@shar

Feeling burnout from lonely London life, a tiny part of me was hoping this would be a cult. I thought a cult might be a nice break from bleak winter in the late-stage capital city. Innate is not a cult; we were asked to leave on the last day, but I was not disappointed. It was an escape into nature, a holiday for my lungs, a chance to slow down and regroup. I found other people also searching for adventure, wonder, peace and connection. And over the course of a month, I had a number of experiences that have changed the way I think about myself, other people, my current community, the ideal community, and on and on.I wanted to experience awe, I wanted to develop a better relationship with meditation - taking us from 'distant third cousins' to 'best friends', and I wanted to connect with other people- Innate ticked those boxes. *most boxes: Meditation is now a 'mutual' so not quite a 'best friend' but this was a month-long co-live, not a miracle. The accommodation and surroundings were gorgeous, beyond my expectations. Absolutely loved the venue and the owners, Paulo & Teresa, treated us like family. It's an incredible experiment, brilliantly executed by Harry that I would recommend. I think many people are in search of something more and the Innate experience led me to an understanding that what I was searching for is "home". The rest was up to me; I had the freedom to explore the surrounding towns, take a community-led yoga class, go to the beach, work all day by the pool or chill at the secret waterfall. As well as group dinners and activities organised by Edgar, we had amazing community-led workshops, cookery classes, meditation retreats, group hiking trips, sing-a-longs, and boardgame nights. But what I truly valued was the space and time that Harry created for all of us to just "be". And to breathe.