Beachfront Weekend Retreat

This beachfront yoga retreat in Cadzand, Zeeland, is a small-group weekend by the North Sea, just across the Belgian border. It is for anyone who wants to leave the city, move well, slow down and eat good food, whether you are new to yoga and meditation or already have a practice. It is led by Mike Van Cauter, a Brussels-based yoga teacher and movement specialist, and it combines yoga, functional movement, mindfulness meditation and breathwork.

What to Expect

The weekend is built around recharging rather than exhaustion. There are four extended movement classes, longer than a typical studio class, with slow integration and a winding down at the end. They are sequenced so that the effort builds logically and you finish the weekend energised rather than tired out. The sessions blend yoga with functional movement, mobility and strength, mixing energising practices with slower ones. One of the four is an assisted movement workshop that digs into the reasons behind how you move. The aim is not to test your flexibility but to help you understand your body better and move with more confidence.

Two guided morning mindfulness meditation sessions offer a practical, accessible way to slow down and notice what is happening beneath the surface. Taking part is optional. A Transformational Breath workshop adds tools you can carry home.

Time outdoors is part of the rhythm: coastal walks, fresh air, and a short stroll to the sea, alone or in a group. Two optional sessions are on offer for those who want them: a cardio HIIT session on the beach, and a cold sea immersion with breathwork followed by warm chai around a fire. Nobody is expected to do everything.

About Mike Van Cauter

Mike Van Cauter is a yoga teacher, movement specialist and retreat facilitator based in Brussels, and the founding teacher of Pop Up Yoga Concepts, which he started in 2016 on the belief that yoga belongs in your life and not only in a studio. He has more than ten years of professional experience and holds a 500-hour training in functional movement, alongside Hatha and Yin yoga. He is also a breathwork coach and a mindfulness meditation teacher with a personal practice of over 20 years.

His work centres on function rather than form: spine health, injury prevention, holistic mobility and long-term physical resilience, always with an explanation of the reason behind each movement. Before teaching he spent ten years in an international corporate career, and he came to this work through his own experience of stress and health struggles.

The Setting

The retreat takes place in a modern, simply built house with a large private garden for outdoor activities, about a three-minute walk from the sea. Rooms are modern and well equipped, shared twin rooms with a private bathroom, and bed linen and towels are provided. Cadzand is roughly a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Brussels.

Food is a real part of the weekend. An on-site chef cooks flavourful, nourishing meals using seasonal, local and organic ingredients, mostly vegan and predominantly plant-based. You may leave with a few recipes for your own kitchen.

Before You Go

All levels are welcome. Newcomers to meditation are at home here, and experienced practitioners will find room to go deeper. Sessions are taught in English.

Arrival is at 5pm on Friday and departure at 3pm on Sunday. The weekend includes the movement classes, workshops, activities, accommodation, and food and drink. Travel to Cadzand is not included. A masseuse is available on site at an extra cost. Spaces are limited, and a deposit secures your place.