Archetype: The Visionary

Welcome. I’m Luca — one of the co-founders and directors of Samudra. I direct the overall vision and strategy for 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. I’m deeply attuned to the subtle ways people open when they feel held, and much of what I offer comes through presence rather than instruction.

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.

My own path has been closely connected to the yogic way of living, which supported me through periods of illness and personal challenge. Over the past decade, I studied and taught across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Portugal, deepening my relationship with embodiment, intuition, and subtle healing practices. These experiences shaped how I now work — with sensitivity, curiosity, and respect for each person’s inner rhythm.

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

Hello, I’m Mila - one of the co-founders and directors of Samudra.

On retreats I guide Yoga and Meditation, Tarot Readings, Pranayama (Breathwork) and Yogic Philosophy. As a co-director I make sure your experience here feels like home.

My relationship with the body began through theatre. For over three decades, I worked as an actress, artistic director, and teacher of the arts, exploring movement, expression, and the many ways the human experience is carried through the body. This long immersion eventually led me to a deeper inquiry — a recognition that we are not only physical beings, but layered, sensing, and meaning-making ones.

Yoga entered my life as a continuation of that exploration. What began as a personal practice slowly became a way of living, learning, and listening. Over time, it offered me a language for uniting movement, breath, awareness, and inquiry — not as something to master, but as something to return to again and again.

For more than 25 years, I’ve immersed myself in holistic health, self-healing practices, and Eastern philosophy. My path has included studies and practices such as Ashtanga Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, breathwork, lucid dreaming, tarot, and astrology, alongside training as a vegan and vegetarian nutritionist. Each has shaped my understanding in its own way, contributing to a broad and integrated approach to teaching and holding space.

Eventually, I stepped away from the world of theatre to dedicate myself fully to sharing yoga and embodied philosophy. What I offer now is not a system to follow, but an invitation to explore — to listen inward, to question gently, and to experience how clarity can arise when the mind and heart begin to move together.

At Samudra, I hold space as someone who has walked this path for a long time, and who continues to learn through practice, curiosity, and lived experience. My wish is that each person discovers the quiet strength that comes from alignment — where there is less striving, and more truth.

Archetype: The Explorer

Hello, I’m Iris.

On retreats I give Massage Treatments and guide Cacao Ceremonies and Creative Workshops. I work closely with Paul our Secretary to manage our Samudra finances behind the scenes.

My work is rooted in a deep respect for the body as a living, intelligent system — one that holds its own rhythms, memories, and capacity for balance. I’m especially attentive to the ways movement, touch, and presence can support both physical ease and emotional restoration.

I come from a background in Western science, having studied Pathological Anatomy and Cytology in Spain and spent several years working in hospitals and research laboratories within the field of immune neuroscience. While this training gave me a strong analytical foundation, over time I felt called to explore a more holistic relationship with health and healing.

Originally from Spain and shaped by years of travel, my path shifted after spending a formative year in Australia, where I experienced the body not only as something to understand, but as something to listen to. This marked the beginning of my journey into bodywork and embodied practices.

Since 2017, I’ve trained continuously as a massage therapist, learning from a range of practitioners and traditions. Each has offered a different perspective on how touch, movement, and energy interact — and how, when approached with care, they can help the body soften, release, and return to its natural flow.

My approach blends these influences in a way that honours the body’s innate wisdom. I believe that when the body is met with attention and respect, it naturally opens pathways toward ease, clarity, and reconnection — not only physically, but emotionally and energetically as well.

At Samudra, I offer touch and creative spaces as invitations: moments to slow down, come back into the body, and gently restore a sense of inner coherence.

Archetype: The Caregiver

Hello, I’m Beatrice.

On retreats I give Energy Healing Treatments. I also guide Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra. When I’m not guiding a session I am online answering your emails as I sit at the front of customer care for Samudra, making sure you are cared for before arriving to Samudra.

My path has been shaped by movement between cultures and ways of living. Originally from Brussels, I spent many years living in Paris and Hong Kong before arriving in Gozo in 2020 — a place whose slower rhythm and natural beauty offered a sense of grounding and belonging. It is here that my work began to settle into its current form.

My journey into yoga and holistic practices began in Hong Kong, during a time when I was working in the fast-paced world of cinema technology. Amid the intensity of that environment, yoga became a daily anchor — offering steadiness, presence, and a way to reconnect with myself. During periods of personal and professional challenge, I was drawn more deeply into supportive practices such as energy work, breathwork, sound, and meditation.

Travel has played an important role in shaping my approach. Time spent in Bali introduced me to teachers and practitioners who helped me refine a more intuitive, listening-based way of working — one that honours both ancient wisdom and the realities of modern life.

Over the years, I’ve shared my work through Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and energy-based practices within retreat settings focused on slow living, restoration, and recovery. My approach is gentle and receptive, addressing the physical, emotional, and energetic layers of experience through rest, stillness, and nervous-system support.

At Samudra, I offer sessions as spaces of care — places to soften, restore, and reconnect with the body’s natural capacity for balance. My intention is simple: to create a nurturing environment where people can rest deeply and feel supported exactly as they are.

Beatrice is a Usui Reiki Master and a certified teacher of Hatha Flow, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Meditation (YACEP Yoga Alliance), and holds a Therapeutic Support Certificate.

Archetype: The Magician

Hello, I’m To’Ra’N.

On retreats I guide Sound Healing, Ceremonies and the Community Sharing Circles. I also give Energy Healing Treatments. I manage the community aspect of Samudra, you’ll hear from me before you arrive, I’ll be picking you up from the harbour, and I will the one you see weekly in our aftercare programme - count on me to know that you belong.

I’m originally from the Maltese Islands and have lived on Gozo for many years. My path has been shaped by lived experience, challenge, and long-term commitment to personal responsibility, healing, and service.

Over time, I was drawn toward practices that helped me reconnect with presence, accountability, and inner listening. This led me into extended periods of learning and training with indigenous communities in South America, where sound, ritual, and relationship were held as ways of remembering balance and connection.

For more than a decade, I’ve been offering sound-based practices and community circles within retreat settings. My work centres on creating spaces where people feel seen, grounded, and supported — places where nothing needs to be forced, fixed, or performed.

Sound is at the heart of what I offer. Through instruments such as flute and drum, as well as silence and attentive presence, I invite people into states of reflection, openness, and connection that move beyond words and concepts.

Alongside this, my long-standing engagement with embodied recovery work has deeply informed how I hold space — with humility, responsibility, and respect for each person’s process and pace.

At Samudra, I offer grounded ceremonial spaces and community circles rooted in presence, listening, and shared humanity — supporting moments of insight, integration, and connection within a safe and contained environment.

To’Ra’N has over 14 years of embodied recovery practice, is Reiki Level One certified, and holds training in Access Consciousness Bars and Base 12 Bioregenesis.

Archetype: The Jester

Hello, I’m Sankara.

On retreats I offer Massage Treatments and De-Armouring Somatic Treatments. I also guide Sound Healing, Ecstatic Dance and Creative Workshops. I run the retreat programme co-ordination and development, alchemising my creative ideas to give you a unique experience here at Samudra.

My work is guided by curiosity, playfulness, and a deep respect for the body as a place of truth. I’m drawn to the spaces where humour, sensation, and honest inquiry meet — where movement and touch invite us to listen rather than analyse.

Touch has always been central to how I understand the world. What began as an intuitive sensitivity deepened through my own healing journey, leading me to explore body-based practices as pathways toward awareness, release, and reconnection. Through lived experience, I came to understand how much the body holds — and how gently it responds when met with presence and care.

My path has taken me across cultures and traditions. Early learning with indigenous communities in Guatemala and Mexico introduced me to somatic approaches rooted in ritual, movement, and embodied attention. Returning to Europe, I continued to study and practice a range of bodywork and de-armouring techniques, allowing my approach to evolve through experience rather than allegiance to any single method.

Over time, I’ve learned that it is not the technique that matters most, but the quality of connection — between body and mind, between sensation and awareness. My work supports people in meeting themselves with honesty and softness, often through movement, sound, and touch that invite release without force.

At Samudra, I offer sessions as playful yet attentive spaces — moments to explore, feel, and reconnect with the body’s natural intelligence, supporting realignment, vitality, and embodied presence.

Archetype: The Everyman

Hello, I’m Nikos.

On retreat I am your Samudra in-house chef so you’ll find me in the kitchen mostly preparing your daily nourishment. You may also see me around the farmhouses, as I also cover the house maintenance here at Samudra.

I’m originally from Greece, and for the past 16 years I lived and worked on the island of Crete, where I owned and ran restaurants rooted in simple, honest food and hospitality. My most recent restaurant, Gusto, became a much-loved local place in the south-east of Crete, reflecting my care for flavour, quality, and the everyday ritual of sharing meals.

After many years in the intensity of restaurant life, I felt a pull toward something slower and more grounded. In late 2024, I chose to step away from that pace and move to Gozo, where cooking could return to what matters most to me — nourishment, presence, and connection.

At Samudra, I cook with the same attention I bring to life: thoughtfully, generously, and with enjoyment. My food is plant-based, seasonal, and inspired by flavours from different cultures, always guided by simplicity and care. Meals are designed not just to feed the body, but to support rest, grounding, and shared moments around the table.

For me, cooking is a way of taking care of people. I’m happy to be part of the Samudra community, sharing food as an everyday expression of warmth, creativity, and belonging.

Archetype: The Hero

Hello, I’m Paul.

My professional life has unfolded across many roles and many places. I began in the performing arts, working as an actor and stand-up comedian, before gradually finding my place behind the scenes in arts and entertainment management — where my strengths naturally settled.

Over the course of a 40-year career, I worked as a director, producer, project manager, consultant, mentor, and trainer, collaborating with more than 500 artists across 30 countries. These years taught me how to hold complexity, support creative processes, and keep things moving with clarity, care, and humour.

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

While I may be the oldest member of the team, I feel deeply at home within the Samudra community. What we share here — across generations, paths, and roles — is a sense of belonging, mutual respect, and care for the whole.