Flow and Rest
a peaceful yoga & meditation retreat
22 to 28 July 2025
in the Catalan Pyrenees
with Athena & Sylvain
We invite you to a 7 day retreat of silence, active (vinyasa) yoga and relaxing yin yoga, meditation, mindful nature walks, great homemade food, connections and inspiring views.
A beautiful moment to disconnect from everyday life, screens and to-do lists, to connect with yourself, and to ground with the mountains, with your body and your breath.
This is a semi-silent retreat, which means we will have silent mornings and nights, and one fully silent day, to give you space to be with yourself, to rest, and hear the birds in the quiet company of others.
- Schedule (subject to change):
- Day 1:
- 16:00 arrivals, settle in
- 18:00 welcome, introductions, gentle flow
- 19:30 dinner
- 21:00 meditation, beginning of silence
- 21:45 rest
- Days 2 to 6:
- 6:30 wake up
- 7:15 sunrise meditation and movement (vinyasa yoga or hiking meditation)
- 9:00 breakfast
- 10:15 karma yoga
- 11:00 free time (mindful breaking of silence)
- 12:30 slow flow and meditation
- 13:30 lunch
- 14:30 rest
- 17:00 mindful activity
- 18:00 vinyasa yoga or yin yoga
- 19:30 dinner
- 20:45 kirtan
- ~ Day 4 is fully silent ~
- ~ On one of the full days, there will be an optional excursion to the nearby river to enjoy a swim in nature ~
- Day 7:
- 6:30 wake up
- 7:15 sunrise meditation and movement (vinyasa yoga or hiking meditation)
- 9:00 breakfast
- 10:15 packing / free time (mindful breaking of silence)
- 11:00 closing practice
- 12:00 closing circle
- 13:30 lunch
- Goodbyes
Silence
To fully give space to ourselves, to our experience, we need to turn off our "personas" (how we show up in front of others) and be quiet for a while. We can thus let go of the need to please, defend, confirm, get confirmation, seduce, flee or attack.
Offer yourself the opportunity to surrender to quiet, to relax into a unique silence that we can find is the space and time of this retreat. Treat yourself to the restfulnes of silence, the release of a need to be somebody.
We like to create a slow increase in silence towards one fully silent day, then gradually reducing the silence as we reach the end of the retreat.
Here is what you can expect:
Day 1: [and everyday] Silence starts after the evening practice.
Day 2: Silent morning until free time at 11:00.
Day 3: Silence until free time at 14:30 (after lunch).
Day 4: Full day of silence.
Day 5: Silence until free time at 14:30 (after lunch).
Day 6: Silent morning until free time at 11:00.
Day 7: Silent morning 10:00 (after breakfast).
Accommodation
Les Gavatxes offers beautiful rooms, apartments, and glamping tents, each unique and comfortable.
There are four accomodation options:
Camping
Camping offers you a spot on the accomodation shaded with the trees. Close to the forest and to the retreat activities. You need to bring your own equipment (tent, mat, sleeping bag, towel, etc). With an outdoors toilet and shower facility shared with other campers.
We want to offer camping to paticipants who could use a bit more financial support. There are very limited spaces, so if you would like to camp, please contact us first.
Glamping
There are three spacious tents with beds equipped with bedding, which can fit one person or a couple. With an outdoor bathroom nearby. Close to nature with comfort.
Shared Room
The shared accomodations are rooms and apartments shared with 2 retreaters per unit. They are all beautiful and unique. With a kitchen and an indoors bathroom.
Private Room
The private room offers you a room all to yourself if you prefer a little more privacy (or maybe if you snore loudly!). With shared kitchen and indoors bathroom.
Kshanti - Les Gavatxes is a traditional Catalan Masía with plenty of history, built over two hundred years ago. It is immersed in the middle of unspoiled nature in the mountains of the nature reserve of Alta Garrotxa. The estate is 56 hectares and consists mostly of forest, meadows and two rivers. The mission of Kshanti is to create space for mindful transformation.
Food
3 meals per day, all vegan, and homemade with love by our lovely cook and friend Eva.
The food is served in a self-service style.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you have allergies or dietary requests. Special diets such as gluten-free will be charged €15 extra (€2.5 per day).
How to get there?
Pricing includes everything except your flight/train and ride to Les Gavatxes
Kshanti - Les Gavatxes, 17867 Beget (Girona), Spain.
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/3ntgYdwwzicxzNDQ6
You can arrive with your own vehicle. If you have space to pick up other participants from nearby towns, please let us know so we can save on transportation!
You can take a Teisa bus (http://www.teisa-bus.com) from Barcelona or Girona to Castellfollit de la Roca. There we can come to pick you up or we can organise to share cars to the house.
Here are the available options for lifts:
-
Castellfollit de la Roca or Olot bus station (by a Kshanti team member):
- 20 euros per journey per person if only one person travels
- 10 euros per journey per person if 2 or 3 people travel
- Beget : free
To be paid cash on the day of.
Yoga and Meditation Props
Yoga mats, meditation cushions and blankets are provided if you do not wish to bring your own.
Pricing
Camping: €650
Glamping: €790
Shared Room: €790
Private Room: €920
- Includes:
-
- 1 to 2 yoga asana classes, 1 to 2 meditation sessions and 1 kirtan session per day
- 1 activity per day
- Accommodation for 6 nights
- 3 homemade (delicious) vegan meals a day made with love by Eva
- Welcome drink
- Use of yoga mat and meditation cushions from the centre
- Use of the property and its hiking paths
Registration and Payment
To sign up, please fill this form
Any questions? Email me at athenakirste@gmail.com.
A deposit of €250 is required to save your spot.
Bank transfer if paying in Euros:
ADM Vassilatos Kirste
NL85 ABNA 0869 9088 04
Please write "Flow & Rest, (your name)" in the desription.
Paypal (5% fees added):
If paying in another currency, you can use Wise:
Using the Euro Bank information
https://wise.com/
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Cancellation
If you need to cancel, please email athenakirste@gmail.com.
The deposit amount is refundable until 1 April 2025 less €50 processing fee and any associated bank fees. If cancelled by 1 June 2025, 50 % of the retreat price is owed (or reimbursed if already paid), less any associated bank fees. Any cancellation after 1 June 2025 will not be refunded. Any time, fully refundable (minus administration fees) if another participant is found to transfer your place.
Retreat Time
Starting: Tuesday 22 July 2025 at 18:00
Finishing: Monday 28 July 2025 at 15:00
You may arrive at Les Gavatxes from 16:00 on the first day (please arrive before 18:00 so you can settle in) and must leave by 17:00 on the last day.
There may be the possibility to extend your stay at Les Gavatxes, at an extra cost, before or after the retreat. Contact Sara if you would like to inquire about this possibility: info@lesgavatxes.es
The teachers
Yoga first showed up in my life as a key support to my studies in business and accountancy in 2010. My practice then evolved into a strong physical exercise, and today it is a gift of presence, a time to savour my breath, and a daily opportunity to study myself and the world we are in.
After completing my 200 hour teacher training in 2015 with Yoga Arts in Bali, Indonesia, I became more interested in anatomy and movement. This inspired me to train with Yoga Tune Up®, The Roll Model®, and Kathryn Bruni-Young (Mindful Strength).
In 2019, I focused on hands-on assists expertise under the guidance of Asami Martens with whom I also studied Yin Yoga.
In January 2020, I made a big move from Montreal to Groningen, and navigated teaching in a new city through a tumultuous time.
I made the decision in 2021 to follow my thirst for knowledge with a Physiotherapy degree. I knew this would support my path to help you feel better in your body with more and more expertise. This episode came to an earlier-than-expected stop when in 2024 I felt the call to teach yoga full time.
I love to teach classes from dynamic Vinyasa yoga to restorative Yin yoga, based on thoughtful sequencing for body awareness, mindfulness, and a deeper understanding of our breath and maybe also of our thoughts.
I can only hope that the classes and retreats I share offer you a gaze inwards that supports you individually and extends to our wellbeing as a community.
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Ten years ago Sylvain fell into the magical world of yoga when he joined a small lesson in a park in downtown Montreal, on a bright sunny day. Since that day, he has been commited to exploring and discovering the great gifts that this world has to offer. This has led him to many great studios in Montreal, a fulfilling teacher training in Bali, and now to the warm community at Open Yoga, Groningen. He hopes to continue to be able to receive and return the support, practice and love of yoga for many years to come.
This retreat is offered in English.
We also speak French, and a basic level of Dutch.
Do you want to join us?
First, fill this form
If you are interested in a camping spot, please contact us first (athenakirste@gmail.com).
Save your spot by sending the deposit.
Get ready for a week of flow and rest in July 2025!
Pictures & Reviews
"I had the most wonderful time, it was truly a moving experience and helped me process a lot." - Edie (2023)
"I attended Athena & Sylvain's Flow and Rest Retreat 2024 - this retreat was life changing for me. The silence allowed for my true self to bubble up and finally have the space that she has been crying out for! The environment was beautiful and calming, a perfect setting and the combination of all the activities offered was so well balanced. Athena & Sylvain are wonderful gentle souls, and their teaching is some of the best I have ever experienced. I am beyond grateful for the experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for a safe and soft space to explore their inner selves. Thank you!" - -Jennifer (2024)
"I loved the retreat! I hadn't enjoyed that much rest in a while. The silence and overall experience was challenging at some points but Athena and the group made it feel like a safe space to share and let emotions come up." - Lucile (2023)
"I am in awe of Athena's teaching. Her presence is calm and graceful, and she pours her heart into every little detail of the retreats she hosts. Athena's profound knowledge of the human body is seamlessly woven into her yoga classes and aligns with the deeper, non-physical aspects of yoga. There is so much to learn for me from her approach. She and Sylvain form an authentic and down-to-earth team, making sure every detail is thoughtfully taken care of. There is no pretence - just two exceptionally talented yoga teachers navigating life like the rest of us. I am forever thankful for this blissful week of rest, self-reflection, silence, deep conversations, flowing movements, amazing food, and the company of wonderful people. I will always cherish this experience. " - Emma (2024)
"We loved every minute. And we can't wait for your next retreat!" - The Patault Family (2023)
"Athena's teaching has a distinctive combination of qualities: wisdom, grace, and playfulness. There is something harmonious to it too. Go to her classes, tune in to her cues, abandon thinking, immerse into the flow, and then you could hear the soft, beautiful music coming from inside you. Maybe that's why after nearly every class with her, this quote by Anandamayi Ma echoes in my mind: "This body is like a musical instrument; what you hear depends on how you play it;" Athena is an excellent conductor! Also, her extensive experience with yoga and growing understanding of anatomy are genuinely and compassionately transmitted to the student; there is nothing contrived about her teaching -- that is a sign of an authentic teacher." - Mehran (2023 and 2024)
Gorgeous pictures taken by Jennifer Applin. Find her on instagram @applinjennifer