Living with Purpose; Guardians of the Land
Three wellness experts channel their entrepreneurial spirits to pursue their true purpose in life; to build unique wellness retreats connected to the land.
The land plays a leading role in the overall positioning of retreat spaces and creates rich, meaningful storytelling. It connects the people, culture, nature, and energy of the land to create a space dedicated to healing that is physically and energetically rejuvenating.
I recently spoke with three extraordinary small businesses about what inspired their businesses at the creation phase; Here are their stories.
MOONLIFE RETREAT, PORTUGAL
A remarkable retreat in the making, Moonlife is the work of Liladhar (a former monk) and Debbie (the founder of OHMat). Set on 17 hectares of rural land with four big water lakes spread out over the hills and valleys, Moonlife will have meditation roads and platforms in the wild, a secluded Ayurvedic Healing Center, and a 300-meter-square yoga shala on top of the hill with views for Bhakti Retreats and Kirtan Festival.
Moonlife Retreat represents the couple's true realizations in life - offering a practice of authentic yoga, unchanged over thousands of years, passed down through an eternal line of Gaudiya Vaisnava spiritual masters. Moonlife is for people to transform and heal - a place of grounding built on the healing qualities from mother earth weaved with the ever-changing rhythm of the world we live in. I spoke with Debbie about their journey so far.
What made you decide to move away from city life to living off-grid?
After giving birth to our daughter Jeya we decided it was the right time to move away from Amsterdam and offer her a childhood close to nature without the daily influences that can come with being a new parent in western societies.
We believe that a simple life leads us to a higher consciousness of thinking. Finding freedom in this material world can be a challenge, but choosing to live an off-grid lifestyle meant we could create our own rules as we go.
How did you become the guardians of the land?
Portugal is one of the most remote places in Europe, where civilization only developed in the 70s. There was an abundance of rural land available at affordable prices, which converted to opportunities for many like-minded people. I won't forget the time I saw my husband Liladhar dancing down the hill. I knew then. This would be our land.
We arrived in Portugal in December 2018, signed the papers, and the land was officially ours, 'Monte das Almas', which means 'Hill of the Souls'.
Describe your vision for Moonlife Retreat.
We felt a higher purpose brought us here, and we were ready to answer the calling. The only funding we had was the money from selling our home in Amsterdam. We chose not to involve investors as we wanted to hold on to the vision we both had for Moonlife Retreat.
The land was incredible. Untouched by humans with raw, rolling hills. We worked with local architects to understand how our vision can work with the land. We built additional water sources intending to create a self-serving ecosystem. We chose the highest hill to set the Geodesic Dome and yoga shala, where you have 360-degree views.
For hundreds of years, the land survived without biodiversity. In response to this, we have created spaces that bring birds and other wildlife back to the source. We approach farming with the best practices from permaculture, planting fruit trees, pines, and plantains, which support one another's growth. With every step forward, we consciously consider the best way to honor and nourish this sacred land by bringing more life and energy into it and creating a consciousness for our future guests.
Moving forward, what are your intentions?
It has been three years now, and along the way, we have built a relationship with the land that respects and gives back to one another. Living off-grid with a young child, with no electricity or proper water source, has tested us in many ways, but it has also strengthened our health, mind, and body with great gratitude and respect for nature and the elements. Waking up each morning and working towards our higher purpose, embracing simple living, has allowed us to walk with an open and full heart. When you know you are being guided through a process that the mind can't grasp, surrendering to the process becomes your greatest teaching. You find that help naturally comes to your path, and if you listen and trust your vision, it shows up like a fire burning inside you.
NATURAL INSTINCT HEALING, BALI
Awarded the World Luxury Retreat Wellness Center/Asia for 2020 and as the finalist for the World Spa and Wellness Destination of the year 2018/2019, Natural Instinct Healing is a of community dedicated wellness experts united by a commitment to foster powerful self-transformation and personal growth for their clients.
Using detox principles as an anchor, they treat each guest individually, integrating holistic medicine complemented by ancient wisdom rituals to restore overall health and well-being. Owner of Natural Instinct Healing, Pat Reardon, talks about their expansion into Bali.
How did you find the land for your wellness retreat?
For more than six months, I worked deeply in my meditations with an intention to call in the right piece of land for the expansion of Natural Instinct Healing. Consistently holding the same clear vision during each meditation, I would see an abandoned project deep in the Balinese jungle.
I will never forget the day I wandered down an overgrown path in Ubud, to where the visions I saw during my meditation were a reality. In a decade, I was the first person to visit the abandoned project site, which has been 'reclaimed' by the jungle both physically and energetically.
Talk about the local culture, people, and your vision.
A mentor and close friend who was a native of Bali encouraged me to trust that the spirits of the land will support and serve us so long as we recognize them with daily prayers, honor them with gratitude and use the land with good intentions. Just when we thought we might have lost the land, it came back to us, which was confirmation we were meant to be the guardians of this land, and in turn, the land would support our greater vision towards supporting our clients on their journey to well-being.
Describe the vision of Natural Instinct Healing in Bali.
As we expanded to a larger, more boutique representation, the project needed to integrate a philosophy of the Balinese culture known as "Tri Hita Karana," meaning the 'three principles of well-being'. This is reflected by honoring; Harmony with Spirit, Harmony among People, and Harmony with Nature.
At design conception stages, contributors included local and international experts ranging from high priests and villagers to architects and Feng Shui specialists. They worked in sync with the land's energetic alignment so that energy could move freely throughout the site. We created new temples in harmony with nature to honor local deities and Balinese Naga spirits who still protect the land and its energy. Part of the expansion is a larger spa area complete with onsen inspired pools, yoga shala and meditation temple, luxury rooms, and dedicated workshop space, which has been intentionally built.
SAMADHITA, THAILAND
Samadhita is a conscious community retreat made up of skillful wellness practitioners working to awaken a collective consciousness and inspire personal transformation. They use a unique mind-body methodology, deeply rooted in Buddhist traditions, to illuminate the way for inner transformation, where energy heals the body and transforms the mind. A safe space for cultivating inner peace and to nurture mindfulness.
Samadhita will be complete with a meditation hall, the goddess of compassion statue, a labyrinth, a mantra meditation garden, and Hara cafe which offers plant-based meals. I spoke with Dr. Buathon Thienarrom about the creation of Samadhita in Thailand.
Talk about your journey towards your true purpose.
My journey began studying nursing, mental health, and psychology. Over the years, I incorporated the teachings of Taoists, Buddhism, Health Sociology, and Tibetan Medicine, where I gradually discovered what holistic health and healing truly entailed. As a born Buddhist, I was on a mission to live a healthy, happy life, finding the connection between body and mind to become 'one'.
Through my career in bodywork, I traveled extensively, healing the body and mind in different settings, from basic organized sacred retreats at a monastery to luxury well-being hospitality environments. During this time, I found the healing powers of mother earth and our connection to nature offered the greatest energy to ground the body and bring stability to the mind. Meanwhile, I have dedicated my life to helping my clients train the mind to become aware of what's happening around us.
Describe the location of Samadhita's.
Samadhita's in the sacred lands of Hua Hin, in Thailand, and we welcome a community of like-minded people seeking a deeper connection to inner awareness. It was a safe place for naturally grown vegetables, fruits, and herbs for a local family. This special piece of land connects nature through surrounding mountains, combined with the strong sunlight and ocean breeze from the Gulf of Siam, creating natural ponds that collect water from the mountains. These harmoniously combine to cultivate a 'meditative vibration' within the land, confirmed by various monks and Grand Masters over the years.
How did you come to be the guardian of the land?
My relationship with the land started in 2008 after a powerful full moon meditation at the house built on the property. The healing vibrations were so strong that I often frequented this spot to recharge after facilitating group retreats.
I began inviting spiritual masters, feng shui specialists, and Buddhist Grand Master Monks to come and map the land based on the 'seven chakra principle' with continued curiosity. These keepers had regularly visited the land, blessing it once a year, and would continually advise that one should create a safe place to heal the mind based on the energetic vibes this land had.
I continued to return to the land for years after, connecting to its energy with an undeniable intimacy. The land was passed down to me after the local village intuitive turned up with the monks, confirming that this land's energy was special, opening a visionary pathway in a safe space to cultivate inner peace and nurture mindfulness.
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Having recently made some changes to move towards a more meaningful life, I find myself profoundly motivated and inspired by this group of experts. Life provides us with new experiences, gifts us new perspectives, and supports us consciously while choosing which direction we will go.
Meraki Bespoke Wellness Strategies is a small part of a bigger contribution to the wellness space. I look forward to watching those manifestations unfold as I continue to grow, listen, and learn. Shaping my own experiences and making a greater contribution to people's lives and the tools to help them along on their journey.
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau
Founder, Meraki Bespoke Wellness Strategies