Discover the Ultimate Mom & Child Retreat: An Unforgettable Experience for You and Your Little One
A sacred pause to soften,
play, and remember each other
Apply for Your Spot
An Invitation, Not Another To-Do
for the mother who gives everything, and is ready to receive · designed for children ages 1–6
Motherhood asks so much of the body. So much of the nervous system. So much of the heart. This retreat is not about doing more for your child — it is about slowing down enough to truly be with them, in a body that finally has room to rest, breathe, and feel held.
Five days at Domaine du Cardou, a peaceful stone estate above the medieval town of Puy-l’Évêque, held in fascia release, Yin yoga, breathwork, and gentle ritual — designed for you and your child to arrive, unwind, and reconnect, together and apart. A space where you can finally put your body down, and pick your child up without an ounce of hurry.
This Retreat Is For You If…
You feel this in your body
- You are touched-out, stretched thin, quietly depleted
- Your nervous system rarely gets to fully exhale
- You long for stillness that doesn’t feel like guilt
- You want to model softness, not just survival, for your child
You are ready for
- Slow mornings without the rush
- Practices that release tension held from pregnancy and caretaking
- Sacred one-on-one time with your child, without distraction
- A container of other mothers who understand, without explanation
Meet Your Hosts
I’m a mother of two girls, living in the South of France since 2022. In 2021 my family and I decided to move here to live a life more connected to the rhythms of nature — something I want to bring back into this retreat too, through slow mornings, time outdoors, and a pace that follows the day rather than fights it.
I founded this retreat three years ago, when I became a mother for the first time. I longed to return to hosting retreats — but I couldn’t imagine leaving my child at home to do it. So I created the space I couldn’t find myself: one where mothers don’t have to choose between their own practice and their child.
Together with Esmee, I’ve built an experience with room for everything: time for you and your child to bond, time for your child to have their own adventure, and time for you alone to receive. A massage — for you alone, or together with your child — is included, right in the privacy of your own room.
Hi, I’m Esmee, a primary school teacher with almost 10 years of experience working with children. I love creating a space where children feel free to be themselves, explore their own talents, and discover the world around them through play and curiosity.
Almost five years ago, I moved to France to embrace a life with more nature, peace and freedom — and I love bringing that connection with nature into the activities I do with children. Think exploring, creating, discovering, getting a little muddy and simply having fun outdoors.
And yes… we’ll be outdoors even if there’s a little rain! So please bring suitable clothes and shoes that can get dirty — muddy knees are very much allowed. I can’t wait to meet your little explorers and share some fun, nature-filled moments with them.
A Glimpse of the Children’s Adventures
Nature play, fairy houses, flower wands, and a little bit of mud — this is what Esmee’s afternoons with your little ones look like.
Rituals Woven Into Every Day
the same wisdom I write about, now held in a circle with you
This retreat is built around rituals — small, sacred rhythms that ground us and that you can carry home into daily life with your child. Throughout our days together, we weave in:
- A cacao ceremony to open the retreat with intention
- Mantra and gentle song, morning and evening
- Yin yoga and fascia release, for stillness and softness
- Conscious touch and breathwork, mother and child together
- Nature rituals — the fairy trail, flower crowns, forest walks
- A calming bedtime ritual to close each day
If this way of living resonates with you, my book The Vedic Parenting Guide — Raising Children with Ancient Wisdom in Modern Times explores these same rhythms and rituals for everyday life at home.
Explore the GuideThe Program
five spacious days, held for mothers and children ages 1–6
We alternate shared mother-and-child experiences with sessions created especially for mothers. During the mothers-only sessions, your child is lovingly guided by Esmee. The rhythm stays intentionally spacious and child-friendly — plenty of room for naps, feeding, cuddles, swimming, play and rest.
Day 1
Take your time to arrive, unpack and explore Domaine du Cardou and its wooded grounds.
A gentle cacao ceremony — a warm, heart-opening ritual to arrive fully, meet one another, and set an intention for the days ahead.
A few simple rituals together — mantra, breath and gentle movement — to mark the beginning of our time here.
A soft shared moment of song, connection and calm before bedtime.
Day 2
Esmee settles the children with a story moment, a snack, and a little treasure hunt around the grounds.
A joyful, playful practice with plenty of room for your child to join in their own way.
Day 3
Partner yoga, conscious touch, and simple exercises that strengthen your connection.
A stroll down into the medieval streets of Puy-l’Évêque, a visit to a local angora goat farm, river time, or a swim in the estate’s heated pool.
Day 4
Day 5
What’s Included
- 4 nights in a private room at Domaine du Cardou
- All meals, nourishing and seasonal
- Daily fascia release, Yin yoga & breathwork for moms
- Guided nature play & creative sessions for children
- Mother-child connection rituals
- Opening and closing ceremony
- Access to the estate’s 7-hectare grounds & heated pool
- Baby beds & cots available on request
- A small, intimate group of mothers and children
- A massage in your private room — for you alone, or together with your child
Your Investment
for mother & child, together
per mother & child, all meals included · discount for a second child
Only a limited number of families welcomed per group, to keep the container intimate.
Reserve Your PlacePayment & Booking
A deposit of €947,50 (50%) secures your place. The remaining balance of €947,50 is due 6 weeks before the retreat. Prefer to spread it out? A 3-part payment plan is available — just ask.
Deposits are non-refundable, as they secure your room and your child’s place in the program. The balance is refundable up to 8 weeks before the retreat; after that date it becomes non-refundable.
Domaine du Cardou
Puy-l’Évêque, Lot Valley, Southwest France
Set among seven hectares of woodland on the heights above Puy-l’Évêque, Domaine du Cardou is a peaceful stone estate built around a centuries-old pigeonnier, first recorded on the land in the 17th century. It’s a quiet, private world of its own — stone buildings, shaded gardens, and open lawns where children can run freely while mothers finally exhale.
At the heart of the estate is a heated saltwater pool, ours to enjoy throughout the retreat, along with the gardens and wooded walking paths that wind around the property. It’s a place built for slowness — nothing to rush toward, nowhere else to be.
Puy-l’Évêque, Your Medieval Village Nearby
A short stroll down the hill from the estate lies Puy-l’Évêque, one of the most beautiful villages in the Lot — golden stone houses stacked above the River Lot, narrow medieval lanes, and a skyline of towers that catches the light at sunset. We’ll wander down together during the retreat to explore its lanes, its riverside views, and its quiet village charm.
Your Room
private, comfortable rooms — with baby beds & cots available on request
Each room at Domaine du Cardou has its own character — some tucked under exposed wooden beams beneath the old pigeonnier roofline, others opening onto the garden through tall shuttered windows. All are private, quietly furnished, and finished with soft linens and warm wood floors, so you and your child have a true retreat within the retreat to rest between sessions.
Traveling with a baby? Just let us know when you apply and we’ll have a cot ready in your room, along with anything else your little one needs to settle in comfortably.
