Gardoussel  Retreat Newsletter February 2008

30940 Saint-André de Valborgne, France
tel : +33 (0) 4 66 60 16 78 www.gardoussel.com

Dear friend,

A very happy new year - may 2008 bring you laughter, peace of mind and joy that bubbles up from the middle of your being and spills forth onto the other people in your life. As someone famous once said: “Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself”.

Here at Gardoussel, we have had another great year. The summer passed in a whirl of sunshine and activity in the presence of some old friends and many new ones.

We were lucky to have a new friend, Sam Collins, with us for the whole summer. As well as being a singer, dancer and all-round creative do-gooder, Sam proved to be an excellent kitchen help, boosting our 2-person team of Frances and Maggie to three to cover the busy summer months. Thanks to Sam, many of us discovered Nia dancing and circular singing, taking us back to the campfires of our childhoods, as she enthusiastically threw herself into our group activities.

In the spring, we enjoyed a good turn-out for our helpers week, during which we put up a second yurt at Gardoussel, this time for our friend Maggie. She and Frances now have their own on-site living quarters, which are beacons of innovative furnishing and ecological living. Both have a kitchenette, a compost toilet and share a bathroom with a steam box tucked into the corner. If anyone is interested in renting out either yurt, then Frances and Maggie would like to hear from you. Each yurt sleeps two comfortably, with the possibility of extra beds for children, and are available for rental for periods of at least one week. See www.gardoussel.com/yurts.html or email francesryo@yahoo.co.uk.

As I write, the final touches are being put to our latest guest bedroom. The Picvert room (‘woodpecker’), sleeping four, is located below two other new bedrooms that make up our annex building, la Bergerie. The completion of this room brings our capacity to 25 guests, marking the end of our second phase of renovation works since moving to Gardoussel in November 2005.

Talking of which, we have just launched phase three by submitting an application to build a large workshop hall on our meadow. We are hoping to start building works in the autumn for completion in 2009. The hall will be 130m2 in size - much bigger than our current Loft space of 55m2 – allowing us to run larger yoga groups as well as dance workshops and massage training courses. It will have a huge glass-fronted façade, and include a shower, toilet and storage area. This means we can convert the Loft to a large guest living room, with comfy sofas, armchairs, a book library, and the existing fireplace in the corner. It’s a big development, and one we’re very excited about, as it will really increase the level of comfort and facilities we offer. It will also allow us to try out come eco-construction techniques such as geothermic heating, straw bale insulation and solar panels.

Also new this year is our very first creative writing event, which we are all delighted about. ‘Finding Your Voice in Writing’ will be tutored by experienced facilitator and successful author Crysse Morrison and will run from 9-16 August. It’s for anyone – pure beginner or more experienced writer – who wants to explore their creativity and develop a personal voice in writing. For me, this marks a personal achievement as I have been wanting to get a writing event off the ground for several years now. To be lucky enough to get someone of Crysse’s calibre for our initial foray into this genre is really a dream come true. See www.gardoussel.com/events.html for more info.

With our summer calendar now almost confirmed (see below), we now know our availability for gîte rentals (our two self-catering holiday lodgings) for the coming season. Any facilitators interested in running an event here this summer, please note these dates are also free for groups / courses to run. Our available summer slots are as follows: 21 – 28 June, 28 June – 5 July, 12-19 July, 19 – 26 July, 2-9 August, 16 – 23 August, 23-30 August. There are a few windows during the rest of the year also but not many – enquire for details.

For families planning a visit this year, please note as well as our local swimming spots, swings and slides, which are always popular with children, we will have two new friends on site. A pair of donkeys will be joining us this spring, housed in a paddock below the gîtes, for the pleasure of our own kids and those of any young guests. You might even get a ride around the field! Meanwhile, mum or dad can enjoy a massage, craniosacral treatment or Ayurvedic consultation… or just kick back in one of our hammocks and gaze out over some of the most amazing mountain views in the region…

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sharon and Alex

* * * * *

Gardoussel Calendar of Events 2008

Discover how to put flavour and health into your daily meals for better digestion, vitality and longevity. During this course, each morning you will help to prepare delicious Ayurvedic meals, as well as learn the cooking basics of this ancient health system. The rest of the day will be free to relax, explore our beautiful surroundings, or receive Ayurvedic treatments. One morning during the event we will visit a local market to discover the products of the region. With Alex Duncan.

This  workshop has been designed for recently trained Ayurvedic practitioners who wish to deepen their experience and confidence in general clinical practice. While the focus of the event is on perfecting diagnostic skills, we will also cover treatment protocol and working towards simple lifestyle, dietary and herbal treatments for our patients. When appropriate, additional treatments will be covered such as Ayurvedic massage, yoga practices etc. With Alex Duncan.

 Jean-François Beaulieu returns again this year for a week of yoga. Details to follow soon on our website.

* 9 - 16 August : Finding Your Voice in Writing (taught in English) Cost: £395
 
This course is for anyone - pure beginner or more experienced writer - who wants to explore their creativity and develop a personal voice in writing. Tutor Crysse Morrison will help you explore all aspects of style and narrative, including using memories, imagining characters, describing settings and using dialogue. The emphasis is on enjoyment and fun, and ideas are adaptable to any genre from poetry to novels. Includes one-to-one sessions to discuss and advise on personal work.

Gîtes

Our 2 beautiful, independent gîtes (holiday apartments) are available for weekly rentals for those who want to do their own thing at Gardoussel Retreat. We have 2 gîtes available:

* le Pigeonnier has two twin/double bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room giving it a capacity of 6 people. It has a large  kitchen with an open-plan living/dining room and a shaded, completely private terrace for outdoor dining. Also a shower room and separate toilet. 420€ per week

* le Gîte Vert also has two twin/double bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room (total capacity 6 people). It has a living/dining room and a modern fitted kitchen as well as a terrace overhung with rambling vines for outdoor dining. 400€ per week

Both gîtes are available for let from Saturday to Saturday. Guests have the use of our loft workspace and outdoor yoga deck in addition to our 18 hectares of meadow and woodland – perfect for bodywork, ball games and exploring! There are also swings for children and a badminton/volleyball net. A cot can be provided on request.

Guest Rooms

We have four independent guest bedrooms in addition to the gîtes. All have been tastefully renovated and are available for rent in addition to one or both of our gites. This can suit larger groups or families holidaying with a friend or another couple who wish to share a gite experience but don’t necessarily want to rent two gîtes. 200€ / week or 30€ / night per bedroom

* la Bergerie :

A former barn adjacent to the main property containing three en-suite bedrooms, two with a double and a single bed, and one with four singles.

* le Nid :

Previously a laundry room at the heart of the main building, le Nid was recently converted to create two three-person bedrooms, each with a mezzanine and a shared adjoining bathroom.

Therapies

Various extras are available at Gardoussel, all provided by experienced, fully-qualified practitioners. Take your pick from massage (Ayurvedic and Swedish), craniosacral therapy, reiki, acupuncture, Ayurvedic consultations, cookery classes and group yoga classes (min. 5 participants).  Other therapies and activities will come on offer as our network of contacts expands.