Vasco Gaspar

As I arrive back in Portugal and look back on these past few days in Stockholm, I’m once again in awe of the mysterious ways Life unfolds.

I was in the city to facilitate a workshop for the Ho Foundation Global and also had the opportunity to join the IDG Summit.

What touched me most during the summit was reconnecting with so many beautiful souls linked to different “past and present lives” of mine — Search Inside Yourself, Presencing, IFS, Compassionate Inquiry, SPT, ServiceSpace, Heartfulness, and others.

The first day even closed with Peter Senge, whose book Presence (co-written with Otto Scharmer, Jaworski, and Betty-Sue Flowers) was, back in 2007, like an ignition spark for the journey I’ve been walking ever since. It felt as if Life itself had orchestrated a celebration — weaving together people, paths, and practices from all these years into one meaningful moment.

The next day connected deeply with the third sector and my heartfelt relationship with the Ho Foundation, who have trusted my work in co-creating spaces of reconnection, beauty, and co-regulation. My purpose feels clearer than ever — to care for those who care, creating spaces of renewal and sanity for those doing good in the world, in service of something greater.

The last day was the living expression of that same mission — beginning with an introductory Heartfulness session kindly hosted by Shawn Westcott, who opened his beautiful space and circle of trust so I could share, freely, the practice where my Heart truly resides (photo).

In the afternoon, a workshop with the Ho Foundation and their grantees — weaving meditation, poetry, music, storytelling, movement, and beauty.

Deep gratitude to CR, Carmen, and Ying, and to all who work tirelessly for a better world for people, animals, and the planet. 🙏💚

Forever grateful to my beloved Master, guides, protectors, and Teachers — may all be in service of Life and a Greater Good.

Coming full circle, in Oxford — twice over

From 14 to 17 September, I'll be in Oxford as a speaker at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026 — one of the largest international gatherings on trauma, mental health, and wellbeing. I'll be sharing the programme with many of the teachers who have most shaped this path — Gabor Maté, Bessel van der Kolk, Richard Schwartz, Dan Siegel, Sat Dharam Kaur, Kristin Neff, Jack Kornfield, among others — around this year's theme: Science, Spirit and the Body: The Synthesis of Healing.

There's a quiet symmetry to this for me — two circles closing at once.

The first: it was in Oxford, nine years ago, that a seed was planted which would eventually grow into Deep U.

The second runs deeper. Everything I've come to learn — Mindfulness, Polyvagal Theory, IFS, Compassionate Inquiry, Presencing — I owe to a single decision, back in 2009, to follow my heart and begin practising Heartfulness. That practice was the doorway to all the rest. So to now stand in Oxford representing Heartfulness, among these teachers, feels like a profound honour — the source quietly holding everything it once opened.

I'm deeply grateful to Vishwas Subramanyam for the invitation to represent Heartfulness at the conference. It means more than I can easily put into words.

I'll be offering four sessions, each exploring where Heartfulness meets the approaches it led me to:
→ Heartfulness meets Mindfulness
→ Heartfulness meets Polyvagal Theory
→ Heartfulness meets IFS
→ Heartfulness meets Compassion

A full-circle moment — and an opportunity to keep learning, up close, from those who have been guiding references along the way.

If you're thinking of joining, send me a direct message and I'll share a discount code with you.

Looking forward to it.
Vasco