Groups & Retreats
Groups & Retreats

Disconnect from the electronic world and find true connection in like-hearted community, in the beauty of nature, and in your own heart coherence. Remember how it feels to be in genuine heart connection with life and learn tools to guide you back to centre when in moments of difficulty.
There is a beauty in coming back to the simplicity of the breath, the heart and the rhythms of nature, letting go of all the other noise inside. There is always an ease that can be found within difficult moments by learning to remain in the heart no matter what’s happening in the world around you. That’s true freedom! The freedom of living from the heart!
Learn to feel safe within when the world is in fear, to feel at peace when the world is in stress, to be in abundance when all around you are seeing lack. Resting in a regulated nervous system is key to feeling free, and this weekend will help you get there and give you tools to stay there. Remember how it feels to live in a body that’s relaxed and alive, free and open. Sigh big exhales of release, relief and homecoming. Remember the importance of slowing down, simplifying and coming back to a centred space. Connect to the simplicity and peace within nature, learning to lean on her as an ally to help you stay centred and connected.
Allow yourself to be held in a sacred container of transformation by two experienced spaceholders and healers. Let us guide you back to the heart, back to the breath, and back to the peace within. Boost your immune system and be invigorated through deep healing practices, and leave feeling nourished calm, connected, and transformed. Return to your normal life with tools to help you soften in moments of tension, and stay in a coherent heart no matter what’s happening around you.
We will nourish you with heart opening Cacao Ceremonies, Soma Breathwork, dance, gentle yoga, moments of sharing, moments of silence, and conscious connection to nature. Delicious vegetarian food will be provided by Nicky Halliday.
CACAO
Ceremonial Cacao will be used as a guide to help us drop in deeper, open our hearts wider, and find more self love and connection.
Cacao is a beautiful and ancient plant medicine that can help us access deep parts of ourselves that are ready to be seen. Her number one job is to open you heart, so that anything that arises can be met with more compassion and self love.
We will be connection with Cacao in Ceremony, in our connection to nature, and during our Soma Breathwork session, so you will get a taste for the spectrum of ways this beautiful medicine can help you open and connect.
Cacao Ceremony
A Cacao Ceremony is a sacred meditative space for you to tune in with yourself, melt into the heart, and connect more deeply to what is moving within you and what your heart is calling for.
As a gentle plant medicine, Cacao can help to show you what your inner world is inviting you to embody, to let go of or to open to. She brings messages it in a very gentle but profound way that can help you uncover what is next on your journey to living from the heart. She can help you find love and compassion for yourself, and open you up to living more fully and more confidently in your own uniqueness.
Paula will be there to support you the entire way guiding you deeper; helping you to open more, let go more, and work through whatever is needed to be worked through. She has been working with this medicine for many years under the guidance of Keith Wilson (The Chocolate Shaman) so she is well equipped to help you in whatever way is needed.
We will begin with a delicious cup of Ceremonial Cacao from Keith’s Cacao in Guatemala (the highest quality available on the market), and set our intentions for the ceremony. Paula will then give you some information on the history of Cacao and how we can use it as a medicine to bring us deeper within. She will guide a meditation to help you connect to Cacao and to yourself, and then you will have space to journey, while being supported by one-to-one work with Paula where needed. Depending on the energies of each ceremony there may also be guided meditations and visualisations, energy work and processing work.
For more information on Cacao Ceremonies, you can go here: Cacao Ceremonies
SOMA BREATHWORK

Soma Breathwork induces coherent and ecstatic states in the mind and body through ancient pranayama breathwork techniques coupled with specific music to alter your brainwaves and induce a sense of euphoria.
This combination of rhythmic beathing, vibrational music and positive affirmations can bring you into a state of self hypnosis where deep transformation comes with ease.
This meditative breathwork increases your life force and vitality, reduces stress by relaxing the nervous system, and raises your vibration, bringing you into a coherent heart space where you have increased power for creation.
By breathing consciously you can tap into your own innate healing and creative power, lifting you beyond stresses and anxieties and bringing you back to centre.
NATURE CONNECTION

There is so much nourishment to be found in connection to nature. By learning to stay open, quiet and receptive in nature, she can reveal a whole other world to you, rich in magic and wonder, where answers to the questions of your heart can be revealed. Tuning into the stillness of nature can help calm the mind and nervous system and bring you back to a place of harmony and wholeness.
We will guide you on nature connection walks to feed your soul with the abundance that is always available to you in nature, sending you home with a beautiful new connection to an old friend.
DIVINE NOURISHMENT
Your bellies will be nourished all weekend by Nicky Halliday’s delicious vegetarian feasts that are bursting with nutrition and lots of love.
Nicky studied Culinary Arts in a holistic nutrition school in California. This professional training focused on cooking delicious nourishing food for optimum health. As Nicky is also a qualified nutritional therapist, she dedicates her time to preparing dishes that can be adapted to everybody’s health requirements. Her food is not only bursting with nutrients, it tastes delicious too.
ACCOMMODATION
We will be spending our weekend in the beautiful Monalea Retreat centre on the Wexford/Wicklow border, surrounded by beautiful countryside and peace and quiet.
There will be shared accommodation either in twin rooms or bunks, at varying prices. At the bottom of the page you will find more pictures of the beautiful space.
If you would prefer a private room there is an option to stay in a B&B just a few mins away at extra cost. You can request by email. Spaces are very limited for this option.
YOUR FACILITATORS

PAULA
Paula has been working with Cacao as a medicine since 2011, facilitating ceremonies, dance and yoga with Cacao since 2015, and training others to share Cacao since 2020. She spent 3 years in Guatemala learning and developing a relationship with Cacao under the guidance of Keith Wilson (aka. The Chocolate Shaman), and was one of the first to offer this medicine in Ireland. She is now proud Cacao Mama (and grandmama) to many of those serving Cacao in Dublin. She is also a trained yoga and meditation teacher with over 800hrs training; a reiki master; Calmologist, and PSYCH-K® facilitator.
Paula is passionate about helping people connect more deeply to themselves and the lessons life is presenting them; to open their hearts, and to remember the power in softness and self love. She is very intuitive and can help you through whatever may arise over the weekend.
You can read more about Paula here

CONOR
Conor’s journey into Health and ancient Healing modalities gained his knowledge and skills in Acupuncture, Osteopathic Techniques of Cranio-Sacral and body-based therapies including Soma Breath-work, Tibetian Yoga & Qiqong.
Conor is passionate about assisting you safely to meet and overcome any obstacles to your health and wellbeing, weather it be physical pain or emotional difficulties that have arouse in your life.
Conor has trained in various systems of Acupuncture, has a passion and understanding of modern body based Neuroscience findings of the mind body connection to Trauma. Also has trained and studied with very experienced Somatic Meditation teachers over the last 10 years.
Read more about Conor here

NICKY
Nicky started the fresh food deli in The Hopsack Health Store and worked as the head chef there for 3.5 years. Since then she decided to go on an adventure to Central America where she has gained so much experience working as head chef at Farm of Life healing retreat centre in Costa Rica. Nicky learned a new way to live & heal, connecting to nature and practising meditations. She experienced wonderful openings working with plant medicine, including cacao. She learned all about the healing benefits of cacao and sharing ceremonies with meditation, music and movement. She believes this is a powerful tool to help open the heart, increase intuition and still the mind.
Nicky has held successful workshops & retreats and loves to share her knowledge with eager people.
TIMETABLE
Friday
- 4pm Arrival Opening Cacao Ceremony
- Delicious Dinner
- Wind Down Somatic Meditation
Saturday
- Silent Morning Meditation
- Cacao Yoga
- Breakfast
- Nature Connection Walk
- Lunch
- Cacao Breath Ceremony
- Dance
- Dinner
Sunday
- Silent Morning Meditation
- Cacao Breath Ceremony
- Brunch
- Closing Circle
- Depart 2pm
PRICES:
Earlybird until 14th February:
€400 per person in shared accommodation
€380 per person – Friends/partners sharing a room (up to 4 per room)
Regular Price:
€450 per person – Shared accommodation
€430 per person – Friends/partners sharing a room (up to 4 per room)