By Andrea McVeigh

Petre Sefton is the change she wants to see in the world.

Many people are inspired by Gandhi's famous quote, but, to our minds, this is one lady who has not only changed her own life, but has inspired other people to do the same.

Petre is the founder of Tortue Rouge, an organic beauty products and essential oils making business located deep in Laval de Nize, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.

The gentle, softly-spoken Englishwoman became passionate about the healing power of plants after contracting septicaemia and coming close to death.

A high flying lawyer and business women, she gave up her career and moved to rural France to set up her business creating organic essential oils and tinctures, growing the ingredients organically on her farm and surrounding land.

As Petre says: "you can go out into nature and flowers will lift your mood, but if you can't get into the country, essential oils bring the country to you."

As well as making essential oils and beauty treatments on her own land, Petre also runs organic beauty making courses, suitable for everyone, from beginners to professionals.

The courses cover everything from the essential properties of oils to actually creating your own perfume or moisturiser.

They're perfect for sophisticated hen party trips and quite a few mother-and-daughter pairings take the courses too, especially if the daughter is a bride-to-be.

Not only do guests get the opportunity to relax in a retreat-like environment surrounded by wild flowers, a tranquil river and the most amazingly beautiful countryside, many find it to be a life-changing experience.

I enjoyed a three day/four night course and came home blissed-out, relaxed, refreshed, inspired and with a bag full of lovely products which I'd made with essential oils, including an anti-cellulite serum, a perfume, a room mist, a toner, an anti-jet-lag cream and a moisturiser.

Together with the fabulous and vivacious course co-ordinator Tracy Savage, Petre has ensured that guests soon feel like friends - the food is scrummy and the accommodation, in the on-site house-hotel (thought to be a medieval hospital/healing place originally) is first-rate.

Idyllic is a word bandied about a lot, but in this case it's true.

It's the sort of place you dream about packing in the daily grind and escaping to - which is exactly what Petre did!

On my first evening, Tracy took me on a nature walk, pointing out the local wild flowers and herbs, before she got to work in the kitchen creating a sumptuous locally-sourced and largely organic meal.

Over the next few days I learnt more about the power of aromatherapy, thanks to Petre and Jenny Gay, a registered Homeopath and an expert in reiki and flower essences, who taught us guests all we needed to know about the therapeutic benefits of high-quality, essential oils.

The oils we used in our creations were either organic Tortue Rouge products, or else they'd been sourced (in cases where the plants or flowers aren't grown by Petre) from equally ethical small businesses around the world.

If you've never been convinced about the power of aromatherapy to affect your mind and mood, be prepared to become a devotee.

*To book, visit www.GoLearnTo.com , telephone 08445 020445 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Long weekend (3 night/4 day) 'make your own beauty products' courses cost from £379 per person.

Long weekend (3 night/4 day) 'organic perfume making' course cost from £349 per person.

Mid-week (4 night/5 day) 'make your own beauty products' courses cost from £850 per person - aimed at practitioners, therapists and those with a deep interest in organic beauty products

Introduction to Aromatherapy courses are also available.

Nearest airports: Bé ziers or Montpellier.

GoLearnTo.com is a learning holiday specialist, selling over 1000 inspirational holiday courses in over 30 countries worldwide, to suit all time-scales and budgets. Its founder, Vanessa Lenssen, recently won the 2008 SHINE travel award for Corporate Women of the Year.

For more about Tortue Rouge visit www.tortuerouge.com or www.organic-courses.com . Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and make friends with 'Tortue Rouge 100% organic' on Facebook.