HIGHLIGHTS: SCENIC Glendalough VALLEY • ELEMENTAL CEREMONIES
WATERFALL / COASTAL TOUR • BREATHWORK • SPA TREATMENT • HISTORIC WALKS • SAUNA RITUAL • BOTANICAL WORKSHOP

OVERVIEW

RITUAL + RENEWAL : YOGA + CEREMONY + BREATH

This is a deeply restorative retreat created around the idea of renewal—of slowing down enough to listen, reconnect, and make space for what comes next.

Together, we’ll explore yoga, meditation, breathwork, ceremony, nature, and the elements through an intimate itinerary designed to nourish both body and spirit. There will be cacao and tea ceremonies, water and fire rituals, altar-making, sound healing, forest walks, breathwork, and plenty of quiet space to simply be.

Just as important as what we do will be what we don’t do.

There will be slower days, time to rest, journal prompts for quiet reflection, spa treatments, walks in nature, and moments when you are invited to step away from the group and spend time with yourself. This is not a retreat designed to fill every hour. It’s an invitation to create enough space for something meaningful to unfold.

THE ELEMENTS AS OUR GUIDE

Ireland—with its ancient forests, wild coastline, misty hills, rivers, stone ruins, and ever-changing skies—is a natural place to explore the elements.

Throughout our time together, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air will provide a framework for our practices and ceremonies, offering different ways to ground, release, transform, and open.

We’ll begin with an opening sharing circle, creating a space for intention and connection, and return to the circle at the end of our journey to reflect on what we’ve experienced and what we want to carry home.

EARTH

Ground. Root. Remember.

We’ll begin by connecting to the earth through grounding yoga, a forest-bathing meditation walk, and time among Ireland’s ancient trees and historic ruins.

An altar-making workshop will invite us to work with natural elements and create something personal—a physical expression of our intentions for the retreat.

WATER

Flow. Release. Renew.

Water invites movement and letting go.

We’ll explore transformational breathwork before visiting a beautiful waterfall for a water ceremony, followed by time on the coast and a mindful seaside walk through one of Ireland’s charming coastal towns.

Here, the landscape itself becomes part of the practice.

FIRE

Transform. Illuminate. Let go.

Fire brings warmth, energy, and transformation.

We’ll work with breath again before experiencing a traditional Pirtis sauna ceremony, explore the healing qualities of plants through a botanical workshop, and gather together outdoors for an evening fire and cacao ceremony.

As the fire burns, we’ll create space to release what no longer serves us and make room for what we want to invite in.

AIR

Breathe. Soften. Open.

Air is the element of breath, movement, and possibility.

Through Yoga Nidra, sound healing, spa treatments, and a heart-opening hawthorn tea ceremony, we’ll turn inward and create space for deep rest and reflection.

Our journey will close with a final breath practice and sharing circle—a chance to acknowledge where we began, what shifted along the way, and what we’re taking with us.

This retreat is intentionally intimate, spacious, and personal.

You don’t need to arrive with a particular intention or anything you need to “fix.” Simply come willing to slow down, breathe deeply, connect with nature, and see what becomes possible when you give yourself a little more room.

Come with an open heart. Leave with a little more space inside it.

ACCOMMODATION

A HIDEAWAY IN THE IRISH COUNTRYSIDE

For the week, we’ll call Deerstone Eco Hideaway home—a beautiful off-grid sanctuary tucked into the Irish countryside, surrounded by trees, open skies, and the quiet rhythms of nature.

Deerstone is the kind of place that encourages you to exhale. Handcrafted eco-luxury lodges sit within the landscape, creating a feeling that is both beautifully designed and wonderfully unspoiled. There’s no need to rush here. Days unfold slowly, with forest trails to wander, peaceful spaces to gather, and plenty of corners to curl up with a book, sketch, write, or simply be.

It’s also the perfect setting for the creative side of our retreat. Away from the noise and distractions of everyday life, there is space to notice things again—the changing light through the trees, the sound of birds, the texture of the landscape, the weather moving across the sky. The environment itself becomes part of the creative process.

Our days will be anchored by nourishing meals, time outdoors, yoga and meditation, creative workshops, and evenings spent together in the warmth of our retreat home. There will be opportunities to connect and plenty of permission to disappear for a while and enjoy your own space.

Deerstone isn’t simply somewhere to sleep between excursions. It is part of the experience—a place to disconnect from the pace of everyday life and reconnect with nature, creativity, and yourself.

Come for the wild beauty of Ireland. Stay for the quiet, the creativity, and the feeling of having nowhere else to be.

ACTIVITIES

EARTH, WATER, WILDNESS & WONDER

This retreat is designed to take us into some of Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes while giving us space to experience them slowly and meaningfully.

Rather than rushing from one sight to the next, our excursions are woven into the elemental theme of the retreat. Ancient ruins, forests, waterfalls, gardens, and the Atlantic coastline become places to walk, reflect, practice, and reconnect.

GLENDALOUGH & THE WICKLOW MOUNTAINS

Just a short walk from our home lies one of Ireland’s most magical landscapes: Glendalough, an ancient monastic valley surrounded by lakes, forest, and the dramatic peaks of the Wicklow Mountains.

Founded by Saint Kevin in the 6th century, the settlement has drawn pilgrims and seekers for centuries. We’ll spend time wandering among its ancient ruins and peaceful pathways, taking in the quiet beauty of a place where nature and history feel completely intertwined.

This is our Earth experience—a chance to ground, slow down, and let the landscape speak for itself.

WATERFALL, GARDENS & THE COAST

One morning, we’ll follow the water into the forest, beginning our day at a hidden waterfall for a special water ceremony. Afterward, we’ll share breakfast before continuing to a historic estate and garden, exploring the beauty and botanical richness of the surrounding landscape.

From there, we’ll make our way toward the coast, following the dramatic scenery of County Wicklow—known as the “Garden of Ireland.”

We’ll visit a charming seaside town and spend time walking along the coast where the mountains meet the Irish Sea. With the wind, water, and expansive horizon around us, it’s an opportunity to experience the Water element in a completely different way.

PLANTS, HEALING & TRADITION

Ireland’s landscape is filled with an extraordinary diversity of plants and an equally rich history of traditional herbal knowledge.

During a hands-on botanical workshop, we’ll slow down and connect with the plants around us, learning more about their uses and the traditions that have carried this knowledge through generations.

It’s another way of experiencing Ireland—not simply by looking at the landscape, but by becoming curious about what grows within it.

SAUNA, SPA & DEEP REST

Renewal also means knowing when to stop.

Back at our retreat home, there will be time to unwind with spa treatments, quiet time in nature, and restorative experiences designed to help the body soften and reset.

A special sauna ceremony will offer another elemental experience, combining heat, ritual, and intentional rest in a beautiful and intimate setting.

And then there are the simple pleasures: lingering over a dinner out in town, soaking in the peaceful surroundings, taking a long afternoon to yourself, or simply doing nothing at all.

This is a retreat where the most meaningful moments may happen between the scheduled experiences.

A waterfall. An ancient stone. A forest path. A fire at dusk. The sea stretching toward the horizon.

Ireland gives us plenty of places to pause, and this retreat gives us permission to do exactly that.

CUISINE

THE TASTE OF IRELAND

Food is another way we’ll experience Ireland—through the farms, producers, traditions, and people who make this island’s cuisine so special.

We’ll begin with a welcome cocktail reception before settling into a week of cozy meals, beautiful dinners out, and relaxed gatherings around the table. At Deerstone, meals are thoughtfully prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients, with an emphasis on local Irish produce and the incredible quality of what grows and is made here.

Expect hearty, unfussy food that celebrates the landscape: fresh vegetables, beautiful breads, local cheeses, seasonal produce, and ingredients sourced from nearby farms and Irish producers whenever possible.

Breakfast and dinner are included daily, along with selected lunches throughout the retreat. On a few days, you’ll have free time to choose your own lunch or explore the local food scene—another opportunity to discover Ireland at your own pace.

Some of our favorite retreat moments often happen around the table: lingering over dinner after a day of exploring, sharing stories with people you’ve just met, or enjoying a glass of something delicious while the conversation carries on long after the plates have been cleared.

In keeping with the yogic tradition at Eat Pray Move, the majority of our retreat meals are vegetarian. This is part of our commitment to the lineage of our practice and to traveling as thoughtfully and lightly as possible.

We know that not everyone is vegetarian, and we simply ask that guests come with an open mind and enjoy experiencing food in a slightly different way while we’re together. When we dine independently, you’ll be free to choose from the menu according to your own preferences.

Special dietary requirements and allergies can always be shared with us in advance so that we can make sure you feel completely comfortable and well cared for.

Good food, good company, and plenty of time around the table—it’s all part of the journey.

WELLNESS + CEREMONY

MOVE. BREATHE. GATHER.

Wellness on this retreat is an invitation to slow down, become more present, and experience Ireland with all of your senses. Each day, we’ll make space for yoga, movement, breathwork, and meditation, with practices designed to both energize and restore. Classes are open to all levels and may include flowing Vinyasa, gentle and restorative movement, Yoga Nidra, guided meditation, and walking meditation.

With a small, intimate group, every practice can be shaped around the people in the room. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or completely new to yoga, you’ll be encouraged to explore at your own pace, with plenty of space to listen to your body and settle into the experience.

And here, the setting becomes part of the practice.

Our yoga and meditation sessions will take place in beautiful spaces within the castle, while our ceremonies may unfold in the gardens, among the trees, around the outdoor fire circle, or on the terraces overlooking the surrounding landscape.

There is something powerful about practicing in places with a sense of history. The castle, the gardens, the forest, the changing Irish weather, and the natural world around us all become part of the experience.

A SPACE TO CONNECT

Our movement, breath, and ceremony practices will be led by two special guides: EPM Founder Erin Lewis and Special Guest Collaborator Michele Anne Barocchi.

Together, they’ll create a retreat experience that moves between active and restorative, playful and reflective, grounding and expansive.

Ceremony gives us another way to connect—to ourselves, to one another, and to the landscape around us. Whether gathered around a fire, walking quietly through the forest, or sharing a moment of reflection beneath the open sky, these experiences are designed to help us step outside the everyday and into something a little more meaningful.

You don’t need to have any previous experience with yoga, meditation, breathwork, or ceremony.

Come exactly as you are. The only invitation is to be curious, open, and willing to slow down enough to experience where you are.

MICHELE ANNE BAROCCHI
Michèle Anne Barocchi MPH PhD (Scientist, MAPS Italia - President, Transformational Breath® Facilitator, MAPS MDMA-AT trainee, Teacher and Founder of Inbodhi Yoga, E-RYT500, Certified Vedic Chant Teacher) defines her experience as a long journey that, through different disciplines and techniques, has led her to work with the human body and its capacity for self-healing. The journey began with a PhD in Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the University of California, Berkeley. The lifestyle of a medical resident can be very stressful, and Michèle found relief in the regular practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga at a small studio in San Francisco. She soon realized that she had found a simple yet powerful tool for connection.

In August 2015, Michèle personally experienced the importance of the teachings she had learned, especially the power of breath. Involved in a nearly fatal car accident, she used breath to stay conscious and survive until help arrived. The accident resulted in the amputation of her left leg and confined her to bed for 8 months, giving her the opportunity to explore non-physical forms of connection and healing. A year after the accident, she encountered Transformational Breath®, a technique that deeply supported her journey towards reclaiming her personal power and helped her let go of a toxic relationship and any remnants of victimhood. Once again, breath saved her life.

She soon completed professional training as a Transformational Breath® facilitator and studied healing techniques from Amazonian tribes, such as the Paqo Andino - Despacho rituals - from the sacred mountain traditions of Peru. Her mission as a facilitator of these practices is to support others in learning the necessary means for healing, thus making each individual independent in their transformation journey.

Currently, Michèle is collaborating on the creation of MAPS Italia, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about psychedelic medicine, research, and therapy in Italy. This initiative has the potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of psychedelic science and its therapeutic applications in the country. It is essential to support and collaborate with initiatives like MAPS Italia to promote dialogue, research, and education on psychedelic substances and their potential benefits for mental health and well-being. What matters is not what happens to you, but what you do with that experience.

ERIN LEWIS

Eat Pray Move founder, has practiced yoga since 1998 and has trained in various disciplines from Ashtanga, the Rocket series, core power yoga, as well as the Strala method, and also incorporates practices from the yin, restorative, and yoga nidra styles as well. Having taught in studios in Florida, New York City, and Florence, Italy, Erin has also led thousands of guests around the world for over 13 years on EPM yoga retreats. She continues to evolve in her personal practice which naturally makes its way through her teaching. She loves sharing not only the asana (movement) limb of yoga with others, but also the many other facets which lead to life-changing shifts in our daily habits. Throughout the years she has deepened her study with ongoing education and certifications and finds there to be truth in what Sri K Pattabhi Jois famously stated: "Practice, and all is coming." She’s been blessed throughout her yoga practice to be surrounded by beautiful teachers who grow with their students, adjust lovingly, and practice what they teach...and continues to strive to be such a facilitator of yoga herself.

* Participation in classes and activities is optional throughout the retreat. All levels welcome!

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