Connect in Diani

Diani Beach, Kenya

CC
Calm, Connected and Cool
  • Email address verified
  • Facebook verified
Aug 24 - 31, 2019
Group size: 1 - 12
Connect in Diani
Diani Beach, Kenya

Calm, Connected and Cool
  • Email address verified
  • Facebook verified

Aug 24 - 31, 2019
Group size: 1 - 12

About this trip

Connect in Diani  


We do not fold ourselves in half in sweaty rooms where the heating has been cranked up, trying to out downward dog the person next to us, nor do we knit our own yoghurt, although we have each been through these phases with many variations!


We don’t believe in yoga snobbery and we know the fear that can be attached with attending classes. In fact, one of us still struggles to sit with their legs out and their back straight! We are not Yogis or Gurus, keep-fit teachers or contortionists, and the idea of bootcamp makes at least one of us want to weep. 


Calm – 


We experienced a slice of paradise where monkeys cross over the road with ladders in the sky made just for them, where the sand is soft under your feet and palm trees offer shade and a refreshing drink.


An average day starts with morning yoga and meditation to ease you into waking, before a light breakfast and then maybe a dip in the pool to cool off, or a sleep on one of the beds in the lush gardens outside. The tension you have been carrying in your shoulders is starting to melt away.

In the afternoon after lunch, through the creative exploration of themes or through talking with others, you allow yourself to take the time to meditate on you, who you are and what you want, that thing you try to remember is a priority in your life back home but never seem to have the time, energy or motivation for! 


Then, as the day starts to cool a little and the early evening comes you feel the warm sea water rush over your feet as you walk along Diani beach, and realise that you are perhaps, in one of the most beautiful places in the world.


Connected – 


Of course, we connect over video, call, or social media when one of us needs help with a yoga pose or just the encouragement to do one, to talk through life’s struggles, to work, to procrastinate and to be entertained, but sometimes, we are all just too plugged in. 

We need to disconnect to feel connected again. 


When you are in Kenya, you can give yourself permission to stop looking at emails, and checking social media, you don’t need to call home once if you don’t want to. This is time to get connected to you. 


Through movement that connects you to your body, and peace that connects you to your mind, through conversations that connect you to increased understanding and awareness; this week will connect you to who you are and to the feeling of aliveness that you seek. 


In Diani you can connect to humanity, to nature and to yourself. 


Just know this, we will never sign off an email with ‘namaste’, we will never judge you for falling out of a pose like a new born giraffe, but we will be connecting again this August, and it would be really cool if you joined us!


Connect with You

There is only one you.


Our global population is over 7.5 billion individuals with no two exactly the same.

You're an original, you're unique and ultimately you are an extremely precious resource.


That sounds like a good reason to look after yourself, but how is it best to do that?


A yoga retreat? Well, maybe, but will this approach really be the answer - or is like buying a one size fits all t-shirt when what you really need is something tailor made?


Connect In Diani allows you to experience all the fantastic benefits of a normal yoga retreat, with one major difference; you can tailor it to fit you and your individual needs.


Connect with you -


 - Before you come on retreat you will receive a questionnaire to help us to get to know you better, and to help us to craft this experience to your individual needs.


- You will have the opportunity to connect to yourself through the highly relaxing form of Yoga Nidra, with a one hour session every day.


- Each day you will have the opportunity to do whatever your heart desires, to explore, to walk on the beach, or to take a dip in the pool with a few hours dedicated entirely to you. We ask for your full commitment to two days of the program and all the rest of our activities are optional.


- You will be offered a 50 minute one to one session focusing on Ayurvedic tips and your asana practise; you will have the opportunity to discuss your nutritional and physical needs, and be supported to create a plan to continue with this when you get back home.


- You will be offered a 50 minute one to one talking session with a qualified psychodynamic therapist, who will support you to offload any current stresses and to explore you as you are right now.


- On your return home, you will be sent an e-gift with a summary of your individual sessions and 10 positive affirmations hand-picked by us for you to help you to continue what you started in Kenya.


There is only one you; spend some time connecting.


Connect with Kenya

Kenya is a beautiful country; with spiritual, cultural and natural abundance. 


Kenya teaches gratitude, 'Nashukuru mungu', means 'I thank God' and its often said by individuals here; that we must each show gratitude for what we have rather than focusing on our lack, and that we must have faith that all is well, is less an idea than it is an understanding. Being here will open your eyes and your mind and most importantly, your heart.


Connect in Diani gives you the opportunity to visit one of the most incredible continents on earth; it is complex, beautiful and unique.


In the area of Diani, Mombasa, there is 11 miles of gorgeous, white, sandy beach lined with palm trees growing ever more lush as you move inland. Baboons, Angolan Colobus, Vervet and Skye monkeys can all be found in Diani, and can often be seen walking along the roadside, with the smaller ones crossing on treetop bridges made especially for them. In August, the temperature ranges from around 21-29 `C and there is sometimes light rain showers that provide some refreshment during the warm days.


At African Huts you will be on a secure compound of three gated apartments, each with two en suite double rooms. Each apartment has a kitchen and sitting area in a private, covered outdoor space. There is also a pool on the compound and a communal yoga space.  


Connect with Kenya -


Let the raw and unique beauty of Kenya ease your soul. It is a country of music, dance, laughter, colour and contrast. It will humble and inspire you.


This is a unique opportunity; allow yourself to connect with nature.

Connect with Us

We are two imperfect individuals on a journey of personal development just like you. We want to share with you some of the most beneficial things we have learnt during our travels and experiences so far and hope that some of these lessons, practices, ways of thinking and living will support you in being connected, being calm, and most importantly, simply being yourself...


Connect in Diani will give you the space and time you need to reflect, relax and unwind, as you disconnect to reconnect. 


With you in Kenya will be -


Vicky Lebedeva


Vicky has been living on the road for the last 6 years. This came after a 5 year stretch working in the City where the usual corporate story led her to fatigue, restlessness and an urge to find freedom and more meaning. She knew that there was so much more to learn. 


Her first trip started in India, and since then she has spent more time in this country than any other; it is both inspiring and challenging to learn in this spiritual hub. The biggest lesson she has learned is that we are all students and teachers, one has to be good at both to be good at one. She thinks it is of utmost importance to share the knowledge she has picked up. She has completed more than 400 hours of Yoga Alliance Teacher Training Certification and has been teaching yoga around the world for the last 3 years. 


Yoga and meditation keep her balanced on her travels, and according to the ancient scriptures, can provide us with much more than just the postures we are so frequently exposed to. Vicky works with medicinal herbs and spices picking up knowledge from each country she visits; she is a keen nutritionist and herbalist living by the mantra that we are what we eat. Everything we consume is either a medicine or a poison, so we must be selective in what we read, what we eat and how we live. However, everyone is different and one man's poison is another man's medicine. 


Otherwise, she loves learning languages and and is a keen sailer, having helped to deliver boats around the Caribbean and sailed around a third of the world from Panama to New Zealand a few years ago. 


Kate Busaka

  

In 2012 Kate founded Family Thing, a dance company in Brighton, working primarily with dancers who have learning differences and diverse abilities. Now in 2019, the dancers have performed throughout the UK, including performances at the Brighton Dome Theatre, Disability Pride and in Westminster where they were invited to be part of the STOMP campaign, which seeks to reduce the use of psychotropic medication for people with learning disabilities. 


Kate's passion for communication and understanding human connection led her to study English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where she met Vicky, and later to qualify as a psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counsellor at Brighton University. 


Now, as a writer, leader and counsellor she uses her expertise in communication to inspire people to live to the fullness of their capacity, whilst valuing themselves and others; she passionately pursues the importance of empathy and connection, and this is evident in all her work.
 

Kate successfully worked in Higher Education as an Associate Lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University on their Foundation Degree in Dance Teaching and has led choreographic workshops focused on emotional expression for BA Dance students. Alongside her work with Family Thing, she worked with the inclusive drama company Brighton Shed, and enjoyed playing with different art forms to promote connection and personal expression.


As an extension of her work in Brighton, Kate now also works with school children and community groups in Kenya using dance and talking therapy as a tool to promote connection and to celebrate each individual so that more people are free to believe they can. 


Connect with us - 


We would be happy to hear from you and you can contact us via our facebook page,   


You do so much; free yourself and relax.

Before you arrive

Before you arrive you may be excited, or nervous; these are such close emotions physically that often the difference is just a matter of perspective. 


Being prepared will ease any sense of anxiety and will ground you in your decision, enabling you to feel calm and contented that you have made the right decision.


To support you in that process -


Pace

This would be the greatest piece of advice I have for you here in Kenya - try to just relax and take it easy. 'Hakuna matata', was not created by Disney, it really does translate as 'no trouble', and when you are coming to Kenya sometimes the best thing to do is to chill and to laugh at the things that may have stressed you out back home. Everything happens at a slower pace, particularly on the coast here in Mombasa. In places like the airport, if there are lots of flights arriving at the same time as yours there will likely be a lot of people and not a great deal of obvious order. Just breathe, it will work out, this is Kenya. 
 

Mosquitoes 

In Nairobi, there are not too many mosquitoes so you don't have to worry too much there. However, in Mombasa it is definitely advisable to bring some insect repellent and to wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts in the evening. If you know that you react to mosquito bites, then bring some oral antihistamines with you, just in case.


Malaria

Malaria is known in this region. Please seek medical advise on this.


What to wear

In Mombasa in August, it can get very hot - around hot 28 °C or 82° F. Bring a swimming costume, shorts and vest tops but also some light trousers and something to wrap around you for when it gets cooler in the evening, or to cover up from the sun. There could be a few showers interspersed in the week, so bringing a light rain jacket is a good idea. For ladies, please be mindful that Kenya is a more patriarchal and conservative country.  



Currency

Kenya uses Kenyan shillings (ksh) as their main currency, the conversion is roughly £1 = 130ksh, or if you can think in US dollars, $1=100ksh.


A beer is roughly 200ksh and the local beer is called 'Tusker'. Ideally small notes are handy if you want to buy curios or things from the markets. You may also hear things referred to as 'bob', as in the old English for pounds. You are unlikely to be able to get Kenyan shillings at your average currency exchange place but you can at the airport in England or you can order them for cheaper exchange rates online. You should also be able to use your card here or to get money from ATMs but remember to inform your bank first. 


Some helpful phrases

As a 'mzungu' (foreigner) things will go up in price for you here in Kenya so it is advisable to try to negotiate a lower price for bigger purchases like taxis etc. Generally Kenyans are extremely curteous and friendly and will do their best to make you feel welcome. 'Karibu', means you are welcome and you will likely hear that a lot. 

It is helpful to know a few local phrases although everyone will speak in English. In Nairobi, people tend to speak sheng which is a Swahili/English hybrid, and you will sound like a real tourist if you say 'Jambo'. However, in Mombasa they speak beautiful Kiswahili in a more traditionally form and you will often hear people greet each other with 'Jambo', to which the responce is simply, 'Jambo'.  Alternatively you may hear, 'Mambo', to which the responce is 'Poa', which means cool. 

The culture here is one of respect, particularly to ones elders. If you are greeting an older woman you often call them 'Mama', and as a sign of respect to women and men older than you, when you are at the coast, you say, 'Shikamo', which is literally, 'I respect you'. They will often reply with, 'marahaba', which  means I accept your respect. Another sign of respect in Kenya is that when you are shaking the hand of an older woman or man you hold your arm, as if the weight of the greeting is more substantial. People really tend not to swear or get too worked up here. 

As a greeting you may also hear, 'Habari yako?', which literally means 'your news', but translates as 'How are you?', to which you reply 'Nzuri', meaning, 'I'm fine'.

'Asante sana', means thank you very much, and 'pole' is 'sorry', or 'slowly' in Kiswahili. The language is phonetic so you sound out every letter, 'pole' ('po-le', not 'pole' like 'hole').  Another thing you may hear a lot if you are ordering a beer is 'baridi?, this just means 'cold?', a warm beer is, 'moto', which literally means 'fire' or 'hot'.

Yoga Nidra

 "Through the practice of Yoga Nidra we are not only relaxing, but restructuring and reforming our whole personality from within.” –  Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Yoga Nidra which means "sleep" in Sanskrit refers to a state between sleep and wakeful consciousness. It is conducive to deep emotional and physical healing. It re-wires your brain and allows self-exploration helping to bring you into alignment with your truth.

In a study that scanned the brain during yoga nidra, it was found "that one can be completely aware in such a deep state—that one can consciously experience and control the brain’s activity simultaneously. This confirms that meditation is the fourth major state, equal to dreaming, sleeping, and wakefulness."

Much like asanas were created in order to ready the body for long hours of sitting in meditation, yoga nidra prepares the mind for meditation. Our western mind needs rest, just like our bodies. In fact, our minds and bodies are inseparable.

Ancient Eastern civilizations have long understood the way our mental and spiritual bodies inform our physical nature. Western science too has begun to understand the interdependence between the emotional and physical body: we feel grief in the heart, know the ‘gut’ acts as our second brain and know that stress acts as a poison.

So many emotions are stored in various parts of your body and in the internal organs. As your muscles relax and various memories, thoughts and emotions ripple up to the surface, we are able to process them. In this way, yoga nidra increases awareness, undoes bad habits and allows real connection to your true self. Studies have found it increases dopamine levels by 65%.

It is an antidote to our modern hectic lifestyle. Never alone, we tend to feel lonely. Always online but never truly connected. Our nervous systems are constantly in a sympathetic state of fight-or-flight.  Yoga nidra efficiently puts the body into the parasympathetic state of rest-and-repair where healing can happen effectively.

In addition to the benefits of the actual practice, yoga nidra is accessible to absolutely everyone.

"I was taught by two students of Swami Satyananda, who played a big role in developing the yoga nidra technique. According to him, one hour of yoga nidra is as effective as more than a few hours sleep. I found my concentration and creativity heightened, energy levels and mood lift after every single session." Vicky

What’s included

  • Accomodation
    Double room (Sharing)
  • Breakfast & lunch daily
    Dinner on the evening of your arrival (Saturday), breakfast and lunch Sunday - Friday (All vegan)
  • Daily yoga &meditation
  • All connection sessions
  • 2x one to one sessions
  • Yoga Nidra session daily
  • A gift from us to you

What’s not included

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Airport shuttle
  • Dinners

Available Packages

Trip Price
£800
Deposit: £450

Available options

Itinerary

Connect in Diani
Arrival

On Saturday 24th August you will arrive in Diani. 


Depending on how you choose to plan your trip to Kenya there are a few ways to get here. Most people tend to fly into Nairobi when they arrive in Kenya so you are likely to get a connecting flight to Moi International Airport, or to our nearest airport which is a small, local airstrip in Ukunda. 


You might even want to spend a night in a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya's capital to break up the travelling in which case, a nice option is to go on the SGR which is a national rail service crossing the country from Nairobi to Mombasa; the train passes through Tsavo national park which is home to elephants, giraffe, and zebra, which you will likely see enroute. 


Moi International airport and the SGR are approximately 1 hour 45 minutes from where you will be staying, and you will need to cross the ferry over to the south coast  where you will finding the beautiful area of Diani beach. Ukunda airport is a very small airstrip in Diani, about 15 minutes away from where you will be staying. 


If you arrive in Mombasa there are plenty of taxis available but you will need to negotiate the price. We can provide support in getting here, so if you would like us to arrange your transfer then you can choose that as an optional extra when you book. 


When you arrive at African Huts the relaxation begins, a cool towel and coconut water straight from the coconut will let you know you have truly arrived in Kenya. 


Depending on when everyone arrives we will have a short orientation chat on Saturday night and you can relax and settle in before your first full day on Sunday. 


It is really normal to feel excited and anxious before a new adventure, in fact these two feelings are so close in terms of their physical manifestation that often the difference is just a matter of perspective - to help you feel prepared and ready to enjoy this wonderful experience be sure to check out our FAQ section and feel free to get in touch if you need any additional support.

Your Organizer


CC
Calm, Connected and Cool
Well, like everyone we go by many labels: traveller, teacher, tea formulator, poet, woman, former city banker, dancer, business owner, public speaker, wife, free spirit, daughter, London girl, sister, yoga practitioner, 80's kid, psychotherapeutic counsellor, writer, friend. We are two imperfectly perfect human beings who had a wonderful experience we would like to share with you. Our names are Kate and Vicky.