Provence Women's Retreat: Yoga, Flowers and Reinvention at Chateau de Moissac

The retreat runs for six days and five nights, and everything happens at the Chateau de Moissac in the south of France. Each morning begins with yoga and stretching in the grounds. Sharmin Wengender leads it, and she's explicit that you don't need to be good at yoga — if you'd rather just sit and breathe the morning air and look at the view, that's a valid way to start the day too. She's also around later in the day to answer questions and to help you build a routine you can take home.

Every day includes either a talk and discussion on reinvention and next steps, or a floral workshop at the chateau — then an activity or a visit somewhere locally. The talks are where Sharon and Sandra talk openly about what they've actually done: Sharon started her blog at 50 with no business or IT training, wrote two books with Gibbs Smith in 2015 and 2017, hired her first assistant in 2016 and launched a French subscription box and now a magazine. Sandra comes at it as a floral artist and an experienced entrepreneur. Between them they cover finding your way, creating a brand, and using social media — practical pointers rather than a lecture.

What makes this different from a standard yoga-and-crafts week is that the creative work is real and you take something away from it. You create a large feature floral piece yourself, using a generous selection of blooms the hosts provide, and you work into an antique French container that is yours to keep. Along the way you learn how to prep the flowers, how to plan the design and how to actually get the arrangement to look the way you intended. At the end of the week the whole group takes over a room at the chateau and builds a floral installation together for the final dinner — that one is a team effort, and it's where you pick up techniques from the others.

The intended guest is a woman asking what comes next. The hosts list the reasons people arrive: adult children leaving home, a career you want to redirect, or just a feeling that you could be doing more. It's not only for people who want to start a business — in the comments, when someone asked whether it would suit her if she didn't want to be an entrepreneur, Sharon answered that the week is about living creatively in whatever form works for you, and that past guests have ranged from women with a business idea to women exploring writing, photography, art or baking.

The setting does a lot of the work. The chateau is a substantial French property in the south of France, quiet and peaceful, with grounds you do yoga in each morning. Between the talks, the flowers and the afternoon outings, the week is deliberately unhurried — the stated aim is a week of calm and reflection, with good conversation, healthy living and good food and wine alongside it.

What's included

- 5 nights accommodation at Chateau de Moissac - 6-day programme of workshops, talks and excursions - Morning yoga and stretching sessions in the chateau grounds, led by Sharmin Wengender - Daily talk and discussion on reinvention and next steps, or a floral workshop - Daily afternoon activity or visit to a local point of interest - Floral materials for your feature piece - An antique French container to keep - Guidance from Sandra Sigman on flower prep, design and technique - Group floral installation session for the final dinner - Entrepreneurship talks covering finding your way, creating your brand and using social media - Guided and supported yoga suitable for all levels

What's not included

- Travel to and from the south of France - Airport or station transfers (confirm with the hosts) - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Additional drinks outside of meals - Any treatments, purchases or activities not listed in the programme