About my journey

Hi, I’m Lisanne, the founder of Unravel Mama. My journey began over a decade ago when I made a bold decision to completely change the course of my life. What started as a period of soul-searching and travel eventually led me to Ericeira, Portugal—a place that felt like home from the moment I arrived. Since 2023 I am dedicated to these Babymoon & Mama Baby Retreats, but if you would like to read about my journey before, you can continue reading below.

I never expected to settle here, yet everything seemed to align effortlessly. The ocean, the peaceful countryside, and the vibrant energy of this little fishing village made me feel like I was exactly where I was meant to be. Even now, after 9 years of living here, I can step outside and breathe in the salty air with the Atlantic stretching before me, and having to pinch myself. How did I get here? Looking back, I wonder where I found the courage to leave everything behind and follow my heart.

“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” – Brene brown

Up until 9 years ago, at the age of 28 my life was happening in Amsterdam, I had a nice home, a good relationship, a career in a creative start up – all that I needed, right? I started to feel that I was missing something, something profound and deep, I couldn’t put words to it but felt a missing deeper meaning. I tried to ignore that voice, kept on playing the game as I had always done, but after awhile, from one day to the other, I burned out. Emotional discomfort turned into physical discomfort when I didn’t listen to my heart speaking up to me. I remember all the sensations in my body so clearly, feeling my heartbeat so loud and my breath so shallow, it was suddenly hard to breath normally. Just a complete state of panic within me, all the time.

I found a safe haven in a yoga studio, yin yoga finally made me release so many tears, work through all these emotions that were long held in my body. I didn’t know I was holding so much within me until I gave it the space to be there, witnessed and released. I didn’t even know why I was so sad, but at least it gave me a space to reconnect, witness my own struggling and listen quietly. I took a holiday for myself to have some more distance from my normal life, this gave me the necessary signs and eye-openers that it was time to make some changes. I remembered I was still on the medicine they gave me to regulate my heartbeat, thankfully in this holiday I could feel it was time to stop the medicine. Back home in the Netherlands after this holiday, I broke up with my (amazing) partner, quit my job, sold my house and gave almost all my belongings away. The craziest decisions I ever made within a few days, but I was sure, so sure. No more attachments, no more strings attached to me, everything aside, just me this time. I had no answers or plan, but felt lighter and more free then ever before. What surprised me most was that it was not as scary as I thought it would be.

“When it hurts, observe, life is trying to teach you something.”

As time passed, I slowly started feeling better. The heavy symptoms of burnout softened, and piece by piece, I was coming back to life. After such a long break from working, I felt a quiet readiness to step into something new. But I knew it had to be completely different from what I’d done before.

During this period, I often found myself walking along the beach at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands. One afternoon, I wandered into a surfy little beach café and spontaneously asked if they needed help. They did. And I started right away.

It was simple work, but I loved it. The energy was light, the people colorful and open. There was a sense of freedom in the way they lived, a feeling I hadn’t found in my old life. For the first time in a long time, I felt at home in myself—and accepted, exactly as I was. That summer was full of sun, shared work, and laughter. Something inside me softened. And something else sparked.

As autumn came, I felt called to go further—to travel somewhere completely new. I booked a ticket to New Zealand, not knowing much about what awaited me, only that it felt right. It was love at first sight with Raglan, a little surfy village, the relaxed vibe, like minded people living an alternative and simple lifestyle, the rough coastline. I just stayed there. For a while I was living from tent to shed, to my car and housesitting other peoples houses. How little I needed to be deeply happy inside. It was in one of the many surf sessions that I realised, if I can be this happy living simply and slowly, what more could I possibly need? Isn’t this what life is really about?

I didn’t want to leave. But after nearly a year, I made the decision to return to the Netherlands—to reconnect with my family and meet my newborn nephew.

As time passed, I slowly started feeling better. The heavy symptoms of burnout softened, and piece by piece, I was coming back to life. After such a long break from working, I felt a quiet readiness to step into something new. But I knew it had to be completely different from what I’d done before.

During this period, I often found myself walking along the beach at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands. One afternoon, I wandered into a surfy little beach café and spontaneously asked if they needed help. They did. And I started right away.

Coming back was harder than I ever imagined. I had changed so much. But could I be this new version of myself in my old world? I felt torn between two lives. I longed for simplicity and slowness, but I was back in a place where old patterns and expectations felt heavy again. I found myself deeply confused. And yes, even depressed.
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I had experienced such freedom, such clarity, such truth about what mattered to me in New Zealand. But back home, it was as if that clarity slipped through my fingers. I struggled to stay connected to the person I had become, especially around the people I loved most. The high I had lived in for so long came crashing down into a low I didn’t expect.
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And I found myself wondering.. What now?

"The things you are passionate about are not random - they are your calling."

I realised New Zealand was just the start of my journey. Yoga and surfing changed my whole view of life, it made me so much stronger, open and humble at the same time. To be out there in the ocean, on your own, it's so easy to loose yourself there. I had to deal with my fears, doubts, insecurity's, frustrations and face them, no more hiding.

I left on another journey—this time to Bali. I spent my days surfing, moving through yoga, nourishing myself with simple, wholesome food, and surrounding myself with the beauty and gentleness of the island. One of my dearest friends from New Zealand met me there, and having her by my side helped me reconnect with the ease I had found in Raglan.
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But it was a long silent retreat that shifted something deeply within me. In the stillness, I found a home inside myself. I had time to sit with everything that had happened. To listen. To breathe. To let the layers fall away again. It gave me strength. It gave me clarity.
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During that time, I pulled a card from an oracle deck—simple, powerful words that resonated so deeply, they’ve guided me ever since;

"The Princess of Staves, a fiery-haired young woman crowned with a circle of gold, vows to be as stalwart as the rocks surrounding her. About to reach all of life's fullness, and embracing all of its possibilities, she glorifies Freyja's values of beauty and hard work. The Princess of Staves' ability to go forward with her work exemplifies the quality of confidence at its best. The ability to create beauty that has use in the world. Energy, integrity, and creativity. New ideas or ventures that must be acted upon immediately. A young woman who inspires others to live this mission.”

While I was in Bali, settling into myself again, I received a call from my mother and sister. They wanted to plan a family holiday and asked me where I would like to go. Without thinking too much, I answered Portugal. Ericeira, specifically.
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It had come up in conversation a few times, little whispers, small signs. I didn’t know much about it, but it felt like the right place. And I had this deep longing to share my love for surfing with my nephew, who was just eight years old at the time.

I spent those days teaching my nephew how to surf, and it came so naturally to me. One sunset, it was just me and my nephew in the water, he looked at me and said; this is what matters right? His words. His understanding—at just eight years old—that life can be simple and full, all at once. I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

When my family returned to the Netherlands, I stayed behind. I thought maybe I would travel further along the Portuguese coast, but something was anchoring me here in Ericeira. And then—an unexpected invitation. One of the local surf schools had noticed me teaching my nephew. They saw the joy and passion I brought to the water. They asked if I wanted to teach the rest of the summer. I was surprised. And honestly, a little unsure. Uncomfortable with the idea of being in front of a group, but something deeper inside me said yes.

And that yes changed everything. I began teaching surfing—not just the technique, but the connection to the ocean, the trust in yourself, the ability to let go and be fully present. It wasn’t just about surfing. It was about something more. And I could feel; this is what I am meant to do.

Your soul doesn't care about what you do for a living. Your soul cares only about what you are being while you are doing whatever you are doing. Are you going to be in a place called love or fear?

That's the beginning of my life in Ericeira. That summer, I gave teaching surf everything I had. And it gave me so much more in return. I discovered how much I loved taking care of a group, making people feel safe, comfortable, and welcome in an experience that was completely new to them. It wasn’t just about helping someone catch a wave. It was about holding space for them to trust themselves, to let go, and to enjoy it.

And in doing that, I realized… I was making a difference. The way they smiled when they stood on the board for the first time. The joy, the vulnerability, the gratitude they expressed so openly—it was humbling. They were making a difference in my life path as well.

It was because of this that I discovered how much I enjoyed teaching, and in particular holding space for others. So in the winter that followed I decided to go deeper into the yoga and the art of teaching by joining a yoga teacher training from Emily Kuser in Bali (2017). I knew I was gonna be confronted with more suppressed emotions, more vulnerability, more cracking open, but I felt ready for it.

This training was a container full of love and safety, I came out of my comfort zone and started using my voice, trusting and listening to my body, I experienced the biggest emotional and physical releases. I surrendered and went all in. On the last day of the training, I had to teach my exam class, I remember everything in me wanted to turn around, walk away and not do it. But I did, and just like in the ocean, just like teaching surf, I felt that through my energy, my words, and my presence, I was holding a space where people could feel deeply, reconnect to themselves, come home to their bodies, and re-find love for who they are.

One thing became clear to me in my yoga classes—There is nothing I love more than touch. I naturally used my hands during practice. Soft adjustments, grounding touch, simply being present through my hands. And often after class, people would come to me and say: "What did you do? Your hands are magic."

Their words sparked something curious in me. I wanted to explore what I was feeling when I worked with my hands. I wanted to understand it more deeply. I joined a deep relaxation massage course. A new level of understanding came to me, that this bodywork is really just energy work. At the same time, my dear Ayurvedic friend and teacher, Tory Hyndham, introduced me to Ayurvedic Marma Therapy—an ancient energetic practice that gave me an even deeper insight into the sacred power of touch. This gave me a much deeper insight into everything that goes beyond the simple act of skin to skin contact and slowly, I wove all of these learnings together in a way that felt true for me.

As I deepened my own practice, I found myself drawn to the sacred connection we hold in our pelvis—our root. I had been carrying a constant tension in my pelvic area, and I knew there was more there to explore. What began as personal healing turned into a passionate exploration of Pelvic Yoga. This eventually blossomed into a love for Pre- and Postnatal Yoga.

I found myself guiding expecting and new mothers to reconnect with their bodies during one of the most transformative times of their lives. To feel more grounded, more centered, and more held. I loved how in tune pregnant mama’s are and how deep they can go in their practice. It became clear that this was a calling—a way to hold women as they navigate the powerful unraveling and becoming of motherhood. And this was only the beginning.

There is a hunger inside of me, to squeeze more out of life, to reach a higher state of health and happiness, to create more, to feel more, to become my best self.

The Birth of Unravel Mama

In 2022, I became pregnant with my first daughter, Mila.
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Even after all the deep work I had done—through yoga, bodywork, and living close to nature—pregnancy brought a whole new layer of transformation. I felt it in every cell of my being.
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Becoming a mother was both deeply grounding and wildly expansive. And as I moved through my own pregnancy, I realized how much we, as women, need to be seen. To be understood in the sacred journey we are in. To feel prepared and empowered for the birth that’s coming. And just as importantly, to feel deeply cared for and connected to a community. With the birth of my first baby, I really didn’t expect to feel that vulnerable, I had missed the support of a doula and just wished I had known more. I also realized that this season of pregnancy is so special and this time for self care is rare after becoming a mother.

And so, in 2023, while carrying my second baby, Lou, the first Babymoon Retreat was born. It was a gathering I had dreamed of creating—an intimate, gentle space for pregnant women to pause, to breathe, to be nurtured, feel prepared and empowered. Everything in me told me to continue.
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By 2024, Unravel Mama had expanded into offering Postpartum Retreats, our Mama-Baby Retreats, as all the mothers of the Babymoon Retreat wanted to come back as a reunion with their babies. It became a village.
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A sacred place where mothers are seen, held, and honoured—whether they are preparing to welcome their baby, or finding their footing in new motherhood. Because motherhood transforms us all—and we were never meant to walk this path alone.

And here I am. After eight years, still in Portugal. Doing what I truly love. And nothing else. I hold deep gratitude for the life I had before I chose to change it. And for the life that unfolded after I let go. Yes, I miss my family and friends in the Netherlands deeply. But somehow, this distance brought us closer as well. We don’t take our time together for granted anymore and I love to have them around here having a taste of my life here.

And I love to witness the shifts in them too. Like little ripples… Moving outward. Inviting us all to live life a little slower, a little simpler. To come back into touch with what really matters.

Thank you for reading, if you’ve made it this far. I hope our paths cross one day—maybe in Portugal, maybe on a retreat, maybe on this wild and beautiful journey of motherhood.
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With love and light,
Lisanne

I’d love to talk with you