French Alps Retreat!
THIS RETREAT IS FULLY BOOKED
The foothills of the French alps is nothing short of the most sensational fairytale picture book come to life.
This will be our playground.
11-16th July, 2023
From roaring glacial rivers to heart-pounding waterfalls, mighty snow-capped mountains, ancient pine forests and wildflower fields.
Join Lara Zilibowitz and Benny Holloway for five nights and six days of deep rest, inspiration and renewal through yoga, creativity, Tantric meditation & enquiry, live music, culinary arts and of course wild natural adventuring...
We will be utilising the majesty of our location to enter into multitude celebrations, rituals and shamanic processes to reconnect to ourselves and the great body of nature.
The invitation is here to remember to the sacredness of your life as we slow down, open up and pay attention. Diving down to make conscious unique inner gifts, liberating expression and remembering our original ways of being, sensing, feeling and existing in naturalness, awe and wonder.
The vast and mysterious beauty of this magnetic part of the world literally leaves you speechless and awe-struck. Encircled by the splendour one of the most jaw-dropping national parks in all of Europe (and the world), the experience has to be felt to be realised.
ACCOMODATION
Our home away from home is the most incredible rustic-chic chalet, located in Fontaine Naves, in the heart of the French Alps. Originally a 1900s farmhouse which has been transformed into a luxury accommodation, a cooking school and yoga shala by our incredible hosts Nikki and Hugh. Chalet Savoie Faire has panoramic views over the entire Tarentaise Valley.
CREATIVITY & EXPRESSION
As well as embodiment, an emphasis of this immersion will be on liberating our life force through art and creativity. We will be playing with colour and texture throughout, exploring lines and curves in nature, on canvas and inside our bodies, to undam the creative current and rewild back to our original expressive nature.
We will be foraging for wild flowers, making mandalas in nature, water colour painting play as well as vocal expression and free-form movement.
Live music
All of our yoga sessions will be accompanied by live and spontaneous sound journeys by Benny Holloway. His soul penetrating voice and music is a powerful gateway into the heart and art of yoga, and if you haven’t experienced his sound first-hand as yet, you’re in for quite an awakening treat…
As well as just receiving, you will be invited into the power of participation also through liberated vocal expression sessions, kirtan and body percussion.
CULINARY ARTS
Throughout the week you will be nourished from the inside out with the most delectable and nourishing farm-to-fork meals, celebrating the abundance of locally foraged and sourced fruits, vegetables and fragrant herbs. Our Chef de Cuisine is amazing Nikki Shields Quinn - chef and owner of the chalet.
Her understanding of French cuisine runs deep, with 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry here in the Alps. Together we will be kneading bread dough, picnicking out in nature and learning all about the art of food as we make together some of her signature recipes, and then of course ENJOYING THE RESULTS!
€2,500 €2,300 for Last place in TWIN share room
THE RETREAT EXPERIENCE INCLUDES:
Luxury accommodation in Chalet Savoie Faire for 5 nights
3 exquisitely curated and presented vegetarian meals per day
Morning Body Poetry Yoga with live music
Workshops including watercolour painting, flower foraging, cooking classes, and Zen Thai Shiatsu Massage partner work
Afternoon lunar yoga practice, including yin yoga and yoga nidra
Live sonic accompaniment, kirtan and sound journeys by Benny Holloway
Tantric embodied meditation
Voice activation and release
Dance therapy & ecstatic dynamic meditation
Day adventures to hike local trails and swim in the glacial rivers
Excursion to the local natural thermal baths and hot springs
*Non-refundable deposit of €500 required to confirm your place, remainder due 1 month before
Click HERE for booking terms & conditions
Feel free to get in touch via the form below with any queries
"I had the privilege to attend retreats and trainings with Lara and Benny in 2018 & 2019 which were life changing.
I had been diagnosed with PTSD after prolonged trauma, and my previous experiences with Lara and Benny have helped me on my healing journey as I learnt to reconnect to my body and emotions. They always created such a safe holding space to be seen and heard that I had never experienced before. Their teachings placed me on a path back to my Self… however in 2020 when Covid hit and the world went into lockdown, as a coping mechanism I began to emotionally lockdown too.
Over the two years that followed this became my norm. On top of going through menopause, it was a challenging time for me. Earlier this year I sat down one day not feeling great and said out loud 'Universe send me a teacher, I'm ready!' Within a few days I received a message from Lara saying her and Benny would be returning to the UK to host a retreat! So in June I was privileged to attend their 4 day Heartist Journey Retreat at Avalon Wellbeing in Yorkshire.
I was nervous arriving on the first day, but the sound of Lara's voice, her poetic teachings and gentle guidance along with Benny's music broke down all the internal walls I had built up in moments. The way the 4 days were structured was masterful, a gentle hand leading us day by day back to our truest Self, through gentle movement, curious embodiment, breath, meditation, sound healing, vocal expression, dance, art, play and deep connection with others.
The group of humans that had traveled from different parts of the UK and the world to attend were such beautiful like-minded souls, who gave their whole selves to the 4 days. We shared, listened, and held space for each other. They were open, vulnerable and each day the connections grew. We ate meals together like family, we laughed, shared stories, tears were shed and growth and healing witnessed.
Lara and Benny took me once again on another profound journey, and all I had to do was turn up exactly as I was, with all my fears and insecurities, and give myself over to the process, to allow the layers to fall away, to let Lara's guidance open up my heart again and for Benny's rich, layered shamanic sounds vibrate through every cell of my body.
I moved, sang, danced, trembled, cried, laughed, loved and opened up once again at ast. My heart and Self became unlocked once more. I will always be forever grateful to Lara and Benny for their capacity to help collapse all the barriers I put up inside myself."
~ Kat Weatherill, Yoga Teacher & photographer