Cyclical Femininity Women's Yoga retreat with Julie and Lucile
Come join us for a week of deep relaxation, self-discovery and joy.
You are invited to share our love for women’s work and knowledge of women’s cyclical nature through women’s circles and women’s yoga.
Every day at the retreat begins with a morning meditation & women’s hatha and free-flow vinyasa yoga practice, designed to support the energy of the particular phase of our feminine cycle that is explored on that day. We continue with a women's circle, that introduces each of these phases, and then after brunch and free time, there is a late afternoon women’s circle, in which we dive deeper into the day's theme.
You will have the chance to swim daily in the cool, turquoise Mediterranean waters at quiet beaches, explore the idyllic unspoilt surroundings of Chora Sfakion, and be nourished by wholesome local food cooked with love by our wonderful cook Maria!
The retreat will awaken your deep knowing and intuition, so that you will find your path and walk it, supported by like-minded women from across the world. You'll experience a deep sense of relaxation and alignment with your body, your womb, your calling, your past, your future, your lineage, your pleasure.
"The Cyclical Femininity Retreat helped me reconnect to my menstrual cycles, to my body & my emotions. The facilitators guided us through the different phases of our cycle and helped us to connect to the different archetypes of our menstrual cycle, using many profound tools, such as yoga, movement, talking, drawing, meditation. I really liked their softness and professionalism, leading me to reconnect to certain parts of myself that I usually don’t get in contact with. The balance between the facilitators' work was perfect to both feel the alignment within ourselves and glowing outside. Exchanging with other wonderful women of different ages felt very empowering and I loved the amazing vegan mediterranean food! Thanks to all the team for creating this sacred space. 🙏💓" 2020 retreat participant
”Thank you for your deep dedication, for the joy and love you shared with us!” 2020 retreat participant
This powerful retreat will give you:
- A greater understanding of your cyclical nature through yoga, meditation, creative movement, art and life coaching
- Self-care practices to take back home
- A playful, safe and supportive group of maximum 14 women
- A chance to soak up the magical Mediterranean
“I had an incredible time at YogaOnCrete - a wonderfully relaxing experience with a warm welcome, lovely food and amazing yoga teaching. Thank you so much!” 2020 retreat participant
Retreat Highlights
- Daily morning 1 hour hatha flow yoga class with Lucile, including asana and pranayama
- Morning Cyclical Living mini-workshops with Julie to deepen your menstrual cycle awareness
- Afternoon Women’s circles with Julie to experience each of the archetypes through beauty medicine, intuitive movement, singing, drawing, soul sharing, ritual and much more
- Amazing nourishment with all the real goodness of Cretan food - vegan and gluten-free options available (7 brunches and 5 dinners included)
- Time off to explore the wild Sfakian coast, its solitary gorges and beaches on the turquoise Libyan Sea
- Possibility to tailor and deepen your journey further by booking an extra 1:1 Somatic Coaching for Women session with Julie (not included in course cost)
- A round trip to the beautiful Sweet Water beach
- 7 nights' accommodation in traditional guesthouse located near beach
- Linen and towels provided
Retreat Program
The week begins with an opening Women's Circle and introductory, grounding movement session at 6.00 p.m. on the day of arrival, in order to meet and allow women to fully arrive to the retreat, followed by a delicious vegetarian dinner cooked by our wonderful intuitive cook Maria.
All other days will begin with a 1-hour morning yoga and meditation class led by Lucile, based on Hatha yoga and Free Flow Vinyasa (usually 8.30-9.30 a.m.), each day focusing on one of the phases of our menstrual and/or moon cycle. This is followed by a Women's Circle led by Julie (9.45-10.45 a.m.), that will introduce the theme of each of the phases. After brunch guests are free to relax and enjoy the beach and sunshine, receive a massage treatment or private life-coaching or menstrual therapy session with Julie, or explore the village and region. In the late afternoon, there is the Intuitive Movement Women's Circle (usually 18.00-20.00), which focuses on diving deeper into the exploration of the phase of the day, and the day's programme closes with dinner.
All sessions are held on the yoga deck under the olive trees so you can enjoy your connection with the sea, the trees, and the hills.
The fourth day of the week is a rest day from classes, with no yoga or women's circle; an optional excursion can be arranged, including a guided hike through a gorge of the region (usually the magnificent Aradaina gorge) or other season-appropriate hike, ending at the beach (approx. €25 depending on number of participants going).All brunches and 5 dinners are offered at the house, while on two of the nights guests are free to dine out in the village restaurants (not included in the course cost; approx. €15 for a full meal including drinks). Individual excursions (e.g., hikes, boat trips) can also be arranged at an extra cost.
On the last day, departure can be arranged after brunch.
The number of women participating is limited to 14, to create a warm and friendly atmosphere, to ascertain that individual attention is given in the sessions and to create a safe and supportive group dynamic.
Women's yoga
The morning yoga practice with Lucile will start with a short breathing meditation and mantra chanting, and end with deep relaxation and breathing techniques. The practice is based on Hatha Yoga incorporating elements of free flow and vinyasa. We will look at how the body can feel free and open, when allowed to experiment, flow, and be breathed into. Through the practice we create a more bright, centred, spacious awareness of our being so we enter everyday life more confident, true to oneself, and happy. We will uncover the vitality and joy that is present in the body when we slow down, listen to its needs and make space to receive its wisdom, while we will also look at the body's natural potential for physical and emotional healing.
For women in particular leg- and hip-work is important to ground and connect to mother earth, and set the base for a dynamic pelvic floor, which is an essential condition for the spine to unfold, extend and grow, symbolically also creating the ground for this unfolding and growth to happen in less tangible parts of our lives. Another area we will be focusing on is the wonderful potential of an alive belly (the centre of our womb, our life-force and energy), where the forces of earth and sky meet and can be balanced.
A heart-opening session, including chest opening and gentle back-bending, will also be part of the retreat, to help us absorb the knowledge of our feminine bodies more deeply into our hearts.
Lastly, particular practices for the four phases of the hormonal and/or moon cycle will also be offered (follicular/waxing moon; ovulation/full moon; luteal/waning moon; menstruation/new moon), for menstruation and menopause to balance and contain hormonal and emotional fluctuations.
Women’s Circles
Each late morning and then also in the afternoon, we will gather for a women’s circle exploring deep connection to yourself, other women and our cyclical nature.Julie, life coach, menstrual and creative movement therapist, as well as Awakening Women Circle facilitator, will hold space for us to dive deep into exploring the feminine cycle through movement, art and rituals. The sessions will start with a womb relaxation, then enter into a healing journey and we will complete with more relaxation and sharing.
In each circle, we'll experience initiation into another phase of womanhood, another way of entering pleasure and creating oxytocin (the love hormone!), another phase of our cycle, of the moon, of the sun:
** Inner Girl: Finding Peace and safety for our little girls (follicular phase / spring / waxing moon)**
**Creative Woman: Healing the mother-daughter relationship (ovulation / summer / full moon) **
** Alchemical Woman: Fully embracing our sensuality (luteal phase / autumn / waning moon) **
** Lineage Woman: Taking our place in our ancestral lineage (menstruation / winter / new moon) **Whether you have a menstrual cycle, are going through or have passed menopause, these phases apply to the subtle energies that affect a woman and her creative potential throughout life. If you're experiencing (pre-)menstrual pain, menopausal, fertility or sexuality issues, you're likely to find release, opening and a way forward.
Women's circles are a beautiful safe and supportive space to share, practice listening with compassion, allow yourself to follow your heart and be held by a group of like-minded women.
Facilitators
Julie Mosmuller
Having recently settled on Crete, she spent the last six years travelling and giving workshops and sessions across India and Europe, and going deep into spiritual practise in her spiritual home Auroville in South India. She is certified as a Unesco creative movement therapist, an Awakening Women’s Temple leader and is a Madretierra menstrual therapist. Julie coaches a wide variety of clients internationally, online and face to face. In addition to (online and live) 1:1 sessions, she facilitates retreats, workshops and coaching training as well as monthly online gatherings and women’s circles. Her own experience has given her a keen understanding of what it takes to switch careers successfully. Transitioning from academia to corporate life to starting her own coaching and dance therapy practice taught her the importance of loving what you do and being authentic. Julie loves her work which gives her the freedom to combine personal, professional and spiritual growth. A common theme in client feedback is that Julie´s style is natural, warm and impactful. It is a natural extension of what she enjoys doing – creating a safe space, creating clarity and transformation. She loves her dance, yoga, art and meditation practice, and is passionate about conscious femininity and spreading cyclical awareness which she shares about on her Facebook group and Instagram account New Moon Sisters.
In 2012 Julie decided to make a drastic change and re-align her life to her values. She left her strategy consulting career in London to study yoga in India and become a certified co-active life coach. Her life purpose is to be the heart beat that attunes you to your inner frequency. Julie combines her extensive coaching, yoga, dance and business consulting experience to help clients find their calling and unique voice. She specialises in ikigai (life purpose) and feminine empowerment coaching.
Find out more on www.maitreecoaching.com.
Lucile Pinteaux
Lucile is a passionate soul! As a coach, yoga teacher and somatic movement expert, she holds space for participants to experience deeper awareness of themselves.
While she was living off her passion for dance, rhythm and movement as an international Swing dance teacher, she started studying yoga and embodied movement in 2014, in Barcelona and India (Auroville). Through these practices, she learned to take care of her body and spirit (essence), as well as her mind (thoughts) and emotions (feelings), before and after dancing.
As a yoga teacher, she aims for each participant to go within and feel their body, rest their nervous system, release physical tensions, and maintain vitality.
Lucile and Julie met in 2014, in one of the cyclical living workshops that Julie was offering in Auroville. Since then, Lucile has been learning about cyclical living and awareness, integrating her cycle and phases into her life and work.
Testimonials
“In Julie’s circles, I slip right into my feminine flow and flowering. I have an extra sway in my hips and a sensual playfulness in my body. I really appreciate Julie’s generosity, consistency and commitment to her inner work. It is soothing to be a part of her soft, simple and attuned guidance. I love the womb breathwork and the free expression and I end up bringing to life whatever seeds of intentions I plant in the New Moon circles. I celebrate Julie’s journey and the crossing of our paths, and am grateful for the subtle openings that happened in her presence.”
Pushpanjali, Performing Artist & Embodiment Educator, US & India
“My experience with the Soul Purpose circle has been so enriching and transformative. It’s a space where I explore what I really want, what makes me feel alive and brings me meaning and purpose.
Every circle makes me feel warm inside and gives me a sense of community amongst women interested in exploring what really matters. No matter my state of mind when entering each circle, I come out feeling invigorated and with a full heart. I am very grateful to Julie for offering so many tools and for truly holding space in the service of making our lives more beautiful and gratifying.“
Mouna, Conference Interpreter & Taekwando Enthusiast, US, Tunisia & France
“The YogaOnCrete retreat with Julie is probably one of the best things I have ever done for myself. It was a week of relaxation, introspection and reconnection with my deeper self, set in a beautiful village at the edge of a wonderful island. The food prepared was delicious, the friendships made were special and the memories will be cherished for a long time.
The accommodation was so charming, the retreat house is beautiful and the meals were delicious prepared with fresh local produce. I never thought I would like vegan food so much! I loved the village of Chora Sfakion because it was quiet enough yet had nice restaurants and boat access to wonderful beaches nearby. Perfect for a retreat.
The week turned out to be exactly what I needed. In fact I learned a lot about myself and enjoyed the deep connection with the other women of the group, Julie and frankly with myself. I am a fan and will keep an amazing memory of the whole experience.”
Sabine, Finance Professional, UK & LebanonPrices
- (all inclusive) per person per week
- €690 shared accommodation in twin non-ensuite room (with use of communal bathroom).
- €790 shared en suite accommodation (3 in a room) or single non-ensuite (with use of communal bathroom).
- €840 shared en suite twin or double room.
- €1140 single en suite accommodation (please note that single room availability is limited).
- €550 non-participating partner sharing a room.
- €690 (or 590€ **) work-exchange option (only one place per week): about 2-3 hours’ help per day with light household tasks (e.g., washing dishes, cleaning yoga studio) that does not interfere with the attendance of all classes. Accommodation in triple room. ** The €590 fee applies only if staying in the small twin non-ensuite room (just for friends sharing)
