Choose Again Workshops in South of France

Workshops in the South of France

Choose Again are delighted to offer several workshops every year in the stunning surroundings of the South of France. Just a short walk from the historic Rennes Le Chateau, a little place called Les Labadous provides the venue for incredible transformation and healing.

"I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed was possible." - Dan P

"The love, peace, and happiness that I have experienced in the few weeks since I have made contact with the people at Choose Again is a priceless gift. The weekend was among the most positive, life-changing experiences of my life. I am profoundly grateful to the program participants, Diederik, and his staff for their courage and their love." - GS

“I am happier now than I can ever remember being, and I feel a sense of peace that comes from a very deep sense of knowing the truth about myself that is unchangeable no matter what is going on around me.” – M.C.

What You Can Expect

A Choose Again workshop is an opportunity to delve deep into who you think you are, and become who you want to be.
On a typical workshop you can expect to:

Uncover your unexamined, self-limiting beliefs that hold your happiness and contentment at bay;
Develop the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to overcome the stresses that are part and parcel of life;
Explore what gives heart and meaning to your life;
Identify the regrets, sufferings, and negative self-concepts that keep you from more fully appreciating yourself and your life;
Learn how our Six Step process allows you to take control of your own happiness and sense of peace;
Transform fears through the power of surrender and acceptance; and
Establish a new way of being in the world by deepening your spiritual life and learning to make each moment matter.

The Six Steps

The Six Steps to Freedom is an integral part of the works that we do at any Choose Again program. The beauty of the Six Steps is that it can be applied to literally any upset in your life, and in our focused workshops we will show you how to do this.

Workshop Program

8:00 am Meditation
8:30 am Fresh Healthy Breakfast
9:30 am Group Circle
12:30 pm Buffet Lunch
1:30 pm Mindful Walk or Outing
3:30 pm Afternoon Program (Varies)
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Time for socialising, or quiet reflection.
8:00 pm Retreat to room for meditation.

Les Labadous - Your Home Away From Home.

Les Labadous is a special place, its name in the Occitan language refers to a cleansing place. Many find a healing energy and a creative energy here, some feel the energy of Mary Magdalene who is said to have lived and preached here.
Les Labadous is a “Domaine des Amis”, a house for friends. With nicely equipped rooms, studios and apartments, and a large communal hall where we have our group sessions.
Les Labadous is a place to rest, to create, to heal and be healed, to meditate, to write or paint, to reflect on life and to find your destiny. We at Choose Again are thrilled to call Les Labadous our Home Away from Home, and we know you will feel the same way, Les Labadous really is "A house of friends".

We asked Choose Again Program Director Diederik Wolsak a few questions about Les Labadous.
We wanted to know what made the place so special to him, and what you can expect from participating in a workshop there.
Watch the video to hear what he has to say.

Getting There

Getting to Centre Les Labadous by car is no problem, since all navigation devices find Les Labadous. Follow signs from the town of Couiza (in the Aude valley): Centre Les Labadous is just below Rennes-le-Château, the village perched on the hilltop.

The closest airports are Carcassonne and Perpignan, but Toulouse-Blagnac offers many more flights. From Toulouse to Les Labadous is around 2 hours by car, from Carcassonne it’s an hour. To find the most suitable flight route from where you are, you can search on Skyscanner (or similar) and it will find your best option.
While you can reach Les Labadous by taxi, it is certainly advantageous to rent a car, also to reach shops, restaurants, banks, etc.

Taxi from your airport: http://www.taxi-du-minervois.com/taxi-fares.asp There are many taxi services online and you may be able to get a better deal. While there are many taxis waiting outside, please be sure to reserve when traveling from any of the airports.

Public transportation will get you from the airport to Couiza, a small town in the Aude valley, some 7 km from Les Labadous.
There is a shuttle bus running many times a day from the Toulouse airport to the train station in Carcassonne. The cost (at the time of writing) is around €5. From Carcassonne there is an irregular, but efficient train and bus service that runs from Carcassonne to CouizaMontazel. Once in Couiza you will hire a taxi to take you up the hill to Les Labadous, about 3km. Please note that the 'train' service is sometimes a bus, or it can be that you will get off the train in Limoux, and are put on a bus for the rest of the journey. This is unpredictable and there is no way of knowing until the day of departure. Nonetheless, it is efficient and takes more or less the same time. Even if it is a bus service, you must get your ticket at the train station. They will inform you of the situation. This is just par for the course.
Rail Europe https://www.raileurope.com/index.html
Taxi in Couiza Taxis Hostes T.: +33(0)4 68 74 25 36

Driving Directions From Carcassonne: (exit Carcassonne-Nord if you are arriving on the A61 motorway) take the D118 to Limoux. Continue through Limoux on the D118 in the direction of Quillan . After Alet-les-Bains and Luc-sur-Aude you will reach Couiza . After passing through the traffic lights, take the second turn on your left. This is the D52 to Rennes-Le-Chateau (see also the chambre d'hote sign at the bottom of the road). Follow this winding road for 3 km as far as a crossroads at the col below the village. Here the main road bears round to the right and continues up towards the main village, while a smaller road leads left to Peyrepicade. Take the middle road straight in front of you, sign posted Les Labadous. Follow this road and take the first turning on the right (again signposted Les Labadous). Follow this single-track road downhill until you reach La Source on your right.

A Healing & Restorative Environment

The area of Rennes Le Chateau not only provides a rich and beautiful backdrop to the transformation and healing you will experience at a Choose Again workshop, it is an active agent in that healing. Rennes-le-Château is best known for its “million dollar priest” Saunière, but also for its rich history. Dating back to ancient times, it has been considered a sacred place. There is much to be seen. The church dedicated to Mary Magdalene, with the statue of Asmodeus, the Tour Magdala and the Villa Bethania and of course the beautiful garden.
Rennes-le-Château is located in the middle of the “Pays Cathare”. With its Cathar castles and initiation caves. But there is more. Like the magical mountains Pech Cardou and Pech Bugarach. Sacred springs and sources, such as the Fontaine des Amours. Special churches and abbeys. UFO sightings, sacred geometry, the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail and the Arc of the Covenant…
Over 600 books have been written about these places, inspired by the treasures, magic and mysteries of Rennes-le-Château. These books include the bestsellers “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” and the “Da Vinci Code”. The nature surrounding this treasure of a village is unspoiled, you can walk for hours without meeting anyone. And the food is wonderful, as are the wines, especially the Rosé, the Rivesaltes and the famous Blanquette de Limoux.

For more information about the fascinating history of Rennes Le Chateau see the press pack:

rennes_le_chateau_press_pack_2014.pdf
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Excursions & Outings

Our workshop schedule will include several outings to the local areas of interest, such as the beautiful Church of Mary Magdalene, The Fontaine des Amours, various Cathar Castles such as The Chateau de Peyrepertuse, and Chateau de Bezu.

The wonderful staff at Les Labadous have extensive knowledge of the local area and the people, and they keep us informed about local events.
If there are interesting events in the vicinity that will contribute to healing and growth, they will be included in the program. For example, last September we attended a piano concert in the castle in Rennes Le Chateau, a sacred sound healing event, and a drum circle to mark the equinox.