Equinox at HJEM : the home where you can put down your bags - and your thoughts !
There are days that open like a door. That one held the color of the equinox : a golden light hovering between the departing summer and the settling autumn, and a moment when day and night - for once - joined hands.
At Port-Blanc, by the sea, a house awaited me. HJEM, Danish for "home."
You feel its presence before you even see it. It holds a thousand little curated treasures : antique floorboards that creak like old friends, wood-paneled walls, nautical light fixtures that seem to have sailed the seas before washing up here, and a wood-burning stove straight out of a fairy tale! Nothing is overly polished, and that is precisely what makes it feel so deeply lived-in. You need only cross the street to find yourself by the sea. And down on the beach, a sauna awaits, gently steaming in the early morning light.
We were a circle of women who had come to briefly set down the weight of the weeks leading up to autumn.
There was meditation, where we learned that silence is not an emptiness, but a presence. There was yoga, which gently awakened the body without ever forcing it. And there was the table, set for us by chef Marine Rob : wholesome, generous, and vibrant dishes - the kind that nourish just as much as they comfort.
That very evening, I felt something unravel - a gentle serenity, a deeper breath. And a few days later, like a seed taking its time to break through the soil, a new momentum emerged - a fresh energy I hadn't expected. That is the nature of true pauses: they don't end the moment you latch the garden gate behind you.
Karin, the host who infuses this energy
This house has a soul, and that soul is Karin Troldborg Brath. A Dane living in Brittany, she is a forest therapist and breathwork guide, trained - among other methods - in the Oxygen Advantage® technique. She founded Lysbyheart, a practice born of a simple question : what helps us stay connected to ourselves, to others, and to the living world ?
The name itself has a lovely story behind it. It came to her during her pregnancy : *Lys* means "light" in Danish and "lily" in French, and - through a tender play on words - it evokes the phrase "love yourself." She used to call her daughter "my little Lys." Her entire practice is rooted in this invitation to rediscover one’s own light - not to "fix" oneself, but simply to remember one’s own wholeness.
At HJEM, she created the "Seasonal Pauses," held four times a year in rhythm with the seasons. The program is gentle : the sauna is lit early, followed by a dip in the sea, some movement, and breathwork. Two shared meals anchor the day - brunch at 11 a.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. - while the evening brings a meditation designed to invite calm rather than force it. Guests arrive as strangers and leave having recognized a part of themselves in the eyes of others. As she beautifully puts it : it is neither a retreat nor a structured program - simply a pause.
For those who feel like stepping through the door
"Leading with the Heart" Women’s Winter Summit: October 14–18, 2026.
"Expression" Winter Retreat: October 29 – November 8, 2026, with optional writing workshops.
"Restoration" Spring Retreat: February 25 – March 7, 2027.
Stays are offered as all-inclusive three-night packages (meals, sauna, movement, breathwork, meditation, and linens) or as day visits for locals.
Karin also offers bespoke seminars for companies, fostering team well-being through connection with nature.
To book or find out more, visit www.lysbyheart.com. Space is limited, so it’s best to book early.
I highly recommend this getaway - whether you treat yourself to it solo, with friends, or as a team. You arrive carrying your burdens, but leave with a sense of lightness you didn't think was possible anymore.
Caroline
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