Yoga & Elephant Conservation

You will be met in Swakopmund and transferred to EHRA base camp, arriving late afternoon. Once settled, you will be briefed on the following few days. After the heat of the day has subsided we will go on a short hike around the new information and education centre and then a nature focused walk in the immediate area to look at tracks at the spring. Your EHRA guide will explain about the important work the NGO performs to conserve these small, special populations of desert dwelling elephants and to help the people that live with them.

Damaraland is known for its scenic and fascinating beauty, and as the sun begins to set, there will be our first yoga session. We will ground ourselves and move slowly with our breaths, taking in the natural landscapes, simply being and living in the moment.

Today we will immerse ourselves in the local cultures and traditions. We will visit three different tribal groups from Namibia, the Damaras, Hereros and Himbas. We will visit people that EHRA know and learn from them, about the various beliefs in their cultures. In the afternoon, we will pay a visit to the local school that EHRA supports and hear how they live with the elephants.

Back at camp we will head out for a sun downer hike to a high point overlooking the river and camp. We will move our bodies with our breath, taming our wild elephant minds to a state of relaxation as the sun sets over the dramatic mountains.

Early start for a sunrise yoga session before packing the EHRA vehicles and head to a local farm where we will be spending the day helping to protect a vegetable garden or water point!

The work will be very physical but at the same time satisfying! We will set up camp in the village and have time to meet the people who live with the elephants and hear about their lives. Living with elephants can be challenging especially when water sources are cut off. People living out in the desert are mainly subsistence farmers, who might live further than 10kms away from another water point. People do not have vehicles and rely on donkey carts for transportation.

Yoga as the sun sets - They say the human mind is like the trunk of an elephant - it never rests, goes here, there, constantly moving through thoughts, hopes, sensations, plans... Here, in the wilderness, you have the unique opportunity to tame that mind, listening, feeling and becoming still.

We will all participate in cooking dinner over the fire, sitting and chatting until we fall asleep under the stars!

Our day will start with a hot drink and then a yoga session as the sun rises. Breakfast will also be made over the fire and once finished we will head out for a day’s elephant tracking.

The day will be dictated by the elephant’s movements and along the way you will be taught how the EHRA experts track the elephants. Although 2 elephants are now satellite collared, EHRA tracks using physical signs. The art of tracking is becoming a forgotten skill and it is fascinating to learn how you can tell how old dung is, which way the elephants are walking, whether it is a male or female all from signs on the ground! You will also assist and be taught how we identify the elephants, and witness some interesting behaviours specific to the desert elephants, such as digging for drinking water! EHRA has studied these elephants for the past 18 years and we have intricate knowledge on each and every one!

Where we camp will be dependent on where we find the elephants!

Just before the sun sets, we will roll out our mats and become aware that we too arise from nature, completely dependent on the earth, taking in what we have learned from the Elephants, deepening our sense of connections to these living beings. Their traits include wisdom, strength, loyalty, patience, and strong bonds, and with mindful movements and meditation, we too can accomplish this.

If the moon is in our favour will be treated to an astronomy lesson!

As the sun rises we will flow with our breaths and connect with the energy that surrounds us. Today we will spend the morning with the elephants and aim to be back in EHRA base camp late afternoon. We will have a final hike to the sun downer spot and say farewell to the sun and our time together with a gentle flow and meditation.

Another beautiful morning moving with our breaths along Damaraland’s landscapes and the elephants perhaps close by. After breakfast we will head back to Swakopmund or join our 10-Day Namibia Yoga Safari starting tomorrow. Once you have booked your spot, we will discuss this optional extra. You have already come such a far way, so why not visit Namibia’s top locations where days are filled with more wildlife encounters and doing yoga amongst unique landscapes.