Who is Komyo Sebastian Gundel?

Founder of Sanctuary in Fet, Spain.
Teacher of the Warrior Path.
Educator for children, youth, and people with special needs.
Course facilitator, meditation, tai chi, and qigong instructor, counselor/therapist.
Married, father of five children, and grandfather of five.
Most of my children attended Waldorf kindergarten and school from the ages of 3 to 18.
Originally from Denmark.

Since childhood, I have been a searching soul—curious and eager to acquire knowledge. Adventures and experiences of the spiritual world showed me that life is more than the material world, even though my parents dismissed such ideas. I knew there was something deeper.

At age 12, inspired by a video clip of a meditating monk in a monastery, I began meditating and discovered I could sit in full lotus. Whenever life felt overwhelming, I would climb on top of my dresser and meditate for half an hour.

In my youth, I explored mystical traditions through wide and deep reading. But when lightning struck the road in front of me at age 17, fear caused me to shut it all down for four years. Later, I returned to these studies, taking formal education in astrology and tarot, including the magical lessons associated with each card.

In 1986, I began practicing tai chi chuan and qigong, which have since been central to my daily life. “A healthy soul in a healthy body,” says the old Greek wisdom, and I find truth in that. We experience the world through our body, and these practices continue to reveal deeper layers of movement, energy, and joy.

A turning point came in 1993, when I met the Japanese Rinzai Zen master Shodo Harada Roshi. His clear, deep, and loving guidance has been a source of inspiration for self-realization and awakening ever since. Through annual sesshins (intensive seven-day retreats) and several stays at Sogenji monastery in Japan, my ego and energy were “forged” under his teaching.

In 2008, I discovered a deep contentment in myself, and I stopped taking things personally. This realization came gradually, supported by many spiritual experiences.

When I became a lay brother in One Drop Zen (onedropzen.org), I was given the dharma name Komyo—“Bright Light”.

I am married to Tilde, and our more than 30 years together in love and parenting four children have taught me much about communication, forgiveness, responsibility, cleaning up after mistakes, and setting aside my own needs to be present for our family.

Another important part of my life is shamanism. From childhood, I experienced the gift of seeing spirits, but it wasn’t until the late 1980s that I formally studied and began practicing core shamanism.

In 2006, I began studying Toltec nahualism (Mexican spiritual teachings), which became central to my exploration of the mystical dimensions of reality and to living as a warrior. This path has brought wisdom and powerful experiences.

My journey of self-development began with five years of body-oriented psychotherapy and continued with ten years of life mastery and coaching courses. These experiences gave me self-insight, healing, and tools to handle challenges. Training with Landmark Education deepened my cognitive understanding and gave me new approaches to relationships, personal growth, and realizing dreams. More recently, trauma therapy has helped me untangle deep emotional knots, releasing energy and opening new possibilities.
Currently, I am studying to become a cognitive behavioral therapist.

Professionally, I am a trained educator with experience across ordinary and special education. I have worked with children, young people, and adults, including leadership roles. For 14 years, I specialized in pedagogy for vulnerable children (including ADHD), as well as teaching relationship skills, organization, movement, play, sensory integration, and even ninja training.

In recent years, I have taught The Warrior’s Path—a course in self- and life-mastery—and worked one-on-one as a counselor.

Role-playing games are my hobby, though I have little time for them today.
In 2000, I founded Inpersona, a role-playing theater for children and young people, which I led for 14 years (inpersonachp.dk).

Over time, I have lived in collectives, at Christiania in Copenhagen, and at Sogenji monastery in Japan.

I am a warm, vibrant, creative, and committed person.

My calling is to create an intentional community in harmony with Mother Earth and all her children, where spiritual practice and shared living are at the center.

Primary interests: Zen, Daoism, shamanism, community building, teaching, living in harmony with Mother Earth, theater, role-playing games and of course – my family.