The rhythm of Gili Air changes with the seasons. In October, the island breathes differently. The long rush of summer has passed, the beaches are quieter, and the air holds a softness that invites you to move more slowly. It’s the kind of month that makes you pause — not because you are forced to, but because it feels natural to do so.
This atmosphere is why October has become our month of retreat. It’s when the island itself reminds us that slowing down is not only possible, but necessary. This year, that reminder takes shape in our Yoga & Massage Retreat with Gentiane at Slow Villas & Spa.
What It Means to Retreat
A retreat is not just to take a break. It’s to step into a rhythm that is entirely different from daily life. The mornings begin in stillness, broken only by the call of roosters and the rustle of palms in the garden. Yoga becomes the first act of the day — a way of grounding the body and quieting the mind before anything else has the chance to interrupt.
Instead of screens, you hear the sounds of the island waking up. Instead of rushing through meals, you sit with fresh juice, nourishing food, and unhurried conversation. Time, which so often feels scarce, suddenly becomes abundant.
Yoga Meets Massage
At the heart of this retreat is Gentiane, founder of the renowned Gentiane Institute in Brussels. For decades she has worked with therapeutic massage, posture therapy, and body awareness, always with the same philosophy: to help people reconnect with themselves through touch. Her approach is professional yet deeply personal — each session a blend of precision and care.
Throughout the retreat, you’ll receive daily therapeutic massage directly from her, posture analysis to realign the body, and hands-on workshops that introduce you to the art of healing through touch. It isn’t only about release, but about learning how your body moves, how it holds, and how it can let go.
Yoga strengthens and awakens, massage softens and restores. Together, they create a rhythm of giving and receiving, effort and ease. Over the course of the retreat, that rhythm begins to rewire how you carry yourself — in body, mind, and spirit.
Guided with Care
This retreat is shaped not only by Gentiane’s touch, but also by the guidance of two dedicated teachers. Their approaches are different, yet complementary — one offering depth and intensity, the other bringing lightness and play.
Mornings often begin with strong, flowing sequences that awaken energy and focus, blending traditional yoga with breathwork and sound to carry you into deeper awareness. Evenings soften into practices that draw on Pilates, Yogalates, and mindful movement — sessions designed to release, restore, and remind you that practice can be joyful as well as grounding.
Together, they create a rhythm that holds the week in balance: strength and softness, energy and ease, discipline and play. It is this balance that allows the retreat to support you fully, both on and off the mat.
A Day in the Retreat
Each day follows a rhythm that feels both grounding and spacious.
You rise early, walking through the garden toward the yoga shala. The air is cool, the island still quiet, and practice begins as the first light touches the trees. Eric or Julie guide you through movement and meditation, leaving you centered and awake.
Afterward, breakfast is waiting — fresh fruit, juice, coffee or tea — simple, nourishing, and unhurried.
Late morning is your time with Gentiane. Her massage is more than relaxation; it is a dialogue with the body. Through her hands, you notice the places where tension hides, and through her guidance, you learn how to let it go.
The afternoon stretches out at your own pace. Some days you float in the pool or rest in the shade. Others, you wander the sandy village paths or join an island adventure — snorkeling with turtles, paddle boarding at sunrise, or cooking with local spices.
As the sun lowers, the group gathers again in the shala. Evening practice is slower, more meditative, a closing ritual for the day. Dinner follows — colorful plates from Pachamama Organic Café or Slow’s own kitchen, eaten in the garden or under a sky scattered with stars.
By the time you return to your villa, the only rhythm left is the sound of the island night.
Nourishment for Body and Mind
Food is woven into the retreat with the same care as yoga and massage.
Mornings begin with fresh juices and breakfasts at Slow. Lunches come from Pachamama Organic Café, vibrant and plant-based, while dinners bring people together in the gardens or on the beach.
Meals are designed to be light, colorful, and deeply nourishing. Over the days, energy steadies, the body feels lighter, and clarity returns. Recipes and ideas are shared so that the nourishment continues even when you leave the island.
The Season of Retreat
October doesn’t just change the island — it changes how the retreat feels. The calm beaches, quieter paths, and softer pace create space for practice to go deeper. Without distraction, mornings in the shala feel more grounded, afternoons more spacious, and evenings under the stars more expansive.
It’s a time when the island holds you gently, and in turn, makes it easier to hold yourself with the same care. The rhythm of October becomes part of the rhythm of the retreat — a reminder you can carry with you long after leaving Gili Air.
The Invitation
The Yoga & Massage Retreat with Gentiane runs from October 3–12, 2025 at Slow Villas & Spa. Guided by Gentiane, alongside yoga instructors Eric Leto and Julie, it offers a rare chance to combine yoga, massage, nourishing food, and island life at its calmest.
But more than a program, it is a chance to reset. To breathe differently. To let the gardens and stillness of Slow show you what life feels like when lived gently.
✨ This October, let Gili Air be your retreat. Come back to yourself in the quiet beauty of the island, and carry that stillness home with you.