THERE IS NOTHING LIKE SANCTUM

editor MARIE-PAULINE CESARI

There is nothing like Sanctum. The moment you step in, you are swallowed by a light haze, the scent of palo santo lingering in the air, candlelight flickering across every surface. The energy is strange, almost electric. One minute you’re in the chapel of Dominicuskerk, the next in a hidden club at Chin Chin Club, or even on the windmill platform of Molen van de West. And then there’s the outdoor experience in Vondelpark in the morning. No smoke, no dim lights, just open air and daylight,  and the rawness of nature amplifying everything you feel. Different setting, same intensity. Everywhere, the vibe is chaotic, intoxicating, intense.

all images courtesy of SANCTUM

You find your mat, pointing toward the guide—a sage with a mic and a presence that somehow makes the space feel both safe and slightly unsettling. Headphones on. The music hits. Electronic, relentless, euphoric. And just like that, you start moving. Alone, yet surrounded by people doing the same thing. The collective energy pushes you inward and forward, even as you get lost in your own body, your own rhythm. The sequence builds fast, almost explosive: Sanctum squats, primal movements, kundalini twists that open something deep in your chest you didn’t know was there. You scream, you grunt, you let go. And somehow it’s freeing.

Then comes the shift: slower, calmer, connecting with your breath, whispering to yourself, feeling what’s underneath all the movement. Fifty-five minutes pass and you’re shaking, smiling, crying, laughing (sometimes all at once.) What makes it so insane is how personal yet collective it feels. You are completely alone in your headphones, in your sweat, in your release; but the room is alive. Everyone is surrendering at the same time, and the energy moves through the space like a current of waves.

By the end, it’s not just a workout. It feels like you’ve accessed something deeper, something real. Luuk Melisse, the founder of the concept, calls it mindful movement. British Vogue called it “the future of working out.” I just call it insane; in the best way possible.

It’s loud, messy, sweaty, and beautiful. And there is nothing else like it. Book your first class here!