SACRED WAYS TEAM
Marc Grüninger | Co-Founder
Marc Grüninger has been working in the healing arts for over 20 years. His background in humanistic and transpersonal psychology shapes his work, as does his many years of practical experience with consciousness and integration processes.
Marc (born in 1980) grew up with a love of music and a great interest in mysticism, Eastern philosophies and spiritual studies. The conscious immersion in musical soundscapes in early childhood probably underpinned his idea that there is more to us than our three-dimensional, worldly reality.
After completing an apprenticeship and working in the music industry, Marc left Switzerland in his mid-twenties for California, where he worked as a photographer. As part of his journey of self-discovery, he devoted many years to Hawaiian medicine work and, in this context, assisted his teachers (Ena Vie & Dr. Howard Lipp, Hawai’i from TIIPC) in numerous sound and medicine ceremonies —with a focus on the integration of psychotropicand transpersonal process work—in this context.
After first encountering Holotropic Breathwork at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur in 2004, he participated between 2006 and 2013, he participated in recurring workshops and programs related to the Human Potential Movement at Esalen, particularly in the fields of transpersonal psychology, conscious movement, psychotropic breathwork, and shamanism (Dr. Hank Wesselman).
After his time in the U.S., Marc spent a few years in Berlin before returning to Zurich in 2015, where he worked as a certified social educator with young adults and refugees, and most recently as a family coach, focusing on trauma-informed and schema-based approaches to education.
In appreciation of his teachers, Marc has woven together his experiences as a guide and what he has learned from metaphysical teaching, sound and breath therapy, body-centered therapy and transpersonal psychology to create Sacred Ways. Marc firmly believes that physical and emotional health are coherent. “The power of breath and sound has the potential to pave the way to stillness, to connect us with the source of the self so that we can integrate the insights gained from this into everyday life – integration of the transpersonal experience is the essence of this work.” The Naikando Method® was created based on these findings.
Marc is a father, transformational guide and breathwork teacher, transpersonal integration coach, certified sound therapist, certified Esalen® bodyworker, and author of *Paths to the Self—A Companion on the Journey*. As a guest lecturer and speaker—including at the University of St. Gallen and the EHL Hospitality School—he introduces executives from the fields of wellness, sports, and business to the benefits of mindfulness and transpersonal process work.
Through his social and professional skills and his more than 20 years of experience in psychotropic breathwork, grounded in his background in humanistic and transpersonal psychology, Marc has developed a method for inner growth and authentic self-discovery that positively supports the health of both body and mind and can guide people back to their true essence.
Marc offers a limited number of 1:1 mentorships private sessions in the context of Transpersonal Process and Integration Work. Contact him for more information here
Valérie Grüninger | Co-Founder
Valérie Grüninger has a sound background in trauma-conscious bodywork, particularly through her training in Somatic Experiencing®. This method, developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is one of the most recognized approaches in trauma therapy and nervous system regulation worldwide.
The youngest of three children, Valérie (born 1988) grew up in Baden, Switzerland. After high school, Valérie moved to Berlin, where she worked in the film industry for several years.
In her search for a harmonious balance between work and life, Valérie found her way to yoga and the ancient Vedic traditions. In an effort to find her own style and expression, she became acquainted with various teachings and practices. She immersed herself in yoga styles such as Bikram Yoga before finally discovering Vinyasa Yoga, traditional Hatha Yoga and Restorative Yoga. Under the guidance of Serge Bandura and Gloria Baraquio from Shivakali Yoga, she completed the internationally recognized 200-hour Allianz Yoga Teacher Training in Hawaii in 2018.
Over the years, Valérie has attended several seminars in the field of analytical psychology (inner child and shadow work). In 2021 she completed the Reiki Level 2 training according to the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition with Lara Elliott in Ojai, California, and in 2024 the Master Degree at the International House of Reiki and Shibumi International Reiki Association under Frans Stiene. Valérie is currently undergoing a 3-year training in Somatic Experiencing (SE) at the Center for Inner Ecology (ZIO) under the guidance of Dr. Urs Honauer and Dr. Peter Levine.
At Sacred Ways, Valérie skillfully combines her knowledge from years of experience abroad and corporate work, as well as personal and creative experience processes. She draws on the teachings and teachers who have accompanied her on her path to this day.
Valérie’s intention at Sacred Ways is to provide a safe space where people feel welcome and at home, so that wellbeing and connection can be experienced on a universal level in a beautiful and accessible way. A big centerpiece of Valérie’s work is holistic Women’s Wisdom Work, which is why she launched Wise Woman Atelier, a holistic hub for authentic women’s and mothers’ work, in 2023. She is also the creative force and fragrance alchemist of Sacred Ways Essential Oils and author of the children’s book Arun & Runa.
Valérie is a mother, space holder, creative person and companion.
Valérie offers 1:1 Breathwork, Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Reiki sessions. Contact here