Retreats
Discover the unique benefits of intensive learning in a group setting!
Develop the poise in your everyday life and learn how to confidently communicate what you’re passionate about.
Retreat Magique
5-day retreat in the French countryside
Next Retreat - Oct 11-16, 2025
Registration opens December 9
In Le Marais Poitevin, the “Green Venice” of France
I love doing intensive work and I love to travel —
So, I created destination event as a kind of incubator experience of 5 full days of individual hands on and group Alexander Technique work (mindfulness, posture, breathing) brought into real-life activities —
—giving you a grounded presence that you can take home with you...plus time for relaxation and recreation in the beautiful French countryside.
Why attend a retreat?
It’s efficient! Maximize your time with me with this event! Block out a few days in your busy schedule to spend some time working on yourself.
Discover what’s possible! I can’t emphasize enough how much improvement you’ll make dedicating 5 days to work on yourself and get hands-on and in-the-moment guidance.
The location is magical! You’ll get to experience a new place and culture and combine learning with rest and recreation. The event is in a charming, private home on a small farm in Le Marias Poitevin, France - a mystical place called the “Green Venice of France” with canals running through the woods, mist on the river, and delicious locally sourced food (even the honey comes from the back yard!)
Connection and Comradarie. Share the experience with a fabulous group of women in a relaxed atmosphere with no judgement. Group work will enhance your learning as you’ll get to observe others as well as work on yourself and you’ll make new friends and contacts.
You'll learn to:
truly transform your posture.
calm your body and mind.
discover a grounded presence that will leave you feeling refreshed. After the retreat, you’ll feel ready to bring a more confident, centered way of being into everything you do.
The retreat includes:
Individual, hands-on work every day as well as group and activity-based sessions to help you seamlessly integrate more mindfulness, ease, and better posture into your everyday activities at home and at work.
Practice staying grounded, relaxed as you interact with others -- These are tools you can take with you to help you promote your business or improve your communication at work.
Rest, relaxation, and recreation in a beautiful environment that you'll have lots of time to enjoy...and we'll be eating freshly prepared, locally grown food (vegetarian and vegan options available).
“The retreat taught me a lot about how to adjust my body to eliminate blockages, especially tension in my shoulders and neck.
The exercises we did were based on simple daily activities life such as carrying objects, working on the computer, speaking in front of a group or cooking — helping me to become aware of being present in body, rather than being all up in my head.
Lindsay helps us by giving us subtle cues and these mini adjustments help us to release tension and move with more fluidity.
Since the retreat, I have been walking more mindfully, being more attentive to my environment, and I seem to have grown 2 cm!”
“I approached this experience hopeful but hesitant. Would I get out of it what I hoped? The retreat delivered. I came away with practices and techniques that have made a deep and lasting difference. Perhaps most of all, I came away with a new sense of what is possible.
The biggest changes have been to my walking posture. I finally know - and can maintain in the moment - what walking without strain feels like. I’d had glimpses of this before, but being on the retreat gave me a safe and super-pleasant environment to explore and learn. It wasn’t a one-hour class, but a five-day practice with the space and grace to try and sense and experience and grow. I feel like the knowledge gained really belongs to me now.”
Dates:
Oct 11-16 2025
We will kick off the event at 6pm on the evening on Oct 11 with a short activity, mingling and dinner, followed by 5 full days - Oct 12-16 (8:30am-4:30pm) of classes and activities.
See below for a sample schedule for a typical day.
Cost:
$1,800 (early bird rate - available through March 31)
$2,200 as of April 1.
Deposit due to hold your spot: $300 (non-refundable)
Balance due by July 1
Food:
All meals and snacks included.
The food is prepared onsite by our chef, a real Belgian duchess!
Ingredients are locally sourced or come from the garden when possible.
We can accomodate some dietary requests. Please indicate any allergies or special dietary needs on the application form and we’ll let you know.
Lodging:
At retreat site: Accomodations are included if you stay at the retreat site*
*All rooms at the retreat site have now been booked. See below for the off-site (very close-by) options.
At a Cottage - $200-$300 additional for the week (depending on how many people share) if you stay at a cottage in the area within 10-minutes walking distance of the retreat site.
You are also welcome to book your own lodging at your expense. There are other cottages in the area and a hotel within a 20-minute drive.
Transportation:
You are responsible for getting to Paris and for train fare from Paris to the city of Niort, where we will pick you up (about a 20-min drive). Train fare from Paris to Niort is about $100 round-trip.
Transportation between the train station and retreat site is provided.
You don’t need to rent a car, but if you choose to do so, there is parking on site.
Language:
Instruction will be available in both English and French. Group instruction will be in English to accomodate an international group and translated into French as needed. Individual instruction will be in the language of choice of each participant.
2 Instructors:
Lindsay Newitter - Lead instructor
Christine Zufferey - Host and organizer, assistant instructor
Sample Schedule
Saturday, Oct 11
Participants arrive. Pick-up will be arranged at the station in Niort for those arriving by train.
6pm - Opening session of retreat. Appetizers, drinks, and a light dinner with be offered.
Sunday, Oct 12 - Thursday, Oct 16
8:30am - Breakfast
9:30am - Group Session (daily theme)
11am - Outdoor activity - Guided walk, with cues, along the Sevre River
12pm - Floor Work
12:30pm - lunch
2pm - 1:1 hands-on work and free time
3:30pm - Guided activity - cooking, gardening, using the computer…(we may split into two groups) - topics based on interest of group
OR outing (boat ride through the canals of Le Marais Poitevin/other local tourism)
4:30pm - Optional additional 1:1 hands-on work, review/discussion, or we end the day at this point (depends on interests and energy level of individuals)
4:30/5pm-6:30pm - Free time
6:30pm - Dinner served
7:30pm - Optional evening activity - live music, talent night (totally optional!), Fun game for learning some French to help you get around, movie night (on the big screen at the retreat!), board games and puzzle
• Closing activities on Oct 16. We will finish by 4:30pm (or earlier to accommodate trains and flights)
What People Are Saying