Step into a space of rest, renewal, and gentle reconnection. This short retreat is designed to help you slow down, soften the body, calm the mind, and return to yourself through movement, breath, meditation, and sound in community.

The bi-monthly community gathering with yoga, meditation, sharing, music-journey and food is intentionally made for those active in social justice and and are defending life. We believe that next to activism (in whatever form it expresses itself) we also need to take a moment of rest, and this can sometimes be done best in community. By taking care of each-other and individual needs we are also better able to serve the collective community and our goals for social justice.

“Without inner change there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” – Angel Kyodo Williams.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” – Audre Lord 

Upcoming events: Rooting Resistance: meditation, sharing, music-journey and food 
Keep an eye on events page of Aralez. Would you like to stay updated, you can also subscribe to our newsletter.

Background:
To bring change in the world, it is important to take care of yourself too; mentally, spiritually and physically. This is to prevent us from fatigue, pain or frustrations and then passing this on to our loved ones and environment. In addition, it is important to be heard, to feel connected to others and to do this in community. The need for this space arose as some spaces are only about doing activism’s work, without taking time to care and rest, while other spaces are only about the ‘self’ without community care or taking into account issues of social justice, this is why we wanted to create a space that is just in-between those two.

What are we doing? What to expect?
During the introduction, we give space for participants to get to know each other, which we start off with a short mindfulness meditation in order for us to set our personal intentions for the session which is followed by introduction round and sharing of intentions. It is possible to bring a personal object to the session for the altar that represents your intention.

After the meditation and sharing of intentions, we will continue with 25 minutes of pranayama yoga. Pranayama is the practice of conscious breathing. The breath has a direct connection to the nervous system and emotional state, and when we learn to breathe with more awareness, we create more space for calm, clarity, and balance.

After a short break, the program flows into a 45-minute sound journey trough music. Here, you are invited to rest and simply receive. Sound has a unique way of reaching us beyond words. It can gently awaken emotion, bring buried tension to the surface, and guide the mind into a quieter and more meditative state. Many people experience sound healing as deeply soothing, grounding, and restorative.

In the final part, we close the journey by giving people the chance to share in a circle what is on their hearts & minds.  This is voluntary, and gives a chance to share in community if the need arises to do so, or to simply give gratitude to the space. After this, it is time for dinner in which we share a vegetarian meal with each other to collectively digest and eat healthy food. 

Who can participate?
The program is offered on a donation basis and is accessible to everyone, you also do not need to be an ‘activist’, so anyone is welcome. There is no need to have prior experience with mindfulness, yoga, meditation, sound-healing and/or sharing circles to participate. This session is open to adults of all fitness levels as well as all body types. The practice is designed to be gentle, accessible, and supportive, so you can join just as you are. In case of particular acces needs, please do contact us beforehand.

If you have any medical concerns, injuries, or physical conditions, please approach the instructor before the session. This will help us support you properly and make sure you can enjoy the session as safely and comfortably as possible.

What to bring
Please bring your own yoga mat and meditation cushion if you have these, and wear comfortable or stretchy clothing that allows you to move and rest with ease. We will provide coffee & Thea and some cookies at the session.

Please avoid eating a heavy meal or drinking until your stomach feels very full within 2 hours before the session. At the same time, it is not recommended to join on an empty stomach. A light snack such as a banana, bread, or something easy to digest is perfectly fine. You are also welcome to drink some water or juice before the session.

Donations & Registration:
Suggested donation is between 5 and 15 euros. Due to limited places, it’s important to register in advance. We will send information about the program. You can donate on location. 

Program:
15:30-16:15 Mindfulness Mediation & Sharing intentions
16:15-16:45 Yoga
16:45-16:55 break
16:55-17:35 Meditative music journey
17:35-18:00 sharing circle & closing
18:00-19:30 dinner (optional)

Location:
De Nieuwe Meent, Archimedesplantsoen 110 , Amsterdam, 1098KB.

Some reviews by participants:

“The community gathering with meditation, sharing and music from Aralez has been a valuable experience for me personally because it is a moment to turn within yourself through meditation. A moment of peace in all the hectic moments that you encounter as an activist. See it’s self-care.”
– Saida Derrazi, Comité 21 March & S.P.E.A.K.

“For people who are mainly used to being ‘givers’ and who, through their work or personal lives, are committed to themes such as colonialism, anti-racism or forms of exclusion, this community gathering is a great moment to pause and take time for yourself. But also to share experiences with others. The sound journey is also a soothing experience and gives me a kind of ‘recharged’ feeling every time, as if I can now take on the world again.”
– Jonathan Tjien Fooh, Poet & research associate VU

“I went into the community gathering without expectations. I needed concentration, peace and quiet in a period where every minute was fully planned and where I was trying to juggle 50 balls at the same time. The community gathering gave me a lot of peace in half a day and de-stressed my body. Every session I have attended I have experienced the same thing: peace for your body and mind. Aralez offers a safe and familiar environment in which you can regain your senses“
-Merve Kaçmis, stichting we promise

“The community gatherings with meditation, sharing and music are healing for the soul. A nice and safe space to be vulnerable, to listen and to absorb new things. It is a moment of connection with like-minded people, where you are reminded that you are not alone and that there is a community that fights for the same thing and cares for each other.”
– Susan N. , regular visitor

Background facilitators:
Zack is an internationally certified yoga teacher whose path has been shaped by teachers from different parts of the world. He has experience in several styles of yoga, including vinyasa, hatha, yin-yang, ashtanga, aerial yoga, and acro yoga. For many years, he has shared yoga with students of different backgrounds and experience levels, offering guidance with patience, presence, and care. Meditation is also an important part of his journey. Coming from Myanmar, Zack’s connection to inner stillness has been influenced by time spent learning from monks and monastic spaces in his homeland. These experiences continue to inspire the calm and mindful way he holds his sessions. With a gentle and welcoming approach, Zack invites each person to meet themselves where they are and to enter the practice with openness, ease, and compassion.

Max Arto de Ploeg Bedoyan  is a multi-instrumentalist who makes music based on intuitive improvisations, using sound as a medium to connect with our inner space, to ground ourselves, heal and be present in the moment during ceremonies or collective events. He co-founded “Rooting Resistance: the right to rest after protest” at Aralez which is a gathering for activists and communities concerned with decolonization to foster care and a sense of community after protest. Beyond a fight against oppressive systems, music can help us to experience care and regenerative practices in our social movements.

Chris Kaspar de Ploeg Bedoyan is a writer, organizer, meditator and multi-instrumentalist. He is an experienced meditator in the Zen tradition and has spend several months in retreat in various monasteries. He has also performed as a spoken word artist, percussionist, harmonica, handpan and/or flute player, both on stage and in circle.  Chris has written multiple books on colonialism and capitalism, is co-founder of Aralez and an organizer with De Vonk. With the Rooting Resistance gatherings of Aralez, he aims to bridge the worlds of spirituality and collective change, rooting our social justice movements in the deeper wells of the human spirit.

Extra tips: for community care initiatives to follow if you are looking for more.
> Kabra : Well-being studio led by BIPOC and directory of BIPOC practitioners, coaches & therapists in The Netherlands.
> Rest and resist: Activists, artists, healers using art & decolonized therapeutic practices in community. Injustice thrives on exhaustion and separation
> Amenti movement, is a community-based organization and a decolonial psyche-somatic MoveMeant Method trough dance.
>List of BIPOC mental health workers in the Netherlands