Rebuilding
Why can a change of scene help you through a life crisis?
When everything feels stuck, stepping away from your usual setting gets things moving again. Here is why, and on what conditions.
A culture of gentleness
Thailand is known as the "land of smiles", and it is more than a tourist slogan. Thai culture values calm, restraint and kindness. One expression sums up this state of mind: jai yen, literally "cool heart", meaning to stay calm in all circumstances. Another, mai pen rai, "never mind", comes up constantly in conversation.
For someone arriving exhausted, tense, worn down by years of stress, this atmosphere works on its own. You slow down without noticing.
Buddhism in everyday life
More than nine out of ten Thais are Buddhist. Without any religious requirement for participants, this presence permeates daily life: monks passing at dawn to collect offerings, temples open to all, meditation practised naturally. Thailand is a country where silence and inner life have their place.
Generous, varied nature
Within a few hours' drive, you go from the sea to the mountains, from forests to rice fields. Our two retreats make use of this diversity:
- in Prachuap Khiri Khan, on the Gulf of Thailand: quiet bays, limestone peaks, mangroves and Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park;
- in Isaan, in the north-east: the rural Thailand of rice fields, villages and forest temples.
A climate that imposes another rhythm
During the cool, dry season, from November to February, mornings and evenings are pleasant and middays are hot. This climate naturally imposes an alternation between activity and rest, which is at the heart of our method. And leaving the European winter for tropical light has a real effect on mood.
A cost of living that makes a long stay possible
Four weeks of supported retreat in Europe would cost two to three times as much. In Thailand, the cost of living makes it possible to offer a long, all-inclusive stay with daily professional support and a small group, at an accessible price.
A safe, well-connected destination
Thailand is one of the most welcoming destinations in Asia for European travellers, with many direct flights from Paris, Brussels, Geneva and Zurich, good healthcare and long experience of foreign visitors.
A large international community
Many French, Belgian, Swiss, Canadian and other expatriates live in Thailand. This also explains why many expats join our retreats. Read our article on expats.
Thailand beyond the clichés
Our retreats go nowhere near Phuket or Pattaya. We chose two authentic, little-visited regions where you live alongside local people. That is where Thailand shows its true face, and where real encounters become possible.
Discover our two restorative retreats in Thailand.
