Running Retreat Workshops & Wellness Activities: Mindfulness, Breathwork & Fitness

Enhance Your Running with Mind-Body Wellness

Our running retreat goes beyond physical training to explore the powerful connection between mind, body and performance. Led by your expert hosts Sophie and Lee, these workshops and wellness activities complement your daily runs with practical techniques that enhance focus, reduce stress and deepen your running experience. Whether you're new to mindfulness practices or experienced in breathwork, you'll discover accessible, science-backed methods that elevate both your running and daily life. All workshops are included in your retreat package and designed to support runners of every level.

Intimate workshop setting with max 15 participants ensures personal attention.
Workshops held in our comfortable spaces, with some mindful practices outdoors in the gardens

Workshop Schedule at a Glance

• Introduction to Mindfulness (Night 2): 30-45 minutes

• Breathing Techniques (Night 3): 30-45 minutes

• Optional Fitness Bootcamp (Day 4): 45-60 minutes

• Daily 5-Minute Mindfulness Practices: Throughout retreat

All workshops included in your retreat package.

Mindfulness Workshop for Runners (30-45 mins) and Practice 🧘

Near the start of the retreat, Sophie will lead a mindfulness workshop introducing the fundamentals of mindfulness and attention. The session is designed to support both beginners and those already familiar with mindfulness by expanding understanding beyond traditional meditation styles, often perceived as inaccessible.

Sophie highlights that mindfulness isn’t just about developing focused, narrow attention but also cultivating wide, open awareness. This dual approach helps runners and retreat guests improve mental clarity, expand their perception and enhance overall well-being.

The workshop explores various mindfulness practices and their effects on mental and physical performance, equipping attendees with practical tools to integrate mindfulness seamlessly into daily life and running. Throughout the retreat, Sophie facilitates daily moments of mindfulness, encouraging habitual practice and offering varied techniques.

Guests leave the retreat with a fresh, empowering perspective on mindfulness that enriches both running performance and everyday life.

What You'll Learn:

How to use narrow vs. open attention to conquer tough hills and enjoy scenic stretches
Simple techniques to stay present during challenging hill climbs
Tools to integrate mindfulness into your daily routine beyond the retreat

Led by Sophie - Nonverbal Communication Specialist and mindfulness practitioner

Breathing Techniques Workshop for Runners (30-45 mins) 🫁

Sophie will lead a breathing workshop exploring how different breathing techniques influence cognitive function and emotional state. Drawing on principles of embodied cognition, the workshop explains how intentional use of the body, especially varied breathing patterns, can directly impact mood, focus and mental clarity.

Similar to mindfulness, Sophie’s aim is to broaden understanding beyond common notions of breathwork, equipping guests with practical methods to leverage specific breathing techniques for different purposes, such as calming anxiety, enhancing concentration or boosting energy.

Guest participants will gain insights into how mindful breathing activates neural pathways that regulate stress and emotions, and how these subtle shifts in breathing can foster improved cognitive performance and emotional balance—all valuable tools for running and everyday life.

What You'll Learn:

A 2-minute breathing technique to calm pre-run anxiety (works before presentations, too!)
Energising breath techniques to boost performance
Practical breathwork you can use during any run and beyond the retreat

Led by Sophie - Expert in embodied cognition and body-mind connection

Fitness Bootcamp Session for Runners 💪

During the retreat, Lee will lead an optional boot camp fitness session on the grounds of Rossignols, Art de Vivre. This provides an additional challenge for attendees complementing the daily 5 km runs. The session includes a variety of general fitness exercises such as free weights, push-ups, sit-ups and bodyweight training to build strength, endurance and overall fitness. Designed to enhance your running performance and physical resilience, this boot camp is suitable for all fitness levels and offers a balanced mix of fun and effective training.

What's Included:

Bodyweight exercises tailored for runners (lunges, squats, planks)
Free weights training for upper body and core strength
Stretching and mobility work for injury prevention
All equipment provided—just bring comfortable workout clothes

Benefits for Runners:

Builds strength in commonly weak areas (glutes, core, hip stabilisers)
Improves running economy and reduces injury risk
Complements your 5km training with targeted conditioning
Fun, supportive group atmosphere—all fitness levels welcome

Led by Lee - Former Personal Trainer and lifelong runner

Daily Mindful Practices for a Deeper Running Experience

At our retreat, we invite you to deepen your running experience through two complementary mindful practices. Start some runs with an energising routine that combines focused breathwork and narrow visual attention, sharpening your mental clarity and priming your body for dynamic effort. Other runs gently unfold through slow breathing and open, receptive awareness—cultivating relaxation, flow and a deep connection with your surroundings.

By exploring both focused and open attention techniques, guests learn to attune their mind and body to different running states, empowering them to tailor their practice to mood, terrain and goals. This unique contrast enriches physical performance and mental well-being, offering tools that extend far beyond the trail.

Ready to Transform Your Running Experience?

Join us for a retreat that combines scenic hill running, cultural immersion and mind-body wellness practices you'll use for life.

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Additional Running Retreat Wellness Activities

Beyond our structured workshops, your retreat includes plenty of opportunities to relax, explore and recharge:

🏊 Pool Access for Recovery
After morning runs, cool down with a refreshing swim in our outdoor pool. The perfect way to soothe tired muscles while enjoying the peaceful French countryside. Pool towels provided.

✨ Nighttime Star Gazing (Weather Permitting)
End your evenings under the vast Occitanie sky. Far from city lights, Belvèze offers spectacular views of the Milky Way and constellations–simply lie back and soak in the wonder.

💪🏼 Free Weights & Training Equipment
Access to dumbbells available throughout your stay for those who want to supplement their training or maintain their strength routine.

🌿 Free Time Exploration
Each day includes unstructured time to:

Explore medieval villages independently after your morning run
Relax in the gardens with a book
Take scenic walks through the surrounding countryside
Connect with fellow runners over coffee or wine
Simply rest and reflect

Optional Add-Ons (Arranged in Advance):

Potential extended stay before or after the retreat for independent exploration (subject to existing bookings)
Partner/non-runner retreat options

All activities are entirely optional—you're free to participate as much or as little as you like. This is your retreat to design according to your needs.

For the complete day-by-day schedule showing when workshops occur, view the full itinerary →

Meet Your Workshop Leaders

Sophie -Mindfulness & Breathing Workshop Leader

MSc(Distinction) Communication, Behaviour and Credibility Analysis

Sophie - Mindfulness and Breathing Workshop Leader

Sophie brings a unique perspective to running and wellness, grounded in her background as a Nonverbal Communication Specialist and expert in embodied cognition. Her work explores how the body directly influences mental and emotional states—a principle she applies to help runners harness their physical practice for greater psychological well-being.

Sophie's approach to mindfulness breaks away from traditional meditation stereotypes, offering accessible, varied techniques that work for busy lives and active bodies. Her breathing workshops draw on neuroscience research, showing how intentional breathwork activates specific neural pathways to regulate stress, sharpen focus or boost energy.

With her deep understanding of how body language and physical states shape our mental experience, Sophie teaches practical techniques that runners can apply immediately on the trail. Her warm, engaging teaching style ensures everyone—from complete beginners to experienced practitioners—gains valuable tools that enhance both running performance and everyday well-being.

Lee - Fitness Bootcamp & Running Support

30+ years running experience

Lee, Fitness Bootcamp and Running Support

Lee is a lifelong runner and former Personal Trainer with years of experience helping people achieve their fitness goals. His passion for running began in his youth and has taken him across varied terrain—from coastal trails to mountain peaks—giving him deep knowledge of what runners need to perform their best.

Lee’s bootcamp sessions are designed to be challenging yet adaptable, ensuring participants of all fitness levels can benefit without feeling overwhelmed.

Beyond leading the optional bootcamp, Lee is available throughout the retreat for one-on-one support, whether you need advice on running technique, injury prevention, or personalised training tips. His approachable, motivating style creates a supportive environment where everyone feels encouraged to push their limits safely.

Together, Sophie and Lee bring complementary expertise—blending mental and physical training to create a truly holistic running retreat experience.

Experience Running Like Never Before

Our unique combination of medieval village routes, expert-led workshops and intimate group atmosphere creates an unforgettable retreat experience in the heart of Southwest France.

From €1,350 per person | Limited to 15 Guests

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