Retreats In The Wild: Introducing Our Retreat Facilitators

Embark on a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Real Luxury is the ability to escape into your inner world and think deeply. It’s the ability to take in the world around you and find the road that calls to you. Here, you’ll be introduced to your retreat facilitator and they’ll answer some questions to help you uncover the path ahead.

Cultivate restfulness with Hella at the Art of Mindfulness Retreat

If your mind reels, your heart races, or you’re looking for a rejuvenating experience to increase your mental wellness, this stress relief retreat is the one for you.

How did you come to be familiar with African Monarch Lodges?

“I did the marketing for African Monarch Lodges in the European market for many years. I’ve seen the beautiful metamorphosis of this butterfly called African Monarch Lodges. Dusty and I also both dealt with cancer in our lives. It was at the diagnosis of my second breast cancer that, all of a sudden, the universe gave me the opportunity to go and join a retreat – to remember the forgotten art of healing.”

Do you believe that this landscape has impacted your journey to mindfulness?

“Yes, of course it has. Connecting with nature and the grounding and being in an environment where we’ve got a little paradise that still feels so sacred and so complete. The beauty of Bwabwata National Park, the Acacia forest – all the elements are there. This universal connection between elements and ourselves triggers healing through understanding. I have seen many beautiful landscapes of Namibia, but I have come to believe that the beauty of the trees, the power, the energy of the trees at Nambwa do something to your heart, your inspiration, your connection to yourself.”

Your methods are based on Professor John Kabat Zinn’s techniques. Can you describe your philosophy of mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is learning to ride the waves of life instead of drowning in the waters. It’s experiencing the power of remaining in the present moment, instead of being lost in worries and expectations. It’s practicing non-judgemental self-compassionate awareness and training your heart. The essence of mindfulness is to relearn the language of our own body. Our hurt, pain, joy, and love are all stored in our cells. And our own body tells the story – so listen.”

What are you hoping guests will leave this retreat with?

“I hope that guests will leave with inspiration, a sense of ease, and the belief that they can help themselves. This retreat will give them easy-to-use intervention techniques to reconnect with themselves and come back to the moment of presence. I would also like guests to leave Nambwa with recharged batteries. The goal is to leave with more clarity – and to be better able to listen to their own inner wisdom.”

What should guests prepare themselves for?

“Guests should be prepared to be a child again – to come with a suitcase of innocence and open-mindedness. They should prepare to trust and engage in this journey of amazing discovery about the beauty of the world, about their own healing capacity and ability. Doing a little bit of work closes that brain-and-heart gap, and maybe starts the journey of being the change we all want to see in this world.
I’d love to meet you all and walk that journey with you.”

Uncover your story with Annemarie at the Writing & Yoga Retreat

If you seek inspiration, motivation, or the quiet needed to hear your masterpiece, we invite you to join this transformational retreat designed to help find your voice.

Why is African Monarch Lodges the perfect setting for a writing retreat?

“Every writer dreams of having the luxury of uninterrupted time to write surrounded by a breathtaking landscape that inspires ideas, words and characters to just flow. African Monarch Lodges, and particularly Nambwa Tented Lodge where the retreat is held, offers all of this and more. You’ve got the adventure and romance of the true African wild – literally with elephants roaming beneath your treetop suite and hippos a stone’s throw away from your riverboat. You’ve got awe-inspiring tales told by local guides, insight into unique culture and traditions; enough to spark a multitude of plot twists. You’ve got the most delicious food, and let’s not forget, a magical suite with lounge and deck and forever views where all your stories can come to life.”

Your retreat focuses on a balance between creative writing and kundalini yoga sessions. Is there a connection between yoga and creative release?

“Absolutely. There are so many reasons we can feel creatively stuck in our lives. Maybe we’re too busy, our energy is low, we don’t feel good enough, we don’t feel inspired… For me, kundalini yoga has been instrumental in helping to rebalance physical and mental health, find more presence, and stimulate creative energy again. I’m passionate about bringing these two ‘arts’ together now, as they build on each other. So my retreat weaves kundalini yoga into the process. We start with themed yoga sessions that help us tap into and work with emotions. Writing is so much easier when emotions are freed, but also directed.”

What do you believe will be the key takeaway from this retreat?

“It will be different for everyone, but I hope the takeaway is a breath of fresh air (pun intended). I hope it offers inspiration and a belief in yourself. And, of course, a good start on your book!”

Could a writing practice be beneficial for guests who aren’t writers?

“Definitely. You could spend the entire retreat just journalling on emotions or thoughts that come up during the yoga, and during the different safari activities. It could be a diary of the trip; an exploration of your childhood memories; anecdotes and insights to leave behind one day for your kids or family members. There is so much healing and benefit to just exploring your own inner world through writing.”

How should guests prepare themselves for this retreat?

“You could start thinking about what you want to write. Is it a book, a set of poems, a screenplay, a blog? Think about themes, topics, characters, plot. Let these ideas swirl in your mind, so that when we come together, you’ve got a starting point. Other than that, all you need to bring is a laptop, or a notepad and pen if you prefer to write by hand, and an open mind.”

Fortify your inner feminine with Rouxvé at the Wild Woman Retreat

If you’re looking to harness the power of your sovereign femininity, join us for this luxury retreat.

How did you come to be familiar with African Monarch Lodges?

“I met Tinolla through a series of synchronistic events. Over the course of two months working together in my Sacred Spiral mentorship journey, we felt the call to move into something even deeper together. Tinolla had experienced the shifts in her life first-hand, and told me that the world was ready for this level of work and that the Lodges were the perfect backdrop for a deep immersion with women ready to take the leap. It felt like the most natural next step guided by spirit, to bring a group of women together to experience the Wild Women Retreat at African Monarch Lodges.”

Do you believe there’s a connection between nature and the feminine?

“Absolutely. The feminine is nature. She is cycles, flow, unpredictability, creation, decay, and rebirth, just like the Earth. When women return to nature, they return to themselves. The natural world is the ultimate feminine teacher – she shows us how to rest, how to receive, how to open, how to surrender.”

The Wild Woman Retreat uses a combination of modern biohacking and spiritual practice. How do the two connect?

“Biohacking and spiritual practice are two sides of the same sacred coin. One speaks to the optimization of the physical vessel, and the other to the elevation of consciousness. We live in an era where we have access to extraordinary tools that allow us to create a strong, resilient body. It’s not about obsessing over health. It’s about devotion to the temple of the body so it can become a clear channel for the divine.”

How can activating feminine sovereignty and finding that radiance impact our guests’ lives?

“When a woman remembers her sovereignty, she stops looking outside of herself for answers. She moves from proving to embodying, becoming a force to be reckoned with. Her unmistakable magnetism draws opportunities, people, and experiences. Physical vitality returns as her body responds to being honored. Her intuition sharpens because she trusts herself to receive divine guidance. Money flows as she stops undervaluing her worth.”

Who will this retreat benefit?

“This retreat benefits any woman ready to stop dimming her light to make others comfortable and start illuminating the world with her authentic radiance. She might be the high-achieving professional who commands boardrooms but has lost touch with her feminine flow. The devoted mother who’s given so much that she’s forgotten her own desires. The creative soul whose inner critic has silenced her authentic expression. The spiritual seeker who knows there’s more magic available to her than she’s currently accessing.”

Find peace in the wild, and the wild within you.

While you enjoy your escape, you’ll be able to experience true relaxation in nature at Nambwa Tented Lodge’s spacious tented suites, explore the wilderness on game drives, and discover one-of-a-kind keepsakes at The Sijwa Project.

For any and all who feel the call to let your wild be, book your Retreat In The Wild.