Apr 25, 2025 at 08:34 pm - Apr 25, 2025 at 08:34 pm
Marrakesh, Pachalik de Marrakech, Marrakesh Prefecture, Marrakech-Safi, Morocco
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There is a thread from the heart to the lips where the secret of life is woven.
Words tear the thread but in silence the secret speaks.
Rumi
2025: Sunday 26 October – Friday 7th November
Day 1: Marrakesh to Bounou/Mhamid
Leaving Marrakesh by 4×4, you drive for about half a day over the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate where we shall stop for lunch. Afterwards, you continue south to Agdez at the head of the Dra’a Valley. You will follow the Dra’a all the way to the edge of the desert to Bounou outside Mhamid to send the first night in Kasbah Touareg.
Day 2: Retreat camp
After breakfast, you go out to the desert camp where you will spend the coming days on the silent retreat. Your food and drinks will be beautifully organised by Kasbah Touareg and the staff there.
Days 3 – 7: Retreat Camp
We make our 5-day silent, guided retreat in the silence and beauty of the desert, in the shade of scattered trees protecting us from the sun and giving us privacy for our individual work. We have a local nomad cook, guide, and camel-men to look after us.
During the retreat, we will work with practices drawn from the world’s great spiritual traditions, especially the Sufi tradition, going inwards into the ‘treasury of the heart’. We seek to open ourselves to the possibility of self-transformation in the miraculous alchemy of retreat.
Day 8 – 11: the Sahara
After our formal retreat and coming out of silence, we set off to walk among the dunes for four days, out in the wild beauty of the open desert, with camels to carry our bags, sleeping out each night under the stars and sharing food and fireside with our desert nomad hosts.
Then back at the edge of the desert at Bounou, we stay our last night in an ancient kasbah.
Day 12: Bounou/Mhamid – Tisselday
Leaving after breakfast, we drive by 4×4 over the Anti-Atlas mountains to spend the last night of our journey together near Ouarzazate, in comfortable lodgings, preparing for ‘re-entry’ to the world.
Day 13: Tisselday – Marrakesh
We return by road over the mountains to Marrakesh, arriving in the afternoon.
Kim Shams Richardson is an experienced retreat leader and a Representative in the Inayati Sufi Order. He regularly leads retreats in the Moroccan Sahara desert, the Peruvian Andes, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
For more information and to reserve a place (deposit required), please contact Kim directly at: kim@bernithan.com
1150 GBP per person – subject to a possible increase to be confirmed in April (minimum 5, maximum 12 people in the party)
This cost includes ground transportation, all meals (wholesome vegetarian food) and accommodation (shared accommodation), and the services of local guides, cook, camel-men and camels.
Drinks, airfares, and accommodation/food in Marrakesh before and after the retreat are not included.
The retreat will be conducted in English.
Program is subject to minor changes.
