The Sufi Alchemical Retreat

Individually Guided Retreats

guided by Saki Lee

IN PERSON

Thursday, May 6 – Thursday, May 13, 2027

at beautiful Lioba Monastery
Herenweg 85, 1935 AH Egmond-Binnen

“I wandered in the pursuit of my own self.
I was the traveller, and I am the destination.”
— Hazrat Inayat Khan

An individual retreat is a sacred pilgrimage — a time to step away from the demands and accelerated pace of daily life and listen more deeply to the soul.

Through silence, solitude, focused spiritual practice, and the contemplative surroundings of Lioba Monastery, retreat creates a space in which we may encounter ourselves more deeply — our light as well as our shadows — and become more receptive to the guidance and wisdom that arise from within.

My teacher, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, often spoke of retreat as a “dress rehearsal for daily life.” Retreat can become an alchemical process through which we cultivate greater awareness, inner strength, trust, and the capacity to meet our lives with greater presence and wisdom.

An Advanced Retreat Practice

This is an advanced form of retreat and is intended for those who already have experience with meditation, contemplative practice, or retreat.

Although we are staying together at Lioba, this is not a group retreat with a continuous shared programme. Each participant follows an individually guided retreat process and needs to be comfortable spending most of the day alone, in silence and spiritual practice.

I meet with each retreatant individually to offer guidance and practices appropriate to their intentions and inner process. The remainder of the day is held largely in solitude, allowing the retreat to unfold at its own rhythm and depth.

Practices may include Sufi meditation and breath practices, prayer and zhikr, sacred music, reflection and journaling, healing and attunement, and periods of deep silence and rest.

Participation is limited to eight retreatants, allowing for individual guidance throughout the week.

Those wishing to participate will be asked to complete a pre-retreat questionnaire so that we can discern together whether this form of retreat is appropriate for them.

Please see the above menu for detailed information on registration and fees and other practical matters.

May this time apart become a sacred threshold — a remembering of who you are beneath the noise of daily life, and a return to the quiet wisdom of the soul.

About Saki Lee

Saki Lee has been a student of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan since 1974 and is a senior teacher and guide within the Inayatiyya International, with many years of experience guiding individual and group retreats.

Deeply inspired by the retreat work of Pir Vilayat and Pir Zia Inayat Khan, her approach weaves together silence, Sufi meditation and breath practices, sacred music, spiritual guidance, and inner listening. Benedictine spirituality and its contemplative rhythm of silence, prayer, and simplicity have also become an important part of her spiritual life. This is one of the reasons she especially values offering retreats within the prayerful environment of Lioba Monastery.

At the heart of her work is the wish to accompany others in discovering a deeper attunement to the wisdom and guidance of the soul.

Online Individual Retreats

Online individually guided retreats are also possible throughout the year, according to availability.

CLICK HERE to visit the Online Retreats site.