If you have autoimmune disease, and you need a break - a 'Small Steps to Self-care' AIP retreat in the South of France is for you.
Hi! For those new here, my name is Becca, and I have multiple autoimmune (and other) health conditions. Using the Autoimmune Protocol template, I have taken myself from 'a trajectory of increasing disability', to a trajectory of cumulative improvements. I am stronger and healthier in my 40s than I was in my 20s. As a Functional Health Coach and Nutrition Counsellor, I can help you discover what making some changes can do for you.
Did you know that lifestyle and diet can have a significant impact on autoimmune disease, whatever your diagnosis (even if it remains a mystery)? If this whole idea is new to you, check out my basic guide to the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). If it feels like a lot, don't fret. You don't need to be champing at the bit for a life overhaul. There is no pressure to become an expert, and my approach is gentle.
If you already know a little (or a lot) about AIP, you are likely to realise how special an opportunity this really is. Implement, reset or up-level your AIP, with the support of two AIP-Certified Coaches, just by showing up! Allow the (exciting, and delicious) AIP-compliant catering provided by our host and chef, Jan Steele, to take food worry off your mind. Take a truly holistic view of your well-being, and develop the skills to build your AIP-informed life in a way that really works for you over the long term.
There are a maximum of 3 spots available on each Small Steps to Self Care retreat for 2024, enabling us to closely tailor the experience to the needs of the group. This also allows each participant a private bedroom with en-suite bathroom (a change from the 2023 retreats).
Could your AIP explorations use a kick-start, a reset, or a broader perspective?
Whether you are new to AIP, a long-term dabbler, or a seasoned veteran, the chances are you have had your struggles with some elements of the protocol. A Small Steps to Self-care AIP retreat in the South of France provides a very special opportunity to be guided through an in-depth exploration of how the strands of self-care that weave throughout the protocol can support your healing, and how you want this to look in real life when you get home.
Together, we will explore how small, realistic changes can form the grain at the centre of a powerful snowball of goodness. You will learn how to approach your next steps to maximise your chances of success, building skills that will be of great value far beyond the retreat itself. The mental space created by taking a step back from your day-to-day life, in a supportive context that you can be confident is designed with your needs in mind, will allow reflection and planning to unfold.
You will begin to discover how good you can feel, nourished by the fully elimination phase compliant, delicious and nutrient dense food prepared by our host, Jan Steele, (an AIP-Certified Coach, Nutritional Therapist and chef) in her completely gluten free kitchen. This is a rare and precious gift, whatever stage of your AIP journey you are at.
Who is this retreat for?
A Small Steps to Self-care AIP retreat is for you if:
- This is the first time you have ever heard of AIP, and you want to find out (in a supported context) whether lifestyle and dietary changes really have the potential to help you.
- You have been wanting to try AIP, and are finding it difficult to get started.
- You have started the protocol, and are finding it challenging to maintain in your life.
- You have implemented many of the dietary aspects of AIP, and are struggling with the lifestyle elements - for instance, self-care.
- You are confused about how AIP can fit into your life over the long term.
- It all feels too hard.
(P.S. - if any of this resonates, you are absolutely not alone!)
What does it cost?
The total cost for the retreat (excluding travel) is €2100pp.
Register your interest above to be informed when registration opens, with a chance to snag a €300 early bird discount - €2100 €1800pp.
NOTE: There is a 3-month payment plan available. If you would like further details on this, contact Jan via the link below.
When?
May and September 2024
Jan and I will be running two Small Steps to Self-care AIP retreats in 2024. The first will be in late May, the second in early September. Exact dates are to be announced. Register your interest to be informed as soon as they are released.
The main retreat activities will run from Monday - Friday. In order to enable you to make the most of the full five days, travel to and from the retreat will be on the Sunday before we begin, and the Saturday after we finish.
Where?
La Goose au Bouzigaud, a beautiful 19th century stone property set in more than 7 acres of stunning countryside in the Cévenne Mountains, at the very end of a small town called Cros in southern France.
This location affords a wealth of opportunities to connect with nature, whether hiking in the mountains, swimming in the river, or simply enjoying meals al fresco.
How will I get there?
The closest larger towns are Nimes, and Montpellier. You will make your own travel arrangements to one of these locations, where you will be met.
From the UK, several airlines fly to Montpellier from London airports, including EasyJet. Having recently made the journey myself (from London Gatwick), I can confirm that it was very simple. Keep an eye on my YouTube channel for some video updates on the journey and our experience running the retreat in May 2023.
From any location without direct flight links, from Paris (Gare de Lyon) you can take a train to Nimes that takes just under 3 hours.
Our host, Jan Steele, will arrange your collection from Nimes or Montpellier and transport you from there to La Goose - so the last leg of your journey will be all taken care of. The drive takes around an hour.
What will we do?
There will be a combination of one-to-one and small group coaching, alongside some skill development sessions in the kitchen with Jan Steele, our host, AIP-Certified Coach, Nutritional Therapist and chef at La Goose.
You will gain a deeper understanding of the role that self-care can play on your path to improved well-being. Just imagine the mental space and time that will become available to focus inwardly when you don't need to worry about food (or any of the jobs you have left behind at home) for five whole days!
With the support of a behaviour change expert (aka me), and that of your fellow participants, you will build a bespoke plan. Your next steps will be unique to you, and I encourage you to make them small.
The coaching programme will include:
- Preparatory email guidance.
- A one-to-one coaching session with me to start the week.
- Small group coaching sessions to build on that foundation.
- A follow-up online one-to-one coaching session after the retreat.
If you have questions about the coaching element of the retreat that are not answered here, please feel free to email me via the link below.
What else is included?
- 6 nights in a private bedroom with en-suite bathroom*.
- All meals (fully elimination phase compliant).
- Unlimited access to the garden, the hammocks, the forest, the river...
- Opportunities for gentle physical activity.
- Individual wellness sessions, including massage and infa-red sauna.
- Cooking workshops with Jan in her 100% gluten-free kitchen.
*NOTE: This is a change from the 2023 AIP retreats, which were organised on the basis of shared bedrooms.
Who will lead the retreat?
Becca Benning
I am a Functional Health Coach (trained by Chris Kresser and the wonderful faculty at the Kresser Institute) and an AIP-Certified 
Coach. In 2023 I certified as a Functional Nutrition Counsellor with Andrea Nakayama and her team at The Functional Nutrition Alliance. I am also a parent, a step-parent, a former teacher, and an AIP veteran with multiple autoimmune and other chronic health conditions (including MS, coeliac disease, thyroid dysfunction, psoriasis and adenomyosis).
I work with clients struggling to nurture their well-being amid busy lives, where self-care can feel like an unjustified indulgence, and the focus is often more on caring for others. I can support you to design and implement a bespoke and realistic plan, building an evolving collection of positive habits that will work for you - one small step at a time.
Find out more about me here.
Jan Steele
Based in the beautiful Cévenne mountains, near Montpellier (France), Jan is an AIP-Certified C
oach, cooking instructor, and allergen-friendly vacation host. In short, she helps people learn to harness the power of real food, to feel better.
She coaches people to adopt (or better adhere to) a specific gluten-free diet (GF ; GF/DF ; Paleo ; AIP); she invites people into her 100% gluten-free kitchen to reclaim healthful culinary traditions; she hosts people for holidays in her B&B, allowing them to discover that beautiful region, while at the same time ensuring that their food restrictions and sensitivities are respected to a T.
Find out more about Jan here.