The Mediterranean Sensitivity

The Mediterranean is a place.

It has coastlines, specific smells, particular kinds of light. It has courtyards shaded by lemon trees and conversations that start with complaints and somehow end in laughter. Also the other way round. It is also, whether we like it or not, a zone of projection for those who don’t live here. Lifestyle brands, retreats, travel brochures—they take slices of it, wrap them in beige linen, and feed it to us with some british or german lagger.

But the Mediterranean is more than soft sunlight and olives. It’s shaped by histories of conflict, intricate social rituals, heat, and resilience. To me, is not an abstraction, but my foundational experience, experienced and textures of my perception, the influence that shaped how I connect with life at an early age, even if seasoned by internationality later. It’s a culture I absorbed without knowing it had specific names or explanations.

When I wanted to connect the different disciplines and practices I can offer, I didn't simply want to offer a checklist of techniques. I wanted to make something genuinely mine. And for that I had to get into months of introspection into who I truly am today and how could I fundamentally tie, what could put together everything I do. This introspection wasn’t easy! It demanded honesty, patience, and clarity to discover how my personal history and cultural background naturally merge with my skills and knowledge.

Eventually, I found my answer: the thread that connected everything within me was a particular sensitivity shaped by the Mediterranean—a culture that is not only complex but also very old. Its traditions, values, and emotional codes have been refined over centuries of lived history, exchange, and endurance. And possibly, I had to be living in the UK for many years to even notice it.

What Is a Mediterranean Sensitivity?

Well, is clearly not a method or theory. But I could say it's an embodied way of engaging with life—prioritizing what is sensed and felt over purely intellectual or abstract approaches.

In Mediterranean culture, sacredness isn’t separated from daily routines, and small gestures carry significant meaning. A pause can express respect or dissent. A single glance can convey complex emotional contexts. The body is never merely mechanical—it is a repository of lived experiences. This isn’t romanticisation; it’s reflected in anthropology, ritual studies, and even linguistics. In countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain, non-verbal communication is not secondary but central.

Research shows that Italians, for example, use over 250 distinct hand gestures, many of which are instantly understood across the culture as conveying irony, caution, affection, or disapproval. In Ancient Rome, certain body parts, such as the knees or the right hand, held religious significance, and gestures like extending the hand were part of formalised rituals of trust and supplication. We are famously expressive, and that includes disagreements, in the frame of the culture, emotionally regulated expressiveness, intertwined with cultural norms. 

Complexity and Contradiction

The Mediterranean character is also about contradiction. While family bonds and community support are paramount, they can also lead to intense social pressures and rigid expectations, particularly around issues of honor, reputation, and conformity. The same community that warmly embraces you can equally become the source of conflict, critique, and judgment.

Family structures here are central yet complicated—nurturing but demanding. Interdependence means emotional closeness and shared resources, but also obligations and, sometimes, limitations on personal freedom. Recognizing this complexity is crucial to understanding the true Mediterranean way of life.

Finding My Personal Thread

As I explored this complexity within myself, and I must admit I would probably not have explored it as much if I was not living out of it, I realized how deeply my cultural background shaped my professional and personal approaches. The techniques I had learned and developed weren’t simply methods to master; they were ways of embodying and articulating my Mediterranean sensitivity.

The excersise, the writing, the search, helped me to connect sides of me I had not looked at in a long while, but where possibly still manifested in life, how to connect them with the rest of who I am, a cosmopolitan educated woman, and to be able to prepare to teach from an integrated perspective rather than fragmented practices. I could offer more than techniques; I could offer coherence, depth, and resonance.

Embodiment and Authenticity

In Mediterranean culture, embodiment is second nature. People speak with their hands, express openly, dance freely, and cry without apology. This bodily acceptance shaped my work profoundly. I didn’t have to instruct clients to "return" to their bodies; instead, I showed them how to reconnect with trust and authenticity already inherent within them.

I'm interested in the profound ways place shapes our nervous systems, our emotional expressions, our relationships, and our sense of meaning.

How can it serve us today?

We live in fragmented times, constantly compartmentalizing experiences. Many seek support from a multitude of specialists—therapists, coaches, healers—each offering isolated perspectives. What’s often missing is integration and coherence.

With House of Armida, my goal is to offer a coherent space where rituals, storytelling, emotional intelligence, and embodiment interweave naturally. It’s about aligning who I authentically am with what I offer, recognizing that authenticity naturally resonates with those seeking depth and meaningful connections.

The Mediterranean isn’t just my origin; it's my ongoing inspiration—a reminder to keep sensitivity and authenticity at the heart of everything I do.

Initially House of Armida has been thought to offer in-person and online experiences to individuals and groups. And a small number of times a year, a retreat in a lovely place will be organised, starting in 2026.