Bring your mat and join us in the Ballymaloe Walled Garden for pilates, yoga, strength training and more. With pilates workshops and classes, yoga practices, strength training and sound baths there is something for everyone.
Mindfullness in Nature with Mirin Mooney - Friday 5.30pm
Bring more peace into your life
Join Mirin on a mindful walk around the Ballymaloe walled gardens and learn how easy mindfulness can be. The session will include an introductory talk, a walking mindfulness practice around the beautiful walled garden, and a short seated (or standing) mindfulness practice. With plenty of opportunity for questions, alongside tips on how to make mindfulness easy and incorporate it effortlessly into your everyday life.
Proven benefits of mindfulness, Reduces stress, Improves focus and efficiency, Hardwires you to be more calm and less reactive, Improves sleep, Improves relationships, Increases happiness and fulfilment, Improves physical health, Extends life, Heals anxiety and depression, Improves mental health.
Mirin Mooney is an east cork based mental health coach and mentor. Having struggled with her mental health in the form of depression, self-harm, and bulimia, and finding that traditional treatments were ineffective she has dedicated the past decade to travelling the world and learning from different cultures and their approaches to healing and mental health.
She combines the ancient practices of Ayurveda, Shamanism, and Energy Healing with her education in modern psychotherapy, mindfulness, coaching, and creative therapies to deliver her workshops, programs, and one-to-one services on topics such as mindfulness, past trauma, emotional intelligence, self-love, and the use of art and the body in healing. She specializes in empowering young women to overcome their insecurities and unresolved issues from the past so that they can love themselves unconditionally, express themselves fearlessly and create the deeply fulfilling life their soul craves.
Strength Training with Zoe - Saturday 10am
Join Zoe's Fitness and Therapy with a hour of fun workouts. We will take you all through 30 mins of the MBC class Movement Balance and Core. This activity aims to improve flexibility, movement, balance and co-ordination. We will help improve posture, rehabilitate injuries, sports specific performance and overall wellbeing.
This will be followed by a 30 min HIIT class ( high intensity interval training) This workout is a combination of cardiovascular training, strength training and core exercises. We will get the heart pumping , strengthen an tone muscles and burn some calories. Everyone is welcome - join the fun and get fit at the same time for all fitness levels join Zoe on Saturday morning in the Walled Garden at 10am.
Dandelion Yoga with Grainne Saturday 11am & Sunday 11am
A fun, dynamic, flow yoga class in the Walled Garden, based around the breath and movement together. In keeping with the May Fair vibe, we will connect breath and movement to music, so you can access a flow state where your worries melt away.
Grainne holds classes in the Grainstore weekly on a Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. For a taste of one of her fabulous classes join Grainne in the Walled Garden on Saturday and Sunday at 10am.
Sound Bath With Shama Saturday 12.30pm
Join Shama in the Walled Garden Saturday at 12.30 for an immersion in beautiful sounds and vibrations that are healing for your body, mind and spirit. A Sound Bath is a deeply relaxing, meditative experience which can take you on a journey of deep relaxation, healing and self discovery. You will experience the healing power of Tibetan Singing & Crystal Bowls, Gongs, Shamanic Drums, Koshi chimes and many more. The healing frequencies and vibrations will wash away all your stress, tension, and cares. All you have to do is lie there and allow the healing sounds and vibrations to wash over you. What better way to relax before a delicious lunch at May Fair.
Core Pilates Beginners Workshop with Shirley Saturday 2pm
Shirley of Core Pilates Cork is another of our weekly instructors at the Grainstore. Shirley is delivering a 2 hour pilates workshop for beginner level as an introduction/taster to the pilates method of movement. The workshop will teach the basic principles of pilates The emphasis for the workshop will also be relaxation . A mindfulness meditation session will take place at the end of the workshop . Shirley is a STOTT Pilates Certified Pilates Instructor. Also certified in Injuries & Special Population Pilates and Pre & Post natal Pilates.
Self-care Saturday with Mirin Mooney– Saturday 4.30
Indulge in some self-care and self-love on Saturday afternoon with Mirin Mooney. We all know how important self-care is, yet life gets busy and it can easily go by the wayside. This workshop is an opportunity for you to prioritise you and your wellbeing! Take some time out and indulge yourself in this 1.5 hour session of self-care practices. Beginning with a gentle yoga and mindfulness practice, followed by a discussion on self-care and self-love (what it is, why it’s hard, and ways to make it easier). This will be followed by some journaling prompts to support you in exploring how you can show yourself the love you deserve, what gets in the way, and how to make this easier (paper & pens provided). There will also be an opportunity for questions and discussion on the topic. Session includes: Gentle yoga practice, talk on self-love & self-care, journalling session, mindfulness meditation, opportunity for discussion.
Pilates Studio Midleton session with Lindsay Sunday 10am
Lindsay from Pilates Studio in Midleton has been hosting classes in the Grainstore since we opened. Lindsay teaches mainly STOTT Pilates with modifications, regressions & progressions depending on her clients ability. Each class she teaches is tailor made to suit each participant. Join Lindsay on Sunday morning at 10am.
Nature Mandala Workshop with Nicola McCarthy
Beginning with an introduction to one another and a brief description of Mandalas and what we will be doing, followed by a grounding exercise that will quieten the mind and deepen our connection to Earth. Embarking on a walking meditation we will forage materials opening up to the magic and abundance of nature, looking at what’s readily available and being mindful of what is ok to use. Returning to the meeting point we will combine our harvest, organising the material looking at shape and colour.
Setting an intention both personally and as a whole we will begin from the centre out, arranging leaves, flowers, twigs, seeds, stones, whatever we found to build a beautiful mandala, there may be one large or a few different ones, gently guiding the process whilst also going with the flow and allowing the Art to emerge from whatever nature gifts us.
Part of the beauty of the outdoor Mandala is its delicacy and impermanence, an exercise in unattachment and valuing the present moment, restoring balance and letting us fill with the wonder that is Life.
Nicola McCarthy is an artist and yoga teacher from Skibbereen, a graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design, recently returned from 25 years in San Francisco, where she grew her art and developed her yoga & meditation practice. Nicola’s fine art has been exhibited widely, a muralist, set painter and workshop facilitator. Being a yoga teacher enables her to add a deeper layer of richness to her workshops, loving guiding others to connect to the joy of Being through art, nature and yoga.
Love of nature is her passion. Rejoicing in colour and shape, she creates outdoor art using organic matter, collecting fallen petals and leaves, whatever might be found to create beautiful Mandalas. Art, nature and meditation are woven together in each Mandala, an ancient sacred practice that fills the heart with gratitude and peace.
We can find our centre and let love radiate from within to embrace and protect this precious Earth, Nicola’s work is an ongoing commitment to help connect us to the infinite source of Joy that is there for all.
Nikki Cousins Yoga Sunday 2.00pm
Bring your mat and join Nikki in the walled garden for an hour of introductory Yoga and breath work in the sun.
Nikki has been practising yoga for about 25 years and teaching for 20. She currently teaches in Cork city centre. She teaches a strength and mobility based vinyasa practice and believes that movement and awareness is what matters. Keeping our bodies healthy which helps to keep our minds healthy. The connection between the two is undeniable. And the importance of working with the breath as the bridge between the two continues to inspire her. She will be teaching an hour long introduction to yoga and breath work.
Caroline Cumming Yoga Sunday 3.30pm
Join Caroline on Sunday in the walled garden for an hour's class for back pain. The class is designed for people wanting to ease stiff and achey lower backs using a mix of yoga and pilates exercises. Caroline Cumming is a chartered physiotherapist, and has been teaching both Yoga and Pilates for the past 15 years. She is currently based in West Cork and does clinical work part time from her Physiotherapy practice in Ballydehob, as well as teaching Yoga/Pilates classes between Schull and Ballydehob, Caroline brings her 18 years of physiotherapy experience into her teaching, with a strong focus on anatomy, alignment and specific muscle engagement. She likes to keep her classes challenging but light hearted and fun, and believes the social connections and after-class swims and coffees are equally important.
See our event timetable for a full list of events taking place over the weekend.
Book a class or workshop when you purchase an entry ticket to the Fair, bring your mat and enjoy the fresh air and garden atmosphere.
€3.00 contribution to walled garden classes will be donated to the Red Cross.
