Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
October 1 - 7, 2025
About this Retreat
Jessie’s yoga journey began in the 1970s, growing up in the rainforest hinterland of Byron Bay, Australia, where she watched her mother practice headstands and joined in early yoga nidra sessions. At age 11, a family trip through India and Nepal planted the seed for a life woven with yoga, travel, and nature.
After years living and working in Europe, Jessie returned to the Northern Rivers and walked into a yoga class that shifted everything — she fell in love with practicing the yoga postures, her breathing relaxed and a feeling of inner peace washed over her. She knew then that yoga would become a natural and everyday part of her life.
Jessie went on to complete immersive yoga teacher training, study with senior Iyengar teachers, write four yoga books (HarperCollins Publishers Australia and Ulysses Press USA) including the bestseller Yoga Postures for your Body Mind & Soul, teach on yoga teacher training courses and co-create the Radiance Yoga DVD series. In 2002, alongside her sister Judy, she founded Radiance Retreats — offering deeply restorative yoga and wellness journeys in beautiful natural places.
Over two decades later, Jessie continues to guide soulful, slow-paced retreats that invite people to return to themselves — through breath, movement, nature, and rest. When she’s not offering Radiance Retreats, she’s teaching Byron Bay Yoga Classes, walking in the hills around Byron, writing and spending time with her family.
Details of this retreat
Join Jessie Chapman & facilitators for an inspirational 6-night yoga and hiking retreat in the beautiful Atlantique Pyrenees of Southwest France. Each day on retreat combines morning and afternoon yoga practice with awe-inspiring daily hikes, relaxation, restoration and some evening yoga nidra staying in a scenic mountain village accommodation with the days walking trails on our doorstep.
Everyone is welcome and well cared for by Jessie Chapman along with Radiance facilitator Lee Purdie. The yoga classes are designed for all, from the complete beginner to those with a regular practice, with lots of nourishing one-on-one yoga adjustments and instruction. Each day after morning yoga and breakfast we pick up our picnic lunch in the village before heading off for our days adventure exploring some gentler walks and some higher mountain hikes. In the afternoons we return to our hotel to relax and freshen up before the restoration yoga class followed by a shared dinner.