Five‑Element Shiatsu & Qi Gong Foundation
Day Retreat Series
Accredited by the European Shiatsu School Cork
Five one‑day seasonal retreats • Accredited foundation certificate • Practical tools for life with Meridian-aware Qi Gong + Shiatsu foundation:
“Learn where the meridians are, feel how Qi flows, and work seasonally with the Five Elements.”
The Offer
A year‑long foundation course delivered as five one‑day retreats, one per season.
You’ll learn a full‑body Shiatsu acupressure routine, daily Qi Gong (Shibashi), self‑acupressure for common issues, and seasonal food‑medicine cooking.
Complete all five dates to receive the Foundation Certificate with the European Shiatsu School Cork (“ESS”) (recognised across Europe) and eligibility to enter professional Shiatsu studies.
NOTE: The course of five day retreats is open to book together only until 2026 to ensure that those training and want certification have priority.
The single Day Retreats will be open to book individually in 2026, spaces permitting.
Pricing & booking
Per‑day booking
€140 non‑members
€120 Chi Flow members
Optional sauna : €15
Full series (best value)
€650 non‑members (all five dates)
€550 Chi Flow members (all five dates)
Includes: all teachings, handouts, shared seasonal meal, and community support.
Bonus for non‑members: half‑price joining link to Chi Flow with Jo to support your daily practice across the year. Only €20 per month for daily practice to keep aligned and keep flowing.
Book now: Choose single‑day to sample a season or commit to the full series for certification and the biggest transformation.
Who This Is For
🔹 Primarily women who want practical, body‑based tools to restore energy, sleep, digestion, mood and understand their body’s symptoms.
🔹 Qi Gong & Tai Chi Practitioners who want a clear, experiential introduction to the Five‑Element system and meridian mapping to make practice more precise and effective
🔹 Suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners.
🔹 Massage/bodywork professionals who want to add an evidence‑informed acupressure routine and Qi Gong to their practice.
What You Leave With
🔹 A repeatable full‑body Shiatsu routine you can offer safely to friends, family, or integrate into a practice.
🔹 The 18‑stance Qi Gong (Shibashi) sequence for strength, balance, and vitality.
🔹 Self‑acupressure protocols for hormones, stress, sleep, digestion and mood regulation.
🔹 A working map of meridians, elements and seasons so you can self‑regulate energy through the year.
🔹 Seasonal recipes and food‑medicine principles you can use immediately at home.
🔹 A supportive community and the confidence to maintain your own daily practice.
Why This Works
It’s experiential (not theory‑heavy). You practice, feel and integrate on the day.
It’s seasonal. The body changes with the year; your plan should too.
It’s holistic but practical. Movement, touch and food; what you can actually do tomorrow.
Accreditation & outcomes
Complete all five dates to receive the Foundation Certificate (European Shiatsu School Cork), recognised across Europe and required to enter professional Shiatsu Studies. Upon completion of the five dates, you will receive a Certificate and the Foundation qualification required to enter professional Shiatsu Studies which are, in turn, recognised across Europe.
You will demonstrate your knowledge of:
Feel and assess flow (Qi sensitivity) and learn to open channels with Shiatsu & Qi Gong.
Locate and name the 12 classical meridians, learn to use them in flow techniques
Ability to deliver a coherent full‑body routine with safe body mechanics and touch
Work seasonally: match Element, Organ & Emotion changes across the year. Understanding of the Five Element cycle in daily life.
Schedule for the Day
10:30 AM Welcome Tea & Intention Circle
11:00 AM Shibashi Qi Gong
12:00 AM Shiatsu; mapping and experiencing the energetic meridian and acupoints for the season:
13:00 PM Cooking Demo: Aligned to the season and meridian
13:30 PM Delicious, seasonal, functional lunch
15:00 PM Do-In, Makka Ho and Shiatsu Acupressure Routine
16:30 PM Group Reflection
17:00 PM Close/Optional Sauna
Retreat Dates 2026 (Sundays)
Full Foundation Course
All five day retreats at a reduced rate. The Format each day:
• Qi Gong • Meridian Mapping and Shiatsu Acupressure
• Seasonal Food‑Medicine cooking class (shared lunch) • Do-In & Makka Ho Meridian Stretches • Healing sounds for the organ • Reflection & integration
Spring - Wood/Liver
- 15 March 2026
- Clarity, creativity, vision
Summer - Fire/ Heart
21st June 2026
Joy, circulation, emotional balance
Late Summer - Earth/ Spleen
16 August 2026
Nourishment, digestion, self‑care
Autumn - Metal / Lungs
18 October 2026
Letting go, breath, boundaries
Winter — Water / Kidneys
6 December 2026
Stillness, courage, deep rest
Sauna & Plunge (optional)
Heat/cold therapy for circulation, joint mobility, mood and immunity
Meet Joanne
Joanne Faulkner; Qi Gong teacher, Shiatsu practitioner, and author of Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking and Good Food: Better Sex.
Former Irish representative of the Shiatsu Society of Ireland to the European Shiatsu Federation, past Chairperson of the Shiatsu Society of Ireland, and current teacher with the European Shiatsu School, Cork.
The Venue: Cnoc na mBan
Nestled in the serene embrace of Cnoc na mBan, the “Hill of Women” in Roundwood, Co. Wicklow, we welcome you to our “Warm Your Bones; Ease into Flow.” Day Retreat on 8th November 2025.
You are invited to pause, listen, and return home to your body, to reclaim your energy, your rhythm, and your joy.
Surrounded by mountains, forests, and open skies, it’s the perfect haven to gently land and expand.
“It felt like the land itself was holding us.” – previous participant
Ready to move from overwhelm and confusion to understanding energy and feeling the flow?
Choose your path: Book the full 2026 series for certification and momentum, or start with a single seasonal day.
Spots are limited to keep the group focused and personal.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t find your answer below, email us at joanne@joannefaulkner.ie and we’d be happy to help!
Do I need experience?
No. We start from the ground up and build each day.
Can I attend single days?
Yes. You’ll get strong results from any day. Certification requires all five dates.
Is food included?
Yes. Each retreat includes a seasonal cooking session and shared lunch.
Is this only for women 45+?
That’s the primary community we serve, but all respectful adults are welcome.
Venue & times?
Venue is Cnoc na mBan in Co. Wicklow. Dates set out above. Expect a full day (typ. 10:30–17:00). Sauna optional.
Will this make me a “medical Qi Gong” practitioner?
No. This is an accredited Foundation in Five-Element Shiatsu. You’ll become meridian-literate with safer, more precise self-care, not a clinician.
Refunds & transfers?
See our Refunds Policy here: https://joannefaulkner.ie/refund_returns/
Is lunch included? What kind of food will be served?
Yes! A warming, seasonal Five Elements lunch is included, designed to support kidney and nervous system health. The meal is vegetarian, nourishing, and beautifully prepared with your needs in mind.
Can someone attend with me (like my partner or carer)?
Yes, partners, carers and close companions are welcome. This retreat is especially inclusive for those supporting someone with a chronic condition or navigating their own healing journey.
How do I book, and is there a discount for Chi Flow members?
You can book online HERE. Chi Flow with Jo members receive a special discounted rate.
Five Element Food Medicine Cookbooks
Joanne's books combine Five Element Food Medicine, Qi Gong, Acupressure and Chinese Medicine healing wisdom to help people improve energy, digestion, hormones, sleep and healthy ageing naturally.
They are written for anyone wanting practical, nourishing ways to feel stronger, calmer and more vibrant in everyday life.
INTRODUCTION TO ENERGETICS OF FOOD
Increase energy and vitality.
Mid, Post and Peri Menopause.
SPECIAL OFFER: BOOK BUNDLE
Find Your Flow: Live Well with Parkinson's
Paperback & eBook (with Audio Companion)
Find Your Flow: Live Well with Parkinson's is more than just a book, it's a supportive companion for anyone living with Parkinson's or caring for a loved one. Written by Joanne Faulkner, Qi Gong teacher and Traditional Chinese Medicine expert, together with her husband David Millard, who lives with Parkinson's, this resource blends practical tools with lived experience.
You'll discover simple daily practices to ease fatigue, stiffness, and overwhelm, including:
- Qi Gong exercises for balance and energy
- Acupressure points for relief and calm
- Food medicine recipes to nourish body and mind
- Encouragement and real-life insights from Jo & Davy's journey
Available in multiple formats:
eBook & Audiobook (€12.99) - read or listen on the go
Paperback (€15.99 + P&P) - a bedside or kitchen companion
Bundle (€24.99 + P&P) - get all three formats for the best value
Special offers include gift options, signed copies, and bundle discounts for therapists and support groups.
What if your body has been speaking to you all along, through your energy, emotions, cravings, symptoms and seasons of life? Good Food: Better Sex is a nourishing food medicine guide about rebuilding a loving, respectful relationship with your body, your health and your life force, without shame.
In Chinese Medicine, sexual energy is not simply about sex, it is the deep root of vitality, creativity, confidence, ageing well and feeling fully alive. This book helps you understand what your body is asking for through different seasons, emotions and physical symptoms, so you can choose foods that warm, cool, strengthen, soothe, move and nourish you.
It is an invitation to stop fighting your body and start listening to it, to feed yourself with care, restore your energy from the inside out, and cultivate the kind of life force that helps you live long, love deeply and prosper in every part of your life.
What if cooking could become a way of listening to your body, understanding your energy, and caring for yourself through the seasons, emotions and organs?
In Chinese Medicine, food is understood through its relationship with the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element connects with different organs, emotions, seasons, flavours and physical symptoms. Wood relates to the Liver and the movement of energy, Fire to the Heart and joy, Earth to the Spleen and digestion, Metal to the Lungs and letting go, and Water to the Kidneys and deep vitality.
This little book helps you begin to understand how food can warm, cool, move, strengthen, dry, moisten or settle the body, so you can make simple choices that support digestion, mood, energy, immunity and emotional balance.
INTERMITTENT FASTING HEALTHY, EASY & FUN
REDUCE SWEET CRAVINGS AND RESTORE STEADY ENERGY NATURALLY.
