Bhakti Yoga & Sacred Community Retreat in the Belgian Ardennes

Radhadesh sits in the rolling hills of the Belgian Ardennes, a short drive from Durbuy, often described as the smallest town in the world. The retreat centre is a château with gardens, forest paths and a temple room, and guests have access to the grounds and community spaces throughout the stay. You sleep on site in rooms with attached bathrooms, and eat three vegetarian meals a day cooked by the community.

The daily structure is full but flexible. A typical day: 4:30am morning meditation and prayers, 6am yoga asana (the Hero's Journey sequence), 9am breakfast, 10am rest or time in nature, 11:30am a workshop or sharing circle, 1:30pm lunch, 2:30pm free time, 4pm another session, 6pm dinner, 7pm evening session, 8:15pm kirtan, 9:30pm noble silence. The organisers repeat that this is a retreat, not a training — you can skip anything and rest instead. The schedule shifts slightly on days with excursions or special workshops.

What distinguishes this from a standard yoga week is the setting and the access. You're inside a working spiritual community, not a hotel that hosts yoga. That means a Bhakti wisdom session with resident practitioners, a bakery tour inside the community's boulangerie, hands-on work in the Premaculture gardens, and time with the cows the community keeps. There's also a guided meditative walk through the forest framed around the Bhagavad Gita, and a 'magic moment' experience the organisers won't describe in advance.

Happy Jack (Jack Boken) leads the retreat. He studied at Harvard Divinity School and has been running retreats for nearly twenty years. Hanna von Hafenbrädl co-facilitates and leads the restorative, yin and yoga therapy sessions; her background is in grief support and yoga therapy. Eline Hogeveen, a certified Ayurveda practitioner with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Ayurveda from the Ayurveda Academy of The Netherlands, runs the Ayurveda workshop. Manu Magnin leads the evening kirtan. Thibaut and Hanna, who steward the Radhadesh gardens, run the Premaculture session. A team of resident yogis supports the week.

The retreat runs May 17–21, 2027. Arrival is from 3pm on the 17th, with the programme starting at 4pm; departure is 10am on the 21st, with room checkout at 11am. You can stay on the grounds after checkout. Rooms are shared (four or two people) or private, all with attached bathrooms. The retreat is capped at around 25 participants, and everyone eats together.

Free time is built into most afternoons. You can walk the forest paths, use the on-site yoga and spirituality bookstore and boutique, book a massage for an extra fee, or head out to Durbuy, rent a bike, or visit the MOSA Museum of Sacred Art. Brussels Airport is the usual arrival point, then a train to Barvaux (about €28) and a short taxi to Radhadesh (about €12).

What's included

- 4 nights accommodation at Radhadesh (shared or private rooms, all with attached bathrooms) - Three daily vegetarian meals with vegan and gluten-free options - All retreat sessions, workshops and guided experiences - Daily yoga asana (Hero's Journey sequence), meditation and kirtan - Ayurveda workshop with a certified practitioner - Premaculture garden experience (theory and hands-on) - Boulangerie (bakery) tour and education - Sacred cow care and connection - Guided meditative forest promenade - Radhadesh castle and spiritual centre tour - Access to the Radhadesh grounds, gardens and community spaces - Free WiFi

What's not included

- Travel to and from Radhadesh - Optional massage treatments - Purchases from the on-site bookstore and boutique - Additional snacks or drinks outside included meals - Travel insurance - Personal expenses