BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

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Doors close 18th May 2026

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BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT * Doors close 18th May 2026 *

The Chosen One.jpg

Lost in Service
Found in France

THE five night intimate RETREAT for senior women in healthcare who are ready to rest, reconnect with themselves and reclaim the voice they’ve had to silence in order to survive.

DATES  June 7–12, 2026

LOCATION  Le Manoir d'Amiel, Carcassonne

SPACES  10 women

INVESTMENT from £1,900 (payment plans available)

SPACE TO BREATHE

Reserve Your Space

You came into healthcare to give.
You have given, and given, and given.

Somewhere between your first day and today, it happened.

Not all at once, you would have noticed that, more gradually. A meeting where you stayed silent. A corridor where you made yourself smaller. The mask and armour you wear so comfortably that you don’t even know you are wearing it!

This is what happens when a deeply caring, deeply capable woman, spends decades inside a system that was not built to hold her whole. You haven't lost yourself. You have simply been waiting to be re-united.

The Space to Breathe retreat is where you stop, rest, rip off the mask and armour and start remembering. This is not a workshop, it is not a programme, it is a reunion with your whole-hearted self. A reclaiming of the parts of you that have gone quiet, over the years. A reset for your body, your breath, your voice and your creative self.

Not who you should be.

Who you already are.

Living room with blue walls, yellow curtains, white couch with colorful pillows, a small marble table, a vintage fireplace, and a small wooden desk with a chair.
A group of people sitting around a long dining table enjoying a meal at a restaurant with a brick wall and shelves filled with bottles in the background.
A backyard with a swimming pool surrounded by lush green trees and bushes, and several black lounge chairs on a light-colored paved patio.

THIS RETREAT IS FOR YOU IF…

You recognise yourself
in any of these.

"I have spent so long being what this job needs me to be that I'm not entirely sure what I need any more."

"I know what I'd say. I know what I think. But speaking feels costly, so I've stopped. I'm not sure when that happened."

"I've been told I'm too much. Too direct, too confident, too loud for the room. So I learned to dial it back. I'm still dialling."

"My children are leaving, or have left. Something that held my identity in place has shifted and I don't know who I am on the other side of it."

"I take care of everyone. Patients, colleagues, family. I am not on the list, and I'm not entirely sure I know how to put myself there."

"I'm still showing up. Still doing the work. But the fire that brought me into this, I can't remember when I last felt it."

You are not lost, you are simply waiting to be re-found

Book a Discovery Call

WHAT AWAITS YOU?

An unhurried, embodied return to self

Not a workshop. Not a programme. A lived experience, in a place that holds you while you find your way back.

  • Each day begins in the body, not the mind. The morning practice is Kundalini-based, but you don't need to know what that means, and you don't need to be spiritual, flexible, or experienced. This is the kind of practice that doesn't ask you to become something. It asks you to remember who you already are. People often find themselves moved, not from difficulty, but from recognition. A gentle, unhurried ritual of arrival. In France, and in yourself.

  • Intimate group sessions focussed on identifying your purpose and reclaiming your voice. For Pathfinders: six private sessions with Becs, threaded across the weeks before and after the retreat, so the work continues long past France.

  • Guided, experiential practice using my 4-Part Voice Reclamation Process, to name what has gone unsaid, understand what silence has cost, and speak one truth that begins to change things. Step into your purpose, your next chapter, your whole self.

  • Afternoons held gently. Sound therapy. The pool. The hot tub. Long, unhurried meals. The kind of rest that is not empty, that is, in fact, full of exactly the right things.

  • Embodiment sessions that move through what words alone cannot reach. More joyful than you're expecting. More liberating than you thought you still had in you. Chanting that opens up your heart to your voice. Not because it requires belief, but because something happens when a room full of women find their voice in unison. The mantra is simple. The effect, less so. Amrit will lead this on a drum she made, a gift she gave to herself at a turning point in her own life. It is that kind of retreat.

  • The food is prepared by Cathy, an extraordinary woman who left teaching to follow a calling she didn't expect. She has been part of this retreat from its very first year, and every meal she creates is an act of care. You will feel that. Wholesome, healthy, chef-prepared with love, shared at long tables. Women who understand, because they have lived inside the same world. The connections formed here tend to outlast the week by years.

  • You wake up in a four-poster bed. You journal, you join the kundalini yoga class and after a nourishing breakfast you connect with yourself and the other women through group coaching and embodiment.

    What do you need to be ok?

    A dip in the pool.....

    Lunch at the long table, followed by free time to explore or just be.

    As the light shines, your heart is filled with a sense of peace, stories of strong women, tranquility and laughter fill your day.

    Relaxing in the garden, reflecting on your day, maybe a glass of wine in hand. Your Sovereign has been ignited, your vision is clear, your boundaries are set and you know what you believe in.

    Get excited for Cathy’s next creation. What will she be serving up for us this evening?

    Love, laughter and lingering sunlight

    Meditation before sleep, perchance to dream….

    Tomorrow you will wake, be present for yoga and experience more nourishment for the soul.

THIS RETREAT WILL GIVE YOU…..

A clearer sense of who you are beyond the role

Language for what has been silenced

Renewed access to your voice in work and life

Nervous system rest and physical replenishment

Stronger boundaries and embodied presence and purpose

A small circle of women who understand your world

A post-retreat integration plan and tools to carry home 

THE PLACE

Le Manoir d'Amiel,
Carcassonne

You are in the Land of the Cathars. Languedoc-Roussillon, where the light turns gold by four and the stone walls hold the warmth of centuries. The scent of jasmine. The particular quiet of a place that has no interest in rushing you.

Le Manoir d'Amiel was home to Augusta Amiel. a philosophical, poetic woman whose avant-garde memoirs are woven into the very walls. A place already shaped by a woman who refused to diminish herself. It suits this retreat perfectly.

Luxury accommodation, a pool and hot tub, chef-prepared meals at long tables, and the very particular freedom of being somewhere nobody needs anything from you.

A picturesque three-story house with beige walls and turquoise shutters on all windows. The house has a centered front door and a charming garden filled with lush green bushes, pink and red flowers, and lavender, with trees framing the scene, under a clear blue sky.

  • Example costs

    Flight from London Stansted to Carcassonne from £126 inc. 10kg hand luggage (Ryan Air) (5th-12th June)

    Flights from Bristol to Toulouse from £221 inc. large cabin bag (Easyjet) (5th-12th June)

    Flights from Gatwick to Toulouse from £188 inc. large cabin bag (Easyjet) (5th-12th June)

    Flights from Manchester to Carcassonne from £232 inc. 10kg luggage (Ryan Air) (6th-13th June)

    Flights from Bournemouth to Carcassonne from £173 inc. 10kg hand luggage (Ryan Air) (7th-14th June)

  • Free group transfers can be arranged from Carcassonne airport and train station on Sunday 7th June and back to the airport or train station on Friday 12th June.

  • There are 7 en-suite double rooms and 1 en-suite room with 2 double beds (if you want to share with a friend). There are a further 2 en-suite rooms in the annexe. Please click here to see more details, including the costs.

  • All food (3 meals per day except Wednesday lunchtime) will be provided including refreshments and snacks.

    We will be offering a nourishing, healthy diet and all specific needs will be catered for with advance notice.

    There will be a limited amount of alcohol available.

Reserve my space

THE DIFFERENCE

Created specifically for senior women in healthcare

Led by Doctors, women who know the system from the inside

Small enough for intimacy and safety

Combines rest with real inner work

Includes integration support - it’s not just a beautiful week away!

Specifically designed for women who are used to caring for everybody else

A smiling woman holding a red rose outdoors near a pond with trees and a sculpture in the background.

YOUR GUIDE

Dr Becs Winterborn

Who she is, and why she built this

Becs has worked in the NHS for nearly 28 years. Eleven of those as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon. She knows this world not from the outside, but from the inside. The wards, the meetings, the culture, that asks you to lead with your head and leave your heart at the door.

She knows what it is to lose your voice in slow motion. And she knows the feeling in the moment when that stops.

When she could no longer perform the version of herself the system required, she had to find out who she actually was beneath the role. That journey, back to her own voice, her own authority, her own life is the foundation of everything she now coaches.

"The qualities that made me good at my work, sensitivity, compassion, the refusal to accept harm, were the same qualities the culture kept asking me to suppress. I am done suppressing them. And I am done watching others do the same."

The retreat is held by Becs alongside Amrit, another doctor, with her own hard-won understanding of what it costs to lose yourself in service, and what it takes to find your way back.

Book a Discovery Call
A woman with glasses and long black-and-gray hair smiling outdoors in a grassy field with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

YOUR GUIDE

Dr Amrit Kaur Baura

Who she is, and why she said yes!

Amrit is a mama and a curious medic. She is trained in kundalini yoga, kinesiology and lifestyle medicine all of which enable her to be a more holistic GP.

Singing kirtan from the Sikh tradition has been an anchor throughout her life. Her love for chanting mantra deepened whilst on a yoga teacher training in the French Alps.

Amrit loves to sauna, sew and ski. She recently took up learning to play the tenor steelpan.

Amrit is happiest when using her voice in the pursuit of connecting with joy.

Book a Discovery Call
Portrait of a woman with red hair and glasses smiling outdoors, standing in front of a gray wall with hanging potted plants.

YOUR CHEF

Cathy Elms

Who she is, and why she said yes!

Cathy is the creative force behind Bakehouse Bespoke Catering and Bespoke Creative Retreats. With a background in textile design and years leading art and design in primary schools, Cathy has always been drawn to expression, craft, and connection. In 2017, she channelled that creativity into food, launching her own café and deli in rural Lincolnshire, where her two worlds beautifully collided.

Today, Cathy designs and leads soul-led culinary experiences across the UK and beyond, weaving together her love of seasonal cooking, artistry, and heartfelt hospitality. She has collaborated on women's wellness and cookery retreats in Lincolnshire, Ibiza, and France, and brings to every table the same simple belief: that joy is always best served when shared.

Her mission is as warm as it is clear, to help people reignite their inner spark, and to remind them that it is never too late to begin again.

Book a Discovery Call

FROM PREVIOUS RETREATS

The women who went to France
and found themselves there

Close-up side profile of a woman with glasses smiling, showing her teeth, with braided hair and gold earrings, indoors.

★★★★★

"It allowed me a safe space to realign my values and dreams and begin to thrive again, instead of just survive as an NHS doctor. I am grateful and appreciate this so much."

Dr Unice Narty  ·  Consultant Paediatrician

A smiling woman with short, light brown hair, wearing a green embroidered top, earrings, a necklace, and a pink rose flower pinned to her clothing, standing outdoors with a blurred green background.

★★★★★

"Being introduced to a different way of thinking about power was really helpful and felt genuinely empowering. The yoga and dance introduced me to a new way of experiencing my body."

Dr Nickie Jakeman  ·  Consultant in Emergency Medicine

Woman wearing a light blue knit beanie, smiling outdoors, with a gray scarf and dark jacket.

★★★★★

"I feel more freedom, more connected to others and a new strength from the empowering process of just knowing who I really am"

Consultant Practitioner (Nurse) Specialist in Older People & Frailty

A woman with short light brown hair and glasses, smiling with her eyes closed, wearing a black shirt with yellow sunflower prints.

★★★★★

“I feel better mentally and physically than I have done in a long time. I would recommend this to anyone working in the NHS as a tonic for mind, body and soul.”

SAS Psychiatrist and Founder Young Goals Ltd - Dr Joanne Younge

Choose your path back

Both paths include the full all-inclusive retreat at Le Manoir d'Amiel.

The Pathfinder adds six 1:1 coaching sessions with Becs, held before and after the retreat, so the reunion doesn't stop when France does.

YOUR INVESTMENT

For the woman who wants space, rest, reconnection and a powerful week away to reset.

Seeker

Woman in a brown dress kneeling on mossy rocks near a small waterfall in a lush green forest.

Five nights luxury, full-board accommodation

All retreat activities: yoga, chanting, embodiment, sound bath, meditation

Group and peer coaching sessions

Voice Reclamation Practice toolkit to take home

Heart-Led Leaders Compass assessment

Standard: £2,050 - £2,250

(16th April - 30th April)

Last Minute: £2,200 - £2,400

(1st May - 18th May)

Depending on room choice

£500 deposit and 5 monthly instalment

Reserve Your Space

For the woman who knows this is a turning point and wants personal support before and after the retreat, to make the shifts stick in her real life.

Pathfinder

A woman in a white dress standing on rocks in a creek with her arms open, smiling, surrounded by lush green trees and a stone bridge overhead.

Five nights luxury, full-board accommodation

Everything in Seeker, plus:

6 × online 1:1 coaching sessions (60 minutes each) with Becs

2 sessions before and 4 after the retreat

A personal container beyond the retreat, supporting your integration

Standard: £3,825 - £4,025

(16th April - 30th April)

Final Release: £3,975 - £4,175

(1st May - 18th May)

Depending on room choice

£500 deposit and 10 monthly instalments

Reserve Your Space
Terms and Conditions
A bedroom with green walls, a metal four-poster bed with white bedding and red pillows, and terracotta tiled floors. There is a black fireplace with a black marble mantel, and a mirror with teal decorative columns. The room has pink ceiling lamps and framed artwork on the walls.

Choose Your Room

A bedroom with a vintage style, featuring a bed with a pale teal headboard and golden trim, two red pillows, a folded set of gray towels on the bed, and two wooden nightstands with white desk lamps. The wall behind the bed has brown damask wallpaper, and there is a window with white curtains and gold damask drapes on the left.

  • Double bed - large en-suite shower room

    Augusta Amiel. The woman whose avant-garde memoirs live in the walls. A poetic philosophical woman ahead of her time. Sleep like a princess.

    4 poster bed and 30m2 room, Showcase signature room with dark green walls, views of from garden and local hilltops.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,100 (Deposit + 5 x £320)

    Standard £2,250 (Deposit + 5 x £350)

    Last Minute £2,400 (£500 + 5 x £380)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,875 (£500 + 10 x £337.50)

    Standard £4,025 (£500 + 10 x £352.50)

    Last Minute £4,175 (£500 + 10 x £367.50)

A bedroom with a black iron bed featuring floral bedding, a bedside table with a lamp, a couple of folded towels, yellow and white walls decorated with landscape paintings, and a wood stove in the corner.

  • Double bed - large en-suite shower room opposite

    Named after Johann’s mother who loves this room and says it is the most French. Period French furniture, Duck egg colours, beautiful views of front garden,.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,000 (Deposit + 5 x £300)

    Standard £2,150 (Deposit + 5 x £330)

    Last Minute £2,300 (£500 + 5 x £360)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,775 (£500 + 10 x £337.50)

    Standard £3,9255 (£500 + 10 x £327.50)

    Last Minute £4,075 (£500 + 10 x £357.50)

  • Double bed - En-Suite

    The church bells you can hear and see from this room were donated by the Amiel family. The quintessential French village view from this room that also has a wood-burner for cold nights. Double Bed, shower shared with bedroom Cuxac (Which will be empty)

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,000 (Deposit + 5 x £300)

    Standard £2,150 (Deposit + 5 x £330)

    Last Minute £2,300 (£500 + 5 x £360)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,775 (£500 + 10 x £327.50)

    Standard £3,925 (£500 + 10 x £342.50)

    Last Minute £4,075 (£500 + 10 x £357.50)

A bedroom with a four-poster bed with cream curtains, floral bedding, and pillows. There is a green velvet sofa with patterned pillows, a yellow curtain, a mirror, and a dresser near a window with yellow curtains. The room has a terracotta tile floor, a yellow rug, and a yellow floral wallpaper accent wall.

  • Double bed - large en-suite shower room

    Esclaramonde, another royal room named after our Cathar heroine and bonfemme.

    4 poster bed and 30m2 room, views of garden and local hilltops, showcase signature room with mustard yellow tones.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,100 (Deposit + 5 x £320)

    Standard £2,250 (Deposit + 5 x £350)

    Last Minute £2,400 (£500 + 5 x £380)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,875 (£500 + 10 x £337.50)

    Standard £4,025 (£500 + 10 x £352.50)

    Last Minute £4,175 (£500 + 10 x £367.50)

Bedroom with metal bed frame, white floral bedding, towels on the bed, wooden nightstand, table lamps, a red upholstered chair, a window with red patterned curtains, and cream-colored walls.

  • Double bed - en-suite shower room

    Denys Amiel, a famous Playwright, grew up in this house and this room inspires creative writing. Double Bed, Period French Mahogany furniture, Views of Garden, En-suite shower.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £1,900 (Deposit + 5 x £280)

    Standard £2,050 (Deposit + 5 x £310)

    Last Minute £2,200 (£500 + 5 x £340)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,675 (£500 + 10 x £317.50)

    Standard £3,825 (£500 + 10 x £332.50)

    Last Minute £3,975 (£500 + 10 x £347.50)

Cozy bedroom with white textured walls, a bed with white patterned bedding, twin pillows, and folded dark towels on it. A pink accent wall behind the bed features a landscape painting. There are small white bedside tables with lamps, a light blue chair, a wooden dresser, and a window with colorful curtains.

  • Double bed and single bed - en-suite shower

    Named after the village next door. This room is situated upstairs in the annexe, with it’s own entrance. Overlooking the courtyard. Privacy in your own annex.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £1,900 (Deposit + 5 x £280)

    Standard £2,050 (Deposit + 5 x £310)

    Last Minute £2,200 (£500 + 5 x £340)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,675 (£500 + 10 x £317.50)

    Standard £3,825 (£500 + 10 x £332.50)

    Last Minute £3,975 (£500 + 10 x £347.50)

A bright bedroom with two beds, pink and white bedding, floral pillows, a wooden wardrobe, a fireplace with a small mirror, a black chandelier, a green accent wall, pink curtains, artwork on the walls, a white chair with floral cushions, a small potted cactus on the mantel, and terracotta tile flooring.

  • 2 x Double bed - en-suite shower room

    The famous and magiocal Cathar ruins and vineyard (with a Michelin-starred restaurant) located 15 minutes from the house.

    View of the Village. Enjoy deep conversations with your roommate and great value for money.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,100 (Deposit + 5 x £320)

    Standard £2,250 (Deposit + 5 x £350)

    Last Minute £2,400 (£500 + 5 x £380)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,875 (£500 + 10 x £337.50)

    Standard £4,025 (£500 + 10 x £352.50)

    Last Minute £4,175 (£500 + 10 x £367.50)

    Twin occupancy - per person

    Seeker

    Early Bird £1,500 (Deposit + 5 x £200)

    Standard £1,650 (Deposit + 5 x £230)

    Last Minute £1,800 (Deposit + 5 x £260)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,275 (£500 + 10 x £277.50)

    Standard £3,425 (£500 + 10 x £292.50)

    Last Minute £3,575 (£500 + 10 x £307.50)

A cozy bedroom with a black metal bed frame, white bedding with a floral pattern, a window with brown curtains, a white bedside table, a floral lampshade, and a built-in wall shelf with decorative items.

  • Double bed, en-Suite shower room with kitchenette

    The perfect hideaway upstairs, often reserved for women with babies with its own kitchenette.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,000 (Deposit + 5 x £300)

    Standard £2,150 (Deposit + 5 x £330)

    Last Minute £2,300 (£500 + 5 x £360)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,775 (£500 + 10 x £327.50)

    Standard £3,925 (£500 + 10 x £342.50)

    Last Minute £4,075 (£500 + 10 x £357.50)

A bedroom with a black metal bed frame, white patterned bedding, two matching bedside tables with lamps, a framed colorful abstract painting, a window with curtains, and patterned floor tiles.

  • Double bed - en-suite with shower over bath

    Named after the local town with it’s own thermal spring. This is the only room with a bath. Situated in the annex with entry onto the courtyard.

    Seeker

    Early Bird £2,000 (Deposit + 5 x £300)

    Standard £2,150 (Deposit + 5 x £330)

    Last Minute £2,300 (£500 + 5 x £360)

    Pathfinder

    Early Bird £3,775 (£500 + 10 x £337.50)

    Standard £3,9255 (£500 + 10 x £327.50)

    Last Minute £4,075 (£500 + 10 x £357.50)

Golden Thread Mapping 1:1 session worth £500

BOOK NOW and receive a complimentary Golden Thread Mapping 1:1 session. Becs' Kintsugi framework for tracing the thread of gold that runs through your whole story. Notice how your gifts were their all along, they just needed to be rediscovered.

Available for both Seeker and Pathfinder.

WHAT YOU CARRY HOME

The woman who returns from France

A group of ten women standing in front of a green door on a yellow building with light blue shutters, surrounded by lush bushes and a gravel pathway.

  • Not walls. A quiet, unhesitating knowledge of where you end and another begins and the ease that comes with that.

  • The kind that does not need permission. You have heard yourself again. You will not forgot.

  • You have spent years living from the neck up. Five days of moving, breathing and feeling will change that.

  • Your voice reclaimed and something more than confidence, the knowledge that it was never wrong to use it.

  • The constant self-monitoring. The performance, The pressure to be busy all the time. Turned down. The committee of voices in your head are no longer running the show

  • Not borrowed, not caffeinated!. The real kind that surfaces when you stop spending your energy on everyone else first.

  • You are more than your role, your title, your service. You have ripped off the mask and armour. France has given you space to remember who YOU are.

WHAT YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING

The questions we hear most

I've never done yoga or anything like this, is it right for me?

Absolutely. The morning yoga is kundalini-based and designed for beginners. No prior experience is necessary. The only requirement is a willingness to arrive as you are.

What if I just want time alone?

That is built in. Every day includes unstructured time. There is no expectation that you will be present or social every moment. Rest, Reconnect and Reset.

I’m worried about coming on my own.

The house and the land have an amazing ability to wrap their arms around you. Every women who attends has lived experience of working in healthcare, they just get it! Like the women have been before, you will make friends for life.

I'm not sure I'm "spiritual enough."

This retreat is grounded, joyful and life-affirming. Rooted in real experience from real careers, always. It is about honesty, embodiment, and reconnection to yourself and the women beside you.

This costs more than a holiday. Is it worth it?

We will let the women who came before answer that! "The best personal development opportunity I have had in my 27-year NHS career."

What kind of support is available if strong emotions arise?

Bec’s is a certified Coach and is trained in Emotional Freedom Technique. She has years of experience of supporting women and is an expert in creating psychological safety and holding space for all emotions. you will be in good hands.

What if I feel no different afterwards?

Change from this kind of work is rarely instant, but it is real. Many women find the shifts emerge over the weeks and months that follow. The tools, the relationships, and something quieter, a remembering, tend to travel home with you.

Can I have my own room?

Yes. A range of room options are available, private rooms, en-suite doubles, and shared arrangements. You get to choose and if you want to come with a friend, that works too.

Are flights included?

No, flights are not included. The nearest airports are Carcassonne, Toulouse, and Béziers. Flights from UK airports cost from approximately £180 return. We arrange shared transfers from Carcassonne airport and train station where possible.

More useful information

You have been lost in service
for long enough.

France is waiting.

A discovery call is a conversation, not a commitment. Thirty minutes to talk about where you are, what you're looking for, and whether this retreat is right for you, right now.

Book a Discovery Call