Who We Are - Sandra & Santi
of Simply Canvas Farm
Sustainable Entrepreneurship: The Secret Link Between Mindfulness and Permaculture for a Retreat Center
For Sandra and Santi, mindfulness and permaculture go hand in hand at their retreat center, Simply Canvas Farm, in France, where they have been running a sustainable business since 2008. The land is designed according to permaculture and food forest principles. Combined with comfortable accommodations and beautiful group spaces, it’s the ideal setting for guests to come and recharge through retreats and workshops. From personal experience, Sandra and Santi know all too well how important it is to take good care of yourself, and nature plays a key role in that. They themselves lived for years in a Buddhist monastery in the French countryside, and mindfulness continues to be a central theme in their lives.
How we met
Meet Sandra and Santi
If even the smallest thing had gone differently, Sandra and Santi would never have met. Santi was born in Laos, and his family fled to France during the war of the 1970s, which ultimately led to a life of travel around the world. Sandra comes from a family of farmers whose roots go back to 1650, and almost no one ever ventured much further than the village borders. But Sandra set out into the world in search of her soul. Both, each on their own journey, eventually ended up at Plum Village in France, the Buddhist monastery of Thich Nhat Hanh, where they met.
Sandra's book about life in the convent
Sandra's book on permaculture
Permaculture Land and
The Strength of Mindfulness
Permaculture is a way of life that works in harmony with nature, and that is exactly what Sandra and Santi have been striving for at Simply Canvas Farm since 2008. Their goal was not commercial food production, but a place where biodiversity thrives and visitors can recharge. By planting thousands of trees, shrubs, and herbs, they created a resilient ecosystem. They immersed themselves in the study of food forests, took courses with renowned experts, and Sandra even wrote a book about their permaculture experiences: *Op Scheppen*.
Mindfulness as a Common Thread
The common thread in their lives is mindfulness—a quest for a deeper connection with themselves and the world. This quest led them to Plum Village, where they lived as a nun and a monk and studied under Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Santi’s years of studying Buddhist psychology have made him a gifted teacher, and if you’re lucky, he’ll share his insights informally at the kitchen table. Sandra chronicled her journey from monastic life to France in her book *Levensreis naar Frankrijk*. Together, they walk a path of inner peace and connection.
The connection between permaculture and mindfulness for a
retreat center
For Sandra and Santi, mindfulness and permaculture are deeply interconnected. When you’re a guest at their farm and retreat center. Permaculture requires a deep understanding of and respect for natural processes and cycles. It calls for attentive observation and listening to the land, the plants, and the animals. That’s not possible without mindfulness. By practicing mindfulness, we can become aware of the subtle signals and needs of the ecosystem in which we work. Through this connection between permaculture and mindfulness—and by listening deeply to the plants—Sandra has developed flower remedies.
The benefits of the mindfulness-permaculture connection:
The connection between permaculture and mindfulness benefits not only the land and the crops but also the guests Sandra and Santi welcome, the retreats they host, and Sandra and Santi personally:
“By being consciously present in the moment, we can better enjoy the beauty of nature, our work, and our conversations with people. It brings a sense of fulfillment, and we feel connected to our place and the people here when we see our efforts bear fruit. Moreover, mindfulness helps us better cope with the challenges and stress that come with running our place.
And there it is: the special connection between permaculture and mindfulness—our secret ingredient! As proud owners of a permaculture farm and retreat center, we’ve experienced firsthand just how much positivity this combination brings—to our work, to our guests, and especially to our own lives.”
Discover our unique place
Simply Canvas Farm
