SOAPSTAR talks to the woman behind Thuùla Regenarative farming and Thuùla Havens, on blissful daydreaming, being a mom and finding balance in everyday life.
"Looking at this concept called beauty, for me, it's that whatever you do from within, do from your soul, it will radiate out of you. I believe that that's true beauty. Someone living in full authenticity. To me real self-care starts with selflove."
"I have always been a dreamer (probably my Pisces energy) and was constantly dreaming and creating as a young child. Nature has provided me with solace since childhood, inspiring and enriching me in ways nothing else could. I did well in school and excelled in sports, but always knew I wanted to do something creative when I finished school.
Both my husband and I grew up in this area. We met eachother in school at a young age and then when we were about 19, my husband moved to France to become a professional Rugby player. I eventually joined him when i was 21, we lived there for about twelve years during my husbands career and we had our daughters there. The plan was always to eventually come back to South Africa. My husband had the aspiration to take over his fathers business and come and farm here. We always had accommodation here so everything just slowly evolved. Obviously with covid it took a bit longer than we had planned but we finally launched our Thuùla dream.
I did a few projects in France, but it is only when we moved back to South Africa that I fully immersed myself in Interior Design. I now enjoy doing a mixture of creative projects. With Thuùla Havens i get the opportunity to express myself creatively and bring a variety of ideas into fruition. My visions for the exterior of the bigger house were brought to life by an architect while i did all the interior designing and the redesign and renovations of Little Haven.
With a passion for nature and its preservation, my husband has adopted Regenerative farming - an approach to agriculture that is gentler on the environment. Instead of relying heavily on pesticides or fertilizer, this somewhat more holistic method works with natural processes to produce healthier fruit without compromising on conservation efforts. He embraces sustainability as both a solution in itself and an expression of kindness towards our planet's future generations."
-----------
"Even though at times I try to not emediately react, stay serene, and try to go with the flow, unfortunately it doesn't always work out this way. In general i do try to focuss on what good things can come out of a difficult situation."
"For my husband and I juggling Thuùla, family life and two young daughters can be quite the balancing act. But since completing renovations to create this paradise-like haven it's been a much smoother process than expected. Having more time for my girls brings joy despite the hectic driving involved in living out of town but at the end of the day it comes down to time planning and finding balance. Living in this valley and having these beautifull surroundings is so worth it and i love every aspect of it.
Taking my daughters to school each morning gives me some blissful moments afterwards of solitude, and I use that time for activities of either some yoga, walking in nature or simply meditating with one of my favorite scented candles. My daily routine helps to create balance throughout the day; when I go without it on certain occasions, it's noticeable how off-centered my energy feels. So its important for me to have that me time in the mornings and just ground myself. Whenever possible - usually once or twice per week - swimming in the ocean is part of this routine too. I love using soapstar bodyoil for my skin and hair for my post-dip ritual, when my skin is still a bit damp. There’s something about diving into water and taking care of my body afterwards that rejuvenates both my body and my spirit.
Im a very intutive person and at times you find yourselve in tricky situations. I believe in facing those paths with intuitive inspiration. Even though at times I try to not emediately react, stay serene, and try to go with the flow, unfortunately it doesn't always work out this way. In general i do try to focuss on what good things can come out of a difficult situation.
Looking at this concept called beauty, for me, it's that whatever you do from within, do from your soul, it will radiate out of you. I believe that that's true beauty. Someone living in full authenticity. To me real self-care starts with selflove.
Being a mom is one of life's greatest gifts, but it doesn't always come easy. There are days that not everthing is going as smooth as you wish and you can feel down, however I feel like at the end of the day I will always be their example. When days are not going as planned just being there and being supportive is most important. Life can be difficult and we sometimes tend to lean in to trying to addapt or change in little ways to fit in, but i truely hope and want for them to stay their true selves.
Moving back to South Africa has given me more communal support in terms of having my husbands family around and having a close support group of female friends nearby. I'm truely living my dream and all i want for the future is to just live in joy and peace, nearby the ocean with the people i love most."
Natalie Hauman photographed by Liz van Campenhout