I absolutely loved this retreat! I had the pleasure of meeting Tamika when I did my first Yoga Nidra class and The Ranch in Houston and from that point on I fell in love with her classes. I hadn’t been practicing my yoga as much as I would like these past… 10 years (haha) - but the minute I saw Tamika was offering a retreat in IRELAND I signed up right away as it was a great excuse to travel and get some yoga in. Whenever I take a trip, my identity is very much “traveler” vs “vacationer” so this was the perfect trip for me. Although I had been to Ireland previously and had already seen many of the major sites we were visiting, I was very excited to see Cliffs of Moher and Giant’s Causeway again. Whereas in my normal life, I am very much of a Type A person I appreciate when I travel to a different country I am able to relax and remind myself to “go with the flow”. The ‘considerations’ and ‘what’s included’ on the WeTravel website provided me with all the information I needed to know prior to the trip. A quick Google search of where we would be staying in comparison to the different places we would be visiting made me excited for the day trips we would have, perfect for the adventurer in me. Even though some of our day trips prevented us from doing yoga every single day - those trips and experiences outweighed the day or two when we didn't get yoga twice a day. I only wish we could have spent more time at these locations. However, as an experienced solo and group traveler - I understood how I never have enough time in a group setting as I want to see everything :). I appreciated how much we were able to see in such a short period of time and I’m already making plans to return to some of my favorite places (I see you, Belfast). Even with our adventures, I enjoyed the days when we had time to ourselves. I fully took advantage of this downtime by spending time laying in the sun with the sheep, and reading in the surrounding fields. My absolute favorite day was taking a 2-hour hike from our estate in Táin Way to the city of Carlingford where we were able to enjoy the scenery, views of the coast… and of course… sheep. Our hosts were extremely gracious and worked very hard to make sure we were well fed with delicious homecooked meals and considerations made for the many allergens our group had. As a meat eater, the vegan and vegetarian cuisine was very different compared to my “normal” but I enjoyed each meal and even got some ideas of meals for when I returned home. The daily yoga was exactly what I needed for my body and soul, and it helped jumpstart me into continuing my practice once I returned to the States. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and cannot wait until my next yoga retreat with Tamika! Thank you so much for all the care and love you put into creating this experience for us <3

Such a beautiful experience! Ireland has been a dream destination for me, so I was thrilled when Tamika posted The Ultimate Ireland Retreat for Summer 2023. Having been on several of her previous retreats, I had high expectation for an experience that would be packed with memorable experiences and I was not disappointed! The week we spent at Eagles Rock Yoga retreat in the lush countryside near Carlingford was truly special. It was the perfect "home base" for the week with comfortable accommodations, fresh delicious vegetarian/vegan food, and a divine yoga shala with a breathtaking view of the green hills and the ocean in the distance. Daytrips to iconic destinations such as Dublin, Belfast, Giant's Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher, ancient Brú na Bóinne, and more were led by our charming and knowledgeable host, Stuart who provided educational and cultural interest. Adventures were balanced with delicious no-travel days in which we were able to enjoy our retreat home, ramble the breathtaking countryside, explore the nearby medieval town of Carlingford, or just curl up by the window with a cup of tea and a book or journal. And throughout, we were treated daily to Tamika's blissful yoga practices ~ restorative and spiritually renewing. It was the perfect first time Ireland experience for me and was over all too quickly, but the memories I carry will last a lifetime. I look forward to many more global experiences with my beautiful friend.

Words are not enough to properly articulate how wonderful this entire retreat was to me. Yoga is an integral part of my life and I had always wanted to visit Ireland. This retreat was the best of both worlds. There is nothing quite like visiting spectacular sites in Ireland and returning to our lodgings to process our experience through move on the mat. Tamika and our hosts worked together to ensure we got the best weather (Ireland summers are tricky) even if it meant tweaking the itinerary. Such thought and care was definitely noted and needed to ensure an amazing trip. There was also something truly magical about being in a group of like-minded individuals. I am beyond grateful for Tamika for holding space for us and coordinating this entire experience. I am just as grateful for our delightful hosts Martina and Stuart who not only provided the perfect home for this retreat but also prepared superb meals throughout. Erin go bragh!

First of all, Ireland is so beautiful and green you won't believe it's real! Our accommodations were a delight - simple and homey, a few quirky things (you're sharing a home retrofitted to house yoga retreats) but charming, nestled in a serene valley filled with wandering sheep singing their sheep songs (one was hilariously off-tune) and surrounded by gorgeous rolling hills with spectacular view of the Irish Sea. We were staying with a wonderfully accommodating and kind yoga family whose sweet and shy child would play parachutes from the windows or rockets in the garden (if he warmed to you, he'd show you some of his drawings and tell you of his little boy adventures). Elaborate Vegan meals were cooked in their kitchen and shared around two tables, one in the kitchen and at the top of the stair. Tamika curated a full exploration of Ireland from Belfast to learn about their years of serious "troubles" and religious persecution to ancient ruins to the most breathtaking geological landscapes you could imagine. There was something for everyone! I love that she and her wife Lenie take great pains to research options for the trip and are sharing the best of what they have discovered in their previous travels. In between excursions by private bus, we would bask in the landscapes around our homestay (my favorite day was being led by the father and child on a lush hike across the mountain to the closest town, medieval Carlingford on the sea to eat the freshest oysters and savour Guiness in a local pub) or enjoy yoga experiences led by Tamika ranging from Yoga Nidra, somatic movement and Yin Yoga. She's a gifted teacher and each class leaves you "yoga stoned" in a near bliss state. Because we had many excursions all across the country, there were less opportunities for yoga asana but we experienced other forms of yoga like the joys/patience of traveling and meeting new folks, singing karaoke on the bus together and telling stories over chocolates and tea. You get community, deep conversations, a chance to practice yoga on and off the mat and an authentic and nourishing experience of another country. All in all a grand trip and I've already booked my next retreat with Tamika Caston-Miller. See y'all in Guatemala!

My love and admiration for you and your extraordinary skill teaching Yin and Restorative yoga made signing up for your Ireland retreat a no-brainer. In your classes, I have felt truly held, and have left feeling restored. I’ve been practicing for over 20 years and rate you among the top caliber of yoga teachers I’ve experienced, so I was very excited to have a week of classes with you in-person. I signed up for the retreat anticipating the peaceful, restorative environment you so beautifully offer in class. Unfortunately the retreat was very different. I expected a restful retreat with a focus on yoga. Instead I experienced an agenda-packed tour which did not allow enough time for quiet reflection, rest, or even to practice yoga daily. I also expected to know all the details of the tour, including a packing list and the retreat location to inform loved ones, before our departure. Though these things were promised, they were not delivered. Once the retreat began, and it became clear that we would be covering a lot of ground around Ireland – rather than local/nearby day-trips – I couldn’t help but wonder why we were staying at such a remote location. The site as well as the hosts, Martina and Stewart, were less than ideal to handle a group our size. The food was also problematic. It is unclear whether all the dietary restrictions and allergies – common among yoginis – were not communicated to the hosts or if the hosts ignored them, but at least two people were fed allergens. The hosts did not run the retreat professionally, giving attitude if I did not eat the food. Being pressured to eat food that was not appealing and which was covered by our registration fee was bizarre. Being coerced to stay for the final meal was particularly offensive to me. I was not an invited guest. I paid for the meal, I should not have been obligated to eat it, after a week of having to eat that food served with a hostile, begrudging attitude. If I order and pay for a meal at a restaurant, the restauranteur doesn’t give me any guff if I don’t eat all the food. Frankly it felt as if everyone responsible for running the retreat and coordinating the logistics for our group were over-taxed, leading to long waits, miscommunication about how long we had at each stop, too little time to see what we drove long ways to see, etc. Running into gas stations for urgently needed food was stressful and unpleasant. The lack of proper planning led to skipping yoga and rushing through tour stops. The result were long, stressful, and exhausting days. It would have been far more edifying and enjoyable to do less, but more slowly and deliberately, allowing time for reflection, and most of all – yoga. And finally, our parting communication regarding the additional fee for staying in the cottage ended the experience on a particularly sour note. I had asked you the day before if it would be ok for me to stay at the cottage on the final night, because I had made arrangements (at my own expense) to return to the airport with Kathy and Libby. You told me in no uncertain terms that it was fine. I told you I was asking because I didn’t know what the rules might be. You responded, “you paid for the retreat, so you should do what you need to enjoy it.” I could not have been more shocked to receive your message moments before I was leaving for the airport that I would owe an additional $35. I reminded you that I had asked for and received your permission to stay at the Cottage and I had made my own departure plans, but that did not move you to take responsibility for your actions. You approved my move to the Cottage, so you were responsible for the additional cost. I offer this feedback in love and want your retreats to be amazing for you, your financial health, and for all the participants. I hope you will take time to understand why many of the participants did not have the retreat they anticipated.