Women's Yoga and Heart-Opening Retreat in the Lot Valley, France

Mornings start with yoga, and the style shifts across the week between yin, slow flow and restorative. The point is to slow the nervous system down rather than work up a sweat, so expect long holds, props and a lot of time close to the floor. Fascia release follows, using gentle pressure and movement on the areas where people tend to carry stress — hips, shoulders, jaw.

Breathwork sessions run through the week, some of them paired with cacao ceremonies. A sound healing bath is usually scheduled in the evening, using vibration and sound to settle people before sleep. The Rite of the Womb Ceremony is the thread running through the five days: a reflective rite held within the women's circle, not a performance. Optional healing massages can be added for anyone who wants more physical release.

Food is cooked on site from fresh ingredients, and meals are eaten together, sometimes in silence and sometimes in conversation. Dietary needs are catered for — you tell the leader yours and they confirm what they can do. Afternoons and gaps in the schedule are deliberately left free for walking in the hills, writing, or doing nothing at all.

The women's circle is the constant across the week: a place to speak and be heard without judgment. That shared quiet is what most people describe as the part that stays with them.

What separates this from a generic yoga week is the combination of the Rite of the Womb Ceremony with cacao and breathwork, all held by one facilitator, Joyce Mol, in a rural corner of the Lot. It is a small, women-only programme rather than a mixed retreat with a yoga add-on.

What's included

- 5-day retreat programme - Accommodation on site (private or shared room depending on package) - Meals cooked on site with fresh ingredients - Daily yoga sessions (yin, slow flow, restorative) - Fascia release sessions - Breathwork journeys - Cacao ceremonies - Sound healing bath - Rite of the Womb Ceremony - Women's circle sessions

What's not included

- Travel to and from Puy-l'Évêque - Travel insurance - Optional healing massages - Room upgrades - Personal expenses