RETREATS 2012 |
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'Yoga for Joyful Living' Creative Exploratory Yoga for All! Les Passeroses, Le Charente, France 4 - 11 August 2012 Cost based on sharing an en suite room - £595 2 single en suite rooms available - £695  I am so happy to be returning to the fabulous Les Passeroses again this summer. This will be my 6th year working with Alex and Adrian at their truly idyllic centre in this peaceful and stunning setting in the rolling countryside of the Charente. I am drawn back year after year to experience the 'magic' of this special place. 'Yoga for Joyful Living' Creative, Exploratory Yoga For All! This will be a creative, energising and hopefully inspiring week, offering a varied and exploratory practice which allows us to experience 'yoga' in its fuller sense. There are times in life when we need to let go, relax and unwind, others when we look to energise and reconnect with the bigger picture. Our moods, the stresses of life, the seasons and many other factors can affect how we feel. We can find joy through approaching our yoga with a creative and enquiring mind and body. During this week we will look at ways in which we can use our yoga to promote joyful feelings and take these with us into everyday life. You will leave with restored energy levels, a renewed vibrancy and a relaxed mind and body. Have fun, reconnect with your inner light and experience body and mind brightness. This week will incorporate vinyasa flow yoga and restorative yin yoga with challenges and fun for all. Yogic 'story telling' will be woven through the week to bring our asana practice to life and enhance our understanding. There will also be some periods of quiet reflective time built into the week and daily morning meditation. Who will this week suit? This retreat is suitable for all levels. Complete beginners are very welcome to come along. All that is required is that you bring an open mind and a willingness to learn. For those with more experience in their practice there will opportunities to re-visit basics with a fresh eye and move more deeply into your practice. If you have specific injuries or health issues, please contact me to discuss suitability of this week for you. Les Passeroses  Les Passeroses is a beautiful old farmhouse which has been lovingly and wonderfully restored. Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Passeroses means Hollyhocks. You will see many of these lovely flowers around the walls during Summer. This region is famed for the quality of its light, a luminosity that draws artists and photographers from far afield. There is a clarity which comes from the nearby ocean, combined with a warm inland glow, that produces an amber light which softens the contours and gives a magical radiance to any stone that it falls upon. Set in the very heart of rural Charente, Les Passeroses is ideally located - not only for its position between five airports, good road networks and train communications - but also for its peace and quiet! The beautiful rolling countryside is mainly used for crops rather than pasture. Vines, maize and sunflowers fill almost every field from May through to October. Set low into the side of a hill the house enjoys great privacy. During your free time you can swim, walk explore or just chill out. There is a large oval swimming pool next to the house with views from the terrace over the rolling hills. Here you can relax in the shade, in the comfort of the hammocks. Steps down from the pool terrace lead you past the large fig tree and down to mature gardens. A bench is situated by the calming Japanese inspired pond - formed from a very old 'Lavoir' or stone washing pit - but there are also many other places to sit quietly and enjoy the shaded tranquillity or find personal space, including the 1 1/2 acre meadow. Please note that Les Passeroses is a no smoking centre. If you wish to smoke you can do so outside the grounds. The Yoga There will be two yoga sessions a day held in the 65sqm barn which has been renovated with Yoga specifically in mind with its tented ceiling, solid oak floor and views across the countryside and garden.  Broadly speaking morning sessions will run for around 2.5 hours. There will also be a meditation practice. Afternoon sessions will be around 2 hours. If the weather permits we may be able to practice outdoors on occasion. The Accommodation The accommodation at Les Passeroses is beautiful and every attention to detail has been taken. Accommodation in the main house for nine people is spread over five rooms, each with its own character. Two of the rooms are twin/ doubles with en suite. One is a triple room en suite, great for friends sharing. There is also a slightly smaller twin room which shares the adjacent bathroom with me as I am across the corridor.  Additional accommodation for up to a further 6 people is available just a few minutes walk along the country lane in the beautifully converted 'Stables'. The guests staying at the stables have their own private pool. Single rooms are limited to 2 and these guests usually stay in the Stables.  Though decorated and furnished in a simple style, the finish and details gives each room a luxury feel. All rooms have views over the rolling countryside and windows covered with blue shutters. Fine, crisp bed linen and super soft towels are standard for every guest. The Food Food is very important at Les Passeroses and of course, healthy and delicious. All meals are home cooked and vegetarian. Wine is available for purchase with dinner. Moderation is advisable to benefit most from your week. Alex has worked with food for nearly 20 years, firstly training to be a Chef in some of the best restaurants in Manchester and Cheshire including The Lime Tree and The Alderley Edge Hotel. He has also set up several kitchens and his own vegetarian food business. There is a small kitchen area available for students to use where tea and coffee is provided. Massage and Treatments  A local English therapist Jan Randall will visit the group early in your week and arrange appointments for her wonderful treatments. Jan offers blissful Aromatherapy Massages, Reflexology and Therapeutic Massage and hot stones! Activities and Excursions During your free time you can choose to swim, walk, bike or explore further afield. Mountain bikes are available to use free of charge. If you fancy exploring, the nearby town of Montmoreau boasts one the largest and most important churches on the pilgrimage route of Santiago de la Compostelle, along with an impressive and recently restored Chateau. A lively town with a train station (you can catch a train to nearby Angouleme or Bordeaux here),bars and restaurants, it is only a few minutes away from Les Passeroses. If you wish to venture further afield, you will find the country roads wind over wooded hills and sun-flowered valleys to reach the hearts of rural villages; each with at least an 11/12th century church, a 17th century manoir or impressive Chateau. Nonac is a good example - a small sleepy village with a small church and a crypt housing a beautiful fresco. Group outing and 'free afternoon' We will have one free afternoon/ evening during the week when Alex and Adrian catch up on their jobs and I have a bit of a rest! This is usually Wednesday at our mid way point in the week. A group outing can be arranged to a nearby town for sightseeing and a meal. The transfer cost and meal out is an additional cost to the guest. For guests who prefer not to leave the retreat centre a buffet style evening meal can be provided for around £12 per person. There will be no yoga on the 'free afternoon'. Transportation and Transfers Airport Transfers Transfers can be arranged from a number of airports. Please contact Julie or Les Passeroses for costs. By Rail / Eurostar - BLOCK BOOKING MAY BE ARRANGED!! You can connect from St Pancras/ Waterloo to Angouleme. This is a long-ish journey but great for people living in or near to London and for those who don't like flying! Please see the Les Passeroses website for full travel details. I usually arrange a block booking for Eurostar so you can travel with other guests if you wish. Please let me know if you are interested in this option. By Air You can fly to any of the following airports: Bordeaux, Bergerac, Limoges or Poitiers. Please be aware that transfer costs apply. Arrivals Please arrive after 4pm on the first day. Departure on the last day is by 11am. Cost £595 per person based on sharing in a double, twin or triple bedded room. £695 per person in a single room. Only 2 single rooms available. The cost includes: Full board (except on the free evening when you can either go out or stay in and have a buffet meal) On this night only you will pay for your meal. Accommodation Light breakfast Buffet brunch/ lunch Dinner Fruit and drinks available throughout the day Twice daily yoga (mats etc provided) The cost excludes: Insurance - It is the responsibility of the guest to ensure they are covered by travel insurance which covers for cancellation, health etc. Please ensure you have adequate cover. Travel and flights Airport transfers and transfers on day out Towels for swimming Evening meal on 'free' night Interested in coming along? If you have any further questions or would like to book a place, please email or call me. Details are on my 'contact me' page. A deposit of £100 will reserve your place with the balance due around 8 weeks before departure. I can accept cheque, bank transfer or PayPal (a service charge of around £15 is payable if you decide to use a credit or debit card via paypal) Please note the deposit is non refundable should you decide to cancel. PLEASE DO NOT BOOK YOUR TRAVEL UNTIL ADVISED BY JULIE AS THIS RETREAT REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 6 PARTICIPANTS. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO CANCEL BUT THIS IS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE! What to bring: Light loose clothing for yoga Some warm clothes and waterproof jacket Swimming costume and towel Walking shoes For more about Les Passeroses, please visit : www.passeroses.com |