Archetype: The Artist / Innovation

Welcome. I’m Luca — co-founder and director of Samudra.

At the heart of my work is creating environments where people feel safe enough to soften, rest, and be themselves. Spaces where nothing needs to be proven or fixed — only listened to.

My role at Samudra is to bring people together in shared spaces of reflection, creativity, and honesty. I believe that healing happens when we are met without judgment, when our authentic expression is welcomed, and when we remember that we don’t have to hide parts of ourselves to belong.

Samudra has been a long-held vision — shaped by years of supporting retreats around the world and a desire to create something rooted in community rather than performance. A place where spiritual exploration is woven gently into everyday life, a nurturing sanctuary where like-minded folk can gather through music, dance, laughter, good food, nature and authentic deep connection.

Over the past decade, my path has taken me to practice personally and teach professionally across India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand and Portugal - rooted in self-inquiry, meditation, yogic philosophy and embodied awareness. These experiences shaped how I now work — with sensitivity, curiosity, and respect for each person’s inner rhythm.

I have trained in Ayurvedic Medicine, Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, Nidra, Meditation, Reiki and Trauma Informed Facilitation.

At Samudra, my wish is simple: that you feel welcomed exactly as you are. That you find space to listen inward, to explore your heart with care, to reconnect with play, creativity, and meaning — and to feel supported as you do.

Archetype: The Sage / Knowledge

Hello, I’m Mila — co-founder and director of Samudra.

I am a Yoga Teacher, specialising in Pranayama and Vedic Philosophy.

My relationship with the body began through the performing arts. For over three decades, I worked as an actress, performing arts educator, and department director, exploring movement, expression, and the many ways human experience is carried through the body. This long professional path laid the foundation for my later work in embodied awareness, holistic well-being, and mind-body practices.

I also hold a Master’s degree in Pedagogics (Teacher Training), which has deeply informed the way I teach, guide, and support learning processes.

Yoga entered my life as a continuation of this exploration. What began as a personal practice became a long-term path of study and teaching, offering me a way to integrate movement, breath, awareness, and self-inquiry into daily life. My yoga training is rooted in Ashtanga Yoga and Vinyasa Flow, and over the years I have continued expanding my practice through meditation, Eastern philosophy, and integrative wellness disciplines.

For more than 25 years, I have been immersed in holistic health, self-development, and traditional mind-body practices. My background also includes training in plant-based nutrition, Reiki, Tai Chi, tarot, and astrology, all of which have contributed to a broad and integrated approach to well-being.

At Samudra, I offer a space for inner listening, clarity, and reconnection — supporting each person to explore the relationship between body, mind, breath, and awareness with more presence and less striving.

Archetype: The Explorer / Freedom

Hello, I’m Iris.

I am a trauma-informed facilitator and bodywork therapist specialising in nervous system regulation, therapeutic massage, and integrative body-based practices.

My interest in the human body began at an early age, influenced by yoga, massage, Reiki, and personal growth practices. I later developed a strong scientific foundation by studying Pathological Anatomy and Cytology in Spain and working for several years in hospitals and neuroimmunology research laboratories. This background allows me to bridge clinical understanding with holistic, body-based approaches.

Since 2017, my path has deepened through extensive training in deep tissue massage, Thai and Dynamic Thai massage, Shiatsu, Lomi Lomi Nui, fascia-focused treatments, and Rebozo massage. My studies also include Yoga Teacher Training, pranayama, meditation, philosophy, and trauma-informed facilitation, alongside ongoing learning in women’s wellness, emotional intelligence, and nervous system regulation.

My sessions combine manual therapy, breathwork, and mindful movement to release tension, improve body awareness, and support the body’s natural capacity for regulation. I work in a client-centred way, addressing musculoskeletal pain, stress-related tension, emotional holding, and postural imbalances, while creating a safe, supportive, and grounded space.

I believe well-being emerges through the integration of body and mind. By combining Western scientific understanding with Eastern healing traditions, my work supports physical recovery, emotional balance, and long-term resilience.

Archetype: The Caregiver / Service

Beatrice is a yoga and holistic well-being practitioner based in Gozo, Malta, originally from Brussels, with international experience shaped by years living and working in Paris and Hong Kong. Since 2020, she has been offering in-person Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and energy-based sessions, supporting stress reduction, nervous system regulation, and mind–body awareness through grounded, evidence-informed practices.

In her work, Beatrice brings a calm and compassionate presence, guided by attentiveness, empathy, and sensitivity. She is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and supportive environment where clients can slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and engage in restorative practices at their own pace.

Her approach is informed by formal training, ongoing education, and international experience, including studies with experienced teachers in Asia. She works in private and small-group settings, including wellness retreats and individual sessions, with a focus on deep rest, embodied awareness, and sustainable self-regulation.

Beatrice is a Usui Reiki Master and a certified Hatha Flow, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Meditation teacher (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider – YACEP). She also holds a Therapeutic Support Certificate. Her work is client-centred, trauma-aware, and grounded in ethical and professional standards.

Archetype: The Jester / Pleasure

Sankara is a somatic practitioner and facilitator of transformational processes, originally from Spain, specializing in body-based work and nervous system regulation.

Her approach integrates bodywork, fascia-focused methods, breathwork, sound-based practices, and emotional integration, supporting individuals in reconnecting with their bodies, releasing tension, and restoring balance across physical and emotional levels.

Her professional path began in the beauty and wellness industry as a hair and makeup artist, later moving into massage and spa environments. This early experience led her to question surface-level approaches to well-being and seek deeper, more meaningful ways of working with the body.

In 2018, her path expanded through travel and direct experience with traditional practices in Central America, including time spent learning alongside Mayan communities in Guatemala. This marked a turning point in her work, deepening her understanding of the body through presence, observation, and intuitive awareness.

She is certified in Access Bars® (Access Consciousness), Mayan Massage (Guatemala), TK Emotional Therapy (Energetic & Functional levels, Mexico), and Body, Sound & Breath (Dearmouring Arts) across Europe. She also holds certification in Trauma-Informed Practice, has studied nutrition and biotypes within Unani (Greco-Arab) medicine, and emotional biodecoding at CUAMED, and is currently training as a Fascia Maneuvers COACH (Human Garage).

Sankara’s approach combines structured knowledge with intuitive perception. She works through touch, sound, and attentive presence, supporting awareness of internal patterns and the body’s natural capacity for regulation.

Her work is grounded in safety, consent, and self-responsibility, offering a non-dogmatic and embodied approach. At Samudra, she facilitates group processes and individual sessions designed to support self-awareness, nervous system balance, and deeper connection with the body.

Archetype: The Innocent / Safety

Hello, I’m Simone.

On retreat, I offer Somatic Alignment sessions (somatic breathwork and body-based therapy) and Traditional Thai Massage, alongside supporting the space through group facilitation, sound, and nature-based experiences such as guided walks that invite connection with both the inner and outer landscape.

My work is grounded in a trauma-informed, somatic approach, with a focus on nervous system regulation. I relate to the body as a space where experience and memory are held, and where integration can unfold through breath, sensation, and awareness.

I also bring experience working with non-ordinary states of consciousness in therapeutic settings, which informs my ability to support deeper processes with presence, care, and stability.

Over the past decade, my path has been both personal and professional, rooted in meditation, self-inquiry, and embodied awareness. Time spent in Buddhist monasteries in Thailand, together with long-term Vipassana practice, has shaped my understanding of presence, observation, and inner stillness.

Alongside this, I have trained in Traditional Thai Massage, Hatha Yoga, and somatic practices, integrating structure, intuition, and attuned presence into my work.

Nature is an essential part of how I live and facilitate. Having spent nearly two decades between Gozo and Malta, I maintain a close relationship with the Mediterranean landscape and its rhythms. As a qualified Freediving Instructor, I also feel deeply connected to the water.

Music is another integral element in my sessions. Through sound, rhythm, and shared listening, I support regulation, expression, and connection.

At Samudra, I offer sessions as spaces for exploration and integration, supporting each person to meet their experience safely and with awareness.

Archetype: The Everyman / Belonging

Niko is a Mediterranean chef and restaurateur with over 15 years of hands-on experience in the food industry, specializing in fresh, seasonal cuisine and team-led kitchen environments.

Born in Greece and raised in the Netherlands, Niko grew up immersed in the restaurant world, spending his early years alongside his parents in professional kitchens. This early exposure shaped his understanding of food not only as craft, but as a shared human experience.

At the age of 23, he co-founded his first restaurant, Psatha, in Larisa (Greece), focused on high-quality seafood. After successfully operating the business, he sold it in 2012 to expand his culinary experience.

He then moved to Crete, where he managed The Pepper Tree, a mountain-based restaurant that gained strong local recognition. Due to increasing demand, he co-developed a second location by the seaside, The Olive Tree (2013), maintaining the same quality-driven concept in a new setting.

In 2014, Niko launched his own independent restaurant, Gusto, in Makrygialos (South Crete). His vision extended beyond food: he built a collaborative kitchen culture where all team members contributed to preparing fresh, handmade dishes in a supportive and respectful work environment.

Over a 10-year period, Gusto rose from rank #28 to #1 on Tripadvisor in the region, becoming a recognized destination for both locals and international visitors. The restaurant maintained its top position for five consecutive years under his leadership.

In 2024, after a decade of consistent growth and success, Niko sold the restaurant and relocated to Gozo, Malta. Today, he brings his culinary expertise into more intimate, experience-based settings, collaborating with the Samudra Retreats Gozo team, where food becomes part of a wider approach to wellbeing, connection, and community.

Archetype: The Hero / Mastery

Hello, I’m Paul.

Paul is an arts and culture producer, consultant, and project manager with over 40 years of experience working across Europe. He specialises in cultural strategy, finance, fundraising, and the development and management of arts and cultural spaces.

He is co-director of Olivearte Cultural Agency and has worked with over 30 building-based cultural organisations across 15 European countries, supporting the planning, renovation, and operation of arts centres and creative spaces.

Paul’s expertise includes large-scale project development, capacity building, audience development, and cultural policy design, as well as managing complex, multi-partner European programmes. He has secured over €10 million in European funding since 2010 and has extensive experience advising on high-value cultural projects.

His recent work includes supporting the development of the Jam Factory Arts Centre, contributing to European Capital of Culture programmes, and advising on Creative Europe projects with multi-million euro budgets.

Previously, Paul served as President of Trans Europe Halles and as an assessor for the European Commission Culture Programme. He has been a board member of multiple arts organisations and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Earlier in his career, Paul managed theatre companies in the UK and Poland and later became director of The Junction in Cambridge, the UK’s first purpose-built arts centre focused on youth culture. There, he developed multidisciplinary programmes across music, theatre, dance, and new media, produced international festivals, and led the development of a €10 million theatre space.

At Samudra, Paul’s role is largely practical and organisational, helping ensure that the structures supporting the retreat run smoothly and quietly in the background. Paul enjoys contributing in ways that allow others to focus on the work they are here to do.