Imagine This…

Waking up to birdsong in the French countryside. Practicing yoga overlooking a French garden and the adjacent Loir river. Enjoying fresh baguettes and wine at sunset over a delicious dinner. Ending your day in deep relaxation inside a historic château.

This all-inclusive five-day yoga retreat will take place September 7th–11th, 2026.
Price: €2,800 per participant, including all meals and excursions (shared room with private bath). 

Limited to 10 guests for an intimate experience — early booking recommended.

Join us for five days of deeply restorative yoga, reflection, and renewal in a serene natural sanctuary designed to help you slow down, center, and reconnect. Set amid the peaceful French countryside, this unique retreat, led by experienced yoga and meditation teacher Kelly Couturier, offers an ideal environment for introspection, healing, and meaningful renewal. You’ll experience a harmonious blend of transformative mind-body practices, enriching cultural experiences, and the quiet beauty of nature.

Kelly brings a deep level of expertise and passion to her teaching. A longtime practitioner and experienced teacher, she has led yoga and meditation classes in both group and individual settings. She also works as a clinical yoga therapist in New York and has written about yoga for The New York Times.

She specializes in making yoga and meditation accessible to everyone. This yoga retreat is thoughtfully designed to include those with health issues or physical limitations, and no prior yoga experience is required. She will guide you through individualized yoga movement, meeting you exactly where you are, along with breathing techniques, guided relaxation, and healing meditation.

Whether you are looking to deepen your practice or are just beginning your wellness journey, Kelly’s holistic and adaptable approach will gently support you toward a refreshed, balanced, and inspired state of being.

Retreat Experience

Why Guests Love This Retreat

• ✔ Small, intimate group in a relaxing setting
• ✔ Beginners Welcome
• ✔ American-led instruction in an English-speaking environment
• ✔ Authentic French château experience (not a hotel)
• ✔ All-inclusive gourmet meals and curated excursions

Morning Sessions are designed to gently awaken both body and mind. Suitable for all levels, these sessions combine mindful movement with breath awareness, followed by meditation, creating an energizing yet deeply calming flow. Through creative and balanced sequences that strengthen and build flexibility you will experience a strong, safe, and supportive practice. Modifications and options are always offered to accommodate different abilities.

Evening Sessions feature yin yoga, with longer-held seated and supine postures that release the deeper layers of connective tissue. These quiet, meditative practices encourage deep relaxation, inner awareness, and a profound sense of spaciousness, perfect for unwinding and turning inward at the end of the day.
Kelly brings advanced training and extensive experience in Yin yoga instruction.

Yoga Sessions will take place at the château either outdoors, overlooking the fields and river, or indoors in the 18th-century Orangerie when the weather is cooler.

Mary and Xavier, your gracious hosts, invite guests to feel at home and at ease during their stay. Mary is a consummate French home cook who prepares delicious, wholesome meals, with thoughtfully prepared vegetarian options.

Explore our 5-Day French cooking experience

Relax in well-appointed accommodations that blend antique French charm with modern comforts, offering the warmth of a cherished family home rather than a traditional hotel. Between sessions, make yourself at home in the Grand Salon or enjoy a peaceful walk along the river.

Breathe in the fresh country air, listen to birdsong, soak up the sunshine, unwind by the fountain, explore the estate’s grounds, or simply curl up with a good book. Surrender to the calm, restorative energy that surrounds you.

Curated Excursions
We will venture beyond the gates to discover some of the region’s rich history and local charm, enjoying carefully selected excursions that offer a taste of authentic French culture.

 

Day One – Monday

• Arrival between 2:00–4:30 PM
• Opening yoga session: 5:00–6:30 PM
• Welcome drinks: 7:30 PM
• Dinner: 8:00 PM

Tuesday

• Coffee and tea available before morning yoga
• Morning yoga: 8:00–9:00 AM
• Breakfast: 9:00 AM
• Lunch: 12:30 PM
• Afternoon excursion to a 12th-century abbey to experience Gregorian chants by monks
• Evening yoga: 4:30–6:00 PM
• Dinner: 8:00 PM

Wednesday

• Morning yoga and breakfast
• Visit to our local open-market, offering fresh produce, cheeses, meats, and seafood
• Lunch
• Free time to relax
• Evening yoga: 4:30–6:00 PM
• Dinner: 8:00 PM

Thursday

• Morning yoga and breakfast
• Lunch on the banks of the Loir River in La Flèche (€50 supplement)
• Visit to a beautiful château
• Evening yoga: 4:30–6:00 PM
• Dinner: 8:00 PM

Friday – Departure

• Morning yoga
• Lunch
• Photos and farewells
• Departure at 2:30 PM to Angers train station

Culinary Experiences

Lunches and dinners are served with fresh baguettes and wine. Dinners are followed by after-dinner drinks, infusions, and chocolates in the grand salon, which guests are invited to enjoy. 
Please enquire if  you have specific dietary issues.

Program specifics may vary due to weather, availability, and to take advantage of seasonal products.
We look forward to retreating with you at Château de La Barbée.  A place to restore your body, calm your mind, and nourish your soul.

What’s Included

• Shared accommodations
• Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Access to acres of forested hiking trails, fields, and rose gardens
• Yoga mats and equipment
• Free wifi
• Optional pickup from Angers train station or La Flèche bus station (at designated times)

What’s Not Included

• Transportation to and from the retreat (we’re happy to assist with travel planning)
• One off-site restaurant meal
• Laundry services (additional cost)
• On-site massages (additional cost)

For more information, please contact:

Mary Pochez

   +33 6 6363 2711

    hello@lavieduchateau.com