Second-Half Fitness & Wellness Retreat at a Loire Valley Château

The week is set at Château de Jalesnes, a 16th-century Renaissance château in the Loire Valley. It still looks and feels like a castle — stone walls, winding staircases, centuries-old beams, even a moat — but the rooms are comfortable and modern, and beyond the gates are vineyards, walking paths and quiet countryside. You sleep on site the entire time in your own private one-bedroom suite with an en suite bathroom. Suites come in three tiers (Standard, Premium and Signature), and there's a standalone two-bedroom Signature+ Clock Tower option. Rooms can be booked for single or shared occupancy.

Each day follows a rough rhythm. You start with mindful meditation and movement — breathwork, mobility and gentle stretching — designed to wake up the body without demanding performance. This is open to all levels; the point is presence, not pushing. After breakfast comes a late-morning workshop or guided discussion tied to the day's theme, drawing on Dr. Bramson and Lisa Rosenthal's forthcoming book and on Vann Duke's COMMAND™ framework, which blends physical vitality with mental resilience and personal agency. Afternoons are unstructured: take an e-bike through the vineyards, paddle a canoe on the Loire, wander into a village, book a massage at the château, or do nothing at all by the pool. Evenings end with a private-chef dinner and wine, often stretching late with music and conversation.

What separates this from a general wellness retreat is the coaching pedigree behind it. Vann Duke has a master's degree in Exercise Science and has coached clients for over 25 years, including Viola Davis and Colman Domingo, with a focus on adults in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond staying strong and mobile. Dr. James Bramson is a licensed psychologist with more than 25 years' experience, co-founder of the East Bay Mindfulness Center, the San Diego Mindfulness Center and the West Coast Mindfulness Institute, and has led retreats in Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Turkey, Greece, Nepal and Myanmar. Lisa Rosenthal is a certified executive coach and attorney who created the UNSCRIPTed Method™ for working through limiting narratives and life transitions. All three lead sessions themselves.

Two included excursions anchor the week. On and around Bastille Day you spend a day at an iconic Loire Valley wine estate with a private tasting, unhurried time in a charming nearby town, and an evening among the Fête Nationale festivities. Later in the week comes Angers Discovery Day — a slower look at the historic city's medieval roots, walkable streets and cultural centre. Both are included in the price.

ddd Food is a highlight rather than an afterthought. Chef Mhairi returns from previous SecondHalf retreats with menus built from fresh, locally sourced ingredients — long plated lunches and vibrant dinners that read as indulgent but leave you feeling good. Past guests specifically mention the vegetarian meals; one self-described carnivore called them "the most tasty and artful vegetarian meals" he'd had, served on proper table settings at every meal.

The trip runs 13–18 July 2026, timed so the long Loire summer light lasts until nearly 11 p.m. and the week overlaps with Bastille Day. Group size is intentionally capped — the château notes that most suites are already sold out, so availability is genuinely limited. Round-trip group transfers from a designated train station are included, but flights and train travel to the pickup point are not.

What's included

- Six days / five nights of château lodging - Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared by the private chef - Wine served at dinner - Daily vitality and movement sessions - Wellness workshops and guided discussions - Bastille Day excursion with private wine estate tasting - Angers Discovery Day excursion - Access to the pool, gardens, e-bikes and all château amenities - Group transfers from the designated train station

What's not included

- Airfare to and from France - Train travel to the designated pickup station - Travel insurance (recommended) - Optional add-on services (massage, 1:1 coaching) - Personal expenses