"I'll go away smiling in the Paradis Doux"

Ma Demoiselle Pierre - Entrepreneur and business coach

Par: Aurélie ROUTHIER

Meeting Ma Demoiselle Pierre in her "Paradis Doux" was already the semantic promise of an unusual encounter. Always be careful or rather trust apparent contradictions : they put us on the path of uncompromising, luminous and free personalities, those we love at SAUDADE !

So it is in her new place of living and working "Paradis Doux" located in the heart of the Apilles toward the Baux de Provence, that she welcomes us, the one that for more than 13 years has been known under the name of Ma Demoiselle Pierre. From classical music to journalism, from communication to jewelry, from numerology to holistic practices and yoga coaching : to all those who believe in reinvention and the power of the feminine, you will not be disappointed by the entrepreneur life !

Unlike "stone", you seem far from being "inert" ! So who is Ma Demoiselle Pierre and why this name ?

Be careful, we think that stone is an inert element if we compare it to the rhythm to the transformation of our lives, but it is in reality much alive, anchored, solid, vibrant and "powerful"!

A kind of quiet force that remains there, despite all the rains and storms. The stone that inspired "Ma Demoiselle Pierre" was quite real, as it first was the brand of jewelry that I had launched. Behind this name, the idea was to revisit the link between the feminine and the masculine. The idea was also that you could gift or offer yourself jewelry without needing a man ! to embody this brand in a physical place.

My boutique on rue Amelot in Paris was therefore conceived as a meeting place for co-creation, bringing together talents in fashion, beauty and arts of living. I work alone but I believe more than anything in the energy of the collective and the magic of encounters. My Demoiselle Pierre is my creative double who invites me to dare, to transform and to transform myself !

A swarm of travels, projects, a growing community...and suddenly, the body sends a strong signal?

Yes, until 2018, everything follows on incredibly well. The collaborations, especially with Reebok on trainer jewelry, had an international impact. I thought I had everything under control, my communication, my creativity, my community, my personal rhythm...and then the machine went crazy and the body finally gave out. It was in 2018 and I experienced a real big burn-out, one of those that from one day to the next brings you down. I had literally lost my voice, my original instrument. And may that's what put me on my new path.

A body that you seem to have (re)discovered at that moment.

When my body gave out, I immediately understood that it was with it that I was going to get back on track. I had neglected it all these years. So I turned to a whole series of practices that put my body and my mind in motion: Nordic walking, yoga nidra, shamanism... It was at this point that my relationship to time and space began to evolve. Another "me" began to emerge through these discoveries of practices and, of course, the people who came to me, also giving me new keys to understanding what I was made for.

Was the re-establishment of a territory, a place, also important in this rebirth?

I left Paris for Arles, practically overnight. Changing latitude was the key. Once again, my body asked me to. This is where I created Arles De Vivre - ADV in 2019. I then co-created a 1st retreat with Julia Mitton, founder of Arles yoga and Le Chardon Arles and in 2020 I created, organised and led business, yoga, individual and bespoke retreats. And I never stop training in multiple practices, such as sound healing or vibratory numerology.

And then the “Paradis Doux”, this place that chose you as much as you chose it.

It is Gaëlle @maisonconquete who, thanks to her gifts as a medium, put me on the path to this house. I believe in the energy of the place. As soon as I walked through the door of this mass, I knew that this was the place where I could take care of my own energies and those of others. It's an organic place with lots of stone, wood, round shapes, plants, all materials that balance my profile. It is my "healing house". It is the one in which I welcome all those women who want to unfold ... and breathe for a retreat, creative workshops or a Yoga Nidra training.

One word to describe you would be more than limiting, so we'll give you four!

Creative - audacious - generous - vulnerable

I'm sure that it's this vulnerability, I shared with my community, that has allowed me to bounce back so quickly.

Describe the room in your house where we are now.

This is the yoga room. It is central to my home. There are floor tiles, beams on the ceiling, a bookcase with all the self-help books that have nurtured me and that my clients can pick when they are here. Among my favourites: "Kilomètre Zéro" by Maud Ankaoua, "Yoga Nidra" by Philippe Beer Gabel, "L'ayurveda pour tous" by Stéphanie Marie, "Les Clefs de votre énergie" by Natacha Calestreme.

There is also a Scandinavian oak cabinet by Gesa Hansen, which was the first piece of furniture I bought for my shop in Paris, and which houses all my instruments: drum tongue, kalimba, koshi... A light wood shelf with specific yoga mats for Vinyasa, Yin or Kundalini, that I teach here. A beige Marshall speaker to play healing mantras and Good Vibes playlists. And it is on the Saudade cushions and my Comporta yoga mat that I give my Nidra sessions. The Lagos rug warms the floor to also share the cocoa ceremony, a practice I discovered in South America that allows the opening of the heart and creativity.

Your definition of beauty?

What inspires and has meaning. What transmits emotions through aesthetics.

What vibrates and makes you vibrate. It's beautiful when it feels real ! For example, SAUDADE is not just beautiful carpets but an entrepreneur with a personal story linked to these carpets, a beautiful approach behind it, care...

In your pantheon of inspiring people, who do you put?

I really like the @girlzpop_ duo, their sparkling, innovative and optimistic universe! The female duo behind Hey Marvellous, an online platform for yoga teachers and coaches. Their vision and their journey inspire me as a woman entrepreneur in the wellness industry.

Laury Thilleman, for her multi-talented career (TV host, journalist, author, clothing designer...) inspires me a lot.In short, I love these women of today who dare and encourage other women to find their place and impose their personality, their convictions and their audacity.

One of your great encounters as a professional?

Valérie Lardinois. A woman with a great career in the media who left everything behind to start up a business in Majorca, organising rejuvenating holidays in magical "Rutzü" places. She came to Le Paradis Doux this year to do a retreat with me. Her energy and her nomadism fascinated me. The few days I spent with her allowed me to see even bigger and to believe more than ever in "everything is possible".

Where does your Lagos rug take you?

An hour and a half by plane, to Ibiza, to do a sacred plant ceremony. I did it a few weeks ago for the first time, and it was great.

Lady rug or mother cushions?

Lady rug. Without a rug, there is no salvation !

A "Saudadesque" object in your home?

A piece of Red Editions furniture in oak and white lacquer bought at the beginning of my adventure. It has made twenty moves in twenty years! It has lived through everything with me. It's one of the few objects I have left from my former life.

Objects are important to you?

The right objects, not the showcase objects. Objects that contribute to well-being. Objects have energy. So you have to find the ones that fit with your own, that are not necessarily those of others or the ones that are in vogue on Instagram!

Sua Casa A house in Lisbon, like a summer dream.

Sustainable friends The eye of the artist, the hand of the craftsman.

Sua Casa Materials to live by. Facing the Ocean

Aurélie ROUTHIER
Tags: portugal, algarve, lagos, vacation, summer, guide, travel, sun, experience, beach, restaurant, hotel, south, inspiration, yoga, spirituality, feelinggood, saudade

"I'll go away smiling in the Paradis Doux"

Ma Demoiselle Pierre - Entrepreneur and business coach

Photo of the room