Really relaxing retreat

CHARMING Situated in a converted woollen mill, the Cloona Centre was restored by Tibetan monks in the 1960s.  Pic: Conor McKeown

Cloona is a long established health retreat centre dedicated to cleansing and detox

Áine Ryan

IT is early on a Sunday morning, the clocks cheekily have gone forward during the dark of night, meaning I have lost an hour of my most necessary beauty sleep. But, hey, spring has arrived, the daffodils are in full colour and I am about to ‘Relax, Restore and Replenish’ at the iconic Cloona Health Retreat. What better way to embrace more light in our lives than spending a day detoxing, sitting in yoga poses, meditating, walking along leafy boreens and up winding pathways and indulging in a delicious rainbow of organic salads and juices.
‘A Taste of Cloona’ is a one-day health retreat run by Isabelle Kelly, whose uncle Dhara has run the famous retreat founded by his mother (and Isabelle’s granny) in 1969, the inimitable, Sonya Kelly, former Mayo News columnist, contributor to The Farmers’ Journal and colourful author.      

Juiced up
THE intensive one-day retreat starts off with a wheatgrass juice – freshly blended – and an invigorating walk in the grounds with Guy, a resident therapist and Buddhist who leads some of the sessions throughout the day. He exudes such a sense of calm, one is almost levitating in his presence. On a more practical level, Guy is also on hand to help Isabelle serve the delicious soup later in the day, which is part of  the feast served for supper.
Mid-morning Satyanada yoga is with Surya, one of Westport’s most recognisable practitioners and teachers. The gentleness of the moves and stretches ensures that even the most creaky of us in the room – 11 women and one very brave man – feel we are accomplished and ready to embrace a new path of serenity and mindfulness through stretches and poses.     
Sitting across the courtyard in the cottage, after our fruit and nut lunch, there is much humour and reflection as Guy challenges us through a word game on how our feelings and needs are being met. There is no sense of intrusiveness or pressure to say too much during this fun game but rather a sense of camaraderie and connectedness as we address individual words, presented on small wooden blocks, and what they evoke for us.   

Winding walk
A walk along the winding and narrow roads around Cloona, past Brackloon Woods and through Loughloon, is led by Isabelle, who urges that we spend ‘at least’ some of it ‘in silence’. (In a matter of hours – some us are making brand new acquaintances – we are a cheery, chatty group.)
It is back then to Cloona for some laughter yoga and a meditation with Guy. All this burnt-out hack can say is that the group was lucky I didn’t keel over, roll up in a ball on the floor and start snoring like a Massey Ferguson tractor from the 1950s, it was so relaxing.
We finished our day enjoying a feast of soup and salads, whose creative composition was demonstrated earlier by Isabelle, while we ate deceptively chocolatey energy balls made of cacao, fruit and coconut. This serene being skipped the option of a sauna at the end of the evening but there is always the next time. Even my car tended to float on the short journey back home.

Isabelle’s story
“I grew up in Cloona Lodge with my family and granny Sonya and grandad Joseph Kelly. One of my earliest memories is of eating a bowl of my granny’s delicious vegetable soup. My Mum often reminds me of my love for healthy food from a very early age.   Living with my granny meant I was always aware of healthy living, the benefits of cleansing, yoga and massage. Coming from this background has helped me appreciate nature and the beautiful surroundings we live in. I started working in Cloona about five years ago. I started by helping my Mum who was the full-time cook here and I have gradually taken over the cooking completely. I love working with beautiful, organic, local fresh ingredients and feel blessed every day to have such a wonderful job. I also help Dhara with the guests for the five-day retreats and I really enjoy meeting and getting to know them. It’s amazing to see the transformation in our guests from the first day they arrive – tired, stressed and lacking in energy to the last day when they leave relaxed, refreshed and glowing with good health. This has inspired me to offer A Taste of Cloona to locals and beyond. I hope guests that come on my one-day retreat will leave feeling relaxed and restored.”

Cloona Health Retreat
“Cloona is a long established centre dedicated to cleansing and detox retreats involving practises that include yoga, meditation, walking, diet and more. Situated in a charming converted woollen mill, restored by Tibetan monks in the 1960s, Cloona lies close to the sea, half way between Croagh Patrick and the heritage town of Westport in a varied landscape of woods, hills, valleys and breathtaking views.”

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Cloona One Day Retreat costs €120, with discounts for groups. The next retreat will be held on Sunday, April 29, from 9am to 6pm. Call Isabelle on 087 1230547, or email her at isabellekelly3@hotmail.com.