Health Retreats
Detox Retreats
Our detox retreats are designed to nurture body, mind and spirit, and are personally run by owner Dhara Kelly, son of the original founder. Having long observed and refined the retreats, we are assured that it leads to brighter eyes, clearer skin, renewed energy and a heightened sense of well-being. Without T.V., radio and newspapers our accommodation is designed to create an environment conducive to rest, clarity and inner peace. Guests are encouraged to use the time and space as a total retreat, to focus on care of the self, and to leave work, worries and family at home. Our retreats are for five days, Sunday to Friday.
A typical day will look like this:
Rise and shine and very first thing - water! Followed by wheatgrass, followed by breakfast.
10.45am: Yoga
1.00pm: Lunch
2.00pm: Afternoon walk
3.30pm: Free time
5.30pm: Supper
4 - 9.00pm: Sauna available.
8.30pm: Meditation
9.00pm: Bedtime
Weight-Loss Retreats
Some of our retreats are Weight-loss retreats. These are similar to our standard program but with special emphasis on losing weight. Due to the demand for this retreat we have introduced more of these throughout the season. Using all our Cloona tools we will dedicate this week to making great strides on the journey to a slimmer self. There will be extra walking, yoga with a particular emphasis, and some extra juice fasting. The beauty of weight-loss ‘Cloona-style’ is that you get detoxed as well, and, to be frank, attempting weight-loss without detoxing is a bit like painting your house without scraping off the old flakey paint first. Note that the Green Program option is not available on this retreat
Our courses are exclusively residential. This, together with a quiet, tranquil environment ensures full privacy for our guests.
Liver & Gall Bladder Flush Retreat
This is a very specific five-day program which we run once a year and which is ideal for anybody who wants a good clear-out of their liver and gall-bladder. Most of us have congestion in the liver and gall-bladder, and some more than others. This normally manifests as stones. Considering the liver produces up to three pints of bile each day it is all too easy for some of it to congeal and form small stone-like lumps. They can block the bile ducts in both the liver and gall-bladder. Liver congestion is the background to a myriad of common health problems. They don’t show up on scans because they are too soft, but nevertheless they can obstruct the flow of bile which causes digestion problems (and countless knock-on effects) and inhibit the absorption/elimination of toxins which causes blood and lymph toxification. Of course if you have gall-stones in your gall-bladder that you are already aware of this is an invaluable process and could save the need for surgery. You could pass up to a hundred gall-stones the size of peas, and completely painlessly. You will be truly amazed! This program has some pre-requisite preparation.
Yoga
Yoga, meaning ‘union’, is a practice that involves our whole being and is probably the oldest and longest-surviving system of self-development known. We practise the more traditional type of yoga, Hatha Yoga, which is based on meditative movement co-ordinated with the breath. Our yoga sessions are suitable for all, regardless of age or level of fitness. Each session is a balance of breath awareness, movement and deep relaxation. For almost two hours on a daily basis participants are guided and encouraged to tone the body, still the mind and calm the emotions through a time-honoured and widely respected tradition.
Detox Diet
The cleansing/detoxing aspect of our programme requires that the diet be as undemanding as possible on the digestive system, while still providing the sustenance and enjoyment necessary to satisfy. The food is based exclusively on fruit and vegetables that are organically and/or bio-dynamically grown and is meat, dairy and gluten-free. To further assist detoxing, the principles of food-combining are adhered to. We have our own natural spring well which enables us to pipe water of the highest purity, vitality and taste into the kitchen. All of our retreats entail a shot of wheatgrass each morning and our standard five-day retreat includes a juice-fast on Wednesday.
For information on wheatgrass, juice-fast and our Cloona Green Program, please visit the ‘Diet’ page here.
Walking
Blessed as we are with a network of quiet picturesque roads in the locality, we aim to achieve more from our walks than a simple appreciation of natural beauty. Our daily, guided walks are another way to energise the body and heighten self-awareness, with instruction provided on various aspects of walking. To walk effortlessly with elegance and beauty is the aim. The walks are different each day, and follow circular routes. On our five-day programs we go to the beach for one of our walks. Walking will never be the same again!
What to bring
The following is a list of items which we recommend you bring:
- Loose, comfortable clothing, i.e. tracksuits, leggings, t-shirts etc.
- Comfortable walking shoes or runners.
- Wellies can be useful if the weather is wet.
- House shoes or slippers for wearing indoors at all times.
- Rainwear.
- Large towel (bath sheet), particularly for use in the sauna.
- Bathrobe.
Preparation
It is important to prepare for your stay with us. Tea and coffee need to be eliminated completely seven days before arrival. Chocolate and sugary foods also need to be reduced, if not totally eliminated. Heavy meals, especially with meat, should be tapering off during this time. You should also be drinking at least three pints of water daily. These preparations will minimize withdrawal effects and will add significantly to the benefit of the retreat.
It is important that as a guest you decide to come for your own sake, and take responsibility for yourself alone, even if you choose to come with a friend. Any prospective guests with doubts about their physical condition or suitability are asked to consult their doctor, show him/her this information and, where necessary, obtain consent.
Arrival & Departure
Guests arrive between 5 and 6.30pm, in time for the introduction at 7pm, and depart after an early lunch on the last day, at approx 1pm.
Such a fabulous, uplifting deep-dive of a week. There is no where like Cloona, long may it continue staying true to itself.
— Céire, August 2024