Autumnal Arriving: A Mindfulness Day Retreat

What to Expect

This is a day retreat built around the turn of the season, taking the autumn equinox as its theme: the point in the year when light and darkness are in balance and the countryside starts to close down for winter. Sheena Burke of Discovering Mindfulness runs the day at Castle Barna Wellness Centre outside Daingean, drawing on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction practice rather than anything more esoteric.

The programme runs to four and a half hours and moves between formats so nobody is sitting still the whole time. There are guided mindfulness meditations, gentle mindful movement, walking practice, breath and body work and body scans, with poetry read through the day and exercises aimed at self compassion. The stated focus is rest, letting go of what the year has piled up, and building some steadiness before the darker months. Numbers are kept to a group size that suits a shared room, and no previous experience of meditation is assumed.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Sunday 27 September 2026, 10.30am to 3pm.
• Venue: Castle Barna Wellness Centre, Castlebarnagh House, Daingean, Co. Offaly, R35 DH22.
• Price: €55, booked through Eventbrite. Full refunds are available up to seven days before the retreat.
• Warm drinks and snacks are included. Bring your own lunch, and any personal medication you need.
• Optional extras on the day include a canalside walk and access to the sauna.
• Contact the organiser on 087 681 6635 or sheena@discoveringmindfulness.ie with questions before booking.

Getting There

Daingean sits on the R402 between Tullamore and Edenderry, on the Grand Canal, and Castle Barna is signposted off the road just outside the village. Allow about fifteen minutes from Tullamore and around half an hour from Edenderry, with parking on site. Public transport into Daingean is thin on a Sunday, so plan on driving or sharing a lift. The Grand Canal towpath runs alongside, which is where the optional canalside walk goes.