About us
A studio without mirrors
Stilte is a small studio. Four teachers, one room and a regular group of people who come here every week to catch their breath.
Stilte started in 2018 in the upstairs hall on Voorbeeldstraat. Heleen and Onno wanted a studio without mirrors and without pressure to perform. A room with daylight, a wooden floor and a pot of tea in the hall.
We don’t believe in the perfect pose. We believe in a class you walk into with a stiff back and leave with a calm head. That’s why the groups are small. The teacher sees you, knows your name and asks how your knee has been since last week.
All teachers have completed a recognised training of at least 500 hours and are members of the Vereniging Yogadocenten Nederland (Dutch yoga teachers’ association).
How it came about
- 2009
Heleen gets back trouble and takes up yoga. After three months she can put her socks on standing up again.
- 2013
Onno quits as a physiotherapist and becomes a yoga teacher. He teaches in a school gym, on thin mats.
- 2016
They teach together at the community centre. The group grows, and the hall is too small and too cold.
- 2018
Stilte opens in the upstairs hall on Voorbeeldstraat. New oak floor, twelve mats, no mirrors.
- 2020
Agnes starts pregnancy yoga. A year later Krista joins for yin.
- Now
Twenty-two classes a week. Still twelve mats. Still no mirrors.
Who leads the class
Heleen Raaijmakers
Hatha · since 2009
Founder. Teaches hatha and the lunch flow. Learned yoga after a back injury and knows how it feels to start out stiff.
Onno Keizer
Vinyasa · since 2013
Founder. Teaches vinyasa and the early flow. Was a physiotherapist and keeps a close eye on your knees and shoulders.
Krista Hermans
Yin · since 2017
Teaches all the yin classes. Works as a nurse during the day and knows what a long day does to your body.
Agnes Kalverda
Pregnancy · since 2015
Midwife and pregnancy yoga teacher. She knows every week of a pregnancy and what your pelvis needs.
Your first class, from stairs to tea
Walking in somewhere new is exciting. Here’s how it goes with us.
10 minutes before class
You come up the stairs next to the door. Shoes off in the hall, coat on the hook, phone in a locker.
In the studio
Grab a mat, a block and a blanket. Put your mat wherever you like. The front is no better than the back.
Say hello
The teacher comes to say hello and asks about injuries or a pregnancy. That stays between you.
The class
You join in as far as feels right. Lying down on your mat for a moment is always fine. Nobody is watching you.
Savasana
Every class ends lying down, still, with a woollen blanket over you. Often the best part.
Tea in the hall
Afterwards there’s fresh ginger tea. Stay for a while or head straight home, both are fine.
- The studio
- 9 by 7 metres, oak floor with underfloor heating
- Lighting
- Three tall east-facing windows, candles and dimmable lights in the evening
- Equipment
- Twelve rubber mats, buckwheat bolsters, woollen blankets, cork blocks
- Hall
- Lockers for your phone, a changing corner and always tea
- Contact hours
- The studio is upstairs, reached by stairs. There is no lift.
Four counts in. Six counts out.
Your first class is free
Pick a class from the timetable, or tell us which style appeals to you. We’ll let you know which class fits your week.
Book your trial class