Embrace Tranquility (4 nights)
Embrace Tranquility (4 nights)
Broadacres, Sandton, South Africa
Up to 2 in group
5 Days Package (4 nights)
Retreat Highlights
- Private, completely dark retreat rooms designed for deep rest and safety
- Gentle, one-on-one support from an experienced Darkness retreat guide
- Simple, nourishing plant-based meals served quietly through a hatch
- Flexible retreat lengths from 2-hour immersions to 3–21 day deep dives
- Optional guided 1:1 sessions for preparation, check-ins, and integration
- Quiet garden setting on the edge of Johannesburg, easy to reach yet secluded
- Focus on nervous system reset, deep inner work, and clarity
- Welcoming of carers, creatives, and sincere seekers in life transition
About this Retreat
Your Guides
I have devoted much of my life to the mystery and medicine of Darkness, not as absence, but as presence, a sacred vessel where masks fall away and the essential self is revealed.
My own path has taken me through 10, 14, and 21-day Darkness Retreats, as well as guiding close to a hundred retreatants from across the world; shamans, sangomas, medicine facilitators, doctors, coaches, creatives, leaders, and absolute beginners taking their first steps into meditation.
I am an Integral Master Coach™ with a background in psychology, and my lived experience includes both mystical devotion since childhood and the raw, life-threatening crises of inner darkness. These extremes shape the way I hold space: with care, precision, and reverence for every human who steps into the unknown.
My spiritual journey began in traditional Christianity and has expanded into an embrace of the great mystery across religions and paths, a tantric love of life that welcomes all.
I have lived and practiced at Hridaya Yoga Retreat Centre in France, and I continue to walk the edge of truth, curiosity, and the deepest reaches of my known innerverse.
I am also a mother of three grown children, grounded in the ordinary beauty and hardship of human life. What I offer is not theory, but lived practice.
Holding Darkness Retreats is my service and my devotion.
I honour each guest as they are, weary, seeking, or courageous enough to face themselves in full.
The space itself is a sacred portal, between worlds, where suffering softens, seekers are met, and tired humans find renewal.
Details of this retreat
From the moment you arrive, the pace begins to soften. A private room holds you with simplicity and care: bed, bathroom, fresh air, nourishing meals.
Everything you need is here, and nothing unnecessary.
When the door closes and the light fades, you enter complete darkness.
At first, it may feel unfamiliar, but soon, distractions dissolve, and only essence remains - what is true, what is real, and what has been waiting.
In this stillness, breakthroughs often come. Creatives find flow where blocks once lived.
The overwhelmed discover calm, and decisions long delayed suddenly find clarity.
Many feel their nervous system reset, stillness replacing anxiety, resilience returning.
The experience is unique to each guest.
For some, darkness offers deep, restorative rest. For others, it invites emotions to be felt and gently released. Many leave with renewed clarity and strength, ready to meet life from a steadier place.
Meals arrive quietly through a hatch, supporting your rhythm. Without clocks, screens, or outside noise, time itself shifts. You may rest, move, or simply be.
Nothing is required - only the invitation to listen more deeply than ever before.
Darkness has always been a gateway for shamans, mystics, and seekers. In its depths, visions rise, dreams clarify, and the unseen layers of self reveal their medicine.
It is a womb of unmaking and remaking, where healing and insight emerge not by striving, but by surrendering to the unknown.
When you emerge, the change is unmistakable. Guests describe feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected.
They carry home not just rest, but fresh energy, clarity, and a presence that endures.
This is not escape. It is return.
Everything you need is here, and nothing unnecessary.
When the door closes and the light fades, you enter complete darkness.
At first, it may feel unfamiliar, but soon, distractions dissolve, and only essence remains - what is true, what is real, and what has been waiting.
In this stillness, breakthroughs often come. Creatives find flow where blocks once lived.
The overwhelmed discover calm, and decisions long delayed suddenly find clarity.
Many feel their nervous system reset, stillness replacing anxiety, resilience returning.
The experience is unique to each guest.
For some, darkness offers deep, restorative rest. For others, it invites emotions to be felt and gently released. Many leave with renewed clarity and strength, ready to meet life from a steadier place.
Meals arrive quietly through a hatch, supporting your rhythm. Without clocks, screens, or outside noise, time itself shifts. You may rest, move, or simply be.
Nothing is required - only the invitation to listen more deeply than ever before.
Darkness has always been a gateway for shamans, mystics, and seekers. In its depths, visions rise, dreams clarify, and the unseen layers of self reveal their medicine.
It is a womb of unmaking and remaking, where healing and insight emerge not by striving, but by surrendering to the unknown.
When you emerge, the change is unmistakable. Guests describe feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected.
They carry home not just rest, but fresh energy, clarity, and a presence that endures.
This is not escape. It is return.
Schedule
Arrival (Day 1)
• Guests typically arrive around 4:00 pm (flexible with flight times).
• Orientation, questions, and settling in.
• Lights off around 6:00 pm, followed by the first meal in darkness.
During the Retreat
• No fixed daily schedule – time unfolds naturally.
• You are free to rest deeply, meditate, pray, sing, stretch, or simply be in stillness.
• Nourishing meals are delivered quietly through a hatch.
• The experience is free of pressure, expectation, or demands.
Emergence (Final Morning)
• Guests emerge just before sunrise.
• Shared reflection with tea, and often a gentle walk in nature.
• Departure around 12:00 noon, after rest and integration.
• Guests typically arrive around 4:00 pm (flexible with flight times).
• Orientation, questions, and settling in.
• Lights off around 6:00 pm, followed by the first meal in darkness.
During the Retreat
• No fixed daily schedule – time unfolds naturally.
• You are free to rest deeply, meditate, pray, sing, stretch, or simply be in stillness.
• Nourishing meals are delivered quietly through a hatch.
• The experience is free of pressure, expectation, or demands.
Emergence (Final Morning)
• Guests emerge just before sunrise.
• Shared reflection with tea, and often a gentle walk in nature.
• Departure around 12:00 noon, after rest and integration.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Darkness Retreat Africa, Broadacres, Sandton, South Africa
Directions
How to get there Flights buses trains etc
Book your flight to
• Lanseria International Airport (HLA) in Lanseria, South Africa.
or
• O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Darkness Retreat Africa is located in a suburb of Fourways, on the peaceful northern edge of Johannesburg, about 20 km from the city center.
The most convenient option is Lanseria International Airport (HLA), Johannesburg, South Africa, just 15 minutes away.
It’s a small, user-friendly airport serving many regional flights, and I’m happy to personally collect and return guests from there.
For those arriving on international flights, the main entry point is O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), Johannesburg, South Africa. You can take the high-speed Gautrain to Sandton, connect easily via Uber or Bolt, or use the Gautrain bus to Montecasino (5 minutes from the retreat), where I can meet you.
Uber and Bolt are widely available in Johannesburg - they are safe, efficient, and reasonably priced.
Driving is also an option, with clear access routes from the city and major highways.
Book your flight to
• Lanseria International Airport (HLA) in Lanseria, South Africa.
or
• O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Darkness Retreat Africa is located in a suburb of Fourways, on the peaceful northern edge of Johannesburg, about 20 km from the city center.
The most convenient option is Lanseria International Airport (HLA), Johannesburg, South Africa, just 15 minutes away.
It’s a small, user-friendly airport serving many regional flights, and I’m happy to personally collect and return guests from there.
For those arriving on international flights, the main entry point is O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), Johannesburg, South Africa. You can take the high-speed Gautrain to Sandton, connect easily via Uber or Bolt, or use the Gautrain bus to Montecasino (5 minutes from the retreat), where I can meet you.
Uber and Bolt are widely available in Johannesburg - they are safe, efficient, and reasonably priced.
Driving is also an option, with clear access routes from the city and major highways.
Accommodation
Each retreat takes place in a private room designed for comfort, safety, and deep rest. Rooms include a double bed, bathroom with towel heater, natural airflow, ceiling fan, and heating for cooler nights. A small kitchenette allows for tea, fruit, or light snacks, while nourishing meals are delivered quietly through a service hatch. High-speed internet is available before and after your retreat so you can connect with loved ones or complete any final tasks, then enter the dark in a complete digital detox. During the retreat, all devices are safely stored to support your process. The property offers a serene garden, patio, lounge, swimming pool, and nearby parkland and nature reserve – ideal for gentle time before or after your retreat. Birdsong fills the air, and the space is clean, calm, and carefully tended. Every detail is considered so you can release concerns and rest deeply, knowing you are fully supported. The price listed is per room for single occupancy.
Program Price
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Our retreat centre is a quiet home-based sanctuary on the edge of Johannesburg. Two purpose-built dark retreat rooms offer complete darkness, sound-dampening and ensuite facilities. Outside the dark there is a simple lounge, dining area and peaceful garden with a pool, trees and birdsong for gentle re-entry, journalling or integration sessions. The surrounding area is beautiful for walking with a park and conservation area nearby.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
All meals included and served quietly via hatch: fresh plant-based food (vegan, vegetarian) plus tea and fruit, tailored to your needs to support deep rest, clarity and renewal.
What's Included
- 4 nights private accommodation in a dedicated dark retreat room
- All meals included – vegan, vegetarian or frugivore options
- Water, herbal tea and fresh fruit available at all times
- Pre-retreat call for preparation and questions
- Post-retreat integration call
- Quiet garden setting on the edge of Johannesburg
- Secure on-site parking
- Luggage storage
What's Not Included
- Airfares
- Transfers
- Tours