3 Days GLAD Grief Loss Addiction Depression Healing Retreat in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Facilities

Power yoga

The Power yoga class is a set which is doable by beginners, that will also be enjoyed by people with some yoga experience. It is a yoga mini work-out. Atma power yoga helps to stretch and tone muscles, improve posture and balance, plus its good fun. The exercises are fairly doable by the majority of people, but if you can't quite stretch into certain asanas, there is an easy-going mood. Everyone is encouraged to practice only according to their own ability. Lake Isle Retreats provides the yoga mats, so if you've never done even ten seconds of yoga in your life and have no equipment or anything, all you need is yourself, some light clothes, and a little enthusiasm.

Atma power yoga is practiced with a breathing count from start to finish, which adds a dynamic aspect to the class, and each class ends with a gentle relaxation sequence (after you've done the hard work!).

Meditation

'To meditate' is defined as the practice of focusing one's mind for a period of time for spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation (Oxford English Dictionary). Lake Isle Retreats' meditation class is designed to satisfy these two motivations. As long ago as 1,500 years before the present, early monks in Ireland established monasteries on several islands of Lough Erne. The feeling of meditation and calmness permeates the lakeland atmosphere, and they especially recommend you arise early and to experience this for yourself, even if the retreat you attend only begins at 08:30.

What is a class like?

• The facilitator sings some slow deep mantra chants using the beautiful harmonium instrument. Everyone relaxes and centers themselves.
• Seated on chairs, everyone takes part in a silent meditation, attempting to expand his or her own consciousness through deep hearing. Focus on being in the moment and listening to the sounds of the world, without your attention wandering - without daydreaming. Simply hearing. Simultaneous to this, you silently repeat two simple mantras, representing the divine masculine and the divine feminine.
• After your meditation, you discuss your experiences. The facilitator touches on some philosophy behind the practice of meditation.
• Then you begin the relaxation sequence. Participants choose whether they want to remain seated on chairs or switch to lying on a yoga mat or specifically-tailored flat cushions. Other options include sitting cross-legged or holding oneself in a yoga pose. Calming relaxation music is played out over the room with flutes, oriental violins, and sounds of birds singing and water falling, etc. The participants are taken through a visualization sequence - a guided meditation where you travel to a distant beautiful land with the mind's eye. In the end, as you are all mentally returning to the room, the facilitator sings auspicious mantras along with the harmonium. Finally, participants open their eyes feeling very refreshed and enlivened.

Typical daily schedule

Day 1 (Friday)

• 18:00 Arrival time (you're welcome to arrive any time between 14:30 and 18:00)
• 18:15 Dinner
• 19:00 Group welcome session with friendly senior counsellor Krishna Sundari
• Meditation with Tim

Day 2 (Saturday)

• 06:35 Take a ferry boat over to Inish Rath Island (across 300 meters of lake water) to visit the Krishna temple and observe the early morning temple chants and services (Lake Isle Retreats recommends this option)
• 08:15 Mindfulness silent walk around the woodlands of the holy island. You may either chant mantra during this time or walk in silence ( mauna)
• 08:45 Return to Mainland
• 09:15 Breakfast
• 09:45 Return to retreat house on the mainland for the rest period
• 11:00 One-on-one chat with counsellor and spiritual advisor Krishna Sundari OR Meditation with Tim (30 minutes) OR Enjoy a 50-minute massage therapy
• 12:15 One-on-one chat with Krishna Sundari OR Meditation with Tim OR Enjoy a 50-minute massage therapy
• 13:15 Lunch
• 14:15 Depart one hour and 30 minutes walk at the Killeshandra Forest Park (you do car-sharing to get to this forest park and the drive time is 30 minutes)
• 16:50 Return from walk
• 17:15 One-on-one chat with Krishna Sundari OR enjoy a massage therapy
• 18:30 One-on-one chat with Krishna Sundari OR enjoy a massage therapy
• 18:45 Dinner
• 19:30 Massage therapy session

Day 3 (Sunday)

• 08:00 Simple Power yoga (option)
• 09:15 Breakfast
• 09:45 Options: Meditation with Tim for 30 minutes OR One-on-one counselling session with Krishna Sundari, OR Massage or Reiki session with Sukhada for 50 minutes
• 12:10 Cross over to the island for temple visit and simple relax time. Observation of sacred chant experience in a temple (this is a 30-minute event attended by day-visitors every Sunday) followed by a lecture, or use this time to relax and explore the holy island
• 14:00 Lunch on the island

This retreat is located at Mandala House near the shores of Upper Lough Erne, Ireland. Mandala House is located 400 meters across the water from Inish Rath Island. The lake land area is a peaceful sanctuary where you can enrich your body, mind, and soul. Peacocks strut openly around the island, while in the local area, the herons, swans, and deers wander freely in the peaceful lakeside atmosphere.

The house is situated in Fermanagh, one hour and 45 minutes' drive from the start of the M3 motorway in Dublin, or the same drive-time from the start of the M1 in Belfast. For spiritual, holistic and meditation retreats in Ireland, perhaps there is no more fitting and beautiful location as L. Erne, with its 154 islands - five of which were historically the sites of monastic communities from the sixth century. On nearby Inis Rath there is a beautiful Krishna temple, and at the retreat and accommodation facility on the adjacent mainland, Lake Isle retreats offers you a very warm welcome.

Distances

• Belturbet, 12 kilometers
• Lisnaskea, 11 kilometers

+−

You will be served two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, complimentary herbal tea during this yoga retreat.

All food is vegetarian and extremely tasty, cooked with love by vegan chef Carmen Padilla Quiel. Meals are prepared fresh on the day. Vegans can note that most meals are vegan-friendly.

The food is a combination of Indian vegetarian (e.g. samosas, curries, basmati rice, etc.) and 'western' vegetarian (e.g. pizza, salads, pasta, soups, etc). In case you're not so familiar with the cuisine of India and you think 'spicy' means hot with chilies, you can look forward to many nice experiences on your retreat. Remember: when Europeans first started going to India about 500 years ago, one of the prime motivations was to trade in spices. Some probably picked up a few cooking tips as well - maybe they were getting bored with meat and bread.

In case you're a yogi, Vaishnava, or someone familiar with a 'sattvic' diet, Lake Isle Retreats doesn't use the following ingredients: onions, garlic, mushrooms, vinegar, and alcohol. In Ayurveda, these ingredients may be prescribed for medicinal or other uses but are not generally consumed by Hatha or bhakti yogis. If that sounds 'restrictive', you might find you have a lot to learn about non-European cookery! The venue also doesn't allow the eating of non-vegetarian foods, defined according to the Vaishnava tradition from India as no meat, fish or eggs.

Activities

• Cross over the island for temple visit
• Mindfulness walk outdoors
• Visit Krishna Temple
• Walk at Killeshandra Forest Park
• Massage

The optional massage is not included in the overall price. Therapies cost 35 EUR or 30 GBP for 50 minutes.

Reiki and sound healing (Sukhada Smith-Repass)

Reiki is a Japanese technique for relaxation and stress reduction which is beneficial for all ailments. Sukhada has been giving Reiki therapies since 1999, and she offers restorative Reiki-yoga workshops. Sound healing is the use of tuning forks on the body to restore harmony and balance. It works on similar principles to Reiki and helps to restore harmony and balance as well as reduce stress. Each energy center within the body has its own note, so when one receives sound healing, it's an aid to restore the body's natural vibration. Sukhada has completed 100 hours of sound healing training.

Sukhada is also qualified to do Rahanni. This is a gentle therapy that balances the masculine and feminine energies, working deeply at a heart level. It helps to heal emotions and is administered by a light hands touch with the client fully clothed on a massage couch.

• 1 introductory Power yoga class (suitable for beginners)
• 3 meditation sessions with Tim
• 1 hour-long one-on-one loving chat and counseling session with Krishna Sundari
• 2 amazing vegetarian breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
• Herbal tea every day
• 2 nights' accommodation
• Visiting options to Inish Rath Island (including early morning temple programmes, if you wish)
• Woodland walks in beautiful nature

• Massage therapies

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.