Silent Mindfulness Meditation & Yoga Retreat on Ishigaki Island, Japan

This silent meditation retreat on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, is a four-night, five-day stay built around mindfulness, metta meditation, Yoga Nidra and daily yoga. It is open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike, and is led by Marta Diaz of Om & Flow Yoga. The retreat is held in a restored traditional villa, Le Lotus Bleu, in the village of Shiraho, with three full days spent in silence.

What to Expect

You arrive on the first day, are met at Ishigaki Airport, and have time to settle in and meet the other guests. An opening ceremony, orientation and shared dinner follow, and the silence begins that evening. Three full days of silence come next, ending gently on the final day shortly before a farewell brunch, so the group has time to reconnect before departing.

The silent days follow a steady rhythm:

- 8:00 Morning yoga and meditation
- 9:30 Breakfast
- 11:00 Guided mindfulness practice and metta meditation
- 13:00 Lunch
- 15:00 Guided mindfulness practice and metta meditation
- 16:30 EFT tapping, Reiki or healing sound meditation
- 19:00 Dinner
- 20:00 Yoga Nidra

Silence here means refraining from speaking and unnecessary communication with other guests. Your teacher speaks only as needed to guide the practices, and verbal instruction is kept to a minimum. Journaling is welcome. A short private conversation with the instructor can be requested if you need extra support. Phone use is discouraged during the silent portion, though quiet, discreet checking in free time is accepted; phone calls are not. The afternoon sessions include EFT tapping, Reiki and sound healing with Tibetan singing bowls, and a sacred cacao ceremony is part of the programme. Activities are not mandatory, and you are free to rest when you need to.

About Marta Diaz

Marta Diaz is a Yoga Alliance registered E-RYT 500 teacher, a Yoga Nidra facilitator, a Reiki master and a Tibetan singing bowl sound therapist. Originally from Estonia, she developed her teaching through extended stays in Japan and Thailand and has taught yoga in many styles around the world. She founded Om & Flow Yoga, a yoga school and retreat company known for small-group silent meditation retreats and teacher trainings. Her most influential mentor, Bettina Kahlert, was a student of B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois.

The Setting

Le Lotus Bleu is a 19th-century wooden merchant house, lovingly restored, in the peaceful village of Shiraho. Red-tiled rooftops and Fukugi trees surround it, and it has gardens, wooden decks and five guest rooms, each with private facilities. It is a short drive from Ishigaki Airport.

Rooms are offered as a private room, a private room booked for two, a shared twin room or a shared room for four. Three vegetarian meals are served each day, with vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free needs catered for, and the last day ends with a farewell brunch. Airport transfers are provided on the first and last days, with an afternoon drop-off at the end.

Before You Go

No previous experience with meditation, silent retreats or yoga is needed. Yoga is offered at different levels, and you are encouraged to listen to your own body. The retreat runs in English, with a group of up to fourteen guests, usually eight to twelve. Many people come alone.

Included are the villa stay, daily yoga, meditation, Yoga Nidra and guided mindfulness, sound healing, Reiki, EFT tapping, the cacao ceremony, all meals and the airport transfers. Flights, extra nights before or after the retreat and transport outside the retreat dates are not included. It is best to leave novels and other stimulating reading at home.