In this newsletter, you will find:

a small update on my personal journey and “renovationship”. Yes, I can safely say this was the hardest year in my life
an invitation to join me for a private 1:1 healing, yoga and self-discovery time in my home in Portugal. Ready?

Dear friends,

It has been a very long time since my last newsletter, for which I apologise. I “picked up the pen” to write many times over the last few months but it wasn’t time just yet. The words were not coming. There was only partial inspiration with no resolve to follow through. I’ve been in a cave.

Golden summer sunset over Amoreira beach - my best personal psychotherapist

In the cave

I have to let these in-between times happen. They are the fertile ground for something fresh beyond what I could possibly imagine. And I live for this freshness - the one that comes not out of thinking and planning, but out of the precious, yet uncomfortable waiting, withdrawing, longing, contemplating, feeling directionless and confused…The no-man’s land in-between chapters of life. The dark cave that I (and I’m guessing everything else) so want to escape. But the cave itself is the medicine.

In the radio silence, I have been quite busy, literally building a physical cave. I continued renovating the house I bought in Portugal, pretty much alone, after my relationship fell apart in January. I’ve been learning to stand on my own two feet and doing a lot of the project management, manual work and frankly, full on survival sh*t myself (with help and guidance from my ex partner, local people, ChatGPT and youtube, but still…I have to say, I knew nothing about building, so I was completely out of my depth). The level of stress (and emotional heartbreak) was unbearable at times.

Yep…this is what the house looked like, when we first bought it, full of dreams.

And then there was a ray of light

In June, I turned 40 and had a wonderful birthday celebration with my local friends. To be honest, I was celebrating just about surviving this year and couldn’t really have perspective on how much I had actually grown and achieved. When I saw the house full of wonderful people, it somehow felt like the turning point of the difficult, dark, hopeless winter, where I felt almost crushed by a heavy cloudy horizon, both outwardly and inwardly.

It is interesting for me to see what emerged from the darkness - a much more direct and firm (admittedly aged) woman that might feel at odds with what you knew of me before. But she also somehow feels much more authentic, loving and truly soft as opposed to “people-pleasing-fake-soft-almost-happy-with-breadcrumbs-of-love-that-can-quickly-flip-into-resentful”.

Of course, it is a journey and there is still such a long way for me to go until I fully heal, grow in (self-)love and embody who I was always designed to be. And yet, the steps on the way, the subtle changes that nobody else can see, the sudden insights that remove a lifetime of burden…I find them exhilarating.

I feel quite proud of what I managed to put together, not without help. Despite the seemingly insurmountable emotional, financial and circumstantial challenges of house renovation-ship in Portugal, the place is turning out beautifully and it has been such a creative outlet for me. I had no idea how much I love to curate beautiful spaces, restore old furniture, make something out of nothing, tile, paint, fix. Here is the result.

A new beginning

Long story short, a physical Mist Place is mysteriously coming together. It was never planned to be that way, but it now seems so obvious. Perhaps the house I built didn’t turn out to be the family home I dreamed of, but it may become a place of solace, a quiet retreat from the world and a healing hug for anyone who feels the call and need for it instead.

Also somewhat mysteriously, the name I had already chosen for my business turned out to fit the setting quite well. Funny how that works. Up in the hills above the ocean, I wake up often in the morning mist. Everything feels so ethereal and other-worldly. An almost invisible curtain - a temporary veil from the world that lets your eyes rest just a little longer, before the sun’s rays come in fully.

Inside, it’s quite a simple cocoon of warm earthy colours that immediately brings you into your body and lets you sigh out with relief. Minimal furniture and distractions. Rustic, unpretentious. A space to be quiet and create. I had the vision to make anyone who comes in feel hugged and it seems to be working.

A cozy wooden cabin with its own bathroom and kitchen is waiting quietly on the land. No sound, no neighbours, just you and nature. It was my winter holding through the darkness and my home during the renovation.

And this is where the inspiration came to open its doors to others who need a holding, while they let go of old roles, while they crumble and rebuild themselves from the rubble, while they heal old wounds and design new lives. In a way, I welcome you to receive what this magical land already gave me this winter - the solid ground to fall apart and rise again, more authentically myself. Not an easy job, nor a small invitation…But I’ve never been about easy. So I wonder…

Would you retreat with me from the world?

My vision is to start offering private 1:1 or 2-people retreats of yoga, self-discovery and healing hypnotherapy, designed to meet you exactly where you are and support you with your particular challenges and sincere desires in the moment. Optional plant medicine work will be available. But above and beyond, this is offering you a healthy break and a reset from the busy world out there, so that your inner clarity, wisdom and inspiration can shine through.

The doors of my home and the wooden house will be open in October for personalised 5-day journeys following the 5 elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space). I see it as your personal Autumn and Winter Holding, your mystery cave, your healing bootcamp, your time to dive in deeper than before and rise fresh, your white board to redesign your life out of the ashes. We will meet on Zoom ahead of time, for a couple of preparation sessions, in order for me to understand your particular desires and create a journey that serves them best. Since I intend some deep work (as always), the retreat will be followed by an integration session on zoom that puts the insights received during the journey into practical action steps for your life.

Interested to hear more?

Please get in touch and I’ll get back to you with availability, prices and a couple of suggested slots for a zoom meeting. Everything is still early days - a more formalised offering is coming soon. Stay tuned.

Looking forward to sharing this beautiful land and its glorious wild West Coast beaches with you.

With Love,

Iri

Out of the Cave...to Offer You a Cave