residential retreats | moulin de chaves
Living in Love
Yoga, Meditation & Embodied Dharma
Moulin de Chaves, Cubjac, France
September 29th - October 5th 2025
On retreat we use each moment as a gateway to enter into a deep and authentic relationship with life. We cultivate an atmosphere of love which extends in all directions: towards each other, the natural world and this very tender human body, heart and mind. Every piece of the constellation brought home and held in love.
We draw on ancient practices to support this journey: Iyengar yoga to establish a stable and relaxed presence in the body; Meditation to remain anchored and aligned with the luminous warmth of this presence; Yin yoga and psychological enquiry to establish a graceful relationship with mental/emotional states; Dharma teachings and Satsang to return from reactivity to love; and intimate, creative connections with nature to remind us of aliveness and joy. As we embrace this moment with love, we increasingly find ourselves living in love.
The retreat is in silence and digital free. You are guided to discover the wonderful benefits of relaxing habits of distraction to encourage a deeper connection with life. Silence, teachings and mindful dialogue allow us to come together in deep trust and support as we let go of old armouring and the normal ways we define ourselves and others. It creates a very loving supportive space between us. Many people are surprised to discover how healing and nurturing silence feels, and how intimate and connected we feel with others within it.
Moulin de Chaves is a dedicated retreat centre grounded in the Buddhist tradition of Insight Meditation. The retreat centre is situated by a stunning river which flows both underneath and around the building, and is delightful for swimming! In the cool of the mornings, we practise Iyengar yoga and meditation in the spacious purpose-built Tara Hall. In the warmth of the afternoons (weather permitting), we practise yin yoga and meditation outside on the deck by the pond.
Moulin de Chaves is a place where mindfulness and the Dharma are deeply imbued in every corner and each offering - from the statues and altars scattered through the grounds, the delicious vegetarian organic and locally sourced food (vegan and gluten free catered for), to the staff and volunteers who are all committed to meditation practice and service. The care and love is truly palpable. In line with this ethos (and to keep their costs to a minimum), you will be asked to offer 50 minutes of karma yoga each day: washing up, veggie chopping, cleaning or gardening. For many people, this invitation to practise loving presence with an everyday task can be as transformative as the formal practices. www.moulindechaves.org
Getting there: Moulin de Chaves is just outside the village of Cubjac in the Dordogne area of France. The nearest train station is Perigueux (7/8 hours by train from London). The nearest airports are Limoges, Brive and Bergerac (Ryanair, accessible by taxi and train), and Bordeaux (many airlines, accessible by train). Travel share will be supported and encouraged. More info on getting there will be available on booking and can also be found here.
Some previous yoga experience is necessary but all levels other than complete beginners are welcome. Previous experience of meditation may also be helpful, but the emphasis on these retreats is to revisit the essential elements of these practices in order to experience the essence they offer, rather than to explore advanced practices. Each person is invited to grow into feeling more alive from exactly where they are.
Typical daily schedule
7.30 - 8am meditation
8am breakfast
8.50 - 9.40am work meditation/karma yoga
10am - 1pm morning practice (includes Iyengar yoga, guided meditation, meditation in nature, optional one-to-one meetings)
1pm lunch
3pm optional silent river swim (for those who prefer to swim with others)
4-7pm afternoon practice (includes yin yoga, guided meditation, nature communion/creativity, optional Satsang group meeting)
7pm dinner
8.30pm guided meditation
PAYMENT
For accommodation and all meals:
3 person room, shared bathroom – €520
2 person room, shared bathroom – €520
Single room, shared bathroom – €640
2 person room, private bathroom – €670
Single room, private bathroom – €730
A limited number of assisted places are available for those who cannot afford the full price in exchange for additional Karma Yoga. Please enquire directly with Anna at moulindechaves@gmail.com for more information.
For my teaching
I offer these retreats on a Dana basis. This is an ancient method of sharing love and appreciation between students and teachers which has been kept alive ever since the time of the Buddha.
Dana asks that we step out of a transaction mindset (how much can I get from this moment and how little can I give?) and into a generosity mindset (how deeply can I receive and digest this moment and what would I like to offer in appreciation in return?) It allows us to really meet and honour the important and beautiful feelings of gratitude, generosity and appreciation (how often do we get to feel those feelings when we buy something in everyday life?) And it also shows us our reactivity as well, revealing any feelings of fear and stories of scarcity around money, whilst allowing us to honour the truth of our financial situation.
After the retreat I ask you to reflect on what you received from the week and what you would like to offer to support me in return. I trust you to choose an amount that is right for us both. One that feels like you are making a real commitment to your practice while respecting your financial situation on the one hand; and one that honours my experience and teaching (about 7 hours per day) and reflects what you have received from the retreat on the other. What is generous for one person is not at all for another! Dana allows for a genuine space of reflection on generosity, mutual support and growth that is not about comparison, doing the right thing or getting a good deal. Like all things in life, it is a practice. And like all practices, it can feel a little uncomfortable at times! Please trust that there is a jewel in the centre of that discomfort which is enlivening and liberating for all.
Typical daily schedule
7.30-8am meditation
8am breakfast
8.50-9.40am work meditation/karma yoga
10am-1pm morning practice (includes Iyengar yoga, guided meditation, meditation in nature, optional one-to-one meetings)
1pm lunch
3pm optional silent river swim (for those who prefer to swim with others)
4-7pm afternoon practice (includes yin yoga, guided meditation, nature communion/creativity, optional Satsang group meeting)
7pm supper
8.30pm guided meditation
Getting there
Moulin de Chaves is just outside the village of Cubjac in the Dordogne area of France. The nearest train station is Perigueux (7/8 hours by train from London). The nearest airports are Limoges, Brive and Bergerac (Ryanair, accessible by taxi and train), and Bordeaux (many airlines, accessible by train). Travel share will be supported and encouraged. More info on getting there will be available on booking and can also be found here.
Feedbacks from previous retreats at Moulin...
DC (therapist)
I'm still feeling the benefits of your teaching, but also just your presence at Le Moulin. The feeling of being held in love has remained, and I feel is transformative. It's as if you taught what I had been looking for but hadn't quite realised - I love Dharma teachings but until now have often felt a lack of emphasis on love at the core of the teaching. My experience at the Moulin has completely changed that. Your beautifully chosen words and your calm generous presence and your focus on embodied experience helped me to feel alive and connected to a loving web of life that I sensed as a child but had lost.
Amy (artist and illustrator)
I wanted to reach out and reiterate how grateful and blessed I feel after this week at the Moulin and for the beautiful and incredible energy that we were able to create together with your love and guidance. Since my return I am slowly and gently getting back into "the groove", but with an overall feeling of ease that I didn't have before. It's only been a few days but I've been able to unhook from stories more easily (I see you, Mara) and remain more present in my body and belly. Yours was my third retreat as you know. The last two were impactful and important in their own ways, but I am starting to understand... how much I didn't understand before (!) The importance and simple magic of breath and nature, of giving myself and the fearful parts of me so much love and care and attention. THANK YOU. ~
Jenny (PhD student)
I wanted to reach out again to say how deeply grateful I am for the wonderful retreat we've had. My understanding of yoga and meditation has deepened and the qualities of spaciousness, and love are still very present in my days. I think it is only on this retreat that I understood what grounding actually means, how much more I can arrive and land in my body, but also that this takes time. Meeting my resistance to lying down has been so interesting, and now that I know on a deeper level how beneficial it is to rest more, there is already less resistance. But I also have gained a sense of how stability in my legs and upper body will help me to move through the world with an open heart. I feel more profoundly now how a more uplifted posture affects my sense of self. Being silent in this retreat has helped me to get clearer about my boundaries, to respect them more, and to even start loving these boundaries. Something which is easier on a silent retreat than in real life, but the experience has definitely shifted something in me. And overall everything has been so conducive to the integration that I was looking for.
Holly (teacher)
It's hard for me to find words that describe the experience of the retreat and all you brought to it. I was nourished and able to connect to myself and the world in a unique and deeply meaningful way. I am filled with gratitude and love for you and all you share during the retreat and beyond.
Hannah (yoga and meditation teacher)
What did I want from my week? Deep rest and inspiration. Suffice to say - with immense gratitude - the week and you gave me this in spades and on many levels, from proper breathing in every posture and sequence, right through to the entire way you teach from 'presence' with such fierce grace and gentle courage. It bears repeating that the insight and blessing you transmit is a rare and precious thing.
Virginie (mindfulness teacher and academic)
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the retreat that you "animated" and incarnated last week... You held this space gracefully, even when we were walking on the edge. You managed to hold the group as a group, weaving ties between each of us and caring for each of us individually. It is the first time I experienced this in a retreat or a workshop, and cultivating interbeing is, for me, invaluable. You offer a feminine understanding and embodiment of the Dharma…