Pottery & Yoga
About This Project
A 7 day all-inclusive retreat focusing on the art of pottery and yoga in rural France.
Arrive in your body
Connect with your breath
Create with your hands
At Pouygarin our specialty is throwing on the pottery wheel. Not that easy at first, but with practice comes the fascination for it. Each student has access to an individual electric wheel. Our courses are adapted to beginners as well as more advanced students. Other techniques such as coil or slab building will be available upon request.
We offer an extensive program built upon the basics technique of throwing. The exact content of the lessons is adapted to personal requirements and individual abilities. We teach the following topics:
- Clay preparation (stoneware)
- Centering (a must)
- Opening up, pulling out
- Shaping (cylinder, bowls, jugs, plates, etc.)
- Throwing a cone
- Pulling and applying handles
- Throwing lids
- Trimming
- Glazing
- Firing (gas and electric kiln)
- Individual requests of participants
Morning: Theory with demonstrations followed by practical exercises.
Afternoon: The studio is open for your free practice and creation.
Kiln: At the end of the course, a part of the created pottery pieces will be glazed and fired in the kiln. This allows the participants to learn all steps from the chunk of clay to the finished piece; and to take a memory home.
Yoga and pottery perfectly compliment each other. Practicing yoga will help at keeping your breath steady and your mind clear while working on the wheel. Two classes are offered each day.
Morning: This class will be held outside if the weather allows it. The fresh air, the closeness to the earth and gazing at the morning sky are a great way to start the day. Gently waking the body up through movement, exploring some breathing exercises and creating some heat will be the focus of this class.
Evening: After focusing on your pottery skills during the day and bending over the wheel you are welcome to join a second class. We will be doing counter movements to the positions we put our bodies in while doing pottery. Chest openers, balance postures and some restorative poses will be elements of this class to keep our bodies and creativity flowing.
You are welcome to join both classes; however, if you would prefer to take the time to relax, you are encouraged to do so.
Garden-fresh meals will be cooked twice a day.
Breakfast is simple, self-serve and includes fresh goat milk, homemade yogurt and fruit; fresh from the tree if we are lucky (cherries, apples, prunes and figs). Farm made jams, coffee and tea will be available as well.
Lunch and dinner are enjoyed together, usually outside on the terrace under the chestnut tree. Most meals will be vegetarian and besides freshly harvested vegetables, may include our own eggs and homemade cheeses.
Dietary restrictions can be followed; just let us know in advance.
You will be staying in the old farm house where the Trabut-Zwimpfer family lives year round. The rooms have a nice French country flair to them.
The house is 150 years old. After buying the farm in 1973, George (Paula’s husband) remodeled the house and started offering pottery workshops in 1975. Prior to moving onto the farm in Pouygarin, he owned a pottery studio with a store front in Paris, France. The farm is also home to goats, chickens, horses and a dog.
Location
By train:
Destination Auch (35km). Let us know your arrival time in advance so we can pick you up.
By car:
…Narbonne – Toulouse – Auch – Vic-Fezensac. GPS: Pougarin Marambat.
By air:
Airport Toulouse-Blagnac (100km). Extra charge for pick-up / drop-off service.
Maricella Uribe
Maricella's yoga is for everyone, beginner and advanced, women and men alike. While encouraging her students to touch up on their personal limits, she suggests to keep in mind we are working with the body and breath, not against it. She encourages her students to have a gentle curiosity of what the sensations in their body are, rather than aiming for a pose to look a certain way. She teaches a simple, grounding yoga that supports you to arrive in your body, leaving you feeling light and balanced.
Paula Trabut-Zwimpfer
Paula is very experienced pottery teacher and has been sharing her skills for over 15 years at Pouygarin. She aims to offer a diverse program without neglecting the basic techniques. Hereby, she pays attention to the learning rhythm and goals of the individual participant; no one should feel any group pressure.Classes are limited to 8 people! Sign up soon to secure your spot.
7 – 8:15 Yoga class
8:30 – 9:30 Breakfast
9:30 – 12:30 Guided hands-on pottery class
12:30 Lunch
Afternoon Free time. Enjoy a relaxing creative afternoon practicing or creating on the potter’s wheel, the workshop is open and you have full access.
18 – 19:30 Yoga class
After Dinner
Additional Activities: There are a few bikes available. You can hike or go for a walk with our farm dog. There is a natural swimming pond on the farm. There is a tennis court in Vic, a swimming pool (4km) and a few small swimming lakes around. You can also have a beach day on the Atlantic (160km). Or just rest and dream under a tree.
The cost for the entire week is 1000 Euros and includes
- Guided pottery class each morning
- Access to your own electrical pottery wheel
- Materials, clay, glaze and firing
- Two yoga classes a day
- Three meals a day
- Lodging in single or double rooms
- Pick-up / drop-off from Auch train station
Does not include
- Airport pick-up / drop-off
- Yoga mat
How to secure your spot
If you are interested in joining, fill out the form below and get in touch with us. We will answer any of your open questions and then ask you to make a deposit of 1/3 of the full price. The remaining balance can be brought as cash or deposited before arrival.
There is limited space for each week, so the sooner you have made your deposit, the sooner you can set your mind at ease and be excited for your trip!
Summer 2018
June 30 – July 8
consciouscourse@gmail.com
