In the beginning of March, AFIYA Magazine, had the pleasure of being a part of the Back-to-Life Natural Healing Retreat, hosted by Kassandra Kernisan of Studio Alkemy and Sylvia Desroses of AfrikOlistiK and Se Yoga. Held on the beautiful island of Guadeloupe from March 2nd-8th, 2018, the retreat had eight attendees in total and provided guests with the opportunity to reconnect with nature while taking part in rejuvenating activities meant to restore the mind, body and spirit.
Our week started off with a spectacular welcome dinner prepared by Vanessa Muriel, the exclusive chef for the trip (read more about her further in this issue). The next day consisted of group introductions, a visit to the beautiful beaches of Guadeloupe and a sneak peak of the yoga & meditation sessions that were to come.
Each morning started off with sunrise Kemetic Yoga and was instructed by either Kassandra or Sylvia
and outdoor meditation, led by Sylvia. Our visit to Jardin d’Eau, Goyave was absolutely spectacular. Attendees were able to take part in an amazing Kemetic Yoga session under the sun led by Kassandra, followed by meditation with Ebony. During the meditation, attendees moved through the session while sitting in the spring water stream followed by a 30 minutes cleanse in the water. The scenery for this portion of the trip was absolutely magnificent. We followed this up with a trip to Waterfall of Carbet, where we engaged in a relaxing meditative hike which led us to the waterfalls. We ended the day with an excursion to Capesterre Belle Eau.
Another memorable aspect of the trip was our visit to Pointe á Pitre, the capital city of Guadeloupe, where we were able to shop from local vendors selling a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables, handcrafted jewelry and local spices. and see more of the city. Pointe des Chateaux was also a favorite for the group, a popular tourist attraction which averages 500,000 visitors a year. The group had the opportunity to see the magnificent waves along the Grandes Salines beach and hike up to a clifftop which provided remarkable views of the island.
Along with exploring the island, Kassandra and Ebony also took the time to host several beneficial wellness workshops such as “Connecting to your Inner Healer”, “Holistic Nutrition and Food Preparation”, and “Bush Medicine: Healing with Herbs”. The Back-to-Life Natural Healing Retreat was truly one of a kind, and the expertise of Kassandra and Sylvia truly allowed for the experience to be memorable. Not only did they provide us with a space to be open and vulnerable with one another, but they encouraged attendees to use the time and space as a way to release self-limiting energies, thoughts and practices which no longer served us. They did a wonderful job of leading the guests through much needed self-reflection and meditation to encourage us to carry this sense of peace with us throughout our daily lives. This experience was one that we encourage others to take part in. We thank Kassandra and Sylvia for allowing AFIYA Magazine to get a firsthand experience at the Back-to-Life Healing Retreat, and we truly look forward to sharing their upcoming retreat dates with you all.
You can follow Kassandra and Sylvia at:
@studioalkemy
@sylviadesroses
AFIYA Magazine looks to enhance the awareness and knowledge of wellness issues important to African-American women while providing a platform for us to grow, expand, and develop within our personal and professional lives.