Jiu Jitsu & Yoga Retreat
6 – 13 June, 2020
Come join for a week of Jiu Jitsu, yoga, hiking, great food, great friends and relaxation.
RETREAT
The schedule for each day will be morning yoga sessions and 1 – 2 BJJ sessions a day. There will be time for relaxing, hiking, swimming in the river and waterfall. There are plenty of locations for hanging out, laying in the sun or reading in the library.
BJJ sessions will be led by Alexandra Park/SOAS BJJ instructors, Gavin Lewis, Geoffrey Sautner and Rahman Fahed. Yoga sessions will be Ashtanga based for all levels, taught by Ryan Spielman.
Also available are massage (Swedish or Ayurvedic) and craniosacral therapy. Other therapies are possible by local therapists depending on availability.
VENUE
Gardoussel Retreat Centre is a simple, family-run retreat. Set in the lush Cévennes mountains of the Languedoc region, Gardoussel (‘guardian of the birds’) is a magical oasis of calm in one of the most beautiful and untouched parts of France. www.gardoussel.com. A wonderful holiday in the Mediterranean
mountains. We promise you great food, excellent walking, pretty river-spots and plenty of opportunity for chilling out and pampering yourself with various therapies and treatments. Set in a quaint hamlet in the middle of nature, 1 1⁄2 hours from Nîmes and Montpellier. Surrounded by 45 acres of meadows and holm oak forests, the centre is isolated and peaceful, with stunning views through the valley in which it lies. Running through the foot of the property, the Gardon river meanders across the valley floor, providing a multitude of shimmering bathing pools and idyllic picnic spots in summer. There is excellent walking and hiking all around (12 marked routes in and around our local village). Mountain bikes and donkeys can be hired from a local village, there is tennis just up the road and fishing is possible almost everywhere.
ACCOMMODATION
Space is limited to 20 participants. There are possibilities for single rooms or shared. Some rooms have en-suite bathroom, the rest share a bathroom and toilet with one other bedroom. Rooms are basic but well looked after after and clean.
FOOD
Breakfast is continental-style. Lunch and dinner consist of delicious, fresh, home-made vegetarian meals inspired by Ayurvedic nutritional principles, adjusted to western foods and culture. Most of the ingredients used are organic and grown in the local area. Snacks (tea, coffee, fruit, biscuits, dried fruits, nuts) are available throughout the day. Most of the meals are suitable for vegans; however Gardoussel can cater for people with other special dietary needs if requested with enough notice. If you follow a specialised diet please bring your own food & supplements.
GROUP COSTS
£250 per person. The full organisers fee must be paid to reserve your space.
FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION COSTS
€605 shared room (approx £530) for food & accommodation
€777 single room
Costs for food & accommodation are paid separately cash Euro directly to Gardoussel retreat upon arrival.
TRAVELING
You can travel to Gardoussel by car, train and plane. The easiest way is to fly into Nimes, then share a taxi or travel up by bus (approx 1 hr transfer time). You can also fly into Montpellier (approx 2 hrs transfer time) or Marseilles. Eurostar runs a TGV ‘fast train’ service from London/Lille/Paris to Nîmes, with the journey Paris – Nîmes taking just under 3 hours. You need to arrange your car/plan/train journey yourself but Gardoussel is happy to help us coordinate our transport to/from the airport or train station to/from Gardoussel retreat. Generally, the more of us arrive at the same time at the same airport the cheaper transportation to/from the retreat centre will be. Transfer service is payable cash (Euro).
All participants coming from London should try and book the Ryanair flight from Luton-Nimes (Flight number – FR 3256) on the morning of the 6th and travel together in a shared taxi/bus. Return flight Nimes-Luton on the morning of the 13th (Flight number – FR 3257).
CONTACT
Ryan +44 7951 515 667, ryan@trueryan.com to reserve your space