“Reduce stress with forest walking and yoga.”
4 Day Tao Yoga and Forest Walking Meditation Retreat in Saint-Girons, Ariège
Tourné, 09420 Castelnau-Durban, Couserans Est, Saint-Girons, Ariège, Occitanie, France
Shinrin Yoku Meditation Retreat Ariège
A direct, simple and accessible stress reducing retreat in a natural healing forest and river environment in the foothills of the French Pyrénées. Based on the Japanese method known as Shinrin-yoku 'forest breathing' which is proven to have immediate positive results. This retreat will include gentle unchallenging walks where all the senses are invited to take part. Find new and more natural ways to see, feel, listen, touch and make sound. The experience of the retreat is deep release of accumulated stress in the nervous system rather than to impose exercise on the physical body. The gentle Tao yoga sessions complement the principle of deep relaxation as a means to ensure increased efficiency of natural bodily resources and functions.
Meet the instructors
Paula & Ram
Read more
Read more
Highlights
- Forest walking meditation
- In-river walking meditation
- Daily Tao yoga sessions at your option
- Daily breakfast , light lunch and 4 course evening meal
- Natural forest and river environment
- 3 nights' accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Styles
3 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French
Group size: Maximum of 12 participants
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
16:00
Check-out Time:
11:00
Facilities
- Table tennis
- Dining area
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Luggage room / storage
- Meditation garden
- Multilingual staff
- Picnic area
- Smoke-free property
- Special menu request
- Yoga studio
- Free bicycle
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Ironing / ironing board
- Library
- Meeting room
The manor house at Tourné is set in a secluded river valley in the foothills of the Ariège Pyrénées mountains. Spacious accommodation in the main house or adjoining stone cottage offers an excellent base for your holiday in France. The manor has large bedrooms all with private bathrooms.
Tourné and the Artillac River are in the very center of the Pyrénées Ariégeoises Natural Regional Park. Tourné also has substantial gardens and outside seating areas with 1,000 meters of private river frontage. The altitude of just under 500 meters allows you to enjoy exceptional air quality, warm sunshine with cool shade never far away.
Program
Depending on weather and conditions, you may be taken to a higher altitude forests at 1600 meters with magnificent views of the whole chain of the Pyrénées. Each day, you will walk at least once in the forest of Bellissens which surrounds the retreat center at Tourné (500 meters altitude).
This is an invitation to completely digitally detox your senses with daily Tao yoga sessions at your option to learn a 20-minute Tao yoga form completely and healthy balanced diet-made with local fresh or garden produce. Feel all your senses come alive as your nervous system deeply and gently relaxes.
This is an ancient natural protocol for stress reduction, be in nature and relax.
Ideally, you will come to experience a deep nervous system detox and release, including a digital detox where you have no need to use electronic devices.
Rest and regenerate without needing to do anything. Sitting by the river, reading, exploring and, above all, allowing the body's natural systems to help your nervous system release accumulated stress associated with high pace lifestyle and electromagnetic exposure are recommended.
Day 1 (arrival)
Introduction to the center, meet Paula Davidson and Ram Chatlani. Discussion on requirements, specific issues and introduce the program. Evening meal served around 7:30 p.m.
Day 2
Breakfast served from 8:30 a.m. First, introduction to the forest during a walk with basic simple sensory organ exercises to begin gentle nervous system release. Picnic lunch provided from midday onward
Afternoon session around 4 p.m. More walking or a gentle Tao yoga session. Evening meal served at around 7:30 p.m.
Day 3
Dependent on weather and season, a short pre-breakfast roam in the forest. After breakfast, a forest walk or in-river walk with a picnic for lunch. Afternoon Tao yoga session around 4 p.m. or continue to open your senses in the forest. Evening meal at 7:30 p.m.
Day 4
Departure day. Pre-breakfast walk or Tao yoga session. Departure around 10:30 a.m.
Instructors
Paula Davidson
Paula Davidson has been running retreat centers in the UK and in France since 1997. She has vast experience in discreetly attending to the needs of retreat participants as well as teachers. She has hosted over 100 residential retreats, since 2003 at the Tourné Retreat Center in the French Pyrénées. She has been forest walking every day for over 20 years, never missing a day! Her natural ease and connection with nature makes her a perfect guide to forest "breathing" as a means to reduce stress and support profound healing.
Ram Chatlani
4 Certificates
Show
Ram is an expert teacher of Tao yoga, Tai Chi, Bagua (eight trigrams circle walking), Qigong, and meditation with over 30 years experience. He has been certified by Master B.K. Frantzis as a teacher of various Qigong forms, breathing, and Bagua circle walking for health and meditation. His other teachers include Dadi Janki, Sepa Dorjé Rinpoche, Lama Lena Yeshe Katyub, and Victor Sanchez. He has students worldwide and is an inspiring teacher with vast practical knowledge and a unique approach to the universal methods of Tao. He has trained extensively in Buddhist, Yogic, and Taoist tradition.
Location
This retreat will take place in Tourné, set in a secluded river valley in the foothills of the Ariège Pyrénées Mountains, France. Enjoy the totally natural forest and river environment on your doorstep and breath the clean mountain forest air. No night time light pollution - excellent for stargazing. The location has an abundant wildlife including deer, boar, ibex, lynx and many breeds of raptor.
Numerous local activities like skiing, walking, lake bathing, cycling, paragliding, horse riding, and white water canoeing are available for you. The area is surrounded by many historic sites, as well. The area is a favorite with serious cyclists many of whom have chosen Tourné as a base within easy reach of challenging Tour de France climbs. The nearest village to Tourné is Castelnau Durban which is on the edge of the Forêt de Bellissens where one can walk for days without meeting a soul.
Tourné is situated 90 minutes drive or train south of Toulouse. Driving, you will find Tourné is 3 kilometers from the D117 which is the main road between Biarritz and Perpignan that runs along the chain of the mountains.
Nearby places
- Castelnau Durban, 2 kilometers
- Col de la Crouzette, 6 kilometers
- Lac de Mondély, 17 kilometers
- Town of St. Girons - 15 minutes
Food
Tao Meditation is the expert at providing for all types of dietary needs. Tao Meditation will provide you with a three or four-course evening meal depending on your appetite.
Comprehensive breakfast / brunch, light lunch.
All food where possible is from our own organic vegetable garden
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Alcoholic beverages
- Detox juices
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Yogic
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
- Cycling
- River bathing
- Walking
- Deep tissue massage by advanced reservation
What's included
- 2 or 3 morning daily guided walking meditation sessions either in forest or river.
- 2 afternoon Tao yoga sessions to learn a 20-minute Tao yoga form completely
- Sessions of around 90 minutes
- Daily breakfast / brunch and four-course evening meal
What's not included
- Pick-up from Foix train station (30 EUR)
- Transport
- Additional nights
How to get there
Recommended Airports
TLS
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport
72 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS). Take the train to Foix (90 minutes) and either take a taxi (about 45 EUR), bus (1 EUR) or Tao Meditation can organize to have you collected from Foix train station for 25 EUR if you let them know.
You can also fly to Carcassone Airport (CCF), but car hire form there is recommended as the train to Foix takes up to 3 hours. Once you book Tao Meditation will help with any specific questions about travel.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20.57% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 14 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookMeditationRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.
Why choose BookMeditationRetreats.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price