Spring Retreat from 3rd to 6th April: Expansion with Yoga & Ayurveda
In India, every spring season is welcomed with “Holi”- the festival of colour. It celebrates the expansion of light, the end of winter and the victory of good over evil, both within us and outside in nature. This is a particularly beautiful season because it allows that paradox and the unlikely harmony of the return of colour in nature after the thoughtful greys of winter.
This 4-day and 3-night retreat, combining daily yoga and meditation practice, ayurvedic workshops, energy treatments and herbalism, is an opportunity to reconnect body and mind as well as a chance to deeply revitalise yourself in the heart of the Var region’s glorious nature.
This year, Holi takes place on 25th March, with the full moon in Libra. The associated colours have their own meaning and virtues:
Green: Harmony
Orange: Optimism
Blue: Vitality
Red: Joy And Love
The Indians believe in the purifying action of colour. While spread on the body, they believe that it penetrates the soul to make each spirit stronger and more beautiful. Holi is also an opportunity for a big spring cleaning within the community. The houses are cleaned, dusted and cleared out.
In Ayurveda, this season is associated with the “kapha” dosha which is connected with water and brings, with the traditional March rains, nourishment to re-energise “mother nature” and flourishing life.
This dosha, which focuses on the clash between earth and water, can also increase general moisture and disrupt other organisms. It is therefore the best time of year to cleanse the body’s metabolisms in order to boost energy. This will be the focus of the retreat and enable our patrons to celebrate the return of Spring in colour.
Information and Pricing
- Accommodation in a double or single room
- Meals morning, noon and evening
- Yoga classes (around 2.5 hours per day
- 1 Ayurvedic massage or Churman Pinda (+20€)
- 1 Voice activation workshop
- 1 herbalist workshop
- 3 Ayurveda discovery workshops
- 1 “Yogayurveda retreat” box set (Ganesh statue, brush and oil)
- Accommodation in a double or single room
- Meals morning, noon and evening
- 1 Ayurvedic consultation
- 1 Abyanga oil massage
- 1 session to support female issues
- Transfer from Aix-en-Provence TGV station: €150 (4 people maximum)
- Transfer from Nice airports: €180 (4 people maximum)
- Transfer from Marseille airports: €170 (4 people maximum)
Make a reservation
Retreat Programme
WEDNESDAY 3rd APRIL
4:30 pm: welcome
5 pm: presentation of the programme and definition of its dosha “understanding the interaction of Spring on my psycho-physiological balance”
6:30 pm: walking meditation or indoor meditation (weather permitting)
7:30 pm: Ayurvedic dinner buffet
THURSDAY 4th APRIL
7:30 am: Ayurvedic herbal tea session and presentation of dry brushing, discussions on different morning purification techniques
8 am: yoga and pranayamas
9:30 am: breakfast
10:30 am: Ayurveda workshop: “how to combine burlesque and depth by introducing Ganesh into your life”
12:30 pm: lunch cooked by Benoit Witz, chef awarded a Michelin green star
2 pm to 6 pm: individual treatment
2 pm to 4 pm: herbalism (in the studio and in the garden)
6 pm: voice opening workshop – practice around singing, voice and the throat chakra with Oriane Mutabazi, energy care practitioner
7:30 pm: dinner cooked by Benoit Witz, chef awarded a Michelin green star
FRIDAY 5th APRIL
7:30 am: Ayurvedic herbal tea and discussions on different morning purification techniques
8 am: yoga and pranayamas
9:30 am: breakfast
10:30 am: Ayurveda workshop “learning to observe the subtle and profound through the study of pulses”
12:30 pm: lunch cooked by Benoit Witz, chef awarded a Michelin green star
2 pm to 6 pm: individual treatment
2 pm to 4 pm: herbalism (in the studio and in the garden)
6 pm: prayanama, trataka (kriya), yoga nidra
7:30 pm: dinner cooked by Benoit Witz, chef awarded a Michelin green star
SATURDAY 6th APRIL
7:30 am: Ayurvedic herbal tea, discussions on different morning purification techniques
8 am: yoga and pranayamas
9:30 am: breakfast
10:30 am: Ayurveda workshop: “knowing how to use numerology to understand your talents, gifts and blockages”
12:30 pm: lunch cooked by Benoit Witz, chef awarded a Michelin green star
2 pm: workshop for creating a plant mandala
4 pm: end of the retreat
SUNDAY 7th APRIL 7 (OPTIONAL)
Ayurvedic consultation by Mireye (1 hour) and Abyanga oil massage (1 hour)
Support for female issues with Vera (1 hour)
These treatments and consultations will be spread between Saturday 4 pm and Sunday 3 pm
Mireye Vidal
"As a physical therapist specialising in Ayurvedic care, I offer support based on the use of body techniques, aromatherapy, and also lifestyle advice. I will therefore help you become aware of your basic state of health which is specific to you, in order to understand any imbalances at the origin of your ailments, and offer you tools and advice that can benefit you. I am also interested in Ayurvedic massage as a tool for relaxation, as well as for well-being to find harmony, serenity, vitality, radiance, and more. I also work on posture and breathing in order to improve the circulation of the body’s energies. The stimulation of specific pressure points will also allow me to work on certain issues, both physical and emotional, in order to help you soothe and heal yourself. And finally, I will also be able to give you advice in the practice of self-massage."
What is Churnam Pinda treatment?
The Choorna Swedhana or pinda (powder bags) treatment rebalances both body and mind. These are dry bags that absorb excess water and thus reduce Kapha. It is an energetic and revitalizing treatment, the bags are hot, made from chickpea flour, added to plants with medicinal properties and spices. They are applied to the skin using circular movements, that apply pressure with smoothing techniques. The active ingredients of spices and plants are then condensed and released upon contact with the body. They circulate the toxins as the skin movements redirect the toxins towards natural elimination zones, and brings a feeling of lightness. This treatment will be accompanied by a 30-minute Abhyanga oil massage before applying the bags to prepare the tissues.
The benefits of Choorna Swedhana are:
○ It eliminates toxins from deep tissue;
○ It cleanses the skin, improves the complexion;
○ It soothes joint pain, tension and aches – ideal for athletes and people prone to arthritis;
○ It improves blood and lymphatic circulation;
○ It eliminates inflammation.
This treatment is offered with a supplementary cost of €20, to be paid at the time of booking. Patrons can bring their own powder bags and the supplementary cost will not be applied.
Vera Schultz
"From a very young age, I dedicated my life to the performing arts (theatre, dance and circus acts), where I learned to understand my body’s strength and push it beyond its limits. At the same time, I discovered the practice of meditation (in the forest tradition), which allows me to anchor myself in a rather hectic daily life spent between international tours and artistic residencies. At 40, I retired from the world of entertainment and trained in herbalism. During this longer period of calm, I felt connected to nature and my true inner self. It was at this moment that I discovered yoga and its wealth of benefits on the body and the mind. And then finally, my meeting Christian Tikhomiroff was a real revelation: I trained with him for many years practicing yoga daily and with great enthusiasm. And it is with the same enthusiasm that I share my practice of yoga and meditation today."
The practice of yoga will help the body emerge from winter, gently indicating that it is time to wake up and move into the energy of spring. It will therefore be a question of regaining upwardness thanks to the sun salutation which will connect you to your sacred dimension by making you aware of your double belonging to heaven and earth. You will practice certain postures which will follow one another towards the rhythm of the breath, as well as pranayamas, yogic breathing exercises, a powerful tool for detoxifying the body, releasing energy and facilitating the circulation of prana (prana designates breath and vital energy). You will also practice kriyas which are energising cleansing techniques that will give your body, as well as your mind, the momentum to joyfully enter and experience this new spring.
Oriane Mutabazi
“I am a practitioner in energy healing, trained in different practices such as Reiki, magnetism, Access Bars, Lahochi and shamanism. I have been involved with the practice of personalised treatments that combine these disciplines for several years now. Beyond individual sessions set in the heart of nature in Correns, I lead collective workshops: women's circle, sacred ceremonies, ensemble workshops using the totem animal, initiation workshops for energy sensory, and much more. I work from my heart to create sacred spiritual spaces to share these wellbeing practices. These meetings are the opportunity to take a moment for yourself, which can lead to a powerful and transformative adventure."
Voice Activation Workshop
The voice has immense transformative and healing power. During this workshop, combining different practices, such as meditation, breathing, vocal games and singing, you will be guided on a journey of exploring your voice. There is no need to be able to sing to participate – just the curiosity and the desire to meet other exciting parts of yourself is enough!
