Moulin de Chaves 2027 - A Vipassanā Retreat, Resting in Equanimity
Moulin de Chaves, France | 2027
This retreat fulfills the retreat requirements for MBSR, MSC and MMTCP teachers and trainees.
This week in silence offers an opportunity to pause, listen inwardly, and reconnect with what sustains and supports us amidst the changing conditions of life. Through Vipassana and Insight meditation, mindful yoga, present-moment awareness, and time in nature, we will explore how to cultivate equanimity — a balanced and open heart that can meet life with greater clarity, compassion, and wisdom.
In the beautiful and tranquil surroundings of Moulin de Chaves, body, heart, and mind are given the opportunity to soften, restore, and find new grounding. The retreat supports continuity of mindfulness, deepening insight, and a gentle returning to the living moment — just as it is.
Resting in Equanimity
During this retreat, we will explore practices that help us quiet the mind, open the heart, and deepen our capacity to find balance and stability amidst change and uncertainty. By bringing mindful attention to our moment to moment experience, we can cultivate greater resilience in times of change and grow in awareness and love. We will focus on practices that calm the mind and open the heart, supporting continuity of mindfulness and the gradual unfolding of insight.
The structure of the retreat weaves together sitting and walking meditation, mindful yoga, rest, mindful eating, and Dharma talks with guidance and instruction. Each day also includes one hour of “working meditation,” which both supports personal practice and contributes to the care and upkeep of Moulin de Chaves. There will also be opportunities for short individual meetings with the teachers for personalised support in practice.
We will care for heart and mind through compassionate mindfulness, strengthening our connection with ourselves and with each other, while also allowing time to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings of Moulin de Chaves, deep rest, and practice in this peaceful, nature-filled environment.
Silence and Presence
This retreat is held in “noble silence” – noble silence. This means that we do not speak for most of the week, with the exception of short individual meetings with the teachers, as well as any instructions and guidance related to the practice.
The silence also includes refraining from using phones, computers, books, and other media, allowing the mind to settle more deeply into stillness and presence.
Through this outer silence, we are supported in meeting our inner world with greater clarity, kindness, and awareness. It creates space for the mind to gradually settle and the heart to soften.
During the retreat, we care for heart and mind through compassionate presence, deepening our connection with ourselves and life as it is. There is also ample time for rest, meditation, and quiet immersion in the beautiful natural surroundings of Moulin de Chaves.
Retreat Structure
During the retreat, we alternate between periods of sitting meditation and walking meditation in the beautiful surroundings of Moulin de Chaves. We also integrate gentle yoga and body scans to support embodied presence and deepen stillness.
Each day includes Dharma talks, teachings, and guidance in support of the practice. In addition, one hour of “working meditation” is offered, which both supports personal practice and contributes to the care and upkeep of Moulin de Chaves, as well as short individual meetings with the teachers.
Twice during the retreat, small group meetings are also held for support and reflection within the framework of the silent retreat. The structure is carefully designed to create a safe and balanced rhythm between stillness, movement, and rest.
Here is how previous participants describe their experience:
Retreat info:
The retreat comprises 7 nights at Moulin de Chaves and begins at 17:00 on 27 September, ending at 12:00 on 4 October.
Accommodation is booked separately directly with Moulin de Chaves. After registering for the retreat, you will receive a booking link where you can choose your preferred room and accommodation option.
Moulin de Chaves offers full board with vegetarian/vegan meals, as well as tea and filtered water throughout the stay.
Teaching, guidance, and the full Vipassana and yoga program are included in the retreat. A separate invoice from us will be issued for teaching and administrative costs related to the retreat.
The retreat is held in English by the teachers.
Practical information
Moulin de Chaves is a place dedicated to being a refuge and a space of welcome. Here, doors and hearts are open to people from all cultures, ages, backgrounds, religions, gender identities, and life situations — everyone is welcome, and especially you.
The retreat is open to both beginners and more experienced meditation practitioners.
Accommodation is booked separately directly through Moulin de Chaves after registering for the retreat. You will receive a booking link where you can choose your preferred room and accommodation option.
Moulin de Chaves offers vegetarian/vegan full board with a focus on seasonal, organic, and locally sourced ingredients. Plant-based milk is used in the kitchen, and dairy products and eggs come from small-scale local producers.
Travel to and from the retreat is arranged individually. More detailed information on how to get to Moulin de Chaves will be sent after registration.
The retreat begins at 17:00 on 27 September, but you are welcome to check in from 14:00 to settle in calmly before we gather for a shared meal. We will then meet for the first sitting and enter noble silence together that same evening.
The retreat ends at 12:00 on 4 October.
About Christiane Wolf
Christiane Wolf is a medical doctor, internationally renowned mindfulness and Insight (Vipassana) meditation teacher. She trained as a gynecologist in Berlin, Germany, and also holds a doctorate in psychosomatic medicine.
She is passionate about translating ancient wisdom teachings into accessible and applicable language for modern times. She strives to live from the heart, informed by the brain, and inspires her students to explore the same. She is the author of "Outsmart Your Pain - Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind" and co-author of the classic training manual for mindfulness teachers "A Clinician's Guide To Teaching Mindfulness"..
Christiane is the lead consultant and teacher trainer for the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) National Mindfulness Facilitator Training Program and a senior faculty member at InsightLA.
She is the proud parent of three amazing children and can usually be found exploring the mountains around Los Angeles.
For more information, please visit: christianewolf.com
About Celeste Young
Celeste Young is a Theravada Buddhist mindfulness and Dharma teacher whose practice began with her first meditation retreat in 2002. Among the first teachers empowered at InsightLA, she has guided thousands of students through classes, silent retreats, and individual sessions, sharing the Dharma both in the U.S. and internationally since 2011. She has also brought mindfulness into organizations, offering trainings and retreats for groups including Netflix and the University of Southern California, and served as a mentor to new mindfulness teachers worldwide for Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Training Program.
Her personal practice is rooted in a deep love for extended silent retreat. Since 2009, she has spent cumulatively nearly four years in residential silent Insight Meditation retreats, including over two and a half years of intensive silent practice, as well as time in retreat-based teaching and leadership roles, with dedication to extended retreats of 1-3 months in length annually for many years now. In 2017, she received formal teacher authorization in the Theravada lineage from Trudy Goodman and Jack Kornfield.
In addition to her Dharma teaching, Celeste is a certified Life Balance Strategist. She is extremely passionate about this work which empowers people to make mindful change in their lives. She sees life balance work and Dharma teaching as a pragmatic way of supporting people in living their deeper values and navigating their lives with much more clarity and well being. Sharing in the Dharma with others brings her immense joy.
About Viveka Blom Nygren
Viveka Blom Nygren founded Atmajyoti Yoga in 2002 and has been running it ever since. Her journey with yoga began in 1998, although she first encountered yoga during pregnancy in 1990. With a deep passion for the practice, Viveka has been dedicated to yoga for more than two decades.
Qualifications and Trainings
Certifierad by Yoga Alliance: Viveka maintains her certification through ongoing studies in various aspects of yoga.
Pranayama training:Certified Prāṇāyāma teacher after a 3-year training at Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute in Lonavala, India, under the guidance of Sudhir Tiwari and Sri O.P. Tiwari.
Medical Yoga therapist: Completed a 2-year program at the MediYoga Institute.
Meditation- and Mindfulness teacher:Certified after a 2-year training with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, a program developed in collaboration with The Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
Areas of Expertise
Viveka is currently focusing on:
– Pranayama
– Meditation
– Hatha Yoga/Medical Yoga
She teaches in:
– Medical Yoga
– Hatha Yoga
– Pranayama
– Meditation
In addition to her teaching, Viveka also offers corporate programs and leads retreats, sharing her knowledge and experience with a wide audience.
Approach & Philosophy
Viveka’s approach is rooted in presence, compassion, and the deep intelligence of the breath. She teaches with warmth and clarity, weaving together classical yogic wisdom, modern science, and her own lived experience. Her philosophy is grounded in the belief that true transformation happens gently — through consistency, kindness, and an intimate understanding of one’s own inner landscape. Her work invites students to rediscover balance in the nervous system, steadiness in the mind, and spaciousness in the heart. Through pranayama, meditation, and mindful movement, she encourages each practitioner to cultivate awareness, resilience, and a more authentic connection to themselves and the world around them.
About Moulin de Chaves
Moulin de Chaves Moulin de Chaves is a place created for meditation, stillness, and inner deepening. The retreat centre was founded in 2005 by Gail Aylward, Martin Aylward, and Ian Davidson with the vision of creating an environment that fully supports transformative inner practice.
Moulin de Chaves offers retreats in an atmosphere of deep care, kindness, and presence, surrounded by beautiful nature with riverbanks, forests, and peaceful surroundings. The practice is grounded in the Buddhist tradition of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and is guided by experienced teachers from various contemplative traditions.
Moulin de Chaves Moulin de Chaves is a place dedicated to being a refuge for all. Here, diversity and inclusion are deeply valued, along with an awareness of the importance of recognising and gently dissolving the barriers that separate us from one another. All people are welcome, regardless of background, age, gender identity, sexuality, ability, or religion.
Moulin de Chaves is located near the village of Cubjac, approximately 120 km from Bordeaux Airport, and can also be reached by train to Périgueux from cities such as Bordeaux, Limoges, or Paris, followed by a connecting bus or taxi.
We look forward to welcoming you here.
More information is available at: https://www.moulindechaves.org/
Book retreat
Dates & location
27 Sep – 4 Oct 2027
Moulin de Chaves, France
Duration
7 nights
Price (teaching & administration)
Price for teaching, guidance, administration, and organisation of the retreat:
1000 EUR per person
Registration fee
To secure your place, a registration fee of:
500 EUR
The remaining balance is due no later than 60 days before the start of the retreat.
Registration & booking
When registering, you will be asked to provide your contact and invoicing details.
You will then receive an invoice from Karuna Consulting LLC for the retreat fee.
Once your place is confirmed, you will receive a link where you can book your accommodation directly with Moulin de Chaves.
Accommodation & meals (booked separately)
Accommodation and full board are booked and paid directly to Moulin de Chaves.
The following options are available for 7 nights:
Single Kuti Cabin: 745 EUR
Shared room (3 persons): 535 EUR
Shared room (2 persons): 595 EUR
Single room: 745 EUR
Single en-suite room: 850 EUR
Shared en-suite room: 780 EUR
Accommodation includes full board with vegetarian/vegan meals, tea, and filtered water.
Example of total cost
Your total cost consists of two parts:
1. Retreat fee (teaching & administration)
1000 EUR
2. Accommodation & meals (paid directly to Moulin de Chaves)
535 – 850 EUR depending on room type
Total examples per person (7 nights)
Shared room (3 people): 1535 EUR total
Shared room (2 people): 1595 EUR total
Single Kuti Cabin: 1745 EUR total
Single room: 1745 EUR total
Shared en-suite room: 1780 EUR total
Single en-suite room: 1850 EUR total
Good to know
The total cost per person for the 7-night retreat consists of the retreat fee (teaching and administration) and accommodation with full board.
More information
Feel free to carbon offset your flight. You can calculate your carbon offset and choose an environmental project to support through Zeromission.
General terms:
All retreats organized by Karuna Consulting Ltd (Cyprus) / Atmajyoti Yoga AB (Sweden) are governed by the EU Package Travel Directive (EU 2015/2302) and the Swedish Paketreselagen. By booking and paying for a retreat, participants enter into a binding agreement with the organizer for the specific retreat period.
Cancellation terms:
A non-refundable registration fee of €500 is required to confirm your place. This fee covers administrative handling, communication, and non-recoverable deposits paid to the venue and teachers. It cannot be refunded or transferred under any circumstances.
Cancellations must be made in writing to the organizer. The following terms apply to cancellations after the registration fee has been paid: Time before retreat start Refund policy More than 90 days Full refund minus €500 registration fee 61–90 days 50 % of the total retreat fee refunded (minus €500 registration fee) 31–60 days 25 % of the total retreat fee refunded (minus €500 registration fee) 0–30 days No refund (100 % of retreat fee retained) If the participant finds another person to take over the booking, this may be accepted provided the venue agrees and the organizer is informed at least 14 days before the retreat begins. Once payments have been made to retreat venues or suppliers, those amounts are considered non-refundable under Article 12 of Directive (EU) 2015/2302.
-100% of the entire retreat price if cancelled later than 30 days before departure.
Read the full cancellation and retreat terms and conditions here.
Travel to Moulin de Chaves is booked and paid for by you separately.
Check-in is from 14:00. The retreat begins at 17:00. We enter noble silence during the first gathering in the meditation hall at approximately 19:00, after which we follow the retreat schedule. The retreat ends at 12:00, and check-out from the rooms is at 09:00.
Upcoming Retreats & Workshops
Each year we gather in places where the sky feels closer and the rhythm slower. Atmajyoti Yoga’s retreats are an invitation to step out of the pace of everyday life and into a deeper presence. Here, the breath leads, stillness speaks, and community supports. In the meeting of yoga, pranayama, and meditation, a space opens for clarity, softness, and inner strength. Join us to listen, to deepen, and to return to the natural rhythm of the heart.