Journey with Donna and Coffee with Nicoa have come together to curate a luxurious powerful weekend gathering. Donna is a certified yoga/mindfulness instructor and Nicoa is a certified professional coach. With their seasoned knowledge they have combined a relaxing island space, intentional elements of rest, guided movement and collective reflection alongside real restorative practices to help you unplug from the doing of your everyday life and tap into the being of your spirit. They have created an experience that is just for YOU!

Your setting is a luxurious home with unobstructed views overlooking the Atlantic ocean on the southernmost tip of North Carolina's cape islands, Bald Head Island. Amid the island's 12,000 acres, you'll find 10,000 untouched acres of beach, marsh, and maritime forest preserves. What you won't find are passenger vehicles as the only way to reach this subtropical island is by passenger ferry or private vessel.

Your gathering retreat offers a variety of experiences that will help you relax and rejuvenate and come back to remembering your wholeness in your life. You can start your day with morning yoga and end it with a mindful sunset beach walk. All meals will be included so that you don’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning up. You have the opportunity to participate in journaling, group coaching discussions, and mindfulness meditation sessions to help you reflect on your life and find your inner peace. And inevitably you will connect in community with other amazing women ready to be seen, heard and taken care of during this enlightening weekend dedicated to each of you.

We understand that sometimes you just need some time to yourself, so we have included plenty of rest and relaxation time in your schedule. You can take this opportunity to explore the island by golf cart, or take a bike ride or walk on your own or even take a nap! You will also have access to the Bald Head Island Club which offers a world-class golf course, tennis courts, fitness center and heated pool as well as a coffee shop, bar and restaurants.

This gathering retreat is designed to cater to all your needs so that you can focus on yourself and your renewed well-being. Donna and Nicoa look forward to offering a sacred space for you to unwind and rejuvenate while going deep into your own spirit and knowing. You deserve to dedicate time just to you and they’re here to support you with compassion, generosity and seasoned guidance each moment of your stay. They feel truly honored to offer this gathering and it is their hope that this experience will be a transformative reminder that you deserve all of your deepest heart’s desires.

Nicoa Dunne Cornelius is a seasoned guide with 25+ years as a Human Resources Executive with General Electric, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Allscripts. She has excelled as a certified coach through the Newfield Network and the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching all while proudly co-parenting three, and now six kids! 

Her expertise includes certification as a Happiness trainer applying the concepts of Positive Psychology to her coaching and as a Rapid Transformational Therapist using hypnosis techniques to help individuals overcome some of their deepest emotional blocks. 

Over the years, she has consulted 100s of business leaders and top executives from Fortune 100 companies across the globe, shaping more effective, satisfied leaders through the seven levels of energy, somatic body awareness and learning how to restore a more grounded way of Being by revealing a new awareness of self with her clients. 

She also is a powerful podcast host on her podcast Coffee With Nicoa where she interviews individuals who also have Lives By Design, the kind you don’t need a vacation from! She is passionate about helping individuals live the lives they desire. 

Her mantra? 

"Life By Design. I Love Mine." 

And she knows you can love yours, too. 

Donna Dowson is a vibrant and passionate individual who has dedicated her life to promoting wellness through movement, meditation, and adventure.  

Growing up as a dancer, she fell in love with the flow and grace of Vinyasa and Ashtanga when she first discovered yoga.  The constant challenge of physical, mental and spiritual balance has kept her coming back ever since. Her deep-rooted love for movement guided her to become a certified 200-RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher). She loves that there is a yoga practice out there for anyone who is willing to try. 

Donna started teaching yoga so she could help students discover the beauty of the breath, the ease of movement and the acceptance of self and others that yoga offers.  She brings a sense of empowerment and fun, both in the physical body and energetic spirit, to every class.  Always emphasizing the practice of honoring the body’s current state of being through ahimsa (non-violence), students are guided to explore all the possibilities yoga has to improve the health and well-being of mind, body and spirit. Her classes are fun, energetic and aimed at helping you find balance in your practice on and off the mat.

When you come to a class with Donna, you will be met right where you are, and move through a mindfully-flowing yoga sequence that is creative, fun, and challenging without being overwhelming. You'll learn anatomy and alignment cues to make all your yoga poses more effective and amazing, no matter what style you usually practice. Her classes often involve energetic sequences but also incorporate stillness in order to quiet the mind. Her welcoming teaching style, energy, love, & passion for yoga will keep you coming back for more! 

Get ready to feel empowered, fit, and energized to move your lessons off the mat and transform your body, mind and life from the inside out! 

The southernmost of North Carolina's cape islands, Bald Head Island is located at the confluence of the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean. A pleasant 20-minute passenger ferry ride transports you from the ferry terminal at Deep Point Marina in historic Southport, N.C. to the harbor at Bald Head Island, a distance of two nautical miles. 

By Land

Via Highway 17, Southport is 30 miles south of Wilmington, N.C. and 60 miles north of Myrtle Beach, S.C. From points west, Interstate 40 and Highway 74/76 link the region directly with I-95.

Bald Head Island's main land ferry terminal at Deep Point Marina is located at 1301 Ferry Road in Southport, NC, just before the state-operated Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry Landing. Entering Southport on Route 211 South (Howe Street), take a left on East Moore Street and then a right onto Ferry Road at the roundabout. Proceed about a half mile and then turn right into the entrance to Deep Point Marina, following the signs to the ferry terminal.

By Air

New Hanover International Airport in Wilmington, N.C., is just 35 miles north of Southport, and the Myrtle Beach Jetport is 60 miles south. Please consult your carrier or travel agent for daily flight schedules.

Additionally, Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field Airport is a public, non-commercial airport located nearby on Oak Island. Please call (910) 457-6483 for more information or visit this website.

By Sea

The Bald Head Island Marina, located near buoy #13A at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, is accessible by boat from the Intracoastal Waterway, Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean. The full-service marina can accommodate vessels up to 100 feet in length, with 7' draft at MLW. Monthly and daily slip rates are available.

Contact the dockmaster on VHF channel 16, by phone at (910) 457-7380 or email.

Plan your travels to arrive to the harbor at Bald Head Island by Thursday April 11 between 2:30pm-4:30pm.  You will be greeted by Donna or Nicoa at the harbor and they will escort you by golf cart to your home for the weekend.

Bald Head Island Ferry Schedule