SENSUAL SANCTUARY
A journey to embrace the beauty of your senses
Tuesday 18th - Sunday 23rd of June , Scicli, Sicily
SOLD OUT
ABOUT
Sensual Sanctuary is a sensory wellbeing retreat immersed in the wild, abundant land of Sicily, nestled amongst olive and almond groves, looking out to sea.
In collaboration with the School of Sensual Arts, this retreat will be a celebration of self discovery, creative expression and life's simple pleasures, with practices taught by a teacher from the Indian tradition and hosts from the island.
INTENTION
This retreat is perfect for those of you looking to disconnect from your busy schedule and reconnect to the beauty of your senses, the rhythms of nature and the true pleasures that life offers.
You can expect a week of embodiment, exploration and expression, through creative activities, authentic Eastern embodiment practices from the ancient traditions of tantra and yoga, nourishing Mediterranean meals and nature excursions.
OUR SANCTUARY
Picture days out to swim in emerald green waters and days in to explore your inner landscapes with practices amongst olive and almond groves, painting or cooking workshops and shared meals under the starry sky made by our local private chef.
Don’t worry, you’ll also have plenty of precious ‘me-time’ to simply rest, snooze under the comforting shade of olive trees and bask in the golden Sicilian sun by our private pool.
THE THEME
Throughout the retreat we will explore a tantric and yogic philosophy which gives us 4 clear steps to experience our true 'bliss nature', that is translated from sanskrit as 'anandamaya'. We'll take each day of the retreat to explore this system together through both embodiment and expression.
Our intention is for you to take this knowledge to carry with you from the retreat into your life to experience more joy, beauty and bliss not only in Sicily, but in your everyday.
SESSIONS
Henika will be guiding you through a journey to experience the beauty of your senses, inviting you to peel back the layers of stress and tension in the physical, mental, emotional and energetic parts of the body to access your innate bliss and joy within.
If you’re new to tantra or yoga, fear not, as no previous experience is required and all workshops come with adaptations and options of your choice.
A TYPICAL DAY
Morning:
Enjoy a quiet moment to yourself in nature with tea, coffee and fruit
Start your day with a yoga/tantra session
Savour a Mediterranean brunch with locally-sourced ingredients
Afternoon:
Explore a nature spot with us or choose to relax at the villa
Cooking workshop or creative expression workshop
Evening:
Sunset immersion and aperitivo
Enjoy an Italian dinner at the villa
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
5 night stay in our boutique Sicilian villa
Daily tantra and yoga sessions with Henika, inviting you to peel back the layers of stress and tension in the body
An intuitive painting workshop with Kiran, to connect with the beauty of nature
A Sicilian cooking class to make pasta with Emilia, our local private chef
Excursions to explore wild, nature spots and the nearby town with Gaetano, our host who grew up in Sicily
Daily Mediterranean brunch and Italian family dinners, using locally sourced ingredients with many Sicilian delicacies
INVESTMENT
SHARED OCCUPANCY
A spot in an en-suite bedroom with 2 single beds, shared with 1 other guest
£1950 per person
`SINGLE OCCUPANCY
A private en-suite bedroom with a double bed
£3450 per person
We completely understand that it can feel scary to share a room or come alone, but many participants do find it to be unexpectedly rewarding, often leading to new friendships. Shared rooms will be in a spacious single bed formation. Payment plans are available.
HOW TO BOOK
Secure your place with a £500 deposit here.
Following this, we will email you to discuss the next steps, which will include the below:
-Set up a payment plan for the remaining amount (can be split into 2 instalments)
-Complete onboarding form
-Book a personal 15 minute welcome call with the team
If you have any questions at all, please contact us at zagararetreats@gmail.com
What previous guests are saying
“I booked the retreat because I was craving time to myself - a pause to explore the transition phase of life I'm currently in. I came into the retreat feeling pretty tense, overwhelmed and out of touch with my true self. I left feeling grounded and with a deep sense of inner calm. It is hard to put into words the effect the experience has had on me. Simply put, it was one of the most memorable weeks of my life and I will treasure everything about it - the people, the food, the house and garden, Sicily itself - they managed to create a mini utopia and I am so incredibly grateful.” - Jennie
“What a beautiful experience. I didn't really know what to expect when I came and felt I took a chance in coming, but the retreat exceeded anything I thought of and has helped to bring back a sense of joy and magic to life which I felt I had lost a bit over the last few years. Kiran, Henika and Gaetano really made us feel looked after and helped to open my eyes to the world again. I feel grateful to the hosts and to everyone I shared this trip with and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their relationship to life, others and themselves.” - Habiba
“Sometimes you reach a point in life where you're ready for more, you're ready for deeper connection but aren't quite sure how to do this, or maybe don't feel safe enough to surrender. And this retreat was honestly the right time, right place, right people to let go and just be, to explore the depths of myself, be vulnerable and in turn connect with others in such a profound way. The authenticity and heartfelt intention of every aspect of this retreat, this experience, this journey was so deeply ingrained and felt through everything we did.” - Pam
FAQs
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Catania is the closest airport to the villa. We do not recommend flying to Palermo as this is far from the villa.
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The villa is located near Scicli and is a 2 hour drive away from Catania airport. We can organise a transfer for you to share with other retreat guests. This will cost €40 per person, each way.
If you would like to join the transfer, please aim to get a flight that gets into Catania before 3pm on the 18th and leaves after 1:30pm on the 23rd.
If you’re having trouble in finding flights that align with these timings, please email us at zagararetreats@gmail.com with the flight times you’re considering. We'll be happy to assist in finding a suitable solution.
Additionally, we recommend considering arriving a day or two before or extending your stay after the retreat to explore Catania and the surrounding areas. -
You are welcome to check-in to the villa from 2pm onwards on the 18th of June. Check-out is at 11am on Sunday the 23rd of June. We will provide a breakfast for you at the villa before leaving.
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We have paid meticulous attention to detail to the retreat location. All bedrooms are spacious and designed to a luxury standard with en-suite bathrooms.
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The majority of people coming on retreats do tend to come alone and meet other like-minded spirits to share the experience with. It can feel scary to share a room with someone you don’t know, but it is such a beautiful experience on retreat. Rest assured, you will have plenty of privacy even with a shared room, as the property has a lot of space for you to have ‘me-time’. Upon placing your deposit, we will arrange an onboarding call with you to get to know you better and pair you up with the person we feel would be most suitable. The beds will of course be divided in two.
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We totally understand that you may want more privacy on the retreat. We do have a limited number of spaces for single occupancy, with a double bed.
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Inclusivity is important to us, therefore this retreat is open to anyone who is curious to deepen their relationship to themselves and others, and indulge in the experience of Sicily. You are welcome to come alone, with a friend, partner or family member. There will be our beautiful hosts to welcome you and make you feel at home.
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Contrary to popular belief, tantra is one of the most misunderstood paths of the ancient Indian arts. Tantra translates from Sanskrit as a ‘loom’ as it is a practice which weaves together many of the sacred ancient practices, such as yoga, breathwork, meditation and connection rituals. It is the sister science of yoga and ayurveda and invites us to connect to a path of deep love and respect for the self.
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We have an Italian private chef who will be cooking for us daily at the villa.
We can cater to many dietary requirements, including vegan or vegetarian options.
If you have any kind of food allergy, it is essential to contact us by email at zagararetreats@gmail.com, before booking, so we can discuss if we can safely accommodate your needs.
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You are more than welcome to rent your own car if you feel comfortable doing so and would like to have the freedom to explore the local areas in your free time. Please email us on zagararetreats@gmail.com if you need any help with this.
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Included
Accommodation for 5 nights and 6 days, daily embodiment/creative sessions, explorations to nature spots and local town, refreshments, daily brunch and dinnersNot Included
Flights, transfer from and to the airport (€40 per person, each way), massages, alcoholic beverages
Meet your Hosts
Henika Patel
Henika is a yoga and tantra practitioner and the founder of the School of Sensual Arts. She grew up in the UK with an Indian household abundant in tantra rituals and yoga and is passionate about translating ancient wisdom for modern life through unique sensory experiences.
Emilia Strazzanti
Emilia is a local professional chef and the founder of Strazzanti Experiences. Emilia is dedicated to showcasing the incredible produce, culture and spirit of the Sicilian land through her family recipes, experiences and ingredients, inviting you to immerse yourself in the heritage of Sicilian cuisine.
Kiran Tak
Born in the UK with Indian roots, Kiran’s love affair with Italy started at the age of 16. Kiran spent many years living in Italy and is now fluent in Italian. A lover of art, wellbeing and creativity, Kiran is the co-founder and curator of Zagara Retreats, as well as the founder of jewellery brand Āyurituals
Gaetano Terzo
Born and raised in Sicily, Gaetano is a creative storyteller, passionate about sharing the authentic side of Sicilian culture. It’s easy to fall in love with Sicily just listening to the stories he shares and the love he has for his island. Gaetano is the co-founder and curator of Zagara Retreats.