Château de Longeval sits at 480 metres near the village of Saint-Just-d'Avray, in the Beaujolais countryside west of Lyon. The estate covers about 7.5 hectares of forest and gardens, with direct access to hiking trails and wide views over the Azergues Valley. The château has 40 bedrooms, four practice halls of 85, 132, 140 and 188 square metres, a vegan restaurant, permaculture gardens and a small library. A nearby annex, Clair Joie, has more space for outdoor programmes.

The silent retreat starts on arrival evening. You're asked to be there by 18:00 for a tour of the château and an orientation session, and then the silence begins. A typical day mixes several sitting meditation sessions with Hatha Yoga and an afternoon or evening talk. Meals are eaten in silence, and there's free time each day for rest, journalling or a walk in the forest. Five days before you arrive, the centre emails you a form to give your travel details and request a pick-up, plus the timings for your programme.

What sets this apart from many meditation retreats is the setting and the way the place runs. The château was renovated with eco-friendly insulation, second-hand furniture and a wood-chip heating system fuelled by forestry waste from the valley. Wastewater is cleaned on site by a reed-bed 'phytodepuration' system and returned to the food forest, rainwater from the roofs waters a vegetable garden, and an old basin is being turned into a natural swimming pool. You'll see all of this on the grounds, and much of what's on your plate comes from it.

The teaching follows the Hridaya Yoga method, which centres on meditation on the 'Spiritual Heart' (hridaya means 'Spiritual Heart' in Sanskrit) alongside classical Hatha Yoga. Hridaya runs sister centres in Mazunte, Mexico and Sânpetru, Romania, and is building a new centre in Bramans in the French Alps, so the teaching team is used to running long silent retreats.

Practically, it's an easy place to get to. Fly into Lyon Saint-Exupéry or take the TGV from Paris to Lyon Part-Dieu in two hours, then a combined train and bus ticket (about €12) gets you to Chamelet, 4 km away. The centre runs a €5 shuttle from Chamelet timed to the regional trains. Community members also offer shared airport pick-ups through a WhatsApp group, though these aren't guaranteed.

If ten days of silence is too much to start with, Hridaya France also runs a three-week Module 1 Intensive in English (1–22 November 2026), a four-day Kirtan and Bhajan workshop in French (28–31 October 2026), and a French-language weekend introduction to yoga and meditation (30 April–2 May 2027). Drop-in morning meditation and Hatha classes are also available year-round.

What's included

- 10-day silent meditation programme taught in English - Daily meditation sessions in the château's practice halls - Daily Hatha Yoga classes - Talks and instruction on Hridaya meditation - Château tour and orientation on arrival - Use of yoga mats, meditation cushions and blankets - Bedding and towels in all rooms - Weekly room cleaning - Access to forest trails on the 7.5-hectare estate

What's not included

- Flights and trains to Lyon - Onward travel to Chamelet (about €12 train and bus ticket) - Chamelet shuttle (€5) - Hridaya France annual membership (€10) - Laundry (€2 coins for washer and dryer) - Library book deposit (€50) - Natural toiletries from the on-site shop - Travel insurance - Accommodation and meals may be priced separately from the course fee; confirm when booking