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Our Ethos
When we moved to France in 2001, we had
a clear vision of what we wanted to do, though at that time we didn’t
have the place or the people to do it with. Having been inspired by a
visit to the holistic Greek venue Skyros a few years earlier, we knew
we wanted to work among people who were interested in personal and creative
growth. We wanted this to take place in a beautiful environment, a place
with an enormous amount of stillness and natural beauty where people
- including ourselves - could relax, let go, feel safe,
and just be with ourselves. After a ridiculously small amount of time
looking, we found a little spot of heaven, halfway up a hillside
in the middle of nowhere, and called it The Sun Centre.
In November 2005, we moved from our original
location to a larger site, to cater for increasing numbers of French
students and to upgrade what we were able to offer to guests. We renamed
ourselves Gardoussel Retreat after the hamlet which we occupy, meaning
'guardian of the birds'.
From humble beginnings, we now enjoy humble middles.
It is not our aim to be a residential venue for people wishing
to experience all the comforts of the city. We are
not a spa or a modern health centre. We are certainly not a manor house with
parkland offering exclusive packages, room service and all-mod-cons.
We are a family-run retreat (we have two grown-up children and Alex’s
mother Frances lives on-site) where individuals and groups come to share
in our life in a small way. What we have are simple, clean rooms,
and lovely facilities which include outdoor
and indoor spaces for yoga and other practices. What we offer
are delicious meals prepared on site, and down-to-earth advice
and guidance on our own specialities which include Ayurvedic health,
creative writing, self-development, meditation, yoga - and the best local hiking trails!
And what we provide most easily of all is a beautiful, unspoilt environment
where anything is possible – it
all depends on what you want to make of it.
We welcome up to 24 people at a time in our home. We
can’t
do this alone, nor do we want to. We need the help of everyone who passes
through. We all work together to make any given week a successful one.
Guests help mainly by lending a hand after mealtimes –
clearing up and washing dishes - stocking the wood-burning
stoves with logs (in winter or cold nights), caring for your room and
looking after the communal living spaces. In practice, this requires
about 15 minutes a day of each guest’s time.
Some people call this karma yoga – an effort
to nurture our sense of inner peace while going about our daily duties
and activities. Others refer to it as seva – loving service to others.
Whatever the yogic definition, working together for the pleasure of it
helps to foster a sense of community spirit and creates a more authentic
atmosphere. In our experience, communication becomes more honest, judgement
is released, sincerity grows and relationships are more meaningful. This is our ethos.
Alex & Sharon
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