Enjoy the best of Yoga + France!
$2500 all-inclusive room + board for 10 day retreat
Register by March 31, 2022
Photo by klickbick via Pixabay
What’s included in the retreat package?
You deserve radical rest
Enjoy a ten-day adventure through the winding acres of our 18th century château as we nourish our bodies, souls, and imaginations with daily yoga, meditation, and self-care workshops.
Take time for yourself to reconnect with nature or relax poolside. Taste the best of Gascony gastronomy with our personal chef.
Return refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to take on life with a solid understanding of your own needs and theory of self-care.
Photo by Château de Goas
The dream awaits…
DAY 1
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Get settled into your sumptuous accommodations at the Château de Goas, an historical estate whose foundations date to the Middle Ages, nestled in the heart of the Gascony region in Southwest France.
Relax and unwind with a stroll around the six-acre castle grounds featuring ancient oaks and garden statues of the Four Seasons.
Welcome Dinner at 8pm where we will enjoy fabulous food & have a tasting of Armagnac, a brandy distinct to the region, while we get to know one another.
Turn in early with your Luxe Welcome Gift Basket goodies, including a bit of heavenly lavender essential oil to ensure a peaceful first night’s slumber.
DAY 2
Monday, June 27, 2022
Explore the on-site chapel, part of the original château, refurbished as a meditation room for a morning Meditation session at 7:30am.
Enjoy a self-serve healthy, balanced continental breakfast on the outdoor patio at 8:30am. Served daily.
Begin your exploration of the self and your relationship to rest in earnest with your first of five 90-minute Yoga Nidra sessions at 10am.
Eat a delicious lunch, prepared daily by our private chef, able to accommodate any dietary needs, on the outdoor patio at 12pm. Take the entire afternoon to stroll through the countryside, relax by the pool, or get lost in a good book in one of two spacious living rooms in the château.
At 6pm, take steps toward your whole health in one of four applied workshops, Before Burnout. Learn about the lymphatic system with hands-on yoga, breathing, Qi Gong, and self-massage techniques to boost your immunity and energize the body and mind.
Dinner will be served nightly at 8pm. Take the remainder of the evening to swap stories with other retreat participants or journal in the garden until sunset.
DAY 3
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022
Practice awaking gently and intentionally with a morning session of Yin Yoga at 7:30am.
After a nourishing breakfast, learn what the ancient Indian tradition and science of Ayurveda has to say about moderating (and mastering) the modern world and becoming more attuned to the natural world for our individual health needs. Discovering Your Doshas, at 10am, is the second of four applied workshops designed to create space for honing your intuition and building your foundation of self-care.
Take a leisurely break after lunch to chill in your next favorite spot inside or outside of the château or challenge your roommate to a game of billiards in the Play Room.
At 4pm, deep dive into your best (and worst) habits with us in Self Care A-Z, Part I. We will practice mindful listening and other short mindfulness exercises as we discuss what we’d like to see more of (and less of) in our self-care routines. This is the first of three interactive workshops designed to help you create a personal user manual you’ll always be able to turn to in your busy post-retreat life.
DAY 4
wednesDAY, JuNE 29, 2022
Greet the first of three included excursions with an open mind and heart cultivated in your morning Meditation session at 7:30am before venturing out to greet the friendly neighbors of the Gascony region.
Browse fresh produce, regional products, and artisanal goods at a typical French market in the French town of Condom. Purchase some treats for yourself to savor as you wander the streets of this quaint town and visit its shops. Visit the Saint-Pierre Cathedral constructed in the Southern French Gothic style in the 15th century. Don’t forget to take a selfie with the larger-than-life Three Musketeers statue!
At 12pm, rendez-vous at La Table des Cordeliers, a gastronomy pub offering the best of Gascony cuisine. This converted convent nestled in the greenery is a rare place as your meal is served in a vaulted 13th century chapel. A true culinary treat by the talented chef Eric Sampietro as featured in the 2019 Michelin Guide.
After lunch, visit the Abbey of Flaran, one of the most well-preserved abbeys in the southwest of France, founded in 1151.
Pamper your feet, hips, and legs with a supine and seated yoga practice of Slow Flow after the day’s activities at 7pm.
DAY 5
THURSDAY, June 30, 2022
Welcome the day with a morning session of Yin Yoga at 7:30am.
At 10am, join us for the third of four applied workshops to learn the basic features of the nervous system as it relates to our physiology and evolution, how to “flex” the parasympathetic system, and why knowing how to hack the nervous system is important for both productivity and productive rest in Hacking the Nervous System.
After lunch, take another leisurely afternoon for yourself. Venture a few minutes away on foot to find the estate’s natural bathing lake.
At 6pm, continue practicing intentional rest with your second of five 90-minute Yoga Nidra sessions.
DAY 6
Friday, July 1, 2022
Check in with the inner sage you’ve been cultivating during morning Meditation at 7:30am before taking off for our second excursion of the retreat.
After a stroll through the quaint morning market in the village of Lectoure, pick up a baguette sandwich or mini-quiche for lunch (on your own). Visit the Village des Brocanteurs, the largest and most unique antique flea market in the Gers region, located in an expansive building that was once a château and ancient hospital. A place the late Agnes Varda would dream about.
At 2pm, put on your bathing suit to enjoy the natural thermal baths at Valvital Bains de Lectoure. Situated in a 17th century hotel, yet updated for the modern day, this day spa offers a heated pool with jets for hydrotherapy, hammam, sauna, and jacuzzi. Additional spa services and massages may be booked in advance, but are not included.
Continue giving gratitude to your body as we finish today’s pampering with a gentle, yet profound Yoga Nidra practice at 7pm.
DAY 7
SATURDAY, July 2, 2022
At 7:30am, begin your day with a Vinyasa-style class, Yang Yoga, to complement your zen experience and reveal your inner strength.
After breakfast at 10am is the second of three interactive workshops designed to help you create a personal user manual you’ll always be able to turn to in your busy post-retreat life. In Your Yoga Deck, we will workshop responsive mini-sequences for what ails you to add to your personal self-care user manual. Expect both practice and play.
As our last excursion, we will visit a local organic farm, La Ferme du Hitton at 5pm to explore their lavender fields, meet their friendly donkeys, and sample amazing local products.
Enjoy a brief evening Meditation session upon our return to our château using the ancient practice of Trataka (candle gazing) before a scrumptious dinner.
DAY 8
SUNDAY, July 3, 2022
Awaken into the beautiful chapel of our château with morning Meditation at 7:30am.
After breakfast, set the pace for the day with a morning practice of Yoga Nidra at 10am, the fourth of five sessions designed to coax restless energy from the body to allow a deep, guided relaxation.
The afternoon is yours to explore more of the estate grounds, the château’s furnished historic library, put finishing touches on your self-care manual, or simply lounge poolside. Join Dené in the studio at 2pm with your camera for some delightful photo ops as we walk the grounds and try some fun outdoor yoga poses.
At 6pm, Claim Your Yoga Throne in this ninety-minute restorative practice complete with a savasana to savor in a calming blanket head wrap.
After dinner, take a late-evening walk to watch the sunset over the fields or take time to enjoy a mini-facial with the rest of your goodies from your Luxe Welcome Gift Basket.
DAY 9
MONDAY, July 4, 2022
Renew your commitment to self-care and honoring your inner fire through an invigorating Vinyasa-style class, Yang Yoga, at 7:30am.
Our third and final interactive workshop at 10am, Self Care A-Z, Part II, is a bit of a show-and-tell of our own revelations and epiphanies regarding self-care during the course of the retreat. This is a chance to bring it all together, make note of the self-care strategies that work for you, and write a little note to your future self. Sharers are welcome to share, listeners are welcome to listen.
Besides for packing bags for tomorrow’s departure, the afternoon is yours to take ample time to appreciate the quiet French countryside or complete any other self-care rituals you need on this retreat.
At 6pm, take a final Yoga Nidra class with a focus on journeying through the chakras to refresh our perspectives on just about everything.
Farewell Dinner at 8pm.
DAY 10
TUESDAY, July 5, 2022
Our final morning Meditation session at 7:30am will be a silent practice of Loving-Kindness to hold space for each other and ourselves as we continue our paths.
Join us for a wonderful breakfast at 8:30am before you head back to Toulouse for your flight or begin your individual extended stay in Europe.
Photos by Château de Goas @yogachateaudegoas
Massage + Henna Treatments
Samantha McCulloch, LMT, has been providing exceptional massage therapy and henna services in the Lincoln, Nebraska area since 2011.
We are thrilled to partner with Samantha via her business Henna Gesserit to offer retreat participants additional spa experiences at Château de Goas during their stay.
Choose from therapeutic massage, henna body adornment, and luxury bath soaks.
Enjoy the Nebraska-France connection through luxury spa services and post-massage private bath soaks.
Featuring Sweet Minou Cocoa Butter and Ferme du Hitton Essential Oils directly from the organic farm we visit on Day 7.
A helpful note on henna placement
When booking your henna session, it’s important to consider the placement of your art and the activities following your session the same day. For best results, your henna paste needs to dry and stay on the body for several hours. So be sure to treat yourself to a nice shower and exfoliating session beforehand as you’ll want to avoid water after application and as long as possible the following day.
Generally, henna will stain darker and last longer on hands and feet. Extra care can be taken to achieve wonderful stains on the chest or back, however if this is where you would like your application, it might be a good idea to make sure you have plenty of restful time afterward with minimal movement to allow your paste as much time as possible to dry for an optional sealant.
10 spots remaining
Paris Option
June 23 - June 26, 2021
Whether you’re coming to France for the first time and the City of Lights is on your bucket list or
you’re a seasoned and adventurous traveler looking to discover an old favorite with new eyes,
arrive early for an unforgettable pre-retreat experience in Paris with Dené.
With over 3+ years of in-country experience and two of them living in Paris,
Dené will serve as your bilingual guide to one of the most romantic cities in Europe.
Before your retreat, explore the best of what Paris and its surroundings have to offer.
Your Paris Option includes
Four days with daily cultural excursions and tours
Three nights lodging in centrally-located hotel based on double occupancy
Daily breakfast and evening apéro
Three-day Paris transportation pass allowing inner-city and suburban travel by bus, metro, and suburban train system
Two-day Batobus transportation allowing easy hop-on, hop-off for sight seeing and cruising along La Seine River
Transportation from Charles de Gaulle International Airport in the morning of June 23
Transportation to Château de Goas in the morning of June 26
Total Additional Cost: $1,000
2019 Paris Extension participants Maria, Danielle, and Sylvie enjoying La Seine via the Batobus.
