Yoga weekend at Dunowen House, Clonakilty, West Cork, 9-11th October 2015 
with Deirdre Desmond and Sue Montgomery

In celebration of the Harvest season we explored and cultivated our inner heat and intention, yogicaly known as 'Tapas' amongst a bountiful abundance of food in a gloriously wild and luxurious setting…


All meals were prepared by Bridget Healy, vegetarian cook and co founder of award winning Cafe Paradiso, Cork City along with kitchen genius Mark Dougherty.

Testimonials
"I went to Elemental Yoga Retreat in Dunowen House last October. As I went on my own and being my first yoga retreat I was nervous. From the minute I arrived I felt really welcome. The house is beautiful and the instructors expert and a delight. Bridget and Mark cooked up the most beautiful food. I loved the sauna by the beach so we had lovely swims. Icing on the cake was when I told Sue I didn't have a bath at home to use the seaweed parcel they gave us, she organised one for me. Bliss. I have recommended this retreat to everyone. It was a great combination of yoga, amazing food, mediation and time out. Thank you so much Dee and Sue"..Marie, Clonakilty

​"I thought that the retreat was fantastic, i have been on a number of different types and it was one of the best i've been on so far. I thought the accommodation, food and yoga were all excellent. The sauna then added another dimension- making it a very unique retreat. In terms of the yoga, Sue and Dee's styles were a lovely balancing combination. The somatic was something new for me and i found it very interesting", Moira, Dublin

"We really loved it and thought the Bosca Beatha was a great finishing touch, loved the group there, it was a great atmosphere and loved Dunowen House as a venue to relax in"..Ruth and Rebecca, Cork


Yoga weekend at Dunowen House with special guest teacher Orla Punch
Jan 29-31st 2016 Dunowen House, West Cork

For this retreat we celebrated Imbolc, the coming of spring in the Celtic calander where we explored waking up and directing our inner energy after winters rest.
 Imbolc translates at to 'cleanse' or 'wash oneself’.
It was an opportunity to re-callibrate and rejuvenate using the purifying, detoxifying and transformative qualities of heat and fire, the combination of the mobile sauna at the nearby cove amongst the elements, yoga and meditation. 
All meals again were prepared by Bridget Healy, vegetarian cook and co founder of award winning Cafe Paradiso, Cork City along with kitchen genius Mark Dougherty. 

Orla Punch is one of Ireland's most highly regarded teachers and her love of yoga is an inspiration. 
We were very honoured to have her with us..
http://www.orlapunchyoga.ie
This is what she had to say about our retreat...

“I have just had the most delightful week end with elemental yoga in Dunowen house in west cork. Officially I was the teacher and thus ' switched on.... work mode'. But I had one of the most restful fun week ends ever. With and eclectic bunch of lovely people... like minded- as in we all like Yoga, but from all walks of life, from grand mothers to business men, barristers to school teachers, mothers to chefs,accountants to mindfulness teachers, yoga teachers to business men. Honestly it was a great way to meet you people .. new friends, from all walks of life, it really makes ones world a bigger more interesting place. And its just over one week end... it was enriching in every way.
The hosts Susan and Dee have created a truly brilliant  experience, two creative caring people putting together a week end programme with their main aim being to ensure everyone has a nurturing, loving, fun, restoring, luxurious experience.
Gourmet 5 star food from Bridget Healy( bright bubbly funny lady)... Sumptuous  accommodation, idyllic setting, and the best sauna ever... its mobile, its parked by the ocean... cannot describe how amazing this is.. needs to be experienced.. so imagine for now, a sauna followed by a dip in the ocean. Sea weed baths, aromatherapy massage with Diane... gifted hands.
Honestly I so recommend Elemental yoga retreats and I know everyone attending agrees! Feeling great after one week end turbo charged!” 
Orla Punch, guest teacher January 2016, Dunowen House, West Cork.

Lough Ine House, April 20-22 April 2016 with Deirdre Desmond
and Sue Montgomery

For this retreat we celebrated the coming of Bealtaine. On the quiet peaceful lakeshore of this stunning marine reserve we had the pleasure of outdoor saunas on the grounds of this magnificent period house with Bosca Beatha (mobile sauna)  10 hours of dynamic and restorative yoga and meditation and night kayaking with Atlantic Sea Kayaking through the bioluminescence..On, in and at the lakeshore, complete immersion with the elements..
​Food was brought to us by the dynamic combination of Bridget Healy
and Geraldine Swift.
​
Back again May 5-7th 2017
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cooks Bridget and Mark in the pantry across the road

Sauna at sands cove at night (photo credit Sean Casey)

Guest teacher, Orla Punch Jan 2016

Saturday's dinner

Shady bothairin walk to Dunowen

" when we passed the participants on the road as they walked up in noble silence after sauna with warm glowing rosy faces and wide smiles we knew it was working! Experiencing the sauna in silence with only the crackling fire and the waves crashing was about as 'elemental' as we could dream up" Sue