Come home
to yourself.
Four nights in an old Sicilian farmhouse between carob trees and the sea. A small circle of people. Breathe, move, swim, eat, laugh until your face hurts, dance under the stars, and remember what it feels like to be fully alive.
Twenty-five centuries ago, on the south coast of Sicily, a philosopher named Empedocles said that everything is made of four elements: earth, water, air and fire.
And he said one more thing. What holds the four together is Love. When we forget it, Strife pulls us apart, and we lose our balance. You may know that feeling. So we are going back to the island where the idea was born, to put ourselves back together, one element a day.
On paper, life is good. So why do you feel so far away from yourself?
You have built a life you are proud of. You are good at your job, the friend everyone calls, the one who holds it all together. Somewhere along the way you stopped feeling much of anything except tired.
You are not broken, and you are not the only one. You have simply been living on one element for too long: all air and no earth, all fire and no water. Running on thoughts, deadlines and adrenaline, without the ground, the softness or the people to come back to.
Nothing to plan. Nothing to prove.
Nobody to perform for.
For four days, someone else holds everything. You wake when the light comes through the shutters, move your body, eat beautiful food you did not cook, swim, laugh with people who were strangers on Thursday, and fall asleep under a sky full of stars. Every day has hours that are simply yours. Everything is an invitation. Join in, or lie by the pool with a book. Both are the point.
Come as you are. Leave feeling alive. Leave something good behind.
Four days. Four elements. And the one that holds them together.
Every day brings one question to sit with, and Sanctuary time: quiet hours that are yours alone to journal, read, meditate, walk on your own, swim or simply rest.
Arrive & exhale
The road from Catania winds south through the Hyblaean hills, past dry stone walls and old carob trees, until the sea appears. By the time you arrive, your shoulders have already dropped an inch. Tonight is about landing: in the place, in your body, in the circle.
Root
This corner of Sicily is carob country: most of Italy's carob trees grow around Modica. Their seeds were once used to weigh gold and precious stones, and the word carat comes from them. Today you receive one, with a question to carry all weekend: what are you worth when you stop performing?
Soften
A day of flow. We go down to the sea where the Irminio river meets it, among dunes and juniper, and give something back to the place that is holding us. Then the brave ones run into the April sea, and everyone laughs.
Come alive
Today we turn the heat up. An energising morning, an optional adventure into the honey-coloured baroque towns, hands in the dough for our farewell feast, and a candlelit night of music and dancing that you will tell people about for years.
Carry it home
Empedocles believed Love is the force that draws everything back together. On the last morning we name what we found, write it down, and make a plan to keep it. You leave lighter, with a seed in your pocket and a circle of new people who know your name.
The rhythm may shift a little with the weather and the group. Every session is an invitation, never an obligation.
Restore yourself. Restore something else.
We never take from a place without giving back. The dunes at the mouth of the Irminio are fragile and under threat from erosion, and on Saturday morning we lend our hands to the local people who look after them. Never staged, never for the photos.
Mangiabove, an 1800s farmhouse between the hills and the sea
Built by the family's ancestors at the end of the 1800s on a natural terrace above Marina di Ragusa, Mangiabove looks out over the Hyblaean countryside to the Mediterranean. The old stables are now calm, simple rooms, each with its own entrance. There is an infinity pool, a small pine grove, a covered shala and a common room with a library.
The whole property is ours for four nights. No other guests, no strangers at breakfast. Just us, the silence, and the sea on the horizon.
Gallery
Arrive early, or stay a little longer
Sicily is hard to leave. Michaela can plan the days around your retreat, from where to sleep to how to get there. Tailor-made, priced on request.
Ask MichaelaEverything, so you can let go of everything
Not included: flights, travel insurance (required), massages and treatments, drinks outside mealtimes, and anything you treat yourself to.
Little things to hold, and bigger things to keep
You will fly home the same person, only more yourself
This is for you if…
Perhaps not, if…
Hello, I'm Michaela.
I grew up in Slovakia and now live in London, where I spend my working life designing luxury group journeys for other people. The moments that changed me, though, never happened in five-star lobbies. They happened cycling around Sri Lanka, kayaking its waterways and camping without my phone.
Years of yoga, breathwork and embodiment work taught me that most of us do not need another holiday. We need to feel alive again. So I bring both halves of my life to this retreat: the eye of someone who has planned hundreds of trips, and the heart of a teacher. You will be looked after in every detail, and you will be met exactly as you are.
“I returned home not just inspired, but genuinely restored.”
A small circle. One clear price. No surprises.
Everything on the list above is included. Secure your place with a £400 deposit and spread the rest in monthly payments.
Secure your place with a £400 deposit, pay in full, or spread the cost over 2 or 4 monthly payments. The final payment is due 8 weeks before arrival. Card payments in GBP.
Not quite ready? Book a free 15-minute call with Michaela and ask her anything.
Everything you might be wondering
I'm coming on my own. Will that be awkward?
This retreat was designed for people travelling solo. You will meet the group on a welcome call and in a private chat before you fly, we travel from the airport together, and by Thursday dinner you will have stopped noticing who came with whom.
I've never done yoga or breathwork. Is that OK?
Completely. Practice happens in small circles so every session can be adapted to you, and every session is optional.
Will there be time for myself?
Yes. Every day has Sanctuary time: quiet hours to journal, read, meditate, walk alone, swim or sleep.
Will it be too spiritual for me?
Spiritual without the preaching. The rituals are simple and human, and you are always welcome to simply watch with a glass of wine. Laughter is very much part of the practice.
What will the weather be like?
Late April in south-east Sicily is usually sunny, around 19°C by day and 12°C in the evening. Bring layers for cool mornings and evenings under the stars. The pool and the sea are fresh in spring, so a swim is a brave bonus, not a requirement.
How do I get there?
Fly into Catania, which has direct flights from London. The group transfer leaves the airport at 13:30 on Thursday and arrives back around 12:30 on Monday. Michaela is a travel advisor and can book your flights for you.
Can I arrive early or stay longer?
Yes. Michaela can arrange nights in Ortigia, Noto, Taormina or by Etna, and get you to and from the retreat.
What about food and dietary needs?
A generous brunch and a long dinner every day, cooked with local seasonal produce, plus fruit, tea and treats in between. Vegetarian and most dietary needs are easy; just tell us when you book.
Can I have time on my own?
Yes, always. There is free time every day, and skipping something to read by the pool is a perfectly good choice.
Who else will be there?
Up to 18 guests, most of them in their thirties, forties and fifties, many travelling solo. Men, women and everyone in between are welcome.
How do I book?
Reserve with a £400 deposit and choose a payment plan for the rest. If you would like to talk first, book a free call with Michaela.
There is a place at our table.
It is yours.
22–26 April 2027 · Mangiabove, Marina di Ragusa, Sicily
Ask Michaela anything
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