NAFAS
Arabic for “Breath / Spirit". That which is alive.
“BREATH is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”
our mission
NAFAS was founded with a singular purpose: to transform lives through Transformational Journeys that blend Adventure with Spirituality. Through a unique combination of exhilarating outdoor activities and sacred, time-honored rituals, we empower our tribe to connect deeply with the raw energy of Mother Nature and, more importantly, with themselves. Each journey is designed to awaken the soul, reignite purpose, and offer a profound sense of inner healing.
our dream
We believe the world is in desperate need of a shift in consciousness—one that leads to greater compassion, unity, and sustainability. This global change begins with personal healing. Our dream is to awaken human consciousness, one journey at a time, empowering individuals to heal, grow, and elevate the world around them. By helping each person tap into their own potential, we aim to play our part in creating a more harmonious, purpose-driven world.
we support
At NAFAS, we extend our mission of compassion beyond our retreats. We proudly support BALI Mother & Baby House, a rescue center dedicated to helping neglected pregnant mothers and abandoned children. Through NAFAS Journeys, we contribute to the education and empowerment of these children, believing that they are the future. Our purpose goes beyond personal transformation; it reaches into the very heart of community care and nurturing the next generation.
OUR FOUNDER, WALID ABOULNAGA
NAFAS Journeys was an idea born in 2015. Feeling burnt out and stuck, I found myself on a quest to create purpose in my business and my being. It was my journey to self-discovery that led me to my first experience with breathwork.
The profound insights and depth of healing I experienced transformed my outlook on life. From that day on, I’ve been on a continuous quest to learn everything I can about the breath and its healing powers, so that others can experience their own Transformational Journey as well.
more about walid
“liFe IS SIMPLE when we live WITH freedom & purpose.”
For 15 years, Walid Aboulnaga has guided people through deep transformational journeys, helping them shift their mindset, beliefs, and the course of their lives. But before he was a breathwork facilitator, he was a serial entrepreneur, founding and leading businesses across the Middle East & North Africa, eventually overseeing a workforce of over 1,400 people.
The wake-up call came in the middle of it all. Mid-burnout, running his companies at full speed, an MRI revealed what years of unrelenting stress had done to his body. It was the moment everything changed. Walid set out on his own path to self-discovery, and it led him to his first experience with breathwork .. an experience that cracked something open. The insight and healing he felt that day reshaped how he saw his life, and from then on, he was on a continuous quest to learn everything he could about the breath and its power to heal.
That quest took him around the world to train with some of the most respected names in the field: Stanislav Grof (Holotropic Breathwork), Wim Hof (Wim Hof Method), Venus Rising (Shamanic Breathwork), and Dan Brulé (Breath Mastery), among others. Each left its mark on his philosophy of healing, transformation, and the mind-body-spirit connection. Today, Walid is a Certified Shamanic Breathwork Facilitator and Ordained Shamanic Minister, though he describes himself, above all, as an adventurer at heart.
In 2015, he founded NAFAS Journeys, a pioneering retreat platform that blends adventure with spirituality to support self-discovery and inner healing. The same instinct that once built businesses now builds spaces for people to rebuild themselves.
Walid has since led transformational experiences in over 30 countries, reaching more than 50,000 people, from intimate retreats to the stages of large-scale festivals including Bali Spirit Fest (Indonesia), Burning Man (USA), Wonderfruit (Thailand), Kayan Wellness (Abu Dhabi), Colibri Spirit Fest (Greece), and Soulful Fest & Cosmic Sukoon (Egypt).
He holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, but it's the real-life education, the one that began with that MRI, that shaped the work he does now. He has co-authored two Amazon #1 bestsellers, The Nature of Change (with Star Wolf, founder of Shamanic Breathwork) and Find Your Voice, Save Your Life, and his writing on the practice, including Shamanism Demystified, has been featured in Forbes.
A member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) for 15 years, Walid has served on several boards globally and currently sits on the board of his Chapter. He works closely with both EO and the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) as a trusted resource for major events, curating customized journeys, forum retreats, and programs for members, spouses, families, and communities seeking real personal growth.
Walid lives in Bali with his wife and three daughters, where he continues to lead Breathwork workshops and Adventures for the Soul (Soulventures), both at home and around the world.
