Yoga holiday in the Sahara desert with the Nomads

Have you ever experienced the most absolute silence, so deep that it penetrates your very soul? You have the chance to live this all-encompassing experience with us and the nomads of the Sahara Desert. Practice Surya Namaskar on waking up as the sun rises over the towering sand dunes, sit in silence, eyes closed, and listen to the breath of the desert.
There is a peaceful silence, when the desert dispenses its coolness in the evening, giving us the impression that we have now reached the quiet harbour and the sails are lowered. There is the silence of the noontime, when under the beating sun, thoughts and movements cease" And there is the deep silence, when at night we hold our breath and eavesdrop. A Tuareg proverb states that "he who does not know the silence of the desert does not know what silence is". This is also attested by the French writer-aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944) who lived certain periods in Morocco. Today we celebrate the liturgical memory of St Jerome, the famous Latin translator of the Bible: well, he chose to leave the noisy and worldly Rome, where he had lived and reaped success, to retire to the desert of Bethlehem. True silence is not mere absence of sound, just as the desert is not at all absence of presence. On the contrary, the senses become more alert and thoughts clearer and, thus, one has far more intense experiences. We, immersed in noise and things, float on the surface of life and are now unfit to descend into the depths. We are incapable of cleansing our minds and hearts so as to leave only the true realities that matter. We are unable to enjoy peace and quiet, overwhelmed as we are by the frenzy of doing and moving. Here, then, is the need for an experience of desert and silence to rediscover God and our self.
After spending the first day and night in Marrakech and visiting its medina and other historical sites, we begin our journey by crossing the Atlas Mountains to reach the border of the real Sahara Desert.
We will spend the first night here in a permanent camp run by nomads. Each morning we will do an Asana, Pranayama and Meditation practice.
We will then walk into the desert following the pace dictated by the camels' gait. The nomads will take care of us, cook our meals and carry our luggage on the camels.
There will be many opportunities to practise silence and meditation. The Sahara is a place of peace and transformation

accommodation in the riad is in a shared room with twin beds and bathroom. During our travel in the desert you will share a tent as will be quite difficult to carry single tents for each of the participants in the 5 days tour of the desert.

The food will be Vegetarian with vegan option. The food in our staying in Marrakech is not included. During our jurney in the desert food will be prepared on the camp everyday by our friends, the Nomads.

Day 1: Reception at Marrakech airport. Free time and accommodation in traditional Riad in Marrakech.
Day 2: Morning departure from Marrakech for M'hamid. Transport will take place with private vehicle. The journey begins with the discovery of the High Atlas and Berber villages. You will cross the Tizi n'Tichka ("pasture pass"), a pass at an altitude of 2260 m, located on the highest road in Morocco. This pass is the only direct passage that will take you to Ouarzazate and the entire south-eastern region. A break at the Kasbah Ait benhadou will allow you to admire a typical ksar of traditional Moroccan architecture in a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The journey continues through the Draa Valley to reach the gates of the desert. You will arrive in the evening at the comfortable fixed bivouac, for a night in the heart of the oasi.
Day 3: Departure from the fixed bivouac with the nomadic team. We walk at the pace of the camel caravan, leaving the palm trees behind. The desert sea begins. We will pass several sites of ancient dwellings, where it is possible to find pieces of pottery, traces of the ancestral civilisations that inhabited the desert. After this desert excursion, lunch will be taken in the shade of a tree, accompanied by tea.
In the evening, the mausoleum of the marabout Sidi Naji will be visited, an opportunity to discover local history and customs. A bivouac will be set up among the sand dunes.
Day 4: Today our destination will be Zmila. We will cross the sand dunes to reach the mountains and the stone desert. Lunch near a Tamaris. After a rest, we set off to climb the mountains and visit the traces of ancient nomadic dwellings. At the top of the mountain we can admire the sumptuous panorama of the great Sahara. In the evening we will descend to enjoy the bivouac, set up at the foot of the sand dunes.
Day 5: On the way to the magnificent howling dunes of Erg Zahar! Afterwards, we will walk along the mountain, our caravan sailing like a ship on the sand of the great dunes. We will take a break in the shade of the mausoleum of Marabout Sidi Omar, then follow the undulating line of the dunes with our camels. Lunch will be taken in the shade of the tent. In the evening, we will climb the highest dune that dominates the surroundings and will offer you a splendid view of the entire Draa Valley. This is the Sahara as you have dreamed it.
Day 6: We wake up as the sun rises and leave the Erg Zahar to head towards the Erg Ait Outnir. towards the Erg Ait Outnir. A stop at the well in the Draa Valley will allow us to fill up with water and give the camels a drink. This will be an opportunity to perhaps meet some herds of camels accompanied by their herdsman. It will be possible to take a refreshing shower in the style of six nomads. In the evening, you can take a walk in the Erg of Ait Outnir before falling asleep under the stars.
Day 7: Return through the landscapes of the Draa valley to reach the M'hamid civilisation. Then return to the city to spend the last night in Marrakech.
Day 8: Transfer from the riad to the airport and return home.

Arrival is on saturday the 22nd of February at Marrakech international airport. There will be our guides to greet us and to drive us to the riad wher we will be spending the first night. Departure is on saturday the 1st of March.