Sizing a retreat for eight
By Robin — your host · 12 July 2026 · updated 11 October 2026 · 2 min read · Our method
A yoga retreat for eight asks three things of its lodging: room for eight mats at once, a real bed for everyone, and a table where everyone can see everyone. Jura 835, in Foncine-le-Bas, sleeps 6 to 8 people on one level, for one group at a time. Here is how to plan it.
The practice space
The main room clears in minutes: push the long table back and roll the mats out on the wood floor, under the exposed trusses. The whole house sits on one level, 124 m² without a single step, which makes moving between the practice room and the bedrooms easy. For evening sessions, the wood stove warms the room and draws the group together. Try the layout on the first day, before the opening session: every morning after that, setting up takes no time at all.
Sleeping eight
The house has 3 bedrooms and a study, with 2 bathrooms. With eight people, what matters is that everyone can close a door at the end of the day. Allocate the rooms before arrival: pairs who know each other together, the quietest room for the teacher, who gets up before everyone else. Agree on a bathroom order for the mornings too; ten minutes more at wake-up save a queue at the door.
The rhythm of a day
A typical day starts with a short meditation, then the main practice before breakfast. Late morning is for walking, the afternoon for free time and a workshop, the evening for a gentle session before dinner at a single table. This simple frame, repeated each day, gives the group room to breathe. To protect that calm, many groups put their phones away too: see a digital detox in a whole house.
Walking between sessions
Walks start at the door, without a car. The Rapoutier loop covers 6.8 km, about 2 hr 15 min of walking: the right length for a late morning. For a whole afternoon, the voie du tram stretches over 11 km. With eight people, walk in single file, spaced out, or in small groups: the Mont Noir forest begins at the edge of the village.
Meals and extras
The long table seats all eight at every meal. Cook together, in turns, or hand the kitchen over: on request we can suggest a chef, and a massage can be arranged in the house between sessions. These extras are settled before arrival, so the teacher can stay focused on the group.
Getting eight people there
From Geneva airport, the drive to the house takes 1 hr 20 min, and Frasne TGV station is 40 min away by car. Set a shared arrival time and plan two full cars rather than four separate runs: the group starts the retreat together.
One retreat, one group
Jura 835 is booked whole, by one group: your retreat shares neither its table nor its corridor. The rate covers the house, from €4,200 a week; what each participant pays is yours to set. The house takes your party and no other: nobody else shares the place. Write to us with your dates.