What It’s Like To Join A Co-Working Retreat In The Maldives
imagine this…
Waking up together to the pace of tranquility, accessing deep flow states as you work with the sound of ocean waves washing ashore, dedicating mindfulness activities throughout the day, lounging with a coconut in your hand, eating well, exploring the Maldives together with other like-minded ocean lovers, having space for solitude and contemplation, disconnecting intentionally outside work, an actual work-life harmony… all while getting work done!!
Experience the epitome of remote work bliss here at Zenera.
the story behind us at zenera
Zenera was birthed with the intent to revolutionize the future of the remote work lifestyle.
We pride ourselves on being the first digital nomad retreat for purposeful, intentional co-living and co-working experiences in the Maldives. Our retreats are consciously curated with a range of activities tailored uniquely by each location. Some retreats carry a bigger specific theme for activities like surfing, diving and/or snorkeling.
At Zenera, we offer 14-20 days of retreat experiences set in one of our prime local islands in the Maldives. One will be able to experience the authentic flair of the Maldivian culture whilst living in a community with a shared work-life balance schedule that supports slow living, personal growth, intentionality and purposeful productivity.
Read on to find out why our retreats are so unique!
ali ahsan, angsana photo studio
ali ahsan, angsana photo studio
What can you expect when you join one of our co-working & co-living retreats?
Co-working and co-living in the Maldives
We are a digital nomad retreat that focuses on work during the week and big adventures during the weekends! We share a work-life balance schedule that prioritizes working in the mornings and the afternoons, whilst having pockets of time throughout the day for mindfulness, intentionality, movement and communal activities. Here at Zenera, we celebrate slow island living that weaves the playful spirit of adventure and purposeful productivity.
As a digital nomad, we understand the importance of being intentional about how we get work done efficiently so our productivity feels purposeful and we do not end up overworking. Our daily schedule revolves around prioritizing work in allocated timeslots so that we can really, truly enjoy when it is time to!
We prioritize assessing flow states by eliminating distractions, cultivating focus, getting clarity on our tasks and doing work so that it feels effortless. Being surrounded by a community of people who are also working remotely can also help inject a sense of motivation and accountability for getting work done. We live together under the same roof (mostly from a guesthouse/rented house) creating many opportunities for interaction to connect and get to know one another on a deeper level, especially through our communal activities!
Intentional movement
Every morning begins with a mindfulness practice that includes a yoga and/or meditation session with our lead yoga and mindfulness instructor! Imagine starting your day right with a grounding practice, devoid of technology, matching your pace to the tranquil sounds of the waves in the background!
Join Darina, our co-founder in one of our Zenera retreats! As a mindfulness and yoga teacher who specializes in Yoga Nidra, Osho Meditations, Vipassana and Ashtanga yoga, her practices are designed to restore your mind and deepen the mind-body connection with your body. A daily practice can powerfully shift one’s mental and physical well-being, activating focus and clarity, fostering self-awareness, and deepening resilience and immunity to support one overall quality of life.
Disconnect to reconnect
As remote workers, we can be so dependent on technology more than we prefer. Oftentimes, we work from the comfort of our homes, or an Airbnb, a cafe, or a co-working space. There is little distinction between work and leisure, resulting in overworking, exhaustion, or sometimes, a lack of discipline and procrastination.
In Zenera, we believe that to balance it all, like all areas of our lives, we have to approach remote working with intentionality. In all our retreats, we prioritize presence and disconnecting from our digital devices during our excursions, and communal activities. We also encourage all our participants to prioritize and embrace solitude, mindfulness, and self-contemplation in all our workshops and whenever they feel a need to (yes! We do not have to do everything together!).
Tranquility over the hustle
There is nothing that screams “Remote work bliss” more than having a slow island life while co-living and co-working in the Maldives.
Ditch the routine, the mundane commute, that terrible weather, the isolation from working alone, that dreadful work desk, or working from an uninspiring environment!
Here at Zenera, we commit to a digital life that is slower, gentler, intentional, and yet equally productive. While the Maldives may be traditionally known as a luxury destination, there is a growing international interest in tapping into this slower, serene pace of life that goes beyond a traditional vacation. Even though the Maldives does not presently stand out as a prime digital nomad hub, it offers a unique work-life harmony opportunity waiting to be experienced.
Unparalleled nature galore
Regardless if you are a novice snorkeler, avid diver, watersports enthusiast, or intermediate surfer, the Maldives offers endless experiences that fulfill all of them. Renowned for its diverse underwater marine life, powdery sand, and lush fringing islands sprawling over 22 atolls, the Maldives boost a perfect blend of natural landscapes and underwater experiences. You have to see it to experience it yourself!
Join Sylvia, our co-founder in one of our Zenera retreats! Previously a dive instructor in the Maldives with over 5.5 years of experience working in a resort, she is the go-to person to answer all your ocean and marine life queries! Think sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays, reef sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, nemos and so much more! Do note that we never guarantee sightings of all marine life. Each retreat is tailored to experiences that are tied to specific marine life that are apparent and sighted within the region! We have to remind you that the Maldives is huge and not all marine life sightings are accessible in each region/aka atoll.
Hop on an exploratory call to see if your needs and expectations meet the theme of each retreat!
Twin palms surfhouse thulusdhoo
Authentic local infusion
One of the best ways to experience the true essence of the Maldives is to live on a local island. We designed all of our digital nomad retreats in prime local islands for their genuine cultural emphasis and community involvement. Most tourists in the Maldives stay in upscale resorts that boost luxury and sophistication, offering short cultural sightseeing visits to local islands that rarely reflect the cultural connection compared to when you live in one.
When you stay on a local island, you can interact with the local community beyond the narrowed lens of a whistle-stop day trip. Imagine, waking up to the morning prayer call from the nearby mosque; watching fishermen heading out to fish before dawn; the local kids playing by the streets and jetties in the evenings; the open doors greeted with friendly smiles and the scents of aromatic fish-inspired dishes; relaxing in one of the “joali” a Maldivian word for chairs; enjoying the local “hedhikaa” a Maldivian snack often eaten throughout the day and the delicious “mas huni” a traditional Maldivian breakfast that consists of a mixture of canned tuna, onion, chili pepper, coconut meat, and lime juice.
Unlike other local islands that may have lost their authentic appeal because of mass tourism, our selection of local island destinations retains their quiet and simple way of living that often goes unnoticed by the conventional traveler. Come experience it yourself!
Community connection
As a digital nomad, we understand how this beautiful lifestyle may sometimes be a double-edged sword. While we may be on a constant move all the time and meet different people all the time, this sense of instability may feel socially exhausting and sometimes isolating, making it hard for us to form deep, meaningful social connections. A digital nomad retreat offers an opportunity for like-minded individuals with a nomadic lifestyle to take a pause, get together, foster connection and collaboration through a shared work-life schedule, make friends and share memorable, adventurous experiences offline!
With Zenera, we take a step further to broaden the community spirit, encouraging a minimum of 2 weeks for our retreats, plentiful communal land + ocean adventures through the week and bigger trips during the weekend. In our shared work-life schedule, we also host communal dinners, outdoor movie nights, workshops that emphasize connection with self, others and so much more!
Invest in yourself
When was the last time you invested in something purposeful for yourself?
Leave the retreat feeling empowered, inspired, and rejuvenated with a deepened sense of self and connection to your body. Let yourself feel restored, and expanded by the infinite possibilities and the healing energy of the ocean. Take a break from the planning, and logistics for a while, and join us on a retreat unlike another. Let us do the planning for you instead, so you can focus on reconnecting with the playful spirit of adventure and purposeful productivity.
While this may not be the usual destination for remote work, it is not the worst.
Join us on one of our retreats with Zenera.
download the free “Maldives’Local Island Guide For Digital Nomads”:
it is a 50-page guide designed for digital nomads and remote workers for a seamless understanding of how living on a local island in the maldives looks like!
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