[Switzerland - France] Join us for an inspiring meditation retreat in France, on the stunning old chateau Saint-André near Dijon.
The travel to Fort Saint-André
Our journey to the meditation retreat in Fort Saint-André began with a train ride from Zurich to Dijon. Although we were excited to embark on this journey, we were also a bit apprehensive because neither of us had much experience with meditation. Upon arriving in Dijon, we hopped on a shuttle with the other participants of the retreat and headed towards the chateau.
It took us about an hour to reach the destination, and we were both eager to get settled in. The first evening was all about getting comfortable and moving into our rooms. Luckily, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that we had been assigned a room just for the two of us.
The retreat is organized by "L'école de médiation", a non-profit organization founded by the philosopher Fabrice Midal.
The meditation
During the retreat, participants were fully immersed in the practice of meditation with four sessions a day, starting with a morning meditation before breakfast, followed by a longer session until lunch, an afternoon meditation, and an evening group conversation. These sessions took place in a church located on the chateau that was equipped with colorful meditation pillows.
Three teachers guided the meditation, which was a combination of philosophy lectures and classical meditation methods. In addition to seated meditation, each morning we did a walking meditation where participants meditated while walking in a row.
On day two, many of us had intense emotions that the meditation helped to unfold. It was a unique experience to feel so connected to my emotions and to be able to calm down in such a way.
However, by the third day, the intensity and exhaustion of the meditation began to set in, and I realized that I was ready to return to my regular life soon. On our last day, it was hard to leave as we had become attached to our small group, and the retreat ended with a big buffet, with everyone feeling a deep connection to each other.
The way back home
Our journey back home took us through Dijon again, where we decided to visit the botanical garden to kill some time before our delayed train arrived. To our surprise, the garden turned out to be a true gem and a highlight of our trip.
It has not only plenty of flowers - e.g., a collection of roses being bred in different centuries - but also tons of vegetables.
Alone the variety of different broccoli types is fascinating. As we strolled through the garden, we couldn't help but notice the incredible sensory experience, the colors and fragrances of the plants seemed even more pronounced than normal. Perhaps it was due to the meditation we had been practicing throughout our trip, that our senses were more active than on normal days.
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Jsmea (CH)
Hey! :) Thanks for reading my blogpost, I hope you got inspired to travel to a meditation camp by train.
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