And relax: taking time for self-care by meditating with horses

We go on retreat to experience the healing power of horses with two women who are on a mission to empower women through mindfulness and equine-led meditation.

Anita Siegl (Happy Feet Reflexology), Denise O'Donoghue (Irish Examiner), and Noreen Roche (Epona Retreat Centre) with Freckles the dog at a 'Back to Work' retreat in Rathcormac in aid of St Vincent de Paul.

Noreen Roche and Anita Siegl are particularly passionate about enabling women to rise within their careers, and they believe their areas of expertise can mould a fulfilling career path. Anita runs Happy Feet Reflexology from Sirona Clinic in Douglas, Cork, and Noreen provides a range of workshops at Epona Retreat Centre in Rathcormac, Co Cork, where I meet the pair ahead of a Sunday afternoon Return to Work retreat they are offering, with ticket sales benefiting St Vincent de Paul.

The ladies met through Network Cork, and after they were forced to adapt their businesses during lockdown, they joined forces to provide a unique experience they hope will help women who are anxious about returning to their workplace after lockdown. “We learned a lot,” Anita says of the last few months.