2025 Yoga Retreats in France
Eight (8!) wellness getaways to boost your energy and yoga practice
For this year’s yoga retreat survey in France, I’m doing things a little differently: I’m only featuring retreats with teachers I either know or have taken classes with.
You can’t get more personally vetted than that.
There are so many ingredients that go into creating and sustaining a rewarding retreat, and sometimes in the excitement of location and accommodations and cuisine and excursions the thing that gets lost is the human at the center of the experience.
No, not you.
The teacher.
What matters most on a yoga retreat is the teacher: she or he sets the vibe, plans the classes, coordinates the outings, does the research, chooses the venue and negotiates rates, organizes transportation… Ask any yoga teacher and they’ll tell you that teaching is the easy part of a retreat 🙃
While you may be tempted to choose a yoga retreat1 based on your schedule, pay attention to the teachers: how do they teach? What type of students do they attract? Are they known more for the quality of their instruction or their social media reach? Is their sequencing thoughtful? Are they serious or playful or philosophical or all of the above? If the teachers leading the retreat are local, can you take a class with them to feel it out?
Because a retreat is like “putting your mind and body in a well-being time-compressor” you need the right guide to ensure you pop out the other side feeling whole and renewed… Treated not cheated.
Go Bag: Retreat Essentials
Beyond bringing your favorite clothing, toiletries etc, what are your non-negotiables? For me, that’s easy:
Coffee: In general, retreats feature delicious food and mediocre coffee so I pack my own along with a measuring spoon, filters and an Aeropress that fits right over a mug. Hot water is abundant.
Thermos: Very important if you want to take your hot beverage with you. I refuse to live without my Zojirushi stainless steel insulated mug which keeps coffee lawsuit-hot for hours.
Quiet: Retreat venues are good places to find solace, but if you share a room with someone who snores or watches YouTube videos late at night, pack earplugs and if you’re light-sensitive, an eyemask.
Slides: Any shoe you can kick off is perfect for shuffling from your room to the kitchen to the yoga studio to the beach/pool. Flip-flops are ideal for the shower, too. No one wants to bring home a fungus 🤢
Most venues usually provide yoga mats and accessories so you don’t need to worry about bringing those. With that in mind, what are the things you absolutely can’t live without?2 Water bottle? Beanie?3 Beanie Baby?
After the jump, eight brilliant yoga retreats with a little something for everyone in terms of location, vibe and budget. Trust me: you’ll be in good hands 👐
RECOMMENDED YOGA RETREATS IN FRANCE (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, NOT IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE BECAUSE I LOVE ALL MY CHILDREN EQUALLY)
March 22nd-29th, 2025: Rest, Replenish & Reimagine with Tamsin Jardinier (Lot-et-Garonne)
A personalized, 360° retreat for two at Little French Retreat, this week will nourish you from the inside out. Tamsin’s programme includes daily yoga and meditation, Ayurvedic cuisine, time for contemplation, as well as cultural excursions and group coaching sessions.
👀 These weeklong retreats with Tamsin take place on a monthly basis so be sure to check her website for additional dates if the ones above don’t suit you.
May 8th-11th, 2025: Mindfulness & Flow with Rajeev Kahn (Bourgogne)
Join Rajeev for four days of alignment-based Vinyasa, mindfulness and breath-centered movement at l’Atelier du Relais. Rajeev’s teaching expertise (he’s been on staff at Rasa Yoga Rive Gauche forever) and thoughtful instruction make this the perfect restorative getaway for all levels of yogis who wish to feel more empowered and grounded.
May 17th-24th, 2025: Yoga Retreat with Christopher Golden & Krissy Jones (Provence)
A holistic week with Christopher and Krissy of Sky Ting (NYC) during which everything from practice to meals will be inspired by the blossoming energy of springtime in the provençal countryside. Expect twice daily yoga sessions, meditation, and delicious meals prepared by chef Flannery Klette-Kolton, as well as a wine tasting at the estate winery.
May 23rd-25th, 2025: Yoga & Créativité with Stéphanie Mathieu-Laurens (Le Perche)
A long weekend at La Maison Vivante with Ericksonian hypnotherapist, coach and yoga teacher Stéphanie Mathieu-Laurens who’s crafted a wellness menu that combines yoga (dynamic in the morning, restorative in the afternoon), pranayama, meditation, an evening soundbath, and a creative make-your-own-mala workshop.May 30th-June 1st, 2025: La Voie de l’Emerveillement with Anne Vandewalle (Eure-et-Loir)
Spend three days in a bucolic location not far from Paris with our friend and yoga teacher Anne. This retreat is an invitation to reconnect with yourself not by withdrawing from the world, but by re-opening your senses and heart to a feeling of enchantment. Expect asana, meditation, pranayama, kriyas, mantras, mudras and time for contemplation.
June 19th-22nd, 2025: Yoga | Roche | Rivière with Marine Parmentier (Drôme)
One of our favorite people, Marine, is leading this four-day retreat near her homestead in the Drôme and it promises to replenish your energy reserves with yoga, meditation, mountain walks and dips in the river or pool.
👀 Marine returns to Paris from time to time and we highly recommend you NOT MISS her signature class ‘R&B Yoga’ on March 15th at the Legato.
June 25th-29th, 2025: No Stress & Yoga with Fred Ngo-Di (Corse)
Five days to let go, this transformative retreat with the lovely Fred, yoga teacher and co-author of Le Yoga des Bons Hommes, is conceived to lower your stress levels, kick cortisol to the curb and balance your nervous system. Fred has an enviable yoga toolbox (Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Nidra) and will know just how to guide you to a deeper state of chill.
August 9th-16th, 2025: Turn Your World Upside Down | Yoga & Handstand with Nico Luce, Kim Witmer and Thomas Bersier (Haute-Garonne)
Join this teaching trio at the château Rieucazé near Toulouse for an immersive experience designed to awaken your body, sharpen your focus, and elevate your practice — literally and figuratively 🤸♀️ This is a retreat designed for those looking to build confidence and take their inversion practice to the next level.
The same holds true for selecting a yoga teacher training. Find the teacher, then the training.
The best of New York Magazine’s Strategist shopping vertical has to be these “What [insert famous person’s name} Can’t Live Without” lists which mix the practical with the ridiculous. Debi Mazar is legend 🙌
I once had a roommate who so disrupted my sleep that I pulled a wool beanie over my entire head at night. Earplugs would have been better but I forgot them.