Down to Earth · Sorrel Sanctuary
Most weekends are about getting away.
Some are about getting back.
Down to Earth is a 2-night immersive experience for people whose lives look fine from the outside and feel quietly off from the inside. Designed to help you step away from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with what truly matters.
Aaron will be in touch after you book, a short conversation to confim if this is what you need
Aaron Browne
You might be in the right place if
Something has been quietly off for longer than you'd admit .
Not a crisis. Not falling apart. Just off. Going through the motions. Functioning, and tired of just functioning.
- "I don't know. I'm just tired."
- "I used to be more fun."
- "There's a version of me I can't get back to."
- "I keep telling everyone I'm okay because I don't have the energy to explain that I'm not."
If any of those landed, that’s the thing. You don’t need to explain it more than that.
You don’t have to be broken to want this. You just have to be ready to stop performing for two days.
You might be in the right place if
Something has been quietly off
for longer than you'd admit.
Not a crisis. Not falling apart. Just off. Going through the motions. Functioning, and tired of just functioning.
- You’re seeking clarity, direction or space to reflect
- You want to reconnect with your body and your breath
- You feel called to go deeper in your personal growth
- You’re ready to step away from distraction and return to yourself
If any of those landed, that’s the thing. You don’t need to explain it more than that.
If something here landed… That’s enough.
What this is not
Not a wellness retreat.
Not even close.
No chakras. No transformation theatre. No being asked to feel things you’re not ready to feel in front of strangers. No spiritual vocabulary, no breakthrough promises, no pressure.
Down to Earth is for people who are functioning, who are tired of managing it and who want a weekend quiet enough for the real stuff to surface. The breath, the cold, the movement, the nature: they’re not the product. They’re the doorway.
- If you're reading this and thinking this doesn't sound like any retreat I've done before that's the point.
If it still sounds like every other retreat after you read the page, don’t book.
Why nothing has worked so far
You've been trying to fix this
the same way you fix everything else
More doing. More managing. More producing. Another book, another habit, another podcast.
It hasn’t worked, because this isn’t a performance problem. It’s an attention problem.
Your attention has been pointed outward. At work, at family, at the next thing, for so long that the inward signal has faded. Not gone. Faded.
- You don't need a new method. You need a different kind of space.
A room quiet enough, held well enough, that the inward signal can be heard again. That’s what Down to Earth is built to be.
The weekend doesn’t fix anything. It gives you your own voice back long enough to hear what actually needs to change.
What Sorrel Sanctuary is built on
Four things that make this room different
Pillar 1
Safety as a craft
Not safety as a vibe, safety as a learned skill. Aaron has spent more than a decade learning to hold space for people who carry weight. The room he creates is not just warm, it’s competent. People can be honest in it because they can feel that in how it’s held.
Pillar 2
Real over Spiritual
No chakras, no energy work, no vocabulary that requires you to believe something to participate. The work is grounded: the body, relationships, what you actually need, what’s actually going on. People who are tired of spiritual performance recognise this immediately.
Pillar 3
Present over Past
Aaron’s work is present-tense. Not processing what was coming back into contact with what is. What do you need right now. What’s your relationship with yourself right now. This keeps the work real, practical, and safe in a weekend format.
Pillar 4
Direction over Destination
We don’t promise you’ll arrive anywhere by Sunday. We promise you’ll leave with a clearer sense of which way to walk. The weekend is the moment you hear the next true step — not the moment you take all of them.
What the weekend looks like
A weekend to hear yourself again honestly, without the noise.
Down to Earth isn’t a program with sessions to tick off. It’s a weekend that moves through three phases slowly, honestly, with room to breathe. You will be guided through a carefully held journey that supports you physically, mentally and emotionally.
- Friday
Arrival
You slow down. You settle in. You make first contact with the space and the people in the room. The work of Friday is just arriving. Really arriving, not managing arriving.
- Saturday
The Journey
Facilitated sessions through breath, cold, movement, nature, and conversation. Each is chosen as a doorway, not a product. The work is what happens inside those doorways: honesty, contact, the inward signal coming back online.
Saturday includes a group hike up Croagh Patrick. As you step away from the normal environment and climb together, something shifts. The mountain is not the metaphor.
- Sunday
Direction
Integration. Clarity. Practical tools you take home. Breath, movement, small daily practices that keep the signal audible. You leave with a clearer sense of what matters and a specific sense of what comes next. Not a plan. The next true step.
Small group. Residential. Aaron facilitated from start to finish.
What you leave with
Not transformation. Something more useful.
We don’t promise you’ll arrive on Sunday having figured everything out.
We can tell you what most people leave with honestly, without overselling it.
The inward signal is back online
Not permanently fixed. Just audible again. You’ve heard yourself, maybe for the first time in years.
Clarity on what matters right now
Not the five-year plan. The next true thing. The thing you came here knowing but couldn’t quite name.
Practical tools for years to use
Breath, cold, movement, small daily practices. The weekend ends; the conditions for honest self-contact don’t have to.
A quieter nervous system
Real and measurable in your body, not metaphorical. You’ll notice it on the drive home.
Returning sense of meaning
Real and measurable in your body, not metaphorical. You’ll notice it on the drive home.
Hi, my name is Aaron
I've spent a long time learning to hold this kind of room
I started Sorrel Sanctuary out of my own decades of work, first as a public speark, then Wim Hof Method instructor who realised the breathwork and the cold weren’t the point. The point was the room. The kind of room where someone could finally stop performing and be honest with themselves.
I’m not a therapist, and I’m not trying to be. I’m currently in psychology training, deepening a decade of facilitation work. But what I do isn’t clinical it’s present-tense, practical, and honest about what a weekend can and can’t do.
The modalities aren’t the work. The relationship is the work. And the relationship begins with making the room safe enough for you to drop the performance and hear what’s actually going on.
- Credentials
- Wim Hof Method certified instructor
- Currently in psychology training
- 20+ years in personal development
- Co-Founder, Sorrel Sanctuary
You don’t have to be broken to want this. You just have to be ready to stop performing for two days.
What people say about Aaron
In their own words
“Aaron really knows how to hold space and is an outstanding breathwork facilitator. The breathwork method and the technique leads to total feelings of bliss and relaxation. extra factor and guidance that Aaron knows exactly how to lead the group and foster a sense of community. He gave us all the courage to try the ice baths and we all left feeling fantastic for facing our fears and doing it anyhow. His ability to encourage a growth mindset is second to none.
— Laura Ready
“Absolutely beautiful experience as always. I started group breathwork with Aaron over a year ago and with his facilitation and guidance I feel the grounding and calming affect has carried beyond the sessions. I cannot recommend Aaron and his breathwork classes enough.”
— Teresa Kane
“Aaron’s breathwork sessions are a safe place. He puts real effort into the atmosphere and into caring for everyone in the circle. It’s been the most powerful tool for me over the last few years, consistently reducing my stress and anxiety and bringing real balance to my life. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to change their life for good.”
— Daiga Krivenoka
60+ revieuws – years of experience hosting events
The weekend
Down to Earth What's Included
Weekend retreat in Westpoort. Small group. Aaron facilitated from start to finish.
- Guided breathwork journeys
- Cacao sharing & connection circles
- Cold immersion & sauna experiences
- Guided hike up Croagh Patrick
- Yoga & sound bath sessions
- Time in nature to rest and reflect
- Nourishing meals & Stunning Location
Dates
14–16 August 2025
Location
Westport, Co. Mayo
Shared Double
€500
Per person, shared room
Single Room
€550
Private single room
Ensuite
€600
Private ensuite room
FAQ
The questions worth answering honestly
Is this a wellness retreat?
Not in the usual sense. No crystals, no transformation promises, no spiritual vocabulary. Down to Earth is facilitated work through breath, cold, movement, nature, and conversation for people who want to hear themselves again, not for people who want to feel better for a weekend. If you’re reading the page and it sounds like something you’ve tried before, it probably isn’t this.
I'm not sure I'm ready to be open in front of strangers.
The small group size matters here. This isn’t a circle of twenty. Everyone in the room is carrying their own version of the same thing and that creates a specific kind of safety that’s harder to explain than to experience. Nobody is there to perform wellness. The call helps Aaron confirm the group is the right fit before anyone arrives.
I should be able to get through this on my own.
You probably can. You’ve been doing it for a while. The question isn’t whether you can manage it’s whether managing it is all you want. This isn’t for people who need help. It’s for people who are ready to stop doing it alone
Practical info
What to know before you book
When does it happen?
The next retreat runs 14–16 August, Westport. Friday evening 18:00 arrival, Sunday 16:00 close. Future dates to be announced.
What rooms are available?
There’s a range, shared double, single, and ensuite. All rooms have comfortable beds and natural daylight. Pricing in the offer section above.
What's the booking process?
Book your spot and you’ll receive a confirmation email with everything you need to know. Aaron will be in touch for a short conversation before the weekend. Once payment is complete, your place is confirmed.
Where is it?
Westport Heart Sanctuary, Westport, Co. Mayo. The venue sits in natural surroundings on the west coast. Open land, mountain access, and the kind of quiet that’s hard to find week to week.
What do I need to bring?
A full guide is sent after you sign up.
Are their payment plans Available?
Yes it’s possible to spread your payment. For more information book the retreat and Aaron will be in contact with you about the payment options.
What you leave with
You've been managing this for a long time.
You can keep managing it. You’re good at it. Or you can spend two nights somewhere quiet enough for the real stuff to surface. To hear yourself again. To leave with a clearer sense of what actually matters and what comes next.
That’s what Down to Earth is for.