Imagine the perfect retreat in the perfect location. Feel the warmth of the sun upon your face. Smell the green of the grass and the crisp fresh air. Let go of the expectations of perfection and striving. Learn how to nurture and cultivate your personal energy before everything and everyone else takes it away.
I have worked and played diligently for months preparing an experience like no other for those searching for the ultimate get-away. “Eat Play Move” is transformational retreat based in the beautiful countryside of County Wicklow, Ireland. As I enthusiastically share this amazing opportunity, I am met with a nearly unanimous response – “Why Ireland?”
Because Ireland offers the perfect locale for me to teach “connection”. “Eat Play Move” is about coming home to your body. Home is indeed where the heart is, yet you spend your precious days, as we all do, living in your head. How do you begin to re-connect to your body and feel what it is like to be at home in your own skin?
“Eat Play Move” teaches the joy of connecting with the natural world, spending time allowing nature’s quiet beauty to take residence within the soul. What better place than the unspoiled countryside of Ireland, where humans and animals live side by side sharing the land as they have done throughout the ages? You see it and feel it almost immediately as you fly into Dublin with the cows and sheep casually grazing in the fields close by.
“Eat Play Move” teaches the joy of connecting with animals, horses in particular. Because horses are not only a part of the Irish landscape, they are a part of the Irish way of life. At Brook Lodge, you need only walk across the yard to be near these magnificent animals. And they are the perfect reminders for you to remain fully present and grounded. They invite you out of your head and into your heart as they offer you honorary membership to the herd. You don’t have to ride them to enjoy their remarkable ability to cultivate calmness and camaraderie.
“Eat Play Move” teaches the importance of nourishing the body with nature’s abundance. Brook Lodge boasts Ireland’s only certified organic restaurant, yet even more astounding is their dedication to staying local. They have their own gardens, their own orchard, their own beehives and even a full-time forager on their staff. A master cooking class with Evan Doyle, author of the book “Wild Food” is just one of many retreat offerings to demonstrate the need to feed the body and soul as nature intended.
“Eat Play Move” teaches joyous movement. Every morning of the retreat offers the opportunity to experience the grounding and energizing power of yoga – not by force, but by learning to listen to the body. Participants also learn proper posture and alignment in order to move the body with greater ease and less chance of injury. The connection to feeling and listening to the body is further explored with dance, as you learn basic ballroom steps.
Why Ireland? It’s all about connection – to the body, to the earth, to the natural world. Everything about Ireland relates to the land. Stone circles and ancient burial grounds abound. The earth connection is palpable and nearly every aspect of Irish life is rooted in its agricultural history.
A connection not to be overlooked – 2016 is the 100 year anniversary of the Easter Monday uprising when Ireland declared its people free from British rule. While they did not receive their independence until 2021, the Easter revolt is significant. As Americans, we recognize and honor the fierce need for independence and share this familiar bond with the Irish people.
Why Ireland? I could go on and on… Why not find out for yourself? Just go here to learn more!
“Eat Play Move” takes place every end of May and beginning of October at Brook Lodge & Wells Spa, Macreddin Village, County Wicklow, Ireland.
