The Art of Living Well
Date: Next seminar on Sept 5th
Time: 10-4pm
Price: €250 per session
Location: Aventine Wellness Gardens, Tresilian, Foxrock, Co. Dublin
Facilitators

Dr. Francis Valloor
Living well is not measured by achievement, but by the quality of our presence – how we meet ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we respond to change.
At the heart of it are simple, timeless questions:
How deeply do you savour life’s moments?
How easily do you let things flow?
How fully do you allow yourself to love?
This series of six sessions offers a practical and experiential way to explore these questions – restoring inner steadiness, deepening connection, and strengthening the quiet alignment that allows life to be lived well.
Rather than adding more to do, the sessions invite you to slow down, listen more deeply, and reconnect with the natural intelligence of the body, mind, and heart.
You will learn how to:
- Create calm and clarity amidst daily pressures
- Relate to yourself with greater kindness and strength
- Deepen connection and authenticity in relationships
- Move through overwhelm with more ease and confidence
- Develop resilience without force or strain
The sessions are held in a small group of up to 12 participants, creating space for connection, reflection, and shared experiences. There is no pressure to share or speak. You are always welcome to engage in whatever way feels right for you.
1. FINDING STILLNESS IN A TURBULENT WORLD
The Art of Living Well Amidst Turmoil
We live in a culture of constant stimulation. The mind is rarely given space to rest, and over time this quiet pressure can drain clarity and energy.
Stillness is not withdrawal. It is a source of strength.
In this experiential seminar, you will learn how to:
- Recognise the impact of constant mental activity
- Create moments of deliberate pause in the midst of daily life
- Settle the nervous system and restore emotional balance
- Allow clarity to emerge without forcing solutions
Through guided reflective practices, you will experience the difference between mental noise and grounded presence.
You will leave with a simple practice you can use to create calm and steadiness — even when the world around you remains busy.
2. COMPASSION BEGINS AT HOME
Strength Through Kindness to Yourself
Compassion begins within. The way you speak to yourself in moments of difficulty shapes your resilience, your relationships, and your wellbeing.
Self-compassion is not self-indulgence. It is a steady, warm-hearted presence toward yourself — especially during setbacks, emotional upsets, or times of pressure. From this inner steadiness grows the capacity to forgive, to recover, and to care for others without exhaustion.
In this experiential seminar, you will learn how to:
- Recognise and soften the voice of the inner critic
- Respond differently to emotional upsets and relational strain
- Prevent compassion fatigue through healthy self-care
- Strengthen self-worth without becoming self-absorbed
Through guided awareness practices, you will experience how kindness toward yourself becomes a source of emotional strength rather than weakness.
You will leave with a practical and transformative way to support yourself through life’s challenges — gently, steadily, and effectively.
3. HEART-CENTRED LIVING
The Surest Way to A Transformed Life
We all search for love – to be seen, understood, and valued.
Yet that search often leaves us tired, disappointed, or alone.
Relationships strain, trust falters, and we wonder what’s missing.
When our heart begins to open, something profound shifts within us.
Connections deepen. Life begins to flow again. We ourselves and others differently.
In this experiential seminar, you will learn how to:
- Live from your heart instead of your head – with presence and authenticity
- Awaken your natural ability to love, even in difficult situations
- Experience coherence – when body, mind, and heart move as one
- Heal emotional wounds effortlessly through awareness, not effort
The heart is the surest and fastest way to mental health, happiness, and harmony – the foundation of happy homes, loving relationships, and inner balance.
4. AWARENESS IN RELATIONSHIPS
Rediscovering the Heart of Connection in Work and Life
Our lives are shaped by our relationships. At work, at home, and in friendship, the quality of our connections determines the quality of our lives.
We all long to feel respected and understood. Yet tensions arise, misunderstandings build, and closeness can quietly fade. When awareness enters a relationship, something shifts. We begin to see more clearly — ourselves and the other person. Reactions soften. Listening deepens. Connection becomes possible again.
In this experiential seminar, you will learn how to:
- Recognise the patterns you bring into relationships
- Stay grounded rather than reactive under pressure
- Listen so others feel genuinely heard
- Strengthen closeness without losing yourself
- Approach conflict with greater clarity and understanding
This day is less about techniques and more about experiencing a different way of relating — one that feels steadier, clearer, and more authentic.
5. FROM OVERWHELM TO STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE
Your Body Holds the Key
Many of us experience periods of overwhelm — racing thoughts, tension in the body, difficulty switching off. We often try to think our way out of it, yet the real signals may be coming from somewhere deeper.
Overwhelm is not simply a mental problem. It is often the nervous system responding as if something is unsafe.
In this experiential seminar, you will learn how to:
- Recognise how overwhelm shows up in your body
- Understand your own stress responses under pressure
- Restore a sense of inner safety before trying to “solve” thoughts
- Build strength and confidence from the inside out
Through guided embodied practices, you will experience how calming the body naturally steadies the mind.
You will leave with practical tools to regain balance in challenging moments — and a renewed sense of strength that comes from within.
6. RESILIENT LIVING: GAINING STRENGTH IN CHALLENGING TIMES
In the course of life, most of us encounter difficult experiences
— loss, disappointment, setbacks, or periods of intense stress. Even when we move forward outwardly, their effects can remain within us, shaping our emotions, reactions, and relationships in ways we may not fully recognise.
When these experiences are gently brought into awareness, something begins to shift. What once felt heavy or limiting can gradually become a source of strength and compassion.
In this experiential seminar, you will learn how to:
- Recognise how challenging experiences are held in the body
- Understand your own protective patterns under pressure
- Restore a sense of inner steadiness without reliving painful events
- Support healing through awareness rather than effort
This day is not about revisiting the past in detail. It is about discovering a safe and practical way to loosen its hold.
You will leave with a grounded approach to working with difficult experiences — one that strengthens resilience without reopening old wounds.
Who is this for?
- Wanting to slow down, reconnect, and find a greater sense of clarity and direction in life
- Curious about what it means to “live well,” and open to exploring it in a grounded, practical way
- Feeling there could be more to life, and open to gently exploring new possibilities
- Feeling the pressures and pace of everyday life, and looking to build resilience and find a greater sense of ease
- New to programmes like this, but drawn to self-discovery, reflection, and creating more space and peace in life
Dates:
- May 9th
- June 6th
- July 4th
- September 5th
- October 3rd
- November 7th
Time: Each session runs from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with a lunch break in between.
Note: Please bring your own food for the lunch break or pick something up on your way in from the many local shops in Foxrock. If weather allows, enjoy it outside in the gardens.
