From a high-paced career and urban lifestyle to slow life in the bush
After years of traveling and high-paced corporate careers, it was time for a change. We discovered the importance of nature and its innate power to positively impact our mental and physical well-being. A change in lifestyle merged with time spent in nature, looking up the night sky, and mindfulness practices is all it takes.
Driven by lifelong passions to explore (human) nature and valuable lessons learned from corporate careers and burnout: the idea of a transformational wilderness retreat was born.
We sold everything we owned and set off to South Africa to find our new home and a place for people to think and see clearly. A place to reset and turn towards a more wholesome and joyful life.
After months of searching, we arrived here, at the banks of the Doring River, where we felt instantly at home and subsequently built Bliss & Stars.
DARIA RASMUSSEN
CO-FOUNDER, CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS TEACHER, MA SOCIOLOGY, SOMATIC THERAPY BEG II, BREATHWORK COACH
My approach to life and working with people is one of curiosity, discovery, and self-inquiry. For a large part of my life, I tried to fight off my inner wisdom, better myself, and conform to the social norms until my body shut down with a severe burnout and memory loss. In the search for healing, I committed to meditation and spent weeks in silence to finally meet myself as I am.
I teach what I have practiced over the years. My guidance is rooted in the ancient Buddhist tradition, somatic therapy and modern neuropsychology.
I believe that the mind, body, environment, food, and everything else we consume play equal parts in our wellbeing.