Respira Retreat

A 6 day retreat in Corsica.

Deepen your breath.
Lighten your body.
Clear your mind.

Most people are moving through life with only a fraction of what’s actually available to them. Not because anything is missing — but because it’s been covered over. Stress, conditioning, and experience accumulate quietly in the body. They shape how you breathe, how you think, how you respond — often without you realizing. Over time, this narrows your range.

Respira retreat is designed to gently open that range back up.

Days move between practice and free time.
Mornings open with movement and breath, slowly awakening the body.
Afternoons unfold with space to rest, swim, walk, or simply be.
Yoga, swimming, hiking, eating well, enjoying nature.
Evenings we come together, practical workshops and conversations that help you understand what’s happening, and how to continue it once returning home from the retreat.

Nothing is separate. Everything supports the experience.

Nourishing vegetarian cuisine inspired by Mediterranean flavors, simple and generous.
Meals are shared, unhurried, part of the rhythm of the days.

In the first two days, you’ll also be guided through a three-part comprehensive “learn to meditate” course — giving you a clear, sustainable practice to take home with you. That's the whole point. You don't come to Respiro to access something you can only feel here. You come to learn how to access it anywhere.

Corsica is called l’île de beauté for a reason. It naturally supports this kind of work.
The retreat takes place in a historic 15th-century monastery, surrounded by mountains and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
An intimate and peaceful setting, hidden within the maquis, where time seems to slow down.

Sunset views, nature all around you, the warmth of summer, the sound of the wind, the sea not far.

You arrive as you are.
You leave a little lighter, a little clearer, more connected to yourself.

Your Host

Lauren McCarthy

Lauren McCarthy is a New York–based yoga, meditation, and breathwork teacher that guides people toward a deeper relationship with themselves and their practice.

Lauren has spent significant time studying in India and Australia, training closely with teachers across yogic and contemplative traditions. That immersion shapes everything about how she teaches — grounded, experiential, and rooted in lineage, while still being evidence-informed.

She formerly served as Director of one of the world's leading meditation organisations. She has spent years in rooms with people at every stage of their practice — from complete beginners to long-term meditators — and knows how to meet each person where they are.

At the heart of Lauren's work is what she calls Developmental Wellbeing — a practical framework for re-educating the body and nervous system, so that the clarity and steadiness you access on retreat doesn't stay there. It comes home with you.

Included

x5 Nights accommodation
All meals, nourishing, 100% vegetarian cuisine inspired by Mediterranean flavors
x5 x 90-minute morning practices (breathwork, meditation, yoga)
A dedicated “learn to meditate” course (3 workshop-style sessions at the beginning of the retreat)
Knowledge talks
Nature walks starting directly from the house
Beach afternoons (30min walk from the Couvent)
Thoughtfully curated surprises throughout your stay
Goodie bags
Support with your travel planning, guidance on the best way to reach the Couvent (via Bastia Airport), and coordination of taxis upon arrival.

Not Included

Transport to the retreat location (we’ll help coordinate transfers from Bastia airport to make your arrival smooth and easy)
Travel insurance and/or trip cancellation insurance
Massages or any other activities outside the organized program

Morning

8.00 h
Light breakfast
9.15 h
90-minute morning practice (breathwork, meditation, yoga)
11.30 H
Nourishing lunch

Afternoon

13.00 H
Free time (walks to the beach, pool time, hiking, rest)
16.30 h
Healthy snack
17.30 h
Knowledge talks or breathwork session

Evening

20.00 H
Sunset. Dinner. Shared moments.

Accomodation & Rate

Set in Cap Corse, near the village of Erbalunga, the retreat takes place at the Couvent de Pozzo, a former monastery overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Hidden within the mountains and the maquis, the house feels timeless.
Pine trees, dry stone walls, birds overhead, the sea always in sight.
A quiet, peaceful setting where everything invites you to slow down.

Originally built in the 15th century, the Couvent was once home to Capuchin monks before being acquired in 1796 by a notable from Bastia.
Still owned by the same family today, it has been carefully preserved, retaining its raw beauty and authentic charm.

Old stones, paintings, and objects quietly tell the story of the place.
Some of the former monk cells have been transformed into bedrooms, while preserving their original proportions and simplicity.

Each guest has their own private room, offering space, comfort, and privacy throughout the stay.

An intimate house, both simple and refined.
A place to land, to rest, and to fully immerse.