T
his place had me hooked the
moment I laid eyes on it.
Perched on Ireland’s western
coastline and set against a
backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and
endless green fields, the Cliffs Of
Moher Retreat sprawls across 10
acres of stunning natural landscape.
Here, stressed-out city dwellers
(me) and yoga newbies (also me),
alongside those more advanced in
their practice, gather to stretch,
unwind and breathe in the sea air.FINDING SERENITY
The three-day Rest, Recover &
Reflect weekend, led by retreat
co-founder and yoga practitioner
Michelle Moroney, focuses on
restorative yoga and healing classes.
Starting off with the friendliest
greeting of all, from their
live-inpooch called Moher,
and a welcome reception
filled with healthy, home-
made snacks, it was the perfect
way to meet with fellow solo
retreaters who, I was delighted
to find, made up most of the group.
Bookending my days with a
restorative yoga class at sunrise andguided relaxation
by candlelight
before bed was the
much-needed calm
I was craving. All the
classes are optional, so
don’t worry if your id
of a stress-free getaway
means a clean break from your
alarm clock before the messy
reconciliation come Monday
morning. However, I was
keen to take on the early
starts and soak up all the
classes, including breath
work and meditation. As a
newbie, my fears of being forced
to “om” for hours on end were
unfounded and, luckily, there were no
uncomfortable group silences either.
Instead, calmly stretched out
on the yoga mat with my eyes
closed and the sun beating in
through the floor-to-ceiling
glass windows, my mind felt
simply serene.REST AND RELAXATION
On Saturday afternoon we
were left to our own devices,
so I took a relaxing dip in theWHERE:Sophie Leen
unwound at the Cliffs
Of Moher Retreat,
IrelandTHE WEEKEND
RESET
utdoor cedar hot
ub, with nothing
but the panoramic
ea views for
ompany. It’s more
n worth braving
rief disrobing in
y Irish air. This was
followed up by a full-body massage,
but bag a spot quickly as there are
only a handful available. The estate
also has a number of communal
lounges, where you can curl up with
a cup of tea and a book by the fire or
chat to other guests between classes.
After only two nights, I returned
home determined to recreate both
the sense of tranquillity and the
delicious vegetarian fare in my
everyday life. A stay here is so special,
you’ll try anything to preserve the
magic even a minute longer.From £325pp for the Rest, Recover
& Reflect three-day retreat, including
all facilities, activities, meals and
beverages; Cliffsofmoherretreat.com.
Aer Lingus flys to Ireland from
£108 return; Aerlingus.comGET THERE ✈
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f ll d bGO SOLO
Eating alone is fine
(just spend it editing
the 67 photos of
you for Insta)