For our Winter 2020/21 issue, our publisher Paul got the chance to visit the amazing Creacon Wellness Retreat, and learn how the centre has grown since it first opened. We highly recommend it as a getaway destination, once travel becomes possible again.
retreat holiday
We Recommend: Sacred Waters Experience at Avondale Retreat, 22 – 24 May
We are huge fans of the beautiful Avondale Retreat here at Positive Life (click here to read the article Helen Holt wrote for us in our Winter 2019/20 issue) and we highly recommend the Sacred Waters Retreat for Women from May 22nd to 24th. Read on to learn all about it!
In our Autumn 2019 issue, Paul shared his amazing experience in Dingle, Co. Kerry, where he enjoyed a retreat courtesy of Stay YNA. Read on to learn all about it.
Home is Where Kerry is
A Positive Retreat
by Paul Congdon
Peace is the theme of this issue – a beautiful feeling available to all humans, yet one we tend to feel in a heightened way when we are in a conducive environment like on a retreat, a walk in nature, meditating or swimming in the sea. It’s nice if you can generate peace on the inside, so that it’s available to you no matter where you are but, for now, I take a break and head away.
If staying in Ireland, Kerry is my place of harmony. This is a love letter to Kerry and begins in March of this year when the lovely people at Stay YNA invited me to stay in one of their luxury houses in the wilds of Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry.
I arrived to one of the most luxurious houses I’ve ever seen, furnished with all-natural materials, boasting a stunning view and a welcome pack of homemade bread and brownies. The living room had a wood-burning stove for those rainy hours when you just want to kick back, read a book and while away your holiday in peace. Each bedroom had its own unique style and more sweet views. There is something about this area. No wonder the ‘Stars Wars’ people felt that the force was here, with its wonderful beaches: Béal Bán, Wine Strand, Ventry (check out the view from Quinn’s pub), and Coumeenole, where Ryans Daughter was made.
When you feel like a bit of a buzz, head into the lovely hum of Dingle, about 10 minutes away by car. The scenery everywhere you go is breathtaking and the drive into Dingle has a different feel each time you look, with the colours always changing and the bay opening up before you. With great restaurants and pubs, the vibe in the town is so special. One pub that stood out was Kennedy’s, an entirely candlelit pub. The live music in the area is so eclectic too – check out singer Muireann and the fiddle player Jeremy Spencer, to name but two. A shout out to some cool veggie /vegan spots in the town: Boy Blue, The Pantri, and the lovely Thyme Out Cafe, which is connected to the health store Ré Nua. Top-class food and service from all, and such a welcoming vibe. Back home to the house for a bit of stove-action with my book, followed by some yoga, and I felt suitably recharged.
My mum and dad popped down from Dublin on the free train and we ended up in a lovely pub in Ballyferriter where the locals all speak as gaeilge. They regaled us with some stories about the filming of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Ryan’s Daughter’.
Swimming in the sea, lunching in Dingle, meditating, reading, and the odd glass of something when the mood took me … after a few days, I had that peace both outside and inside, and as you all know, it feels so good.
If you feel a retreat coming on, we have it here on our home soil, and no better place than Kerry. Stay YNA will look after you. Tell them we sent you.
Paul stayed in Ballyferriter, courtesy of Stay YNA: stayyna.com
They offer luxurious holiday homes in Dingle, Spain and France.
If you’re looking for a tranquil getaway destination to nourish the body and spirit, as the searing heat of summer gradually gives way to a more autumnal feeling, look no further than Creation Lodge Wellness Centre, located in Co. Wexford. Creacon was founded by Derek O’Neill, with the aim of providing a safe haven for guests who want to escape from the busy outside world for a while.
The quality of Creacon’s accommodation is second to none. Their guest suites – available with king-size beds, double beds or twin beds – come equipped with nutritious snacks, alkaline Kangen water and lightly scented relaxation mists to help encourage total relaxation and enable guests to enjoy a restful night’s sleep. Creation also boasts a personal fitness studio, an art room, a library, community loungers and beautiful lush gardens to explore and enjoy.
A wide range of treatments are offered at the Lodge: under their Spirit healing programme, Heart Healing, Prema Birthing, Rising Star and Relationship Rising Star treatments are offered. For the Mind, hypnotherapy, mindfulness training, NLP and psychotherapy sessions are available. For the Body, the range of physical treatments include acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, cranio-sacral reflexology, massage, organic natural facials and Quantum Biofeedback. For more in-depth descriptions and reviews of each modality, just click on the links provided.
As if all of that weren’t enough, they also offer classes on yoga, meditation, essential oils, Tibetan bowls healing and many other topics – to browse the full programme, just click here.
Of course, no description of Creacon’s facilities could be complete without mentioning their scrumptious food. Resident master chef, Gaetano Pernagallo, prides himself on designing meals that are designed to provide optimum nutrition and wellness, while also appealing to the taste buds. Based on the philosophy that ‘food is medicine’, Creacon uses only high-quality ingredients – many of which are grown in their own gardens – all specially chosen for their seasonal and environmental appropriateness. To view the café menu, just click here. A juice cleanse programme is also available.
You can find out more about Creacon by calling 051 447 666, emailing info@creaconwellnessretreat.com or visiting their website or Facebook page.