‘you are always one decision away from a totally different life’

At this moment on our journey we are facing an interesting decision.

But first let me tell you a bit more about the circumstances before we get to this question. Before we sold our belongings and embarked on this adventure we had the idea of maybe one day starting our own retreat center. It feels like a logical step after having a yoga studio and knowing how much we enjoy retreats.

Since we are traveling we have been to several retreat centers and communities. We learned a lot from being at these places. We had many inspiring experiences and we kept imagining how it would be like to run our own center one day. In the evenings when we sit in our little cozy room we sometimes check what kind of properties are for sale. But so far we never felt the right enthusiasm and energy to actually take the next step.

As I am writing this I am sitting on our spacious terrace, it’s early in the morning, the two cats sit next to me on the sofa, I hear the birds sing, I feel the warmth of the sunshine and when I look up I see the mountains, palm trees and a very blue sky. We are still on the Canary Islands at EcoTara, a wonderful eco-lodge and retreat center. We have been here for more than two months now and I loved every single day of it.

The daily rhythm is simple and it feels really good. We get up with the sunrise, I teach yoga every morning, work in the vegetable garden, cook healthy meals, meet the guests, take care of this place and go to sleep early when it gets dark. Very simple and basic, yet at the same time this place is full of surprises and you never know what the day will bring:
• Christmas evening we spend with a well-known musician from Switzerland sharing brownies and homemade bread
• one time when we got these funny and cozy onesies as presents from Sella and Oswaldo
• the day when the German ‘Wandergesellen’ (journeymen) appeared here, wearing their traditional clothes while traveling from one workplace to the next
• or the day when Baku (the big black pig) appeared in our kitchen
• the wonderful weeks we spend with the inspiring filmmaker Ismaël Lotz www.lotzleeft.nl
• the afternoon when I did yoga on the edge of a mountain with a drone flying by creating some amazing pictures
• and I could continue to tell you about many more special moments here at EcoTara. But before I get too much side-tracked by the surprising beauty of every day, here comes the question…

Sella, the owner of EcoTara, asked us the other day if we could imagine to stay here and actually run this place… I felt speechless and honored that she offered us this opportunity. Since then my mind and our conversations go in a thousand directions…

Is this really what we want right now? One moment I can totally imagine us here creating a yoga retreat center. The next moment I feel the urge to be free and to keep travelling. How to find the answer? I try to listen to my intuition. I listen to how my body feels and how my mind feels when I imagine myself doing this or that. I stay (as much as possible) away from checking any details, like finances, number, logistics and so on. At first I want to find my inner knowing, my intuition that says yes or no. And then when I clearly know what I want, then I will start to figure out how to do it. So for now I will try to calm my mind, feel my feelings, stay true to myself, let go of any expectations and find my own answer (together with Boris of course).

Sending you love & light
Sophie & Boris

P.S. I wrote this blog a few weeks ago. The process of writing helped me to figure out what I want. By now we have made the decisions that we will continue to travel. I can tell you it was a very difficult decision because EcoTara is a truly amazing place and it will always have a special place in my heart. But at this moment we both feel that traveling is the right choice for us.

Gran Canaria, February 2020