Guitar retreat Session

‘AstroYoga’

Something completely different!

Gather together your yoga friends and family

Book your 2026 Astroyoga Retreat NOW!

Playing at Guitar Retreat

Join us for our new retreat centred around mindfulness, connection and the cosmic view, set in the unique and spectacular dark sky site of Rural Retreat France. We’ plan dates of the retreat to coincide with the new moon and darkest night skies.

This is a 5-day retreat exploring yoga in its broadest definition – the union of inner and outer. Through practices of introspection, meditation, body awareness, movement and stargazing, you’ll discover how to bring together the vast and infinite space of our inner universe and the vast and infinite space of the outer universe.

You’ll leave with a new perspective on what it means to be a human, allowing fresh inspiration and creativity into your life.

Guitar retreat

Who is the retreat for?

AstroYoga retreat is the perfect getaway for you with good friends and family. If you are tired, stressed and need to relax and unwind, get together with like minded friends and family and plan a 5 day retreat from modern life. If you are finding it hard to concentrate and focus or if your nervous system is trapped in flight or fight, we will offer a quiet, calm environment with gentle exercise and mindfulness with yoga, qigong and meditation and mindful stargazing.

We welcome anyone with a reasonable level of movement and fitness. No previous experience is required in meditation, yoga, qigong or stargazing! Suitable for anyone looking to deepen their connection with our world and universe, and find inspiration and a fresh perspective.

5 nights all inclusive accommodation, meals & tuition & course materials at Rural Retreat France.

Retreat Pricing

We like to keep our pricing simple. One price for all retreats – €550 per person – for groups of 4 -8 people booking together. There are no supplements, seasonal price hikes, small print, add-ons or extras!

Included in the price is 5 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner & tuition. We even provide all day tea & coffee, toiletries, towels & anything else you may need for your stay. The only extra is your travel & insurances.

Simply email Sue, who will answer your questions, help with travel advice and check available dates.

What we will do on the AstroYoga Retreat

* Yoga and Qigong attuned to the energy of the summertime. Mark’s yoga is inspired by Buddhist Zen practice and combines mindful posture and flow routines to strengthen and soften the body and mind, build flexibility, grounding and relaxation.

*Mindfulness Meditation in nature under the trees, in the gardens and field and on our sunny patios. We will offer mindful eating, quiet reflection time, as well as conversation and sharing.

*Mindful stargazing at night under the beautiful dark skies of rural France. This will include contemplating the universe using images on the projector, as well as guided stargazing under the night sky.

Mark Westmoquette

Mark Westmoquette

Your AstroYoga Retreat Tutor – Mark Westmoquette

Mark has a PhD in Astrophysics & worked for a decade as a professional astronomer. In 2013 he switched from academic life to being a yoga, meditation & Zen Buddhist teacher, which he has been practising for almost 25 years. In 2022 he qualified as a qigong teacher & an advanced 500hr level yoga teacher. He is also a senior dharma teacher in the Zenways Zen community.

In recent years, Mark’s work has been focussed on bringing the spheres of astronomy & cosmology together with the principles of mindfulness & spiritual enquiry in what he calls “mindful stargazing.” He is the author of several books, including “The Mindful Universe” (2020, Leaping Hare) & “Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People” (Watkins, 2021).

Find out more here about Marks work, experience and expertise here.

Mike

I was worried I’d come and I’d end up twisting my back or making my knees worse, but I haven’t done that! But I appreciate how much you need a yoga teacher… I thought Mark was a very good teacher. That relationship between I, the inside, and the outside and the continuity of all things is extraordinary, really. It’s both frightening, terrifying, and also reassuring in a strange kind of way that we’re all interconnected. Overall I very much enjoyed it.

Monica

It was very quiet, more than I anticipated it could be. I am immeasurably more relaxed than usual, but most of all, my body doesn’t ache in a place that it usually aches! Observing the stars was thrilling. It connected me with being a child. Moments of complete joy, bliss and abandon – just being.

Alice

It was really good. I think I found it like a different approach to what I’ve done before. I found that more grounding. I really enjoyed the Qigong and like the more kind of slower flow. I actually think it was more intuitive.

Bernie

It was really unexpectedly calming. I just love the gentle approach and the idea of zen yoga really appeals – it’s that sort of mindfulness about what you’re doing rather than just doing yoga to be more stretchy. Learning about the stars and the fact that we had such spectacular night skies was just amazing. And I felt it blended in beautifully with that sort of mindfulness that we are all part of the universe.

Charlie

I was very wired at the beginning from the usual work stress. In the first few days I slept a lot. But in the last couple of days, I feel refreshed and renewed. The thing that I was most excited about was doing the Qigong because I’d never done it before. I do dynamic exercise or go for a run, and I think this was a much nicer way for my body to get up in the morning. And then the star gazing was just awesome. I think it put into perspective like not just my life, but also those who have left. It makes me kind of think of them in a more. It’s just nice to know that they’re part of the atmosphere and they’re still there in some shape or form. It was a lovely retreat altogether.