AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: AlUla Moments launches a new ten-day Five Senses Sanctuary as part of AlUla Wellness Festival. From 18th – 27th March, located on one of AlUla’s summer farms, the immersive event will include over 300 activities, such as yoga classes from world-renowned yoga professionals, wellness talks, workshops, music, and massage therapy.
Visitors are encouraged to engage their five senses to take in the essence of AlUla through a program of engaging experiences including guided yoga and meditations, workshops, talks and mindfulness activities that connect the senses to the spirit of this rich ancient land, and wake up the inner workings of their mental, emotional, and physical processes. The Five Senses Sanctuary aims to encapsulate, elevate, and embrace all five sense from the moment visitors enter through every sphere of their experience.
Three pavilions will surround a central community area, which will host an awakening session, a group breakfast (including a cooking demonstration) and a moonrise musical gathering daily. The program helps to encourage a sense of community among the participants through connecting like-minded individuals, inspiring change and allowing growth. Each pavilion will have a separate schedule of events each day, ranging from exercise classes to talks to workshops, which participants can book in advance.
The Five Senses Sanctuary is divided into several themed spaces, there are 3 classes and workshops pavilions (Classes and workshops include yoga, meditation, sound healing, mindfulness, tai chi, talks, arts and more), there is also one central space (Sessions here will include select live experiences, workshops and more), and treatment rooms which are surrounded in tranquility garden and offer quiet time as well as private spaces for wellness treatments. The design of the venue is by renowned international and architecture studios, Lulie Fisher Design.
The theme of Pavilion A is ‘move, sweat, flow’; this pavilion will host the more energetic yoga classes.
Pavilion B, meanwhile, will focus on the theme ‘meditate, breathe, align’ and will host meditation, mindfulness and breathwork classes.
The Theatre Dome is to ‘learn, grow and inspire’ – features will include talks on both ancient and modern wisdom such as astrology and neuroscience.
The Central Café is the heart of the event, where the chef creates curated healthy meals inspired by AlUla and where creative workshops such as Arabic perfume mixing, palm leaf weaving and jewellery making will take place, as well as nightly handpan lessons.
Retail has been curated by ShopatCulture, a Saudi e-commerce business inspiring to support KSA upcoming fashion designers. The outlets will feature 30 unique brands offering an exclusive collection just for AlUla.
Treatment Rooms located in the tranquillity garden is where top professionals in the region will focus on providing tailored experiences and workshops.
Each day the Five Sense Sanctuary will close with live acoustic music from international musicians such as Dan Moores and Bruno Fave, supporting to connect attendees to the senses of music.
Eight celebrity instructors and yogis will be arriving in AlUla bringing the latest yoga trends and practices to the Arabian Peninsula for the first time. Chelsea Kauai, the celebrity Acro yoga specialist born and raised in Hawaii will be the leading celebrity instructor of the Five Senses Sanctuary. Dylan Werner, renowned international yoga instructor, lecturer, and educator in health, wellbeing, and mindfulness, is another celebrity instructor. Manish Pole, CEO of Artistic Yoga and disciple of Himalayan Master Bharat Thakur, will lead the sunrise and moonrise gatherings and will run the Five Senses Academy across the ten-day experience. The Academy teaches daily sessions on ancient yogic wisdom and provides daily certificates for participation. selected groups form community will have free access to these classes in order to develop and enhance the wellness sector in AlUla.
Other class leaders include Kino MacGregor, an American yoga teacher dedicated to the spiritual and physical practice of Ashtanga, and Nicholas Coolridge, also known as the Modern Tarzan, who specialises in Acro Yoga. The Experience will also host several motivational speakers such as Nelly Attar, a Lebanese mental health professional and athlete who is passionate about women’s fitness, and Manal Alsadhan, a Saudi self-development expert who helps people find the meaning of happiness. Manal Rostom, an Egyptian Athlete who embodies our ethos of ‘inspiration with impact’ having used her ideas, passion and positivity to change perceptions and lives around the world. This combination of international and local talent will encourage cross-cultural dialogue – a core aspect of Vision 2030.
Visitors can pick and choose sessions based on their interest or base themselves for the full retreat in AlUla to fully immerse the mind, body and soul.
This innovative and inaugural event has picked up recognition from both local and worldwide recognised brands such as Nova water as the official water sponsor, Samsung and Pukka Tea.
Description of experiences:
| Experience | Description |
| CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | Attendees can choose between dozens of classes and workshops held by international, regional, and local facilitators with sessions ranging from yoga and meditation to breath work and much more. |
| LIVE EXPERIENCES | Practitioners can be a part of the action with live experiences such as cooking demonstrations, live art installations, as well as yoga inspired performances in the open spaces between pavilions. Sessions will be 15 – 20 mins, sprinkled throughout the day. |
| MOTIVATIONAL & INSPIRATIONAL TALKS | International and regional players take the stage here to share inspiring stories, motivation talks, informative and interactive sessions, and more. |
| CAFE | A light, airy comfortable space where guests can enjoy a variety of healthy snacks, fresh juices, and speciality teas. Workshops and live cooking shows can also be seen here at the cafe. |
| WELLNESS & SUSTAINABLE RETAIL | A unique range of vendors and brands have been selected to be a part of S5, offering guests that added value experience to shop local and sustainable brands and be fully equipped for the festival. |
| TRANQUILITY GARDEN | Guests can take some time away from the bustle and rest in our tranquillity garden, equipped with 4 treatment areas offering massage, facials, sound healing and reflexology. |
About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the captial of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Penninsula. And Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. Also AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, and Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.
