Courses
We want to help people to live differently, to have less impact on the planet and to be happier. That’s why we’re delighted to be able to offer permaculture, meditation and vegan cooking courses.
Upcoming courses
9-11 June 2023
Introduction to Permaculture and Vipassana Meditation
7-9 July 2023
Introduction to Permaculture and Vegan Cooking
September 2023
Introduction to Permaculture and Vipassana Meditation
October 2023
Introduction to Permaculture and Vegan Cooking
Our courses are free
But we accept donations. See our bookings page for more details.
Find out about our permaculture teaching, the style of meditation we practise and our vegan cookery courses
Course details
Course schedule
The fun starts with the 18:06 train from Paris Montparnasse to La Ferté Bernard on a Friday evening and ends when participants return to Paris Montparnasse at 19:55 on Sunday night. You can see a typical weekend programme here.
Pricing
Our permaculture, meditation and vegan cooking courses are free! Instead of asking for money before a course, we give participants the chance to make a donation afterwards if they want someone else to benefit from a weekend with us.
Other courses
Donations
This concept is called Dāna, which means generosity, charity or alms in Sanskrit. The idea is simple: if you feel you’ve learnt something during your time with us, then you donate so that someone else can benefit.
Applied Permaculture
We also propose five-day Applied Permaculture courses structured around classes and practical workshops. It’s the ideal way to follow on from a weekend introduction course. Please contact us via info@thebigraise.fr for the programme and prices.
Permaculture for Groups
We offer one-day Introduction to Permaculture courses for groups. The day consists of a tour of the farm, an introduction to the principles behind permaculture, a vegan lunch and practical permaculture workshops. Please contact us via info@thebigraise.fr for more information.
WWOOFing
For those who want to do WWOOFing (working on an organic farm), we have a vegetable plot, an orchard, a forest garden, a nutfield, a wood, several ponds and a large field. So there is a lot of variety in the work we offer to WWOOFers. If you want to WWOOF with, you need to register with WWOOF France.
Book a course at The Big Raise today
If you’d like to book a weekend course at The Big Raise, then please send us an email to info@thebigraise.fr and include your first name, surname, email, mobile phone number, dates of the desired course and mode of transport (e.g. Paris, train).
If you have any questions, please consult our FAQs here.
Why study at The Big Raise with Alexis & Blanche?
Alexis studied for his Permaculture Design Course with the late great Patrick Whitefield and has completed two permaculture courses (Forest Garden & Micro Farm) with Charles and Perrine Hervé-Gruyer at France’s top permaculture farm, Bec Hellouin, and has done a nut growing course with Martin Crawford of the Agroforestry Research Trust, who is widely recognised as owning Europe’s finest forest garden.
Before moving to Paris in 2015, Alexis taught Introduction to Permaculture courses in London. He has completed two 10-day silent meditation retreats and has been vegan since his first silent retreat in May 2017. Before that he was vegetarian for many years. Alexis loves to cook and Blanche loves his cooking!
Blanche is a teacher in Paris. She incorporates permaculture thinking into many of her classes. She has also done a 10–day silent meditation retreat. Blanche is a vegetarian.
Don’t take our word for it
Here are a few testimonials from some of the lovely people who’ve already taken one of our courses
