The Silent Caravan . 3rd edition

Walk and meditation in the heart of the desert
English-speaking only

november 15 to 26, 2024

(the organisation in Marocco is taken care of by the NGO Amazigh Trekking)

In the immensity of this dense void, our deep nature finds an echo. A time in the heart of ourselves, where silence is presence.

FR : Un voyage francophone aura lieu en février 2025. Merci de consulter la page du site français.

The spirit of our journey:

During 9 days, accompanied by camels, we will immerse ourselves in the Moroccan Sahara. We will let ourselves be touched by this desert, a world of breathtaking beauty. The harmonious bareness of the sand dunes that undulate as far as the eye can see will awaken in us the love of simplicity. The desert, through its relentless language, reawakens in us the knowledge of a pure timeless joy. To accompany this song of the soul, our meditations will be supported by teachings on self-knowledge, emptiness and letting go – all three being aspects of one and the same thing.

 

Approximate program:

We will walk as part of a caravan, in the silence of mindfulness. Thanks to our guide, our camels and the camel drivers, we will have the possibility of leaving the edge of the desert, to sink into its heart in complete safety. We will change camp every two days. On the days we stay put, we’ll do a loop walk through the thousands of dunes that surround our camp. The walks will be of medium level, without technical difficulties. Walking on the dunes is much easier than on a beach, you sink less! We will practice meditation (sometimes guided) every morning and every evening, supported by daily teachings, intended for both beginners and experienced practitioners. There will also be opportunities to get to know our Moroccan team, of Amazigh origin (commonly called Berbers).

The times spent at the camp (morning and evening) will be open to speaking. We will also have a  retreat day completely in silence, without walking, and with more meditations and a night walk under the incredible night sky hanging on this landscape of panoramic horizons. And there will  also be some time time alone in the desert.

Additional info:

Meals will be vegetarian. We can cater for dairy-free and/or gluten-free diets, as well as for food intolerance.
We will sleep in a tent on the sand (tents for two people) or under the stars
We will eat Moroccan style sitting on the sand
There will be toilets tent and  wash basins with a very small amount of water.

Price

price per person : 1130€

This price includes :
Pick up at the airport, 2 nights in Marrakech, transport to and return journey from the desert, camping equipment, water, meals (except last day in Marrakech), the salaries of the drivers, guides, cooks, and camel drivers with their dromedaries, and the meditation teachings.

This price does not include :
Your return flight, the meal the last day in Marrakech, the tips for the Amazigh team, extras (drinks, snacks…).

If this price does not allow you to participate, contact us, and we will see together what is possible.

Registration: Open on 20th of February

If you have serious health issues, please send an email to desertmeditation@dharmanature.org before registering.

Steps 1:

Register on Helloasso, and pay a deposit price of 420€. Click on the button bellow.

Note: If you have to cancel once we have confirmed, we will retain 150€ and send the rest back to you. We will have to keep the whole amount if you have to cancel 6 weeks prior to the journey (after the 4rth of October). Would we have to cancel for any reason, we would of course refund the whole amount.

>> The website is in french, click here for some explanations

Step 2: Once we have enough registration to confirm the journey, we will ask you to register with Amazigh Trekking.

Please don’t take your plane or boat tickets before we have confirmed the journey!

Hélène is the organiser of this projet for Dharma Nature. If you have any practical question, you can write to her: desertmeditation@dharmanature.org

 

Solidarity projects:

Amazigh Trekking, which organizes our trip, is a solidarity-based travel agency. You can learn more about their work by visiting their website: http://www.amazigh-trekking.com. 3% of the price of the trip goes towards their projects, which we will have the opportunity to hear about during our time there.
In addition, Dharma Nature will also donate €20 per participant (already included in the price) for a reforestation project planned in the village of our cooks, guide, and  camel drivers.