WHO WE ARE
We are your hosts, Gillian Rice-Duncan and Neil Duncan.
Together, Gillian and Neil run Santosha Yoga Retreat and Healing Centre. “We are totally dedicated to providing an experience that will create life long memories for our guests.”
About Gillian
Gillian Rice-Duncan iwas a licensed massage therapist in the state of Louisiana, USA, a certified Aromatherapy practitioner (IIHHT 1998 & ITEC 1999), Reiki level 2, and a Hatha Yoga teacher (350hr 2010). She is a wife, mother of two daughters and a grandmother. “Just call me yogananna!” She has been vegetarian since 1995 and vegan since 2013.
“Born in London, and raised just outside in Hertfordshire, I took my first yoga classes in 1969 at the local community college. It was a one year course of two hours a week which began a life long interest in yoga and yoga philosophy. After meeting Neil, I moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where we married in 2002. I had practiced yoga on and off, but after Hurricane Katrina (August 2005), I began to look for something more substantial in my life, and when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I found Michelle Baker of Swan River Yoga. Michelle is a Jivamukti, Sivananda and Anusara Yoga teacher, and her energy, devotion, and expertise made me want to continue learning from her. In 2010 I took Michelles 350 hr teacher training course, and then taught yoga at the Swan River Mandir in New Orleans. A year later Neil and I moved to France to commence the renovation project, and create Santosha Yoga Retreat and Healing Centre. The renovations are now complete, and both Neil and I believe we have done the best job that we could have done. Michelle has shown her support by bringing groups of students to Santosha since 2012.
About Neil
Neil Duncan was born in England and grew up in Scotland. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and in 1980 he moved to New Orleans to work for NASA on part of the Space Shuttle Program. He is a citizen of both countries. He has four children in the USA, and now has two grandchildrenr. When the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011, Neil took early retirement and we moved to France. The renovation project proved to be far bigger and more costly than either Neil or Gillian first thought, but it had to be finished. Neil played a substantial part in the renovations, and learned much from watching contractors working on the house. Neil has been a vegetarian for since 1983, and he has a long standing connection with the Hare Krishna community at New Talavan, Carriere, Mississippi.
What is Santosha? What does it mean?...
The name Santosha was given to us by my beloved teacher Shri Swan Michelle Baker, co-owner of Swan River Yoga, New Orleans.
On completion of our renovations, we struggled to find a name that would embody all that we were, and all that we wanted to become so I asked my teacher. She took a couple of days to come back to us with the answer, and Santosha Yoga, France, was born. In this article by two Swan River Yoga teachers, the deeper meaning of Santosha is explored. This is published here with the kind permisson of Shri Michelle, and can be found on the at Swan River Yoga.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND SLIDESHOW
When we purchased this 450 year old house in May 2009, it was virtually a ruin, but with a new roof. We had to take out all the floors and internal partition walls. This allowed us the freedom to design a space that is perfect for yoga retreats and the practice of other healing arts. We began our renovations in 2011. No one had lived there since WWII when it was used as a secret base for the French Resistance. There was no electricity, water or bathrooms. But the roof was new. We could see daylight through some of the walls, even though they are up to 75cm thick. 90% of the wood was rotten. Our friends thought we were mad. So did our neighbours, and the guy who sold us the house. But the house has a great view towards the Pyrenees, a barn where we could put a yoga studio, a pretty walled garden and plenty of room for guests. We have tried to keep as much of the character of the house as we could, incorporating such things as the old bread oven into one of the guest bedrooms. So you will find comfortable, affordable accommodation, with a blend of old and new. Exposed stone walls over 400 years old with a good wifi connection.
Here is an 11 minute slide show detailing the progress of our renovations. I hope you enjoy.