About The Studio Journal
The Studio Journal was born during a sabbatical that became something much deeper, a turning point.
What began as a pause from routine turned into a journey of unlearning, rediscovery, and reconnection. I wandered, I listened, I wrote. I stepped into unfamiliar places, both on the map and within myself.
This journal is a space to share what I’ve gathered along the way. It holds reflections from the road, questions from the quiet moments, and the stories that shape how we travel, live, and grow. You’ll find pieces of my journey here, but also prompts, insights, and encouragement for your own.
Because transformation doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in the in-between. And this is a place for that.
What You May Experience Through Luontopolku — Back to Your Senses® method
✔ A renewed connection to your own nature
✔ Greater clarity about what truly matters now
✔ Deeper trust in your direction and inner guidance
✔ Courage to move forward with alignment and intention
When Nature Becomes a Mirror: A Reflective Walk on the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa
Ruta Ecológica coastal trail in Benissa, Spain, with wooden railing overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and pine-covered cliffs on the Costa Blanca, a peaceful setting for reflective nature walks guided by The Journey Studio.
Have you paused lately, I mean truly paused, taking yourself out not to perform, achieve, or respond, but simply to listen within?
On the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa, the landscape quietly reminds us how time reshapes everything.
Walking along the cliffs, you pass old sandstone quarries. Places where stone was once extracted and landscapes were capitalized on. Today they are protected nature areas. We walk through them gently, observing rather than taking.
Time has shifted their purpose.
Small yellow flowers grow through dry soil and rocky ground. Fragile yet persistent, they slowly reclaim the terrain. Spring approaches quietly here. Nature does not rush, but it always finds its way forward.
Watching this, it becomes difficult not to reflect on our own inner landscapes.
Just like the land, our inner nature also moves in cycles. Some seasons are productive and outward-facing. Others ask for restoration, protection, and listening.
We have learned to protect natural environments: to leave them as they are given to us.
Perhaps we need to offer the same care to ourselves.
Pausing, keeping ourselves close, staying in conversation with our inner voice. Noticing what might be quietly sprouting within us again; an idea, a direction, a courage that had been waiting for the right season.
Nature has a remarkable way of reflecting what we carry inside.
When we walk slowly and intentionally, the landscape begins to mirror our own thoughts. A question carried quietly in the mind often finds unexpected clarity along the path.
This is the foundation of my Luontopolku® reflective walk practice: creating space where nature becomes both guide and mirror.
Along the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa we slow down, observe, and listen, not only to the sea breeze, the pine trees, and the rhythm of the waves, but also to what is stirring within.
You may arrive with a question, a transition, or simply the feeling that it is time to pause.
Nature has a way of answering in its own quiet language.
I offer guided reflective walks at the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa for individuals and small groups through The Journey Studio.
If you feel the need to pause, listen, and reconnect with your own direction, you are welcome to walk with me.
Reflective Walk Experiences
📍 Ruta Ecológica, Benissa – Costa Blanca
Solo sessions or small groups
Read more and book your walk through The Journey Studio.
Horses Can Talk
Mirka and Anne-Marie riding horses during the last horse coaching session where she went out on her own horse Jack the first time.
How Jack the Irish Cob and a walk in nature led to courage, connection, and healing
We should walk the walk—not just talk.
I believe our steps can lead us intuitively to where we are meant to go.
Since I began walking—literally and metaphorically—serendipitous events have kept unfolding. I started my sabbatical tour of Spain by driving to Oliva beach in the autumn of 2024. Soon after settling in, I found Centro Hípico Oliva and went riding the very next day.
By January, I had moved to Dénia and, through booking a hairdresser, discovered she kept her horse at the same stables. I returned to ride with her. The natural beauty of Oliva's nature reserve—with water bodies, birds, and wildlife framed by mountains—soon became a grounding space for me. Alongside Montgó, it offered peace.
Meeting Jack
This July, a curious Irish Cob named Jack caught my attention. Observing me with his stablemates, he seemed to seek connection. He was talkative, a little cheeky, and clearly eager to do more. I suggested to his owner that I ride him out, but she was hesitant—terrified, in fact.
Jack had lived in Spain for a year but had never gone out on a hack. His owner only rode him in circles, gripped by fear from a fall when Jack was younger.
A Coaching Journey in the Saddle
Anne-Marie, Jack’s owner, had also recently acquired Novela, an 18-year-old Spanish mare. Longing to ride Jack outdoors again, she agreed to a one-week plan that combined intention setting, coaching, and gentle progress.
I rode Jack while Anne-Marie rode Novela. The horses sensed her nerves, and Jack, being a spirited soul, added a dose of macho energy to our first ride. We rode several times together, gradually increasing the distance, adding gaits, and building confidence. Anne-Marie and I also had one-on-one sessions to ensure everyone—horse and human—felt safe and seen. Jack responded beautifully—curious, expressive, and engaged. On day seven, Anne-Marie rode Jack confidently by my side, a moment she called a triumph.
Walking Toward Courage
Anne-Marie’s dream was to ride Jack to their new home in the countryside. But until we met, she hadn’t found anyone to support her in that journey. Yesterday, she did it—with me walking beside her.
It was exactly what she was meant to do, and she did it with pride. She's now smiling, glowing, and enjoying her horse—and herself—more freely than before.
Let the Journey Lead You
I don’t know how these things unfold—but they do. Since I’ve been walking my walk, staying connected to my senses and inner nature, I move lighter every day.
Would you like to dare something new for yourself?
Don’t let fear hold you hostage. You can walk around it.
Send me a note. Let’s see where your path can take you.
🌀 — Mirka Kristiina
Transformative Travel Coach | The Journey Studio