Sometimes, transformation requires silence. Sometimes, it calls for darkness. And sometimes, it’s about stripping life back to its most natural, raw, and essential form. Across the world, people are seeking spaces to reconnect with themselves – retreats that offer more than relaxation but a profound reset for mind, body, and soul.
From a silent inquiry in India that broke through identity to a week immersed in utter darkness in Oregon and a Maldivian escape that redefines the meaning of stillness, these journeys remind us that real wellness is uncomfortable, elemental, and, at times, utterly life-changing.
The Silent Retreat with Mthayel Al Ali
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In 2018, I embarked on a solo trip to India, seeking something deeper within myself. I found it at a four-day intensive silent retreat – a profound and painful experience that reshaped how I see life, myself, and everything in between.
The retreat wasn’t entirely silent, but it stripped away every comfort—free will, luxuries, even identity. The heart of the retreat was a Buddhist practice called Kōan inquiry. Paired with another participant, we alternated, asking one question: “Who is in?” For four days, this simple yet unanswerable question broke down my shields and roles of daughter, wife, sister, revealing the self beneath the masks.
I discovered that everything I thought I was—every title, every role—was armour. What remained was a raw understanding: I am nothing, yet everything. Through breakdowns and breakthroughs, I learned to communicate with my body, embrace my core essence, and confront the illusions I had built.
The experience was a collision of pain, clarity, and transformation. Returning to real life was tough; integrating these lessons felt like living between worlds. Yet, this retreat still guides me today, challenging every “I am” I utter and teaching me to embrace the nothingness—and everythingness—of simply being.
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The Darkness Retreat with Omar Samra
Spending…
