Join Awake Space in Château de Montcuquet for yoga teacher training and unique transformational retreats involving energy healing, spiritual therapy, art therapy, self development and occasional music and sports events. Set in a magical 13th century, authentic medieval castle - Chateau de Montcuquet, Lautrec in the south of France.
Awake Space is about freedom. It is an open space to learn to discover and to transform. We honour the ancient techniques and history of yoga while understanding ourselves to be humans in evolution, changing and growing.
We are a yoga teacher training school registered with Yoga Alliance since 2015 with more than 400 graduates from Europe and around the world. Founded by Sunshine ROSS who has nearly 20 years of yoga teaching experience with a specialization in teacher training for the past 10 years. She is an energy healer and author of "The New Yoga Sutra: Divine Grace" and registered senior teacher with Yoga Alliance, the international association of yoga schools and yoga teachers, setting the standards for learning, teaching and safety in the practice of yoga.
Welcome to the magic of Château de Montcuquet. The chateau is currently the family home of the Ross family - Sunshine, Glen, Ocean and Sky. Its doors are open to yoga students and chateau visitors by reservation. Chateau de Montcuquet stands on a hill just outside the medieval village of Lautrec, one of the most beautiful villages in France (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France). It's the perfect yoga retreat venue in France.
There is a very, very, very old folk story that talks about a utopian paradise called Pays de Cocagne. It is a mythical place of plenty and ease- a stark contrast to the actual medieval reality. It is marked to be an area triangulated by the towns of Albi, Carcassonne and Toulouse - the Triangle of Gold! Within the triangle, sits our village of Lautrec.
On a hill with a view of the village, stands the castle with its three towers, three floors, three wings, three wells, a courtyard, a dungeon, a small manicured garden at the entrance and woods at the back. The tree lined driveway is sentineled by a pigeonnier with the date 1662 inscribed on its arches. The castle itself dates back to the 1300s as old archives indicate.
The rooms have been converted to yoga halls, meditation rooms, living spaces, relaxation places, and of course, lodging for yoga students and guests.
Lautrec & The Surrounding Areas
Discover the walled medieval village of Lautrec with its cobbled streets, stone and timber houses straight out of a fairytale.
Lautrec has just under 2,000 inhabitants and has been settled since the Celtic and Roman times. The entrance and walls are well preserved. There is a small Roman theater and mysterious underground silos still being studied by archaeologists today.
At the heart of the village is the La Collégiale Saint Rémy (1394) classed as a Historic Monument in 1996. It is surprisingly immense for a village of this size.
Through the streets and up a small hill is a lonely windmill, blades still turning today. You can visit the inside of the mill and watch wheat turn to flour.
A little higher up the hill is the cross of Lautrec where you can enjoy panoramic views of the countryside basking in sunshine, the Montagne Noire (black mountains) and the Pyrenees mountain range looming in the distance.
Pass by the Tourisme Office and its lovely formal gardens. On the first floor you will find a small museum of archeology and history.
On the practical side, you can find all amenities in the village including shops and boutiques that sell local artisanal products, gifts to bring home to friends and family. It has cafes and restaurants including one that serves vegetarian and vegan food and regular musical entertainment.
Albi
Just a thirty minute drive away is the city of Albi that houses the Toulouse Lautrec Museum. The famous painter was born in Albi but his family comes from Toulouse and Lautrec. In Albi you can also visit the beautiful Cathedral of Saint Cecilia,a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palais de la Berbie and its neautifully manicured garden is not to miss. Then spend the afternoon at a cafe by the river.
Things To Do
You will not easily run out of things to do during your stay with us at Château de Montcuquet. Your first stop will be to explore the castle itself then the medieval village of Lautrec. You can spend an afternoon in the Aquaval water park on scorching hot days. There are may walking and cycle paths to make your way around the Pays d'Agout.
Pink Garlic & Year Round Festivals
The castle and grounds are surrounded by plantations of pink garlic. This is the only place in France where the L’Ail Rose de Lautrec (Pink Garlic of Lautrec) is grown. The first Friday of each August is when the yearly Pink Garlic Festival is celebrated by local villagers and visitors alike.
This is followed by Fête du Pain (Bread Festival) et Le Festivaoût (August Festival) in the middle of August. The festivities continue every weekend of September highlighted by a regional arts festival- Festival des Arts en Pays Cocagne.
For a full calendar of events in Lautrec, click here
Walking and Cycling Around the Area
The Voies Verts are designated walking and cycling paths around the beautiful countryside. Get a glimpse of the Montagne Noire and the Pyrenees on your way. A full list of walking guides can be found on this link.
Getting Here
We are able to pick you up from Castres Train station. Don't hesitate to coordinate your arrival with us.
Flying
Castres Mazamet airport(DCM) - Paris
Our nearest airport is conveniently 20 minutes away by car - Castres Mazamet, daily flights from Paris Orly typically leave and return 3 times per day.
Toulouse Blagnac airport(TLS)
Located just over 1 hour from the Chateau is Toulouse Blagnac airport
Direct flights from these UK airports - London Heathrow/Gatwick/Stansted, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh
Many other cities have direct flights including - Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon, Frankfurt and Brussels
Carcassonne airport (CCF)
This nearby airport is just under 1hr 20minutes from the chateau by road, regular direct flights from London Stansted, Manchester, Brussels, Dublin, and Porto on budget airlines make this a great option.
Trains
The best way to arrive by train is from Toulouse Matabiau train station. A bus leaves the airport every 20 mins (9.00 euro) it takes around 30 minutes to the train station.
Regular trains depart to Castres from fares as low as 10.00 euro one way and takes between 1hr - 1.30hr.
