Phéline Grawden
On Building Space for Both
Phéline is the founder of LÉPHIINE, a community for women who don't want to choose between ambition and depth. What started as an intimate lunch at her apartment has grown into something she didn't entirely expect. We asked her about it.
What made you start organising retreats?
"LÉPHIINE was born from a question I kept asking myself: do I really have to choose between a demanding career and a need for something deeper? After my sabbatical, I realised these two worlds don't oppose each other — they actually need each other. But I also realised there was no space that held both. So I created one.
Organizing a retreat felt like the natural next step: taking everything LÉPHIINE stands for and creating an immersive, multi-day experience where women can truly go inward."
How do you choose a location?
"The space has to feel intentional. I was looking for a private villa that holds a certain stillness and calm — away from the city, away from distractions, spacious, and aesthetically pleasing. Privacy matters a lot, because real depth requires safety. The villa we found outside Barcelona ticked every box: the light, the surroundings, the aesthetics."
What does a day look like?
"The retreat is designed as a journey that will guide the women back to themselves. Each day has a rhythm: movement in the morning — yoga, breathwork — followed by workshops and deeper inner work throughout the day, and evenings that are more spacious and connective. Everything is fully catered by a private chef, so the women don't have to think about anything except showing up."
What do you hope they take home?
"A quieter and more authentic relationship with themselves. I want them to leave feeling more grounded in who they are. Not because they discovered something new, but because they remembered something they already knew. That feeling of: I know what I want, I trust myself to go after it, and I have the tools to do so."
What does this location mean to you?
"Barcelona is where this community lives and breathes — it's our home base. But there's something about stepping outside of it, leaving the busy city behind, that creates the conditions for something deeper. The villa is close enough to feel familiar, but far enough to feel like a real reset."
Anything else?
"Our first retreat, almost fully booked (only 1 spot left). And honestly, I'm still taking that in. What started as an intimate lunch with five women at my apartment has grown into a real community. LÉPHIINE is for women who want both: the career and the depth, the ambition and the stillness. This retreat is the most concentrated version of this beautiful combination of desires so far."
Learn more about LÉPHIINE at lephiine.com or follow along at @lephiine on Instagram.
Retreats