Yoga teacher & champion free diver Sara Campbell looking resplendent in her full Kundalini yoga gear
In short: So, a little more on Sara Campbell’s retreats as some of you have requested. Sara runs group yoga classes, private yoga retreats and freediving workshops in the laid back, beachside town of Dahab in Egypt. She’s a highly likeable, very fit and talented Kundalini yoga teacher who also happens to be a freediving champion – this means she regularly dives down deep into the ocean on just one breath (mad fool that she is), so here is a lady who really does know all about how to control your breath, and so de-stress.
Our experience: I first tried Sara’s Kundalini yoga classes at The Alchemy Centre in London when she was running guest workshops there. I was six months pregnant at the time, so couldn’t fully engage with brain or body, but I loved her simple, clear teaching and dynamic style (Kundalini is an extremely effective practice – The King loved it when he tried it at Kamalaya). I’ve since got to know Sara well, and adore her free spirited approach to living. You can read my interview with her here. I did my first yoga holiday ever in Dahab – it’s a relaxed, friendly beachside town with little shops & restaurants that’s very near the solitude of the glorious Sinai desert.
More on the yoga classes: If you’re planning to be on holiday in Dahab anyway, Sara runs Kundalini yoga & meditation classes at the Coral Coast Hotel every Thursday at 7pm and every Sunday at 10am (they cost EGP 100 per session, which is about £10).
More on the yoga retreats: Sara runs yoga retreats for everyone, of all levels, on request. These can be tailored to your needs and goals, and can be just you, or you and a group of your friends. They could include yoga, meditation and pranayama, yogic philosophy, personal journeying and coaching, day and overnight trips into the glorious Sinai desert, and a boat safari for snorkelling and/or freediving.
Sara Campbell & a friend on Dahab beach
You can stay at a hotel which she’ll help you choose – usually Le Meridien for luxury, or the Coral Coast for a good, mid-range beach-front option. But my choice would probably be to stay in the self-catering villa attached to Sara’s home. It’s fully equipped for cooking and has a large fridge freezer, drinking water cooler and a juice blender. There are two double bedrooms with arabic-style domed ceilings, one with a four-poster bed and ensuite bathroom. You’ll also have access to a private shaded garden-cum-outside living room and a roof terrace – yum!
The relaxed main bedroom at Sara Campbell's self-catering villa
More on the freediving workshops: Sara runs private coaching workshops for divers, and has a brilliant reputation. I have my PADI and have dived with a tank in some hot, beautiful places, but as I can’t stop thinking about the possibility of my own death every time I am underwater it’s not something I’d want to do… but you might 
Sara Campbell, retreats cost from £85 per day for two sessions (1 x 90 minute yoga, 1 x 60 minute meditation and pranayama); £130 as above with extended sessions to cover yogic philosophy, personal journey/coaching; £170 for any safari days including desert trips or boat safari for snorkelling/freediving; accommodation from €40 per person per day. These rates are for just one person – if there’s a group of you, the cost would reduce by 25% for each additional person – so it would be €75 per person per day for the straight yoga option, and so on.
Interested? You can book or ask Sara a question here:
© Queen of Retreats
I did a workshop with Sara and Mahan Rishi, in Dahab in January 2009 at the Coral Coast, which was an absolutely wonderful and inspiring experience. I also attended one of her Alchemy workshops in London, where my lungs learned to breath again. An amazing feeling. Highly recommended.