When it's time for the holidays, it will be quiet. Far from the hustle and bustle and luxury of Dubai, the latest trend in escapism can be found in silent retreats. 400,000 views on TikTok, the hashtag #silentretreat more and more aficionados. The principle? Go on a trip to quiet, isolated places, while abandoning all distractions such as your phone, social networks and computer.

French influencer Solenefeig, followed by more than 420,0000 followers, highlighted this new way of traveling. She posted on the Chinese social network a video that has been viewed more than 38,0000 times, retracing her silent retreat in Bali. A rustic stay for some, unthinkable for others, but which invites you to refocus on yourself, meditate and disconnect in order to find balance and meaning in your daily life.

A holiday without a noise

"The lockdown has allowed the development of personal development, which has encouraged people to refocus on themselves," says Jeanne Lehmann, founder of "Silence", which has organized several retreats since its creation in 2019. Since then, silent retreats have become the flagship stay of well-being, and are quite relayed by social networks. Effective visibility that allows pension companies to attract curious people.

In the case of the Instagram account of the Silence retreat, which has almost 13,000 subscribers, testimonials from people who participated in the stay are relayed as well as overviews of the activities. For Guillaume Charroin, founder of the Clairière et Canopée retreat, this experience is beneficial, especially for people who have experienced tragic events, or who come to fight addictions. "By organizing these retreats, I hope to be able to transform the daily lives of people overworked by their daily lives who can no longer take care of themselves," adds Jeanne Lehmann, of Silence.



@solenefeig

Vlog on my retreat of silence for 6 days#liberationemotionnelle #spiritualité #bali #leveilspirituelcom #retraitedesilence #balisilentretreat #retraitespirituelle #emotions #coachsolenefeig #yoga #méditation

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Making peace also with your body

Silent retreats have their origins in an ancestral Buddhist technique known as Vipassana. Meaning "to see things as they really are", Vipassana is based on self-transformation through self-observation.

It is by taking up this concept that silent retreats were born. Guillaume Charroin, founder of the company Clairière et Canopée, based in France, has been offering fasting and silence stays in partnership with the Silence Organization for several years: "Our stays allow you to "detoxify" and put the psycho-emotional sphere "to rest".

On the program: walks in the open air, meditation sessions, yoga, and all this, without phone. However, silence is not immediately imposed. "Silence is gradually installed in the daily lives of the participants. On the last two days, complete silence is requested from the participants. "At a time when our mind is saturated with information, and our body exhausted by the workings of everyday life, this moment of total disconnection could bring benefits to our health."

These stays take place in different places, such as meditation centers, monasteries, ashrams, yoga centers or personal development centers. These retreats can be guided by spiritual teachers or instructors, or be self-directed, where participants have the choice to follow their own pace and practice. In the case of the Clairière and Canopée retreats that combine fasting and silence, participants are invited to take organic fruit juices and soups at least three times a day, inspired by Buchinger's fasting method. "All these liquids have antioxidant, revitalizing, cleansing properties," says Guillaume Charroin. "Fasting will create an inner emptiness to help us reconnect with our emotions. Food is often used to compensate for our annoyances. Here we give the body the opportunity to rebalance its diet, to cleanse itself completely. The whole body is invested," he continues.

A holiday to let go

Louise, like many others, experienced a tragic event. "I lost a loved one, which affected me enormously." Between this loss and his very demanding job, his mental health was particularly affected. "I needed to let go and grieve away from pressure, work." It was when Louise came across Silence's Instagram account that she discovered the silent retreats. She then decides to leave with her companion for the retreat organized by Silence et Clairière et Canopée.

"I was very afraid of the idea of total silence, of having dark thoughts again, but once I arrived, the opposite happened." During these six days in the Drôme, Louise was totally cut off from the outside world. No phone or social media. The days were punctuated by hikes, reading, and massage sessions with fixed schedules.

"During the silent hikes, we would linger on our other senses, especially observation. We completely reconnect with nature. We are so much in demand on a daily basis. It was a timeless moment when I gave myself the right to be unavailable," Louise explains. The first few days, like anyone else, Louise initially struggled to let go of her lifestyle habits. "But as I fasted, my hunger disappeared, I finally learned to listen to my body," she adds. At the end of the stay, Louise not only enjoyed a retreat, but an experience full of foresight and introspection, which she would like to do again. "I think the greatest gift you can give yourself is to give yourself time."

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