Bonjour, and a warm welcome!

An introduction for all new subscribers

Welcome to Unfolding Conversations, the newsletter of littlefrenchretreat.com and TamsinJardinier.com - for restorative practices, creative inspiration, and a mindful approach to life and work…

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Hello All,

There’s been a flurry of new subscribers, so I thought it was a good time to re-introduce myself, welcome you all, and share a little about myself…

A recent picture in my pottery studio by Photographer, Enas Nashif

I’m Tamsin, a Yoga Teacher and Intuitive Coach based in the village of Montesquieu in Southwest France. Our village takes its name from the renowned French philosopher Montesquieu, whose family once owned the hunting lodge that remains as ramparts and ruins dating back to the 1500s. Though he came from relative obscurity, Montesquieu’s work played a pivotal role in French culture and influenced the construction of the American Constitution.

My home is set into these ramparts from where I work online and in-person, offering online daily yoga practice, retreats and coaching women who value their well-being to reimagine the next phase of their life and work so they can embrace their creativity and build a life they love.

The roadside view hides the three-storey house with a view of the valley

My journey began in the arts, training on a degree course called Wood, Metal, Plastic, and Ceramics, where I specialised in ceramics and printmaking. This creative foundation led me to a successful career in luxury interior retail, where I worked in senior management, turning underperforming stores into thriving businesses.

In 2008, after my mother passed away, I left corporate life and travelled to India to deepen my yoga practice. There, I completed my 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training—a journey that unexpectedly reshaped my life. Instead of returning to conventional work, I moved to a house my mother had purchased before her illness in Southwest France and created Little French Retreat, an intimate sanctuary for well-being.

Now, I bring together my expertise in leadership, creativity, and holistic practices to help high-achieving women realign their lives with healthy boundaries to take better care of themselves, as they move forward with purpose.

When I’m not coaching or teaching, I live a quiet, almost hermit-like life—spending my days making pots, writing, photographing, and cooking. Mornings are reserved for long walks with my two ageing yet endlessly spirited hunting dogs, always in the hope I might tire them out.

Edie & Lucien, a little tired after a long run

Life is nourishing here, and things I’m loving right now are….

• Spontaneous road trips with my camera to beautiful medieval villages

• Paperbacks, my current read is QUIET, the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking.

• An afternoon with guests at the Hot Thermal Spa in Casteljaloux, especially the sauna and cold plunge.

• A bowl of slow-cooked chicken rice congee with ginger, lemongrass, pak choi and a poached egg on top.

• Hanging out in my pottery workshop, discovering how to make slipware teacups

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Please drop a note in the comments, say hello, introduce yourself and share where you live and what brought you to these pages…..

Until next time,
Thank you for reading
Tamsin x

STARTING SOON
30 days of Online Yoga - Monday, February 24th

Join me Online or in-person in SW France
Rest Replenish & Re-imagine Retreat
One-to-One Coaching

Slipware cups waiting to be fired and a road trip to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Coming next week…
‘The Muscle of the Soul’: the deep healing and peace that comes from releasing the Psoas.