Do you remember your first time?

I do! It was on Sherkin Island, mid Summer and it was with my friend Claire. Ah yes my first yoga retreat – you knew that’s what I meant right?! Course you did!

It’s a good few years ago now. I remember the excitement of neatly folding every item in my wardrobe into the bag, then taking them all back out again after having a word with myself about overpacking! Chatting together about who’d bring the toothpaste and the shampoo and what clothes to pack. As usual I packed for snow, rain, sun and swims. I also wedged delicious snacks and a cheeky bottle of bubbles into my oversized suitcase.

Early that Friday morning we met at the pier and clambered onto the keeling boat to set sail for Sherkin. Over on dry land, looking windswept and interesting as Billy Connolly said, the taxi driver sandwiched us all in beside another family also landing for the weekend and drove the eight-seater like she stole it. Blind bends blurred by, wing mirrors clipped the yellow blooming gorse.

Clutching my tummy I tumbled out of the minibus at the retreat centre, unclenched my white knuckles and Claire and I found ourselves in top and bottom bunks in a small white driftwood décor chalet with paper thin walls, through which our cacophonous laughter reverberated!

I loved the energetic morning yoga practice, the soothing, calming and sleep inducing evening Yin. I craved the sweet release of the downtime, where I wandered around the island exploring rock pools and leaned on farm gates gazing into the distance, possibly looking notion-y lol!)

We met tufty donkeys, shaggy sheep and had a dip in the sea whilst the ocean’s white horses raced at us near the shore. We danced to warm up, cartwheeling, falling over and laughing. We took a selfie or two.

Most of all I loved the people – a Corkonian rock climber and his yoga teacher girlfriend from Spain, a tattoo artist, a musician, a horse trainer, a social care worker, a trainee teacher and me. I’ve stayed connected to several of these diverse people through the magic of Instagram and enjoyed little chats over the years.

Clearest in my memory, is the craic – the holding my tummy because my face hurts kind of open mouthed, body shaking laughter. The sense of adventure, of going to do this thing just for me, somewhere new, with people I didn’t know and new things I’d not yet tried. Unexpectedly, I gained a deeper connection to myself, to Claire and the beauty of nature on the island. Lots of yoga, swimming, walking and staying up late into the night laughing oddly rejuvenated me, I felt restored. It was a miracle I’d waited so long to gift myself this special retreat. I vowed it would be the first of many more.

So what was your first time like? On retreat I mean, obviously! Or maybe you’ve yet to pop your retreat cherry? In which case, you are missing out - on the experience, the excitement, the laughter, meeting new friends and giving yourself the gift of rest and restoration, on the adventure of it all.

If you’d like to give it a go and fancy trying a mini-retreat to whet your appetite, I’d love to invite you along to join for a one night retreat this November - ease yourself into Wintertime. I’m hosting this heart-warming experience in the beautiful Ballygarry Estate and Spa on Saturday 5th November. You can look forward to an immersion into yoga, forest bathing in 16th century Ballyseedy Woods, a four course evening meal and sumptuous brekkie, campfire (fingers crossed for the weather!) and mugs of steaming hot chocolate, access to the award winning Spa and much more! Nature meets luxury. If you’re a busy person who can’t quite slip away for a full weekend, juggling family, work and everything else, then this mini break is for you! To find out more or to book one of the limited spaces visit Ballygarry Estate & Spa website.

I would love to see you there!

Maeve x