The largest of the Aran Islands was the location for a unique two-day retreat where participants enjoyed yoga, great food, outdoor activities, relaxed and met like-minded people. JUDY MURPHY attended and heard how yoga teacher Caroline O’Connor and Ballymaloe-trained chef Tanya Ranalow joined forces to set up Retreat Yourself.

Cycling around the bótharíns of Inis Mór on a drizzly summer’s morning might not seem like an ideal start to a Saturday.

But the drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of our group, who had landed on the island just an hour earlier for a yoga and food retreat being held by Tanya Ranalow and Caroline O’Connor, who operate under the great name of Retreat Yourself.

The two-day event caters for people who are experienced at yoga and for beginners, says Caroline. Not to mention those who love good food.

Tanya who worked in business before training as a chef in Ballymaloe, specialises in vegetarian cooking and her food is amazing, with committed carnivores oohing and aahing over her dishes, and requesting the recipes.

Originally from Shannon, County Clare, Caroline lived in New York for 23 years, where she trained in yoga and had a studio until Covid. She, her husband, Sammy, and their two children came home for a family wedding in early March 2020.They all got Covid, and when lockdown was announced, they ended up staying here.

What had been intended as a temporary visit home became permanent. And after decades in New York – a city she loved, but where “it was a rat race” –  Caroline fully appreciates the peace and quiet of Kiladysart in West Clare, where they now live, and of the West of Ireland generally.

Caroline had already met Tanya on a previous visit home to Kiladysart where her parents live, as do Tanya’s.

“I knew Tanya did food for yoga retreats and that she was really good, and we spoke about working together in the future,” Caroline recalls. But they were on separate continents at that stage.

During Covid, they bumped into each other in the village and knew their time had come.

Four years ago, they set up Retreat Yourself, which they want to be “a feast for the senses”, says Caroline. They hold yoga and food retreats at various locations along the West coast, where participants can relax, surrounded by nature, meeting like-minded people, practising yoga, eating well and having fun.

Inis Mór is one of the women’s favourite locations and there were about 20 people on this summer’s retreat, with many of us being returnees.

The Retreat Yourself format is a great mix of activity, relaxation and fun. Caroline and Tanya’s focus is on minding people, making everyone feel happy and included.

“We’ve never had a bad group yet,” says Caroline, which is an achievement, given that they hold several retreats a year, in venues in North Clare, Limerick and Inis Mór.

The 18th Century Kilmurvey House, about four miles from the pier at Cill Rónáin, was the base for this year’s Inis Mór retreat. It’s owned by the Joyces –  the third generation of the family to run it as a guest house. Our hospitable hosts transported the retreaters’ luggage there by mini-bus while we went off to rent bikes for the day. Electric and regular options were available, with the price of hiring regular bikes included in the retreat cost.

We pedalled a short distance up the road, convening at an allocated café for coffee, scones and delicious, healthy energy balls made by Tanya. Fuelled by those, off we went again, eventually cycling through a field pitted with rabbit holes, towards the ocean. There, we dismounted for our first yoga session of the weekend.

Pictured: Chef Tanya Ranalow and yoga teacher Caroline O’Connor developed Retreat Yourself during Covid.