He sat down next to me and asked, “Are you okay?”
It was 21 June 2008, and Sally and I were at Stonehenge for the summer solstice.
We’d arrived early, spent the evening sitting by the stones, handing out slices of raw cacao cake (which everyone assumed were weed brownies… they weren’t!), and chatting to whoever wandered over.
My friend was going through IVF at the time, and the stones are thought to hold healing qualities, so there was a deep intention behind us being there too.
By the time it got dark, we decided to head back to the car for a couple of hours’ sleep before sunrise. On the way, Sally needed the toilet and wandered off, so I sat down on the grass to wait for her.
That’s when this man came over.
He was very attractive. Calm, grounded, and immediately easy to be around. He sat beside me and started talking, asking me about my life in a way that felt incredibly genuine.
He wanted to know how I was doing as a single mum, how the children were, how I’d been coping since we’d moved, and seemed concerned when I expressed that I was feeling so overwhelmed.
He held eye contact the whole time, I felt so heard when he responded with care.
And I could feel something shifting inside me as the conversation went on.
At the time, I was single, and if I’m honest, not used to that kind of male energy – someone sitting with me, listening properly, not distracted, not trying to fix anything, just being there.
So of course, my mind began to fill in the gaps…
I remember thinking, “Wow… this is the kind of man I’ve been waiting for.”
We were sat there drenched in moonlight, the world moving around us, people walking back and forth, and yet it felt like we were in our own little bubble. Sally seemed to be gone for ages, but I didn’t mind at all.
I was completely in the conversation, feeling seen and building a whole story in my head about what this moment might mean.
By the time she came back, I’d shared a good portion of my life with this beautiful man who had held such an attentive space for me.
I said goodbye, told him I hoped I might see him again before the night was out, and walked off with Sally towards the car park.
And then I started gushing about how incredible it had felt. How strong the connection was. How maybe, just maybe, this was one of those moments where the angels bring someone to you at exactly the right time.
Sally listened quietly as I went on, a small smile playing on her face.
Then she looked at me and said,
“You do realise you sat down right in front of a sign that said Samaritans?”
I stopped.
“He thought you were in crisis… that’s why he was talking to you like that.”
Right. So no, he WASN’T my soulmate…
He WASN’T captivated by me in the way I’d imagined, he was simply a very KIND, lovely man, doing exactly what he was there to do!
And I still roll around laughing as I’m typing this to you now!
Because it’s such a human thing to do! Taking a few meaningful moments and let our minds build something bigger around them. To look for signs, to interpret kindness as something more, to want to feel chosen or special in someone else’s eyes.
But underneath all of that, there was something real there, it was the feeling of being listened to – properly.
No interruptions, without distraction, without someone waiting for their turn to speak.
Just space.
It felt incredibly good, and that’s the part that stayed with me.
Because most of us move through life being that person for everyone else. The one who listens, who supports, who holds everything together, who makes space for others.
Rarely do we experience that same depth of care ourselves.
But that’s what I create for you on retreat.
Not a fleeting conversation in the dark, but days where your space is held consistently and gently.
Where you don’t have to explain yourself, perform, or be anything other than exactly how you feel.
Five days where you are listened to, supported, and cared for – not because you’re in crisis, but because you’re human, and you’ve been carrying a lot.
If you’re the one who is always holding everyone else, let me be the one who holds you for a while.
Join me in Portugal for five nights of yoga, sound healing, nature, and space to come back to yourself.
Spaces still available for:
Rooms from £850, with a £250 deposit to secure your space.
There’s never any performance, no expectations.
Just space to be.
And this time, the care is actually for you.