Root to Rise Retreat: Cape Town, South Africa
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2nd - 8th November | Starting at £1,995A 7-day luxury yoga retreat through wild nature, ocean wonder, and grounded celebration.
Experience the richness and diversity of South Africa during this exclusive yoga retreat in the city of Cape Town and the surrounding wilderness of the Western Cape region.
Held in November, a moment of gentle transition between spring and summer, this retreat unfolds at a time when the land feels open, alive, and quietly abundant. The days are warm without intensity, the evenings long and golden, and the natural world carries a sense of ease and renewal. Set between wild mountain landscapes, open ocean, and lush green valleys, this journey moves between two carefully chosen sanctuary locations. Here, nature and refinement exist side by side: stillness and celebration, simplicity and comfort, solitude and connection.
The retreat begins slowly, allowing the body to land and the nervous system to settle after travel. Mornings are spacious, practices are grounding and accessible, and there is time to rest, reflect, and simply be. As the days unfold, movement becomes more expansive, energy begins to rise, and space opens - both around you and within you.
This is not a retreat to escape life… It is an invitation to reconnect with it.
To move with greater clarity, to breathe more fully, and to return home feeling grounded, steady, and alive. Through thoughtfully sequenced yoga, time spent in nature, and moments of quiet luxury, you are gently supported back into rhythm with yourself and the land.
The Western Cape offers a rare and powerful backdrop for this journey. Vast skies, rugged coastlines, ancient mountains, and a deep sense of freedom. Combined with intentional practice and shared experience, it creates a beautifully held space for reflection, integration, and renewal.
You will be held every step of the way.
❋ Thoughtfully sequenced yoga
❋ Nature immersion and soulful travel
❋ Quiet, considered luxury
❋ Genuine connection and integration
A retreat to come home to yourself — grounded, clear, and renewed.
❋ Planet Xancara, Elands Bay
Our journey begins where the land opens wide and life moves to an ancient, instinctive rhythm. Set within a vast wilderness of the West Coast just 2.5 hours outside Cape Town, Planet Xancara is a place of scale, silence, and soul. Here, the horizon stretches endlessly. The sky feels impossibly big. At night, stars spill across the darkness, uninterrupted and alive. This is not simply a place to stay - It is a place that recalibrates you.
The moment you arrive, something shifts. The nervous system registers the openness. Breath deepens without instruction. Perspective widens. The urgency of everyday life loosens its grip. Planet Xancara holds you in a way that only wild land can - quietly, powerfully, without asking anything in return.
Shared accommodation during these opening nights is an intentional part of the experience. Luxury glamping offers a rare balance of deep nature immersion and the refinement of the modern world. Here, we sleep close to the earth, wake with the light, and fall asleep beneath vast star-filled skies - while still being held in comfort, warmth, and thoughtful design. Canvas walls, open air, and natural sounds invite us into the elements, while beautiful interiors, quality bedding, and nourishing food provide ease and care.
Our Locations
The first three days: landing, grounding, settling
The opening three nights of Root to Rise are devoted entirely to arrival. Not arrival as an event, but as a process.
Each morning begins with grounding yoga, practiced in the stillness of early light, as the land awakens. These sessions are breath-led, accessible, and deeply anchoring, offering a steady foundation before the day unfolds.
From here, the rhythm of the land takes over. Guided walks into the ancient caves of the Khoisan invite you into a direct relationship with the land and its spirit. Afternoons are spacious and unstructured. Time to rest, journal, wander, or simply be. Feeling the sun, the wind, and the quiet presence of nature. There is no expectation to fill the day. Rest is part of the practice.
As evening falls, the energy softens. Gentle yoga and restorative practices invite the body to unwind and integrate the richness of the day. Shared meals follow - generous, nourishing, and unhurried - before the night sky takes over, vast and luminous.
❋ What you can expect
As these first days unfold, something subtle begins to shift. Breath deepens. The body settles. The mind grows quieter. Clarity emerges - not through effort, but through presence and simplicity.
❋ Grounding morning yoga to support safe arrival
❋ Gentle evening practices for rest and integration
❋ Long pauses for stillness, journaling, and time in nature
❋ Star-filled nights and deeply restorative sleep
❋ Nourishing meals shared slowly and with care
❋ A growing sense of connection - to self, to land, and to one another
By the time we leave Planet Xancara, the nervous system feels steadier, the heart more open, and the body deeply rooted. From this grounded place, the retreat naturally begins to expand - carrying us forward into the next chapter of Root to Rise with greater ease, clarity, and connection.
❋ The Secret Escape
The second phase of the retreat unfolds at a Secret Escape - a carefully chosen luxury location that will be revealed closer to the retreat.
After the simplicity and raw immersion of Planet Xancara, This location offers a gentle re-entry - a space to soften, integrate, and be held in comfort. This is luxury that feels human and welcoming rather than formal: leafy gardens, light-filled rooms, thoughtful details, and a pace that invites you to linger.
Here, the air carries the salt of the ocean. Mornings are bright and spacious. Evenings glow softly, inviting connection, conversation, and celebration.
The energy here is more expansive, yet still deeply held. It will be close enough to the ocean, vineyards, and Cape Town’s vibrant coastline to invite exploration, while remaining a place of calm and retreat.
The final days: integration, joy, and connection
The last 2 days are designed to support embodiment and expression - taking what has been uncovered in the stillness of the first part of the retreat and allowing it to move, breathe, and live more fully.
Yoga practices here become more fluid and expansive, encouraging confidence, openness, and a sense of joy in the body. Mornings are bright and energising, while evenings invite softness and rest. There is space for laughter, shared experiences, and gentle celebration - without losing the grounded presence established earlier in the week.
This phase of the retreat includes time beyond the mat. These experiences are not rushed or packed - they are woven in thoughtfully, allowing you to remain present, relaxed, and connected.
❋ What you can expect
Accommodation at our Secret Escape offers a choice between shared and private rooms (Please note private rooms are limited and priced separately), giving you the opportunity to enjoy both community and personal space as the retreat draws to a close. It is here that many guests feel a renewed sense of balance - rooted yet open, settled yet inspired.
As the retreat comes to an end, attention turns gently towards integration: reflecting on what has shifted, what feels clearer, and how to carry this sense of grounding and vitality back into everyday life.
This Secret Escape holds this final chapter beautifully. It offers a bridge between retreat and reality - allowing you to leave not abruptly, but gradually, with a body that feels alive, a mind that feels clear, and a heart that feels connected.
❋ What’s Included
Your retreat investment includes a fully hosted, thoughtfully curated experience designed to allow you to arrive, soften, and be completely held throughout the journey.
❋7 days / 6 nights luxury accommodation
❋ 3 nights of luxury glamping experience at Planet Xancara, immersed in the wilderness
❋ 3 nights at the Secret Escape, a carefully chosen sanctuary revealed closer to the retreat
❋ Daily yoga practices (morning and selected evenings), thoughtfully sequenced to support arrival and grounding, nervous system regulation and strength, openness, and integration
❋ Guided heritage hike to sacred rock art sites in one of the most ancient and culturally significant rock art sites in the world.
❋ Guided game drive in a surrounding nature reserve
❋ Day trip to Boulders Beach, home to its iconic penguin colony and pristine white sands
❋ Cable car journey up Table Mountain, offering panoramic views across Cape Town, the ocean, and beyond
❋ Winelands exploration (optional)
❋ Closing celebration dinner to mark the completion of the journey
❋ All breakfasts and dinners throughout the retreat (lunch is included at Planet Xancara)
❋ All transfers between retreat locations and transport to and from all included excursions
❋ Curated welcome ritual pack
Yes! All of the above is included in the price!
❋ What’s NOT Included
To keep the retreat flexible and transparent, the following are not included in your retreat investment:
❋ International flights to and from Cape Town - Suggested airlines include British Airways (direct), Norse Air (direct), Qatar Airways (via Doha), Emirates (via Dubai), and KLM (via Amsterdam)
❋ Pre-retreat and post-retreat accommodation if arriving earlier or leaving later (we can help find the best prices for accommodation upon request)
❋ Private airport transfers outside of scheduled group transfers
(These can be arranged on request at an additional cost)
❋ Taxis or Uber outside of the included group excursions
❋ Laundry services
❋ Gratuities (tips)
❋ Spa treatments (Massage or wellbeing treatments may be available at an additional cost)
❋ Independent yoga classes done outside of the retreat at local studios (for those who want to practice more)
❋ Lunch, Alcoholic beverages, speciality drinks and food outside of included experiences (including Mini-bar or incidental charges at the accommodation)
❋ Personal purchases or souvenirs
❋ Travel insurance (essential) - All guests must have comprehensive travel insurance
❋ Medical insurance (essential) - Including cover for overseas medical treatment and emergency care
❋ Costs incurred due to personal changes to travel plans
❋ Liability for personal injury, illness, or loss of personal belongings
❋ About your Retreat Leaders and Teachers
This retreat is guided by two facilitators who share a deep respect for the body, the land, and the unseen layers of healing that emerge when we slow down and listen. You will be supported throughout the journey by Maz and Đào, each offering a distinct yet complementary approach to restoration, presence, and transformation.
Maz Bryden - Founder of Cuoro Yoga · Retreat Host & Yoga Teacher
Maz is a yoga teacher, retreat host, and the founder of Cuoro Yoga. Born and raised in South Africa, her connection to its land, rhythm, and spirit runs deep. Hosting this retreat is both personal and meaningful for Maz. It is an honour for her to share the love, respect, and reverence she holds for her country with others, and to offer guests the opportunity to experience the Western Cape not just as a destination, but as a place of grounding, healing, and perspective.
Her teaching is intuitive, grounded, and breath-led, blending mindful vinyasa, slow strength, and nervous-system-aware sequencing. Maz encourages students to move with awareness and choice, placing an emphasis on sensation, presence, and self-trust rather than performance or shape.
As your host, Maz is present throughout the entire retreat - from airport arrival to closing circle - holding the container with warmth, clarity, and care. Her approach is unhurried and deeply human, allowing space for both stillness and expansion, connection and solitude.
This retreat reflects Maz’s belief that true wellbeing is found by returning to rhythm - with the body, with nature, and with the deeper intelligence within.
Đào - Quantum Healer · Frequency Medicine Practitioner · Spiritual & Wisdom Coach
Đào is a multidimensional healing practitioner whose work bridges the energetic, emotional, and nervous systems.
Her offerings draw from Quantum Healing, Frequency Medicine, Energy Healing, Nervous System Reset practices, Kundalini Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation, creating experiences that support deep regulation, energetic alignment, and spiritual remembrance.
Đào’s work is subtle yet powerful. She holds space with precision and intuition, guiding guests beyond the thinking mind and into direct experience — where healing happens not through effort, but through resonance and awareness.
Through her sessions, guests are invited to reconnect with their inner wisdom, restore balance within the nervous system, and access states of clarity, calm, and expanded consciousness. Her presence is steady, compassionate, and deeply attuned, offering a sense of safety that allows true transformation to unfold.
Đào’s work forms an integral part of the retreat’s opening immersion, supporting guests to settle, soften, and attune — laying a strong energetic foundation for the journey ahead.
Together, Maz and Đào create a retreat that is held rather than driven, guided rather than imposed. Movement, breath, energy, stillness, and reflection are woven together with care - allowing each guest to experience the retreat in their own way, at their own pace.
You are supported, not pushed. Invited, not expected. Held, not hurried.
£1995 per person — shared accommodation - Please enquire about Single occupancy (limited availability)*
❋ Securing Your Place: A £150 non-refundable security deposit is required to secure your space on the retreat. The remaining balance is due 60 days prior to the arrival date. The balance may be paid in full or spread over instalments by prior arrangement. See our FAQ here.
❋ How to Book: To reserve your place or to receive further information, please contact Maz directly via email at marian@cuoroyoga.com. Maz is happy to support you with: Booking the retreat and securing your deposit; Payment options and timelines; Guidance on the best international flights to book; Any additional questions you may have about the experience.
❋ A Gentle Note: Places are limited, and this retreat will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis once deposits are received. If this retreat is calling you, we encourage you to reach out early to avoid disappointment.
❋ Anyone and everyone is welcome to take part, regardless of age, though you should be over 18 years old and have a good basic level of physical fitness. The retreat is not designed to accommodate children. The trip is ideal for couples or friends travelling together. Non-yogi partners are very welcome, and they do not have to take part in the yoga practices, but can still enjoy an amazing African experience, as well as fantastic golf courses, walks and shark cage diving!
On confirming your interest in this retreat, you are asked to share a few details with us:
❋ A brief bio about yourself and why you want to join us in South Africa
❋ Your level of Yoga experience (eg. beginners, intermediate, advanced, teacher)
❋ Any physical issues, including accidents, injuries or mental or physical illness
❋ Any specific allergies and dietary requirements
❋ Any other specific requirements
* Please note: Single-occupancy accommodation is available only during the final three nights at the Secret Escape. Accommodation at Planet Xancara is shared by all guests, supporting a grounded and community-led start to the retreat.
❋ Prices & Booking
This retreat is intentionally small and carefully held, with limited spaces to preserve depth, connection, and quality.