The Sufi Alchemical Retreat:

Individually Guided Retreats 

guided by Saki Lee

IN PERSON:

Thursday APRIL 23  - Thursday APRIL 30, 2026

note:  two places left open due to cancellations

at beautiful Lioba Monastery

 Herenweg 85, 1935 AH Egmond Binnen

(for practical info for Lioba go to top of this page and click on section you wish information for)

Zenith Camp, Bad Bevensen GERMANY

Sunday August  4 - 10 2025 (FULL)

Sunday August  10 - 16 (two places still available)

"I wandered in the pursuit of my own self.  I was the traveller, and I am the destination.”  – Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan – 

Individual retreat is a sacred pilgrimage to reconnect with the presence of the divine within you.   It is time set aside to examine, explore and embrace the power of your soul which is too often covered over by the distractions of outer life's demands, responsibilities and accelerated pace.  To go on retreat is to offer yourself the gifts of outer silence, solitude,  focused periods of spiritual practice, and a beautiful environment which support the unfurling of your soul's qualities and that which gives true meaning and joy to your life.  

During individual retreat there is also an alchemical process of transformation that takes place.  Often, turning within does not immediately take us to the kind of mystical visioning and heavenly attunement that we think should happen.  But if  we are willing to face all of ourselves - both the light as well as the shadows - we could experience retreat in a similar way that a determined mountaineer trains to climb to the highest summit. This means seeing retreat also as an opportunity to build up discipline, stamina and strength,  and to develop the kinds of inner resources and tools that are reliable that will help you navigate through the outer challenges of life.

My teacher Pir Vilayat referred to retreat as  a "dress rehearsal for daily life," which, in a sacred and protected environment for a longer period of time gives revitalization, healing, inspiration, and faith in the guidance that comes from within you. 

Please note that this is the only seven day retreat being being offered at Lioba monastery in 2024.   It is limited to eight participants, so early registration is advised.  Please go to the pages menu for more information.  

For those who will join the retreat, a pre-retreat questionnaire will be sent to you which you must return a week before the retreat begins.  

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLINE RETREATS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ACCORDING TO AVAILABILITY!  WRITE TO JOSHUA FOR MORE INFORMATION:  lightsong@gmail.com

Saki Lee was a student of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan since 1974 who developed the Sufi Alchemical Retreat process, and which has been further elaborated by his son Pir Zia Inayat Khan.  She serves as a guide and senior teacher for many in the Inayatiyya International, and mentors retreat guides in both the Alchemical retreat as well as Healing retreat models.  She is a member of the European Esoteric training committee, which is an advisory body for Pir Zia in matters concerning initiations, leaders training and other inner school matters.  Her love and passion are guiding retreats and mureeds and sacred music and the Dances of Universal Peace.    As a former Vice President of the Kinship concentration for Europe, Saki continues to coordinate a refugee project as well as hosts benefit world music concerts in the Netherlands as a way to make love, harmony and beauty visible in our world.