of the ideas and concepts that society has imposed on us. To be free to be yourself, to express yourself.
Balance
In our growth focused culture, balance can sound very boring. But it does not mean flatlining. It can also mean moments of high intensity followed by moments of rest (just like the shape of a wave). I believe life is more fullfilling and enjoyable when we balance work and private life, head and heart, performance and rest.
My credentials
- 2006: BSc., Artificial Intelligence
- 2009: MSc., Cognitive Neuropsychology
- 2010-2011: Researcher at Delft University
- 2011 – present: Product Manager / Owner at different companies
- 2013: Pre-Teacher Training (50hrs), Delight Yoga
- 2017: Basic Teacher Training (200hrs), Delight Yoga
- 2018: Advanced Studies (350+hrs), Delight Yoga, which included:
-
-
Yoga & Mindfulness (50hrs)
-
Yoga & Healing (50hrs)
-
Yoga & Ayurveda (50hrs)
-
-
2019: 1 month Ashtanga Yoga at KPJAYI in Mysore, India
- 2019-2020: Consciously Digital Coaching training
Did you know
I created the name Waives by combining the words “wai” and “waves”.
Wai is the Hawaiian word for water.
Waves are a very important concept in much of our understanding of the world around us and within us. The breath, the heartbeat, brain activity, light, all have wavelike properties. Even in quantum mechanics, wave functions play a key role in our understanding of the basics of the universe.
So what about you?
Enough about me. What about you? What will you receive when working with me? Some outcomes you can expect:
- I know how to stay focused and how to tune out distractions
- I listen to my body’s signals and make better choices
- I am resilient, I know how to both calm and activate my nervous system
- I have the tools, knowledge and practices to be my full optimal self without having to push beyond my boundaries.
If you have become curious, then don’t hesitate to take action and send me a message at info@waives.nl.