About Dirk – Why Touch Is a Central Part of My Life Today
Following my school years, an apprenticeship as an electrical installer, and military service, in the year 2000 I transformed my hobby at the time – tinkering with computers and networks – into a profession through further education. Like on an assembly line, I began installing servers, networking PCs, establishing internet connections, sending emails out into the world, and automating tasks – with the vision that one day, with enough machines and automation, we humans could lead a pleasant and fulfilling life.
After more than ten years in the IT sector, I came to recognize that my tasks were fundamentally repetitive, things were growing ever more complex, there was no genuine advancement in human connection, and my professional life increasingly resembled a hamster wheel. Contemplations on money, law, education, and mass media eventually culminated in depression.
Thus began a multi-year quest for meaning. In autumn 2020, as a token of appreciation for resolving an IT issue, I was given a gift certificate for a wellness massage. I rarely experienced physical pain and had therefore never explored massage. Out of sheer curiosity, I redeemed the voucher—and was amazed by how significantly my sense of well-being had improved following the massage. After six months of Corona-related distancing, I suddenly realized the true importance of touch. Simultaneously, I became aware that I was spending most of my time in front of machines, gazing at screens, with little genuine connection to people or nature—and this increasingly troubled me.
To gain some distance, I retreated with my camper van to a small farm with a vegetable garden. There, I had time for reading, reflecting, and sensing. What I was missing, I could not yet put into words at the time. However, the term Tantric Massage piqued my curiosity—so much so that in autumn 2021, I signed up for my first Tantric Massage (my second massage ever). Soon, the desire arose within me to learn this art of touch myself.
Fortunately, I came across the institute jembatan.de which opened a bridge for me into the world of consciousness work. There, I completed the five seminars for training as a Tantric Masseur according to TMV. In the following years, I returned to the institute repeatedly—to learn the Tao Massage, attend further training, assist with seminars, or simply to help out on the beautiful grounds.
Although I do not consider myself a skilled speaker, I took the step of creating audio instructions for the Tao and Tantric Massage to support beginners in their practice. For several years, I organized group gatherings for Tantric Massage, which allowed me to regularly offer massages within a ritual framework, deepen my experience, and overcome my hesitation in speaking before groups.
Since I began massaging regularly and receiving massages myself, much has changed in my life: I have become more content with less, developed fewer consumer desires, require less money, and feel more satisfied overall. This simplifies my life, reduces my resource consumption – and represents for me a small form of peace work. I have grown more sensitive, shed my shame, and can enjoy physical sensations more intensely and for longer periods. Today, speaking about feelings and sexuality also comes much more easily to me.
Following the Tao and Tantric Massage, another facet was added: I began training in Lomi Lomi with Josef Lissel. The connection to Hawaiian culture, the deep respect for life, and the idea that healing occurs through loving presence touched me deeply. The flowing vitality of Lomi Lomi forms a beautiful counterpoint for me to the meditative slowness of the Tao Massage. Both forms of touch complement each other and have deepened my understanding of bodywork.
In 2025, together with my partner, I founded our practice Glücksmacherei in Murnau. Our life paths, shaped by breaks and new beginnings, have taught us how important touch, connection, and inner orientation are. At Glücksmacherei, we pass this on – each in our own way.
The name Glücksmacherei did not arise as a promise to create happiness – but rather as an invitation to embark on a journey in connection with one’s own body, inner resources, and through mindful touch. For us, the name expresses an attitude that leaves room for simplicity, dignity, healing – and joy.