occitania retreats

Situated in the department of Haute-Garonne, one hour from Toulouse and its international airport, Château Rieucazé is nestled at the top of a hill, offering captivating views of the valley and the Pyrenées mountains to the south. Located on the edge of a tiny village, the main house is backed by a courtyard of eighteenth century barns and enjoys 10 acres of park and gardens ensuring complete privacy. 

The historic château was constructed in 1786, just 3 years prior to the outbreak of the French Revolution, belonging to the family of the Comte Du Pac until 1960. The property encompasses a sprawling park with gardens designed under different themes: French, English, Asian and Mediterranean. The grounds also include a large pond where koi fish and wild ducks swim, a salt-water pool, a handmade mosaic steam room, a weight room and a large greenhouse.

The château can host up to 14 people in 8 rooms, with either private or shared bathrooms. The interiors of the house have been meticulously restored, preserving numerous period features, including intricate plasterwork, marble fireplaces, wainscotting and beautifully detailed hardwood floors throughout the main rooms. The house has been artfully revived to recapture its authentic charm and elegance, balanced with modern elements and imbuing it with the enduring ambiance of a genuine home.

From June to October all retreats include two daily classes and two vegetarian and organic meals. The program has a strong foundation in meditation, pranayama and asana infused with eastern philosophy & spirituality.

The morning asana practice will be dynamic Vinyasa style designed to refine the biomechanical actions of establishing a strong foundation, powerful core integration and individual expression in each pose. The evening session will be a gentle Yin & Restorative yoga class to calm the mind and relax the body after a day of sightseeing, hiking or mountain-biking. Both yoga classes are open to all levels of experience or fitness and will be offered in English.

Sample Daily Schedule:

8:00 to 10:45        Meditation, pranayama & dynamic asana practice

11:00 to 12:00       Brunch

12:00 to 18:30       Free time to enjoy the property or sightsee

18:30 to 19:45      Gentle yin & restorative practice

20:00 to 21:00     Dinner

Discover the beauty of the Pyrenées region and treat yourself to a week of transformative yoga practices, delicious healthy meals, relaxing facilities, historic surroundings and meaningful connections to like-minded people.

The following dates are available for 2025:

The Importance of Retreating

By Gabrielle Harris
Running my fingers down the hallway in the dim morning light, like braille to guide my steps I consider how we only half see things as they really are.  But I know the hallway well so I am on auto-pilot, moving physically through my life without thought. It is not until the sun illuminates my path that I can see more clearly.


We can spend our lives like this half awake, half asleep, not seeing the big picture, getting caught up in a limited binary vision of our life.
Until we step out.....until we take stock and try to see our lives more globally, more holistically, a helicopter vision, seeing the trajectory of our life behind us, in front of us and all around us.


A retreat gives us the time, the focus, the softness to be with ourselves. A chance to assess what is important or understand what is bugging us. To shine a spotlight on our incessant internal dialogues, our values and our goals.
Jon Kabat-Zin's book title 'wherever you go, there you are' reminds us that there is no such thing as escaping ourselves. The temptation is always there to 'run away' or 'start afresh' or 'leave everything behind' especially in testing times or when we have fallen. Physically removing ourselves from our lives can have some short term benefits however in the end we are still ourselves and carry our  emotional, mental and personal luggage wherever we go.
We can take refuge by pausing in small daily retreats such as meditation, asana or long slow walks or by creating a special place in your home to just 'be'.