After my shortened stay in Bordeaux (see previous article), I joined Gaspar, a friend who introduced me to Thai massage and who recently settled in Dordogne, by the eponymous river, in a farm that develops syntropic agriculture. I spent a week in this region where life is good with its bucolic charm, calm, mild climate, and the presence of many fruit trees. Between visiting the farm, a lactofermentation workshop, swimming in the river, muscle strengthening, and our daily spiritual practices, we also exchanged some Thai massages, both for the pleasure of receiving and for the valuable feedback.
After this fraternal week in harmony with the laws of the living, I concluded this first stay in Dordogne with a day of mindfulness organized by the Plum Village. This community, founded by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, is known worldwide for its practice of mindfulness. One can attend retreats and teachings on Buddhism and the art of living mindfully. I thus discovered this charming estate and attended spiritual teachings, a silent walk in the forest, and an empathic listening circle. With an interlude, a fruit break on the branches of a cherry tree and under the watchful eye of the monks.
I then joined Lozère where my father lives, whom I hadn’t seen since my trip to India. This visit was an additional opportunity to practice Thai massage against the backdrop of the Margeride mountains where I completed two 25 km sessions running to finalize my physical preparation for the fasting and trekking of Beaujolais. After this return to Lozère, where I lived for two years following my resignation from national education, I headed towards Saône and Loire, a region also rich in memories where I lived for about ten years, first as a lumberjack, then as an adventurer, and finally as a workshop organizer. Yes, I am already 40 years old and experiences are accumulating…
On the way, I first stopped by the Loire, near Firminy, a river I kayaked down in 2014 in preparation for the complete crossing of North America. I was moved and full of gratitude to find this still wild watercourse (with beavers) that completely changed the course of my life. It was here, ten years ago, that I had a transformative experience in reaction to a strong sunstroke that completely cut my appetite for a week while giving me plenty of energy. Thus, little by little, I was led to living nutrition. Fortunately, I never had the bad reflex to suppress fevers (or anything else for that matter) with medication, otherwise I would have missed the experience… A certain nostalgia was latent and I felt that the mourning of this life phase (the thirties) was not over. This is also why I wanted to organize another fasting and trekking in the Beaujolais mountains where my very first workshops took place in 2019 following the expedition of The Fasting Walk.
Thus, from May 18 to 25, 2025, a group of living explorers joined me for a new edition in Beaujolais where, despite cool temperatures and humidity, we walked about 125 km with a 4800m elevation gain, all while fasting without broth or juice! A natural feat accomplished with the help of the magnificent wooded massifs, countless flowers, heights with breathtaking views, spring waters, and good group cohesion. A timeless stay where one connects within oneself to their eternal part, the one that gives us unsuspected strength and the guidance we need to then return to civilization, with body & spirit detoxified, filled with energy and joy.
The villagers I met, as well as some naturopaths, question: how is it possible to walk while fasting? Is it really good for health (see this article on the benefits of active fasting)? For my part, I always fast with my groups (aged between 18 and 70 years) and, far from being weakened by the fifteenth edition since 2019, I was surprised this time to be almost on a dry fast (one liter of water over the week). To this day, I know nothing more invigorating & purifying for the body and mind… This fast also brought me inspiration and the desire to resume workshops on living nutrition and lifestyle (the last one took place in 2022 under the name “Reconnection to Life”) with a new format called “Optimal Health” which will start (even if it’s to be confirmed) in April 2026 near Toulouse.
Following this beautiful experience completed, at the request, by various treatments (Kambo cleanse and disarmament), I returned to the south of France to participate in the joy mantra festival which took place in the beautiful Isis campsite in Cévennes where about 500 souls gathered around talented artists to sing mantras. A wonderful moment of connection and communion between humans, with nature and the divine, where one begins to dream of a bright future (or clever) to use the expression of physicist Philippe Guillemant. All that was missing was living nutrition, biodanza, hormesis, and massages for the event to be perfect. This gave me ideas for a possible next celebration of life on the horizon of 2026 or 2027…
It was in this same campsite that the 2nd meetings of Regeneration organized by Thierry Casasnovas took place where I had the joy of sharing The Fasting Walk by Damien Artero.
To be continued…
