Story

Our story

Who of us wouldn’t have dreamed of living in a mansion?!?

The backround

When we met with Henry, our common vision was to move to live in the countryside. It seemed to us both the best way to live a natural way of life, and to offer it to our son as well. We did not take any conscious steps, we simply hung this statement on the “message board” of the universe.

Mission impossible

By the summer of 2013, we were reading an inspiring story about acquaintances who had bought a great manor complex to share with two families in Southern Estonia. Curiosity prompted us to explore what kind of and if any estates are offered for sale in Estonia. And then we met the sale offer of Hatu Manor. The pictures we saw fascinated us both indefinitely. Looking at the price number, the acquisition seemed like an “mission impossible”. But the heart called for action. We were just planning to build a side house for our Home Garden Yoga Studio in Tallinn. And by that time, we had both walked the yoga teacher path for a few years already and had a desire for a cozy home studio.

Living in a Movie

Further on, events developed a bit like in a movie. At first we went to see the estate from a distance, 2 times even. On the bridge of the river passing through the lands of the manor we met a “prophet”. A local napsman stopped his bicycle, and we asked him what he knew about the manor. He was forthright and asked us to buy this manor, so he could come and work for us …. We looked at each other and then realised that prophecies might also come from the passing villagers riding the bicycle. We decided to investigate if the manorhouse could be visited.
It was August. The golden rye field behind the house swung quietly in the wind. It was also the only sound to hear in addition to the birds in the park. Can you imagine what it would be like to sit under 400-year-old park trees, to look at the golden field, to experience deep silence and complete presence. It became clear that there was no way back, we got “infected” by “manor magic”. Neither of us wanted to go back to the city after.
As we entered the manorhouse we met the next sign. In the hallway, a repro hung from a painting by the same artist who adorned our romantic meeting. Moving on from the hallway, it was clear that we have stepped in the best possible yoga room. Hatu Manor, with it’s 16 rooms and a full vaulted cellar, could be more than just a yoga studio. We had a fabulous vision of a holistic wellness and retreat center with a beautiful yogaspace, bedrooms, therapy rooms and mini spa in the basement. What if all of these 1,000 square meters became home to us and to offer this beauty to many people who value silence, nature, the timelessness of mansion life and their own well-being. Our mission began to unravel in real life before us.
We started to find out what real estate appraisers think about the financial value of our house in Tallinn. The result was encouraging. However, we knew that selling a house could take a long time. And then, after discussions and visits, it became clear that the manor sellers were willing to swoop. How real is that! That was a next sign, that we are ready for transformation.

The Joke

And then on 1st of April. A day to make jokes, a nose-pulling day .. Our broker entered our home and, after an hour of just chatting he announced that the manor owner had unfortunately found another buyer who would immediately put money on the table and our deal is off. We were in shock, to say the least. The preliminary contracts had already been concluded, the down payment has been made and there was only 1.5 months left until the move. For a moment we were in the mood of grief and loss. We were already starting to think about practices to help ourselves through the process of giving up our big dream.

Out from the Comfort zone

The next morning we came to realize that we both did not really have a sense of mourning. With the support of a lawyer, we also informed the seller of our decision not to cancel the transaction. A week later, a new buyer had magically disappeared. What was significant was with the “April Fools Day” is that it made us wonder, if we were ready for such a big “piece”, offering us one last chance to stay in the comfort zone.

On 14th of May, 9 months after we first visited Hatu, we moved all our stuff to Hatu Manor at once. We had to start unpacking very quickly, as we were hosting our first weekend meditation course in 10 days. The house had been standing for 3 years without heating. We slept happily the first night in the “cuddle” of the elecrical radiator, as it was only +9 degrees outside, and the almost 1 meter thick stone walls of the house blasted the winter cold that had been recorded there.