Our collaborators
The people who make Esperanza possible
Esperanza isn't a single organisation. It's a network of independent professionals — therapists, musicians, yoga teachers, chefs, artists — each bringing their own craft to the retreat. Here are some of the people you'll work with.
Morgan
Yoga, meditation & sound healing
Morgan leads our yoga, meditation, and sound bath sessions — central pieces of the retreat's rhythm. His work at Moga Yoga Studio in Essaouira brings together traditional practice and something harder to name: a quiet, grounded presence that people respond to instantly.
During the retreat, mornings begin with yoga and meditation. Evenings often close with sound baths — singing bowls, candles, the old stone walls of Essaouira holding the sound. It's restorative in the fullest sense, and for many participants it becomes the moment of the week they remember most.
You can see more of Morgan's work at mogayogastudio.com.
Kabir
Trekking guide
Kabir has walked the trails around Essaouira since childhood. A professional nature guide for over fifteen years, he speaks French and Spanish and knows this landscape — its ecology, its history, its people — better than anyone we've met.
He leads our trekking retreat: multi-day walks through the backcountry, bivouacs under the stars, shared meals with Berber families, and encounters with local communities that no guidebook could arrange. His specialty is simple — showing you the beauty of this region through a genuine return to nature.
Juliette McGannon
Qi Gong & Tai Chi
For thirty-five years, Juliette has taught alongside her husband, Dr Michael McGannon, sharing a simple methodology for eating, moving, and breathing with more than 300,000 managers around the world.
She joins us to teach beginners a gentle Qi Gong practice and a Tai Chi routine designed for energy and vitality. The routine was taught to Juliette thirty-five years ago by a Chinese doctor and Tai Chi master who had distilled a complex discipline into something accessible to everyone.
Juliette is looking forward to sharing these teachings with you.
Beya Barkous
Music therapy
Beya is a music therapy specialist who uses music, writing, and relaxation as tools for emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Through her practice at Le Cocon Musical, she works with individuals and groups — helping people express what words alone can't reach.
During the retreat, Beya leads our music therapy sessions: guided listening, rhythm work, songwriting, and sound-based relaxation. No musical experience needed — the music meets you where you are.
You can see more of Beya's work at coconmusical.com.
Sif Eddine & Chaimae
Surf therapy
Sif Eddine Benjelloul — entrepreneur — and Chaimae El Mahdaoui — biologist and ballet teacher — founded Surf & Therapy from a simple vision: creating meaningful experiences that combine the healing power of the ocean, authentic Moroccan culture, and personal wellbeing.
Based in Essaouira, they've built a space where people reconnect with nature, themselves, and the local community through surfing, mindfulness, and the Atlantic coast. During the retreat, they lead our surf therapy sessions — using the ocean as both challenge and medicine.
Our network continues to grow.
See them in action
Our retreats in and around Essaouira are where you'll meet this team — across trekking, music & creative, surf, and writing.
See our retreats