This past month I did something just for me: I went on a wellness retreat in the Moroccan desert!  It was my first retreat/holiday since I moved to France and I needed it!

This retreat was organised by a naturopath I met last summer, Zineb for whom I have a lot of respect and admiration.  Her values are exactly the same as mine, we both have a similar background and objectives in life: work on ourselves and help others work on themselves so they can live happy and healthy lives.

The retreat was 7 days long and started in Marrakesh where we stayed for one night, just to give us the time to arrive, introduce each other and visit the Souk. Of course I could not resist a spot of shopping whilst there 🙂

The second day we drove all day to the base camp made of a few huts where we stayed for one night.  The drive was nearly 500km to arrive close to the border with Algeria, in the Sahara desert.  From there, on Tuesday morning we moved to the desert in 4x4 to reach our camp for 3 nights under the stars in the middle of the desert amidst the sand dunes.

The change was radical! No phone signal, no wifi, no toilet, no shower.  Choosing to share a tent with just one other person for peace and quiet, it went really well.  The days were spent watching the sunrise sitting in meditation on the sand dunes, practicing yoga, walking in the desert, riding a camel, eating fruits for lunch and vegetables for dinner, resting, listening to Zineb's wellness tips, watching the sunset for my evening meditation.  Zineb had included a little detox at the same time with intermittent fasting and healthy light meals.  I took advantage of being able to see the sun at such an early time in the day to do a lot of sungazing which is really good for your eyesight but not just.  The diet suited me perfectly well but it was difficult for some.

It went very fast, too fast for my liking.  We all took time on our own in the dunes to heal from whatever we needed to heal from.  Many of us had come for that purpose: to release what doesn't serve us any longer so we can move on with our lives.

For me travelling has always been part of my healing process and this short trip was no exception.  It made me realise that I need to resume my travelling habits. Whilst rediscovering who I am on this trip, Christel is someone who loves travelling and needs this to grow and feel alive.  My next trip is already planned and a few more need to happen in 2025 too.

To be honest, when booking the retreat I was not sure if I was doing the right thing: would it help or was I wasting my money?  It turned out it was exactly what I needed!  Complete disconnexion from the outside world and noise is necessary to find oneself and realise who we really are and what we really want from life.  Many of the participants released in the desert what they needed to let go of and therefore they left feeling lighter, rejuvenated and ready to move onwards and upwards.  The bonus was to make some beautiful connexions with people I really want to see again. 

So doing something just for you might sound selfish for some but it is a necessity if we want to be able to live and thrive in this life.  Today's life pressures can be huge for some so doing something just for you is something you actually should be proud of: it is a real act of self-love and self-care.

If you are interested in this type of retreats, there will be more like this one next year with Zineb so let me know and I will put you in touch with her.

I am planning my own wellness retreat too next year with my friend Marine: it will take place in France (South West) over a week-end and it will of course include yoga sessions. So if you are interested, please let me know so I can add you to my mailing list.

I hope this blog inspired you to do something similar for yourself and wellbeing, out of pure self-love ❤️.

Namaste

Christel 🏝️