An exclusive Wild retreat in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Take time out for yourself. Attune with your essential nature. Reconnect with the natural world around you.
A multi-day dedicated retreat for inner awakening and nature connection in the beautiful Atlas Mountains.
The three arms of the spiral:
Connect with Nature
The stunning beauty of the Atlas Mountains is a place where silence can still be found. High above the traditional Berber villages are pine forests, native juniper and oak scrub, and mountain summits. I have been living and guiding in this region since 2016, and will take you to my favorite unspoiled places for nature connection.
We will explore ways of connecting with nature through our five senses and being mindful of the creatures and beings who make their home here. We will explore the Land, the classical Four Elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and the turning seasons.
Guided meditations and explorations using each of the five senses will help us to reconnect with the living world around us.
Awareness cultivation practices help us to realise our connection with all things on this beautiful planet, and we spend time sitting in silent open awareness.
Soaking in the beauty of the natural environment will help us to put aside our everyday worries and concerns, de-stress, and return to our essential sense of Being which has never left us.
This is the “outward” aspect of our yoga. It helps us to feel more connected and alive in this beautiful world we call home.
Awaken to Self
Dealing with the self as a whole, we will explore psychological models and spiritual practices with the intention of becoming aware of being fully human.
Embodiment practices such as asana flows and chi gung movements can help us to reconnect with our bodies and also our innate energy (prana/chi).
Breathwork techniques energize the body and help us to slow down.
Practices such as one-pointed concentration can help us train and focus our minds and take charge of our thoughts and emotions rather than be overwhelmed by them.
Balancing and harmonising the energies of Earth below and Sky above will help us to bring the luminous transcendence of the Absolute down into our bodies and root it in our everyday lives. We are not seeking to transcend this world, but rather to become more fully alive within it.
This is the “inward” aspect of our yoga, and helps us to connect with our self in all its aspects (including the aspect of “no-self”)
Awaken to Other
When we spend time in Nature, many of us are moved to a feeling of transcendence or even sublime Presence. Whatever our beliefs and upbringing, it’s part of our human condition to seek beyond our basic material needs. There’s something about being in the rarefied atmosphere of the mountains and of nature that moves us to the sublime. As the father of the National Parks movement, John Muir, famously said;
“I’d rather be in the mountains thinking about god than in church thinking about the mountains”
Different spiritual traditions have different words for the “divine other”, this retreat provides the space and the context for you to have your own experience.
These retreats are designed to help you connect with the “divine other” in the way you need to, we are not promoting any particular religious view or theology or belief system, unless you particularly would like us to do so.
This is the “transcendent” aspect of our yoga, and helps us to realise that which is greater than us, and therefore to become fully human.
Earth, Air, Fire and Water – Life-force flows from every quarter.
Accommodation
Each retreat will be individually tailored, and could look something like this:
The first two nights will be spent at the gorgeous Maroc Lodge, the ideal place to have a meditation retreat. Individual lodges set in beautiful gardens at the very base of the Atlas Mountains, this small space of paradise will help you to immediately become relaxed and attuned to nature.
The mountain days will be accommodated in houses or lodges in traditional berber villages higher up in the mountains, and give you a unique glimpse into traditional berber village life as well as access to nature all around.
Food
Delicious local berber cuisine, consisting of tajine made with fresh vegetables, homemade bread, and fruit.
Daily routine
During the five days of the retreat there will be days dedicated to stillness practices, and other days dedicated to movement. This doesn’t mean hours of hiking but there will be a journeying component.
An example daily programme could look something like this:
6:00am – (Optional) personal practice
8:00am – Group practice (asana/qigong), dropping into meditation
9:00am – Breakfast; prepare picnics
10:00am – Teaching
10:30am – walking meditation, nature connection and stillness practices
1pm – picnic lunch and quiet relaxation
2:00pm – personal or group teaching or guided meditation
4:30pm – relaxed group walk back to accommodation
5:30pm – berber tea and snacks, personal practice, journalling or relaxing time
6:30pm – group meditation
7:00pm – dinner
9:00pm personal practice (optional), journaling, sleep.
Awakening – Spiritual Practice – Union
“Yoga” and “mindfulness” have become commonplace terms in today’s busy and stressful world, as people seek ways to slow down and rediscover themselves. Their usage is so broad that it encompasses practices as diverse as surf yoga, body stretching and postures (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), all the way to the other end of the spectrum of silent meditation (shamatha).
In it’s earliest appearance in the vedic traditions of India, the term yoga referred to the spiritual practices and disciplines which are needed in order to realise our innate union with the divine. It is explained in the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, as well as the more recent Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These texts are useful reading for the yogi seeking to go deeper.
The main yogic components of our retreats are various techniques tailored to help you reconnect with your Self, with Nature, and with the divine Other.
It is in this spirit of the term “yoga” that we run our retreats. We are giving you the space and the time for spiritual practice, and tools on the path to re-connection with the divine “other“, however you define it. We connect with the body as a preliminary to meditation and developing our Awareness. This is not a typical hatha yoga retreat – we aim to go far deeper than simple body postures can take us. This is a spiritual meditation and nature connection retreat in the beauty of the Atlas Mountains. The practices help us to achieve stillness of mind whilst also becoming aware of our connection with the world around us. In this sense we are drawing from the non-dual traditions (shaiva tantra, dzogchen and mahamudra) rather than the more popular traditions of hatha yoga.
In this retreat we are trying to help you to slow down and to open up to the Wonder of the universe! As a famous Chinese saying goes;
“A teacher opens the door, But you must walk through yourself.”
Or as I often say when guiding mountaineers;
“I can show you the way and keep you safe, but it’s up to you to keep putting one foot in front of the other”
Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t meditate, my thoughts never stop racing!
Thoughts are not our enemy, but they do tend to get insistent when we try to sit in silence. We will teach you techniques to help you notice the tranquil place between thoughts. It takes training and discipline but we will guide you no matter how little or much experience you have.
What style of Yoga do you personally practice?
For several years I had a daily practice of Ashtanga Yoga, a physically intense series of asanas taking over an hour to complete each morning (I still have wrist pain from all the sun salutations!). These days I typically focus more on energy practices and formless meditation than on postures. This is the true great yoga, the inner transformation and divine connection alluded to in the ancient scriptures of many mystical systems.
What traditions are you teaching from?
My inspiration comes from many years of spiritual seeking practice and study. I teach from a place of integration of these wisdom practices, making them relevant to modern life. Traditions I have explored and practiced include non-dual classical yoga; kabbalah; Christian contemplative traditions; Earth-centerd spirituality; chigung and neigong, Western esoteric traditions; buddhism; dzogchen; and many more.
How physical is this retreat? Your other mountaineering trips look very hard!
The retreat is based in the mountain environment and we normally walk to a beautiful forest or plateau or gorge to practice. Typically this would be no more than an hour of moderate walking each way, however we can tailor this to your needs. We don’t want the terrain to be a hindrance if you are not sure of your physical abilities. On the other hand if you want more hiking we can also factor this in. We try to find the balance between movement and stillness.
Will we be doing Asanas?
To many people, doing yoga means doing asanas (physical postures). This is because western yoga is mostly derived from the Hatha Yoga traditions. On this retreat we may do some embodiment practices such as asana or qigong if they are helpful and if you desire them. However, they serve as a preliminary to the more inward focused disciplines which are the heart of our practice. The inner disciplines then give rise to the outer disciplines of connection.
I just want a relaxing wellness retreat, I’m put off when you mention the word “spiritual”.
That’s absolutely fine, we’re not pushing you into anything you don’t want to get into. On the intro session I’ll get a feel for who you are and your particular needs, and will theme the rest of the retreat accordingly. Meditation and mindfulness can be approached from a purely scientific, neurological viewpoint. Many studies are currently being done by scientists as the benefits of meditation practice become better understood in the mainstream. Do get in touch if you would like to discuss these subtleties further.
I already have a spiritual practice, can I do that instead?
Absolutely! If you are experienced in a particular form or tradition and would simply like the space and structure to have your own retreat, that’s great. Let’s discuss further and see how we can help. You are also very welcome to organise a group of practitioners and come with your own teacher or retreat leader.
A bit about your teacher
As you will see from other pages on this site, I am a professional Mountain Leader and Forest Therapy guide. I am also a trained and certified Spiritual Director. I have always felt an innate connection with the beings of the wild – the trees, birds, animals, the earth and sky.
An early mid-life crisis, a “dark night of the soul” and a gradual spiritual awakening led me to explore the world’s spiritual traditions and religions with a sense of awe and wonder. I practiced Ashtanga yoga for several years, and learned meditation. I was privileged to have the guidance of several tutors and guides as this search went on.
In a slow process of opening up to Love, I discovered the mystical truth stated by St Francis of Assisi, that “The one you are looking for is really the one who is looking”.
After many difficult years of seeking, I began to find that I was often helping other spiritual seekers on the path, sharing what I had learned. I trained as a Spiritual Director under the Carmelites – the most contemplative of Christian monastic orders. This was a time of re-connection with the faith of my early life and an exploration of meditation and prayer. It was also an opening of my heart into Love – love for myself and the struggles I had gone through, and love for others as they seek the deeper answers of life.
In these Yoga and Meditation retreats here in Morocco, as well as helping you go deeper in your own practice, I am happy to walk alongside you in your own spiritual journey. I don’t have all the answers, but I hope to be able to help you to ask the right questions.
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This is a fantastic experience for the more adventurous. Faultlessly organised and planned throughout with good local support. Marc is passionate about mountaineering and that adds to the experience. Marc’s mountain training and experience are invaluable. You can be sure you are in good safe...More 
RICHARD H
4/03/2019 Trying to escape the noise and dust of Marrakesh for a few hours, I went on a trail run today. I enjoyed every minute of it. Highly recommendable! Marc really did a great job in discovering this lap which is a nice mix of gravel...More 
Tom T
3/29/2019 I really enjoyed trekking with Marc Gallagher. I'm a combat veteran who has little use for a guide or "leader" dictating my every move along a potentially dodgy or dangerous mountain path; Marc was perfect for this. He knew what he was doing and was...More 
jonathanlN8177CH
10/15/2018 - This is a trek you don’t want to miss! The beautiful mountains of Morocco and the people you’ll encounter are worth every sore muscle. As someone who had never trekked before, Marc was a knowledgeable guide which made me feel comfortable and safe. I’d highly...More
2388irenem
6/29/2018 A great time trekking Mount Toubkal in Morocco. We did the 3 day trek, with Wild Goose Adventures and had a fantastic experience. Trek was fairly tough but well worth it, with stunning scenery the whole way up. A big thank you to Marc and...More 
Passport00972942462
11/12/2018 Our first trail run.....Marc is the perfect person to introduce you to trail running with lots of encouragement and fun along the way. Feel no pressure about pace....wild goose adventures will customize the experience for you and level you feeling accomplished and looking for your...More Sid H
10/16/2019 - I contacted Wild Goose the day before I arrived in Marrakech and Marc (an English guy now based in Morocco) and the team were able to accommodate me - amazing. They were happy to call me at 10pm my time the night before I flew...More
Scoobjob
7/01/2018 Marc was a wonderful guide. He arranged our accommodation and was very helpful with packing, equipment and general advice. We had two days running with him from near Amizmiz and they were both brilliant. He took us to amazing remote places in the mountains and...More 
Catiiiii
10/10/2018 This is a trek you don’t want to miss! The beautiful mountains of Morocco and the people you’ll encounter are worth every sore muscle. As someone who had never trekked before, Marc was a knowledgeable guide which made me feel comfortable and safe. I’d highly...More Irene M
6/29/2018 - We had a fabulous time with Marc. We hit the weather just right where there was snow in the mountains and fall colors popping. Marc did a marvelous job working with our schedule and desires and led us on a fantastic run up and over...More
Jenny S
11/14/2018 Marc was a wonderful guide. He arranged our accommodation and was very helpful with packing, equipment and general advice. We had two days running with him from near Amizmiz and they were both brilliant. He took us to amazing remote places in the mountains and...More CatrionaRamsay
10/10/2018 We had a great day in the mountains doing an 18km trail (run/walk) with Marc. He was a great guide - accommodated our running pace, explained flora and fauna to us, was knowledgeable about the local area, people and customs. The terrain was challenging at...More 
Neil A
2/19/2019
The trip is all-inclusive of meals and accommodation whilst in the mountains. We arrange a private taxi to pick you up from Marrakech and return you there afterwards. You will need to pay the taximan directly, in dirhams (local currency). We suggest this as our taxi drivers know exactly where to bring you. For more information please get in touch!
Includes:
- Qualified Forest Therapy Hub Guide
- An amazing nature immersion experience
- Peace & tranquility
Does not include:
- Tips
- Accommodation
- Transport (We can arrange this though
- please ask)
Thankyou for booking with Wild Goose Adventure!
Availability
Our booking availability is shown below, please select the date you are interested in, fill in the form and then click “send”.
For these retreats we require a minimum of four people to confirm a booking. As we don’t yet have the capacity to offer open dates, please book as a group.