Why We’re Taking 10 Strangers to Marrakech

In exactly 2 weeks, Nigel and Nawal will be in Morocco welcoming 10 people we are only just getting to know. We’re not tourists. We’re not on holiday. We’re on a mission to find something that many of us have lost in the chaos of modern life: ourselves.

This February 12-16, we are leading our first Apricot Wellbeing retreat in Marrakech, and honestly? I’m equal parts excited and terrified. Not because I doubt what we’re creating—I know it will be transformative. But because I care so deeply about getting it right for these eleven brave souls who’ve said yes to themselves.

The Question That Started It All

A few months ago, I was having coffee with a friend who looked exhausted. Not just tired—depleted. When I asked how she was really doing, she said something that stuck with me: “I don’t even know who I am anymore outside of my job, my responsibilities, my to-do list. When did I become so disconnected from myself?”

I hear this all the time in my wellness practice. Successful, capable people who’ve lost touch with what actually matters to them. Who can’t remember the last time they felt truly present. They know they need change but sometimes don’t know where to start.

That conversation planted a seed: What if we created a space where people could step away from everything familiar and rediscover themselves? Not through rigid rules or quick fixes, but through guided exploration, community support, and the kind of deep rest that allows transformation to unfold naturally?

Why Marrakech?

I could have chosen somewhere closer, easier, more conventional. But Marrakech isn’t just beautiful (though it absolutely is). There’s something about this city that invites transformation.

The colours assault your senses in the best way. The call to prayer reminds you that time moves differently here. The maze-like medina forces you to think differently, get lost, and trust the journey. Ancient wellness traditions—hammams, herbal remedies, communal eating—are woven into daily life.

Plus, there’s power in removing yourself from your usual environment. When you’re in your normal surroundings, you’re constantly triggered by familiar patterns. Your brain sees your desk and immediately shifts into work mode. You walk into your kitchen and automatically start planning meals. True transformation requires disrupting those patterns, and what better disruption than an ancient Moroccan city where you don’t speak the language and nothing operates the way you expect?

What We’re Actually Doing There

This isn’t a holiday. It’s not a spa weekend. It’s a carefully designed journey of self-discovery structured around three core pillars:

1. Reconnection with Self

Through daily yoga and meditation practices, sensory exploration activities, and guided reflection, participants will rediscover their relationship with their bodies, minds, and inner wisdom. We’re creating space to actually feel instead of just think.

2. Clarity on Values and Vision

Our structured workshop series will help participants identify their core values, understand what truly drives them, and envision their best selves across all eight dimensions of wellbeing. This isn’t abstract philosophizing—we’re talking about practical clarity you can take home and act on.

3. Community and Connection

We’re intentionally keeping the group small (10-15 people) because transformation happens in community. When you witness someone else’s breakthrough, it gives you permission for your own. When you share your struggles and realize others face similar challenges, shame dissolves. When you offer perspective to someone else, you often unlock insights for yourself.

Meet Some of Our Participants

I’m honoured to be working with an incredible group spanning ages 18 to 60+. While I’m keeping their full stories private, I can tell you they represent what I believe is missing in mainstream wellness: diversity of experience.

We have someone navigating their first major life transition as a young adult. Mid-career professionals reassessing what success really means. Couples exploring wellness together. People in their 60s who’ve decided this is the decade they finally prioritize themselves.

What they all share is courage. The courage to admit they need support. The courage to invest in themselves. The courage to show up as they are, not as they think they should be.

What Are We Most Excited About

Honestly? Everything. But if we had to choose:

The moment when someone realizes they’ve been living according to someone else’s values, not their own—and decides to change that.

Watching a group of strangers become a supportive community, helping each other see possibilities they couldn’t see alone.

The mindfulness and yoga sessions on a Marrakech rooftop terrace, where the only sounds are breath and the city slowly waking up.

Seeing someone who thought they “are not good enough” or “not good in certain areas of their lives” discover those were just stories they’d been telling themselves.

And truthfully? I’m excited about what we will learn. Every time we facilitate wellness work, we grow alongside the participants. Their questions deepen our understanding. Their breakthroughs remind us why this work matters.

What I’m Nervous About

I believe in radical transparency, so here’s the truth: I’m nervous about holding space for ten different people with ten different needs, expectations, and healing journeys.

I’m nervous about the logistics—coordinating airport pickups, managing dietary requirements, ensuring everyone feels safe and supported.

I’m nervous about whether four days is enough time to create the transformation I envision (though I know transformation is a journey, not a destination, and this retreat is just the beginning).

But mostly? I’m nervous because I care so much. These ten people are trusting me with something precious—their time, their money, their vulnerability, their hope for change. I don’t take that lightly.

Why I’m Sharing This Journey

I’m documenting this experience—the preparation, the retreat itself, the aftermath—because I believe in demystifying wellness work. Too often, these experiences are presented as perfect, polished, Instagram-ready moments. That’s not real life.

Real transformation is messy. It involves uncertainty, discomfort, breakthroughs and setbacks. It requires showing up even when you’re nervous. It means admitting you don’t have all the answers while trusting you can figure them out together.

I want you to see the behind-the-scenes reality—not just the beautiful, finished product. Because maybe, just maybe, if you see that transformation is possible for these ten people, you’ll realize it’s possible for you too.

What Happens Next

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing more about our preparation—the workshops we are designing, the logistics we are coordinating, the intentions we’re setting as a group. Follow along in Instagram with #AWRetreat2026 to see the journey unfold.

During the retreat itself, we will be posting daily (internet permitting!) to give you a window into what we’re experiencing. Not curated highlights—real moments, real insights, real challenges.

And after? We will share the impact, the lessons learned, and the ripple effects that continue long after we leave Marrakech. Because this isn’t just about four days in Morocco—it’s about what those four days make possible in the months and years that follow.

Could This Be You Next Time?

This February retreat is fully booked, but here’s what I know for sure: it won’t be our last. If this experience is as powerful as I believe it will be (and early signs suggest it will exceed my expectations), we’ll be offering another retreat in May 2026.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “That sounds amazing, but it’s not for me. I’m too busy / too broke / too broken / too…”

I hear you. Every single one of our February participants had some of those thoughts too. Debating things and searching for legitimate reasons why now isn’t the right time. They chose to come anyway.

Because here’s the truth: there will never be a perfect time. There will always be work deadlines, financial constraints, family obligations, and perfectly good reasons to put yourself last.

The people who transform their lives aren’t the ones who wait for the perfect moment. They’re the ones who decide they’re worth it now—imperfect circumstances and all?

Join Us for the Journey

Even if you’re not ready to commit to a retreat right now, I invite you to follow along. Watch what’s possible when people prioritize themselves. See what happens when strangers become a community. Witness transformation in real-time.

And when you’re ready—whether that’s May 2026 or some future date—know that there’s a place for you in our Apricot Wellbeing community. We’ll be here, holding space, ready to support your journey home to yourself.

Because you deserve more than just getting through life. You deserve to thrive.

#AWRetreat2026

Watch the journey unfold starting February 12, 2026

Interested in joining our May 2026 retreat?

Get in touch to be added to our early notification list.

Limited spaces available.