Back in July, we said a heartbreaking goodbye to a much-loved member of Palma’s yachting and wellness communities: Emily Jane Larkin. Following a short but intense fight with breast cancer, Emily passed away peacefully with her parents by her side during the late hours of Sunday 1^st July.

Emily was best known to many as one of Earth Yoga’s talented instructors, teaching two therapeutic Yin Yoga classes every week. Having previously been a devotee of Pilates, Emily credited the studio for sparking her love of yoga and counted its owner, Sandra, among her very closest friends.

Through her personal brand, InSpirus Living, Emily also offered a wide range of holistic therapies and was a sought-after massage therapist. One of her favourite treatments was the relaxing Lomi Lomi massage, which she had travelled to Hawaii to learn. She nurtured a special interest in the role of the fascia and in locating the source of referred pain, and as a result became particularly adept at – and much sought after for – curing frozen shoulders. She loved combining her expertise with that of other wellness practitioners and had been involved in Laughter Yoga, spiritual Cacao Ceremonies and Labyrinth Walks, to name but a few of her ventures.

Never being one to shy away from a hard day’s work, Emily first joined the yachting community in 2014 as Client Happiness Manager for the Super Yacht Luxury brand. Later, as the face of RIB Club Global Mallorca, she was often to be found in Club de Mar or Puerto Portals before sunrise preparing boats for charter, and again at sunset expertly parking them. She took great pleasure in her clients’ enjoyment of the water and could always be counted on to help them – and the management – out of a sticky situation. In fact, Emily was held in such high regard by RIB Club that one of their most popular boats bears her name: the Crazy Larkin.

Emily was also a familiar face in the Islander magazine. She was proud to have been featured on our pages twice in recent years and a few months ago became a valued member of the team, responsible for the Ship to Shore and Stew of the Month columns.

Outside of work, Emily enjoyed life immensely. One of her great passions was travel: as well as her Lomi Lomi course in Maui, in recent years she had attended yoga teacher training in India and France and holidayed in Greece and Portugal. While on the island Emily gleaned much satisfaction from life’s simple pleasures: she was a fan of the cinema and appreciated hiking, a cold glass of rosé, and locally-sourced vegetarian food cooked by her dear friend Ronen of Simply Delicious. Having grown up in Australia, she loved her Weber barbecue and the excitement of a good game of rugby (always cheering for the wallabies, much to her English father’s chagrin).

The most ironic thing about losing Emily too soon, aged just 43, is that it would have been a genuine challenge to meet someone who was happier to be alive. She was so happy, in fact, following her recovery from a life-threatening accident in her youth, that she went on to celebrate her ‘re-birth day’ every year. She took excellent care of her health, was a faithful vegetarian and prided herself on using natural beauty products wherever possible. She was equally passionate about the health of our planet: as an enthusiastic surfer and former competitive swimmer, she loved the ocean and was a regular participant in Dos Manos’ beach cleans, as well as a vocal advocate of the movement against single-use plastic.

Having been diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer only a few short weeks ago, Emily showed her characteristic thoughtfulness and concern for others, reluctant to unload her struggles onto her friends and family. Nonetheless, she was incredibly fortunate to have her supportive parents by her side throughout her hospitalisation, and she received regular visits from the Cancer Support Group and the close friends who knew of her health issues.

Emily will be remembered as a strong, intensely spiritual and incredibly loving woman who left a lasting positive impression on everyone she met. She believed in seeing the best in people, practising kindness and above all, expressing gratitude – and we here at the Islander are very grateful to have known her. She will be sadly missed by all of us.

By Amy Wilson Pleydell