Relaxscape Journal, the story of a retreat in Central Portugal

A couple of poems on the theme of giving love not more stuff at Christmas!...

Christmas with a difference and how you can make it different -...

Being able to spend time in nature, connecting with nature, working the land, breathing in the green, bathing in the forests and swimming in the river running through them, combined with my newly-acquired passion for teaching yoga, allowed me to step out of my head and into my body, allowed me to discover what my heart had been trying to tell me for a long time, and what I was busily advocating to clients – that...

The theme for IWD 2022 is about achieving equality. Being authentic, being yourself, is what empowers women to be more confident...

Getting back to normal is a phrase I don’t understand. Normal is now. Normal is what we are living, right now. And this is where gratitude comes in. Wishing for things to be different, to be as they were before, to be better, to anything but they are now is focusing on lack,...

We create our own reality, but during decision-making, two other factors often come into play: cognitive bias and cognitive dissonance...

The idea behind Relaxscape was to create a retreat in nature so that you can reconnect and find your purpose...

Just like we know a plant needs enough water and sun (and a bit of good compost every now and again!), or a car need regular top-ups of petrol and oil, for us to run at optimal speed, to stay positive - which means keeping our vibrations high - there are certain known things that can help us to......

Of course we’d all like to know how to attract more of what we want into our lives...

10 days into 2021 already and if you’re the sort of person who likes to set New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to hazard a guess that perhaps you are already beginning to waver a bit and wondering if you will really be able to keep them going for the rest of the month, let alone the whole year....

With New Year’s Eve hovering in a haze of frosty fog just over the horizon, most of us can’t wait for the year to be done with, going down in memory as it will as the people’s Annus Horribilis. It’s been a year full of uncertainty, of political disarray that’s left us teetering on the brink of as yet undefined change. A destabilising year, which has made us examine our values and those of others we thought we knew....

2020 the year most want to forget yet most will remember is finally drawing to a close. A year of discovery, of never befores and never agains...

Today I am celebrating 49 years of living, loving, laughing, learning. To mark the occasion I thought I’d share 49 life lessons I’ve learnt along the way...

Here's how you too can replace your negative thoughts and develop a positive mindset...

Tips to survive Coronavirus lockdown and isolation. With so much change happening in a short space of time, and no real sense of when it might all be over ), keeping a positive mindset, firmly focused on the present...

Research has shown that people who have found their ikigai live longer, healthier, happier, more connected lives, and feel more fulfilled - so what is it and how do you find yours?...

Here's why Relaxscape is launching a sustainable Eco Shop & Repair Station selling second-hand items and environmentally friendly products...

What if “purpose” is more about action than destination? A state of mind, a daily conscious act to practise until it becomes a way of life? Gradually you understand that what you thought was important is not so, and you begin to discover what is....

Sustainability is no longer a choice, it's a necessity. Everyone can make a difference, no matter how small. It all adds up. Here are some of the ways we are doing our bit for the environment here at Relaxscape....

We love nothing better than to see our guests relaxing and enjoying their time here at Relaxscape, and when they take the time afterwards to let me know how much they enjoyed it, well, those are the moments that stay in my heart forever...

Writing haiku can help to stay mindful and keep focused on nature and simplicity - here are some inspired by Relaxscape and guests...

Finally, after six months of building work, Tio Armindo's house is transformed into Relaxscape...

A lot of our mental and physical stress is caused because we're not being true to ourselves - we're not living an authentic life. Has the Portuguese lifestyle cracked it?...

Why I created Relaxscape and how it could help you too...

A slice of my daily life here in Portugal...

Here are some of the environmentally friendly things we've done (and continue to do) at Relaxscape to make it Earth Day every day. We're not claiming to be eco warriors or leading environmentalists, but we care about the world we live in and the world we are going to leave behind for others....

It’s been exactly six months since the cats and I came to live here in Central Portugal and ironically, although I came here to build a relaxation retreat, my life has been going at the speed of a Portuguese Alfa Pendular train...

Creating a retreat in Central Portugal near Tomar. Enjoying ikigai, the joy of small things, and nature as therapy....

Relaxscape is a relaxation and coaching retreat in central Portugal near Tomar, the story of how I found it....

Coaching how to be patient, focus on end goals, trust and resilience. Things have a way of working out!...