Core Direction, in collaboration with Balich Wonder Studios and HQ Worldwide Shows helped to make history in March 2022 by successfully delivering the first wellness project of its kind in Saudi Arabia. The one-of-a-kind, all-day wellness experience was inducted by The Royal Commission for AlUla and held in AlUla, one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula and home to Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. AlUla's past spans from prehistoric times to the present - more than 200,000 years of human history can be traced here. Yeah, our mind was blown too!
AlUla Wellness Festival announced Five Senses Sanctuary - an inspirational ten-day event (March 18 - 27) which brought together a like-minded community; striving for a better, fitter, happier, healthier quality of life. The event offered daily unlimited wellness activities, classes, workshops as well as inspirational and motivational talks by celebrity yogis and renowned wellness practitioners - locally from Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf as well as around the world.
Put your sound on and have a listen to what Core Direction Founder, Clifford Tindell has to say about this spectacular Saudi Arabian event:
Flexible full day passes (cost of SAR300) allowed guests to customise their experience with unlimited access to sessions, classes, workshops, talks and community-based experiences that were running that day. The events name originated from the concept of encouraging event participants to awaken their five senses and embark on an exploration of the senses to take in the essence of AlUla.
The beautifully designed space, by renowned international and architecture studios, Lulie Fisher Design, was divided into five different areas/pavilions for various activities:
Central Community Dome
The heart of the venue space was the Central Café, set within a palm tree orchard, where healthy meals and refreshments could be enjoyed. In addition, informal creative workshops such as group painting, cooking sessions, jewellery making, perfume mixing, palm leaf weaving and nightly handpan lessons were hosted in this area.
Surrounding the Central Community Dome, there were 3 pavilions:
Pavilion A
Pavilion A’s primary focus was ‘movement’ - for the more energetic yoga, acro yoga and pilates classes
Pavilion B
The theme of Pavilion B focused on ‘mindfulness and meditation’ - sound journey, healing, yoga Nidra and breathwork classes
Pavilion C - The Theatre Dome
This pavilion hosted inspirational talks, keynote speakers as well as Manish Pole’s Five Senses Academy, where he delivered a daily 2.5 hour Yoga Alliance Registered continual education programme delving into the methodologies behind yoga, including Indra, Hatha, Ayurveda, Pranayama, Philosophy, Mantras and more.
Treatment Rooms
Located in the tranquillity garden, event participants could relax and unwind with a wellness treatment (head, neck & shoulder massage, deep tissue massage, relaxation massage and/or relaxing foot massage), delivered by top therapists who were flown in from Austria, Lebanon, Spain and the UK.
Core Direction secured a number of celebrity instructors, yogis and speakers to join us in Saudi Arabia for this auspicious event. Bringing their incredible talents, latest yoga trends and practices to the Arabian Peninsula for the first time were:
- Dylan Werner - number 1 followed male yogi on social media and renowned international yoga instructor, lecturer, and educator in health, wellbeing and mindfulness
- Kino MacGregor - number 1 followed female yogi on social media and American yoga teacher dedicated to the spiritual and physical practice of Ashtanga
- Chelsea Kauai & Nicholas Coolridge (aka Modern Tarzan) - celebrity acro yoga duo
- Manal Rostom - Egypt’s most prominent female marathoner and mountaineer who embodies our ethos of ‘inspiration movement’ having used her ideas, passion, and positivity to change perceptions and lives around the world - breaking the bias and driving inclusivity with Surviving Hijab. Just last week (17 May), Manal was the first Egyptian woman to summit Mount Everest.
- Manish Pole - CEO and Founder of 21st Century Yoga (virtual yoga courses), Himalayan Meditation Retreats
- Dr Bharat Thakur - combines the most modern and scientific methods of Sports Medicine with powerful yoga practices
- Nancy Zabaneh - Yoga Nidra, Kundalini Yoga and mindfulness workshops
- Vanessa Kim Roux, Neha Duseja, Hala Hijaz, Dina Cassir, Sara Dulaijan, Miriam, Khaled Nahfawi, Lina Nahhas, Bayan Abuzinadah - talented Vinyasa, Yin, sound healing, dance, breathing and yoga instructors
- Ghalia Almadani - sound meditation and yoga Nidra
- Nelly Attar - Lebanese mental health professional and athlete who is passionate about women’s fitness
- Manal Alsadhan - a Saudi self-development expert who helps people find the meaning of happiness
- International musicians, Dan Moores, Bruno Fav and Valentina Avdeeva shared their musical talents from acoustic guitar to handpan and more
The Five Senses Sanctuary, hidden in the AlUla Oasis was quite simply, the perfect event to embrace and promote your holistic, spiritual and physical health. There’s no doubt that Core Direction will be delivering many more of these events in the future, both in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and across the globe so watch this space and make sure you join us for the next one, it’s going to be inspiring!
