As the flagship experience of AlUla Wellness Festival, Five Senses Sanctuary, has already become the region’s leading retreat for wellness practices, yoga, physical and mental health.

Returning to AlUla from 29 September to 8 October, this second edition of the sanctuary promises to be bigger and better than before. Perfect for corporate groups, friends and family groups looking for fun and healthy bonding experiences, the 10 days event will feature more opportunities to engage and stimulate all five senses. In this edition a particular focus will be on the healing power of music; the use of art as therapy and dance and the movement of the body connected to the holistic forces of the moon and the stars. The exciting mix of immersive experiences is aimed at furthering self-connection, revising inner-feelings and igniting positive change.

As in the first edition, Five Senses Sanctuary will introduce an impressive list of yogi celebrities, motivational speakers, engaging workshops, musical performances, customized retail inspired by AlUla and much more.

International practitioners from edition one of Five Senses Sanctuary will be back to continue their connection to AlUla and its landscapes. These include international classical yoga, mindfulness and wisdom coach, Manish Pole; guitar player and singer Dan Moores – who will enchant the attendees with his selection of inspiring songs; and author, psychologist and Handpan musician, Valentina Adeeva, to co-create healing and peaceful music within group sessions.

Locally-renowned practitioners returning include Khaled Nahfawi, who will introduce dedicated sessions inspired by AlUla’s outdoors and nature – a popular trend in wellness.  Ghalia AlMadani will lead a new series of mindfulness rituals, restoration breath works and other influencing health practices. Nancy Zabaneh will offer her series of meditation sessions to the Sanctuary’s attendees.

As the guardians of AlUla’s nature, heritage and culture, the female talents of arts school, Madrasat Addeera will run dedicated sessions to showcase their creativity, speak about their experiences and interact with visitors in a continued drive to amplify their voices to the world.

Five Senses Sanctuary will be located in a new spot close to Ikmah Oasis, with easy access for all visitors. Five Senses Sanctuary will run from 29^th September till 8^th of October. Set in a stunning and tranquil landscape, spectacular outdoor spaces will host carefully programmed and curated activities, classes and exclusive retreat packages that take place throughout the 10-days. Each day will be programmed with a variety of individual activities that can be enjoyed on their own or that form a tailored program as part of an exclusive focused package targeting a variety of different outcomes. Weekends will offer unique entertainment, with rare classes, unique workshops, immersive experiences, motivational international speakers and much more.

THE PROGRAM

• The Opening Program – Face painting, music and breathworks

Tribal Face Painting – the activity aims to define both art and demonstation of social belonging to the person. In the history of native American tribes, face painting has been used for artistic expression since ancient times. The art of transforming faces with make-up and masks is a universal phenomenon. In Five Senses, AlUla themes will be used as an inspiration for the facial painting designs, to bring the story and feel of AlUla into the overall experience.

Aware Meditative Music – Aware experience is a meditative music experience led by Bogdan and Mattias through the sound of violin, drums, and profound sound of the voice. Aware takes participants into a relaxing state and gradually creating space for uplifting energy through profound sounds.

Musical Breathwork by Alchemy Art Rewire and Leo Prakash –  This experience with music will settle the participants down into their body, brings the system into coherence, nourish cells, and build emotional resilience, leaving them in an energized yet centered state. The music acts as a unifying force and a guide. The benefits of this workshop will last for days.

Commenting on his participation at the program, Alchemy says: “I am looking to support people to discover their awareness, understand the new meaning of mind limitations and behaviors, rewire the way they process daily life, and feel the peace within we all deserve to be acknowledged by”.

• Poetry and motivational talks:

The program features motivational speakers such as Manish Pole and Mimi Yoga, who intend to motivate and inspire their audience by different topics to challenge or transform them.

Performance Poetry sessions will be conducted by Raghad Fathaddin. The Performance Poetry is about involving the audience emotions and ideas to express while listening to a poet.

While Bilal Allaf will Conduct live movement and poetry sessions. Bilal is a Saudi performing artist and director. With every movement he takes, he discovers the beauty of all that is around him, carefully choosing his steps on the dynamic terrain of the country’s diverse landscapes.

• Yoga

Different sessions of Yoga will be conducted throughout the days, to ignite the energy, flexibility and wellbeing. The sessions provide different classes such as Vinyasa Flow, Kundalini Yoga, Yin Yoga, Mat Pilates, Conscious Ecstatic Movement. The movement classes will be conducted at Pavilion A.

Other types of classes aim to inspire meditation, breathe and aligning with nature will be featured: Aerial, Silent, Restorative Yoga, Animal Flow and mobility fitness. The theme also includes other sessions of Sound Healing, Breathwork, Yoga Nidra, Chakra Balancing Meditation and Kigong, which can all be attended at Pavilion B.

Talents instructing these classes are Mimi Yoga, Robin Martin, Sarah Medina, Josh Kramer, Shaikha Hamad, Ghalia AlMadani, Konstantina Maridaki, Rayan AlGhalayini, Roaa Alshahhaf and Lojjain Alrefaee.

Mimi Yoga, a yoga talent and Says: “I always dreamed of creating a global community where I could share how yoga changed my life. Yoga taught me to trust that life is good, whether or not things are going well. It helped me enhance my patience, feel self-love, stay in the moment, and truly relax. And now, I can share my practice with you all day, every day and anywhere.”

Speaking about her participation at the previous edition of Five Senses, Ghalia AlMadani says that her experience in magical AlUla was extraordinary: “I was inspired the moment I landed in AlUla from its breathtaking nature, to experience the beautifully designed & executed event- Five Senses Sanctuary. My heart was full and I was beyond proud of the quality of experiences I attended of my fellow instructors and facilitators”.

• Talks and music

Five Senses Sanctuary talks are also back with an exciting line up of speakers specific to the central theme of art, music and creativity. Perhaps one of the most important of the five senses, taste, will be explored via a series of indulging but healthy food and beverage experiences including live cooking demonstration sessions and more. With WILDFLOWER Café returning, Chef Marcelion will be offering his favourite recipes. This edition the café will be open to all visitors with no ticket required and motivational talks on offer for all to enjoy.

At the café, guests can meet, enjoy a variety of healthy snacks and beverages, engage in smaller workshops and browse through a retail area offering a premium selection of wellness products and local KSA brands. Featuring MZN products made of natural and organic ingredients to create beautiful and effective skincare products, the brand brings soap bars, hand cream, body oil, massage oil and body scrubs.

A range of motivational and inspirational speakers will attend to deliver their experiences to the audience. the objective is to create a comfortable yet nourishing environment where both talent and guests can connect, grow and inspire others. Five Senses Sanctuary builds a community and foster exchange between regional and international talent, as well as promote the local talent and have them engage with international talent.

Food

Cooking Demonstrations sessions are offered to activate the senses with these live cooking shows and demonstrations showcasing the healthiest food trends and recipes to help attendees eat and live well.

Massages and treatment:

• Stress-release massage – Developed over 2,500 years ago, Thai Yoga Massage is a dynamic bodywork therapy based upon yoga and Ayurveda practices. It’s a full body treatment that relieves muscular tension, improves circulation, boosts the immune system and balances the body energetically

• Sound Healing – The use of music has been proven to lower the perceived levels of stress in patients, while greatly reducing the physical manifestations of stress as well – such as heart rate, blood pressure, or levels of stress hormones.

• Natural Facials – A revitalizing and refreshing experience for the face, using massage and long strokes to help increase vitality and circulation – all with natural ingredients to hydrate the skin and leave you fresh after a sweaty day.

• Reflexology – A revitalizing and refreshing experience for the face, using massage and long strokes to help increase vitality and circulation – all with natural ingredients to hydrate the skin and leave you fresh after a sweaty day.

Different options of tickets are offered starting from SAR 50, with free access to WildFlower Café and free to attend motivational and inspirational talks from 9 AM till 11 PM.

To book your ticket to Five Senses Sanctuary and get to know all classes visit experiencealula.com