Sarah Wesley, Divine Goddess Retreat
Lifestyle + Wellness

8 Black-led Wellness Retreats

This week, there have been protests all over America, Europe and Canada. People are walking the streets for better treatment of BIPOC people around the world. #blacklivesmatter. We at Om & Away consciously decided to celebrate how black influence has made an impact in many areas – music, dance, and even in wellness retreats. They have made yoga retreats more exciting and different.

We wanted to celebrate the beautiful things that amazing BIPOC people have created, hence we have compiled a list of black led-retreats all over the world. Read on and support these retreat creators. Quite a few of these retreats have been postponed due to COVID-19, so let’s help them out and show some support to these black yoga teachers.

Personally have been doing Koya Webb’s Nightly Stretch on Alomoves every night before I go to bed. She puts me in such a sweet spot for slumber. So here are 7 black led wellness retreats for you to explore now, before the travel restrictions are lifted.

1. A Spoken Word Retreat

Machu Picchu Spoken Word Yoga Retreat 

Led by: Christine Lewis

When: June 26 – July 5, 2020, but postponed due to Covid-19

Venue: Sacred Valley of Peru

A Spoken Word Yoga Retreat, how very special. Words are just so powerful. Christine Lewis infuses the physical practice of the Yoga asanas with a mental “Work-In” that purifies and reinvigorates the body and soul to offer You a uniquely spiritual experience that expands beyond the mat. Christine purposefully structures her Vinyasa and Raja Deep Stretch Yoga classes to be accessible for every body in creating a balance of strength and flexibility.

 2. Give Back to the Community, Experience African Culture

Roots & Culture Tour

Led by: Kemetic Yogi

When: August 29 – September 8

Venue: Ghana

Go back to the root of African culture and experience it first hand while doing social work. This Roots & Culture Tour is for socially conscious travelers looking for a culturally satisfying 10 day experience that focuses on holistic wellness, gaining a deeper knowledge of local African culture and being of service to the local community.

The retreat involves 2-3 days of volunteering in the communities to which we travel. The retreat provides jobs for over 20 local people, in addition to over 10 businesses ranging from transportation, cultural artists, hospitality and service workers from Accra, Cape Coast, all the way to Cape Three Points on the southernmost tip of Ghana.

You can expect to have a true African Yoga experience infused with some of the richest aspects of Ghanaian culture ranging from Cultural Festivals, Traditional dance, African drumming, Batik art (a traditional African art form that dates back centuries), as well as having access to natural hair care, traditional clothing made by local tailors and so much more!

 3. Experience The Rastafari Way

Rastafari Way Wellness Retreat  

Led by: Marsha ‘Maharri’ Lodge

When: August 3 – 10, 2020

Venue: Jakes Hotel, Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica

Travel to Jamaica to live the Rastafari way of life first hand. The ultimate cultural and wellness experience in a 7-day retreat; yoga, wellness, food, art, culture, sustainable living, and spirituality all infused together creating a dynamic experience of what it means to live The Rastafari Way. A livity that truly embodies sustainability and spirituality.

4. A Yoga & Dance Retreat

Rose Wellness Yoga & Dance Retreat 

Led by: Yoga Manzanillo

When: May 16 – 23, 2020

Venue: Manzanillo, Mexico

When we connect with divine feminine we experience a unique personal awakening. Deeping the depths of compassion, unconditional love, empathy, and authentic power. This is an intimate transformative journey in support of womb healing and personal empowerment. During the retreat, we will learn about Rose Mastery Teachings, womb healing, awakening your feminine creativity, Sensual Somatic Integration, and Yin Yoga Meditation.

This experience is about supporting our journey as women in all the phases, forms, and seasons of our body and life by reclaiming, uncovering, rediscovering parts of ourselves and integrating them into an artistic expression, in the most beautiful and confident way.

5. A Slow Living Hawaiian Retreat

Trap Vinyasa™ Retreat

Event Guide: Abiola Akanni

When: September 21 – 26, 2020

Where: Kauai, Hawaii

Trap Vinyasa™ is more than a practice, it’s a community committed to offering accessible yoga and healing to women of the culture.

The Trap Vinyasa™ Retreat is an intimate extension of our community. An immersive getaway designed to help you own the master in you while exploring self sensuality through slow living. We provide support to help you alchemize areas of trauma and begin to own the story you want to embody.

6. An Amazing Red Sea Experience

Channeling Nefertari: The Divine Goddess Retreat

Led by: Sarah Wesley

When: September, 2020

Venue: Red Sea, Egypt

This is an experience to realize just how powerful you are, to recognize and move with higher heights of self-worth, to leave feeling invigorated and fearless, with clarity to define and claim your purpose (no self-doubt!), and the courage to stand unapologetically in your feminine essence – just as the ancient Queens of Egypt did. 

A royal divine magic permeates the land of Egypt.

Some of the most influential, powerful and graceful women in history frequented the Red Sea thousands of years ago. Not only does water and earth retain memory, but the same healing properties of the Red Sea that existed years ago, remain and carry the energy of ancient Queens.

What better place to activate our deepest, often suppressed feminine power than in the land of Nefertiti, Queen Hatshepsut (the first female Pharaoh), Cleopatra and of course, Nefertari? Egypt is a magical place that retains the memory of those that walked upon this land before us. It is a land of wonder, mysticism, splendor and unparalleled connection to the elements of nature, the cosmos and the realms beyond.

7. A South African New Years Retreat

Systah Sits Presents: Wisdom + Water New Years Retreat in South Africa

Led by: Chris Johnson and Jylani Ma’at

When: December 26, 2020 – Jan 5, 2021

Venue: Johannesburg + Cape Town, South Africa

This retreat in South Africa offers daily wellness practices, including yoga + meditation, sound healing + discounted massages. We will attend critical tourist sites together, but we will do so with locals, not with tour companies who speak to you in scripts. We will offer two workshops, so learning, skill-building, and community-building is built in. We’ve also included tickets to Afropunk, so you can live your best fashion + music life. Want to come with a partner? Perfect! Queen and King beds are available to share. Little ones will need to stay home, but mature teens may participate with a parent/guardian after signing the minor waiver.

8. An Annual Retreat for Women of Color

Sacred Waters Herbal Retreat for Women of Color 

Led by: Angelique Greer and Shana Nunnelly 

When: May 22 – 24, 2021

Venue: Dover, Tennessee

Sacred Waters Retreat is an annual retreat for women of color only. Our 2020 retreat is in it’s 18th year and showcases renowned herbalists, healers, and ritualists who specialize in Natural Healing. Our mission is to elevate our herbal, natural health, and spiritual wellness by providing a space for us to deepen our connections and knowledge through ritual and renewal.

In addition to our luminary keynotes and renowned herbalist speakers, High Priestess & Author Yeye Luisah Teish will also be presenting and leading us in ritual. Amikaeyla Gaston, a Palera and Priestess of Oshun, will be joining us to present her workshop, Of Water & Honey – Songs, Stories & Spiritual Practices to honor Oshun.


These are only a handful of the immensely amazing work that yoga teachers and practitioners of color are creating. Maybe to show continued support on how #blacklivesmatter, show your support for the work they create with your actions and next trip. Need help reaching these retreats? Email us at ask@omandaway.co.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *