Most people who come to Danu Lodge have never been on a retreat before. The word itself can sound formal — silent monasteries, strict timetables, awkward sharing circles. The truth is much gentler. A retreat at Danu Lodge is a small, quiet, well-fed pause from ordinary life, held by a team that has been doing this for thirty years. This guide answers the questions everyone asks before they come, so you can arrive already settled.
What a typical day looks like
Mornings open with 30 minutes of guided meditation in the studio, followed by 90 minutes of Qigong — slow, accessible, beginner-welcome. Breakfast is unhurried: porridge, fruit, eggs, sourdough, herbal tea. The middle of the day is yours. Walk the woodland to Tober Patrick (the sacred well), sit in the gardens, paint, journal, read, sleep. Lunch is a soup-and-salad affair around 1pm. Afternoons often hold an optional therapy — acupuncture, reflexology, reiki or craniosacral with one of the team. Dinner is around 7pm, then a soft evening meditation closes the day.
Nothing is compulsory. If you want to skip a session and walk instead, walk. The rhythm is the offering, not the obligation.
What to pack
Comfortable layered clothing — Irish weather changes its mind hourly. Sturdy walking shoes for muddy paths and a pair of soft slippers for the studio. Warm socks. A yoga mat if you have one (we have spares). A journal. A refillable water bottle. Any medication you take regularly. A swimsuit if you fancy a sea swim — the east coast beaches are 30 minutes away.
Leave behind: laptops if you can, work clothes, perfume (some guests are sensitive), and the expectation that you should be doing something productive at every moment.
What to wear
Loose comfortable clothes you can move and meditate in. There is no dress code, no Lululemon expectation. Most people live in soft trousers and a few warm layers for the duration of their stay. For Qigong, anything that lets you bend, stretch and breathe deeply is right.
How much it costs
Full board in the main lodge is €85 per person per night in a twin room or €95 per night in a single — all meals, meditation and Qigong included. A full week is €450 per person, a fortnight €800. Therapies are available to residents at a reduced rate (typically €60–€70 per session). The self-catering studio is bookable separately on Airbnb if you prefer full independence.
There is no upsell. The price you are quoted is the price.
Arriving and the first evening
Aim to arrive between 3pm and 6pm so you have time to settle before dinner. The first evening is often the strangest — the nervous system has not yet caught up with the slowness. You may feel restless, tearful, or oddly tired. All of that is the body recognising that it is finally allowed to drop the load. By the second morning most people sleep better than they have in months.
Coming home — the integration phase
The week after a retreat is where the real work happens. Plan a soft re-entry if you can: a quiet evening at home, no big social plans, no early-morning meeting on Monday. Keep one piece of the rhythm — five minutes of morning meditation, a daily walk, an unhurried breakfast — and let it carry the retreat forward into ordinary life. Most guests come back within a year; the work compounds.
If you are still unsure
Email kate@danulodge.com or call +353 87 232 5383 with any question, however small. We would much rather have a brief conversation before you book than have you arrive worried about the wrong thing. The retreat starts with that conversation.