NIYA Wellness Retreat
Join us and the NIYA Wellness Club for an all-day women's wellness retreat just before Ramadan—offering an immersive experience rooted in holistic well-being from an Islamic framework.
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Breakfast + Lunch
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Pilates + Yoga
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Journaling + Guided Reflections
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Art of Illumination Workshop
NIIYA Wellness Retreat
Sunday, February 8th | 9:30AM - 5:00PM
This retreat is intentionally designed to nourish the mind, body, and soul, weaving together evidence-based wellness practices with timeless Islamic principles of balance & spiritual alignment. Through guided movement, spiritual grounding, community connection, and the arts, we will explore what it truly means to live in harmony with ourselves.
Expect a thoughtfully curated day that includes:
Mindful movement & body awareness
Mental & emotional wellness discussions
Spiritual reflection & soul-centered practices
Space for rest, journaling, & intentional connection
Nourishing refreshments and a supportive environment
It is an invitation to pause, reset, & reconnect—honoring wellness not as an individual pursuit, but as a holistic, faith-centered practice that supports our ability to show up fully in our lives & communities, and honor our bodies.
MORNING BLOCK | 9:30AM - 12:00PM
9:30–10:00 AM — Arrival + Check-In + Light Breakfast
Herbal teas, fruit, pastries, yogurt; Welcome table + distribution of gift bags; Journals (if ordered) + name tags handed out
10:00–10:30 AM — Opening Circle + Intention Setting
“Why we’re here today” intro to Seldon Institute + NIYA; Introductions & Guided grounding exercise + icebreaker
10:30–10:50 AM — Short Journaling Exercise
Short reflective exercise
10:50–11:00 AM — Break
11:00AM -11:50PM — Reflections on Experiencing Inner Peace
Immersive experience + guided discussion
11:50AM -12:00PM — Break
Our Program
AFTERNOON BLOCK | 12:00PM - 5:00PM
12:00PM - 1:00PM — Wellness Movement Session
Gentle yoga and pilates; Breath work + Islamic mindfulness integration to reset the nervous system | Facilitated by: Sana Akhter, Yoga + Pilates Instructor
1:00PM - 2:15PM — Prayer + Catered Lunch
2:15–3:15 PM — Mental Health & Theory Talk
On Emotional Clarity & Identity: Understanding the Self through an Islamic Psychological Lens | Facilitated by: Afsheen Zuberi, Islam-focused therapist/theorist
3:15PM - 3:30PM – Asr Prayer
3:30PM - 4:45PM - Traditional Art of Illumination Workshop
Experience centuries-old techniques, and create your own mini-masterpiece. We will be using traditional tools and professional-grade art supplies | Facilitated by: Dina Rehab, Sühyel Ünver Atelier - Istanbul
4:45PM - 5:00PM - Closing
Registration now open!
Full day, women’s only retreat | light breakfast, catered lunch, herbal teas & refreshments, yoga mats, and art materials included.
Complete checkout via the shopping bag icon at the top of our website
This journal features a historical reproduction by Illumination and Miniature Artist, Nebahat Pektas. The original painting is from a folio of an illuminated copy of the Maqamat al-Hariri (the Assemblies of al-Hariri) by painter and calligrapher Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti (1237). The folio is currently housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, Ms. Arabe 5847, fol. 5b.
Maqamat al-Hariri, a masterpiece of Arabic literature, is a collection of 50 short stories written in verse and prose in the 12th century by poet and Seljuk dignitary, Abu Muhammad al-Hariri (1054-1122). In this painting from the second maqam, two scholars—narrator al-Harith ibn Hammam and the eloquent trickster, Abu Zayd al-Saruji—meet in a library in Basra or Baghdad, modern-day Iraq.
The original miniature art reproduction is painted in gouache. Every purchase supports our Islamic Arts Program.
Our new journals are available for purchase on-site | 20% OFF for participants only.
