A sabbatical that turned out differently than planned

In March 2020, I went to India to do my yoga training – not with the aim of becoming a yoga teacher, but just for myself. I had already been practicing yoga for many years and simply wanted to immerse myself more deeply during my sabbatical, realign myself and feel how I could move forward professionally.

At the time, I was still working in a children’s home, taking children into care – an intensive job that takes a lot of energy. I knew that something could change.

But then, in the middle of my training, COVID-19 hit.
I finished the training, but instead of continuing to travel afterwards, I had to return to Germany after a month. Traveling had become impossible, my sabbatical somehow “interrupted.”

In search of an open place

I wanted to catch up on my project in January 2021. I was looking for a place in Europe that wasn’t considered a risk area – and that’s how Madeira came onto my radar. I hardly knew anything about the island, but it felt like a possibility.

I stayed in an Ayurveda hotel in Caniço, in the very east of the island. My room had a balcony overlooking the ocean, and every evening the sunset gave me a sense of wonder and inner peace. I then spent two days in Funchal – and then Paul do Mar arrived.

The moment that changed everything

To be honest, I had only chosen the small fishing village because I had found a wonderful Airbnb right by the sea. I just wanted to see the other side of the island.

Die Fahrt dorthin war magisch: die alte Straße schlängelte sich vom Berg hinunter zum Meer, die Sonne stand tief, das Licht wurde golden – und plötzlich lag es da: Paul do Mar, eingebettet zwischen Bergen und Atlantik.
Ich sah das Dorf – und wusste: Hier ist etwas.

Instead of the planned three days, I stayed for a month and a half.
It was quiet, windy, sometimes rainy, almost sleepy—but I immediately felt connected. I had traveled extensively, but I never felt the need to stay anywhere. Until then.

My start with teaching yoga

During this time, I started doing online yoga classes with friends and family in Germany. I wanted to share my view, the peace, the light – and their enthusiasm encouraged me. So I started teaching on the side.

Back in Germany, I quit my job at the children’s home. I knew I wanted to go back to Madeira.
From May to November, I just wanted to give it a try—to live, teach, and be completely in the moment. I didn’t have a grand strategy, just a feeling that I should give it a try.

A magical place – with rough edges

I started offering yoga at the port of Paul do Mar. Nobody came at first – the village is small, not a tourist hotspot, and Corona was still there. But I stayed. And over time, the first people arrived. Some knew me online, others were just curious.

Today, many people ask me specifically for yoga classes in this very place – because they sense that there is something special here.

I’ve gotten to know many sides of Paul do Mar – not just the quiet moments, but also the summer months when there are parties here. The village has its very own reputation in Madeira – a little wild, a little free, very genuine.

At home between mountains, sea and mandalas

I love this place—with all its facets.
When the sea is calm, I go swimming almost every day. I live here in tune with nature, offering yoga, meditation, and creative workshops—for example, in the banana plantation. And I share what I have learned here.

My dog, who originally belonged to someone else in the village, now accompanies me everywhere. And Paul do Mar?
This has become my home.

Nevertheless, I often miss my home in Frankfurt – especially my friends and the long-standing connections that have grown over many years. I worked with children and young people there for almost 20 years, and that’s why I’m always very happy to come back regularly and give workshops there. Maintaining this connection and passing it on is just as important to me as what I am building here in Madeira.

This post is also available in: German