Bienvenue all Esprit Meraki Retreat Guests!

Wishing you, on behalf of the whole ménagerie ( the horses and the cats!) a very warm welcome.

This retreat is your invitation to slow down, unwind, and decompress; to spend time on your own to listen inwardly, and to experience a rhythm of life that is gentler, simpler, and soul-nourishing.

Quiet hours: 21h00 – 9h00

House Keeping

  • One of the longstanding traditions of this retreat — and a favourite for many guests — is our dinner out on the evening of Day 4 (and lunch on Day 6 of the 7-day retreat) at one of Nogaro’s delightful little bistros. We each pay for ourselves, which also allows us to support a small local business that really appreciates it. Menu
  • If you need to connect to the outside world (briefly, of course), the Esprit Meraki Wi-Fi password is: 32LaGelize1408 (or just point your camera at the QR code and let technology do the heavy lifting).
  • My gift to you: the password for free access to Reconnect with Nature: A Guided Journaling Course Inspired by Horses is OMB8DF03N2
  • A small note for the sake of clarity and transparency: none of my 5-day retreats includes coaching or hypnotherapy sessions. However, if you would like some dedicated time to talk through something important while you are here, you are very welcome to book a consultation. A 45-minute coaching/hypnotherapy session costs 75€.
  • If you haven’t had a chance yet, please read the Safety Precautions around Horses page. The horses are gentle giants with very specific opinions, and knowing how to interact with them makes everything safer for everyone — including them.
  • There are no clothes-washing facilities on site, but if you need to freshen up your walking gear, there are washing machines available at the Carrefour in Nogaro.
  • For participants in the Writing Retreat, the Instructions for Writing Retreat Participants page’s password is: 2525
  • The 5-day retreat ends at 11h00 on the last day.

Program

Our program during your stay is simple, to allow you as much time as possible to relax, reflect, recharge your batteries and simply enjoy your surroundings. 

Saturday

Walking Days (Sunday and Monday)

Reading/Writing Day (Tuesday) Full day of undisturbed reading or writing (brunch as described above and dinner at Le Commerce in Nogaro)

Wednesday

7-day retreat continues till Friday morning and includes walking meditation with the horses, breathwork with the horses, sitting meditation with the horses, visit to Eauze fresh food market (full description) etc.

All activities are optional. The program is not set in stone and may have to be changed for a variety of reasons incl. to making the most of the weather.

Your Camino de Santiago de Compostela Walk

Finding your way:

  • Use one of ChatGPT’s custom GPT’s to guide you: Camino de Santiago Guide or the Camino Companion ex. “Describe the route between Eauze and Nogaro.”
  • You do not need a map, the path is well indicated. If you want a map, use the Buen Camino de Santiago App. Or download a couple of maps as PDFs by clicking here. – More about Eauze.
  • Your third walk (only for the Camino Appetiser and 7-day retreat) is the first section of the Camino from Nogaro to Lourdes. The walk is 15 km, but guests can opt for a shorter walk (12 km) if they prefer. The walk takes 3-4 hours to walk. Beginning at the historic Saint-Nicolas church square in Nogaro, this scenic hike takes you out into the rolling Gascon countryside past lush vineyards, through the peaceful hamlet of Mauriet, and then to the picturesque medieval village of Termes d’Armagnac, where a stunning château and its striking medieval tower make for a truly memorable finale. More information and map.

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:

Sign
sign 2

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Walking Meditation

It’s a great idea to fit in a walking meditation during your Camino walk.  Full instructions here: Walking Meditation Made Easy. During your walk, you can listen to a guided walking meditation.

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. CLICK HERE to access it.

Pick-up points

Hope you’ll have a great time and see you at The Black Pig in Manciet on the first walking day and at Brasserie Les Cordeliers in Nogaro on the second walking day.

Sleep well,

PS. Don’t forget to make some sandwiches at tomorrow morning’s brunch!

What Life Lessons Can You Learn While Walking the Camino de Santiago? – a free guide filled with 10 not just “quaint anecdotes” or Instagram-worthy moments (though there are plenty of those) but real transformations from real people who walked this insight-giving trail – Subscribe to my monthly newsletter to Download the Guide

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