Finding our true wealth in the wild

I find myself in a world of what journalist Johann Hari calls ‘stolen focus’, the opposite of the flow state we all seek. My life’s work is about designing and delivering life-changing experiences that add the pixie dust and bring the magic and joy we all seek. I know intimately the power of the African landscape to calm the chaos, shifting our visual fields from grey to green and, thus, recalibrating our rhythm.

For the second year, Return to the Wild with David Whyte (June 12-17, 2024) brings the worlds of the wild and authentic wellbeing together in a glorious natural setting that is deeply considered. This singular journey is about achieving the flow state we all seek – that elusive harmony between body, soul and mind - aided by the best wellbeing experts in the world. No wellbeing safari experience touches this one – it’s an industry first that sits on the cutting edge of the conscious, deeply restorative travel singular to ROAR AFRICA.

To set our authentic ultra-luxe travel apart from the commodified luxury is the greatest gift I can give. Sharing with you the safari experience in one of the most pristine, rewilded and restored places on earth with my personal selection of hand-picked body workers is the genius behind my design. I have personally sought these inimitable experts from all four corners of the globe to bring them to this rarified retreat in the beautiful wild haven of Segera - to share their skills directly with you. It would take a lifetime to find a therapist specializing in breath work, energy balancing, sound and body alignment, let alone to have them all brought to you in one go, in the wild. Steeping their skillset in the words and wisdom of one the world’s greatest living poets, is perhaps simple poetry in motion.

Alongside David Whyte and I, guests will experience the skills of Christophe Marchesseau, a name whispered amongst those in the know in St. Barths. His wealth of knowledge and innate healing instincts go far beyond physiotherapy, osteopathy and bodywork. Born and professionally trained in France, Christophe spent years traveling the world studying both ancient healing modalities and modern medical osteo and postural advancements with the world’s best from New York to Thailand before being head-hunted to develop unique massage protocols for brands like La Mer and ultra-luxe properties like Hotel Costes and Baccarat in New York.

When channeled correctly, sound acts as a conduit to a higher state of being, lifting us above the noise. World-acclaimed sound and Ayurveda expert Jayaramann Kapparrath harnesses the healing power of sound to shift the parasympathetic nervous system away from stress and toward serenity like no one else. Against the backdrop of the wild, your breath slows and the internal chatter of the mind calms, falling into step with the reverberations humankind has relied on for transcendence for thousands of years. Just as we crave less unnatural noise, we need more air.

Zurich-based Anna Beauregard, a breathwork specialist deconstructs the scaffolding of stress stuck to so many of us through our own breath. Her unique ability to guide you back to what is inherent – air – actively induces calm and enhances focus, pulling scattered attention back to the present moment and inducing feelings of profound serenity.

Native to South Africa, Dr Yvette de Villiers, Ph.D., an acclaimed metaphysical philosopher, craniosacral therapist and energy healer, has devoted her life to developing deeper ways to read and balance the energy systems that govern our wellbeing. However, words can only convey so much. To understand the transformative power of time spent with Yvette, you must experience it yourself.

I know these experts personally. They are the pillars integral to my own wellbeing journey. I cannot wait to share them with you in a setting as personal to me as Segera, a warm idyll in the wild I consider my second home.

Immersing in this regenerated landscape attuned to sessions and inspiring conversations is a reminder to take the time and space for rest, reconnection and personal regeneration. It’s an opportunity to reclaim your stolen focus and find that ever-elusive flow state in the warm embrace of nature. To quote David Whyte, “When we are rested, we care again for the right things and the right people, in the right way.” I can promise you, from personal experience and the feedback from guests on last year’s retreat who left Kenya inspired, uplifted and forever changed, this trip will take you there. I do hope you’ll join us.