Five day Sati yoga and horse riding course in Chile

Connecting with horses,
a yoga, mindfulness and horse riding retreat
9th-13tth March 2026

During this five days retreat, we will look at how we can use mind, body and breath to better connect with horses and we will work at developing a balanced yoga practice which can help us to do this. This retreat is suitable for anyone who enjoys doing yoga and meditation and want to connect with horses, whether or not they have previous experience with them. Beginners will learn how to communicate with these wonderfully sensitive animals, while those with some experience with horses will learn yoga and meditation techniques to deepen their connection with them.

Yoga, mindfulness and horsemanship are all disciplines which involve body and mind and for this reason, they complement one another very well. The ability to stretch beyond our limits (physically, emotionally and mentally) that is often necessary to communicate better with horses can be increased through yoga and mindfulness practice, and then readily transferred to horsemanship.

In the horse sessions, you will learn how to develop a true connection and how to communicate with horses in a centred and sensitive way, with respect for their whole being and without any use of force. The morning sessions will include work at liberty (with the horse is loose in an enclosed area) and groundwork (with the handler leading the horse with a rope), while the afternoon sessions will focus on ridden work. You will be taught how to use your body in a soft but clear way to communicate with horses. You will learn the importance of intention, and how to let horses have their own opinion. Finally, you will learn how to use the techniques taught in the yoga classes when interacting with the horses.

In the yoga classes, you will explore the balance between strength and softness within yourselves with a view to strike the right balance when interacting with horses. You will also learn yogic breathing techniques that can be used to improve your communication with the horses. Finally, through the practice of mindfulness meditation, you will learn how to become more aware of your emotions and how to develop a non-reactive mind, an essential skill when dealing with horses.

One of the aim of this workshop is to help you develop a yoga practice which you can then continue after the retreat, and to this end, you will be taught the fundamental elements of a balanced practice: which can help not just with your horsemanship, but also with your daily life!

To ensure every participant get adequate individual attention, number are strictly limited, so we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.

Important: To foster the quiet, meditative atmosphere necessary for this transformative work to take place, noble silence will be kept from the evening meditation to breakfast. Students are also asked to turn off their mobile phones for the duration of the retreat (we will pass on emergency calls if need be), and won’t be able to connect to the Internet during the retreat. Please plan accordingly.

The teachers

Christophe has been studying and practising yoga since 1994. He trained in a number of different yoga styles (mostly Iyengar, ashtanga vinyasa, Atma vikasana, yin and pranayama) and now teaches Sati yoga, a balanced practice which incorporate sun salutations, yoga postures and yogic breathing, as well as mindfulness of breathing and loving kindness meditation from the Buddhist tradition.
He is certified by the Independent Yoga Network as a senior teacher and teacher trainer and has been running retreats all over the world for over 20 years.

Christophe is also an experienced horseman, having ridden, bred and trained horses for many years. He has studied horsemanship with number of word class teachers incluging Kelly Marks (a student of Monty Roberts),Vanessa Bee (founder of the Horse Agility Club) and Karine Vandenbore. (Horsefulness.be). He has also been inspired by the writing of Mark Rashid, Linda Kohanov and Chris Irwin (amongst others).
His passion for horses led him to explore the therapeutic aspects of the horse / human relationship and he is a trained Equine Assisted Learning facilitator with EAGALA.

Chistophe will lead the yoga and meditation sessions and assist in the horse sessions.

Sandra Meynard

Sandra has trained, ridden and bred horses for many years. She is the owner of Equilibre. She will lead the horse sessions and assist in the yoga sessions.

Timetable for the retreat

7.00 Meditation / breath awareness
7.30 Morning asana class
9.00 Breakfast,
10.00 Morning session with the horses: ground work
13.00 Walking meditation
13.30 Lunch
15.00 Afternoon session with the horses: ridden work
18.00 Afternoon yoga class (breath work)
19.00 Light supper
20.00 Sitting meditation

Cost of the retreat, donation economy

The cost of food and accommodation for the retreat is  payable directly to Equilibre and depends on the type of accommodation you are choosing.

Participants are invited at the end of the retreat to decide how much they want to contribute toward the teaching. This is the Donation economy. On the last day of the course, you will be invited to support the teacher’s work by anonymously placing whatever money you feel moved to give in the donation box provided.

By turning on its head the capitalist assumption that everything has a price, the Donation economy is an attempt at building a new economical paradigm in which you take what you need and give what you can. Rather than entering into a provider / consumer relationship, you are invited on this retreat to enter, in a spirit of generosity, into an economic relationship which contribute towards a culture of sharing.

Of course, the teacher needs financial contributions to continue running courses in the same spirit, but he appreciates that your financial circumstances might be such that you can only give little. On the other hand, if your financial circumstances are comfortable, you may consider giving generously to support those who are less fortunate.

No particular amount for the teacher’s donation amount is suggested, but you can compare the price of this course with equivalent courses run on a commercial basis to decide what might be considered reasonable and fair. But ultimately, the Dana economy is an invitation to decide yourself what the teaching on this retreat was worth to you.