Meet The Team

Ruth O'Malley

Founder

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Hi, my name is Ruth and I am the founder of Nourish & Thrive. I completed my Masters Degree in Exercise & Sport Psychology and I was always fascinated by the mind-body connection.  I previously set up and managed a very successful Motivation weight management clinic, where I worked with thousands of clients to lose weight. This was an incredible experience where I shared their challenges and celebrated their successes. I am so grateful to each of those clients for inspiring me to set up Nourish and Thrive.  

My belief when losing weight, is that what's going on in your head is far more important than what's going into your mouth. Most traditional approaches to weight loss often neglect the most essential ingredient and that is understanding why we overeat. People fail to make the connection with what they're eating and how they're feeling. Food can be a comfort, it can numb us, reward us or help us to eliminate stress.  By attending one of our weight loss retreats you can learn to control emotional eating and understand the triggers that cause you to gain weight.  

In modern society Nutrition can be overwhelming and confusing. Our ambition is to simplify all the conflicting messages.  The programme is not about calorie counting or dieting. It is about good healthy nutrition and a sensible approach to weight loss. We will share some simple recipes which are full of flavour and nourishment.  

Our approach is a holistic approach to sustainable weight loss.  We are passionate about empowering people to live healthier lifestyles and to restore their relationship with food, with themselves and to become happier, healthier versions of themselves. 
 

We look forward to hosting you at the Westport Coast Hotel & I hope you enjoy our stylish hotel with its spectacular views.  Rejuvenate yourself in our daily hikes and outdoor activities that this healing space and this spectacular landscape has to offer.  Enjoy our cookery demonstrations and delicious meals, our workshops on nutrition and psychology and our sound bath experience and guided meditation sessions.  Finally take some time out to rejuvenate & thrive

We look forward to welcoming you!

Melanie Walsh

Sound Bath Experience

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Sound Baths have been used for 1000’s of years and in many different cultures all with the same intention; to move us from a place of imbalance to a place of balance. The term ‘bath’ signifies being bathed in sound waves – there’s no water or touching involved. Sound Baths bring profound states of balance back into the body, mind and soul. This is a surround sound experience unlike any other.  

 

During this 90 min experience, Melanie will create a sacred space and take you on a journey of deep relaxation, healing and self-discovery as you lie in a comfortable position in our warm cozy studio. The session will start with a short, guided body relaxation and heart centred meditation before moving into a series of sounds including Gongs, Singing Bowls, Crystal Bowls, Chimes, Tuning Forks, Shamanic Drums and other percussive instruments all designed to rebalance your energy system. 

Melanie has years of experience in many aspects of health and wellness including Holistic Massage, Reiki, Yoga and Shamanic practitioner work, Melanie is also skilled in a wide variety of therapies focused on healing and self-empowerment. A trained Body and Energetic Worker, she also practices Sound Therapy at an advanced level including Voice, Singing Bowls, Gongs and Shamanic Drum and brings a strong focus on the ancient Shamanic Healing tradition into her practice. Melanie’s practice The Sidhe Space in Westport is a center of excellence in personal wellness and discovery.

Micheline Egan

Confidence Specialist & Communication Trainer

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Micheline Egan is a confidence specialist with over 25 years’ experience, having trained more than 14,000 people in her career. Her primary focus is in practical training that transfers easily to the workplace.  Working with senior psychologist Dr Jeananne Garavan, Micheline developed the highly effective Simply Confidence methodology – tools and proven techniques that enable people to simply and effectively rediscover their own inner courage, confidence and motivation. A graduate in business from the Irish Management Institute (IMI), Micheline teaches business people & civil servants personal leadership. Micheline started her career as a journalist, going on to study with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) who chose her to become a lecturer. She then studied training with the Irish Institute of Training and Development and subsequently built on this with further study in training and continuing education at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

 

Micheline is also a Master Practitioner in neurolinguistic programming. She was the first Irish person trained in the Benjamin Fry Happy Hour Concept – a brief counselling intervention.

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Winner of a Cosmopolitan Magazine Award for Career Achievement Micheline frequently lectures on confidence issues, and she has developed a particular expertise in managing confidence and building resilience in a broad range of contexts and for a wide variety of clients.