Becoming a New Creation
Christian Meditation Retreat
South of France
A serene, Christ-Centered retreat to replenish the mind, body, and spirit and establish daily practices that promote mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
July 7-15, 2023
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About This Retreat
“Come unto me all who are burdened and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” We all need extended times to dwell in God’s presence and His transformative spirit to heal, cleanse, and restore us to wholeness.
Although many have come to believe if we can only change this or attain that to be happy, most find this nothing more than an empty path.
Not until we deal directly with and heal the disturbances living “within us,” can consistently experience God’s peace, joy, and genuine rest. Therefore, every bad or negative experience in our lives provides us with a pathway to healing when we perceive it as such. One of my favorite quotes is, “Never let a good emotional crisis go to waste.”
During mindful rest and retreat, we pause, unpack, reflect, reset, and reposition our lives. And with the right tools and guidance, we can become our very own healers and no longer slaves to our history, fears, patterns, old beliefs, and wounds. Without this “scheduled rest,” we can become disconnected from our own hearts and bodies causing us to lose that vital connection and life force with who we are and who God created us to be.
Becoming a New Creation - Our retreat Workshop Series
The past few years have been quite an emotional roller coaster for most people. How we handled the stress, fear, and worry we encountered, has a lot to do with our coping skills, faith in God, and regular healing rituals.
If you already have a consistent Christian meditation practice, it most likely gave you some respite from the doom and gloom all around us and helped you maintain your trust in God and inner calm.
This pandemic era most likely shined a light upon areas in your life that need some tweaking, maybe even a major overall. Many found themselves angered, annoyed, afraid, downright mean and judgmental, traits not becoming of who we are in Christ.
Meditation can bring awareness to our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations that can identify weaknesses, attitudes, and mindsets that we need to outgrow or change.
If you find yourself in a rut, reliving the same old mental and emotional patterns, feeling that you could be and do more, or ready to become a new creation in Christ, you’ll enjoy this retreat workshop series.
Through guided meditation, group instruction, reflective activities, and healing tools, you’ll transform and redefine who you want to become. The Bible says that we are a new creation in Christ, the old is passed away, behold, all has become new. Are you ready to let go of your old nature and identity and become the person God created you to be? Are you ready to gain the tools and learn the practices that will allow you to level-up and break free from your fears, negativity, and limiting beliefs? Are you ready to step out of that old way of living and being?
Jesus said, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” We are only as healthy as our minds. We can’t become a new creation with an old mindset.
During this retreat, I will take you along the same journey that God led me on to change some old patterns in my own life and move towards my deepest desires and find fulfillment along the way.
If you are ready to step into a new and upgraded version of yourself, sign up today! In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to continue this series after the retreat in my upcoming program.
Retreat Location
Located in the heart of the magnificent region of Gascony, surrounded by fields and hills, The Château is an historical French estate whose foundations date back to the Middle Age.
With its towers, windmills, ancient wine cellar, the Château is an authentic leftover of the French history and a reflection of the unique rural tradition of the region.
For the most part, the current batiment of the castle dates back to the 18th century built by the Comtesse de Beaumont, a former courtesan at the King of France court. The Comtess, who owned the Château until the early 19th century, built a splendid estate including a huge park decorated with statues as well as a small chapel.
With 12 bedrooms decorated in a warm, rural and antique style, two living rooms equipped with TV and WIFI, dining rooms, French pool room with board games, historical library, a large studio room of 160 sqm, a 6-acre park featuring ancient oaks and a splendid bathing lake located a few minutes away, the Château is the ideal setting to welcome large groups and host retreats in a tranquil and serene environment.
In addition to the practice of yoga and training activities, guests can enjoy their free time at the Château by taking walks through the exquisite countryside, going for refreshing baths in the nearby swimming lake, visiting local markets and historical villages nearby, participating in local festivals and tasting local wines as well as delicious regional products.
This retreat is designed for believers who desire to:
- Draw closer to God and His transformative presence.
- Let go of old stories, beliefs and fears & live with more peace, joy, and intimacy with God.
- Rest, reset, and restore their life and align themselves with God’s flow.
- Equip themselves to become their own healers in Christ.
- Create an ongoing Christian meditation practice and a transformative spiritual self-care routine.
- Overcome destructive thoughts and emotional hurt, and baggage.
- Become a more spiritual Christian interested in developing a deeper inner life and wants to experience God in a whole new way.
- Participate in a loving and supportive tribe.
Participants will leave the retreat:
- Rested & rejuvenated.
- With a renewed mind and insights that will change their life forever.
- Equipped with new practices, habits, and tools that promote mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
- Feeling closer to God and His transformative presence.
- Supported by a community of believers who are on the same journey.
- With the skills on how to meditate effectively as a Christian.
Past Retreat Highlights- Tuscany, Italy
What’s Included:
- 8 days, 7-night accommodations (double/triple occupancy)
- Fresh organic meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Daily meditation and instruction
- Daily workshops & retreat workbook
- Gentle Christ-centered yoga workouts
- Transportation to and from retreat center. (see details below)
- Several excursions including transportation for sight-seeing in nearby cities, markets, etc.
- Pre retreat hotel stay in Toulouse (single/double/triple occupancy)
Not Included:
- Airfare to and from France
- Meals outside of the retreat center. Does not include meals at the hotel or during excursions.
- Spa treatments
- Additional classes, workshops, or personal excursions not facilitated by the retreat host. For example, classes hosted by the center or paid tour experiences.
What You Will Experience
Build healthy systems and practices to continue on your spiritual journey to wholeness.
Evening Soaking Meditation: While laying in your most relaxing and comfortable state, enjoy Christ-Centered meditation, imagery, and soaking prayers. These unique and powerful meditations can be instrumental in addressing trauma and promoting the healing process within.
Sample Retreat Schedule
Friday (Arrive in France): We will be staying overnight in hotel in Toulouse.
Saturday- 8th (Arrival to Retreat)
2:00 P.M.- Via transfer busses, leave hotel for retreat center, about 1.5 hours drive.
3:30 p.m.- Get rooms, settled in, and relax.
5:30 p.m.- Dinner
6:30- Evening gathering, overview, and get acquainted.
***
Daily Retreat Schedule: (At least two excursion will be included as well)
Saturday (Last Day of Retreat)
- Breakfast
- Leave retreat center to airport at 10:00 a.m.
Departure to airport or personal sight-seeing and tours.
About Your Retreat Host
Rhonda Jones, aka, The Christian Meditator has been facilitating retreats for the last 10 years bringing people from all over the globe who want to restore their peace of mind, find inner healing, reduce stress, and draw closer to God.
Her mission is one of healing after suffering from 4-years of a deep depression that modern medicine and even the church couldn’t relieve. “I believe that with the right knowledge and tools we can heal ourselves from within using God’s word and His transformative presence,” says Rhonda. Her retreats are both Christ-centered and Spiritual.
Rhonda is the author of The Christian Meditation Journal, Detox Your Life and Awaken Your Inner Spirit Program, over 100 Christian meditation audios, and her upcoming coaching program, Total Mess to Total Rest. She is Yahweh Yoga instructor and specializes in senior and gentle yoga for aging bodies. You can learn more about Rhonda by visiting her other website, TheChristianMeditator.com.
Testimonials
Invest In Yourself
Double & Triple Occupancy
$2595.00
Double or triple occupancy per person in a large and spacious historic room. Come with a friend or solo. We will match you with a same-sex roommate.
Singles
SOLD OUT
Single room occupancy per person in a large and spacious historic room. Also suggested for couples.
Join Information Zoom Meeting on Feb. 2oth!
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation Options for Retreat Dates July 7-15, 2023.
RECOMMENDED Option #1- (Fly into Toulouse) (TLS) on July 7, 2023. Spend the night in the assigned hotel or hostel (included in the cost of the retreat). Take the shuttle bus from the hotel to the retreat center at 2:00 p.m. on July 8, 2023. (Please do not fly into France on July 8, 2023; you may have flight delays and this gives you a buffer.) Flying straight into Toulouse doesn’t appear to be too much more than flying into Paris.
Option # 2- (Arrive in Paris) (CDG) on Friday, July 7, 2023. Catch a connecting flight from Paris to Toulouse (TLS) on Friday, July 7, 2023. (They leave throughout the day). Spend the night in an assigned hotel or hostel (included in the price of the retreat). Catch the group bus to retreat at 2:00 p.m. on July 8, 2023.
Leaving France:
Option # 1 (Fly Home)- From retreat center, bus leaves at 10 a.m. on July 15, 2023 arriving around noon to Toulouse airport. Fly to Paris (CDG) and Paris to home.
Option # 2-(Extend Your Stay) – From the retreat center, the bus leaves at 10 a.m. on July 15, 2023, arriving around noon at the airport. Fly to Paris. Extend your stay for exploration and tours in Paris or the surrounding area. Book a room at recommended Paris Hostel or hotel of your choice. I will be recommending a hostel in Paris for a group stay as well as a variety of tours we can do together if desired. Euro train can take you almost anywhere in Europe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Meditation even Biblical?
Yes. There are dozens of scriptures in the Bible that encourage Christians to meditate. Joshua 1:8 tells us to meditate on God day and night so that we have great success in life. It’s hard to think about God or even walk in God’s Spirit & Love when our minds are filled with negative thoughts, fears, limiting beliefs, uncontrolled emotions, and running mental patterns of our past. Even Jesus said a double-minded man is unstable in his ways. Until we take authority over our minds and bring them in subjection to God’s love, we continue to live the struggle life with the mind warring against the Spirit. (Romans 7:23) Meditation, in most methods and forms, allows us to first become aware of our inner thoughts and dialogue which then gives us the space and awareness to actually renew our minds. There are tremendous benefits to learning how to meditate and during this retreat, you’ll learn the power of meditation in your own life and so much more.
Meditation? Yoga? Are you a New Age Christian?
No. I consider myself a Spiritual Christian. That means that over the years I have sought to not just have a head knowledge of God but an experiential experience as well. I don’t want to just know about God/Christ, I want the Spirit of God living in me and through me. Jesus said that “I and the Father are one.” And in Christ, we are to live, and move and have our being. When we get out of the way, we allow God to take up more space/residence within us. These are often the very issues we need to heal: memories of the past, negative thoughts, faulty mindsets, limiting beliefs, and automatic mind patterns. All of these obstruct us from knowing God in spirit as well as truth. The scriptures say that the “letter” kills but the “spirit gives life. Too many Christians live in the letter (the word) of God but shun the Spirit as anti-Christ, New Age, or Woowoo. But as the Bible tells us “God IS A SPIRIT.” We can’t just hold onto one aspect of God and neglect the other. God wants us to transcend the soulish entanglements of this world and rise upward and escape from our fear-based and limited captivity. As a Spiritual Christian, I see the spiritual relevance and meaning in the Bible far more than I see rules, tradition, and regulations. We are not to be cookie-cutters Christians for God. We are not to interpret the Bible ALL in the same way. We don’t have to put God in a box. And that’s okay. The Bible tells us to work out “our own” soul salvation (Philippians 2:12), not anyone else’s. It is to God that we are to be true. My job/ministry is to point you to the indwelling Spirit of Christ so that as Jesus said, “When the Holy Spirit comes you won’t need a teacher because the Holy Spirit will teach you all things.” The spirit of God lives WITHIN YOU! (Luke 17:21) That is the only place you need to look.
If you have more questions, please contact me using the chat bird below. I will be doing several zoom calls for more information. Please subscribe to be notified.
Isn’t Yoga Anti-Christian?
What I love about the Bible is the liberty that we have in Christ. (Galatians 5:1) Paul says, “Don’t let your good be evil spoken of.” (Romans 14:12) I, as well as many other Christians, have gained a deeper understanding of God through the mindful practice of yoga and its transformative effects. In some ways, yoga helps us to move God from our heads into our hearts/spirits as well as our bodies. That is why it is often called a mind, body, and spirit experience. Through the breathwork in yoga, we calm and regulate our nervous systems and learn to manage our emotions. Through movement in yoga, we release trauma from our bodies and the simple insight that “this too shall pass.”. Through stillness in yoga, we can observe and learn to calm the mind. All yoga classes are not the same. Jesus said, whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. (Colossians 3:17) We can use this beautiful practice with God at the center, as a wonderful healing tool. At the end of my classes, most students feel so calm, happy, and relaxed and say, “That was just stretching.” I’m also excited to announce that I will be doing more training in trauma-sensitive yoga to better help students relieve suffering from within. BTW- it’s optional. But I say, let go of the fear-based teachings and live in freedom and abundance!
But I’ve never meditated before, or I can’t meditate, should I still come?
The short answer is yes. During the retreat, you will learn a variety of Christ-centered meditation methods and practice them. Learning to meditate is not a sprint but a marathon that will grow with you. One of the best things about coming to a meditation retreat is the knowledge and support you’ll receive. I’m here to help you every step of the way. The only way to become a better meditator is to meditate.
This is the right retreat for you if:
This retreat may not be a good fit for you if:
- The goal of these retreats is to promote transparency, openness, support, healing, and love. If you have a problem with gossip, backbiting, judging, or creating dissension, this may not be the retreat for you. I understand that many people have problems with negative thoughts and can greatly benefit from the instruction and workshops, so don’t let that stop you. God is love and we have control over our tongues! We all have our own personal relationships with God and they may be different for each one of us, not wrong, just different, and that’s okay. Extreme legalistic and dogmatic views may not be the right fit for this retreat.
- Need internet access and technology to stay sane. We want you to leave the world of technology behind for a few days so you can focus on others, yourself, and your relationship with God.
- Looking for “mostly” a FUN-FILLED vacation! Although we are planning some optional and group activities during our free time (hiking, biking, excursions) our main priority will be to cultivate a lifelong Christian meditation practice and inner healing.
- Finding walking difficult. There may be lots of walking.
- Looking for the luxury amenities of a 4-star hotel.
- Stepping out of your comfort zone just isn’t your thing.
- Seeking to connect with God in a quiet setting with few distractions or activities. I am planning on hosting some retreats for those who really want to JUST deepen their practice and spend time with God that incorporates activities that support this.
