Stargazing @ Astroyoga Retreat France

Astroyoga

Something completely different!

Gather together your yoga & astro friends

Astroyoga Retreat @ Rural Retreat

Astroyoga Retreat

Join us for our new Astroyoga 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.

Night Sky Astroyoga Retreat

Who is the Astroyoga 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 and is suitable for anyone looking to deepen their connection with our world and universe, and find inspiration and a fresh perspective.

Retreat Pricing

Our 5 night Retreats are €550 per person, all inclusive, for a group of 4- 8 participants. A 50% deposit is requested at the time of booking to secure your place & an invoice for the balance will be sent 2 weeks before the retreat.

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

Yoga practice @ Rural Retreat

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 practicing for almost 25 years. In 2022 he qualified as a qigong teacher & an advanced 500hr level yoga teacher.

In recent years, Mark’s work has been focused 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 about Marks work, experience & 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.