Some of you already know. For others this will be shocking news.
At the end of January 2026, Lauvitel Lodge, as we know it, was destroyed by a raging fire that started in the garage.
Over the next 24 hours, the flames pretty much devoured everything that was not stone. What was not transformed by fire was damaged by water, first from the fire engines, then by the rain and snow that persisted over the next few days. The destruction was all too real and yet surreal at the same time.
As I wandered the village like a ghost in the days that followed, I reflected on the loss of my home, my professional life, my identity, and my ability to welcome people into the exceptional world of beauty, friendship and harmony that I had spent so long nurturing here in La Danchère.
I was also very much aware that it wasn’t only my world that had been turned upside down by this devastating event. I felt for the many groups and families who had been planning to come to the Lodge, some of whom already had their suitcases packed. I felt for my colleague and partner Maria, whose culinary wizardry has been such an integral part of the Lodge experience. I felt for the local suppliers whose business will be impacted and for my close friend and local builder Tim Siggs who has carried out so much of the renovation work at the Lodge over the years.
And then there are all the experiences, memories and plans that seem to have gone up in smoke with the building, no longer anchored to something that seemed eternal but scattered to the winds.
The shockwaves from the fire have rippled out into the community, both near and far. And wonderful heartfelt messages have rippled back in, bringing with them all the colours of the rainbow. I am in awe, both of the place Lauvitel Lodge has played in people’s lives and the heartfelt generosity we have received.
The path ahead is more like a labyrinth than a straight trail, with complex insurance procedures, architectural designs and planning permissions to navigate. But the intention is clear: to rebuild, to reconstruct in a way that is aligned with Lauvitel’s promise to bring us closer to being an integral part of nature for a regenerative and flourishing future.
It has taken a while to clear the debris, both physically and emotionally. When the rubble was finally removed, it felt like the garden could breathe again. When water and electricity were reconnected to the garden cabin and the Stillpoint (thankfully both untouched by the flames), it felt like we could begin to imagine opening the garden café for the summer months. And when the Stillpoint was able to welcome and receive its first retreat experience again, it felt like a new beginning.
Strangely, it feels like I have been well prepared for all of this through the Stillness in Action method, which has formed the basis of my transitional coaching practice for many years. I know how to be in the unknown, living a nomadic life, yet still finding centre.
Each morning I awake in gratitude for the day, for the exquisite beauty of nature and the incredible love and support I receive from those around me, both near and far. I continue to hone my ability, knowing when to take action and when to be patient, deepening my spiritual practice and growing in this dance between loss and renewal, enjoying the creative opportunity that it presents.
The Stillness in Action method is interwoven with the seven natural elements of Fire, Water, Wood, Consciousness, Air, Earth, and Sky. I have become aware how these elements are informing each step of this particular transformative journey: the destruction and purification through Fire and Water; allowing the full impact to be Conscious; receiving with gratitude and beginning the recovery process through Air; then moving with Earth and Sky to be both anchored and uplifted as I engage with administration and begin to vision for the future.
In brief, I am being accompanied by Stillness in Action, which is itself evolving. What was once a creative work of art, integrating heart-mind-body-soul with the power of nature, is becoming a force in its own right with a voice that wants to be heard. It is clear from the spontaneous outpouring of generosity and kindness emerging from this catastrophe that this force is very much anchored in community.
The Lodge itself might be gone for now. However, the many lived experiences, memories, dreams, and plans that form the spirit of the Lodge live on, merely transformed.
While the physical transformation of the Lodge is ongoing, I invite you to join me online in the Stillness in Action Community where I tell my story and, together, we discuss, explore and co-create practices that we can all use to inform current transitions and support nature-sensitive regeneration in all its forms.
Bring your own wisdom, curiosity and lived experiences to a space that is ready to listen, where we are able to explore together what is rarely spoken out loud. Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to do things differently, from a place of consciousness and connection. Your presence along the way has and will continue to make all the difference.
