ArchitectureIf you look around the Chez Zen, one thing immediately stands out: the houses are all built from natural materials. The main house was originally a barn, the farmhouse is an old stone house, the team building is a pure wooden house. Only the window frames and the roof are made of plastic or sheet metal. Additional employees spend the night in Mongolian yurts with an integrated fireplace. And environmental awareness comes alive every day inside the house. When buying furniture, attention is also paid to natural materials and the wooden beds are even self-made.

FoodIn the consistently vegetarian-vegan kitchen of the Chez Zen, special attention is paid to the processing of regional and seasonal foods. The vegetables are purchased fresh daily from organic farmers, while a wide variety of fruits can be picked in their own orchard. There is also a Healthy Bar in the garden, where homemade snacks, smoothies, detox drinks or Ayurvedic drinks are offered daily. The use of numerous super foods ensures the energy balance of the guests; industrial sugar is completely dispensed with. At any time of the day, guests receive filtered water and tea free of charge.

SocialThe retreat works closely with an integration company: the employees in the cleaning area are mainly people with disabilities. The entire team is made up of half Germans and the other half local residents. Even young people in the orientation phase or in idle periods are welcome employees at any time, who can allow themselves to be carried away by the conscious and ecological business model in order to let themselves grow the idea of leading a sustainable and healthy life. Employees can take part in lessons if it is compatible with working hours. They also have their own terrace for practicing yoga and meditation. The number of working days per month does not exceed 20 days for any employee. Seminar leaders can bring a person of their choice with them to the same low-cost flat rate, provided they share a room with them. A relaxed, familiar approach is just as important here in Gascony as the involvement of every employee in the company's philosophy and thus also in the program and lifestyle. At this point, not only does the joy of working arise, but also authenticity. But Chez Zen is also socially committed externally: from 2017, five percent of the accommodation costs will be donated to a social institution. For guests for whom the room costs are too high, XXL tents with electricity & beds can be rented or you can bring your own tents, for which a lower fee is then incurred. The guests are involved in some tasks so that a family atmosphere can exist throughout the house. So they fire up the sauna themselves, chop wood and clear their dishes after the brunch in the dishwasher in the guest area.

EnvironmentEverything that surrounds the guest here, pampers them and keeps them healthy is nurtured by the company's sustainability vision. In addition to the use of biodegradable detergents and washing agents and compost garbage bags, all of the shop's products are also of a biological nature. Consistent use of green electricity, almost all bathrooms are equipped with motion detectors to save energy and in the pool you swim in salt water instead of chlorine. There is no change of bed linen within one-week seminars. Life here is undoubtedly very different from the everyday life of most people and yet every detail is as carefully thought out as in an individual and ecologically oriented household.

Well-BeingIn the Well-Being concept of the Chez Zen you will find fitness in connection with mindfulness and a healthy lifestyle that incorporates nature. The picturesque, rarely populated Gascony landscape invites you to go hiking or jogging, an outdoor sauna and several stoves afterwards contribute to relaxation and contemplation. Swimming in the eleven meter long salt water pool, with its healthy, hygienic water, offers refreshing exercise and is also good for the skin. The Chez Zen offers its own silent meditation yoga seminars and Ayurveda cures. Numerous retreats and seminars are organized by cooperating therapists and can be booked individually. At a summer party, interested parties can stay for a week for a small fee and also benefit from daily yoga practice and other offers. Massages and various healing sessions can be booked on the property. Depending on the presence of the cooperating therapist, you will find osteopathy, craniosacral, Thai yoga massages, Grinberg and shamanic sessions.