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TWO MORE OR LESS NORMAL PEOPLE WALK INTO A...
Valley. Thinking they’d just move to Italy, get a bit of the La Dolce Vita feeling, do a little gardening, plant their own fruit and vegetables, make some kick-ass olive oil and rent out some vacation apartments to tourists eager to explore the beauty of Umbria.
That was us in 2022, Florian and Susanne, two Germans with backgrounds ranging from sales and construction all the way to copy writing and online learning platforms, with experiences in building lives in Austria, Netherlands, Turkey... and now: Italy.
For two years after moving here, we were busy as heck renovating the houses, building the garden and a vegetable farm from scratch, and dealing with all the bureaucracy that moving to Italy and opening a business brings with it.
Then we opened our doors to the public, by placing ads on Airbnb and Booking.com – as one does. We had a couple of guests here that left raving reviews of the place, but for some reason, something felt off.
I couldn’t quite put words to this feeling, but it made me write. A lot. Like pages and pages of text where I tried to figure out what was wrong.
Until finally, I started meditating outside, instead of my usual place in the living room. And that changed everything.
Now you might call me completely crazy, that’s fine. I am still trying to get to understand this myself. But this is what happened:
This place started talking to me. During meditation, I could “hear” words.
Scary? Yes. Ready for an asylum? Probably. (Or maybe just a bunch of cats, that’d do as well).
Anyway, I deepened my meditation practice and my writing. Extended, long stretches of letting words flow onto the page. Not controlling them. Some of the results are on the homepage. Since it didn’t feel like I was the one writing those words, I can’t take credit for them. But by now, I do believe them. Every single word.
See, when we came here for our very first appointment with the realtor and the previous owner of this property, we had no idea that it was in Vallingegno. Or what that word actually meant. It was much, much later that someone by chance mentioned the original name of the valley, back in ancient Roman times, was Valle Ingenio – and that there used to be a temple dedicated to the Roman deity Genius. And even knowing that, it didn’t make any difference to us – we said our polite “huh, how interesting” and shrugged it off. After all, almost everything in Italy, or in Europe in general, is ancient.
But once I started meditating outside, this “Genius” made himself very, very much unignorable. I could no longer shrug it off as something weird. And that was hard. Although I have been meditating for the past 25 years: the only reason I was doing it was so I could feel better. None of this was a spiritual practice. I have been enrolled in countless programs over the years that deal with any aspect of self development – but I wasn’t living a spiritual life (whatever that means, anyway). I’m not sure I believed in something I couldn’t see, some higher power. I had a career in corporate. I was successful, I was doing the things one does – go out for dinner, party, sleep, meditate, shower, go to the office – rinse and repeat. The meditation practice wasn't informing any other part of my life.
THAT MOMENT YOU JUST KNOW
So now – I have to accept that there is more to life. And sometimes I still wonder if building a business that doesn’t follow the usual frameworks - the aggressive sales tactics, the ads, and all the other stuff one is supposed to do when trying to sell anything – is possible. It'd be so, so much more fulfilling than doing it the old way.
So here I am, and instead of listening to the business experts, I started listening to Genius instead.
Genius has told me that our job here is to help reduce frustration and “stuckness” in the world, by showing there’s a different way to achieve anything.
Genius said this is a place in which he would help people step into their power, so they don’t need to assign it to someone else.
Genius said this is a place where he would inspire people to live up to their full potential.
And Florian and I are here to help make this happen.
Florian is the groundskeeper, farmer, and custodian of this place. I am the Priestess (apparently), intuiting what you might need and help you get exactly that. Basically getting you to hear your own Genius.
And we love every second of this experience – which of course is a pilgrimage for us as well.
When you leave, you'll have something real, already set in motion. This place works its magic on you, whether you're here for a life-changing project, to build a business, or finally live the life that feels right for you.
WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE
Suflora isn't just a beautiful space - it is an invitation. An invitation to step away from the noise. To stop searching for the answers outside yourself. Here, you won't find anyone trying to sell you hacks or life-coaching tips. What you'll find is the space to listen deeply and create from that place.
Imagine it: the quiet of the valley, the energy of a place where people have come for thousands of years to connect with their Genius. You'll clear the mental clutter, listen, create, and share. It's not a retreat. It's a pilgrimage.
SUFLORA
FOCUS ON YOURSELF FOR A CHANGE