Returning to genuine connections, away from the internet.

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In a hyper-connected world, where relationships are measured in ‘likes’, followers and shares, there is something that continues to hold a special value: reconnecting.

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Finding time for oneself and one’s passions.

Rediscovering the pleasure of talking without looking at one’s mobile phone.

Rediscovering a friendship that the years had drifted apart.

That’s exactly what happened to Yanil and me when our paths crossed again, after more than thirty years. We’d met when I was working in Frankfurt; then, as often happens, we lost touch and found each other again on social media.

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After reading my FRAday post ‘Umbria Reset’, Yanil unexpectedly got in touch, asking me to meet up again and hear her story of resilience and transformation.

So, without needing to be asked twice, I flew to Barcelona to embrace my dear friend once more and find out more about the project she’s working on.

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It’s a story about change, awareness and, above all, reconnection.

And today I’m delighted to be able to share it with you all.

Embracing a new direction.

Yanil Motter is a professional and entrepreneur with an international background, built up over time through different languages, cultures, relationships and experiences.

Through her company, Comunicando, she provides translation, interpreting, training and consultancy services, bringing people, skills and seemingly distant worlds into ‘dialogue’.

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She speaks Italian, Spanish, English, German and Catalan.

But knowing several languages is not just about being able to communicate. It means, first and foremost, learning to observe reality from different perspectives and exploring new possibilities.

And it was precisely thanks to this open-minded approach – a willingness to listen and the ability to look beyond her own boundaries – that Yanil decided, at a certain point, to change direction.

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From this realisation springs DNA – Design, Nature, Art: a new company and, at the same time, a new chapter in her life.

Three elements, three languages, interconnected within a single vision.

Design, which creates space and shapes the way we experience relationships.

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Nature, which engages the senses, restores the body to its natural rhythms and restores balance.

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Art, which stirs the emotions, stimulates thought, prompts reflection and opens up new perspectives.

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Together, these three elements give rise to immersive experiences designed to help us slow down, listen to our inner selves and observe things from a different perspective.

These are not simply places to visit or stay in. Rather, they are settings designed to be experienced: spaces capable of forging connections between the environment, people and emotions.

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I had the opportunity to experience this first-hand in its splendid setting, nestled amidst the beautiful Catalan countryside.

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After about a week, I left with a distinct feeling:

something inside me had started moving again.

Experiencing DESIGN ‘from the inside’.

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I’ve always loved DESIGN.

After all, it’s no coincidence that many of my FRAdays have been dedicated to this topic (I’d recommend the ‘To be or not to be’ project on Milan’s Fuorisalone to anyone who hasn’t read it yet).

I must admit, what fascinates me is beauty, especially when it isn’t merely something to be admired, but combines with comfort, interacts with the space and makes us feel good.

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That’s why I immediately understood Yanil’s choice and the philosophy behind his project.

In her space, she has created an environment that is beautiful, welcoming and, above all, alive. A space not designed to remain ‘static’, but to change alongside people.

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Her idea is simple and, precisely for this reason, powerful: beauty is not merely aesthetic.

It can influence our moods, promote our wellbeing, open us up to others and forge connections.

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This philosophy of hers is embodied in every detail and element of the furnishings. Yanil has even fitted castors to all the furniture. A choice that might seem excessive to many, but which actually serves her vision of a design that moves and changes, just as we do.

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In just over half an hour, I watched her move, rearrange and transform the space right before my eyes. The same room took on a different atmosphere; it began to communicate in a different way and to engage with me.

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I have seen one space transform into another.

And that is precisely what struck me most: namely, that nothing is set in stone. Everything can shift, change and adapt to people and to the experience one wishes to create.

Space, in fact, does not impose a single form, but listens to those who pass through it.

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Always starting with beauty.

Because surrounding ourselves with beauty is good for the spirit, but also for the way we think, feel and relate to others.

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A simple yet decidedly intriguing idea, in which design, beauty, comfort and personal experience come together to bring to life something dynamic, authentic and deeply human.

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But to truly understand this philosophy, I’ll hand over to Yanil in her interview.

Breathe in the energy of NATURE.

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Beauty, on its own, is not enough. To truly fulfil its potential, it needs NATURE – the authentic, life-giving kind, capable of rejuvenating us in body and mind.

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That is why Yanil chooses places surrounded by greenery, where wellbeing is not an abstract promise, but a tangible experience, made up of simple gestures and profound sensations.

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You eat well, breathe clean air, meditate amongst the trees, and listen to the silence. You allow yourself the time to observe what only nature can offer us:

the changing light, the wind through the leaves, the rhythm of the seasons.

Sometimes all it takes is simply lying back in a beautiful hammock, built with a frame reminiscent of a Viking ship, to let go and set sail for a new adventure…

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Here, design and nature coexist in perfect harmony. The elements do not impose themselves on the landscape, but interact with it, creating a space that welcomes, surprises and transforms.

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And you can really feel the change.

Those who arrive at Yanil bring a certain rhythm with them; those who leave take another with them.

Slower. More mindful. Lighter.

Nature makes its presence felt through Onix and Terra too: a Pyrenean Mastiff and a Border Collie. Two beautiful, affectionate dogs who are always there.

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Thieves, however, I’d advise to choose another destination! 😄

Then we pause. We talk. We listen.

And the matcha latte arrives, which for Yanil has also become a little ritual: a moment to be together, to meet and to build relationships.

Because here, beauty isn’t just what you see.

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It’s what you breathe in and what stays with you.

Discovering the wonder of ART.

My experience with DNA was also a series of extraordinary encounters.

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In Sant Pol de Mar, I met Monika Caravaca Sanchez, who specialises in family constellations.

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A person of great depth and sensitivity, accompanied by a husband who looked as though he’d stepped out of a Hemingway novel: a true sea dog.

But the encounter that struck me most was with Duván López and Alberto Duval, in Besalú.

Besalú is a place I highly recommend visiting. Stone, history, bridges and silence combine to create an authentic medieval beauty, which naturally makes you slow down to enjoy your surroundings.

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It was here that I met Duván López, a multifaceted Colombian artist: painter, sculptor, designer and poet. His artistic exploration spans different media and takes shape through objects, installations and digital works.

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What interested me was not only the variety of techniques he uses, but his human and artistic experience.

Duván lived for a period of time in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with the Arhuaco, an indigenous community that has maintained a deep connection with nature and its spiritual dimension.

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He listened, observed and took part in their lives and ceremonies.

This experience left a deep mark on him, influencing the way he sees the world and creates art.

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As I listened to him, one sentence struck me in particular:

Art does not arise solely from technique.

It also arises from what we have experienced.

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From this vision springs Biofilia y Arte, a project that brings together art, nature, neuroscience and health to explore the relationship between aesthetic experience and wellbeing.

Duván’s works are intense.

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But that is not what caught my attention.

They have a presence. They do not merely occupy a space. They seem to inhabit it. They ask you to pause, to take in the images and to listen to what they evoke.

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Of all of them, one struck me more than the others: *The Jungle*.

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Standing before that canvas, I had a distinct sensation. It didn’t feel as though I was simply looking at a painting, but as though I had entered a living, untamed place, vibrant with colours, sounds and emotions.

Listen to what he tells us in his interview (spanish with english subtitles)

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Changing your perspective in just three days.

Yanil’s work goes beyond the traditional organisation of retreats, events and trips.

In fact, she creates personalised programmes designed to help people pause, listen to themselves and look at life from a different perspective.

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To better understand the impact of these experiences, I decided to hear from those who have been through them. Of all the stories, I chose Uwe’s.

Uwe Kuechler, a Senior Consultant, worked for 30 years in the IT sector, first at Oracle and then at Amazon. It was a distinguished career, built on dedication and responsibility.

At a certain point, however, he realised that work was taking up too much of his life.

He felt the need to take a step back.

To change one’s perspective.

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His experience with DNA lasted three days, immersed in DESIGN, NATURE and ART.

The programme began with a one-to-one session with therapist, trainer and guide Carol Mateos (whose role is to guide people towards awareness, balance and inner transformation, and who is part of a movement called, coincidentally, ‘Anima’ which means “soul”), to focus on needs, expectations and questions.

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Then came the meditations, conversations and discussions with the other participants.

For Uwe, the location made all the difference. Being surrounded by these three elements helped him feel at ease and break down those barriers that often prevent us from truly looking within.

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He didn’t arrive with a specific goal in mind. He wasn’t looking for an answer.

He arrived with questions.

And he left with something more important: his own, clearer direction.

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Today, he says he has found a better work-life balance.

And there’s one fact that particularly surprised me: by working less, he has managed to be more productive and, at the same time, enjoy his personal life more.

In this interview, Uwe talks about his experience with DNA.

For me, this is the true strength of DNA: not telling you what you need to change, but creating the conditions for you to figure it out for yourself.

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Returning to our roots and to the essence.

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Duván’s story in the Sierra Nevada has left me with a reflection that goes beyond art.

His encounter with the Arhuaco people reminded me just how much we still have to learn from communities that have maintained a deep connection with the land and with nature.

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This knowledge does not belong to the past; it can become a resource for the future.

I was also reminded of *Heart Dressed*, the documentary to whose premiere I was invited, which chronicles the encounter between international fashion designers – including Marras and Ferragamo – and indigenous communities in Bhutan, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan and Peru.

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The aim is to promote ancestral knowledge, support local artisans and bring their craft into contemporary fashion through new forms of collaboration.

It’s an approach I share: not going to a place merely to discover it, but to experience it fully.

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And I believe this is one of the elements that can make the experiences offered by DNA even more interesting.

Design, Nature and Art are the three pillars.
Encountering cultures and communities that have maintained an authentic relationship with nature can be an added bonus – an extra dimension that enriches the journey and broadens our perspective.

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Ultimately, the real journey isn’t just about going somewhere.
It’s the one that changes you.
The one from which you return a different person, with something more inside you.

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Let’s reconnect this weekend!

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Today’s society, with social media and artificial intelligence, promises us greater connection and productivity. But all too often it leaves us addicted, distracted and lonely.

It’s time for a change. To regain our freedom and express who we truly are.

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On this journey,

DESIGN has inspired me,

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NATURE has soothed me

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and ART has made me reflect.

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Together, they’ve reminded me of one simple thing:

that to feel good, all we need to do is reconnect with ourselves, with others and with the world around us.

So I invite you to try stepping away from the noise, social media and the frenzy of scrolling. Take a deep breath and slow down. Look around you. Go outside. Talk. Listen.

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But if you really can’t manage it, I’ll grant you just one exception: you can connect with me on my social media channels – YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram – where you’ll find interesting interviews, photo features and experiences on DNA.

Switch off. Today is FRAday!

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