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Experiences

Discover our retreat leaders

These facilitators and the experiences reflect our unique approach, built on 25 years of deep connections in India. We offer you exclusive access to a carefully curated selection of local facilitators, creating a transformative alchemy that draws directly from the energy and wisdom of the place—access you won’t find elsewhere.

Marie-Claire Barsotti
Marie-Claire Barsotti
Grace Gitadelila
Grace Gitadelila
Amir Azoulay
Amir Azoulay
Gopika Dahanukar
Gopika Dahanukar
Morghan Borchardt
Morghan Borchardt
RagaMantra - Nadaka & Gopika
RagaMantra - Nadaka & Gopika
Aurelio - Svaram
Aurelio - Svaram
Mohan Raj
Mohan Raj
Mukhi
Mukhi
Rekha Tandon
Rekha Tandon
Kumudha
Kumudha
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Marie-Claire Barsotti
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Marie-Claire Barsotti

Astrologer, psycho-energetic therapist

Marie-Claire Barsotti is a holistic astrologer, psycho-energetic therapist, and author with over 20 years of experience in Auroville, India, and the South of France. She combines holistic astrology, Holoenergetic® techniques, and psycho-energetic practices to facilitate transformative healing and self-discovery. Marie-Claire draws guidance and inspiration from the archetypes of the Divine Mother from Sri Aurobindo, deeply connected to the symbolic essence of the Matrimandir, symbol of the inner journey to Self, guiding participants to explore these energies through Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s four brain quadrants model, as outlined in Whole Brain Living.
She also offers radiesthesia practices using dowsing rods crafted in Auroville. These practices help assessments of energetic states, chakra alignment, and the clearing of emotional blockages, providing participants with practical tools for self-healing and personal growth.
Her Psycho-Energetic workshops, based on Dr. Leonard Laskow’s Holoenergetics®, empower individuals to cleanse, heal and align their minds, body and soul. Through these sessions, participants release heavy emotions, reprogram limiting beliefs, and unlock inner freedom and clarity. Marie-Claire is also the co-author of The Little Exercise Book for Stimulating Healing Forces through Love and The Little Exercise Book to Help Your Child Listen and Transform Emotions through Meditation, (available in French ) blending love and healing in her approach to personal transformation.

Grace Gitadelila
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Grace Gitadelila

Mapping the Cosmos in Rice and Rhythm

Grace Gitadelila's first 9 months were spent on a boat going from Europe to Port Madras. As her parents were devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Grace was raised in the Ashram, cradled and named by The Mother’ and immersed in Tamil culture and spiritual practices. Now residing in Auroville, Grace has dedicated her life to researching and teaching Kolam, the ancient art of geometric patterns traditionally drawn with rice powder.
The Kolam is considered an Ephemeral Art form consisting of a grid of dots around which lines draw two-dimensional intricate patterns. White rice and chalk powders are skillfully poured from women's fingers onto an earth-made canvas at the jour before Sun Rise.
The body is actively involved in manifesting its rhythm and measure; arms act like a “pendulum dance” laying down its designs. Within the Kolam, we find riddles, numbers, sacred geometry, sound frequencies, mandala, yantra and mantra, animal and plant, SNA structures, tesselation, fractals science and more.
KolamYoga goes beyond artistry—by exploring this ancient wisdom, participants gain insight into universal laws and their connection to life’s natural rhythms.
Whether exploring sound and geometry, movement and intention to anchor sacred patterns or uncovering archetypal symbols through Kolam, there are many ways to enter the conversation.

Amir Azoulay
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Amir Azoulay

ATB Facilitator | Body as a Gateway | Facilitating Transformation Through Awareness & Presence

Amir Azoulay, trained by ATB founders Aloka and Joan in Auroville, has over 20 years of experience guiding ATB helping individuals cultivate self-connection, inner growth, and balance, in India, Israel, North America, and in Europe; Germany, Holland Austria and Switzerland.
ATB is an experiential program to enhance self-awareness, concentration, and relaxation. Drawing from diverse practices like yoga, somatics, martial arts, and breathing techniques, ATB helps participants cultivate conscious attention and harmony across physical, mental, and emotional planes.
"Everything is an opportunity for awareness. The source is awareness and ATB is about creating ways to grow, cultivate and sustain awareness." Say, Amir,
ATB offers a structured yet intuitive approach to cultivating self-awareness through movement, stillness, and sensory perception. It guides participants toward quiet receptivity and deep listening, helping them access their inner state while engaging with external experiences.
Awareness Through the Body (ATB) cultivates conscious attention by integrating sensory perception, movement, breath, and stillness. This allows individuals to explore inner and outer awareness, balance dynamic and receptive states, and develop a deep connection to their whole being.

Gopika Dahanukar
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Gopika Dahanukar

Gopika Dahanukar is an artist, vocalist, and internationally recognised Intermodal Expressive Arts Leader deeply committed to community engagement and peacebuilding, based in Auroville, India.
She is the Founder of Swahansa Expressive Arts India, offering training programs in collaboration with the European Graduate School in Switzerland.
She also serves as Co-Chair of the International Committee of Expressive Arts Without Borders.
With over two decades of experience, she has led workshops, retreats, and masterclasses worldwide, integrating arts, music, embodied movement, and poetry to enable creative play, transformation, and change.
Passionate about sustainability and holistic well-being, she continues to explore the intersections of art, nature, and collective healing.

Morghan Borchardt
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Morghan Borchardt

Founder, The Morgan Borchardt Sisterhood
Awakening and uniting women through spiritual and sexual empowerment services.

Morgan spent 20+ years in a variety of hospitality and service-driven positions. Whether she was a talent agent assistant in LA, managing Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC and LA, or managing an international culinary program for a billion-dollar global tech company, she loved the creativity and human connection that occurs when thoughtful, proactive, intuitive service meets detail, skill, and a strong work ethic.
As a consultant for your retreat, she will focus on the 3D concerns so that you, as a retreat facilitator, can devote your energy to serving your clients at their deepest potential for transformation.
I also offer hospitality training for leaders and their support teams or staff. This includes everything from basic service skills to high refinement and personalisation to expectation management so that your clients know exactly what they are signing up for, and you're left with the right group for the right transformation.

RagaMantra - Nadaka & Gopika
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

RagaMantra - Nadaka & Gopika

Master of Sound | Bridging East and West through Musical Alchemy

Rangamatra Retreat Offerings: Experience the Sacred Sound of Raga, Mantra, and Tala
At Agathe Lazaro Retreat, we invite you to immerse yourself in an extraordinary blend of musical tradition and modern innovation through our exclusive Rangamatra offerings. This unique program, led by the talented duo of Nādakā and Gopika, brings together the profound beauty of Indian classical music, mantra chanting, and modern world sounds to create an unforgettable experience of tranquillity and transformation.
Nādakā: The Raga Guitar Virtuoso
Blending East and West, Nādakā has spent over 40 years mastering Indian classical music. He created the Geet-Taar, a 24-string instrument that merges the Veena, Sarod, and guitar into one rich, orchestral sound. His performances offer a deep, meditative journey, weaving classical ragas with contemporary textures.
Having collaborated with A.R. Rahman, Ganesh-Kumaresh, and Vikku Vinayakram, Nādakā is a true master of sound. Whether in a private concert or retreat workshop, his music envelops listeners in harmony, stillness, and sacred vibrations—ideal for meditation, relaxation, and deep inner connection.
Gopika: The Voice of Ancient Mantras
A gifted vocalist and multidisciplinary artist, Gopika brings Sanskrit chanting to life with her soulful renditions of ragas and mantras. Trained in Hindustani classical music and Vedic chanting, she studied at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram and lived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, immersing herself in India’s spiritual heritage.
Her deep, ethereal voice evokes tranquillity and inner harmony, inviting listeners on a meditative journey into peace and unity.

Aurelio - Svaram
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Aurelio - Svaram

Pioneer of Deep Listening

Aurelio is a true visionary, composer and innovator whose work transcends conventional boundaries. His lifelong exploration of sound, listening, and musical expression invites a profound journey into the auditory dimensions of life. Driven by an innate sensitivity to the unseen and unheard, Aurelio's creations arise from his connection to the ancient myth of the Stone Player—awakening harmony and invoking a transformative resonance in both matter and spirit.
Drawing inspiration from diverse traditions and decades of immersive research, Aurelio has designed groundbreaking musical instruments that evoke untapped acoustic phenomena. His work with lithophones, Singing Stones, and experimental tunings reflects his commitment to creating bridges between the subtle realms of sound and tangible, resonant experiences.
As an ethnomusicologist and sound healer, Aurelio's approach is deeply rooted in his understanding of the vibrational essence of life. His profound capacity for deep listening and his global journey—from studying indigenous traditions in the South Pacific to Pythagorean and Indian classical music—have shaped his visionary path.
Aurelio’s creations inspire not only a new wave of acoustic and sensory experiences but also foster a collective awakening. His commitment to cultivating community through sound emphasises the universal and unifying nature of listening, making him an unparalleled guide into the next frontier of human evolution.

Mohan Raj
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Mohan Raj

Visual Storyteller

Mohan is from Pondicherry. This is his town.
He brings a unique and modern eye to capture what lives between nature and human presence. His lens composes with the elements — light, wind, shadow, earth, and water — inviting nature to become the scaffold of each framed invitation.
Mohan’s work reveals the quiet details that often go unseen. He does not seek posed perfection, but presence. His vision offers a contemporary Indian gaze — one of a new generation: free, daring, and open.
The video and images he captured during the tattooing day of our first retreat were so surprising that I had to invite him to become part of the La Vie en Rose experiences.
His approach is quiet and elegant, always attentive to the moment that holds time.
A beautiful presence.

Mukhi
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.
Guide and tattoos creator

Mukhi - a Sacred Artist

Where Ink Meets Spirit

From the comfort of home, Mukhi works as a guide, creating tattoos that carry deep personal meaning. For him, tattooing is not just decoration—it’s a sacred dialogue where art, story, and spirit meet. Each design reflects the client’s individuality, shaped through careful listening and shared intention.
With over ten years of experience, Mukhi blends technical skill with intuition. His calm and respectful presence creates a safe space where clients can explore personal symbols. Every step, from the first conversation to the final mark, becomes part of a journey—one of self-expression, beauty, and transformation.
Based in Pondicherry, Mukhi often travels to Europe, bringing his art into diverse cultures and communities. Each tattoo he creates has the potential to become a living talisman, carrying energy and meaning for years to come.
During our first retreat collaboration, Mukhi designed a hibiscus flower for the group. Eight participants chose to receive the tattoo, each in the quiet, luxurious garden of La Vie en Rose—a shared moment that bonded the group in a lasting memory.

Rekha Tandon
Co-create with local healers, artists, and facilitators.

Rekha Tandon

Ultimate Embodiment of the Sacred Movement

Rekha is an esteemed Indian Odissi dancer, choreographer, and teacher with over 30 years of experience merging traditional dance with spiritual practices. She has dedicated her life to exploring the link between movement, energy, and consciousness, sharing her insights through global workshops and performances.
Trained for 17 years in the guru-shishya parampara in New Delhi and Odisha, Rekha later earned a PhD in Dance Studies from Laban in London. Her work bridges classical and contemporary dance values, focusing on embodiment, choreography, and teaching.
She has performed internationally since 1985 and published books, including Odissi – A Dance of Sculpture and Dance as Yoga – The Spirit and Technique of Odissi.
Rekha’s approach integrates tantric body maps in dance, creating transformative experiences that guide participants to connect deeply with the sacred through movement and the anchoring within. Her workshops offer a unique opportunity to explore the profound connection between sound, gesture, and consciousness. She carries the essence of India’s ancestral teachings, offering the retreat group to dance through the portal of the sacred alchemy of body, mind, and spirit.

Kumudha
Tamilian traditional Ama’s Massage

Kumudha

The Art of Touch - Tamilian traditional Ama’s Massage

For decades, Kumudha has carried the subtle art of massage through her hands, her family, and her life in Pondicherry. She began her work in White Town when she was young, full of grace and elegance, offering her skills to a growing community that sought her calming presence.
With time, her husband joined her practice, working with male clients, while she continued to focus on women. Today, their daughter follows in their footsteps, making massage a family tradition rooted in care, attention, and trust.
Kumudha’s massage is not just a technique; it is an experience of presence. Every touch is offered with sensitivity, reading the body’s unspoken language, releasing tension, and inviting balance. Her long years of practice have given her a rare ability to tune into what each person needs, making every session deeply personal.
For those who enter her space, Kumudha offers more than relaxation—she offers a return to oneself through the simple, timeless power of human touch.

Chidambaram Temple Excursion
Chidambaram Temple Excursion
Welcoming Puja
Welcoming Puja
Matri Mandir
Matri Mandir
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Chidambaram Temple Excursion
Chidambaram Temple Excursion

Chidambaram Temple Excursion

Chidambaram: Pilgrimage to the Temple of Ether and Living Ritual

This visit takes us to Chidambaram, one of South India’s oldest and most significant temples. Dedicated to Nataraja, the dancing form of Shiva, it is the only central temple where ākāsha—space or ether—is honoured as a deity.
We leave at dawn in a fantastic brand new Indian private bus to attend the 6 a.m. puja, when the temple comes alive with music, chanting, bells, and fire rituals. Over 300 Dikshitars—hereditary priests—carry out the ceremonies, continuing a centuries-old tradition. The temple’s vast architecture, with its carved halls and sacred enclosures, reflects deep cultural and devotional roots.
Chidambaram is more than a place of worship. It is where creation is seen as movement, and where space is not emptiness, but a living, generative force. Artists, dancers, and seekers have long come here to reconnect with this source and ground their creative practice.
Guests are welcome to enter the inner sanctums, witness the darshans, and sit in stillness. This is one of the most luminous temple experiences in South India. Come with an open heart, and allow the sacred energy to activate within you. The ancient presence recognises your arrival and invites you into its light.
After visiting local stalls near the gate for sacred items, we enjoy a traditional South Indian breakfast before returning to La Vie en Rose by late morning.
This experience opens the body, centres the group, and aligns the retreat more deeply with India and the process of transformation.

Welcoming Puja
Welcoming Puja

Welcoming Puja

Welcome Ceremony: A Sacred Invitation to Belong

Every retreat at La Vie en Rose begins with a traditional South Indian welcome led by women who are sacred keepers of the land—storytellers, ritual makers, and spiritual guides.
In this intimate moment, you are invited into a relationship with the land itself. Through prayer, offering, and ancient gestures of reverence, your presence is acknowledged and blessed.
The women who care for the house carry lineages of devotion passed through countless generations. With red kumkum pressed gently to your forehead, sweets offered from the altar, and soft chants rising into the air, you are welcomed—not just as a visitor, but as a part of the living story of this place.
It is a moment of arrival. A quiet anchoring. A way to begin, held by those who know this land not just with their feet, but with their soul.

Matri Mandir
Tamilian traditional Ama’s Massage

Matri Mandir - Auroville Meditation Chamber

Entering the Silence of the Womb

In the golden heart of Auroville stands the Matrimandir, a place unlike any other—a space built for silence, stillness, and inner concentration. It does not ask for belief. It invites presence.
The journey begins early, guided by Aurovillian friends who carry the story of its creation, the language of its sacredness and purpose. We arrive quietly, in line, inviting silence and deep calm from the very first steps.
That day you will enter through 1 of the 4 doors - goddesses - all interior is made of white marble - before stepping into the sphere’s Inner Chamber, you will be given white fresh socks, and a guidance through the spiral -
Greeted by a threshold guide nodding and gently smiling at you, keeping the container of the space sacred, often called the womb of the Matrimandir. The world falls away. In the soft glow of natural light streaming through the oculus, the crystal sphere hovers at the center—a perfect, silent axis. For thirty minutes, we sit in stillness beneath it, held in a space where nothing needs to be done, only allowed.
From the chamber, we descend beneath the structure, walking among the lotus petals that cradle the golden globe—a sacred architecture reflecting the unfolding of consciousness itself. There is no urgency here, only space for reflection and gentle presence.
The walk continues into the Peace Gardens, where the air carries the quiet breath of the Banyan Tree—the point chosen by The Mother as Auroville’s center. Each step through the garden is a return to simplicity, offering pauses to receive what words cannot hold.
This sacred visit opens a subtle doorway: to witness stillness as creation, and emptiness as profound fullness.

Reviews

What People Say About Us

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From Retreat Leader

In November 2024, I facilitated a retreat for a group of 12 at La Vie En Rose near Pondicherry. The beautiful space, formerly the home of Agathe Lazaro and her family, provided everything we needed for an exceptional 8-day retreat.

In addition to hiring the venue, I engaged Agathe's services as a Retreat Coordinator. In this role, Agathe lived in residence with our group and provided hands-on, bespoke support to attend to every need. Agathe acted as our cultural liaison, arranging experiences not accessible without Agathe's intimate connection to the community in this area. Agathe was our cultural ambassador, and her vast knowledge and experience ensured we had a one-of-a-kind experience.

Agathe and her team, including manager Suja, worked tirelessly to meet our every need. Most of her staff have been in her service for decades, and there was warmth and generosity from everyone who supported us.

La Vie En Rose is a magnificent space, with a dedicated shala separate from the main house for our workshops and yoga practice. The large living space with floor-to-ceiling windows that open all the way to the lush gardens offered a sense of connection to the quiet and calming land. Private and secluded, yet close to Pondicherry, the venue is an ideal location. The grounds are sublime, and the divine pool was a particular favourite.

I am forever grateful for the life-changing experience provided by Agathe, her team and the home itself.

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Leslie L. Bost
Mexico

One of the standout aspects of my stay with Agathe was the exceptional staff—they were warm and attentive, and went above and beyond to make the experience unforgettable. The food was delicious, adding to the sense of comfort and care.

Being my first time in India, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay. The attention to detail and thoughtful planning made me feel completely at home. I highly recommend this beautiful, well-maintained space for anyone seeking the perfect retreat location. I’m already looking forward to returning!”

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Gina Kantzas
Australia

"Agathe created a fun and enlightening session, one in which we accessed deeper states of self-awareness as well as practical steps to bring our vision of a creative space to life. Every detail of the experience was sublime, and Agathe guided the group through a transformative journey. What sets Agathe apart is her ability to inspire us to dare to dream bigger, refusing to let us settle for the limited visions our beliefs might impose. It was truly inspiring, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing the dream into manifestation over these past few months. Thank you, Agathe !"

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Ilonka Lukas
New Zealand

"I recently had the absolute honour of spending a week on retreat at La Vie En Rose in South India, and it was magical. The home felt like an oasis—so welcoming, comfortable, and stunning. Every little detail had been thought through, and the lush environment added an extra layer of tranquillity to the experience.

Agathe and her team took such great care of us. The food was divine—full of flavour and made with love—and the accommodations were so comfortable and inviting it was easy to settle in and feel at home. The space is so versatile, whether you want a quiet moment to yourself or to connect with others. One of my favourite parts was the beautiful meditation studio, where Agate led us through an inspirational and expansive meditation that really stayed with me."

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Sibylle Stehli
South Africa

"From the moment I arrived at La Vie en Rose for a retreat in November 2024, it felt like I had entered a magical world.
Agathe and her staff are amazing and our group felt warmly welcomed and was beautifully looked after in all ways.
I enjoyed the luxuriousness of the home, delicious authentic Indian cuisine, stunning pool and garden and the sacred meditation space to the full.
I treasure the memories and life-long friendships made and am looking forward to returning here for more delightful occasions!”

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Leandra Brady-Walker
Chiropractor Revolutionary

“Agathe’s place was magical.
Surrounded by lush gardens, it is a beautifully curated tropical paradise.

The house and meditation space themselves are so stunning, and every piece and decoration is placed just so.

There is something about being in beautiful spaces that just makes you relax. Walking down that epic staircase every morning and taking your chai by the pool makes you feel like royalty.

Agathe has created something truly special with La Ve en Rose.
And the food !! I still dream about the food…”

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