Jordan, magical Yin Yoga desert retreat, 10 days
A magical yin yoga desert retreat in the golden triangle of Jordan, Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum.
Aqaba on the Red Sea
The blue of the sea is surrounded by purple mountains, the intense colors of the underwater life, hard and soft corals and the many tropical fish mesmerize you. The scents of the spices in the souk, the mishmash of colors and people immediately take you to another world.
Petra
Petra, a little history:
The ancient ‘hidden’ or ‘lost’ city is also called ‘city of roses’ due to the color of the stone from which it was cut. However, the truth is that you see all kinds of different colors and patterns in the stones. Petra has been the capital of the Nabatean kingdom since at least the second century BC, although the area around Petra has been inhabited since 7000 BC. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who made Petra the center of their trading activities. They were used to living in deserts, unlike their enemies. Thus were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area’s mountainous terrain. Nabataeans were particularly adept at rainwater harvesting, agriculture, and stone carving, and so they managed to create a safe and prosperous city.
The stalls selling handcrafted items have risen again since tourism took off, but as the site has been left very close to the original, it certainly feels like you are way back in the past.
“The Lost City” was “discovered” in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and is certainly one of the most impressive. The city’s use as a filming location for “Indiana Jones and the last Crusade” in 1989 has undoubted increased its popularity among tourists from around the world. The title of ‘one of the wonders of the world’ is well deserved. Visiting Petra will be an experience you will never forget.
Wadi Rum
Also called “The Valley of the Moon”. Sometimes compared to Mars because of the red colors of the sand and rocks. Although the Wadi Rum attracts many tourists, the area is so vast that you can find the silence and tranquility for a magical retreat. Here you experience what “deafeningly quiet” means, no ever-present background noise. Real silence to hear yourself all the better. Surrounded by rocks that turn to gold at sunrise and sunset. A wealth that is up for grabs if you want to see it.
In this environment you live the real Bedouin life and you discover what the desert has to tell you. Live in the rhythm of the desert, you are in nature day and night to get back to the basis of your existence. Surrounded by the magic of the desert, where you will experience your Yin yoga retreat.
9 Reasons to Book the Magical Yin Yoga Desert Retreat:
- You are ready for a retreat with like-minded people
- Find the silence in your surroundings and in yourself
- The desert lures you
- Restore your body with yin yoga
- Get new energy
- Visit Petra
- Energy healing
- A “much needed” gift to yourself
- You need a mental reset to see everything in the right perspective again
Travel through and with Marion van Overveld
Marion van Overveld guides the journey and the yin yoga sessions with an inspired passion.
Yoga came into her life when she was 10 years old and she has never let it go. A 40-year journey through various well-known yoga forms with side paths to acupressure, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Reiki has led her to the path of Yin yoga.
She now gives classes in Hatha, Ashtanga and Yin yoga in various countries such as Greece, Morocco and the Netherlands. Solaki yoga has become a concept, Marion is happy to tell you the beautiful and deeper meaningful story behind it.
Why Yin yoga suits you
In this journey, Yin yoga was chosen for a reason: “The almost meditative silent practice where you just feel your body opening and the energy flowing through the meridians. This is such an amazing experience that I hope to share with as many people as possible.” Be kind to your body, nourish and heal it, listen to it = what Yin is all about.
The fascinating connection Yin yoga has with ‘western’ anatomy and Chinese Traditional Medicine (Acupressure) has captivated me since the first time I heard Paul Grilley explain what Yin was about. I am still learning, still discovering but now ready to share my knowledge, my experience. The amazing energy you encounter during a silent Yin practice and the effect it has on your body and mind.”
Tour Plan
ARRIVAL IN AQABA
Explore Aqaba
After you've settled in and rested, maybe go out to explore the city of Aqaba, visit the Souk, inhale the scents of the Middle East, and even go to the beach and take a dip in the Red Sea. The taste of Jordan Have dinner together as a group somewhere in one of the local restaurants near the hotel. Your overnight stay is in Aqaba city.THE STUNNING BEAUTY OF PETRA
Petra
Visit to the historical and archaeological 'Rose' city of Petra, founded around 7000 BC. It is one of the most spectacular places in the world and its overwhelming beauty will surely amaze you. Today we enter the city from the main gate through the Siq to be overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the beautiful main tomb 'the treasury', creating an impression you will never forget. Stay with the group, go your own way or maybe hire a local guide to give some extra information, climb the stairs to the tombs, have lunch. Everything is possible as long as we meet at the entrance/exit gate at closing time.Yin yoga
Dinner in the B&B and finally a relaxing Yin yoga session.GUIDED WALK THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF LITTLE PETRA TO "THE MONASTERY" AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE SITE
Little Petra
Siq-al Barid (also known as Little Petra) literally means 'The Cold Gorge' is located a few kilometers north of Petra and the walk takes 3 to 4 hours through the rocky landscape with spectacular views. Our guide will lead us through this 'back road' to the monastery, one of the most important and impressive buildings, back to the center of Petra and tell us a bit about the history of the hidden city of Petra which is still not fully discovered.Yin yoga session
After a long day that will certainly leave an unforgettable impression, a delicious dinner in the B&B and another relaxing Yin Yoga session to prepare us for the adventure to come.FROM PETRA TO THE WADI RUM DESERT
Welcome to the desert
Lunch will be waiting for us at the desert camp where we will stay one night. Absorb the wondrous place you find yourself in and it will be perfectly clear to you why Wadi Rum is called 'The Moon Valley'; the breathtaking scenery of red sand, sandstone and granite rock formations that surround you may make you fantasize that you are on the planet Mars.Yin yoga in the desert
Enjoying the sun setting in this wondrous place, indulge yourself with the first desert Yin Yoga session.Traditional dinner with zarb
A traditional Bedouin meal, 'Zarb', is prepared in underground pits, for those who eat meat. In addition, a buffet with delicious vegetarian side dishes is served.Predictive dreams?
That night, after such an intense encounter with the beauty of the Wadi Rum, may bring great dreams of what the next 3 days have in store for us.DAY 5-6-7: LIFE TO THE RHYTHM OF THE DESERT
Magic of the desert
The magic of Wadi Rum cannot be put into words, it can only be experienced through our senses. You have to see, smell, feel and hear it. See the ever-changing landscape, feel the energy rising from the earth, smell the scents of flowers and herbs used in cooking, in the Bedouin coffee and tea and hear the silence.Experience the Bedouin life
Dive into the full experience of living as a Bedouin in the desert and follow the northern star into the unknown. Our Yinlove caravan moves from one place to another, accompanied by a real Bedouin guide, his camels and a jeep for our necessities (food, water, etc.) and our luggage.Survival in the desert
For 3 days we are at the mercy of the elements of the desert. The soft first daylight brings warmth and then the scorching sun, the spectacular sunset brings night, darkness and cold. We have to protect ourselves from the elements, adapt to them by wearing layers of clothing that we can add or take off. Wind can bring sandstorms, so sunglasses and a scarf around our heads are necessary precautions for desert travel. The elements (5-Element System from Traditional Chinese Medicine) will also be the theme of our daily Yin Yoga sessions.DISCOVER THE DESERT
Yin yoga sessions, tuning in to your body
Every day at least one theme Yin yoga session, tuning in to yourself, getting to know your own individual body and becoming familiar with the principle: 'Your body, your yoga'. Learn more about the theory of Yin yoga, the Traditional Chinese Medicine 5 elements and the meridian system.The forces and forms of silence
Throughout the journey you can choose to remain silent on your own or perhaps the group will practice some form of noble silence for a period of time. There is time for interaction but also for introspection. Nothing is mandatory, everything is possible. In each case; the surrounding silence will invade your being, become a part of you, in a way you could never imagine. This magical energy of silence that is always there, even when people speak. An experience that will probably change you forever and slowly you will understand that it will lead you deeper, to your inner essence. The power of the silence will make you stronger, you will never forget her and can always return to her in times of need after you have experienced it.ENERGETIC SESSIONS AND THERAPY
Optional in Wadi Rum: 4 Energetic Sessions by Brenda
During the days in the desert it is possible to choose an additional extra to your journey. Spread over the days in Wadi Rum, you - and maybe other participants in the group - will enjoy 4 energy sessions and Arabian therapyHealing sound sessions with tuning forks
1. After dinner, when you relax on your comfortable and warm mattress, nestled in warm blankets, let the healing sounds of the tuning forks connect you with the sun, the moon and the planets of the universe. Immerse yourself in a tuning fork healing, often sleep and then dream deeply afterwards. The vibration of the sound will effectively bring you back to your own natural balance. Your self-healing ability is started.Guided desert meditations with and without gemstones
2. Meditation with gemstones, which will take you to new heights in your life. Connect with all your past experiences. Feel the gems, hold them as your personal treasure, listen to what the gem wants to tell you. It tells you something about your past, your health, the present but also where your path will continue from that moment on.Personal vision board with treasures from the desert
3. A new day, a new hike, a new desert landscape. In silence everyone collects small pieces in their own energy; stones, wood, plastic, flowers or anything you can find and use for a personal vision board. You will be surprised by what the desert puts in your hands. Link your bucket list to the objects you find and create an artistic impression of your wishes, your past, present and future. Dive into your connection with mother earth through the natural vision board. Explore & find out what she wants to tell you. Share your vision board with the other participants, let your explanation reveal what needs to come to the surface. After that, your pieces of the past are covered with sand, buried. You can take objects that have revealed a special meaning.Arabian therapy, Kasaath hawa
4. An ancient Bedouin therapy, 'Kasaath Hawa'. Somewhat similar to the Chinese cupping massage; glasses and fire are used to create a vacuum at certain trigger points to clear blockages, stagnation of the energy running through the meridians. The result is a feeling of complete relaxation and a healthy flow of energy that will also stimulate the body to eliminate toxins.Energetic sessions, meaning and mindfulness
The energetic sessions are performed by Brenda who is born with healing powers. She combines Bedouin therapies with Western techniques to bring balance to body, mind and soul, using the energy, stillness and tranquility that will surround us in the desert. The ultimate location for meaning and mindfulness. These energetic sessions provide an even more intense encounter with your deeper self. At an additional cost of 100 JDA NEW BEGINNING AFTER THE LAST RETREAT DAY
Goodbye for now but not forever
Say goodbye to the Bedouin guides who watched over us and led the way, to the camels that carried us and we will enjoy one last Yin Yoga session in the desert, one last night watching a million stars in the sky, one last night experiencing magical silence.Enchantment coming true
You may feel happy to go to a 'normal' toilet again and sleep in a bed in a tent, or you may already miss the disconnection from the 'normal' life that you had been living for the past few days, but you will certainly feeling enriched by the experience, you made new friends with whom you shared an amazing, magical, unforgettable journey through the desert, to silence, to ourselves. You may already realize that you have had an experience that has enchanted you and that is indescribable, inexplicable and can only be cherished deep inside. The memory of the desert, its ever-changing beauty and its silence will be yours to take with you. Inside you, Wadi Rum has created a place that you can return to whenever you need it.AQABA, RED SEA, SLOWLY BACK TO THE CIVIL WORLD
Group dinner to close
Group dinner to conclude this retreat. The impact of the journey can be enormous because we have let go of our normal routine of life so strongly, emotions can be intense and friendships for life can be born.YOUR JORDAN IMPRESSION
Back home
If you leave today, the driver will take you to the airport in Aqaba or Amman on time. Safe trip home!Dates 2022 spring and autumn:
The dates will be announced laterPrices from:
1895 JOD based on shared room If available extra for a single room: 100 JODIncludes:
- All transport in Jordan from day 2 to 9
- 9 Overnight stays with breakfast 1x hotel Aqaba city, 1x Aqaba on the Red Sea, 2 nights in Petra, 2 nights desert camp Wadi Rum, 3 nights under the stars in Wadi Rum
- Lunch (box) and dinner from day 2 to 8
- Guide for the 2nd day in and around Petra
- Desert tour accompanied by Bedouins, jeep and camels during our journey through the desert (days 5, 6 and 7).
- Daily Yin Yoga sessions as taught by Paul Grilley and heavily inspired by Jo Phee's Yinspiration modules. Sessions are based on the Chinese Traditional Medicine 5-Elements and Meridian System. Depending on the need, the pace, the circumstances, yoga sessions can be adapted to more relaxing or more energetic forms of practice, all within the Yin Style.
Exclusive:
- Flight to Jordan, Aqaba or via Amman
- Transport on the day of arrival and departure from and to the airport. Taxi from Aqaba airport to the hotel is about 15 JOD.
- Visa and ticket Petra, Wadi Rum via the Jordanpass explorer for 2 days Petra that you order online
- Travel insurance for world travel, cancellation insurance, health insurance
- Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
- Additional costs for early arrival or late departure
- Tips
- Personal Expenses
- Optional energetic sessions from Brenda, to be chosen individually in Wadi Rum or earlier
- Optional chair massage by Jolanda at Petra Fig Tree B&B
Basic items to take with you:
- Yoga mat or Yoga towel
- Sufficient (thin) clothing that you can wear in layers
- Jacket and/or warm vest
- Sunglasses
- Scarf (head + neck cover)
- Lip Balm
- Moisturizing cream
- Sun protection
