sollua team

the human behind sollua

Merje

hi, I’m merje - the voice behind sollua! I am passionate about everything offline, crafting, photography and writing, so most of what you see and read has been created by my little hands & brain - sometimes flawed, but always real ✹

synergy yoga movement & creative workshops

sollua vision holder & facilitator

  • ✹ Born & raised in the fairytale land Estonia

    ✹ Studied to be an english & health science teacher (tartu university)

    ✹ Synergy yoga teacher training (lanka yoga in 2023)

    ✹ Used to work in fintech - Wise (loved the rush of the startup-ness)

    ✹ Made a 180 in my life and moved to Madeira in 2024 to create sollua (after a classic case of burnout and aimlessness)

  • Nature

    ✹ Love hiking - from bogs in Estonia to more than 20 trails in Madeira

    ✹ Definitely a water baby - if there’s a lake/river/pool/sea/ocean/pond then you’ll find me there

    ✹ Surfing - not perfect & happy to catch a wave, but even happier just to be in the water

    Creativity

    ✹ Ceramics (all sollua pieces are my little creations)

    ✹ Analog photography (everybody in the retreat gets an analog camera for the week)

    ✹ Painting, drawing, tattooing

    ✹ Collages & crafting (especially memory scrapbooks & vision boards)

    Yoga

    ✹ Yoga experience of 17 years

    ✹ Synergy* yoga teacher since 2023

    ✹ Yoga at Madeira Friends nomad community

    *Physiotherapy-based, evidence-led modern yoga, inspired by Qi Gong and designed to feel effortless, not exhausting. It integrates mobility & spinal movements to create a sustainable way to feel healthy and connected in your body instead of focusing on the perfection of the poses.

sollua team

fire pit & meditation journeys

facilitator

Melisa

  • i met melisa 2 years ago in madeira by sheer coincidence. I was at an event with my friends, she was on her own & didn’t have a spot to sit, so she joined our table. we clicked immediately over journeys through life and also art. I still have her hand painted watercolor sticker she gave me. We met briefly, but kept in contact and after she moved to madeira she has become one of my closest friends. she is one of the most authentically true to self people I know. she has been on my side throughout building sollua and she was also a big part of the first edition with her full moon ceremony and her meditation journeys. and of course she is so much bigger than what you can have a glimpse of in the retreat - is a spiritual guide & akashic records channeler helping people find their authentic selves. So it’s a true honor to have her as a part of sollua ✹

meals by maracjua experiences

Tiago & Donatello

Fresh local farm-to-table vegetarian meals

  • i met tiago while volunteering for nomad fest in 2024. he had just started doing little brunches in his mountain cottage and we decided to have a gathering there with everyone. it was the most real, cosy and delicious experience. since then I told everyone about his brunches and took all of my friends there. while preparing for sollua we decided to do our first retreat - me hosting & him cooking with his partner Donatello. They were truly the highlight of the retreat! Such amazing combinations, delicious surprises. Now we’re waiting for them to open a restaurant, because we need their food more often! soso happy to have them as a part of the retreat ✹

terracotta ceramic cafe

Mai

ceramic experience

  • I met Mai 2 years ago when I started doing ceramics here in madeira. she was a ceramics teacher and she taught me everything that I know. also the pieces made for the retreat have been made with her help. this year she opened her very own ceramic cafe in funchal - terracotta! it’s the perfect place to relax, have a bite or a glass of wine and let your creativity flow through painting ceramics or creating your own unique piece. I’m so happy our paths crossed and we get to be a part of each other’s dreams ✹

✹ join us in December ✹

Questions? Message me ✹