WATER
WAYS
With Emilia Cianci, Leina Sato & Rouzbeh Tavakkoli
DATES
30th-6th February 2027
INVESTMENT
2150€
more info on payments plans, deposit and scholarships below
LOCATION
Sataya Reef, Egypt
THE INVITATION
Water is our first home, the primordial element to which all life belongs. In many traditions around the world, the waters are our origin: the amniotic fluid in which we are immersed before and after life, the pool of creation from which all existence emerges.
Water carries memory. It is the waters of our bloodlines, the waters of our emotions, the waters of our unconscious. Water has long been seen as an element of purification, renewal birth, and rebirth. Across cultures, immersion in water has been used as a threshold, a way of marking transition, cleansing what has been, and entering into new territory.
There is something about water that allows transformation to occur with more ease, as the hard boundaries of our identities soften, we are invited into a more fluid state of being and from this place we can let what was hiding beneath the surface of our inner waters emerge.
Creative channels that were closed can open again. We are able to reconnect with the spontaneity of our inner child, stirring ideas that are yearning to be born, practicing surrender and forgiveness.
The invitation for this pilgrimage is to let ourselves enter this sacred landscape as guests, students and with a heartfelt readiness to be transformed. As the noise of everyday life recedes, who will we become? What happens when we come into sync with intelligences larger than ourselves?
Moreover, meeting a wild animal in his/her home is a true privilege. And interacting with one, swimming eye to eye, diving and dancing together, is nothing short of pure magic. That is why we enter the water with deep care and presence, with the awareness that these interactions are not just about receiving but also what we bring into them. Moving with attention and gratitude can make a world of difference for our experience, for ourselves and the dolphins.
THE EXPERIENCE
Water Ways is a week-long immersion into this primordial element, and into the wisdom of its ways.
For seven days, the sea and a boat become our home. Living together in the protected waters of Sataya, we enter a different rhythm, one that is not shaped by schedules and "to do list" but, rather, by inner stirrings, by the weather and the tides, by our bodies and heart's needs, by the callings and encounters with our human and more-than-human kin.
Expect to swim and dive abundantly in the open water, commune and connect with wild dolphins in their natural habitat, rest beneath the vastness of the night sky, be lullabied by the sound of the waves and wind, be forever changed by the song of the dolphins, share conversations that matter, learn to be in the nothingness, laugh, play and celebrate life.
In between our "water pilgrimages" meaning our time in the water, we will create spaces to listen and feel through writing, music, ritual, embodiment, and sharing circles. There will also be space for rest, silence, dreaming and simply being.
We will allow the essence and pulse of the water become our own for a while and, potentially, change our lives.
GUIDING YOU
Leina Sato | Free diver, Author, Artivist
I am passionate about the inner worlds freediving can open: as an expression of our connection with the world, a form
of meditation, an invitation for surrender into the depths of our being. Dolphins are amazing teachers at this.
THE PRACTICES
The practices are woven around our sea immersions where we will be communing with the dolphins, creating a rhythm of immersion and integration, depth and play, solitude and community.
Freediving
Freediving is an essential element of the retreat, not primarily as a sport or pursuit of depth, but as a way of entering into a more intimate relationship with water. With a single breath, attention turns inward. We become aware of our heartbeat, our impulses, the places where we tense up and where we can soften. Freediving brings us to the tender edge between intention and surrender, teaching us that going deeper often comes not through trying harder, but through relaxation, trust and learning to still our minds, surrender in the body and the water.
Breath
Drawing from pranayama and breathwork practices adapted for freediving, we explore the breath as a doorway into relaxation, presence and deeper attunement to the body, awakening our relationship with the life force moving through us. The breath still us and opens us to whole new possibilities of being.
Voice & Singing
From breath, we move into voice: through vocal exploration, singing circles, improvisation and shared music-making. Dolphins inhabit an intensely acoustic world, communicating and navigating through sound. Their musical nature becomes an inspiration to explore our own resonance, rhythm and capacity to listen and express ourselves beyond words. Through our open hearts and embodied presence.
Movement
Through movement and somatic practices, we explore the possibility of finding our liquid bodies, the parts of us that know how to flow, soften, adapt and respond. Both in and out of the water, we listen for the places where we have become rigid, and invite the body back into its natural fluidity. We practice becoming like water: moving with rather than against, yielding without collapsing, and discovering the strength and freedom that can emerge when we let ourselves flow.
Creative Writing
Creative writing and reflection give space to what emerges from our time at sea; images, insights, questions, dreams or the seeds of something new. We listen for what wants to take shape when the usual noise becomes quieter. We allow our inner waters to speak to us and reveal what has long been waiting to be heard.
Ritual & community
Sharing circles, water rituals & prayers, sound journeys under the night sky, and moments of collective reflection help us integrate our experiences and feel supported by our temporary water family. There is space for depth and vulnerability, but equally for laughter, celebration, music and play.
THE BOAT
Our home will be a very beautiful 34 meters long and 8 meters wide yacht ideally designed for comfort and space.
Inside, you'll find 11 double cabins in total, including 4 on the upper deck, each equipped with a fan and a private bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet.
There are many gathering places as well including an air-conditioned dining room, several outdoor decks both shaded and to sunbather.
You will be served three delicious and abundant meals buffet style, catering to all dietary needs which can also be specified in advance.
To welcome us, the boat's captain and his local crew who will take such good care of us. Everyone is so attentive, kind and warm. And, as a whole, there is a beautiful atmosphere on the boat of respect, joy and magic.
THE DOLPHINS
Dolphins are found in all oceans and seas of the world. But there are only a few places on this blue planet where they offer themselves so generously.
Guiding us into understanding the true ways of water will be their song and radiating presence. Dolphins, in being who they are, simplify us and remind us of timeless wisdom that we to often forget and that, however, lives within our inner oceans.
To enter the world of dolphins is to enter a world of sound and vibration, of relationship and movement. In their reality, we are asked to listen differently, not only with our ears but with our whole hearts and bodies. They re-sensitise us to the inner movement of our waters, inviting us to become attuned to a world of resonance, subtlety, and vibration.
Their presence, love, and innocence can remind us of something at once ancient and playful: curiosity, togetherness, effortless movement, communication beyond words, and the simple joy of being alive.
PRICING & TRAVEL INFO
Cost of the week is 2150€ and we ask for a 500€* non-refundable deposit to secure your place
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Payments can be made in instalments details can be sent through email
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We offer two discounted prices (contact us for more info)
PRICE INCLUDES:
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Six nights on a fully equipped boat
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Three meals a day + snacks a day
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All the workshop
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Entrance fee to the marine reserve of Sataya
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Extra tip for the boat crew
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2 calls pre and post trip for preparation and integration
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
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Airplane cost
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Traveling to our meeting point which is Hamata port
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Free Diving gear including wet suit, mask, snorkel, find and any other gear you might want
HOW TO REACH US:
The two best airports are Hurghada which is around 390km (4.5hr) away and Mar Salam which is around 110km (1.5hr away). We will organise shuttles from these airports if necessary at an extra cost.
WHAT IS NEXT?
You can set up a 15 minute Info Call with us if you need support to make your decision and have specific questions that will help this process
or you can go ahead and press Book Now to secure your spot.
*Spaces are limited due to the boat’s capacity.
**We ask a second instalment by the 1st of November
ABOUT US
LEINA SATO
Born in Tokyo in 1985 and raised in Paris, Leina’s life changed at fifteen following a profound personal crisis and an encounter with a spiritual teacher. She later moved to Hawaii’s Big Island, where she discovered freediving and began a transformative relationship with the ocean and its cetacean inhabitants.
At 21, she put her Marine Science studies on hold to co-found an eco-tourism company with freediving world-record holder Brett Lemaster, creating opportunities for visitors, artists, and researchers to encounter marine life in the wild.
Today, Leina teaches freediving as an AIDA instructor and gives conferences exploring its therapeutic and initiatory dimensions, as well as humanity’s relationship with the ocean and other species.
She is also the founder of Project ANIMA, a Japan-based initiative working toward a marine sanctuary for dolphins retired from captivity.
She is the author of several books published in France and the subject of The Journey, a documentary by Anne Paris and Jan Kounen exploring her oceanic pregnancy and encounters with dolphin and whale communities around the world.
Emilia is a mentor, transformative guide, healing arts practitioner, writer and educator, whose work supports people in creating deeper relationships with themselves and living with greater clarity, presence, authenticity and purpose.
Her 1:1 work draws from depth psychology, trauma-informed and somatic approaches, nervous system work, movement, ritual and world mystical traditions.
She combines tangible transformation work that helps us rewire belief systems, heal the nervous system, and shift patterns held in the body, with the invisible work of listening to intuition, reconnecting with meaning and the deeper intelligence of the soul.
She is also a certified birth and death doula, an astrologer, writer, and student of the sacred arts, and the founder of The Way of the Soul.
Through mentorship, courses, retreats, pilgrimages, and writing, she keeps weaving her evolving body of work around the restoration of soul in individual lives and in culture.
Water has always been her safe place, where she can learn the art of surrender and trust, where she can heal and remember. The dolphins keep teaching her about our true essence which is joyful, loving and free. Her last trip at Sataya changed her life.
Rouzbeh is a transformative coach, musician, vocalist and facilitator of immersive experiences. At the heart of his work is a fascination with human potential and the question of what allows us to live, lead and express ourselves from a place of greater truth, freedom and aliveness.
Drawing from his background in psychology and leadership coaching as well as diverse traditions of sacred sound, yoga and embodied practice, he creates spaces for deep inner exploration, connection and creative expression. Through devotional singing ceremonies, he invites people to experience the power of our shared voices - to come home to ourselves, connect more deeply with one another, and honor the unique expression and creativity that wants to move through each of us.
His deepening practice as a freediver has opened another dimension of this exploration: the intimate relationship between mind, body, breath and voice, and the tender threshold between fear and freedom. Both in the water and through sound, he is fascinated by what happens when control softens into trust, tension into surrender, and our perceived limitations give way to a greater sense of possibility.
Emilia cianci
ROUZBEH Tavakkoli
"I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
JOHN O'DONOHUE
