We keep a very relaxed vibe on the retreat and there’s no obligation to take part in any of the workshops. If you just want to walk in the dunes all day and come back at mealtimes, that’s fine. The idea is for everyone to find their own rhythm according to their needs.

Just please turn off your mobile phone, don’t bring alcohol or drugs and treat everyone with respect.

Below you can see what the program was for 2024. It will be similar for 2025 but with some changes to the teachers. We will confirm the details in the autumn.

The Yoga and Joy of Dance Retreat 12 – 18  January  2025

Every morning Julie Schubert will be leading  yoga workshops that are designed to meet the needs of both those new to yoga and those who already have a steady practice. There is no particular yoga style that we focus on but we encourage a playful, non-dogmatic approach to extending the range of the body and calming the mind.

‘Stretching the body helps stretching the mind!

For your personal liberation recipe, yoga is a very special ingredient. The blend of age-old wisdom and modern ease can assist you in demonstrating your daily asana practice as a form of self-love. Sometimes gentle, sometimes challenging, but always in communication with your body.

I embrace a safe and non-dogmatic approach with the sole aim of helping you become more attuned to all your bodies, including the subtle ones. Yoga, for me, is a practice of aligning oneself, both physically and mentally. A good yoga class is one where you notice what’s happening inside your body and allow the asanas to unfold at your own pace and intensity.’

 

The Joy of Dance

Cristina Crippa is a dance teacher from Italy and she will be running the afternoon joy of dance workshops.

“As far back as  I remember my curiosity has guided me toward art, movement and play. Dance has allowed me to tune into  the power of listening and to deepen my quality of presence  I like to create safe spaces where people can express themselves, explore and research through movement and relationships with others.

No experience is needed for the dance workshops and we will give ourselves some time to listen our body and its needs. We will use simple improvisation games to connect with the group and discover the pleasure of moving with a playful lightness.”

 

The Meditation & Creative Voice/ Movement Retreat 9 – 15 February 2025

Angeline Morand is a yoga teacher from France who has also lived in the UK. She came on the Sahara retreat as a guest a couple of years ago and is now returning to teach meditation.

“There is no better place than the desert to start meditation, or deepen your practice! There, the stillness of time and space  invites us to sit and and breathe with full awareness, remembering the joy of being alive.

Every morning in the dunes, as the sun rises, it will be my honour to guide you through meditation practices which will be accessible to all. Introduced by gentle movement in order to ease the body into stillness, and simple breathing techniques we will reconnect to your inner courage, calm and motivation to lead a beautiful life.”

 

Creative voice and movement

Tom Thumb has been running the Sahara retreats since 2011 and will lead  afternoon workshops exploring new ways to use the voice and body.

“What do people hear in our voices beyond the words we use? What are our bodies saying when we stand, walk and run?

Drawing on elements of dance, theatre games and voice work, we’ll playfully explore how to express ourselves in ways that might surprise us. The workshops will on one hand be playful affairs where we  encounter some of our habitual patterns of posture and movement and shake it all up a bit!

But for those who choose to go deeper there’s the chance to release stuck emotions and connect with yourself in a way you might not have imagined possible.

No experience is needed – just a sense of humour and curiosity..”

Sharing Circles

After we’ve eaten at night and the stars have come out we’ll gather around the fire to play music, tell stories and also from time to time share our experiences through talking circles, a Native American tradition designed to encourage an atmosphere of listening and empathy. Year after year we see long-lasting friendships formed in the retreat as each person finds their self-expression and a new capacity to relate.

We will also be going for walks in the desert, climbing the high dunes for sunset, playing some games and Tom Thumb may do some storytelling – modern fairy tales to let your imaginations go wandering through journeys of myth and metaphor…

 

Schedule

• Most of the group travels together from Marrkaech on the Sunday morning to the desert.
• The retreat begins with a welcome dinner in the village of Hasalbied on the  on Sunday  at 9.30pm. We’ll sleep in a hotel there on the edge of the dunes.
• Monday we walk out an hour and a half to our camp deep in the dunes where we’ll stay for the next 5 nights.
• Each of the following days will be structured around meal times, meditation, workshops and music round the fire at night.
• Then on Saturday morning we’ll load our bags onto the camels again and head back to town. You can stay an extra night in the village or take the night bus out.