Silent Retreat

A meditation retreat shaped by stillness, spaciousness, and the quiet work of being with yourself.

There is always another reason to wait: one more project, one more family milestone, one less demanding week. Yet the pause you keep postponing is often the very thing you need most. This retreat invites you to step out of the endless delay and into silence, where the noise does not disappear, but your capacity to hold it grows.

As the effort softens, awareness and peace begin to surface on their own. Nothing needs to be forced. Nothing needs to be fixed. The point is not to escape your life, but to stop looking everywhere except within it.

This retreat is for you if:

• You feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious.
• You want to reconnect with yourself.
• Silence makes you uncomfortable, especially your own.
• You sense that something needs to shift.
• Your daily practice has plateaued and you need space rather than more technique.
• You suspect the issue is not your job, relationship, or city.
• You feel drawn to nature.

The format

The rhythm stays the same; the depth changes. Silence runs through the entire day, interrupted only by a daily check-in with Daria. Outside of that, there is no speaking. The silence also includes no reading, no music, no devices, and nothing brought in to fill the gaps. You are left with practice, stillness, and a journal if you wish to use one.

compact · 4 days
The short pause. Ideal for those who cannot leave for a full week, or who are not yet sure they want to. It is long enough to move through the difficult part and arrive somewhere quieter, and short enough to fit between a Thursday and a Sunday.

longer passage · 6 or 7 days
The deeper dive. A chance to meet discomfort more directly and stop negotiating with your thoughts. The structure remains the same; what changes is how long you stay inside the silence.

The approach

If it had to be named simply: sit still, meditate, stargaze, journal, and let silence lead.

1 Silence
Every contemplative tradition begins by going quiet. Silence helps us see clearly through noise and haste, and it creates space for a deeper identity to emerge. It is not punishment; it is a form of care for the inner self that is coming into view.

2 Embodiment
The body has been holding what the mind marked as “deal with it later.” You may feel it in your breath, jaw, or shoulders. This work asks you to stay with what is present long enough for something to complete. Often, people do not realize how much they are carrying until they begin to put it down.

3 Nature
Time in natural surroundings helps settle the nervous system. In the Cederberg, the dark nights also support a return to a more natural rhythm within a few days. The body responds without needing convincing.

What a day looks like

There is enough structure to feel held, and enough space to breathe. The exact rhythm changes with the season, but the shape of the day includes cacao in silence, guided meditation, conscious movement, rest, journaling, somatic experiencing®, nature immersion, dinner, stargazing, and early lights-off.

At a glance

This retreat serves vegetarian / vegan food, with most produce coming from the gardens or local farmers. Meals are shared at the communal table. Coffee and alcohol are not served, mainly to support sleep. Mornings include cacao and rooibos infusions. Dietary requirements can be accommodated if shared at booking.

Duration 4, 6, 7 days
Group size Max 10 guests
Location Cederberg, Western Cape
Food Plant-based
No Coffee · No alcohol

Your guide
Daria Rasmussen
Somatic Experiencing practitioner · mindfulness teacher · founder

Daria shares that her first 48-hour silent retreat changed everything. It did not fix her; it revealed her. Trained in Somatic Experiencing, certified as a mindfulness teacher under Martin Aylward, and breathwork trained with Dan Brulé, she brings a grounded presence to the experience. Her role is not to help you get on top of your life, but to sit with you as you discover you were never as far behind as you thought.

What guests say

One guest described the retreat as a seed that continues to grow, deepening awareness of the connection between body, mind, and emotions, and supporting trust in instinct and inner truth.

What it costs

All prices include accommodation, all meals, all practices, and guided stargazing. There are no hidden charges, and the retreat never hosts more than eight guests, often fewer.

Canvas and timber
Tented Chalets
4 DAYS: Solo R19,500 | Double R29,400
6 DAYS: Solo R22,500 | Double R32,000
7 DAYS: Solo R28,500 | Double R39,500

Wood and glass
Chalets
4 DAYS: Solo R26,100 | Double R35,400
6 DAYS: Solo R27,500 | Double R39,000
7 DAYS: Solo R34,900 | Double R48,500

Cederberg rock
Villa
4 DAYS: Solo R28,200 | Double R40,800
6 DAYS: Solo R32,000 | Double R45,000
7 DAYS: Solo R39,500 | Double R56,400