The Bergerac Praxis Hub

The Life Itself Bergerac Praxis Hub is a greenhouse for the second renaissance: a deliberately developemental space for people to gather and experiment with the embodied presence and practical action needed to bring forth a new paradigm in the face of the metacrisis.

We see this space as a place for experimentation, exploration, and learning, where people can engage in self-work, creative work, and spiritual practices within a supportive and structured framework. We believe that this framework, which combines elements of monastic and secular practices, can facilitate the development of a new paradigm of living and being, one that is more connected, embodied, and expansive.

We are running and hosting a series of residencies and retreats that are a spiritual cooking together of various ingredients: people, practices, workshops, art, community life and actual cooking. The residences open a space, a vacuum filled by people and practices too spiritual for politics, too “political” for the monasteries, where we sit with our trouble without giving into the narrowing impulse to “save the world”.

Residencies combine both an activating frame of collective practices (sitting meditation, cooking, cleaning and circling) with the space for you to continue your daily work – a key aspect is learning how we can integrate community and practice, collective and private, absolute and relative in our daily life. If you are interested, please let us know by using this form.

Key info

What do we do at the Praxis hub? We run and host residencies and retreats. Each residency is oriented around a key theme or question.
How do we do it? We propose a Praxis ecology that provides a frame combining a regenerative engagement for the collective and the space for you to continue your daily work. A key aspect is learning how we can integrate daily practices (sitting, cooking, cleaning, connecting) as an activation rather than an obligation (a service you give to your Self).
Where is it? The Life Itself Praxis Hub, Bergerac, France (South West, in the Bordeaux wine region, 20 min from the Plum Village Buddhist monastery)
For whom is it? To all who wish to engage in practices: system-thinkers, researchers, spiritual ecologists, bodhisattvas, change makers, symbiotic entrepreneurs, poets, painters, eco-dharmists, people ready to just be with what comes, good and bad.
How can I participate? Apply online to one of our residencies using this form.
How much does it cost? A typical room costs between €350 (basic room) and €850 (premium double room) per month / per person. In addition, there is a daily food and maintenance fee. Facilitation fees may apply for some residencies. Some rooms can be shared at a reduced rate.
More questions? Contact praxis@lifeitself.org.

About the Praxis Hub

Created in 2020 the concept of this space was developped by Valérie Duvauchelle and Liam Kavanagh as a metamodern secular monastery to explore the concept of post secularity within Praxis. During this time several kind of residencies happened at the hub:

Praxis residencies (with or without a theme)
Training residencies (resiliency circles, emergent dialogues)
Retreats (tenzo)
Life itself gatherings

Located just a few steps from the river and a serene park, this space is a one-of-a-kind setting comprising three small buildings. An old French palazzo, where traces of the past engage us in a heteroclite manner, adds to the unique atmosphere. It is the perfect place for deep exploration amidst its atmospheric surroundings.

The gorgeous view of the Dordogne from just outside the house.

The Praxis Ecology

The Bergerac Hub is a unique junction for people to explore innovative ways of relating to one another and the world. It's an experimental ground for self-growth, creativity, and spiritual endeavors within a nurturing structure, blending monastic and secular elements. This structure assists in cultivating a more connected and expansive lifestyle, establishing a fresh paradigm of existence.

The Hub, envisioned as a laboratory for systemic transformation, mindfulness, and compassion. It's a setting where we analyze the impact of our practices on individual and communal well-being and investigate their potential for societal transformation. Practices are framed under a Praxis ecology designed by valerie Duvauchelle, a secular zen monk, that all participants nourrish with their pwn practces . Besides our 5 minimum viable practices ( MVP) evening sessions include circling, resonance singing, jam labs, moving debates, dialoguos, world cafes, authentic relating, multiplayer metta meditation, philosophical fellowship, and emergent dialogues.

The Praxis ecology plays a pivotal role in exploring the relationships between spaces, structures, food, and practices. Its purpose is to decipher the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual effects of these elements and the actions they inspire. Our research aims to understand and define the inter-relational human technology that fuels a new way of interacting with the world. Our focus is to document these practices, exploring questions such as: what triggers action beyond thinking, what internal shifts are activated by this, and what are the impacts of this approach? An additional aspect of exploration is the concept of a conscious space as a practice place (dojo).

The Praxis food

At the hub, we have an intentional relationship with food. It isn't simply about what we eat, but how we engage with our meals, creating a nourishing atmosphere that combines quiet reflection, gratitude, and careful consideration alongside our delectable plant-based fare.

Our food practices are firmly grounded in three fundamental principles:

Caring - for all beings and ecosystems
Degrowing - energy, money and time
Honoring - human and animal dignity

These principles allow us to strike an optimal balance between the ethical, financial, and ecological facets of our food system. The menus we curate, inspired by the Zen temple tradition, establish a mindful ambiance for the group's sustenance. Our food purchases are made at the fresh market and the local organic cooperative, and we make a dedicated effort to use local and endemic ingredients as much as possible.

Collective meals are always plant-based, and we conscientiously avoid non-ethical, industrially produced food. We believe this diet provides sufficient protein for daily needs, but we encourage everyone to assess and cater to their personal nutritional requirements. For your convenience, we provide two additional refrigerators for personal use.

In addition, we warmly welcome individuals who are interested in embracing the role of a tenzo, a reactualized version of the Zen temple cook for modern times, to join us at the residence. Come and immerse yourself in this transformative experience that combines the essence of Zen teachings with the joys of culinary exploration. If interested, please contact our Tenzo Valerie Duvauchelle.

Common Spaces

The main house has a large dining room, a spacious kitchen, a spectacular living room, a separate sitting room with open fire, a gorgeous shared garden and good parking access.

Dining Room - complete with gorgeous antique furnishings, capable of comfortable seating over 20 guests.

Painting Room (large living room) - suitable for group meditation, workshops and other activities.

Fire Room - cozy and atmospheric, with a working fire place.

Garden - sunny and full of beautiful plant life.

Image Gallery

Bedrooms

There are currently 11 rooms available at the Hub, from basic to premium. More information (photos and descriptions) about the rooms is available here.

Amenities

Internet: there is high speed wifi access throughout the house.
Washing facilities: there is a dedicated laundry room with washing machine available for common use.
Parking: ample parking both on the square directly outside the Hub, and in the surrounding streets when the square is used for a market on Fridays.
Kitchen: kitchen suitable to cook for 10-20 people. Includes dishwasher, microwave, oven, induction hobs and extensive other utensils.
Crockery: a full store of all the crockery you might need, with enough plates, cutlery, glasses and cups for up to 25 people.

How to Reach Us

Location

The address of the Hub is 11 Place Barbacane, Bergerac, 24100, France.

You can view the location on the map below:

By train 🚆

Bergerac has a train station. We're a 20 minute walk from it through the heart of the beautiful medieval part of the town.

There are regular services from Bergerac to and from Bordeaux Saint-Jean, taking just over 1 hour. From there it is easy to reach much of the rest of France, for example it is a couple of hours to Paris.

By air ✈️

We are only an 8 minute drive from Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport, or alternatively it is easy to fly into Bordeaux and then travel by rail or car from there.

By car 🚗

The Hub is a little over 1 hour 30 minutes from Bordeaux by car, around 2 hours 40 minutes from Toulouse, and a little under 5 hours from Lyon.

There is free parking right in front of the hub at Place Barbacane and alongside the riverside next to the house.

🚩 If you park in Place Barbacane you need to move your car on Thursday nights (by ~11pm) until Friday afternoon because of the market that takes place on Place Barbacane.

Alternative free parking can be found in the riverside and the public parking lot named “Jean Barthé” (Google Maps), 3 min. walk from the hub.