Yoga and Pilates for Kells, with a Friday class in Wilkinstown
Fifteen minutes down the R164, through Fordstown, there are small mat Pilates and yoga classes every day of the week. On Friday mornings Fiona also teaches yoga in Wilkinstown, about the same distance from Kells.
Where can I do Pilates near Kells?
About 15 minutes away, just outside Athboy. Grá Wellness runs small mat Pilates classes for beginners and improvers at its studio and at Athboy Community Centre. Classes are booked by the term with no contract, and you do not need any experience.
If Friday suits you better, Fiona teaches Yoga Flow at 10am in a rented room in Wilkinstown, about 15 minutes from Kells. Places there open once the class has its minimum numbers, so let Fiona know you are interested.
A town with stillness at its heart
Kells has had quiet at its centre for a long time. St Columba founded a monastery here around 550, and the Book of Kells was most likely finished here. The round tower and the high crosses still stand in the churchyard.
Every class at Grá Wellness ends the same way, with a few quiet minutes of stillness. In a town built around a monastery, that part should feel familiar.
Where Kells beginners start
All classesNo experience needed. Tell Fiona where you are starting from and she will suggest one of these.
Mat Pilates
Beginners and improvers classes run on Monday at 8.15pm and Tuesday at 9am. You book a term by message and keep the same mat each week.
Gentle Yoga
Tuesday morning with Emily. Slow, steady yoga for beginners, people coming back after a break, and anyone who wants to start easy.
Yin Yoga
Thursday at 7.30pm. A few long, supported holds in a quiet room, at the end of a long week on the M3.
Beginners' classes, and Friday in Wilkinstown
How booking worksThe classes built for beginners this term, plus Fiona's Friday class in Wilkinstown. The full timetable has the rest.
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Wednesday classes are changing this term. Message Fiona for the latest times.
Farms, the M3 and a festival for books
Kells sits at the far end of the M3, which opened in June 2010. The railway closed in 1958 and the new line will stop at Navan, so Kells will keep driving. Around the town it is farmland: Moynalty, Carnaross, Carlanstown and the Oldcastle road.
Farm backs, club backs and commuter backs end up in the same place. Healthy Back, our men-only class on Tuesday nights, is built for all three.
It is a reading town too. Hinterland fills Kells with readings and talks every June, and Fiona reads a little poetry in class. In May the Moynalty Yoga Festival filled a field ten minutes north, so Kells already knows yoga is worth a short drive.
What can come to Kells
Weekly classes stay in Athboy and Wilkinstown. These can be arranged in Kells.
Kells has two big secondary schools as well as its primaries. Kids yoga and mindfulness, or a Transition Year block, can go to either by arrangement.
About Little BuddhasA mobility session for a club panel, a night for a group of friends, or a one-to-one. We build it around you.
Private and group sessionsKillua Castle is about 20 minutes from Kells, on the Clonmellon side of Athboy. A morning or a day away, a few times a year.
About the day retreatsWilkinstown on Fridays is handy for Navan too, and Clonmellon is on the road to Killua. See every town we serve.
What beginners say
Read them all on GoogleStraight from Google. 5.0 from 32 reviews.
I have enjoyed Fiona's class over the past 2 years. She brings a mix of gentle flow, stretching and relaxation time to her clases and varies this weekly. She is mindful of making the room space welcoming and calm for her clients and each person is made comfortable and invited to participate at their own pace and level of flexibility.
From the second you walk in the door the relaxing smells, sounds, lighting and Fiona’s open welcome envelop you before class even begins. Such a safe, peaceful, personal space to have those couple of hours to relax in each week. As a newbie to Yoga. Yin and restorative yoga have been the best experience I’ve done for me. I’m only sorry I had not discovered it years ago. Thank you Fiona
I am new to Yoga, but I have had great results from it. We have been introduced to all different areas of yoga and all have been explained and shown to use wonderfully. I have also taken the back yoga which has helped me with reoccurring back issues. The surroundings are peaceful comfortable and relaxing. I would recommend Fiona's class to all.
Kells questions, answered
Where is the nearest Grá Wellness class to Kells?
Just outside Athboy, about 15 minutes down the R164 through Fordstown. On Friday mornings Fiona also teaches in Wilkinstown, which is about the same distance. We have no venue in Kells itself.
Should I choose Athboy or Wilkinstown?
Pick the day. Athboy has classes every day of the week. Wilkinstown has one class, Yoga Flow with Fiona at 10am on Fridays.
I have never done Pilates. Which class should I try?
Pilates for beginners and improvers on Monday night or Tuesday morning, or Yogalates for Beginners at 9am on Thursday. Fiona talks you through it before the class starts.
Is yoga OK if I am older or stiff?
Yes. Gentle Yoga is slow and steady, and every class can be adapted. If you have an injury or a medical condition, please tell Fiona before you book. You may need clearance from an appropriate healthcare professional first.
How do I book a term?
Send Fiona a message. She replies with the term dates, the price and how to pay, then holds a mat for you. A taster or drop-in is available on request.
What happens at the end of a class?
Stillness. Every class finishes with a few quiet minutes on the mat. Music is a big part of Fiona's classes, and there may be a little poetry too.
Fifteen minutes to a quieter evening
Tell Fiona whether Athboy or Wilkinstown suits you, and whether you want Pilates or yoga. She will find you a mat.