Journey Through The Sinai Desert: From The Moonlight Of The Desert To The Own Inner Radiance

A journey through the desert is a very special experience. The participant of a 10-day desert tour in Sinai at the north-eastern end of Egypt tells us what she experienced there and what it did to her.

A journey through the Sinai desert can change your life. Carina Steidle also experienced this: “‘Don’t hold on. Let go. Go into the void and trust. Life will do the rest.’ This is often said in yoga philosophy, in life advice books or in spiritual circles. I have always been skeptical of this statement, but at the same time immensely curious as to whether this could really be the ultimate life formula.

After a challenging and head-scratching year, I was determined at the end of 2023 to resolve this question once and for all and find a guide for my life. I wanted to let go of everything and see what happens. I chose the desert as a place to learn – for me, the ultimate form of nothingness, letting go and trust.”

Travel for awareness and transformation

By a lucky coincidence, Carina Steidle soon learned about the Swiss transformation expert and adventure designer Sharon Makana. She regularly offers inspiring journeys for awareness and transformation in special places around the world. “After a number of people close to me warned me about the dangers of the desert, I immediately remembered why self-confidence was so difficult. Uncertain and hopeful at the same time, I nevertheless booked Sharon’s extraordinary New Year’s trip through the Sinai desert in Egypt. A journey through the desert and to myself.”

Unexpected arrival: between uncertainty and magic 

Carina Steidle: “When I arrived at Sharm El Sheik Airport on the evening of December 27, I was enveloped in a mixture of uncertainty, tension and curiosity. Uncertain thoughts circled through my head, which I had wrapped in a headscarf rather inexpertly. I shouldered my red travel rucksack and looked alertly and somewhat nervously for the Bedouin who was supposed to pick me up.

I choose peace

Things really got going the next day. Carina got to know Sharon, the other participants and the Bedouins. It was an interesting and friendly little group. “We drove to our starting point for the desert tour. Leaving the area with cell phone reception was very challenging for me. Although I am anything but a cell phone junkie, I was in tears from being overwhelmed. I found it surprisingly difficult to completely let go of my connection to my life in Germany and set off into the unknown. But at the same time, I felt that I needed exactly this separation in order to be able to fully engage with the transformation in the here and now.”

When they arrived at the starting point, the camels were already waiting for the small group. All participants were allowed to choose one of the camels with which they would be traveling for the next few days. Carina’s choice fell on Salām (Arabic for peace), which later turned out to be very fitting.

To immerse themselves even more in the desert feeling, all tour participants were dressed in jallabijas, the traditional tunic-like garments. This was accompanied by the first black tea brewed on the fire, which Carina learned to love.

Happiness is in the simplicity

Life in the desert is very simple, far away from the hustle and bustle. During the day, the group explored the diverse landscape, sometimes riding camels, sometimes walking barefoot. The small group meals on the ground created an atmosphere of community and sharing. In the evenings, everyone sat around the fire, swapping stories and laughing together.

As they fell asleep under the open sky, they were accompanied by the gentle moonrise and the twinkling stars. And every morning they were woken by the warm light of the rising sun. “With each day, I let go of the tensions and uncertainties of my life at home more and more and I became emptier and calmer inside,” says Carina Steidle.

Out of the boundaries 

“In Germany, you people all live like in a glass bottle. You try to control yourselves and your lives,” a Bedouin explained to Carina in one of their conversations. She immediately understood what he meant. She was all too familiar with the feeling of living constricted and limiting herself. “Here in the desert, you are free. Just do whatever you feel like,” he added cheerfully.

Carina Steidle: “In the daily group sessions with Sharon, we dealt with various topics. We left behind stressful issues and obstructive beliefs from the past year and let the fire transform our wishes for the coming year. For Sharon, everything always seemed very simple and clear. She was completely confident that everything would come as it would. Inshallah! (Arabic for “God willing”).

AEverything unknown is initially welcome, because those who open themselves to the unknown can experience the colorful spectrum of life. She taught us to replace restrictive conclusions with open questions in order to invite new possibilities into life. For example What else (besides what I already know) is possible?

Every day I discovered what else was possible: somersaulting through the sand, burying myself in the sand for 1.5 hours for a meditative detox, climbing through a canyon, dancing down dunes, playing freely in the sand like children, baking bread on an open fire, snuggling up around the fire in the evening, playing truth or dare with the Bedouins.

The motto was “just be” and I did whatever I felt like doing. Sometimes I was active in sports, sometimes slowly relaxed, sometimes in company, sometimes just for myself, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, playful, philosophical, sometimes powerful, then tender again. The transformative energy of the desert spread through me in a soothing and liberating way and I found myself more and more.”

From the desert to the sea

How could it get any better now, Carina thought? After the cleansing energy of the desert, they experienced the vastness of the sea. The group spent three days in Ras Mohammed National Park on the Red Sea. “The fascinating beauty of the underwater world unfolded to me as I glided through colorful coral reefs for the first time in my life and discovered the colorful and diverse fish life with curious children’s eyes. The dives with Sharon as my diving instructor were a wonderful way to experience trust,” says Carina. Back on land, the gentle breeze of the wind and the sound of the waves underscored the magic of these unforgettable days.

I had let go in order to find myself again

I had let go in order to find myself again
Carina: “Sharon’s intuitive guidance gave me security and freedom at the same time, so that I could lose myself in the midst of the sand and the colorful, powerful mountain ranges and at the same time (re)find my inner compass and my vitality. On the flight home, I literally felt my inner self glowing brightly and magically, like the full moon on the first day. I felt like I was in love.

Something big had happened inside me and I was completely connected to my heart, in a harmonious unity with the world around me. I got my answer. The desert symbolizes for me: not knowing what is coming and yet setting off into nothingness, with the deep certainty of trust. Trust in the source, in life itself, in its power, abundance and magic. And also trust in myself, in my intuition, in my connection and in my heart. The desert was calling me because it was time to finally take this step.”

Fancy your personal transformation with Sharon Makana?

Expert Sharon Makana is a traveling transformation expert and adventure designer who guides people to empower themselves to achieve authentic joy and an enhanced quality of life. Sharon Makana has traveled extensively, lived in many places around the world and spent a lifetime transforming everything that prevented her from being happy and free. Here are the dates for her next retreats:

Nature retreat in Corsica “Activate and live your unique path” On April 8-14, 2024, Sharon Makana invites you to an inspiring nature retreat in an unusual location in Corsica. A lighthouse on the magical coast of the island is the starting point to rediscover your own beauty and strength. Connect with yourself and your lightness by the sea among the rosemary and immortelle bushes and allow what wants to be realized within you to become visible.

Ocean retreat on the sailing ship “Trust yourself and life” From June 1-8, you can take part in the ocean retreat “Trust yourself and life” on a sailing ship. A journey from Corfu, along the Albanian coast, where you will realign your compass and learn to make the most of the wind to sail powerfully in the direction of your life that you have always wanted.

The next desert trip in Sinai will take place from October 10-19, 2024. You can find all informations here.