Beat the new year blues by reviving body and spirit

Looking to beat the January blues? Then spring into February and book yourself a regenerative treat. Whether to relax your body or revive your spirits, right now there are loads of great deals to choose from.

Work on your wellness at Creacon Wellness Retreat (creaconwellnessretreat.com), a relaxing idyll in the countryside outside New Ross, Wexford. The award-winning centre has been creating a buzz for its super soothing yoga and meditation retreats, with an emphasis on self-care, relaxation and rejuvenation.

It offers a range of treatments designed to restore mind, body and spirit, from facials and massage, to acupuncture, psychotherapy, yoga and mindfulness. The food is fab too, tasty and wholesome without being po-faced.

There are a variety of retreats and restorative packages available, including overnight B&B, weekend getaways and yoga and meditation retreats. If the ghost of Christmas just passed is lingering on your midriff, check out the three-Juice Cleanse detox package, from €350 including accommodation, juices and classes.

If you need a quick boost, its Overnight Escape B&B deal includes a full body Swedish massage, a yoga and mindfulness class and healthy food from its Food is Medicine menu for €225. If you’re due a longer break, get in touch with staff before you go to talk to discuss what you want to get out of it because they can tailor a yoga and meditation retreat accordingly.

Or how about taking the invigorating sea air with a coastal break? The Mulranny Park Hotel (mulrannyparkhotel.ie) in Mayo, which has great views out over Clew Bay and is a fantastic base for outdoor adventures, located right on the Wild Atlantic Way, on one of the most scenic parts of the route.

Adventure break

If you’ve always threatened to take the Great Western Greenway, the country’s best known off-road, traffic-free hiking and biking trail, now is the time to carry it out, with bike hire available at the hotel.

The Mulranny Park is the driving force behind a delicious side project – the Gourmet Greenway, which it set up seven years ago. The initiative brings together artisanal food producers from Newport to Achill to create one of the country’s top foodie destinations – and no shortage of culinary treats to fuel your adventures.

Take a Wild Atlantic adventure break at the hotel and get full Irish breakfast, complimentary access to its leisure club and a packed lunch for your day’s adventures, currently available in February from just €88 per room online.

Or how about getting to grips with your inner power? Unleash the force of Kundalini yoga with classes in this dynamic branch of the practice at Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny.

Kundalini is described by practitioners as a yoga of awareness that incorporates exercise, breath and meditation to help strengthen, relax, and heal the body, mind and spirit. Benefits are reputed to include everything from increased energy and vitality, to relaxation of mind and body and even relief from stress and insomnia. Check it out for yourself with classes that take place on Fridays at the hotel, for just €20 – open to non residents. Or book a one to one session for €60.

To really treat yourself, combine it with an overnight package that includes a seven-course tasting menu dinner and a stay at the hotel’s Manor House. Great yoga followed by a great meal? You’ll sleep like a baby. Priced from €375.

Food master classes

Head to the Garden of Ireland for a recuperative break at beautiful BrookLodge & Macreddin Village, just outside Aughrim. It has some terrific options designed not just to keep the body beautiful inside and out, but to engage the brain too in what might become your next hobby. For example, check out the series of wild food master classes from chefs at its famous organic Strawberry Tree restaurant, and owner Evan Doyle, co author, with Biddy White Lennon, of bestselling book

Wild Food

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Develop a wholesome new interest with tuition that covers not just identification of foraged fare, but how to cook and preserve it in traditional ways using sugar, oil, drying, vinegars and alcohol. After enjoying lunch at the hotel’s Waterside Lounge, you’ll get to do some gentle supervised foraging yourself, just to get you started. Stay over from €165 per person sharing, including breakfast.

If it’s carbs you’re craving, the hotel has a series of master classes in bread making this spring too, staying over for the same price.

Can’t decide between relaxing or revving things up? Head for Delphi Adventure resort in the wonderful wilds of Connemara, where you can do both. It has a two night Restore & Pamper package which includes breakfast, a three-course evening meal and a body renew package that includes a seaweed bath, back, neck and shoulder massage and full use of the thermal suite. If it’s an adrenaline boost you’re after, book its Great Adventure package, which gets you a full day of adventure activities, plus the use of the Spa’s thermal suite to rest up in.

Delphi also has a great gentle yoga and meditation weekend coming up, March 8th-10th, including breakfast, two-course evening meal, lunch and daily classes, guided walk, a treatment or a seaweed bath, plus use of the thermal suite, from €443 per room.

Or really rev things up and get yourself in gear for Gaelforce Dublin (gaelforceevents.com), a major adventure challenge taking place just outside the capital on March 23rd. Sign up for a unique adventure that will see you undertake trail and mountain running, cycling and kayaking.

The course starts at Tallaght and heads up into the Dublin mountains at Kiltipper and Knockannavea, as well as along the reservoirs at Glenasmole. There are two lengths to choose from, 29km and 49km, so spring into action and start that training now.

Experience the therapeutic benefit of simply being around horses

When it comes to relaxing and reviving, spa breaks have long been the staple but what if the answer is really a stable?

The practice of Equine Assisted Learning is well established around the world, and has a growing number of proponents in Ireland. While practices vary, at heart all are based around a belief in the therapeutic benefit of simply being around horses. Typically it’s a system of personal development that works with horses as co-facilitators, teachers and guides.

To find out more about this intriguing discipline check out the Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) retreat taking place at Killadangan House (killadanganhouse.com) in Westport, Co Mayo, from Friday to Sunday March, 22nd-24th.

The retreat does not involve horse riding or even require horse handling experience. All that is required is that you have an interest in these wonderful creatures and perhaps a desire to connect with them. You’ll learn loads about yourself in the process.

The retreat is run by Mayo based EAL expert, Mary Berkery, a horsewoman of longstanding and also a life and wellness coach. The Equine Assisted Learnig retreat costs € 800 per person.