The School For Alchemy

A place to learn something new that is old

Discover rituals, Taoist philosophy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Timeless practices that offer meaning and balance in modern life. The School for Alchemy brings these teachings to life through retreats, mentorships and online salons.

Welcome to The School for Alchemy

Founded in 2024 by Karen Vuijsters – sociologist, mentor, yin yoga teacher and acupuncturist at Spirit Path. The School was born from a deep longing.

A longing for a place within modern society where ancient rituals and healing traditions can be experienced again: practices that support healing on both the individual as the collective level.

This desire and goal is shaped into a beautiful curriculum. Want to join something? Scroll down.

The curriculum

Salons

Welcome to The Treatment Room as a Mirror of the World. In this online salon gathering Karen reflects on what the bodies of her clientele reveal about the state of our world, drawing from clinical practice, sociology, and the Five Element framework. This salon is the most accessible way to enter the work of The School for Alchemy. It is once every 3 months, via Google Meet for 90 minutes for a fixed price of €44. Sign up via mail or below.

retreats

Join our retreats if you seek a time of rest and restoration, while being nourished in understanding. In 2026, The School will host Elemental Rest in the mountains of Bolzano. Here nature becomes your companion and Chinese Medicine your ally. Expect daily yoga, cacao ceremony, a vision quest, food from the lovely Luna Restaurant, and unlimited access to the heated pool and sauna in the luxurious Parkhotel Mondschein Italy.

Mentorships

Heaven on Earth is a 1:1 mentorship for women who consciously walk their own path and carry much along the way. Within this 3-month container you slow down, attune, and receive guidance through weekly acupuncture therapy, yin yoga, reflective conversations and assignments. We will create space for what you want to live and nurture your grounds so you stay nourished whilst creating your Heaven on this Earth.

What people say

Karen is a truly special and powerful woman. She supported me immensely and served as a mirror for me during the three-month mentorship. It was amazing, magical, but most of all, the sessions were incredibly valuable. With almost weekly sessions, you delve deeply into yourself and your feelings. Slowly, things in my life are changing: insights, desires, aspects of myself I didn't see before, aspects I'm accepting—less perfection, more raw and pure.

Karen not only helped me with my severe allergy symptoms (hay fever), but through her "Heaven on Earth" approach, she also helped me, in a gentle and safe way, create more balance (not only in my life, but also between my body and mind) and better listen to my intuition. Her passion is infectious. I recommend a visit to Karen to everyone!

The ceremony was a deeply healing experience that brought me back to my core. It provided a safe space to ground, let go, and reconnect with my inner strength. A valuable step in my own recovery.

It was a success! The ceremony brought me peace and focus, as well as even more confidence to follow the river's flow like a log and, like a true adventurer, to be open to new connections and unique paths. Your guidance was not only skillful but also inviting, playful, vulnerable, and wonderfully bold. I'm already looking forward to the next one and will definitely recommend participating to my network.

Want to try acupuncture therapy first?

Karen works as a therapist with Spirit Path.
Feel welcome to experience acupuncture and energetic treatments in Utrecht.
This, too, is a doorway into truth and balance.