Just wanted to wish you, on behalf of the whole ménagerie (including the horses!) a very warm welcome.
- The wifi password is: 1026 1A26 3EC0 4F5A 2 E01 6073 A7. It sometimes takes a few attempts, but everyone has managed to log on so far. The 0’s are zeros, not the letter ‘O’ and there are no spaces between the numbers/letters.
- As mentioned in the description of this retreat, we will be having dinner at one of Nogaro’s delightful bistros one evening, usually the evening of day 4. We will each pay for our own meal and wine, to support a local small business in these still very difficult times.
- If you would like one or more massages during your stay (subject to availability) you’ll find Sarah Thacker’s contact details on the table in the corridor and you can arrange it with her. The costs of massages are not included in the cost of the retreat and have to be paid in cash after each massage.
- The retreat ends at 11h on Day 5
Program
Our program during your stay is simple, to allow you as much time as possible to relax, recharge your batteries and enjoy your surroundings. Before each interaction with the horses, make sure you have dressed appropriately (as described in Safety Precautions around Horses.)
- 08h30-9h00 Esprit Meraki Morning routine
- 09h00-10h00 Walking Meditation and Mindfulness Execises: Please view these videos before each session: Day 1 Breathing, Day 2 Grooming, Day 3 Massage
- 10h00-10h30 Brunch
- 10h30 Transport to the start of the day’s walk (two walks, three if prefered)
- 16h00-16h30 Pickup at the end of the day’s walk
- 18h00 Horse-guided Meditation – click on the link for a guided recording
- 18:30 Writing Meditation (see instructions below)
- 19:00 Dinner
- 20:00 Yoga Nidra (see instructions below)
The program is flexible and will be adjusted to make the most of the weather etc.
Walking Meditation
It’s a great idea to fit in a walking meditation during your Camino walk. Full instructions on how to do this are available here: Walking Meditation Made Easy During your walk, you can listen to a guided walking meditation. Choose from:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXYFNmFb6zY or
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9qTY8ttGUo
- or one of the other guided walking meditations listed on the Walking Meditation Made Easy webpage.
Download this map of the Camino to your phone:
- https://www.gronze.com/etapa/eauze/nogaro
- Or you can download the maps as pdfs, and find out more about the Camino, French phrases you may need, birds you may see, download 2 free Camino guidebooks etc. by clicking here.
- Google maps (in walking mode) is another excellent option.
The route is very well indicated, you’ll find the signs below every few hundred meters, so you can easily walk it without a map:
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Writing Meditation
During the walk, later in the afternoon or evening, to enrich your experience, you may want to do a Writing Meditation.
Prompts:
- Day 1 Make a list of 100 people/experiences/events/possessions that you are grateful for
- Day 2 Make a list of 100 of your achievements/talents/strengths/skills (small, medium and outstanding)
- Day 3 Respond to a prompt: Journal Prompts for a Meaningful, Fulfilling and Rewarding Retreat
Esprit Meraki Self-discovery Workbook
Yoga Nidra
I have made a recording of a yoga nidra session that you can listen to whenever you have a moment. Best time to do so is last thing at night.
Hope you’ll have a great time and see you at Lou ‘tit Mercat (opens at 15h30) in Manciet on the first walking day and at Les Cordeliers in Nogaro on the second and third walking day.
Sleep well,
PS. Don’t forget to make and take some sandwiches with you at tomorrow morning’s brunch and if you have any questions, just ask!
I have a collection of online(virtual) retreats that feature the horses, if you would like to continue to benefit from their wisdom:
- Hoofbeats to Your Heart’s Calling: Finding Your Life Purpose with Horses
- Write Your Way to Serenity: A Guided Journaling Retreat Inspired by Horses
If you have not subscribed to my Savoir Vivre Vignettes newsletter yet, I would hugely appreciate it if you would, that way we can stay in contact and you can get news about the horses after your retreat has ended.