Meet Ailsa Keppie, Founder of Our Celtic Hearth

Hi I'm

and this isn’t just an About Page. It’s an invitation.

An invitation to come back to your body. To feel good again. To move with more ease. To reconnect with nature, with community, and with the quiet parts of yourself you may have forgotten.

At Our Celtic Hearth, we believe healing doesn’t need to be loud or flashy. It just needs to be real, gentle, and rooted in love.

This is my story, but more importantly, it’s a reflection of what’s possible for you.

An invitation to come back to your body.

Located in the heart of Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, Our Celtic Hearth is a family-owned wellness retreat and healing centre founded by Ailsa Keppie and Declan King.

To feel good again. To move with more ease. To reconnect with nature, with community, and with the quiet parts of yourself you may have forgotten.

At Our Celtic Hearth, we believe healing doesn’t need to be loud or flashy. It just needs to be real, gentle, and rooted in love.

This is my story, but more importantly, it’s a reflection of what’s possible for you.

An invitation to come back to your body. To feel good again. To move with more ease. To reconnect with nature, with community, and with the quiet parts of yourself you may have forgotten.

At Our Celtic Hearth, we believe healing doesn’t need to be loud or flashy. It just needs to be real, gentle, and rooted in love.

This is my story, but more importantly, it’s a reflection of what’s possible for you.

A Gentle Beginning

We help active adults and seniors stay vibrant, mobile, and deeply connected, to themselves, their bodies, and their community through wellness retreats, somatic therapy, and Celtic-inspired healing practices.

Why This Is Really About You

Over the last 30 years, we have helped people reconnect with their bodies, reawaken their energy, and feel truly at home in themselves.

Yes, this page shares part of our story, but more importantly, it’s about you.

It’s about the version of you that longs for vibrant health, meaningful connection, and a deeper sense of belonging.

It’s about rediscovering peace in your body, curiosity in your mind, and joy in your everyday life.

At Our Celtic Hearth, healing isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about remembering what’s already whole, and building from there.

We are the stories we tell

and the ones we choose to remember.

Where the Hearth Was Lit

This land has always carried a story.

My parents, Maggie and Duncan, bought this farm in 1974 after returning from Zambia. They dreamed of a simple life close to nature, where their children could grow up surrounded by fresh air, good food, and soul-deep peace.

I was one of those children. I left home early to chase dreams across music, circus, science, and spirituality. And eventually, I came back, older, wiser, and ready to co-create something sacred.

My partner Declan and I met during somatic training and quickly realized we shared a vision for healing, nature, and community. With the land as our teacher and our elders as our guides, we brought Our Celtic Hearth to life, part wellness centre, part sanctuary, all heart.

The Winding Path Back Home

My journey hasn’t followed a straight line.

I’ve lived many lives: musician, trapeze artist, physiology student, mother, Moroccan expat, spiritual seeker.

I’ve left marriages, rebuilt futures, raised four children on my own, and returned to my roots not in defeat, but in deep reclamation.

Coming back to this land was more than a move. It was a homecoming to my truth.

And in Declan, I found a partner whose own path, from tradesman to tai chi teacher, from city life to permaculture living, reflected the same hunger for meaning, simplicity, and depth.

Together, we’ve faced the messiness of starting over, blending families, and co-creating a space that honors healing in all its forms.

What we’ve learned is simple: real wellness takes courage, community, and care. And it’s worth every step.

Years of Practice, Layers of Wisdom

Our work is rooted in lived experience and layered training.

I’ve spent decades studying the body, spirit, and psyche, from myofascial release to bioenergetic analysis, from yoga and craniosacral therapy to archetypal psychology, intimacy education, and sacred women’s circles.

I hold a BSc in Physiology, 2200-hour massage certification, and countless hours of continued education in trauma healing, somatic therapy, and spiritual practice.

Declan brings two decades of internal martial arts, hands-on healing, and a deep knowledge of permaculture gardening.

What makes our work unique isn’t just the tools, it’s the way we blend movement, touch, story, and nature into a fully embodied experience.

We don’t just teach wellness. We live it, with our hands in the earth and our hearts in the work.

How We Support Your Wholeness

At Our Celtic Hearth, we help you slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with what matters.

Whether you’re here for a one-on-one session, a weekend retreat, or simply tea in the garden, we meet you where you are.

We work with active adults and seniors who want to feel strong, balanced, and alive, not just in their bodies, but in their relationships, emotions, and everyday lives.

Through massage, somatic coaching, qigong, yoga, and Celtic rituals, we help you return to your natural rhythm.

You’ll learn to listen to your body’s cues, soften your nervous system, and experience the kind of vitality that isn’t forced, it’s remembered.

Wellness doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to feel real.

If You’re Ready, the Door Is Open

You don’t need to be younger, fitter, or more “spiritual” to start.

You just need to be willing to care for yourself in a deeper, kinder way.

At Our Celtic Hearth, you’re not just a client. You’re part of something sacred, a circle of healing, connection, and community.

Whether you’re here for your first retreat or your fiftieth session, we welcome you with open arms, warm tea, and a place by the fire.

Let’s walk this path together. Your next chapter of wellness starts here.

***THE FOYER***

***THE FOYER***

The first step starts here.

Click the button below to explore Our Celtic Hearth

CLASSES

WORKSHOPS

BODYWORK

As Featured In:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

When I go to Celtic Hearth and see Ailsa for exercise or massage I am always amazed at her knowledge and understanding..I always leave feeling positive and blessed.

Christopher
Christopher
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Remarkable gem off of the 101, exit 10 on Ridge road , yoga studio , weddings , corporate retreats , family gatherings just phenomenal! Nestled in nature, it’s a remarkable place , drop in or check out their website online

Suzanne Balcom
Suzanne Balcom
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Instructor and massage therapist, Ailsa Keppie is a excellent healer who applies humour, kindness and her extensive knowledge to righting postural body issues. I feel energized within my body like I've had a reset back to childhood. If you've got aches and pains, and I'll bet you do!, check out Our Celtic Hearth.

Deborah Nicholson
Deborah Nicholson

Meet The Team

Ailsa Keppie

CEO & Co-Founder

Ailsa has had a lifelong interest in the body and the connection of the physical with other levels of our being. She has studied many forms of dance and movement therapies as well as working for a short time as a professional trapeze artist. Her education also followed this path, with a degree in Physiology, massage therapy and yoga, and Somatic Psychology. 

Ailsa believes that as human beings, we need a way of integrating all aspects of our body, mind and spirit. Here at Our Celtic Hearth, we want to include the land we live on, the food we eat and our relationship to our body and to others. We have a need for relationship and connection that goes beyond the superficial material constructs of today’s western culture. 

Ailsa’s style of teaching and bodywork helps incorporate our body’s wisdom, re-calibrate our nervous system, and engage our soul and spirit in our healing. She is passionate about helping others to reconnect with their true self, and expand the possibilities for desire, joy and ecstasy to be more present in their every day experience. Ailsa is inspired by this quote by Gabrielle Roth


“Put your body in motion and your psyche will heal itself.”

Declan King

Co-Founder

Declan began his study of Tai Chi and Qigong in 1998. He found the Internal Arts to be a wholistic way to exercise and increase vitality. Having grown up in North Vancouver and graduating from a program in Sheet Metal Work, Declan was looking for a way to harmonize his mind and body with the environment. He began exploring with many different teachers of the internal Martial Arts, including:  Ian Sinclair, Liang, Shou-yu, and the many instructors at the SYL Wushu academy, Kelly Maclean, Derek Cheng, Sam Masich, Jan Parker, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, and all my fellow students "on the mountain"

In 2015 Declan decided to enrol in an intensive immersion program with Dr. Yang in California and spent 18 months living and learning Tai Chi principles with a small group of dedicated students. It was at this time that he also began foraging for mushrooms & experimenting with growing a few gourmet varieties.

This love of Fungi was sparked by watching the 2014 Ted Talk by Paul Stamets “6 Ways Mushrooms can save the World”.

The idea of harmonizing the inner and outer worlds inspires the vision of Our Celtic Hearth, where we are hoping to create an experience of this for others. Declan is more than excited to be bringing the two passions together at Our Celtic Hearth Centre. He attempts to live and be in the world according to this quote by Lao Tsu:


“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”  ― Lao Tzu