Provence · 3 days
The weekend runs 72 hours, start to finish, from Les Agneaux on the RN91 in Villar-d'Arêne. Each day mixes four things: Wim Hof breathing rounds, cold exposure outdoors, yoga, and meditation. The breathing usually comes first, because it's what gets you ready for the cold. The cold work happens in real alpine water: ri…
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Provence · 3 days · From EUR 699 (indicative)
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The weekend runs 72 hours, start to finish, from Les Agneaux on the RN91 in Villar-d'Arêne. Each day mixes four things: Wim Hof breathing rounds, cold exposure outdoors, yoga, and meditation. The breathing usually comes first, because it's what gets you ready for the cold.
The cold work happens in real alpine water: rivers and lakes in the valley, not a plastic tub on a terrace. At 1,650 metres the water comes straight off the mountains, so it is properly cold, and the instructors take you in step by step. The first dip is short. By the last day most people stay in noticeably longer and with a lot less gasping.
Yoga and meditation sessions fill in the gaps. They loosen you up after time in the water and give the days a slower rhythm. Nobody expects you to be flexible or to have meditated before.
Laurent D'Acunto and Antoine Bertin lead the programme together. With two instructors and a maximum of 10 participants, there's always someone close by when you're in the water, which matters for cold exposure.
The setting is a big part of it. Villar-d'Arêne is a tiny village in the Romanche valley, 2.4 km from La Grave and its famous off-piste ski area, and about 5 km from the Col du Lautaret and its botanical garden. La Meije, one of the best-known peaks in the French Alps, towers over the valley. Breaks are for sitting outside and looking at the mountains.
Compared with a typical yoga weekend, this one is much more about the body's stress response: you learn breathing techniques and then practise them in cold water, under supervision, so you know what you're capable of before you try it alone.
- 2 nights stay (3 days, 72 hours in total) - Guided Wim Hof Method breathing sessions - Supervised cold exposure in alpine rivers and lakes - Yoga sessions - Meditation sessions - Guidance from two instructors, Laurent D'Acunto and Antoine Bertin - Small group of up to 10 participants - Sessions in English and French - Free cancellation
- Travel to and from Villar-d'Arêne - Travel insurance - Extra nights before or after the retreat - Personal expenses - Swimwear and warm clothing