Name: 5 Day Connect and Communicate with Horses Mindfulness Meditation Retreat in Gascony
Brand: Montagu Retreats
Rating: 10.0 (1 reviews)

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

18:00

Check-out Time:

11:00

Accommodation at Maison Meraki will be in a single or double bedroom with comfortable beds and views of meadows, woods, and the horses' paddocks.There is ample and safe off-road parking, as well as free access to high-speed Internet.

Maison Meraki is a half-timbered house that faces southeast, towards the sunrise, typical of all Landaise fermettes. She has her back to the sunset, where the cold winds and weather come from in the winter. The house is U-shaped, with a secluded central courtyard where lavender perfumes the air in the summer.

There are two guest bedrooms downstairs, one opening onto its own patio where guests can sit and soak up the sun with a cool drink and a good book.

The heart of the house is the kitchen-sitting room, which is delightfully cool in the summer, and extended by a shaded patio into the courtyard and snug and warm in the winter, heated by a Godin wood burner. Two centuries-old lime trees guard the eastern flank, and even older, majestic oak trees hold court in the paddocks surrounding the house.

Montagu Retreats renovated Maison Meraki slowly and carefully. They have respected its humble origins and kept it dans son jus, comfortable but unpretentious, so if you want to experience unadulterated French farm life, then this is the retreat for you. If you are looking for five days in a luxurious chateau, it is not.

Program

Have you always been fascinated by horses, and longed to connect with them on a deeper level but have always been intimidated by their size?

If you yearn to reconnect with nature, and specifically with horses, deepen your meditation practice, dramatically lower your stress levels, and walk a section of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, then this is the retreat for you.

It is hosted at a picturesque farm in the southwest of France, surrounded by rolling hills, lush meadows, ancient woods, and the calming presence of Montagu Retreats' Friesian and Falabella horses.

During this retreat, you will learn how to access a state of deep relaxation and inner calm, with horses as your guides. You will also discover the powerful connection between your own energy and that of the horses, learning how to harness this energy for deeper self-awareness.

During the retreat, you will have the opportunity to:

Engage in guided meditations with the horses, designed to deepen your awareness of yourself and the world around you
Explore the natural beauty of the region by walking part of the Camino de Santiago, giving you the chance to experience the tranquillity of the great outdoors
Enjoy healthy, delicious meals made from locally sourced, organic ingredients
Stay in a 200-year-old farmhouse, on the edge of an ancient forest, in comfortable accommodation, surrounded by the peaceful sounds of nature

The retreat will be led by Dr. Margaretha Montagu, who is passionate about creating a safe, supportive, and transformative space for you to explore the connection between mindfulness, meditation, and horses. This exceptional escape to the south of France offers you the opportunity to make that connection and benefit abundantly from the horses’ intuitive and authentic wisdom.

You will spend the whole retreat in the presence of these patient, caring, and generous animals. You will be able to breathe with them, touch them, talk with them, walk with them, and share your most secret thoughts with them.

If you are in desperate need of a break, then escaping to this 200-year-old French farmhouse, surrounded by horse paddocks on the edge of an ancient forest where you can rest, relax, and recharge your batteries in the presence of these magnificent animals could change your life forever.

This retreat is for you, if you

Are a busy professional who feels overworked, overwhelmed, and exhausted, close to burnout, and you want to avoid permanent damage to your physical and psychological health
Want to develop effective coping strategies that can be incorporated seamlessly into your personal and professional life and empower you to make a difference in other people’s lives
Aim to live a long, happy, healthy and fulfilling life, full of purpose and meaning, in alignment with your unique talents, values, and ideals

This is your opportunity to thoroughly relax your body and your mind, not only by connecting with the horses, but also by walking short sections of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

Horse riding is not an option on this retreat, but might be available locally - please enquire.

Are you ready for an unforgettable retreat that will leave you just like the above - feeling vibrantly alive, full of joie de vivre, deliciously indulged, and profoundly relaxed from the top of your head to the tips of your toes?

Book your spot now and experience the transformative power of horses for yourself.

Sample daily schedule (may be adjusted according to the weather)

09:00 Meraki Morning Routine
10:00 Mindful walking with the horses and equine-facilitated mindfulness exercises
11:00 Brunch
12:00 - 16:00 Walk 11 kilometers of the Camino on Day 2 and 10 kilometers on Day 4
17:00 Equine-guided meditation
19:00 Dinner

Enough free time is available for relaxing and recharging your batteries. None of the activities is mandatory. If you prefer to skip an activity and just relax and commune quietly with the horses, you are more than welcome. The program is not set in stone and might be adjusted according to outside temperatures.

Note

Non-participating partners are very welcome, and there is a lot for them to discover and do in the immediate vicinity.

To ensure everyone gets individual, quality attention and the time to ask questions, the retreat limits the groups to a maximum of four guests, which means that you will need to reserve early to be one of the fortunate guests who go there each year.

So, seize this exceptional opportunity to spend a few nights with Montagu Retreats now. A warm welcome awaits you amidst the Armagnac and Cotes de Gascogne vineyards in the sun-blessed southwest of France.

Included excursions

Potentially life-changing Camino de Santiago de Compostela walks with an introduction to walking meditation

Instructors

Dr M Montagu

Dr. M Montagu will be leading this retreat. She is the author of five books, all horse-inspired, life-enriching, and subtly French-flavored. After working for 20 years as a medical doctor in a variety of specialties including psychiatry and general practice, she came to the conclusion that many diseases have their roots in her patients’ inability to handle stress effectively. She eventually combined her education and experience to create these stress management residential retreats that she now hosts in the south of France.

Location

Maison Meraki, situated deep in the heart of Gascony, 90 minutes' drive southeast of Bordeaux, is located on several acres of lush, green meadows and is surrounded by vineyards, woods, orchards, and sunflower fields.

It sits in a sunny clearing next to a great and ancient forest, like a little old lady gathering her shawl around her bony shoulders. She has been there for at least 200 years, and from her elevated position she looks out over the treetops to the mighty Pyrenées mountains.

Who knows who has ventured over her threshold? Maybe D’Artagnan himself, since the chateau where he was born is only a few kilometers away. Yes, this is indeed Gascony, land not only of milk and honey, but also of divine wines, persillade, garbure, foie gras, cèpes, and duck confit.

Secluded but not isolated, the 200-year-old farmhouse is only 15 minutes by car from Eauze, a typical local town, with all amenities. It is home to free-range horses, and is eco-friendly!

There, the small herd of horses lives outside year-round. They are not stabled, although they do have access to shelter, which is especially needed in the hot summer months when they can often be found dozing in the woods or in the field shelter. There is varied terrain for them to explore, mimicking the prairies they would have roamed before horses became domesticated.

In only a few other places will you find all the ingredients of a perfect holiday combined with such abundance as in Gascony: fabulous food, generous people and the breathtaking beauty of mountains, rivers, lakes, and medieval villages perched on hilltops.

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Food

The food is simple but delicious and the team aims to feed your body as well and as generously as your mind. This is most definitely not a detox retreat, but rather a celebration of the wonderful variety of fresh local produce available from Montagu Retreats' garden as well as from the local weekly fresh food markets.

Brunch (with the option to make sandwiches for later in the day) and dinner are included, except dinner on day four, when participants will eat in a restaurant nearby to support the local economy (cost not included, usually 15 to 30 EUR, depending on your choices).

Cuisine de Gascogne

Nowhere in France is the French paradox more prevalent than in Gascony. It is a paradox, because despite frying just about everything in duck fat, and washing undeniably rich dishes down with copious amounts of Cotes de Gascogne and Saint Mont wines, the people from this region live long - some of the longest in Europe - and healthy lives.

This region is known for its abundant gourmet cuisine and your host would not dream of depriving their guests of the pleasure and benefits that can be had. Not to be outdone, you will be able to investigate this paradox first-hand at Maison Meraki. Both brunch and dinner are served al fresco, weather permitting.

If you have any intolerance, allergies, or dislike some ingredient or food, please let Montagu Retreats know during your booking.

The following meals are included:

Brunch
Dinner
Drinks

The following drinks are included:

Water
Coffee
Tea

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Vegetarian
Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
Gluten Free
Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
Pescatarian

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)

Also available at additional cost:

Stress-busting hypnotherapy session (depending on availability)
Life coaching sessions (depending on availability)
Variety of massages (depending on availability)

Spa treatments

For additional pampering, you can book a massage bien-être, out on the lawn, or on your own terrace, and give yourself over to Sarah’s magical hands, while the lavender bushes dispense 100% natural aromatherapy.

What's included

Equine-facilitated mindfulness exercises
Equine-guided meditation sessions
2 Camino walks
4 nights accommodation
Brunch, dinner and (non-alcoholic) drinks

What's not included

Transport from your home to Esprit Meraki and back
Personal health insurance and / or travel insurance
Alcoholic drinks
1 meal in a local restaurant to boost the local economy post-COVID (costs round 15 to 30 EUR, depending on your choices) either brunch or dinner (usually on day 4)
Life coaching sessions

How to get there

Recommended Airports

BOD

Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport

125 km

Transfer not provided

TLS

Toulouse–Blagnac Airport

104 km

Transfer not provided

Arrival by airplane

There are five airports all less than two hours drive from the retreat location: Toulouse–Blagnac Airport (TLS), Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD), Biarritz Airport (BIQ), Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport (LDE), and Pau-Pyrenees Airport (PUF).

Getting there is easy: you can fly to Toulouse airport, take a train to Auch, deep in the heart of Gascony, or the French Tuscany, and then take a bus to Nogaro.

The easiest way to get to the venue is to rent a car at the airport, but you can also use public transport - use the Rome2Rio website to plan your trip, or find a lift on the BlaBlaCar website, often for less than 20 EUR. For more information on how to reach the retreat from the airport, don't hesitate to contact Montagu Retreats.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 18.15% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.

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