Gentle Beginnings

About me

My name is Mirjam Heemskerk and I was born in 1968. I am a mother of two lovely daughters, married to my husband for 25+ years and a certified massage therapist. I am very passionate for the female wisdom, power and zest for life.

I am Dutch and I speak fluent English, French and a little German. In 2006 I became the owner of manumanu massage, a studio for women of all ages. In 2015 I started Gentle Beginnings, to focus exclusively on support in fertility, pregnancy, birth, the special maternity period and women’s health in general.

I experienced an enormous change in my life in 2004 when my father died shortly after our youngest daughter was born. These two events, birth and death so close to one another brought about an immense shift in my consciousness which resulted in a change of career. I moved away from the publishing industry to the healing arts. During my two pregnancies and two subsequent home births I recognized the true power of the mind and body connection, and my interest in pregnancy and birth grew stronger. I sought out knowledge and skills to start several training courses to become a certified massage therapist. The integration of learnings from East and West, deep and soft, movement and stagnation, oil massage and acupressure, everything came together and it felt as a home coming.

Pregnancy, birth and the postpartum time always had a special place in my heart and it turned out I can really sense what women want during this special time in their lives. Health care in pregnancy is often overmedicalised and focused on the delivery itself. However the road to birth is just as important and as soon as the birth happens, Motherhood starts! Offering a new mother the most loving, warming support and touch is so incredibly necessary for her to heal! I love to help the mother transition into motherhood by supporting her to heal both physically and emotionally. I am truly dedicated to revive and spread awareness of traditional customs and support for the prenatal and postpartum weeks. I work with healing methods from all over the world that are aimed at a healthy recovery of the newborn mother and find their origin in the 40-day rest period after birth. I am happy to contribute to the wellbeing of women who understand the importance of postpartum support to recover from pregnancy and childbirth.

My passion lies in healing the abdominal and pelvic area so that all organs function well for women of all ages and especially for new mothers. In my treatments I give a lot of attention to the abdominal and womb area, because that is where vitality, passion and lust for life begins.

Nowadays I work with massage, energetic healing, movement, nutrition, herbal wisdom, aromatherapy, gemstone and flower remedies, sound and music; to wake up every woman for the sacred wisdom within herself and to make the connection with the world around her.

Working with women is my passion. I surround each woman with gentle loving care, compassion, a listening ear and a warm touch.