4 Day Private Tailor-made Meditation, Mindfulness, and Gentle Yoga Retreat in Najac, Aveyron, France
Bespoke Mindfulness and Gentle Yoga Retreats in France
Retreats at Yoga Najac are an opportunity to nurture yourself with gentle yoga and meditation, delicious organic vegetarian food, and wonderful walks in nature. A chance to deepen your awareness by learning mindfulness practices to take off the mat and into the world. Small groups of two to six people ensure retreats will be very much tailor-made to the participants present.
Instructions will be offered in English and/or French according to the group's preference.
Meet the instructors
Read more
Highlights
- 2 daily yoga and meditation sessions (2 x 2 hours)
- Tailor-made retreats according to the needs/desires of participants
- Medieval village classed as one of the most beautiful villages in France surrounded by stunning nature
- Daily organic vegetarian or vegan meals following Ayurvedic principles
- Pick up from Najac station
- Wild river swimming
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
Accommodation
Yoga Najac has amazing views over the Aveyron river valley and the chateau. Accommodation for private retreats is à la carte: you can choose from the wooden chalet in Lucy's garden with a private bathroom adjacent to the yoga studio; a studio gite on the edge of Najac; a two-room gite close by; and a twin or double room in the hotel L'Oustal del Barry in the center of Najac.
Program
What would you like to focus on?
Lucy's retreats are tailor-made to meet your needs. Are you looking to find calm in a crazy world? Do you need to learn skills to enhance health and well-being? Would you like to deepen your practice with mindfulness? Are you a woman going through a life transition and looking for hormonal rebalance? Do you need to reconnect with yourself and nature? Lucy can meet your personal development needs by crafting a restorative journey at a time of your choosing.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is at the heart of Lucy's practice and her retreats. Mindfulness is when you have an intention to focus your attention on what is going on internally – your thoughts, emotions, and sensations, as well as externally in the world around you, in the present moment, and without making any value judgments.
It has its roots in the teachings of Buddha as an awareness of your thoughts, actions, and motivations. Mindfulness is something that is intrinsic to yoga, meditation, and the Alexander technique.
8 attitudes of mindfulness
- Non-judgment
- Self-compassion
- Acceptance
- Letting go
- Non-striving
- Equanimity
- Self-reliance
- Beginner’s mind
The benefits of mindfulness
- Increased awareness of self
- Increased feeling of connection
- Greater resilience to stress
- Improved health and well-being
- Tools to manage chronic pain
- More likely to feel happy and content
A retreat usually begins with an afternoon session on arrival day and ends after brunch on the final day.
Daily schedule (subject to your requirements)
- 08:00 Meditation
- 08:30 Yoga practice incorporating the 8 attitudes of mindfulness: non-judgment, non-striving, self-compassion, acceptance, equanimity, letting go, self-reliance, and beginner's mind
- 10:30 Brunch: homemade granola, porridge, homemade bread and jams, eggs, fruit, yogurt, home-pressed apple juice, herbal teas, tea, and coffee (drinks and snacks available all day)
- 16:00 - 18:00 Restorative, Yin, and yoga Nidra
- 19:00 Dinner
For people going on long walks, they can make a picnic. There are nine well-signposted walks ranging from six kilometers to 19 kilometers and plenty of shorter circuits on their doorstep. Medieval Najac is classed as "one of France's most beautiful villages" and has a 12th-century chateau to visit plus shops and cafes.
Instructors
Lucy Ackroyd
Lucy has been practicing yoga for over 30 years and teaching it for over 10 years. She also teaches the Alexander Technique and mindfulness. She has trained in Restorative yoga, Yin yoga, yoga for women, Nidra yoga, and trauma yoga, as well as experiential anatomy. Lucy has been living in France since 2001, where she arrived with her family to live closer to nature. For her, yoga is a way of life that she loves to share.
Retreat location
Medieval Najac is classed as "one of France's most beautiful villages" with a 12th-century fortress perched on a hilltop above the Aveyron river gorge. It is a fabulous location with the peace and quiet of the countryside and yet in the center of a village with shops and cafes. There's a variety of wonderful walks from the doorstep and all within one and a half hours of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) by car or train.
Unique features
Activities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Table tennis
General
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Smoke-free property
- Special menu request
- Yoga studio
- Patio
Services
- Free bicycle
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Ironing / ironing board
- Laundry
- Library
This Yoga Retreat is vegetarian-friendly
Click to see more vegetarian-friendly Yoga Retreats
Food
All food is organic vegetarian made from locally produced ingredients. Lucy has been a vegetarian all her adult life and is a keen organic gardener. Menus will be healthy and delicious with a minimum amount of wheat and dairy to encourage a gentle detox and boost the immune-strengthening effect of your mind/body yoga practice. Vegan and gluten-free menus are also possible.
The following meals are included:
- Brunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
Things to do (optional)
- Explore medieval Najac
- Horseriding along the Aveyron gorge
- Play the transformation game
- Relaxing massage with Sarah Olley (50 EUR)
- Swim, canoe, or paddleboard in the Aveyron River
What's included
- 2 daily yoga classes (2 hours) tailored to your needs
- Yoga teacher with over 30 years of practice
- Guided silent walk
- All yoga props
- Pick up from Najac station
- Organic vegetarian meals based on Ayurveda
- 3 nights accommodation in private rooms
What's not included
- Travel to Najac
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport
81 km
Transfer not provided
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 25% 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.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.