Privacy Policy

VAANYA Sanctuary ("VAANYA," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who visits our website, books an experience, joins a retreat, subscribes to our updates, or otherwise interacts with us.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices and rights available to you. By using our website or engaging with our experiences, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

VAANYA Sanctuary is a wellness and conscious-living brand offering journeys, circles, workshops, retreats, and a curated ritual and earth-based collection, operating primarily in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and through retreats and collaborations abroad.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, VAANYA Sanctuary is the data controller responsible for your personal information collected through this website.

We collect information in the following ways:

Information you provide directly

• Contact and inquiry details — your name, email address, phone number, and any message you send us through our contact or inquiry forms.
• Booking and registration details — information provided when you book a journey, circle, workshop, private session, corporate event, or retreat, which may include your name, contact details, payment information (processed by a third-party payment provider), dietary or accessibility notes you choose to share, and emergency contact details for retreats.
• Newsletter and community sign-ups — your email address, and optionally your name, when you subscribe to updates about workshops, retreats, and seasonal gatherings.
• Correspondence — anything you share with us directly via email, WhatsApp, phone, or social media messaging.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data — pages visited, time spent on the site, referring website, browser type, device type, and general location (city/country level) inferred from your IP address.
• Cookies and similar technologies — as described in Section VI below.

Information from third parties

• If you interact with us through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube, those platforms may share limited engagement information with us in accordance with their own privacy policies.
• Payment processors and booking partners may share confirmation and transaction details necessary to fulfil your booking.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data (such as health conditions or religious beliefs) unless you voluntarily provide it — for example, mentioning a physical limitation when booking a movement-based experience. Any such information is used solely to make your experience safer and more comfortable, and is not used for any other purpose.

We use the personal information we collect to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide the information you've requested;
• Process and manage bookings for journeys, circles, workshops, private sessions, and retreats;
• Communicate important details about an experience you've booked (timing, location, preparation, changes);
• Send newsletters, seasonal offerings, and updates — only if you've opted in, and always with an option to unsubscribe;
• Improve our website, offerings, and overall guest experience;
• Maintain the safety and comfort of our sessions and retreats;
• Meet our legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security, or technical issues.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties, and we do not use your data to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.

Where applicable data protection law requires it (including the UAE Personal Data Protection Law and, for visitors from the EU/UK, the GDPR), we rely on the following legal bases to process your information:

• Consent — for newsletter sign-ups, marketing communications, and optional cookies;
• Contract — to process and fulfil a booking or purchase you've made with us;
• Legitimate interest — to respond to inquiries, improve our services, and maintain the security of our website;
• Legal obligation — where we're required to retain or disclose information to comply with the law.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and improve site functionality;
• Understand how visitors use our website, through analytics tools;
• Support the performance of embedded content, such as booking widgets or maps.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies.

We share personal information only where necessary, and only with:

• Service providers — such as payment processors, email and booking platforms, website hosting, and analytics providers, who process information on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality obligations;
• Retreat and venue partners — limited details necessary to coordinate travel, accommodation, or venue logistics for a retreat you've booked;
• Facilitators, therapists, and guides — where relevant to the safe delivery of a specific session (for example, sharing a noted physical limitation with a movement facilitator);
• Legal or regulatory authorities — where required to comply with the law, protect our rights, or ensure the safety of our guests and team.

We do not share your personal information with third parties for their own independent marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Booking and transaction records may be retained for a period required by applicable financial regulations. You may request deletion of your information at any time, subject to Section X below.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes secure handling of payment information through reputable third-party processors, and restricted internal access to guest data. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section XV. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

Our website and experiences are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

As VAANYA Sanctuary hosts retreats and works with partners outside the UAE, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your own. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information continues to be protected in accordance with this policy.

Our website and social channels may contain links to third-party websites, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties, and we encourage you to review their respective privacy policies before sharing personal information with them.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or would like to exercise any of your rights regarding your personal information, please reach out to us directly: