From a high-paced career and urban lifestyle to slow life in the bush
After years of traveling and high-paced corporate careers, we knew we needed a profound change. The power of nature, the stars, and ancient meditative practices showed us a new way to take care of our minds and bodies. Shifting our lifestyle to spend more time in nature, stargazing, and meditation transformed us.
Our passions for exploring human nature and lessons from burnout and corporate life sparked the idea for a transformational wilderness retreat.
We sold everything and set off to South Africa, determined to create a sanctuary. A place where people could break free from the noise, disrupt the hamster wheel and their habitual behaviors, and find clarity. After months of searching, we found the banks of the Doring River. It felt like home. It was the perfect place to build Bliss & Stars.
DARIA RASMUSSEN
CO-FOUNDER | CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS TEACHER | MA SOCIOLOGY | SOMATIC EXPERIENCING INT II | BREATHWORK COACH
I spent years fighting my inner knowing, pushing myself to fit the world’s expectations. I told myself the same story: improve, achieve, conform. But eventually, the body doesn’t lie. It shut down, burnout took over, and memory faded. Only then did I turn inward, committing to meditation and silence, finally meeting myself without pretense.
Today, I share what I’ve learned firsthand. Breathwork, mindfulness, somatic experiencing—they’re practices, not promises. They don’t “fix” you; they guide you back to yourself, back to resilience.
I grew up in Poland and later moved to Denmark, following love and building a life that, on paper, looked like success. But deep inside, I knew it wasn’t right. I’d spent years overwhelmed, feeding the ego, doing work that drained me. In 2018, I took a leap and moved to South Africa. It was time to create a refuge for those worn out by modern life, a place where overstimulated minds and tired bodies could rest, recalibrate, and reconnect.
My Training I trained and I still practice mindfulness meditation under Martin Aylward. I learned breathwork with Dan Brulé, and gained tools for trauma healing from 3-year program with Somatic Experiencing International. This work isn’t about adding more; it’s about stripping away the unnecessary, the noise, and finding what’s left: presence, awareness, and real transformation.
HEINE WIEBEN
CO-FOUNDER, ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY PRO, NATURE GUIDE
My job is simple: to share my fascination with astronomy and the cosmos. I’ll take you on a journey in time. We’ll explore the cosmos and the meaning of the dark sky. I’ll also teach you how to master astrophotography.
I use the pristine nature along with its mesmerizing starlight skies to help you reconnect with yourself, satisfy curiosity, and find inner peace.