Treat yourself to a moonlit overnight stay at The Ice House in Co Mayo …
Moon River
Full Moons on the Moy is a series of wellness stays at The Ice House hotel in Co Mayo, designed to celebrate the most important full moons of 2024. The Ice House hotel is partnering with sound healer Audrey O’Connor, who has created bespoke in-room meditations focusing on the benefits of the different moon energies.
O’Connor is a sound healer, breathwork and movement practitioner who traded a stressful job in quantity surveying to becoming a pilates instructor and sound healer; she now runs retreats, events and workshops for major companies, including Google. And she is an excellent guide to discovering the benefits of sound baths, whether you want to connect simply as a way of tuning out the world and tapping into something that can help you sleep better and really relax, or more – to really focus on breathwork, help break old habits and bring more calm into your life.
I visited the Ice House in June to experience the Strawberry Moon, and O’Connor hosted a meditation sound bath in the Chill Spa, overlooking the river and under the stars. The glass room, usually a relaxation room for the spa, gives you the sense that you’re floating. The spa, with its indoor thermal rooms and outdoor jacuzzi, ice bath and baths, plus spacious terrace for soaking up the sun, is a relaxing place to spend a few hours. Spa treatments include everything from ESPA neck, back and shoulder massages to Voya facials. I did think it would be a nice touch to have a soundbath meditation as a soundtrack during your treatment, too.
Do book in for an outdoor seaweed (or mud) bath, too – soaking in the mineral-rich warmth, watching the ducks swim past, with a fruit sorbet and cup of herbal tea, is a really restful and restorative experience. Afterwards, zone out in either the darkened salt room, or the bright glass relaxation room over the river. Check out the Ice House’s website for other spa deals including a spa visit for two with an outdoor bathing experience plus afternoon tea for €180 (for two people, Wednesday to Saturdays).
Bathe in sound
A sound bath is a way to meditate deeply and completely switch off. O’Connor describes it as “a deeply immersive therapeutic and meditative experience, where you bathe in the sounds, energy and vibrations produced by instruments.” By tuning in to your sense of sound, you revive mind, body and spirit.
It’s rare we really tap into this one of our senses, both in spa treatments and in general. So many of us walk around with headphones in now that we’re increasingly out of touch with what the world actually sounds like! And in so many spa treatments, sound is the last consideration on the list; the treatment itself can be lovely, but ruined by the incessant clanging of panpipes or Richard Clayderman-style piano. So you don’t have to be into crystals or moon energy to enjoy the beneficial calming effects and unique headspace created by a sound bath.
Starlit Skies
The Ice House is the perfect place to tap into this form of meditation. Mayo is so tranquil, with the most crystal-clear starlit skies: it’s home to Ireland’s International Dark Sky Park, with some of the most exceptional starry skies in the world. An overnight retreat includes Audrey’s recorded 30-minute guided meditations; a special moon series cocktail created by the Ice House’s bar experts; a three-course dinner in 54° 9° Restaurant, with its sunny terrace and lots of great seafood; breakfast the following morning (we recommend the Eggs Benedict, or Connemara smoked salmon) and complimentary access to thermal area during your stay, for €315 per person sharing. You can experience the Pink Moon, Strawberry Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Corn Moon and Hunter’s Moon at the Ice House; see The Ice House Hotel website for future dates. Each moon is thought to have a different impact on energy and emotions, and O’Connor’s meditations will reflect this. There’s even a discounted rate if you return to experience more than one moon during the hotel’s series.
WE LOVE…
The Ice House is a family-owned hotel and the personal nature of this is reflected in the stop-in-your-tracks art works on display throughout – names include Hughie O’Donoghue, Tom Climents and Martin Gale. And the mixture of old and new buildings – the original house was built in 1836, but the spa buildings are super-modern – creates an interesting atmosphere. The restaurant/bar area, with its vast barrel ceiling, is particularly striking (and the staff here are brilliant, really friendly and on the ball); there’s a full vegan/vegetarian menu available, too. Plus you have glorious long empty beaches nearby, and the gorgeous Foxford store to shop at and have coffee in. Also don’t miss Jimmy’s Drive Thru coffee en route – housed in an old petrol station, this smart coffee stop means you can have great espresso and pastries through your car window. We love it.
Need to know: Ice House, The Quay, Ballina, Co Mayo; www.icehousehotel.ie Keep an eye on Audrey O’Connor’s other events here; www.corestatehq.com
