Summary
The "Yoga in Bordeaux: Science of Happiness" retreat offers a transformative 5-day experience in the French countryside. Participants will enjoy daily yoga practices ranging from energizing Ashtanga to soothing Restorative sessions with crystal singing bowls. The program includes mindfulness activities, life coaching, journaling, and Ayurvedic therapies, all designed to foster inner peace and joy. Set in a charming Gite, guests will enjoy nutritious meals, nature connection, and culminate their journey with a special wine tasting celebration. This balanced retreat welcomes both experienced guests and beginners seeking to discover the principles behind lasting happiness through mindful living
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NOURISHMENT & RELAXATION
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Nutritious meals prepared at our Gite
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Energizing snacks and afternoon tea
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Unstructured free time to explore and reflect
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Optional Trip to vineyard
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DAILY YOGA PRACTICES
Morning Vitality: Ashtanga yoga sessions to energize your day Afternoon Exploration: Experience Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, and Anna Forrest method Evening Renewal: Restorative yoga with crystal singing bowls Nighttime Peace: Yoga Nidra by the fire to ensure restful sleep
3
MINDFULNESS & WELLNESS
Kundalini and breathwork sessions to awaken inner energy, Life coaching and guided journaling for personal growth, Yoga philosophy exploration of the 8 limbs of yog,a Aromatherapy wellness experiences
Guide Schedule
Day 1: Arrival & Welcome
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Evening welcome snacks and introductory yoga session
Day 2: Awakening Practices
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Full day of varied yoga styles from Ashtanga to Restorative
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Life coaching and aromatherapy sessions
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Evening crystal bowl sound healing
Day 3: Nature Connection
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Morning trail excursion with outdoor yoga
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Ayurvedic healing therapies
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Journaling and restorative practices
Day 4: Integration & Celebration
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Yoga philosophy exploration
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Vinyasa and Kundalini practices
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Special dinner with wine tasting
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Final fireside Yoga Nidra ceremony
Day 5: Departure
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Breakfast
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Yoga circle
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Brunch depart
The Gite
Accommodation
Rooms are available on a Twin occupancy basis. For any other requests, please contact the organiser. Please note that some guests may be at the main house, which is 5 minutes from the Gite. Transport to and from will be provided. The quality of the rooms in the main house is the same. This will be communicated and agreed upon with the guest upon booking.
Guide menu
FAQ's
Do people come on their own to your retreats? The majority of guests do come on their own but we also see friends, mums & daughters and occasionally guests bringing their ‘non yoga’ partners too. We have group meals & classes so there’s always someone to chat with but likewise, we appreciate that solo time is important too & so, if you want some ‘me’ time that’s not a problem as everyone respects each other’s space. Likewise, if you want a bit of company, there’s always someone happy to do things together.
How many people come on your retreats? Dependent on the holiday you chose, we normally have between 12-20 guests .We limit guest numbers as we want to ensure everyone has enough space to practice comfortably & safely and so our teachers can give personal attention, adjustments & guidance where & when needed.
What’s the profile of your guests? We have guests from all over the world on our retreats – all classes are taught in English. The age range is normally 40-60. We tend to have more female than male but you guys are very welcome too. Our retreat venues are not suitable for children & so we set a minimum age of 16 to join our retreats .. there’s no maximum age :)
I’ve never done yoga before – or it’s been a while since I’ve done it. Is this OK? The classes are always mixed ability & so our gifted teachers are able to tailor the classes for those who haven’t been on the mat for a while whilst offering more advanced options for those who want to go a little deeper though we recommend absolute beginners attend a few classes at home first before joining us to ensure they have a basic understanding of yoga or Pilates.
What time does the holiday begin & end? Our holidays generally begin mid to late afternoon or early evening on arrival day once everyone has settled into the venue. We begin with a welcome gathering where everyone gets together with some refreshments whilst we go through the programme prior to the first class & dinner. There is no yoga class on the final morning so everyone can have a little lie in & a leisurely breakfast before departures back to the airport.
I’d like to stay longer, is this possible? Yes it is. Just let us know which dates you’d like to stay at our venues & we’ll advise the bed & breakfast rate. What happens if I can’t find a flight to meet your airport transfer service? Our private group airport transfer service we can arrange aims to meet guests as they land within an hour on arrival day & arrive back at airport on final day for midday. If you can’t find flights to meet our service, we can arrange a private transfer for you or give advice on the local bus & tram service.
Are flights included in the holiday price? Flights are not included in our holiday prices since we have people flying in from all over the world & so including the price of flights in our holidays would be a real challenge! However, there are a wide variety of low cost airlines that serve our nearest airport – Bordeaux – and so you’ll have plenty of choice of flights. We find Sky Scanner a really useful flight search website. If you cannot find flights that correspond with our retreat dates, it is possible to either, come & stay extra night/s at our yoga hotel on a bed & breakfast rate or, spend a night/s in Bordeaux before – or after your retreat – and make your own way to the airport to meet our private transfer service .. or to meet your flight home.
Can I bring someone with me but they don’t want to join the classes? No problem. Just let us know which holiday you are thinking of & we’ll advise the cost for them to join the meals & share your room – unless you’d like separate rooms.
What’s the weather like? This link for the latest weather in Charente maritime – for Yoga & Hiking, Yoga & Pilates & Rest & Rejuvenate Retreat
What’s the booking procedure? Once you have checked we have availability we ask you to complete a booking form and follow the instructions to make an online payment using your card via our Sum up payment app When we have received your booking form & payment, you’ll be sent a welcome letter & programme for the holiday. Then, a week before your fly, we’ll be back in touch with some notes to help with your holiday packing.
Can I pay in instalments? Yes you can. We ask for a deposit payment to secure your space followed by a guarantee bal payment no later than 10 weeks* prior to retreat. Let us know if you’d prefer to pay in instalments & we’ll tell you what the payments will be. *You can still pay in instalments if you book close to the retreat itself, we’d just ask for a bigger deposit to secure your space.
Do we cater for special diets? We serve predominantly vegetarian and vegan food during our retreats as these are light on the digestive system and easy to digest meaning that you’ll have more energy & sleep well. We do however offer fish on some nights too in addition to a vegetarian option. We can cater for special diets but you must let us know at time of booking so that we can advise if we are able to cater adequately for you.
What about alcohol & coffee? Ours are holidays – not strict retreats – so both local wine tea & coffee is available with our evening meal and evening drinks. Whilst we believe its best to give your body a rest from alcohol & coffee during retreat, the choice is your’s as we are not here to make you feel bad about your choices.