The Hideaway began as a feeling I couldn’t quite shake: that we all need somewhere to step away from the noise and remember ourselves. I could see the space in my mind long before it existed. A place among the trees where people could slow down, sit by a fire, feel the heat of the sauna and have time that belonged entirely to them.
For many years, in my work as a naturopath, herbalist, yoga teacher and women's health coach, I hosted many of my own events and retreats. I often speak about nervous system regulation and the importance of feeling safe in our bodies. The Hideaway is a physical extension of that work: a place where those ideas become something people can actually experience.
Surrounded by meadows, we can get close to the plants growing around us, forage with care and make simple medicines together. Then there is the chance to feel nature’s medicine more deeply, held within the safety of The Hideaway: through the warmth of the sauna, the clarity of cold water, gentle movement and the space to be supported without having to rush or perform. My hope is that people leave with more than a lovely memory. I hope they carry some of that steadiness home in their bodies.
I’m the dreamer in this venture. I bring the ideas, the vision and the belief that rest, nature and simple rituals can make a real difference to how we feel. My eldest son, Noah, who is almost 22, is the maker. He has brought the physical spaces of The Hideaway to life, turning our conversations into structures you can walk into, sit on and gather around.
Noah has his own keen interest in natural health and longevity, so we often find ourselves talking about far more than what needs building next. We can spend one moment considering how to give a piece of timber another life, dreaming up ideas on supercharging frequencies into the waters here and the next imagining what this place might offer people in years to come.
Starting a venture with my own son has been one of the loveliest surprises of it all. Somewhere between the planning, the problem solving and the practical work, we discovered how well we work together. He sees possibilities I miss; I bring him ideas that need his hands and ingenuity to become real. And through it, we’ve found a new way to know one another.
There’s something especially meaningful about building The Hideaway here on our family land. I hope it gives others a place to pause and reconnect. I also love the thought that we’re creating a small part of our family’s legacy together: something Noah or one of my other boys may choose to carry forward and make their own one day.
For now, it’s a joy simply to be creating together. Every reclaimed piece of wood, every new idea and quiet moment here holds a little of both of us and that in itself feels more joyous and nourishing than anything I could ever imagine.