Schedule
Tine Tent
A powerful vinyasa class, a variation of the Awakening Yoga Set sequence, where modifications are available throughout. An exploration of movement, creating space for each individual and hopefully challenging the participants to try, without fear of failure.
This class will celebrate the Summer Solstice – the high point of the Celtic Calendar and the celebration of abundance and light. We will flow through an energising, heart opening practice that will embrace all things sun related. This Vinyasa based juicy flow will allow us to create a community through our movement while also combining the elements of our Irish heritage and mythology with the Indian yogic traditions. Expect Intention setting, breathwork, meditation and a savasana that will calm the nervous system to improve our overall wellbeing.
Join Benita, founder of HandstandsAnonymous™ in some deep play for the youthful heart with Handstand Playground Medicine.
Facing that which you Fear is the Medicine, the alchemy of Fire that transforms, shifts and cures your perspective from feeling limited and scared to experiencing the Source of your freedom, laughter and joy that Play evokes from within you. This is for anyone who wants to learn the principle actions to play on your hands. IF you feel that you are “not strong enough”, “my arms aren’t strong”; “my core isn’t strong”, “I will die” this is for you.
Prerequisites: 1) Desire. 2) You must be comfortable holding a down dog with straight arms for five breaths, lifting one leg in down dog and being upside down, head facing down.
A Vinyasa based practice designed to create a sense of balance and openness in both your body and mind. Incorporating mindfulness and breath awareness, connect back inward to your higher Self to find a deep sense of grounding and release. It’s time to let go of what no longer serves and make space for what’s deserving in your life. This class is open to all levels and will have guests feeling more energised, balanced and strong in the body and more connected, open and resilient in the mind.
An embodied experience, moving from flow into free movement. A blend of yoga and ecstatic dance, using the principles of feminine yoga flow and embracing Shakti energy. Shakti Dance allows you to experience an arc of transformative and embodied movement, by tapping into the divine feminine energy of Shakti – the energy of creation, maintenance and destruction. Ecstatic dance is a dance/movement practice to explore the exhilarating feeling of moving your body freely. You can move your body, unleash the wild dancing self without caring what people think, claim your freedom, expand to the very tips of your fingers and let your heart sing! You can ask yourself: what’s my body feeling in this moment? Does it feel good moving this way, or that? Does it feel nourishing to dance this way or another? Let your body lead the way.
No dance experience or partner needed.
In the Celtic tradition there are three cauldrons in the body. Weaving threads from Katonah yoga, Celtic mythology and Taoist wisdom we will orient and organise ourselves around our sovereign centre through asana, breathwork and sound.
Using fragrant and beautiful flowers and foliage from her regenerative micro flower farm, Anna will take participants on a mindful journey. After an appreciation of the beautiful materials, participants will relax into a meditative state, and allow the natural world to guide them in the choice of colours and shapes, personal insights reminding them of their souls truth. From that deep place will come their own unique ephemeral work of beauty.
*30 mins duration
“Kirtan” is a Sanskrit word for yoga music. The Sanskrit language, much as Italian does in European classical music, lends itself to being sung and chanted. During a typical Kirtan, one person will sing one line of a mantra or verse and the others will sing it back. The melodies and rhythms are simple and easy to learn and once you are comfortable with the form, you just concentrate on the words and tunes. Because it’s music, it comes to us much easier than some of our other breathing practices. You don’t have to be able to sing or chant to do this practice; you can just sit, listen and breathe if you prefer. The sounds around you will still have a profound effect on you.
With Jack Harrison, Mari Kennedy, Jenny Ní Ruiséil, Brian Fleming & Paul Johnson.
Aer Tent
Join Lydia in this mini workshop designed to leave you feeling rejuvenated inside and out. You will start by learning some facial yoga techniques that you can incorporate into your daily self-care routine to help brighten and tone the skin and muscles of the face and neck. These techniques are a series of short and simple exercises that plump up slackening muscles, encourage the production of collagen and increase blood circulation, leaving you glowing from within!
We will then move onto some gentle yoga Asana and Kriya that will focus on boosting the circulation, stimulating lymphatic drainage and flushing out toxins from the body,: helping your internal purification system to work more effectively .
Finally we will end with a deeply restorative guided relaxation that will help counter the effects of stress on the body so that you head into the rest of your day feeling rested and revitalized.
Move from love with Sam and together you will initiate action from the vibration of love,. When we do this, we begin to flow with life, rather than against it. We realize that our energy is not just about us; it’s about the world around us. We start to see that the more we invest our energy in love, the more love we attract. Through our practice, we learn to love ourselves more deeply, and that love ripples out into the world, touching everyone we encounter. We learn that love is not just a feeling; it is a state of being. We can cultivate this state of being in our yoga practice, meditation and self-reflection. As we deepen our love for ourselves and others, we begin to see that everything is connected. We see that the love we put out into the world comes back to us in unexpected ways. We learn that love is not just something we give; it is something we receive. Move together building a fire in our hearts and bodies. Enjoy the ebbs and flows in this dynamic Asana practice and connect deeply in the moments of meditation, surrounded by nature setting into peace.
Shoulder mobility is important from both a strengthening and stretching perspective. Good mobility prepares our bodies for the endurance of training, reduces injury, and improves our range of movement. Not to mention building strength for all those funky arm balances and inversions we love! In this workshop we will explore our range of shoulder movement through mobility specific yoga asanas and props. This promises to be a dynamic and fun strength based flow to energise and lift the heart.
Bhakti, Bhakti, Bhakti – devotional practise is especially beautiful when shared in a group. Starting with simple asana to ground and open the body, we will meditatively chant mantra together to lift our hearts and sing our light awake. Prepare to be softened, and a little bit empowered….it’s already inside you.
The body affirmative practices of yoga are there in all their varieties to show us, we are held within flows of energy and intelligence far exceeding our own. This force, is not only animating us, it is guiding us. To be guided by the life-force is to be in service of life and to be in service of life is ultimately what we are here to do.
Meditation can be a superpower but it can also be super simple. Let Moons take you through this mini-workshop, meditation class and Q&A. Let her demystify some of the preconceived ideas about what meditation is… and WHY we do it. There’s space to answer those questions you’ve been dying to ask and most importantly, there’s space to feel into this practice alongside the learning. Let’s meditate & marinate some magic together!
Join Christine at The Yoga Picnic for a talk on how you can make your yoga classes more inclusive and accessible through the skilful use of props, inclusive language and intelligent cueing. Learn how to teach and practice yoga to all members of your community regardless of age or ability/ disability.
This short practice will enable you to “log off and tune in”, especially recommended after a busy week. The practice is very soft and will enable you to find an easy opening allowing your body to become more fluid, nourished and restored.
Talamh Tent
Ease into the day with a yoga practice connecting to the element of water. As we meet and gather at Lilliput on the shores of Lough Ennell, we remember water as the source of life. We connect to the flow of our breath and move our bodies to music, sounds, and words inspired by water.
Led by Mary Farrelly and Katie Shortt of Aruna Yoga.
Trauma Consciousness, increased awareness around consent, and of course ‘Covid’ have all accelerated the movement within yoga away from offering ‘hands-on adjustments’.
It is not only possible to offer assistance, support, and even invite adjustments in a way that empowers both you and your students. This type of adjustment is more powerful, offers more lasting results, offers the student more agency, and creates a much safer class. As a teacher it lessens the worry about whether the student filled the pre-class info form in correctly, or left anything off it. The forms may exist for insurance companies. However, our relationship with our students is no longer based on the fear of the insurance company or the assumption that we do or should know better. Instead, we meet as equals, where the teacher sets up an opportunity for the student to explore, to develop somatic awareness, to repattern, to build strength, to find release, to take a pause, to build resilience, to find balance …. for themselves. We are their support. We may offer our observations, but they – the student – decide what to do with it.
Leaving you will have some tools, some new language, and most importantly … something to ponder.
This will be a blend of Ashtanga and Vinyasa style of yoga that synchronizes breath with movement to create a flowing, meditative practice. After a warm up, there will be a series of sun salutations to warm up the body, followed by a creative sequence of standing and seated postures. Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow focuses on building strength, flexibility, and stamina through a continuous, moving practice. This class is suitable for all practitioners who are comfortable with a challenging practice and adjustments of all poses will be offered.
This Hatha Flow will stimulate your mind, body, breath, and energy through dynamic Kriya Yoga practices, breathwork, mudra and embodied movement. We’ll stir up a deep rooted sense of self, inner trust and self-confidence. You’ll leave you feeling connected, strong and centred.
This is a class where you can drop back in and connect to your body, through the power of conscious breathwork, and fluid movement, that is both natural and rhythmic in its form. This class will explore getting in touch with your sensuality by using rhythmic movement and traditional yoga asana. The class allows a space to connect to the breath, encouraging intuitive movement in order to access the subtle senses and allow the body, mind, and soul to catch up with one another.
Jennifer will take you on a journey through the seasons as you move in this vinyasa style class. We will connect to the breath for a strong flow, and we will take time to turn inward and rest. Just as there is time for every season, so must we take time to honour the seasons within ourselves. This class will have a grounding energy. ‘Nature does not hurry, yet everything is achieved’, Lao Tzu.
A practice to cultivate a sense of steadiness within and to invoke a deeper kindness towards, and connection to your own being and essence. You will be guided through mindful movement, slow flows, a breathing practice and a lengthy savasana for deep rest. Come as you are and allow the practice to enliven and uplift you.
Naoise is excited to be delivering the arm-balance class “Taking Flight”. This is a playful practice where we will be guided through a sequence of postures working towards one of her favorite arm balances ‘Astavakrasana’ (eight-angle pose). Naoise will offer poses to help to prepare the body for astavakrasana, and an explorative progression flow for people who want to go deeper in their arm balance practice. Expect to have fun and feel challenged in this class!
Draíocht Tent
A poetry reading with a a twist. Slowly soften your edges with this tailored Yin yoga and poetry session. Each shape will be matched a poem selected and performed by Yin yoga teacher and poet Abaigéal Warfield.
How do we carry our practice of Yoga off the mat? Join Lucy for this talk about how the practice of Yoga is far from what we show up to do physically on the mat, but rather a full philosophy for living. Our Yoga practice is really with us every moment of every day, it is how we show up and surrender to the supreme flow of life.
This workshop invites you to drop into your heart and your intuition as we explore our capacity for giving and receiving through meeting the spirit of Rose. We will connect with ourselves, each other, and Rose by sitting in circle for a rose tea ceremony, and by giving and receiving nourishing, gentle touch.
(*Sign up essential)
Using the power of spoken word as invocation, music, sacred oils and well water Laura Murphy (Poet, Activist and Healer) will offer a visceral, visionary experience of stepping out of linear time and into Ireland’s Dreamtime, Tír na nÓg. You will become what John Moriarty calls “the temporary one of the Dream”. You will meet the preeminent Gods and Goddesses of the Tuatha Dé Danann such as Danu, Bóinn, Brigit, Dagda, Lugh & Fionn who will help awaken your Dán (soul-gift / dharma). You will emerge, illuminated with Imbas Forosnaí (Illuminated Inspiration) which is the higher state of consciousness that the filí (seer-poets of ancient Ireland) accessed to bring truth to power and healing to society.
An Aisling for the 21st Century. A talk about the parallels between the Yoga tradition and the Celtic World.
Widely misinterpreted, Tantra is one of the most ancient practices within the Yoga system, but what is it really all about? Join Lucybloom for this chat in understanding Tantra, its origins, practices and fundamentals as well as uncovering the truth of this transformational practice.
Working with movement, breath, sound and stillness we can meet ourselves in new ways and begin a deeper conversation with the forgotten places within. Join Michael for this session exploring our shadow, our light, our depth and our purpose.
A wonderful blend of breathing, movement, relaxation and mantra meditation for a yoga class that’s like no other. If you haven’t tried this type of yoga then you’re in for a real treat! Open yourself up to your own creative power and unleash YOUR truth from within. All welcome, no experience necessary as it’s all beautifully guided.
Rua Tent
A heart opening Cacao gathering with Mandalei Kuhn of Magic Earth Cacao, honoring the sacredness of this life and connecting to the energy of Summer Solstice. We will journey to meet the Spirit of Mama Cacao. There will be conscious breath, healing sound, meditation and maybe a bit of movement. Bring no expectations just a warm-heart and curious soul. Men, women and all gender identities welcome.
Sign up sheet will be available on the morning of the event. Spaces limited, first come first served
Mother’s Circle is an inclusive space for mothers and carers of children to share and be supported in community. I’m delighted to bring this offering to The Yoga Picnic. Combining simple embodiment practises, ritual, and sharing we circle together to empower the Mother archetype within and support eachother in our evolvement, recognising that, as Mothers and primary caregivers, our spiritual practises are very often happening in ‘realtime’ alongside our parenting. The invitation is to put down your responsibilities and be held in circle (If you have childcare for the duration of the workshop it is recommended for your own comfort, however babes in arms and children are really welcome in this space if you are without an alternative).
Mothering can look different for everyone, you are welcome in this space if you feel called, whether you have birthed children or are currently parenting or not, you are welcome
A beautiful ritual to connect to the Croí Broinne and bloodline for greater connection, generational and ancestral healing. During this sacred space we will call in our menstrual lineage, connect to our internal and external seasons and cycles as we ignite the great mystery of menstruality through an imram broinne. This circle welcomes all women and those on their journey through menstruality to a feminine divine potent container to honour and celebrate draíocht na broinne. There’s the option to bring something to place on the altar. If you have any photos of women and loved ones in your bloodline they’re welcome to nestle into the the womb heart with us. Grá agus draíocht na broinne
Menopause and Ayurveda are both synonymous with WISDOM. Whether you are in your mid 30’s and beginning to feel the internal call and shift that life needs and is changing or going through Menopause, Ayurveda and the Circadian Rhythm offer many answers where you may not be receiving anywhere else. Ayurveda recognises that women are at the centre of not just family but society and that once we are healthy, our society will also enjoy more love, health, compassion and balance. In this workshop we will journey through how Ayurveda can offer you choices for your body as you navigate the physical, mental and spiritual journey of peri and Menopause.
Join Mary for this empowering practice that blends the benefits of yoga, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and childbirth education. Mary will guide you through gentle and safe yoga postures specifically tailored to accommodate the changes in your body during pregnancy. These poses will help strengthen and stretch your muscles, improve circulation, alleviate common discomforts, and promote optimal foetal positioning. In addition to the physical practice, we will explore breathing techniques that can be utilised during pregnancy, labour, and delivery. You will learn how to harness the power of your breath to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and manage pain effectively. You will develop a deeper connection with your body and baby, fostering a sense of calm and confidence as you prepare for childbirth. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, this practice is suitable for all levels of fitness and yoga experience. Join Mary in honouring the sacred journey of pregnancy and birth, empowering you with the tools to navigate this transformative period with grace, strength, and confidence.
This circle is an open space for all who menstruate, have or had a womb, pregnant, postpartum, preparing for the first bleed or looking to connect with their inner cycles. During the circle we will look at menstrual cycle awareness by exploring charting and our inner seasons. We will have a sharing circle and the space will be closed with a guided journey.
The meeting of Instinct and intuition. A women’s circle and Yoga Nidra focused on the language of female embodiment with the trailblazer of women’s yoga, Lou Horgan
Éist Tent
The science and psychology of stress and burnout, how to recognise and understand the signs, mitigate the effects and implement eustress practices.
Dr Anthony Rafferty is a medical doctor, PhD scholar, energy healer and spiritual counsellor. Anthony uses a unique approach to get to the root cause of imbalance in life by bringing his clients on a holistic healing journey of body, mind, emotion and soul. This year, Anthony will be talking about the health of the gut microbiome and will be exploring nutrition and lifestyle practices to optimise your gut bugs. Anthony will also give an overview of the main energy centres (chakras) linked to the gut and discuss how mental and emotional trauma can impact our gut function.
A class on how to make practical steps to reduce waste in your home. It will encourage attendees to take climate action in their own lives without feeling overwhelmed. We address issues of climate anxiety, practical steps to overcome it and will leave you feeling empowered and excited to take control of the waste in your life.
During this talk, you will hear from Anne Marie Boyhan, certified sleep science coach and functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner (FDN-P) about the hidden things in your body that could be sabotaging your sleep and what to do about them. You will learn about the number 1 hormone that sabotages sleep, plus other gut, mineral, liver, and nutritional factors that impact sleep.
If you are struggling with what practical action to take in the face of the climate emergency, or you’d just like to have a lovely mindful outdoor space that’s easy to maintain, this session is for you. Using the 5 senses as a guide, Anna will take you through actions and plants that will enhance biodiversity and make your garden a delight, throughout the seasons.
Find out how to partner your movement practices with select botanicals, nutrients and lifestyle strategies to cultivate the sort of harmony that creates the foundation of truly sustainable health. Finn and Lydia’s wellness brand, Wandering Into Wellness, was built on the ethos that what is best for our bodies, is also what is best for the planet. Together they weave their unique areas of expertise, in yoga, nutrition and lifestyle coaching, into a interactive offering that illuminates a different take on the meaning of what it is to live a sustainable lifestyle. Expect plenty of practical tips & takeaways that you can instantly incorporate into your daily life to move towards a vision of nature-connected vitality and longevity for you, your family and the planet.
Talk and demonstration by Terri Conroy of Danu’s Irish Herb Garden. This class will reveal how Mother Nature provides us with everything we need to stay healthy and it is all there at our feet. Topics include – identifying medicinal wild plants, very brief history of herbal medicine; how to use them to prevent disease; how to use them when sick; the different ways they can be used both internally and externally. Examples of plant medicine will be shown and some can be sampled.
This talk focuses on the birth of Yoga. An interactive session where you can learn and understand the history of yoga and its evolution while also sharing our earliest experiences with yoga. Manasi will talk about the origins and the traditions of Yoga from the Vedic period, to the pre-classical, the classical and finally the modern world. What yoga focussed on in the olden days and how and why it has evolved to give more importance to the physical aspect. What it meant to live the life of a Yogi. With this deeper understanding, we can determine what we can learn and how we can adapt to Yoga as a wholesome practice.
Anam Tent
This form of meditation takes place at the beginning, is integral to the singing bowls therapy and also the singing bowl therapy session ends with conclusion of the guided creative visualization . It links in with the chakra system and auric system of the body. It creates and fosters health on all levels. Creative visualization has a different theme for each sound meditation. There are two modes involved in creative visualization. In the relaxed mode – We can simply relax and allow images or impressions to come to us without choosing them. In the active mode-we consciously choose what we wish to see or imagine. Both though in sound healing work together, coming into balance, as we listen to the healing sounds. A relaxed and an informative state guides us along, bringing uplifting insights.
Tina will be holding a music and sound workshop for our little ones. This will be filled with lots of fun voice exercises and singing, animal sounds and movement (we will ROAR ), jumping, laughing and expression through the magic and wonder of music. There will be lots of musical instruments that the kids can play with and together create beautiful music and wonderful sounds. This is sure to be fun for all the family
In this class Jenny will guide you through a short series of asana and pranayama techniques to prepare for guided meditation & Mantra. Use the body, breath, mind & heart to nudge any frayed edges back into balance.
Co-found of wild swimming network, the Salty Sea Sisters, Áine McAuley will discuss the health benefits of Cold Water Exposure. Áine is a trained yoga teacher, with a keen interest in cold water swimming, breath work, and meditation, placing importance upon the intrinsic connection between nature and ourselves.
Rosie will guide you through A breathwork journey, a powerful and transformative experience that can help to bring about physical, mental, and emotional healing. It involves a series of conscious, connected breaths used to access and explore the subconscious mind. During the journey, you will be guided through a series of breathing exercises that will help to open up your energy channels and allow for a deeper connection with your inner self. As you breathe, you may experience a range of emotions, sensations, and memories that can help bring healing and insight. The journey can be a powerful tool for self-exploration and transformation and can help to bring about a greater sense of peace, clarity, and well-being. A transformational journey through drumming, music, and guided meditation will also be included in the experience. This can help to open up the energy channels further and allow for a deeper connection with your inner self. The journey can be a powerful tool for self-exploration and transformation and can help to bring about a greater sense of peace, clarity, and well-being.
Gentle movement as Gaeilge followed by a Yoga Nidra practice as Gaeilge. Soothe the nervous system with some gentle movement that gradually becomes slower and slower to move into a Yoga Nidra practice to really move the body, mind and spirit into a relaxed state. Connecting to the natural surroundings, the element of earth and the mysticism of the Irish language will be a central theme to this practice. All are welcome – translations and demonstrations will be included, so no need to worry if you’re not a fluent Irish speaker!
Elaine will guide you through a beautiful meditation to melt you into rest, and then allow you to be bathed in therapeutic sounds to access an altered state of consciousness where your innate creativity can be awakened.
Craic Tent
Elaine will be holding a fun and interactive class for children aged 4-10 years to explore the basic skills of yoga in a non-competitive environment. The class will encourage children to move creatively and will explore age appropriate poses, games and breathwork skills for them to enjoy.
This class is for anyone who wants to move in fun ways with others. We will begin with a gentle warm up from head to toe, then move on to some core conditioning games that will bring a smile to your face, despite the burn. We will then take participants through a series of Acro Yoga moves that include inversions, counterbalances and L-basing. We will work together and support each other, always using spotters to help with safety. Participants will get the chance to try these moves with different people in the group and try variations of each move. We will finish the class with some gentle stretching.
Come and dance, even if you can’t! Remember to Dance is a sporadic series of dance workshops to remind you to dance. This workshop will focus on a very simple routine…less learning so we can get down to some dancing. It’s an all levels class – more about feels and fun than perfecting steps. The workshop will be led by Elaine Joyce. Elaine is a trained ballet and jazz dancer, with a background in choreography too. After taking a few years off dancing and then returning to classes, she realised her skills weren’t what they once were, so she set up ‘Remember to Dance’ as a reminder to herself and everyone, that dancing does not need to be skilled to be joyous!
Join Jenn for a class of playful connection and exploration of how your breath and body feels while moving through this yoga class with a partner. Open for anyone to join solo or with a friend! Some experience with yoga is helpful but not necessary.
Sarah will be holding space for children and families to connect and carve out time to move, play & breathe. Creating really special family connections.
Starting with some fun games, you will then take off on a magical adventure. This adventure will bring you to a special island filled with wonderful animals. Using your bodies to create fun poses to travel there – imagine everything from aeroplanes to bikes to rocket ships! The adventure continues once you arrive with fun partner poses throughout. On safe return to Lilliput house, again, using your bodies, everyone will make up a magic potion that will need to be cooled using their magic breath. Finally, a lovely wind down with a focus meditation so everyone can cuddle up and reset for the rest of their day.
This class is for anyone who wants to move in fun ways with others. We will begin with a gentle warm up from head to toe, then move on to some core conditioning games that will bring a smile to your face, despite the burn. We will then take participants through a series of acroyoga moves that include inversions, counterbalances and L-basing. We will work together and support each other, always using spotters to help with safety. Participants will get the chance to try these moves with different people in the group and try variations of each move. We will finish the class with some gentle stretching.
Elaine is delighted to teach a fun and mindful class for children aged 4 to 10 years of age to explore the basic skills in becoming little yogis. Through games and mindfulness activities, children will experience how their breath and body move together in a meaningful and fun filled way.
Relax and unwind with Tina for evening storytime with the little ones after a fun filled day.
Suitable for kids of all ages, young and old!
(30 mins duration)
Glas (Forest)
Forest Bathing (shinrin-yoku) was developed by the Japanese government to combat a stress pandemic in the 80s. Green prescriptions were given to patients suffering from stress, anxiety and depression. Forest Bathing is making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest. It’s a guided walk to facilitate slowing down and taking in the beauty and benefits of the woodland using mindfulness techniques with many stops along the way to explore the senses through touch, smell, sight, sound and taste.
Hundreds of studies have been done on forest bathing and the effects of forest and woodland areas on the body and immune response. Time spent fully immersed in nature lowers cortisol levels, reduces blood pressure, lowers the heart rate and balances out the nervous system. It also helps to improve sleep and exposure to the particles released in woodlands improves the immune system.
You will leave a forest bathing session feeling more grounded, more connected with your surroundings and your bodies response to its surroundings, it reconnects you to your inner self and nature. Forest Bathing has also been used as a tool to help battle climate change, studies have shown that when people connect on a deeper level with nature, they are more inclined to act towards protecting it.
Wild Roots with Cathy Daly will offer a forest school workshop for children aged between 2- 6yrs. The theme will be “nature connections” and offered through creativity, song, games and story. It will be 1.5hrs long. Limited spaces available.
Children must be accompanied by a parent.
“Keep some room in your heart for the Unimaginable.” — Mary Oliver.
*Sign-up essential.
Along with the bones and the lambeg, the bodhran is one of a small group of indigenous percussion instruments in the Irish tradition. Originally a drum reserved for playing outside on special ritual occasions, the drum has developed a very sophisticated level of technique in recent decades to enable the player to more sympathetically accompany traditional Irish music.The drum has even developed its own international community which reaches beyond the Irish tradition. In this workshop, Brian will teach beginners the basics of how to hold stick and drum and how to play a reel and a jig and equip you with homework to take away with you to begin your own bodhran journey.
*Sign-up essential.
Brian will introduce participants to a cross section of his drum collection and the names and countries of origin of each drum. His mission in life is convince Irish people that not all drums are called ‘the bongos.’ Participants will learn to get different sounds from their drums before learning three parts of a traditional Jamaican rhythm and then bringing the three parts together along with the song that accompanies them. There will be the opportunity for each participant to try a couple of different drums and to create a solo that reflects or disguises their own levels of introversion or extraversion.
*Sign-up essential.
Forest Bathing (shinrin-yoku) was developed by the Japanese government to combat a stress pandemic in the 80s. Green prescriptions were given to patients suffering from stress, anxiety and depression. Forest Bathing is making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest. It’s a guided walk to facilitate slowing down and taking in the beauty and benefits of the woodland using mindfulness techniques with many stops along the way to explore the senses through touch, smell, sight, sound and taste.
Hundreds of studies have been done on forest bathing and the effects of forest and woodland areas on the body and immune response. Time spent fully immersed in nature lowers cortisol levels, reduces blood pressure, lowers the heart rate and balances out the nervous system. It also helps to improve sleep and exposure to the particles released in woodlands improves the immune system.
You will leave a forest bathing session feeling more grounded, more connected with your surroundings and your bodies response to its surroundings, it reconnects you to your inner self and nature.
Forest Bathing has also been used as a tool to help battle climate change, studies have shown that when people connect on a deeper level with nature, they are more inclined to act towards protecting it.
Walk and talk session. Wandering among the medicinal plants that are growing wild and learning how to identify them, how our ancestors used them and how we can use them today.
Uisce (by the lake)
Inspired by the element of water, we will begin with some gentle seated poses and connecting with the Sacral Chakra . Caroline will gently guide you through a class helping you to feel balanced, calm and connected. There will be an option to challenge yourself if you wish to try some standing poses, using the paddle to help create stability.
SUP Yoga is easier than you think- we just slow it down and really connect with every part of our body, taking time to find our balance and ease gently into each pose. Keeping our centre of gravity low to the board, we will find stillness as you connect deeply to yourself and the beautiful surroundings.
NB: *SUP Yoga is only available to those who have purchased an additional ticket for this specifically. Tickets for this are available on the website.* A link will be sent with booking times in advance of the event.
Feel tension release as you enjoy the warm embrace from the wood-fired stove, breathe in the pure scent of the beautiful aspen benches & the herbal scented ‘löyly’ as it wraps around you. Taste the refreshing naturally infused water. Reconnect with nature as you take in the stunning views through the panoramic window, listening to the
gentle roar of the fire.
NB *Sauna is only available to those who have purchased an additional ticket for this specifically. Tickets are available on the website* A link with booking information will be sent to those with tickets in advance of the event.
Clann (picnic area)
Try your hand at Aerial Yoga. Aerial Yoga combines mind, body and spirit bringing a new sense of awareness to your practice. Flexibility, upper body and core will all be used in between different inversions and fun poses. Maria will take you through a taster session so that you can experience what the hammocks & some of the moves feel like.
Carol has been a children’s face painter for over 15 years. She paints at parties, family occasions, festivals and fairs, providing a little bit of magic for the young and the young at heart.
Join artist Rachel Coyne in creating a wild flower meadow painting using sustainable paints on found wood. Rachel will guide participants in making simple marks which fill the surface to create a colourful wild flower meadow.