So, Summer wasn’t as healthy as you were expecting. When you’re sitting in by the the fire rather than laying out on a sun lounger, it’s hard to be virtuous. If you’re feeling the need for a cleanse in a safe and welcoming environment, check out our 3 Day Detox Retreat.

Each day begins with a yoga class to stretch and realign the body. After this, a freshly squeezed juice is taken before you head into the sauna and hot tub for your ‘Uisce Hour’. Lunch is the main meal of the day, and is a hearty fair of vegetables, pulses and fruits (think Moroccan vegetable tagine, Marinated vegetable ramen, Jersey bean crock). After a little free time we take to the hills for a guided walk, before heading back for restorative yoga, evening supper and a good long sleep. You’ll leave refreshed, glowing and ready to take on the world.

For more information, see our site at www.ardnahoo.com/detox.php

Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat based in Dromahair Co. Leitrim will host the first ever internationally accredited yoga teacher training in the county and the only such programme in the North West at present. Celebrating 10 years in business, this unique retreat was voted ‘one of the top ten retreats worldwide’ by London Guardian.

Owner and Yoga School director Noeleen Tyrrell says “we have been offering yoga retreats and weekly classes at Ard Nahoo for a decade now and the Teacher Training Programme is the natural next step for me as a teacher, and for Ard Nahoo to further develop its potential”. Tyrrell has been practicing the art of Yoga for 20 years and teaching for 10 years and is very passionate about sharing her love of the practice to others.

The course is a 200 hour Yoga Alliance registered programme and will start on the first weekend in October and will run over ten months. Included in the programme is a 5 Day Residential where students will immerse themselves in the yoga lifestyle. Teacher training is a transformational experience that will deepen an existing practice and can open the door to a new and fulfilling career path.

A free introductory workshop will take place at Ard Nahoo on Saturday 27th August from 10am – 12pm for those interested in becoming a yoga teacher. All are welcome. For further information or to book your place visit www.ardnahoo.com or call Noeleen on 087 921 8906.

A huge thank you to everyone who came to our Yoga and Curry Night last week. A great time was had by all, and we raised €260 for the Dromahair Demons Festival! Money to a great cause, and we can’t wait until the 18th June!

I was in Dublin last weekend for this course, run by Gayle MacDonald of www.medicinehands.com

It was Gayle’s first time teaching in Ireland, and it was a wonderful and insightful course. The thing is, when you’re training in massage, you’re most often taught that you should never massage anyone with cancer. The thinking was that massage could move lymphatic fluid around the body and that this could “spread” the cancer. This has proven to be completely false. The process of cancer spreading, metastasis, is caused by a genetic mutation, and nothing else. Lymph is pushed around the body by every day movements, so if the theory was true, doctors would insist that all patients stay in their beds for months. In fact, they encourage quite the opposite.

However, massaging during cancer is something that needs to be treated with great respect, and therapists do need appropriate training to first do no harm.

Which is why I was on the course!

I’ll post back soon about how I’ll be incorporating this into my practice, but in the meantime, if you have any questions at all then do let me know at info@ardnahoo.com

As I flicked through the Style Magazine from the Sunday Times (which is a highlight of my week, I must admit) I must say I was surprised to see Manorhamilton included as one of the hippest neighbourhoods in Ireland.

Surprised in a good way, of course. It is true – Manorhamilton is a hub of creative activity, full of musicians, filmmakers and artists. The Glen’s Centre is a fantastic spot for intimate gigs, and nothing beats the French bread from the Friday market.

So well done Manorhamilton. You’re officially “hip”. Though not as hip as us.

There’s a beautiful article in this week’s ‘Go’ travel supplement about retreats in Ireland… http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2011/0226/1224290868759.html

Well worth a read, and not only because we’re in it!

Also, a photograph that I took is on the front page of the section, which I’m so incredibly excited about. So excited, in fact, that I took a photo of it!

“For a much gentler option, Ard Nahoo in Leitrim offers a two-day personal retreat focusing on the restorative benefits of nature.

Guests here stay in private eco-cabins surrounded by the peace and quiet of the gentle Leitrim countryside. Spend your days out walking before returning to enjoy everything from an outdoor sauna and hot tub to yoga classes and massage treatments. No shortage of food here and it’s all organic.

Cost: the two-day retreat, including organic welcome pack with breakfast foods and one dinner, is available throughout the year and costs €260pp midweek rising to €360 at weekends. A three-day mind and body detox including yoga classes, water treatments, vegan meals and lots of walking, is €420pp based on two sharing.”

So 2011 is the year I’m going to blog more and now that I have an iPad (on it now) I have no excuse (not that you need one to blog).

It’s that time of year again. Between battling the snow and ice and trying your hardest to tear yourself away from the fire, you’re thinking of Christmas presents.

So why not take a look at our Gift Voucher packages? We’ve day escapes starting from ?60 (or treatments starting at ?45). What better way to treat a loved one after Christmas than to send them away to a cosy retreat, where they can indulge in top notch treatments and completely unwind in the hot tub?

We can send our vouchers anywhere in Ireland, and you can even pay by paypal to make your life that little bit easier. We’re also on the phone to advise you at 071 91 34939.

Check out all of our packages at www.ardnahoo.com/special_offers.php

The unique experience of Lomi Lomi is now available at Ard Nahoo, courtesy of resident therapist Nicola. This ancient Hawaiian massage works on large parts of the body at the same time, giving an incredible sense of relaxation, as well as easing out tension. Using flowing, rolling motions in the lower arms, Lomi is also an effective source of cleansing, sweeping lymphatic fluid around the body to help everything work in harmony.

Nicola trained with Masterworks International, and is the first therapist in the North West (Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Fermanagh?and Cavan) to be offering this innovative therapy.

In combination with a soak in the outdoor hot tub, you could really think you were lying back on the white sands of Hawaii, with gentle warm waves rolling softly over your body…

Half Body – 65 Euro (Back, legs and arms)

Full Body – 90 Euro

This fantastic movie is finally getting the release it deserves, with showings around Sligo and Leitrim as well as in the Lighthouse Theatre in Dublin. Filmed and set in Sligo, this movie tells the story of Occi Byrne, finding his way through 70′s Sligo and battling against the world.

We were lucky enough to see this movie at last year’s Adaptation festival in Dromahair, and I can honestly say it’s one of the best films to come out of Ireland in a very long time indeed. Or anywhere, in fact. As someone who was forced to sit through what felt like?17 hours of ‘Inception’ (an attack on the senses if ever there was one), I believe this movie can rival anything Hollywood has churned out in recent years. Heartfelt, invigorating and hardgoing at times, the film completely sucks you in, praying that Occi gets a goddamn break.

Swansong is playing in the mobile cinema next week in Sligo town, and then in Manorhamilton, Ballymote and Carrick on Shannon over the next few weeks. More details can be found at www.cinemanorthwest.com

Another great event for film buffs, right on our doorstep. Each year, the Adaptations Film Festival showcases the adapted work of a chosen author(s), with numerous screenings over the weekend and a public interview with the writer themselves. Previous years have seen Roddy Doyle and?Edna O’Brien showcased, with fantastic and often rare films and programmes shown. This year, the theme is Adapting the Border, with?writers such as Pat McCabe (The Butcher Boy, Breakfast?on Pluto) and Shane Connaughton (Run of the?Country). Special focus is on Eugene McCabe (Kings of the Castle).

The best part of this festival? All films are shown in the Tardis like mobile cinema,?a converted truck which?unfolds to reveal a 100 seater?cinema. This all takes place in the village of Dromahair, one mile from Ard Nahoo.

If you want?to make Ard Nahoo your base for the festival,??then contact us to let us know your requirements, and we’ll get back to you with our best rate.

Here’s one for film fans. Throughout the Autumn, The Model gallery in Sligo is showing a fantastic range of Irish independent and world movies from their brand new theatre, just 20 minutes from Ard Nahoo.

“?IFI @ The Model will have three screenings weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm from 28^th September onwards.

To celebrate the launch of?IFI @ The Model, there will be a?free public screening at 8pm on Thursday, 23^rd September, of the critically-acclaimed French film,?Gainsbourg, one of 2010

This is a great festival with brilliant acts spread over a few days and many venues accross Sligo (just 20 minutes from Ard Nahoo). With guests this year such as Eddi Reader, Jerry Fish and The Stranglers, as well as small local acts such as Raw Chocolate (with Noeleen!) it’s a great time to catch some brilliant acts. Throughout the festival there are great activities for kids, a French Market and pub/cafe sessions. The best part? 80% of all gigs are free! Visit www.sligolive.ie for up to date info.

Ard Nahoo is the perfect place to stay during the festival. Just 20 minutes from Sligo, we provide some vital peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of town, but close enough to the action. If you want to make Ard Nahoo your base for the festival, then visit www.ardnahoo.com/eco_cabins.php or contact us at info@ardnahoo.com telling us your group size and?nights required, and we’ll get back to you with our very best rate.

Controversial chef Conrad Gallagher is to open a new restaurant in the fantastic gallery The Model Niland, in Sligo. Due to open at the end of September, the restaurant is seeking to provide high quality food at competitive prices. We’ve high hopes for this new eatery, which will hopefully provide another great place for a meal in town, just 20 minutes from Ard Nahoo. The menus are up online, and look great, with a 2 and 3 course lunch menu looking like the best value?option. However, as with a few good restaurants in town, there is also a great early bird (or pre-theatre) menu to be had.

Other restaurants we reccommend in Sligo include…

The Coach Lane @ Donaghys – The best place in town for good hearty Irish fare at a good price. Opt for the bar food or go upstairs to the restaurant for something more special.

Tobergal Lane – good for tapas and reasonably priced mains, as well as being the one place in Sligo you can get Galway Hooker beer.

Reidy’s – a great place run by? the ‘John the Fish’ team, providing a very well priced early bird menu until 7.30pm

?

www.conradskitchen.com

We’re holding two fundraising nights in order to raise money for the neurosurgery department at Temple Street Children

After a bit of a break from the blog, we’re coming back with some sad news. Our dear old dog Buddy passed away a few weeks ago. He’d been poorly for a while, and had lived a good long life. We buried him at the bottom of the garden, with his favourite bowl, money for the ferryman and food for the journey.

So rest in peace Buddsy.

Last night, as I was coming up the hill, I saw the cutest darn little animal that had ever been spied. A teeny tiny baby fox was getting flustered in the road, working his way back into the hedges. The size of a kitten, the little guy made it in there in the end. Next time I’ll try to coax him up to Ard Nahoo and raise him as my own.

It’s amazing how the ash has affected so many. Did you have any idea how much people in your life flew until the option wasn’t there any more? When the ash first erupted, we knew people stuck in Rome, Bucharest, Marakesh, Croatia, Toronto and Barcelona. And these were close friends or family members. I don’t think anyone knew the scale of it until now, when it’s still affecting numerous airlines. It’s predicted to go on for up to 20 years!

So the only risk free option seems to be to holiday at home, or a little closer to home than you usually would. There are all kinds of bonuses to a domestic holiday…

• You get to take the car (and with it, the kitchen sink). Baggage allowance? Pah! No such thing.
• You can avoid all the hidden airline charges
• Travel time is drastically cut down (even with short haul flights, you have to get to the airport, wait around, and travel at the other side…take a day off your holiday at least)
• You get to see the places you’ve always wanted to, but never gotten around to visiting

So why not take your break at Ard Nahoo? We have options for families and for couples or groups of friends. When the sun shines, there’s truly nowhere else you’d rather be than on our six acres of greenery. Swim in the?nearby lake, surf in Strandhill, borrow our bikes and tackle the hills, take a kayak out and around, play Robin Hood with an on site archery lesson, or just sit out on the deck, light the chiminea and gaze out upon the hills of Leitrim.

Visit www.ardnahoo.com and see what your options are.

We’ve still places left on our Yoga and Walking Retreat, happening this weekend over the May bank holiday. Get a wonderfully rejuvenating kick start to the Spring. A weekend filled with yoga, guided walks around stunningly rugged countryside, hot tub sessions and divine organic vegetarian food.

Our first Yoga and Relaxation Retreat was featured in the Irish Times, to great review.

Are you based in the local area? You can attend as a day retreat guest, enjoying all of Saturday’s activities. Classes can also be taken on a ‘pay as you go’ basis.

Dates April 30th – May 2nd 2010, Dec 3rd – 5th 2010?
Cost:
?300 pps for the weekend
?90 for the day (finishing with the restorative yoga class)
?30 per class

What’s Included?

• All yoga tuition & Meditation Sessions
• Shared accommodation in our Eco Cabins
• All food (organic and vegetarian)
• Guided walks
• Uisce Hour

During a particularly nice Sunday two weeks ago, we planted all of our spuds, up by the garden of the Eco Cabins. These varieties should be ready in abour 10 weeks, which means pretty soon we’ll be lucky enough to enjoy delicious homegrown potatoes right from our own garden. And, of course, these are free for all of our guests to dig in to while they’re staying here. We’ve also just planted our boxes on another plot of land, which have peas, spinach, salad greens, and plenty of other things we’ll be surprised about in a few weeks to come.

After a few years planting and growing, we’re finally getting the hang of what works with our land, where to put the crops, and how long it will take until the food is on our plates. It’s always bleated from the rooftops but really and truly, nothing tastes better than veg you’ve just pulled up from the mud and put on the plate.

We’ve our first ever Iyengar retreat scheduled for June 11th – 13th 2010. Sue Ennis, from the Iyengar Yoga Centre in Dublin. The weekend will include all of the usual offerings – accommodation in our Eco Cabins, beautiful organic vegetarian food from Jo, a session in the outdoor sauna/hot tub area, a guided walk and great yoga tuition. The course will be suitable for all levels. For more information, contact Sue directly on susanennis@hotmail.com

Here’s a recipe for one of our favourite Detox meals – the bean crock. Enjoy!

Bean Crock

2 cups of beans (eg butter beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, aduki beans) either soaked overnight and boiled in fresh water for one hour, or 2 tins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 large cloves garlic, crushed and diced
1 leek, chopped
3 large tomatoes (avoid if arthtitic), chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
Vegetable stock or tomato passata
Paprika, pepper
Mixed dried herbs
Handful of chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a sturdy pan at a medium heat. When hot, add the onion and the garlic and keep moving until translucent. Be sure to not to burn. Add a good pinch of paprika to colour the mix. Add the leek and sweet potato, and saute for a few minutes. Add the beans and stir, ensuring the colour of the paprika covers all the beans, adding more if necessary and to taste. After a few minutes, add the stock or passata and water, until the mixture is well covered. Add a little pepper if necessary. Throw plenty of mixed herbs in. Put the lid on, and put into the oven at a low heat for at least 3 hours if using dried beans, or one hour if tinned.
To finish, throw the chopped parsely over.

This fantastic retreat is one of the first of it’s kind in Ireland, and specially designed to completely cleanse the body, whilst leaving you with life skills to help you to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. With a complete two day juice fast included, as well as the usual detox package of daily yoga, daily sauna/hot tub sessions, countryside walks and beautiful food, juices and smoothies, this retreat will leave you feeling bright eyed, clear headed and brimming with new knowledge.

A special addition to this retreat is the inclusion of workshops with experts such as Gaby Weiland, who will show you inspirational ways of incorporating raw foods and wholefoods into your diet. Personal development will also be covered, with a workshop with psychotherapist Rachel Webb. Two treatments are also included in the retreat – a sumptuous massage and a specialised detox accupuncture session.

Included:
Accommodation in our beautiful Eco Cabins
All food, juices and smoothies
Daily yoga and meditation
Daily session in our detox sauna and hot tub
Invigorating walks
Plenty of time for rest and relaxation
Massage
Detox ear accupuncture session
Workshops with nutritional expert
Personal development workshops
Raw food feast

Date: 17th – 21st March

Cost: ?790 pp

Too book, or for more information, contact us. More information will be live on this page soon.

Merry Christmas!

The festive season is here again, and we have a variety of perfect gift vouchers for that special someone. We’ve plenty of day spa packages for people who are living in the Leitrim and Sligo area, but also overnight breaks for people further afield.

We also have all of our wonderful retreats available as a gift voucher, so why not give the gift of health this Christmas, with a break filled with relaxation, regeneration and the skill to help you lead a healthier, happier life.

All of our gift voucher packages are listed below, and are available to buy over the phone on 071 91 34939 or online through www.ardnahoo.com/special_offers.php

Day Packages

Head to Toe Pamper ?180 (3.5 hrs)
The ultimate treat for someone special. Begin by melting your cares away in the Uisce Hour (a session in our indoor/outdoor wet area, including Detox Box Sauna and Hot Tub) before indulging in a Back, Neck and Shoulder massage, Fabulous Footsie and Skinglow Facial Massage. Detox tea and healthy snacks are included to nourish as you relax and drift away in bliss.

Stressbuster ?90 (2.5 hrs)
Relax and unwind with an Uisce Hour (a session in our indoor/outdoor wet area, including Detox Box Sauna and Hot Tub) and then indulge in a massage of your choice. Includes detox tea and healthy snacks.

Detox Treat ?60 (1.5 hrs)
Purify yourself with a session in our infrared detox box sauna, eliminating all toxins and burning up to 2400 calories. Followed by a nourishing massage of your choice.

Melt & Massage ?60 (1.5 hrs)
Soak your cares away in our outdoor hot tub, before feeling your muscles melt with an indulgent massage of your choice.

Uisce Hour for two ?60 (1.5 hrs)
Soak away your cares with a session in our Uisce Area, complete with detox box, steam room and hot tub. Lay back in the bubbles and gaze upon Loch Nahoo.

Residential Packages

Ultimate Chillout Break
Escape to our eco retreat and give your body the rest it deserves. This fantastic break includes either one or two nights accommodation in a private Eco Cabin, a soak in the outdoor hot tub, a massage of your choice and organic dinner on one night, as well as an organic welcome pack. With the different pricing options below, this is perfect for that special someone who deserves a completely pampering escape.
One night
?180 per single person (?280 at weekend)
?300 for two (?360 at weekend)
Two nights
?225 per single person (?360 at weekend)
?340 for two (?450 at weekend)

The Whoopers are back! Loch Nahoo is filling up, and, regular as clockwork, the Whooper Swans have begun their migration back to our neck of the woods. We can hear them calling in the night (what exactly they’re calling about we can’t tell you) and just this morning, two of them flew right over our heads after breakfast. For such shy creatures, this was unbelievable. The same thing also happened when I was out photographing them, but by the time I’d fumbled the camera out of the case, they were gone. So the Friday Five this week is five photos (not as impressive as the overhead shot, but nice nonetheless!) of the Whoopers, and our namesake, Loch Nahoo.

Because it’s been too long. In honour of the change of the seasons, and to force myself to be positive about the freezing weather, this week’s Friday Five is celebrating the five best things about Winter.

1. Fires
It’s almost worth freezing your fingers off outside, knowing that you can come in to a blazing fire. Yes, it’s dark at 5pm, but the fire is roaring and you don’t have to worry about the outside world. This is where the hibernation kicks in for most people in Leitrim. Something has to be really blooming good to make us leave our fireplaces.

2. Winter Food
Mmm, winter food. Slow cooked with rich flavours, winter meals just warm you from the very core. A wonderful lamb stew, with meat falling apart on the fork…a split pea and sweet potato soup…shepherd’s pie…It’ll all sort you out.

3. Crisp winter mornings
When it’s not pelting with rain, those perfect winter mornings of watery blue sky, fresh (and freezing) air and a clouding of frost just make everything look like a picture book.

4. Hot Whisky
The perfect end to a winter evening. So long as it’s made properly, with clove-studden wedges of lemon, good quality whiskey and honey.

5. Duvets, scarves, blankets and jumpers
Snug as a bug in a rug.

Our good friend Judith Hoad is running a series of weekend workshops in 2010, at her home in Donegal. The workshops are designed to enable the householder to care for themselves and family member, or as a basis for further professional studies.

Each weekend will include what to use, how to use and how to make the remedies indicated by the subkect matter; by the end of the course the full spectrum of harvesting, drying, making infusions, decoctions, compresses and poultices, tinctures, macerated oils and ointments will have been covered and experienced by the participants.

This is an amazing opportunity to live and study under a true wise woman, who has been treating herself and her family for many years. With a wide range of knowledge of natural medicine, Shen Tao and herbs, Judith is opening her home and her mind to pass this information on. Each three day weekend costs ?200, and workshops run from 6th – 8th 2010, and every fourth weekend thereafter.

For more information, contact Judith on 07497 36406 or email judithhoad@gmail.com

Apologies for the lack of Friday Fives recently; Friday’s always seem to be busy here, with plenty of guests arriving in time for the weekend! To make up for it, I thought I’d share our recent foray into the world of Raw Chocolate, which started in time for our Detox Retreat.

We’d both heard of raw chocolate before, but never had the ingredients to hand, or seen it offered elsewhere. Raw chocolate is made from the un-fired cacao bean, before it is turned into what we know as chocolate. As the cacao bean isn’t fired at the high temperatures needed for traditional chocolate, the supernutrients are contained, meaning that chocolate is good for you! Mix these ground nibs into smoothies, nibble them as a snack or sprinkle them on cereal, and you’ll experience an incredible rush of energy. Woody Harrelson and Matthew McGonaghy often mix raw cacao smoothies and go running in the forests of California for hours on end.

Now, the taste isn’t quite as satisfying if your pallete is used to the creamy taste of milk chocolate (as mine so lovingly is). But if you’re a fan of good quality dark chocolate, then you’ll really enjoy our recipe…

You’ll need equal amounts of raw cacao butter, raw cacao nibs and agave syrup. We started off with 100g of each, which was anough for about 30 chocolates.
Put some boiling water in a pan, and put a perspex bowl over this. Do not put the pan on the heat – you want to melt the cacao butter but not heat it. You could also leave the butter in a warm place to melt it down. When it’s gooey, mix in the ground nibs (you’ll need a coffee grinder to do this) and the agave syrup. Mix this well. Pour into ice cube trays and leave in the fridge to set. About four hours later, they’ll be hard enough to eat, just like ‘normal’ chocolate!

When you’ve made the above once, experiment. Throw in superfoods like goji or acai berries, increase the syrup, or add honey or nuts. Go wild! And tell us how it all works out.

Our 3 Day Detox went exceptionally well, with everyone leaving happy and healthy on Sunday afternoon, after our final delicious meal and a sprouting demonstration with Noeleen. More recipes to follow, but in the meantime, here are some photos of the delicious raw, living, sprouting and superfooding meals and juices everyone enjoyed so much!

Carrot and Beetroot ‘Spaghetti’

Raw Chocolate Mousse

Apple, carrot, betroot and aloe juice