Bienvenue! Welcome!
Join us this coming spring for a unique retreat in the south of Provence with the great Life & Executive Coach, Gena Chieco! A week of exploring, discovering, and tasting Provence. You will visit the historic towns and typical markets, take a tour of our gorgeous islands and much more. You will participate in daily intimate workshops with Gena and a small group focused on the journey inward to embrace your true self and shed that which no longer serves you, including journaling, breathwork, guided visualizations, and group reflections. We will make sure that your experience in Provence will be one you remember forever!
I am a Life & Executive Coach who loves inspiring clients to step into their best lives.
In my first career as a lawyer, I had the privilege of working for the Obama Administration, followed by working for a Los Angeles cleantech startup as General Counsel.
In what I would later come to appreciate as a midlife awakening, I left the startup in 2018 for a travel sabbatical, simultaneously embarking on the greatest adventure, the inner journey home to my true self.
I completed Martha Beck’s coach training program and embraced that I have always been a coach in spirit. I derive tremendous joy and purpose in helping clients access their full potential.
I launched my coaching business in 2019. As a Founding Guide (coach) for Chief, a women’s membership organization focused on leadership, I have extensive experience leading group coaching workshops. I also have a thriving private practice in which I coach clients 1:1. With over 1000 hours of coaching experience, I am currently completing my ICF PCC certification.
I had the immense pleasure and privilege of participating in a transformative Lisa Congdon art retreat at Simple Life in Provence in September 2022, and fell I love with the Michaud family, the Simple Life in Provence magical retreat experience, and Hyères. You walk away with friendships and memories to last a lifetime. It is a dream come true to return to host a spring retreat at Simple Life in Provence!
You will explore Provence with Gena, as well as your local hosts and guides Maria and Mathieu.
Activities will include:
• Participate in coaching workshops with Gena in order to Restore, Reclaim, & Reignite
• Enjoy daily delicious meals prepared with fresh products and care by chef Mathieu and Maria
• Take strolls around unbeaten paths in the beautiful nature of Provence through the hills overlooking the old town
• Visit the littoral, the islands, and its breath-taking creeks
• We will take you through the alleys of the historic center of Hyères, this magic city where numerous writers and painters have come to find inspiration since the dawn of time. Artists such as Edith Warton, RL Stevenson, Noailles, Picasso, and Jean Cocteau amongst others, contributed in their time to shaping the rich art heritage of Hyères
• Visit our coloured markets, discover and taste Provençal specialties
• 7 Nights / 6 Days
• 8 to 10 participants
• We ask for a 30% non-refundable deposit of full booking upon reservation and the remaining at the latest on March 31st 2024
What is included?
• 7 nights accommodation
• 7 gourmet dinners & wine
• Daily delicious breakfasts and lunches or picnic
• Cooking & Baking workshops
• Visits, including transportation
• Aperitifs and snacks
Not included
• Airfares to France
• Airport transfer
• MANDATORY travel insurance (participants should suscribe to a travel insurance that covers the balance paid to Simple Life in Provence and book “flexible” flight tickets with cancellation options)
This retreat includes five workshop sessions running 2-3 hours. Each session will focus on embracing our true self while shedding that which no longer serves us. You will feel restored, vibrant, aligned with your wildest dreams, more confident, and more purposeful. The sessions will provide you with tools to continue to deepen your relationship to self beyond the retreat. This is a sample of what the workshops my look like, with the agenda to be finalized closer to the retreat.
Workshop 1 – Authentically connecting to our own selves and to one another
We will delve into the magic of our unique stories—navigating this brutiful thing called life—through journaling, group shares, and reflections, building trust and connections across the group to set a safe, strong, and comfortable foundation for the duration of the retreat.
Workshop 2 – Inviting in Compassion, Trust, Permission, Self-Love, and Enchantment
Using journaling prompts inspired by Liz Gilbert’s book, Big Magic, we will write letters to the most sacred parts of ourselves and share our insights with one another.
Workshop 3 – Shifting from an Inner Critic to an Inner Guide, and Healing from Imposter Phenomenon
Using journaling prompts, group reflections, and a guided visualization, we will identify our inner critic and the coping mechanisms that form the roots of imposter phenomenon, honor our inner guide, and shift towards shedding that which no longer serves us.
Workshop 4 – Unique Genius. We all hold unique genius, or ways of approaching our lives and work, that set us apart
When we identify our unique genius and anchor our personal and professional lives to activate our gifts, it leads to deeper fulfillment and a greater sense of purpose. Using journaling prompts and group reflections, you will more clearly see your unique genius.
Workshop 5 – Dreaming Big and Creating Rituals to Live Our Best Lives
Using journaling prompts and group reflections, you will identify your wildest dreams and recognize that which seems impossible is often within the realm of possibility. You will also learn tools to create lasting rituals and habits to set yourself up for success to live your best life and continue to sprinkle the magic of Provence into your future.
Sunday
3:00 pm: Check-in and welcome aperitif
7:00 pm: Welcome Provençal dinner
Monday
9:00 am: Delicious breakfast
10:00 am: Workshop with Gena
1:00 pm: Lunch at the villa
2:30 pm: Free time / Relax
4:30 pm: Visit the presqu’île of Giens
7:30 pm: Spring provencal dinner or Picnic at the beach depending on weather
Tuesday
9:00 am: Delicious breakfast
10:00 am: Workshop with Gena
1:00 pm: Lunch at the villa
2:30 pm: Free time / Relax
4:30 pm: Visit of a renowned vineyard followed by wine tasting
7:00 pm: Spring provençal dinner
Wednesday
8:00 am: Delicious breakfast
9:00 am: Provençal cooking workshop with the ladies from the village
12:00 pm: Lunch all together; enjoy the typical dishes we made together
3:30 pm: Workshop with Gena
7:00 pm: Drinks and spring provencal dinner
Thursday
8:00 am: Delicious breakfast
9:00 am: Boat ride to Porquerolles. Visit of the island on a bicycle (or walking if you prefer)
1:00 pm: Picnic at the “silver beach”
2:00 pm: Hop around the different bays and coves of the islands, swim, relax time
5:00 pm: Boat ride back to Hyères. Down time at the villa
7:00 pm: Spring provençal dinner
Friday
9:00 am: Delicious breakfast
10:00 am: Workshop with Gena
1:00 pm: Lunch at the villa
3:00 pm: Free time / Relax
7:00 pm: Spring dinner at the villa
Saturday
8:00 am: Delicious breakfast
9:00 am: Visit a typical Provence market, take a stroll through Hyères famous "remarkable" garden
1:00 pm: Spring buffet at the villa
3:00 pm: Workshop & Farewell ritual with Gena
7:00 pm: Aperitif and Farewell dinner prepared by the chef
Sunday
9:00 am: Delicious breakfast and chill time
11:00 am: Check out and goodbyes
Depending on weather, activities might be switched around
