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 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 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

Hello, I’m Beatrice.

I am a yoga and holistic well-being practitioner based in Gozo, Malta, originally from Brussels. My relationship with yoga began in Hong Kong, where a stressful professional life and personal curiosity about inner balance gradually opened into a deeper exploration of the body, mind, emotions, and nervous system. Living in Hong Kong exposed me to Eastern philosophies and healing traditions in a very natural way, while my Western background shaped my interest for understanding well-being through a more scientific and evidence-informed lens. Also, time spent in Bali further deepened my connection to meditation, energy work, and traditional healing practices.

Since 2019, this personal journey has evolved into a professional practice centred around Yoga Nidra, meditation, breathwork, yoga, and energy healing. I am a Usui Reiki practitioner (Levels 1 to 3, advanced training), a certified Hatha Flow, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Meditation teacher, and I also hold a Therapeutic Support Certificate.  My work continues to be informed by ongoing education and a particular interest in the science of stress, relaxation, nervous system regulation, and embodied awareness.

What matters most in a session is creating the conditions for genuine safety, trust, and non-judgement. When there is a sense of being truly held and supported, the body and mind can begin to soften, allowing tension, emotions, and what has been carried for too long to gently release. There is no need to perform, explain, or have everything figured out — simply space to arrive as you are.

Through a combination of grounded, evidence-informed practices and holistic traditions, sessions invite deep rest, greater body awareness, emotional release, and reconnection. Each experience is unique, and the process is always guided with compassion, presence, and respect for the individual pace of each person.

I believe that well-being is not about fixing what is wrong, but about creating enough space, safety, and connection to hear what is already within. Sometimes, when the body finally feels safe enough to let go, something inside can breathe again.

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.