SELF-DISCOVERY

ESSAOUIRA - MOROCCO

Every time you step into Morocco, you discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed. Immersing in the culture, the people, the music and spirituality, you naturally establish a deep and unique connection to this mystical country and all the magic it beholds because of what unfolds within you.

You feel comforted by the intrinsic spiritual and ancestral energy that runs through the country and inspired by it’s indigenous people, who appreciate a simple and slow way of living with the outlook that with a new day comes new possibilities. Embracing the now and all that comes with it, some of the most profound moments come from interacting with and learning from them.

Take the path less taken, be the seeker, the curious explorer and become an active participant. A whole world of transformative experiences await you. From bustling souks to serene seasides, artisans carving wood on quant winding streets, locals gathering in prayer, or aroma of women cooking the finest Moroccan cuisine to tantalise your tastebuds. The tranquility of the medina, picturesque mountain hikes and surfers riding the roaring blue waves of the Atlantic. Morocco is a melting pot of diversity, each day is an adventure and an opportunity for introspection.

It can be real and in your face, but when you dig deep, there is such integral beauty that is impossible to miss. You can feel the strong essence of spirituality across Morocco, which roots date back to their ancestors and an amalgamation of West African and Sub-Saharan lineage that ripples through the very fabric of everyday life. Weaving the philosophy of living in the present and giving divinity to the divine through a powerful connection with music and dance, something primarily found in Sufi practice.  

Sufism, which is described as the inward dimension of Islam, means to seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of a higher power. You are seeking to get closer to the higher power and essentially yourself, through spiritual learning. Sufi’s only know unconditional love.

Join us on this celestial Sufi journey that will take you deeper in your connection with the divine in body, mind and spirit. This unique and powerful Sufi journey which will fuse music, dance, meditation, noble silence, chanting and nomadic shamanism, which have been known to support in the process healing, releasing bad spirits, curing illness, bad luck, depression and self restoration will be our foundation throughout.

Celestial Sufi Spiritual Journey

With the world experiencing such unprecedented change and cosmic shifts. Many of us have found ourselves destabilised both internally and externally. Heightened by the heavy conscious energy that seems to charge and unsettle us. Many internal shadows have risen to the surface, things that we thought we had long dealt with, seem to reappear. But what if we view this period as a transcendent moment of internal power, growth and deeper connection with divinity? A transcendent moment of introspect to truly face our shadow self once and for all and thus once understood, we are able to heal and restore ourselves.

At a time where everything is changing, it is imperative to restore the mind, body, soul connection and return back to self. Our Self-Restoration retreat will fuse the mysticism, ceremonial practices, music, dance, chanting and deep mediation of Sufism, to support in restoring, renewal, revival of self. Bringing back to health and returning something that has been lost within you.

Sufi’s will meet in prayer for worship of and to call in the higher power. Engage in deep and long meditation to empty themselves and allow the stream of consciousness to flow in and through. Chanting in a rhythmic manner with attentiveness to the body's posture and to breathing. They gather together for ceremonies including; dancing, feeling into sensation, spinning round in a circle (which they call the whirling dervish) to undergo a trance like dance and reach a state of ecstasy. This dance also acts as an honouring and worship of the elements, planets and the sun. When we have gratitude and give back, we are working with and in alignment with the cosmos, helping us to manifest our intentions and come to a greater understanding and alignment with self.

Music is an intrinsic element of these ceremonies, it is adopted  to some degree in each practice, whether it be meditation, prayer or dancing. They’ll sing to the beat of the drums, sit round as they recite songs and poetry, playing their instruments, going on this incredible sound journey that raises their vibration, unleashes their creativity and allows them to express freely. Being free to flow in creativity, makes you feel light and vulnerable which can be quite scary and uncomfortable at first, but once you let go and peel off the layers, you will see the great vastness that there is inside of you.

Morocco and its endowed beauty will aid you in embracing who you truly are. Not the self you think you are but, the soul within your soul.

Sufi music is seen as a phenomena that connects you to the moment, transcending the realm of the physical and instilling compassion, love and egolessness. It is a healing process, a combination of devotion, discipline and remembrance. Much of it is derived from the works of poets such as Jalal-ud-din Rumi and Bulleh Shah.

Through the music we will embark on introspective music meditations and chanting. Meditating with mantras is one of the most powerful ways to quiet the fluctuations of the mind. A mantra is a tool for the mind, and it allows our awareness to more easily turn inward. Helping to reduce stress, detoxifying the body, cultivates a safe internal space of grounding and mental and emotional stability and strength.

For thousands of years water has played an intrinsic part across many religions, spiritual practices and cultural belief systems. Water has been used for purification, blessing and rebirth. Water holds a soft energy that brings about solace, peace, tranquility and yet holds a strong powerful energy that brings about conviction of self. The ability to destroy as well as nourish.

Water will play a key role within your journey of Self-Restoration. Providing opportunity for cleansing, purification and finally rebirth.

This retreat falls within the auspicious astrological period of the New Moon. The New Moon is a period of rebirth, manifestation, intention and intuition. Restoring and reconnecting, an opportunity to seek clarity and purpose. We have a powerful New Moon ceremony prepared that will fuse Sufism and the Gnawa culture which believes that the spirit world is inhabited by ancestral spirits who act as intermediaries between the living and God.

The music played during the ceremony is a way to connect into this unseen world, and Gnawa ceremonies employ clapping, drumming, and a distinct cymbal. The music and dancing is seen as a healing process that releases bad spirits, cures illness, bad luck, and depression.

Becoming comfortable with the silence, Sufi’s highlight the importance of discipline and that is at the core of their practices and daily life. Fasting and noble silence are practices used by Sufi’s, to help quiet the mind and condition the body. By learning to keep from speaking every word that comes up or eating every time we are hungry, it helps us to see things more clearly, and it puts us in deeper contact with ourselves and those around us.

Moments of fasting and noble silence will be incorporated within our retreat program. We have intentionally crafted a deep spiritual journey that richly supports in pouring back and restoring self.

‘There is a Soul inside of your Soul. Search that Soul. There is a jewel in the mountain of body. Look for the mine of that jewel. Oh, Sufi, passing search inside if you can, not outside’

- RUMI

FOCUS:

This transcendent fusion of practice and cross-cultural experimentation is such a powerful space for introspective travel and personal connection, growth and exploration. On this journey of exploration, we are being taught to feel into our bodies and be present in all that we are doing, understand the resistance within us and persist through these transient states, continuing to practice regardless of the negative states as well as the positive ones. Their frequency is as important as their impermanence. 

PROGRAM:

1. Retreat Location: Essaouira, Morocco

2. Daily Yoga, Meditation & Chanting

3. Daily Moments of Fasting & Noble Silence

4. Sufi Ceremonies & practices

5. Ritual Baths, Water Blessings & Purification Ceremonies

6. New Moon Ceremony

7. Self-Discovery Workshops

8. Daily Journaling & Downtime

9. Local Discovery & Immersion activities

10. Discovery of local cuisine, agriculture & botany.

INCLUDED:

1. Private Luxury Villa with all Ensuite Bedrooms (All rooms are based on 2 sharing)

2. All daily meals prepared with local seasonal ingredients.

3. All programmed & scheduled activities

4. Arrival and departure Airport Transfers

EXCLUDED:

1. Flights, Transfers & Travel insurance

2. Pre & Post Retreat Destination Immersion trips

3. All Optional Activities

GETTING THERE:

Our in-house flights & logistics team are on hand to assist you with flights, transfers, Pre & Post Retreat Destination immersion trips & any Visa assistance required.

• Marrakech International Airport is approx 2.5 hours from Essaouira

• Essaouria Airport is Approx 20 mins from Essaouira

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

• Retreat Price: £3800 GBP

• FULL PAYMENT or opting for a PAYMENT PLAN are available. To activate the Payment Plan, simply select the DEPOSIT option at checkout.

• Deposits are non-refundable 

PLANT A SEED

Consciously Connected Travel was created out of a necessity to do more. Our tribe of beatniks truly believe that everyone has a part to play, and ours is creating a space where travel, wellness and philanthropy intertwine. So that the future generations might live in a world that is a little bit more full of love and light.

CCT was designed to blur the lines between travel and supporting communities in the places you travel to, every time you travel with us - either through our Travel Design service, Culturally Connected Experiences or Wellness Activations, we donate a % directly from our own pockets to a local project, charity or community in that destination in addition to planting trees to offset each travellers carbon footprint.