Philosophy...
Our yoga retreats take place in the heart of the medieval village of Saint Jeannet, only half an hour away from Nice City Center and overlooking the famous French Riviera. Our breath-taking view of the Mediterranian sea spans from the Italian border to Saint Tropez. To the North and East lie the majestic French Alps - you can ski an hour and a half’s drive away from here! - and to the west, their rolling foothills and low-lying mountain ranges trickling into the Mediterranean sea, setting the scene for spectacular and all so varied sunsets year round.
Through daily yoga and meditation practise, as well as outdoor and cultural activities, you will be able to reconnect with your body and soul. Every session is an opportunity to practise Mindfulness: to come back to yourself, to listen deeply to what is, here and now, in order to become more present... and discover, more and more, who you truly are and what you really want in life.
When physical tensions are sensed and welcomed as they are, real relaxation can occur: physical relaxation, but also psychological rest. This opens a space where emotions and unconscious fears can be revealed and released.
To fully benefit from this retreat, you are invited to be open to trying a new approach, a new practice, and to delve deeper into your own being. A better understanding of yourself, and of the world, will follow…
Level required...
This is the reason why there is no pre-requisit to joining our retreats. Whether you have been practicing for many years or just discovering the practice, it doesn’t matter.
Practical aspects...
This yoga holiday runs every week, from April till November.
Please check availability by going to our booking page or contact us to check this for you. Please note that for bookings for one person in a shared twin room, sharing with another guest of the same gender, you will need to contact us directly as this is not yet possible on our online booking engine.
We have chosen to have a primary social language of either English or French on different weeks. We find this makes socialising easier for the guests. But all members of The FrogS’ House team are bilingual and very happy to translate for you if you are not able to join us on a week where the language of your choice is the primary language. In fact, increasingly, we have guests who want to practice their second language, be it French or English, by coming to a yoga retreat in the language they are learning. What better way to practice? The primary language only applies to socialising and mingling; the yoga sessions, workshops, excursions and all other led activity is done in both languages on the weeks where there are a mix of francophone and anglophone guests.
The primary social language is French on the retreats starting on 14 May, 16 July, 23 July, 13 August, 20 August, 15 October.
The primary social language is English on all other retreats.
To offer our guests enough time to find the perfect balance between the yoga sessions, activities in nature, moments of sharing and socialising with the teachers and with other guests, and time on their own, we have created a program that lasts a whole week. This is why we encourage you to arrive on Sunday and start the retreat from the beginning, to get the maximum benefit from it and to feel its natural progression…
What we have also realised is that some guests need some time to rest before the retreat starts, or to get prepared to go back home after the retreat finishes. This is why this year we have made it possible for guests to arrive one day early, or leave one day after the end of their retreat, or both. This in effect means it is possible to stay with us on the Saturday night before or after your retreat, or both. Please note that this extra night will be at an additional cost and that there is no retreat programme, nor are there any meals provided during these extra days before or after retreats. If you'd like to extend your stay, please contact us.
However, if your schedule does not fit with this schedule (arriving later or not being able to stay until the end of the retreat), please let us know, and we will see what we can do.
Programme...
2023 Season
The FrogS'House reserves the right to modify this programme according to weather conditions and unexpected events beyond our control, but also to adapt it according to the energy of each group. We strive to be as flexible as we can to meet your needs.
Sunday
15h00
Arrival
and check-in
18h00
Welcome
Presentation of the retreat
Welcome finger buffet at the FrogS'House
Monday
8h00
Yoga*
Meditation
9h30
Breakfast
and time for sharing
11h00
Walking day / Picnic
including
introduction to Meditation
18h00
Free time
19h00
Dinner
Self-service dinner provided by the FrogS'House
Tuesday
8h00
Yoga*
Meditation
9h30
Breakfast
and time for sharing
11h00
Free time
_
13h00
Communication workshop
15h00
Self-service tea/snacks
17h00
French gastronomy workshop with professional French chef leading to
Dinner
Wednesday
9h30
Yoga*
Meditation
_
11h00
Brunch
and time for sharing
13h00
Free time
18h00
Yoga*
Meditation
19h00
Dinner
Self-service dinner provided by the FrogS'House
Thursday
8h00
Yoga*
Meditation
9h30
Breakfast
and time for sharing
11h00
Free time
_
13h00
Communication workshop
15h00
Self-service tea/snacks
18h00
Yoga*
Meditation
19h00
Dinner
at guests' own leisure/expense**
Friday
8h00
Yoga*
Meditation
9h30
Breakfast
and time for sharing
11h00
Go-with-the-flow
afternoon
See programme below for details
_
18h00
Farewell Dinner
served by the FrogS' House
Saturday
8h00
Closing
ceremony
9h30
Brunch
and
Check-out
* Yoga mats provided
** 4 restaurants in the heart of the village + 1 bakery,
1 grocery store, 1 butcher/caterer with vegetarian dishes: FrogS'House kitchen and terrace at guest's disposal.
* Tapis de Yoga fournis
** 4 restaurants in the heart of the village + 1 bakery,
1 grocery store, 1 butcher/caterer with vegetarian dishes: FrogS'House kitchen and terrace at guest's disposal.
Drinking water is available throughout the house: we are happy to provide reusable bottles
On reservation at additional cost
Coaching with Benoit
Psychotherapy with Pilie
Massages
Sound therapy (Tibetan bowls) with Jean.
ARRIVAL DAY: SUNDAY
You are warmly encouraged to arrive on Sunday and start the retreat from the beginning to get the full benefit of it. You are welcome to arrive a day early, on Saturday for a day of rest before your retreat starts (additional costs apply). If your schedule doesn't allow you to arrive until Monday or later, please let us know, and we will see what we can do.
15:00 Arrival at a time of your convenience.
We will be happy to store your luggage until 3pm if you wanted to arrive earlier on the day; If we are not here at the time of your arrival, a note will be waiting for you on the front door with the code to enter the house and instructions to find your room easily. So you can arrive anytime you like.
18:00 - 21:00 Welcome evening to introduce the FrogS'House and the yoga retreat, followed by a welcome dinner served by the FrogS’ House, including organic wine from the village vineyard.
- MONDAY
-
08:00 - 09:30 Yoga and meditation.
09:30 - 11:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace and time for sharing and socialising.
11:00 - 18:00 Walking day, including an introduction to the practice of meditation.
Following the philosophy of the Buddhist Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, let each one of your steps deepen yourself into the present moment…
"Every breath we take, every step we make can be filled with peace, joy and serenity. We just have to awaken, living in the present moment".
Spring and autumn: this walking day will take place in the surrounding hills called “Baou”, to reach the top of the hill for a shared homemade picnic lunch (made with local and organic produce) and a fantastic view over the whole French Riviera and the Southern Alps.
Equipment required: The FrogS'House will provide backpacks with camelback and walking sticks on demand. Each guest will need to bring comfortable shoes (running shoes are a minimum, but quite adequate as well), sunscreen and sunglasses, a hat, and in case of cold weather, a windproof jacket and/or rain mac.
Description of the walk: 8 kilometres, +350 meters uphill on a rocky path, -350 meters downhill on a rocky path, 4 hours + picnic lunch at the top.
Summer : taking you into a gorge/canyon, to walk along, and sometimes into a river. Waterfalls and freshwater ponds will be the highlights of the day to jump and swim in, a perfect activity during the warmer summer months.
Equipment required: same as for the spring and autumn walk + swimming suits and towel. Water shoes would also be useful.
Description of the walk: : 5 kilometres -100 meters downhill on a rocky path, +100 meters uphill on a rocky path 2 hours + picnic lunch and swim in the river.
18:00 Free time to rest.
19:00 Dinner provided by the Frogs’ House, self-service
- TUESDAY
-
08:00 - 09:30 Yoga and meditation.
09:30 - 11:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace and time for sharing and socialising
11:00 - 13:00 Free time to relax, meditate at your own rhythm, reserve a massage or wander around the picturesque streets of the village or in the surrounding hills…
13:00 - 15:00 Communication workshop based on the “Non Violent Communication” approach: Introduction.
15:00 - 17:00 Self-service tea / snacks / time to rest.
17:00 - 20:00 French gastronomy workshop with a professional French chef during which dinner is prepared while having drinks and tapas starters, followed by
20:00 - Dinner, prepared during the workshop including organic wine from the village vineyard.
- WEDNESDAY
-
09:30 - 11:00 Yoga and meditation.
11:00 - 13:00 Homemade brunch on the sunny terrace. Time for sharing and socialising.
13:00 - 18:00 Free time to reserve a massage, relax, meditate at your own rhythm, or wander around the picturesque streets of the village or in the surrounding hills, or even to take a trip to the beach….
18:00 - 19:00 Yoga and meditation.
19:00 Dinner provided by the FrogS’ House, self-service.
- THURSDAY
-
08:00 - 09:30 Yoga and meditation.
09:30 - 11:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace and time for sharing and socialising
12:00 - 14:00 Free time to relax, meditate at your own rhythm, reserve a massage or wander around the picturesque streets of the village or in the surrounding hills…
14:00 - 16:00 Communication workshop based on the “Non Violent Communication” approach: Practice
16:00 - 18:00 Self-service tea / snacks / time to rest.
18:00 - 19:00 Yoga and meditation.
19:00 Dinner at your own convenience/expense.
- FRIDAY
-
08:00 - 09:30 Yoga and meditation.
09:30 - 11:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace and time for sharing and socialising.
11:00 - 18:00 Go-with-the-flow day: to practice what we preach, being present, we leave the activity of this day open, to decide during the week, as we, and the guests, get to know each other and together we feel what we want to do: activities have included: trip to the beach, visiting the enchanting chapel designed by Henri Matisse, visiting Saint-Paul de Vence with its art galleries, a silent meditative walk in the village followed by a picnic and dip into the ice-cold waters of a local river, wine-tasting at the local village vineyard, etc.
18:00 - Farewell dinner of the retreat, including organic wine from the village vineyard. Sometimes we play hilarious games, sometimes we dance, sometimes we mingle and chat, but we always have a lot of fun and celebrate the week we have spent together and connections that have been made.
- DEPARTURE DAY: SATURDAY
-
08:00 - 09:30 Closing ceremony of the retreat.
09:30 - 11:00 Homemade brunch on the sunny terrace and check out.
-
A note on food
Our food is homemade and our ingredients are as far as possible organic and local. We serve essentially plant-based (vegan) meals. On occasion some other options are also offered, for example cheese form the local farm, or regular croissants (made with wheat flour & butter) from the local bakeryBeyond the meals proposed by the FrogS'House, in case you need a snack, Saint Jeannet has a choice of 4 restaurants and a few local shops: 1 butcher/ caterer/ that also prepares vegetarian dishes, 1 bakery, 1 grocery store and 2 bars / cafés, all at a 3-minute walking distance from the FrogS'House.
Among the restaurants in the village, we can especially recommend «La Table des Baous», owned by French chef Sébastien Liprandi, for its fantastically creative and fresh take on French gastronomy. Try also “L’Ardoise d’Anna” chez Anaïs. If you want to try the best organic pizza in the Côte d’Azur served in the warmest atmosphere, go and meet Hugues and Sassou at the pizzeria “le Vieux Four”, or go to « Maï o Maï » for delicious take away pizzas by Romain and Rafael. Last but not least, all summer long, Le “Sainte Barbe” also welcomes you for a great diner on its open terrace with panoramic views over the Mediterranian coast.
