Everyone has their own way of shaking off the daily grind and recharging their batteries. My personal secret recipe to combat brooding and autopilot mode? Horse riding and yoga retreats! Yep - I even get on a plane to ride through wild nature on the back of a horse, roll out my yoga mat every day and use little rituals to clear my head and heart, body and mind.

Two hours before departure, I'm standing relaxed at Zurich Airport. Checked in online, baggage labeled - I speed through security in almost record-breaking speed. The rest of the journey also goes smoothly, and in the afternoon I'm standing in front of our first accommodation: a charming vintage B&B in the middle of Palermo. As the retreat hasn't started yet, I let myself drift through the city, stroll through narrow streets, feel warm stone under my feet and soak up life.

In the evening, I meet our Riding & Yoga Guide Catherine Lippuner and the rest of the group: warm women with whom it is easy to laugh. Each of them tells us who they are and what brought them here. After a little arrival ritual, we enjoy our first meal together - lots of shared starters and hearty main courses.

While some people are still chasing a gelato, I retire to bed early - tired but happy. Because the motto here is: out early, into the adventure!

Ride, breathe, laugh, live

The next morning doesn't start with an annoying alarm clock, but with the gentle ringing of a church bell and the first rays of sunlight peeking through the window. At breakfast, I reach for muesli, fresh fruit, a glass of fruit juice and an extra strong coffee. And I feel that the relaxed energy and good mood of this group of women is already making me feel lighter.

After breakfast, we drive out into the countryside to Prizzi - the wild heart of Sicily, where time ticks slower and nature blooms in the richest colors. At the idyllic country estate, we are welcomed with an Aperol Spritz and Sicilian snacks. The hosts of the beautiful azienda introduce themselves: Francesco and Anna are our guides for horse riding, while the young couple Elisa and Nino will fill our bellies with their food. Afterwards, it's off to the lovingly furnished rooms and on to our first delicious lunch. And then - finally - to the horses!

I am assigned Nestore: an almost kitschy, snow-white Arabian-Connemara mix with a long curly mane and plenty of pepper in his ass. At the first canter, he shoots off like lightning - including three bucking jumps. Hello adrenaline! We ride through lush greenery, past colorful flower meadows, with a view of hilly, untamed Sicily. An unforgettable foretaste of the days to come!

Back at the farm, we treat ourselves to a short siesta and then a relaxing facial yoga session with semi-precious stones. Wrinkles can not only be smoothed out by a plastic surgeon, but also with a lot of stamina and the right pressure from the polished stones! Over dinner (risotto! salad! fruit salad! more please!) we laugh, talk, enjoy - and I fall into bed full and blissful.

Slow Life, please take away

The next morning is chilly and the sky hangs heavy over us. But Nestore, my faithful companion, is as relaxed as ever when it comes to being groomed and saddled. No grumbling, no flinching - a gentle gentleman on four hooves. When we set off, all that remains of the rain is a fine drizzle that almost disappears in the warm, hazy air. The landscape around us is wild and lush, as if it had sprung from a fairy tale. In the damp haze, the lush green glows even more intensely, flowers and herbs line the path as if someone had planted a meadowland in Sicily. There is a touch of magic in the air.

Walk, trot, canter - and back to walk again. Everything just falls into place. My body, my breath, my horse - in perfect harmony. Everyday life? Seems light years away. My nervous system purrs contentedly like a lush kitten in the sun.

A deliciously fragrant pasta awaits us at lunchtime - simple, honest, Italian soul food. Afterwards: Dessert and siesta per sempre. In the afternoon, we drive to Prizzi to visit a friend of Francesco's who makes his own wine - for a tasting with, of course, aperitif nibbles. We fill our bellies, laugh a lot and fool around - the wine is probably not entirely innocent. Back at the azienda, dinner follows - how could it be otherwise? Yogic stretching of the stomach: Mangiare, mangiare, mangiare!

From horseback straight to the heart

Birdsong wakes me up on day four. After my tried and tested morning ritual - muesli with yoghurt and fresh fruit - I get ready for my longest ride yet: an all-day ride. The weather? On our side - twenty degrees, clear skies, perfect conditions. Our route takes us over hill and dale, through a lush landscape that looks as if someone has put a magic filter over it. After a good three hours, we descend, roll out our yoga mats and stretch our tired bodies during "yoga for riders".

This is followed by a lunch that disappears faster than you can say "Buon appetito".

I make up my mind: I want to take this feeling home with me. At the top of my list now is to schedule me-time, take cell phone breaks, do more yoga again, less multitasking. And breathe. Just breathe. Life in, stress out.

At the end of the day there's a small aperitif - after which we get to visit the foals. And apparently foals are really into bottom massages! Who would have thought? Later, we taste some homemade schnapps. Dolce Vita - the Sicilian way.

Heart connection instead of WLAN

The last day begins with the familiar smell of Bialetti coffee - probably the most beautiful of all morning scents. At breakfast, we are all a little introverted. The mood is calm, almost melancholy. And somehow the conversations get closer to the heart. It's about family, about sisters, about parents. A few tears flow. And it's beautiful. Real connection. With women who were strangers to me just a few days ago - and now seem like old friends. It's honest - and it's beautiful. Catherine always says:

"Nothing gold can stay."

And maybe she's right. There are moments that are so special that you can only hold on to them by letting them go. The time with this group is definitely one of them.

Yoga with a horse's eye view & galloping escape

Then our last ride begins. Our destination is a small farm belonging to friends of our hosts with chickens, horses, geese, pigs - and a kitchen that makes us overeat without restraint. My stomach? In close contact with the saddle, so to speak. But hey - who counts calories? We do yoga between the tethered horses. A combination like pasta and parmesan - they simply belong together.

The ride home took us past a small lake surrounded by wild flowers. It looked like a kitschy, beautiful postcard - almost too perfect to be real. A nasty bee sting brought me back to reality - just as we were riding past a beekeeping farm. We were smarter at the next beehive: trot mode, escape reflex - but better gallop, dai dai, adrenaline!

The reward was a long gallop over soft meadows. My little racehorse Nestore was almost unstoppable - he loved it, and so did I. This feeling of freedom, of wind in your face and total presence... priceless. Sicily, I love you.

Back at the stables, we were all pleasantly exhausted from three intensive days on horseback. A well-deserved shower and chill break followed. By the time we got up on time again in the evening, my hunger was - unbelievably - at zero. Lunch was still going on. Nevertheless, I heroically fought my way through a few bites until dessert. And again I was: overeaten, but happy.

Francesco, our guide and host, couldn't praise us enough - and honored us with the title "The group that ate the best". An award that we wear with pride!

One last Nutella croissant

At the farewell breakfast, everyone was treated to their favorite croissant of the evening before - mine is with Nutella. Of course. It tastes bittersweet, like the moment itself.

At the end there is a small ceremony with Cat: each retreat participant draws a semi-precious stone and shares her gemstone moment of the week.

Mine? Every single ride with Nestore. And this special group of women. No drama, no airs and graces. Just togetherness, depth, respect, laughter - and the feeling of being in the right place.

I go home with more than just a few memories. I take a feeling with me - of inner space, clarity, connectedness. And a bulging belly full of Sicilian love.

Because in the end, it's all about abundance. Not just in the plate. But in the heart.