Nectar Retreats

 

ireland reterat-2.jpg
 

Rest is essential for a creative life. It does not need to be earned but is rather a necessary part of being human. We have all been through so much in the last several years, as individuals, as the collective. If you are called to rest, and know that the magic and beauty of the Emerald Isle will help you see the magic in yourself, please join us this September in Donegal, Ireland for an enchanting 7 day/ 7 night rest retreat.

 

Ards Forest… We will be forest bathing here together during our retreat.

 
 

Rest is revolutionary

* 7 days & 7 nights steeped in nature, community, movement, stillness, delicious food, ritual, and rest.

* Engage with the group as much or as little as you’d prefer during the week. This retreat is about following your mind, body, and soul’s needs.

* Shared rooms, as well as single room options. All rooms have a private bathroom.

* Find peace and restoration from the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland.

* Monthly community calls leading up to event, as well as an online community to meet and plan travel with fellow retreat goers.

* Come early or stay longer to explore Ireland on your own, to enhance your journey in a million different and sacred ways.

 
 

Our home away from home, nestled just outside of the town of Dunfanaghy, in County Donegal, in Northwestern Ireland.

The Sandhill House, owned and operated by a dear friend of Nectar Community, Lucille Cassidy, is well appointed with everything we need to create a wonderful week, overlooking the sea.
Please peruse the website to see the space itself, as well as all the amenities Sandhill has to offer,
a glass covered spa (so you can soak, even in the rain), a covered fire pit, a glass outdoor space, comfortable shared rooms (each room has multiple beds and a private bathroom), an outdoor meditation area, a full movement studio,
a therapy room for private sessions,
and so much more.

 
 

Our Week

* We begin each morning with a slow self serve breakfast, take your time, sleep in, go for a morning walk, meditate.

* Mid morning there will be a group offering, usually movement, Qoya Inspired Movement, Yoga, meditation, journaling, to inspire us for the rest of the day, followed by a delicious catered lunch.

* Afternoons are open for self or group exploring, forest bathing, wandering along the beach, a group trip to the local spa thermal suite, surf lessons, staying at the house to rest however you see fit, your options are endless!

* After a wonderful catered dinner we will gather again in ritual or ceremony to honor our day, and our connections. We are collaborating with Irish locals to bring you incredible and sacred experiences. We may even head to the pub one night to listen to the locals play traditional Irish music, an absolute blast!

 

“Rest is not always about doing nothing, but rather the ability to tune into oneself, to clear the internal pathways of the expectations, the sensation of being weighted down by thoughts and feelings, and the capacity to tune out the ‘noise’ from the world at large that pulls us away from   living our truth. There’s a balance though, rest is not just the opposite of doing, it is an invitation to slow down enough to
hear the messages from within and the courage to follow those messages. It is about be-ing, in your fullest form.

Some people rest with lots of movement. Some with mediation or sleep. Some folks rest when they walk through nature without expectation and simply allow themselves to soak it all up like a sponge. Some rest by writing letters of forgiveness and apology that never get sent.
Rest doesn’t have to look or feel like just one thing. Ritual can be rest. Joy can be rest. A cleansing cry can be rest.
Rest is when we replace the expectations of ‘have to’ with allowing or be-ing.

So much of our life is filled up with the responsibilities of daily life, the ‘have to’s’. We have to work, to pay bills, to buy food and keep the lights on. Parents have an extra helping of ‘have to’s’ as they care for their kids every day. Sometimes the amount of responsibilities depletes us from accessing the rest we so often go without by way of a literal lack of time, or simply because we’re always
watching our calendars and preparing for the next responsibility, deadline , or even the next vacation.
We leap frog from one task to another, barely slowing down to see what is right in front of us.

Rest is letting go of holding your tongue, it is choosing your own personal boundaries over pleasing others.
Rest is saying no. It is saying yes when your body leans in.
Rest is a soul invitation to shake off the unnecessary, the overwhelm, the excess, to expose the truth and glow of your truest self.

A Nectar Rest Retreat is not simply a week in a beautiful serene location where you separate yourself from your life, but rather an invitation to get to know yourself more through rest. You will be encouraged to slow down, to linger, to get curious, to be mindful and present, and to see your physical and soul reflection in the captivating natural world of Ireland and it’s stunning Wild Atlantic Way..

When we have moments of clarity, of presence, of ‘becoming moss’ or whatever your body is calling for specifically, we can cultivate a relationship with those moments, to use in our daily life. When you return home from a week of tiny moments of bliss, you have a somatic library of feelings and sensations to draw from in moments where you may have forgotten what rest feels like. For it is not really the land or the sea that whispers these moments of clarity, but your very own body, heart, and soul that speak up when you feel safe enough to listen. That voice goes back home with you, since it has been with you all along. Ireland isn’t necessarily magic, But it certainly does make your own magic that much more accessible.”

 
 

Accommodations & Pricing

The intention of this retreat is to create and hold sacred space for those identifying as women/womxn/transfeminine and to freely express themselves through movement, community, and rest, regardless of gender assigned at birth. To create a feeling of bodily and emotional safety we are asking our fellow men, to sit this one out. Thank you! If you have family or a partner that wants to be with you in Ireland while you’re retreating with us, we can recommend local hotels or airbnb’s for your family to stay nearby.
We appreciate your support in creating a safe nourishing space for all of our participants.

 

Single Room
$3300 per person

A single room will have two beds, a writing desk, and a private bathroom.

Double room
$2700 per person

A double room will have two beds (either a full size and twin, or two twin beds), a writing desk, and a private bathroom. Please let us know if you have a specific person you’d prefer to room with otherwise we will assign your room for you.

Triple Room
$2400 per person

A triple room will have three twin beds, a writing desk, and a private bathroom. To choose a triple room please sign up with two other people and book the room together, if you don’t have roommates yet, you can sign up for a double room and we will refund you the extra amount if there’s enough people for a triple room.

**** Refunds will be given (minus credit card fees) to all if the retreat is canceled due to national travel restrictions, or unforeseen circumstances out of our control. Refunds (minus a $500 non-refundable deposit) are available to those who cancel prior to June 28th, 2023, for any reason. All paid money is transferable to another participant, as long as they have applied to attend.****

 

Welcome to Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, Ireland

Here are just a few of the places we will spending some time with nature, with each other.

 

photo from Shandon Spa

Shandon Hotel & Spa

Included in your retreat is a visit to Shandon Spa. We have rented out the thermal suite just for our group for 90 minutes. Soak in the outdoor wood hot tub and take in the stunning views of the sea, then sweat away any toxins in the sauna, breathe in eucalyptus in the aromatherapy steam room, then take a plunge into the pool filled with jets! You’re welcome to book a private spa session anytime, the perfect chance to rest and receive!

photo by Ashley Frye

ards forest park

From the website: “A visit to Ards Forest Park will reward everyone at any time of the year. The park covers approximately 1200 acres and includes a variety of habitats, among them sand dunes, beaches, salt marshes, salt water lakes, rock face and, of course, coniferous and deciduous woodlands. With such a variety of landscapes, it is possible to spend many hours exploring this wonderful park.”
This park is enchanting. Every 100 ft the forest changes. It feels like hallowed ground. Around every corner a new sacred place. We will likely come here multiple times during our week together.

photo by Sara Ballard

Marble Hill Strand

Marble Hill is a beautiful, wide stretch of beach, not far from Sandhill House. Come wander the beach listening for the call of the ocean, the song of the sea. If you’re a mythical Selkie, longing to return to sea, you feel right at home here. Those who are brave enough might even take a dip!

 

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