Sofie Knapen
Sofie Knapen is a former MSF Construction Manager and Logistics Team Leader who has worked across Afghanistan, DRC, Haiti, and Mozambique. She knows firsthand what it means to give everything to a mission — and what happens when your body and spirit finally say enough.
After navigating her own burnout, Sofie transformed that experience into a mission of a different kind: helping female humanitarian aid workers reconnect with themselves, rebuild resilience, and reignite their fire through nature-based retreats and outdoor challenges in Sagres, Portugal.
At this summit, she'll guide you through an experiential session on staying sustainably on the path — exploring what's quietly dimming your fire, and using the power of stepping out of your comfort zone to release what no longer serves you, and commit to what comes next.
She doesn't offer fixing. She offers space to remember who you are beyond the work.
Embodied Practice
Get Out of Your Head: An Embodied Adventure for Aid Workers
Thursday, April 9 @2pm EDT / 8pm CET / 9pm EAT
A guided practice to reconnect with your fire when you're running on empty
Humanitarian women are experts at giving. We show up for everyone else: organizing logistics, managing crises, holding space for others. But when it comes to showing up for ourselves? That's where we struggle.
Especially when you're surviving instead of thriving. When "take care of yourself" feels impossible because you don't even know where to start.
In this 45-minute embodied practice, we'll move from your head into your body, where transformation actually happens.
What we'll do together:
Honest reflection on what's been draining your fire
A guided visualization journey along coastal cliffs (think: courage, release, and remembering your strength)
Integration practices to reconnect with what makes you feel alive
This practice is for you if:
You're tired of just surviving and ready to feel alive again
You're tired of thinking about your burnout and ready to experience your way through it
You want an immersive, sensory experience, not another lecture
You'll walk away with:
One clear commitment to nurture your fire
A practice you can return to whenever you need it
Permission to choose yourself, not just the work
Renewed connection to your body's wisdom and what courage feels like
No yoga mat required. Just you, exactly as you are, ready to get out of your head and back into your life.
Connect with Sofie
Sofie’s Welcome Gift
Resilient Humanitarian Explorers: Your Playful Journey to Joy and Balance