We have pioneered the introduction of Organic and authentic Japanese tea since 1993 and in order to move a step closer to 100% sustainable packaging, we are delighted to announce the relaunch of our organic Japanese tea bag range. Every part of our tea, from the bag itself to the outer packaging, is now compostable or recyclable.
Carton: Paperboard Recyclable Place in recycling bin
“When
you focus on the good, the good gets better.”
- Abraham Hicks
It seems most of what we see is 99.9999% space according to the scientists, the ones into the atom vibes. So right now, if you look around, you’re seeing mostly nothing, and you yourself are mostly empty space. You’re making it all up.
Hmmmm, FOCUS is what springs to mind. What do you prefer to focus on amidst this vast space...? You choose, your choice... love, peace, warmth, joy and ease sound good.
FOCUS. This issue we focused on new beginnings, and our guests include Gabor Maté, Julia Cannon, mushrooms and a look at a summer festival that you need to go to, Earthsong. FOCUS on those this issue and then focus on the next thing that you like; let the feel-good vibes rise from within, then with your precise focus, put them out there.
Next stop, summer. Until then, FOCUS.
paul congdon, Publisher
Contentment
4 Spring Vibes Holistic news to kickstart your season
6 Positively Newsworthy Stories to spark joy
10 Spirituality in the City Our readers talk about new beginnings
12 Positive Parenting Reset your worries with the power of play
14 Judith McAdam Shine with confidence
16 Amanda Collins Let go and welcome the new
18 Sandy Newbigging Live your life fully
21 Take in the Sun Discover chlorella’s surprising benefits
22 Earthsong Camps with a community-driven philosophy
24 Positive Tantra The science and the benefits of Neo-Tantra
26 Julia Cannon Dolores Cannon’s daughter on her life’s work
28 Dr. Gabor Maté The medical pioneer on healing, plants and shamanism
32 Mushroom Power The hidden benefits of the humble fungi
34 Davie Philip Be the change you want to see in 2020
36 CNM Camille Knowles reveals the secret to glowing skin
38 Hans Wieland On the importance of food education
40 The Happy Pear Tuck into a scrumptious spring veg casserole
43 Short & Sweet The holistic pioneers making waves this season
56 Gabriela Gomez On the sonic activation of our spirits
59 New Beginnings Learnings of a new mum
60 Positive Therapy We chat all things acupuncture with Shane McMunn
62 Astrology How the planets offer us a new beginning
Publisher PC Media paul@positivelife.ie
Co-Editorial Alison McEvoy and Aisling Cronin editor@positivelife.ie
Design Conor O’Brien info@conorobrien.ie
Ad Design Caroline Hanan caroline.hanan@gmail.com
Advertising Paul Congdon paul@positivelife.ie 0861579518
Social media Aisling Cronin editor@positivelife.ie
Thanks to our advertisers, we can give Positive Life magazine to you for FREE. If you’re talking to them, let them know we sent you their way.
Please use the information provided in this publication as a recommendation only to better mental and physical health. We strongly advise you to consult your doctor regarding health concerns that you may have. The views expressed by contributors and advisors do not necessarily represent the views of the publication’s staff.
Printed, published, packaged and distributed in Ireland. positivelife.ie
springvibes
“THE DEEP ROOTS NEVER DOUBT SPRING WILL COME.“
REBEKAH LOWIN
nourish and grow
King of Herbs
One of the most fascinating of fungi, the Reishi mushroom has been famed for thousands of years. Energy and immuneboosting, detoxifying and neuroprotective, this highly praised herb is well worth investing in as we emerge into spring. We recommend Higher Self Herbs’ Reishi powder – a tonic for body and spirit. higherselfherbs.com
Marvellous Minerals
Dr Wallach’s plant-derived, mineral supplement is a liquid concentrate which contains up to seventy-seven minerals. Founder of Youngevity, Dr Wallach aims to get our daily nutrients into us as these are the key to living long and staying young!
youngevity-supplements.co.uk
Breakfast Buddy
Hempful health bars could be your new breakfast buddy as the warmer months roll in. A fab combination of hemp-based protein, filling fibre and tasty flavours, these handy bars could be your new breakfast-on-the-run best friend.
hempful.eu
Honouring Herbalism
Warrior Botanicals pledges to protect the earth and provide the purest of herbs, flowers, oils, extracts and essences in the creation of its simple, natural and smallbatch skincare range. Based in West Cork, this is a grass-roots enterprise which honours age-old herbalism.
warriorbotanicals.com
Colour, Naturally
Each little bottle of Naturgin hair dye is full of bold and bright colours – think platinum blonde, dark coffee brown and dark golden copper – with none of the baddies , only goodies like natural oils. Oh, and they’re cruelty-free and vegan too! simplynatural.ie
fairyelle.ie
Fairy Support
Therese Wright magicked Fairyelle into being to help children learn to communicate their feelings. Fairyelle
is a ground-breaking wellness toy which encourages children to express their anxieties and parents to offer a supportive, listening ear. fairyelle.ie
Explosions of Love
Set your timer...Patrick Zeigler, international teacher and founder of Sekhem, will be coming to Dublin this April 3rd and 4th. Expect an inner explosion of love as Patrick helps to open the portal of love inside each one of us. Get ready!
all-love.com
Dazzled by Dzogchen
This year sees the return of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche for a weekend full of teaching at Dzogchen Beara. You’ll be dazzled by the rugged beauty of the peninsula and receive spiritual succour from its spiritual guide.
dzogchenbeara.org
Saved by the Fungi
See our Positive Nights for more info on a screening of Fantastic Fungi - a movie with a mission to put fungi on the map; above ground that is! We’ll be showing a screening soon in the Lighthouse Cinema, so don’t miss out.
positivelife.ie/positivenights
Mind Body Experience
The Mind Body Experience weekend this May 2020 offers a kaleidoscope of talks, workshops and classes. Expect yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, herbalism, inner child healing, past life regression, kirtan and much, much more.
dublinmindbodyexperience.ie
Nights of Luminosity
The masterful, mystical and luminous Jack Harrison returns to Positive Nights this spring. The Celtic School of Yoga has transformed the yoga scene in Ireland and Jack returns to offer us more on yoga, breath, music, mythology and poetry.
positivelife.ie/positivenights
therapeutic tid bits
Transformative yoga
Macha yoga in Bray is a haven of gentlypaced yoga. Enjoy classes like Slow Flow Hatha and Mantra Meditation. Check out their Full Circle Woman health series based on the menstrual seasons/cycles and learn to apply yoga and meditation as medicine.
machayoga.com
Float Your Boat?
If floating into a stress-free zone in a “super saturated Epsom salt solution” sounds like your kind of thing, then the Float House in Naas is the place to be. On offer is the ‘ultimate floatation experience’ in relaxation and recovery. floathouse.ie
Radical Shift
2020 is a year of infinite, positive possibilities for each and every one of us. Pellowah energy healing technique aims to awaken our consciousness, allowing us to lead a live of greater positivity, increased intuition, and expanded perception.
pellowahenergyhealing.com
Touch Your Toes
Learn to touch your toes and more at the Cork based alchemy school of yoga. Jeanie runs Akhanda, restorative, pregnancy and mum & baby yoga classes, along with an eclectic range of yoga events. Have you ever tried the ‘Yoga of Food’ - now you can! alchemyschoolofyoga.ie
Fantastic Fungi
Dzogchen Beara
Macha Yoga
positively newsworthy
GOOD NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. POSITIVELIFE.IE
1 Life Begins in Every Breath
A MOMENT THAT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY.
by Lisa Burke
Some moments that are gifted to us in life can change everything, just as our breath is a reminder to start fresh and begin again. Last year I was gifted a moment: a chance encounter that impacted me and others in a powerful way.
“I felt a wave of emotion as we were embraced by the warmth and love of everyone there.”
The morning of November 30th, 2019, caught my breath. I walked through the gates of the Sunshine School in Vietnam, to an explosion of confetti, balloons, music and the warmest smiles and cheers from the children blessed to be part of this school. I felt so elated to be there. Myself and 16 other challengers had cycled over 600km from Siem Reap in Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The journey started with a chance encounter with Christina Noble, a woman who blew my heart open.
When I met Christina, I felt the depth of love and care that she carries for every child she holds in her heart. Over 30 years, CNCF has impacted the lives of over 1 million children.
I felt so inspired to help. I signed up for this life-changing
challenge to help CNCF and Christina Noble to take children off the streets, to give them back their childhood, through life, health, and education, but above everything, through love.
As a group we raised almost $45,000. We cycled various distances over 10 days, from 50km, 90km and 100km with our biggest ride at 120km. We cycled through dusty off-road tracks, exciting pathways, woods and trails, also visiting the temples of Angkor Wat. We met local children along the way who greeted us so warmly with big smiles, shouting ‘HELLO’ amid trees or houses and waving to us. They kept us motivated on the long cycle days.
On entering through the gates of the Sunshine School in Ho Chi Minh City, I felt a wave of emotion as we were embraced by the warmth and love of everyone there. Every child was so welcoming. What I realised was, “These are the lucky ones.” Take this moment to stop and take a deep breath. Realise that every breath is an opportunity to begin again. Seize the moment.
2 Rethinking Rubbish
FOOD SCRAPS BECOME FUEL.
by Alison McEvoy
Rubbish goes by the name of trash in Toronto, and soon trash in Toronto will be known by a new name – biofuel. Specifically, it’s food trash that is about to go through a major transformation in the Canadian capital.
“this reimagination of the power and potential of food scraps creates a double saving for the environment.”
By March of this year, a large chunk of the city of Toronto’s fleet of garbage trucks will be fuelled by the very food waste which they collect. An ingenious plan is underway to send all the compostable waste collected by the garbage fleet to a newly constructed waste management facility. There, anaerobic digestors will capture all the biogas produced by the waste and turn it into renewable natural gas.
Food waste itself is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, so this reimagination of the power and potential of food scraps creates a double saving for the environment. No longer will the food waste be burnt off, as is standard industry practice, releasing its emissions into the atmosphere, and no longer will the trucks that carry it be burning diesel.
3 Hope for Australia
SAVING ANIMALS, ONE LIFE AT A TIME.
by Aisling Cronin
Many of us in the Northern Hemisphere have been shocked by the Australian bushfire crisis, helpless to do anything other than donate what we can to the rescue efforts and raise awareness of what is happening, wherever possible. However, there is hope to be found in tiny glimmers of nature’s resilience that are now being seen in certain areas. Plants are slowly beginning to return to some scorched tracts of land. Human kindness and offerings of support have also brought comfort to many people who have lost their homes.
One positive story has come from an amazing wild animal rescue and rehabilitation organisation called WIRES. Over the last five years, WIRES has worked with the World Wildlife Fund, Humane Society International, The Wilderness
This is imagination, intelligence and love of planet combined. This love-for-planet-in-action is what the smart minds and hearts of every city that love this world can take heed and hope from. Protesting could be replaced then by plans of action proposed to the powers that be. Offering ways forward instead of simply shouting that things are not as they should be, could be a much more productive way of aiding change.
Society, the Nature Conservation Council, Birdlife, RSPCA, Animal Welfare League and many others, furthering their ongoing contribution to the wildlife rehabilitation sector.
WIRES’ presence has mostly been concentrated in New South Wales – where they are responding to more than 90,000 rescues each year – and they also receive around 170,000 calls to 1,300 WIRES lines annually. In the face of untold devastation,
the organisation is now playing a vital role in saving Australia’s native species, one life at a time.
Speaking of one of their recent kangaroo rescues on social media, WIRES said, “Each life saved is special, and although this joey is orphaned, she is now safely in care.”
wires.org.au
positively newsworthy the little things
1 Kindling Kindness
KEEP GOOD VALUES ALIVE.
by Alison McEvoy
My lightly sleeping eyes flung open and my ears filled with a sound that was not my baby crying for a feed in the early morning hours. A screaming alarm sounded in my ears. We tried to make out what was happening.
Baby snuggled in a snow suit, out we went to the landing. I was surprised to see no one else around, no fleeing families or people tripping their way down the stairs. It took a while to realise that the sound was coming only from our apartment. A couple of confused minutes later a man from the apartment below us appeared. With a concerned but calm look on his face he invited myself and baby down to his apartment to wait out the sound storm while he helped baby’s dad to get a grip on the alarm situation. It was over an hour before we could return home again – and only once the alarm had timed itself out. Without the respite
“I listen. I watch. I take a moment to express my gratitude for the live-giving support that trees constantly provide.”
2
A
offered by our kind neighbour I would have been stranded in the hallway with my hands clamped over baby’s ears.
It’s often hard to take the first step, to be brave enough to come forward – to offer help and get involved in the struggles of others. People who get stuck in where help is needed keep the community spirit alive and preserve values which are beautiful to see in our society. So let’s all fight to preserve not only the planet, the birds, the bees and the trees, but also the values that make this world a beautiful place to live in.
“...be brave enough to come forward – to offer help and get involved in the struggles of others.”
Moment to Breathe REVERENCE AMONG THE TREES.
by Aisling Cronin
What could be more beautiful than a forest walk? To me, the very thought of embarking on one – no matter what time of year it is – fills me with tranquillity. To me, forests are sites of mystery, rich with the promise of adventure. When I visit one, I can easily understand why the tress held such a deep significance for Ireland’s ancient Druids.
I revel in the changes that occur in trees from season to season. As winter gives way to spring, I’ve been smiling at the sight of small buds appearing on the branches of trees that shed their leaves when colder days come in. Trees reflect the changes that occur with us all. Trees are the secret keepers of our world, but in our modern times, their beauty and majesty is often overlooked.
In light of the many environmental crises that have been dominating headlines recently – with trees being burnt on a massive scale all over the planet – I’ve taken to using my walks as an opportunity to visualise the trees of our world being honoured, loved and respected once more. I stand still for a few moments, listening to the soft whisperings of leaves, the subtle stirrings of the forest floor, the calling of birds, the pitter-patter of animal feet … the entire, beautiful tapestry of woodland life unfurls all around me. I listen. I watch. I take a moment to express my gratitude for the live-giving support that trees constantly provide.
BAKE COOKIES. NOT
With IF YOU CARE
Unbleached Non-Stick Parchment Paper.
Sustainable. FSC and Compostable Certified. Non-GMO. Non-Toxic. Gluten and Allergen Free. Totally Chlorine Free. Vegan. Vegetarian. Renewable Resources. All Natural.
RECIPE
Chocolate-Cherry Oatmeal Cookies Makes 8-10 Cookies
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 room temperature egg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup dried sour cherries
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture, alternating between oats and flour mixture until fully incorporated.
4. Mix in cherries, chocolate chips, walnuts until just combined.
5. Line a baking pan with If You Care Parchment Paper. Using your hands, divide dough into 8-10 even balls and space out evenly on the parchment, flattening slightly (note: you may need to bake in multiple batches).
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool before transferring to wire rack.
spirituality & the city
‘LET’S BEGIN…’
Aidan Kavanagh
Julie Ruane
They say a good way to meet someone is through an evening course, so when I decided to join my local Angels and Meditation class in Tallaght a few years ago, little did I know what the angels had in store for me. Each Tuesday, I looked forward to my new class, to help me relax after teaching little rascals. Michael was waiting on the sidelines, attending the class, coming to the pub after class for our ‘spiritual’ chats. As our friendship developed, a dinner invite was issued. After that eventful dinner, a new relationship began. Five years later, we were married in the fairytale medieval city of Carcassonne. I am still in awe of the divine synchronicity needed for us to meet, and am very grateful to my guides and guardian angel for sending me a delightful husband. Who knows where those cherubs reside, waiting to shoot their love arrows?
irishmindfulness.ie
I have worked as a DJ for many years. I see how dancing fast tracks people to a place of playfulness and lightness of being, where your energy shifts into a level of buoyancy that rises above the everyday. When you move, you nourish the seed of your dance to blossom. My ‘Let’s Begin’ moment came to me on the dance floor. I was stuck in my head, but when I dropped into the stillness of my heart I was able to access universal support mechanism.
The lens on my vision adjusted and ‘Dansez Vous – A Heart Intention Dance’ revealed itself. I now run a monthly workshop and co-run an alcohol and drug-free monthly Pollen Club. If you engage with your heart for guidance, it will tell you if you are on a good path. This is where your enthusiasm comes from. When your heart opens, it returns you to a place of wonder.
pollenclubfordance.com
Kasia Slabon
After the birth of my second child, I went through a difficult time suffering from postnatal depression, anxiety and panic attacks. It dimmed the joy of experiencing life for me. When I realised that I could let go of trying to fix myself, I accepted and welcomed those feelings as if they were my guides and friends.
Slowly, they started to loosen their tight grip and go away. From that moment of realisation, something shifted in me and changed my whole life. I felt a tiny spark in me becoming brighter and growing bigger. I felt as though I was born again, with joy and excitement about experiencing new adventures, as everything was possible.
This feeling has helped me to rise above my fears and doubts, and go beyond my comfort zone to make those dreams of mine a reality.
mindfulnesshavengalway.ie soundmagicireland.com
Daniel Tighe
Beginning again is both daunting and freeing, overwhelming and cathartic. I discovered this when I started again. At the age of 35, I committed to leaving behind a life of addiction and misery.
Stopping, however, was only the beginning. Over two years later, it continues to evolve, some days easier, some so difficult I am brought to my knees in surrender. Certain things don’t come naturally, and I have to renew them each day. I wake up neither grateful nor patient, neither humble nor willing to surrender. These I can work towards through the day.
I am eternally grateful to have sought and found help outside of myself. A 12-step programme and my Kundalini Yoga practice have taught me the power of beginning again each morning, every day, renewing my connection to life, and that thankfully, I now understand, is enough.
danieltighe.ie
On the 21st of December 2012, at a winter solstice celebration I met a woman. On Friday 28th August 2015 at 12.13pm I got married to said woman. Nothing has been the same since! I really began life again. There was a sense of adventure after getting married – a giddiness telling me that anything was possible.
Following my wedding, that November I quit my career in engineering after 28 years, and rented out our house. We moved to India in December, then settled in Bali in January. From here I moved into life coaching and a steep learning curve about running an online business to help support my wife in her new online venture.
From working 9 to 5 living in Ireland to zipping around Ubud, in Bali, on a scooter in shorts and t-shirt, going to yoga, drinking coconuts and now working online ... it proves that anyone can change their life and begin again. What an adventure life is!
kenmahon.com
My life’s ‘spring renewal’ began in 2010. My pain and trauma reached breaking point, and I found the courage to move 3,000 kilometres away. I wanted distance from the person I was, with who I knew I could be.
The courage and foresight to make that move saw me quickly moving towards my desired life. Within three months, I was manifesting great opportunities, and with those, followed the certainty that I was the creator of my reality. It set me free! I began rewiring my subconscious to override the programs that no longer served me, and I took responsibility for every challenge and mirror that showed up around me. The law of attraction got me started, but the law of reflection saw me make the most significant jump.
Responsibility for your reality is the key to true freedom, and it’s this formula that has gained me a global following.
jessicaalstrom.com
Ken Mahon
Jessica Alstrom
begin again
PLAYTIME CAN RESET YOUR PARENTING WORRIES.
by Anna Cole
Sometimes in life, even if you’ve been doing something a good long while, you need to begin again. Most likely, once you’ve been parenting for ten years or more – heading fast towards the pre-teens and teen years – you will feel like you need a parent sabbatical. It’s not likely you will be granted one. So I’m going to share a simple, everyday thing you can try that allows you to unstick old behavioural ruts that may exist between you and your child, so you can both begin again.
Not so long ago I watched a movie called ‘Begin Again’, starring among others the fabulous Mark Ruffalo (or Mark Gruffalo as I like to call him). I won’t give any spoilers for those who haven’t seen it, but the part that stays with me is his connection with his teenage daughter. There are multiple reasons why he won’t make any ‘World’s Best Dad’ shortlists anytime soon, but towards the end of the film, the Gruffalo character creates a space for his teenage daughter to step forward and do what she most loves. It’s a great moment in the film, and a great moment in our day-to-day lives: when we can get out of our own way and connect with our older children and teens, on their own terms.
Special Time allows you do do that. The key to Special Time is to decide on a particular amount of time. Name it: i.e. “l’ve got 15 minutes before bedtime for some Special Time.” Offer one-on-one attention, delight in your child, and follow their lead – “what would you like to play, anything at all” – and end warmly. With pre-teens and teens, you can try unannounced Special Time and tailor the ‘anything you’d like to play’ to ‘anything you want to do’, if they resist your overtures.
There’s an anecdote I like from Melanie Atkins, a Hand in Hand certification candidate, about a time she was struggling to connect with her teenage
son. Here’s how it looked for her:
“Arranging Special Time with my 14-year-old son is always difficult. He never really wants to do it, but I’ve found the best time for us to connect is always in the car. I took the opportunity one evening when I picked him up from tennis lesson. I said, ‘Okay, we have 20 minutes, just you and I. What do you want to do? You decide.’ His response? ‘I just want to go home.’ My response (after I took a deep breath and tried not to react)? ‘Okay, if that is what you want.’
By now, I had started the engine and was pulling out of the car park. ‘What direction are we going? It’s your time, and you are in control.’
‘I want to go home’. Feeling ready for this, I refocused and concentrated on my breathing. ‘Right or left?’ I asked.
‘Just go home!’
We’re nearing the next roundabout, so I asked, ‘which exit?’ His response? ‘First.’ My response? ‘Okay, great, your decision.’ Connecting with a teen may take persistence. At the next roundabout, he told me ‘third exit.’ Hmm. I thought, we were getting somewhere. The third exit was back the way we just came. I saw he had a slight grin. I matched it. ‘Back the way we came?’ His response? ‘Yeah’.”
“We proceeded to go around in a circle for a few times. It felt like he was testing me and testing my patience, not sure I would continue doing as he asked. But I did (obviously making sure the whole time it was safe – luckily, the roads were very quiet). It ended in laughter and after a few minutes of this, he finally asked to go to the shop before we went home. As we wandered around the shop, I found it hard to let go of my own agenda and focus on him. In my head, I kept thinking about the milk we needed and bread we didn’t have, but I fought back the urge to gather those things and stuck by his side. As we
walked back to the car with a drink and a snack in hand, I could see he felt much more relaxed and at ease, compared to when I first picked him up.”
“He was so chatty in the car and couldn’t stop talking on the way home about his tennis lesson and then about his day at school. He normally jumps out the car without a backward glance while I get my stuff together and am left carrying everything. But tonight he was still so busy telling me about his day that we walked right into the house together. This, for me, felt like a real win.”
Special Time allows for more of these small, but immensely meaningful parenting ‘wins’. Recently, a slightly tired trip to buy new school trousers became an opportunity for me to find out more about my growing and changing son’s independence and sense of fun, in a gentle, laid-back way, amidst the florescent lights of the department store. Special Time can help in this way too: issues that were concerning me about my son somehow came to the surface, brought there by him, not me, and were given a gentle airing. It felt like one small step towards positive change. One small step for me, one giant leap for parenting-kind.
Download the free Hand in Hand Parenting Special Time Checklist here: handinhandparenting.org/2018/12/thanksfor-requesting-special-time-checklist
The popular Hand in Hand Playful Parenting workshop is coming soon to Limerick, co-led by Anna Cole and Agnes Relihan. For more information and to reserve your place, please email Anna or Agnes at annacole.uk@gmail. com or ag.relihan@gmail.com. Look forward to seeing you there!
handinhandparenting.org
“Special Time allows for more of these small, but immensely meaningful parenting ‘wins’ ”
unlock your confidence
LET YOURSELF SHINE.
by Judith McAdam
Many years ago, I had a lovely client who was a very successful model. She lived in America and travelled a lot, strutting her stuff on the most prestigious catwalks around the world. I remember my thoughts as I tucked her up with blankets on the plinth in my healing room. She was in jeans and a jumper, with no make-up on her beautiful face, and her long dark hair was in a plait. Although her outer appearance was attractive, there was something else about her, something deeper. She was allowing herself to shine and be seen in the world. I asked myself the question, “What makes her different from a lot of the other beautiful women who lie on my plinth?” There was only one answer – CONFIDENCE.
Then recently I looked at my own 17-year-old daughter. She stood tall, strong and confident before me. I remembered when I was her age, feeling very insecure, with very low self-esteem and hugely lacking in confidence. I remarked to myself, “Where did she come from?” Then I heard that soft voice within me saying, “You. She is copying you now, not when you were 17. She is copying you now, who you are now.” Right there and then, I realised the power of allowing myself to stand in the fullness of who I am. I was so appreciative that I had had the courage to walk through my fears, not just for me but for my children, and generations of my line.
Spring is a time of growth and new beginnings, so together, right now, let’s plant the seed of CONFIDENCE – not just for yourself, but for all those around you too.
Step 1
At the early stages of creating something different within yourself, it is only a
flicker of a thought. The momentum around it isn’t strong. It seems like the idea of CONFIDENCE is just there and fairly unobtainable. You have to be careful here, because at this stage you will begin to sabotage yourself. Instead of looking at your lack of confidence, look at moving forward step by step. You may not know how you are going to do this yet, but you will. You wouldn’t plant a seed in the ground and expect it to bloom straight away, would you?
Step 2
Your seed of CONFIDENCE is vulnerable and has not yet formed enough inside you that you can see it. Try not to speak about what you are doing to too many people, just in case they put you off with their fears. Observe yourself. See how and where your lack of confidence holds you back. Then just push yourself a tiny bit and step through these fears. Mantras and affirmations create momentum. One of my favourite mantras is, “I can do this.” As momentum starts to gather, I change this mantra to, “I am doing this.” Don’t just say the mantra in unawareness. Say it with conviction – ‘I can do this’ – create a feeling
“I was so appreciative that I had had the courage to walk through my fears, not just for me but for my children, and generations of my line.”
around it. YOU REALLY CAN DO IT!
Step 3
Use as many tools as you can because the pull of self-doubt, lack of confidence, lack of self-belief and fear will be great. Read self-help books, listen to podcasts, meditations and visualisations. These tools will encourage you to keep stepping. To help you, I have created seven principles in my book The Source: Connect with Your Inner Power and Create Your Own Reality. It is now available on Audio, Google Play and iTunes. There are also some powerful free visualisations on my website to support you as you consciously create CONFIDENCE in your own life.
With love, Judith judithmcadam.com
Organic
Special
Natural
letting go
BECOMING ONE WITH THE FLUX OF LIFE.
by Amanda Collins
The yin and yang of nature, the cycles of life, show up daily in our lives, for the one thing that is inevitable is change. Just because something was right for you in the past doesn’t mean it still is - whether this is a relationship, a job, a home or a way of being.
As you grow and evolve you discover more and more of what you want and do not want. If you are ready to bring new things and experiences into your life, you have to be willing to ask; what am I willing to let go of in order to make space for the new?
We truly possess the keys to our own prisons; to the rules and limits that we put on ourselves because of old stories we tell ourselves about not deserving happiness and fulfilment. Will you hold onto your old stories, or, will you learn lessons from them, let them go, and move on? By letting go of caring what others think, letting go of judgement, guilt and shame, you can
free yourself. Imagine how much more energy you would have if you were free of, not bound by, the past.
To let go of past thinking, you must stop wishing that things could be the way they once were.
You must stop projecting into the future - believing you can’t ever be happy or you will only be happy when you lose weight, have the house, the car...
Begin letting go by noticing the small ways in which you let attachment create unhappiness in your life. When you choose to let go you choose to heal both yourself and your planet.
Try these tips and techniques that will help you with letting go:
•Realise you can’t change another person, so don’t waste your time and energy trying.
•Let go of the old to make space for the new •Face what has happened, accept that you can’t change it, then move on.
•Don’t take yourself too seriously; be okay with making mistakes.
•Do what scares you. Fear holds us back. Find your voice. Feel the fear and do it anyway.
•Remember: worry about the future is like a prayer for what you do NOT want.
•Use meditation or yoga to bring you into the present moment - deep breathing aids letting go.
•Make a list of your accomplishments-even the small ones.
•Give yourself space to vent, then let go and move on.
•Laughing and having fun is a great way to let go.
In addition to these techniques, you might create some rituals such as writing everything you want to express in a letter. Even if you choose not to send it, clarifying your feelings will help you come to terms with reality as it is. Write down all you want to let go of, then burn the letter.
You could imagine your life ten years from now; visualise what will be important then and whether holding on to what you are attached to now will still serve you.
Your home is an outward expression of how you are feeling on the inside about your life and relationships. If your home is filled with items from your past you may be holding on to feelings of being stuck in the past. So, clear out the old to make space for the new. Just keep asking yourself, “Do I need it, use it, and love it?”
If the answer is no, let it go.
“Do I need it, use it, and love it? If the answer is no, let it go.”
Every second of every day offers a new beginning. Right now, the forces of creation are miraculously and magnificently coming together to give birth to a brand new moment bursting with potential and possibilities. What you do with it is ultimately your choice, which is why it is paramount to know your ultimate purpose for being born.
Ever wondered what the purpose of life is? It is a universal question that millions of people have considered at least at some point. Unfortunately, many get stuck finding an answer due to both the magnitude of the question and the fact that they mistakenly think their purpose relates to what they do.
In fact, I know people in their sixties and seventies who are still trying to figure out their purpose. Feeling less-than, lost and confused as to what they are supposed to be doing with their life. All the while, missing their life as the years tick by!
You too could spend years trying to discover it; waiting for your eureka moment – when it all becomes clear and you finally discover the purpose of your life. Or you can opt to keep the answer simple (as the truth always is) and consider the liberating possibility that the purpose of life is to live. If you apply this simple truth to your life, I promise that you will rediscover magic. How many people do you know who are living fully? By this I mean experiencing 200% of life, inwardly fully knowing and experiencing the depth and magnitude of Who They Are and externally fully embracing every moment with absolute passion, fearlessness, unconditional joy and limitless love.
Personally, for most of my life I didn’t know what it was to live fully.
Then one day I came across a quote by a spiritual teacher called MSI, which said: “Life is meant to be lived in eternal joy, infinite freedom, unconditional love and unbounded awareness. Any other life is utterly missing the point of being born a human.”
Wow! These words both scared my socks off and simultaneously made me feel as excited as a kid in a candy store. For the first time in my life I had been given a peek at the kind of human experience that was possible for me during my lifetime.
As I reread the statement a few more times it also became crystal-clear to me that I hadn’t been living fully. At best I’d been getting by - surviving, not thriving, governed by fear, asleep to my Self, focused on trying to avoid things I didn’t want and aiming to get to my deathbed with as safe and comfortable a ride as possible.
Now I’m passionate about living. Really living! Squeezing every bit of life out of each moment. By exploring what it means to live in eternal joy, unconditional
love and unbounded awareness I’ve discovered that my purpose is less about what I do and much more about experiencing who I am as I do. What I’m doing has become secondary to noticing, appreciating and enjoying the miracle of life itself. More and more I see that the purpose of life is to live by learning how to love, playing fully in the world and experiencing maximum enjoyment of every moment. Living with a deep sense of peace, love and joy is the natural by-product of being conscious and aware, as you engage each moment. Naturally, you can wake up to the timeless truth that heaven is not a place you get to, but the place that you’ve been the entire time.
Sandy is a monk, meditation teacher, creator of Calmology and a bestselling author of several books including New Beginnings. sandynewbigging.com
“...a deep sense of peace, love and joy is the natural by-product of being conscious and aware, as you engage each moment.”
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algae for angels
THE SURPRISING BENEFITS OF CHLORELLA.
by Aisling Cronin
A pond full of green algae and some of the world’s top models may appear to have nothing in common, but three Victoria’s Secret models – Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whitley and Kelly Gale (two of whom have previously modelled as Angels) – have used a green algae supplement called chlorella, which grows in fresh water. Chlorella is typically dried to make a powdered supplement. This can then be added to smoothies and shakes, or sprinkled on food. Chlorella has gained increased prominence in recent years, as its health and nutritional benefits have become more well known.
It might seem far-fetched to think that algae could help you become a supermodel, but a number of scientific studies have suggested that it could help, at least a little. It is well known that collagen plays an important role in skin aging, but another protein found in our skin may be even more important. Elastin – as its name suggests – gives our skin its elasticity and its ability to rebound when pinched or pulled. Less elastin means less elasticity, which inevitably leads to skin sagging and wrinkles. As we age, elastin is broken down more readily and replaced at a slower rate than when we’re younger,
which causes our skin to gradually age. There aren’t many known ways of preventing elastin loss as we get older, but scientists have discovered that chlorella could help. In one study that was published in the Journal of Applied Phycology, researchers tested chlorella extracts and found they had an ability to inhibit an enzyme called elastase, which is the enzyme that breaks down elastin in our bodies. By inhibiting elastase, chlorella may be one of the only natural products capable of reducing the age-related breakdown of elastin. This means chlorella could be a more powerful anti-aging remedy than many products currently on the market, which target collagen.
“Chlorella has gained increased prominence in recent years, for its health and nutritional benefits.”
A number of studies have also demonstrated how chlorella could help us to manage our waistlines. Some research indicates that it can help reduce the
increase in the size of the body’s fat cells, normally seen when consuming a diet high in fat. However, chlorella’s effects on exercise performance could be its most powerful way of helping us to maintain our figures. Studies published in European Journal of Nutrition and elsewhere have demonstrated that chlorella appears to have the ability to help the body perform more effectively when exercising, and also recover more efficiently afterwards.
No need to go pond dipping
Don’t worry, you don’t need to don a pair of waders and a fishing net to benefit from chlorella! Sun Chlorella produces a high quality, pure chlorella powder and tablets, which can be easily added to shakes and smoothies, or sprinkled on food.
campculture
EARTHSONG AS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE.
by Ruth Pinson
Earthsong Camps don’t seem extraordinary in a culture where making a business out of running workshops or events is becoming increasingly normal. But when they began fifteen years ago, it was a different matter. It took five years before the organisers broke even. Earthsong was the first big event with strictly no drugs, alcohol or electronic music and a late night noise curfew. Fast forward fifteen years and the events are thriving. How do they work? Who pulls them together and where does the money go if the organisers are still driving around in the same cars? I chat with Ben Coombs and John Bowker, two of the original organising members of the Camps.
It turns out that Earthsong Camps are a social enterprise. This means that they are a business with the primary aim of reinvestment towards social purpose, rather than profit. For most people, a social enterprise is understood to be a business that donates profit to charity. Earthsong Camps are slightly different, in that the organisers see the camps themselves as the social project. They believe that the camps offer a powerful contribution to social and personal wellbeing.
Earthsong Camps seem to have struck a perfect balance. Making the camps bigger by selling more tickets would make a greater profit, but would also compromise the social benefits for those who attend. Over the years, similar camps in the UK have experimented with numbers, and it turns out that 500 seems to be the perfect number for people to recognise each other over the course of the week. This means people can build a sense of familiarity and invest in friendships, whilst also benefiting from the amplified sense of celebration that is possible when
hundreds gather at big drum, dance and singing events. Each camp is comprised of a mix of ticket buyers and people who contribute work in return for their ticket. There are no sponsors and no vendors, so the only income is ticket sales – a rare occurrence at events of this size. Even the onsite café and (nearly all organic) shop are in-house affairs. John explains how this is a big part of what works so well at Earthsong: “It’s a great leveller, everyone who is there is a part of the camp.” Some people have jobs to do, but they’ve all chosen to be there because they want to be part of it, not because they are trying to make money. John believes that this changes the overall feel of the event and includes himself and his fellow organisers in this. “People always seem to think that we are either doing it all for nothing, or making a fortune, and the truth is, it’s neither. We make a little bit to cover time and expenses, but it’s not enough to give up the day job. In fact, it’s not even as much as a day job, considering the time we put in.” Ben reminds us that nobody was paid anything until year six. “After the first five years of not breaking even, it’s a real pleasure to be able to offer workshop leaders and area co-ordinators a little bit for their time, even if it is just a gesture,” he says. When questioned further about the real rewards of running the camps, both get a faraway look in their eyes. Ben explains that for him, it is “the perfect antidote to our culture’s ills.” John describes the camps as “a rekindling of ancient gatherings’ and talks about how we – as humans – need to get back to basics. There are no celebrities on the field, everyone is expected to stay on the field and stay the course. “Bob Dylan can
come if he wants, but he’ll have to camp on the field and chop wood for the fire like everyone else. We have some incredible facilitators and musicians on the field, as well as people who might be quite important in their jobs off the field, but our aim is to continue to level the playing field.” Realising your singing teacher is really grumpy in the morning or cooking dinner with your yoga teacher can be really encouraging. It reminds us that we have a lot more in common than we might otherwise think. The collective wisdom of the campers is revealed through the simple practices of living on the land and getting to know themselves without a phone in their hands. One observation that John makes is that these days, people can live very isolated lives. Creating a space where you camp in circles of 15 to 20 people helps to challenge some of the more difficult patterns of the nuclear household culture and can be really special for everyone involved. “There is a real network of friendships that people carry with them throughout the years from the camps. This network of connections allows people to go out and do great work in the world.”
So what, in their opinion, makes this social enterprise one worth being a part of? It’s simple: people need connection. They like to sing, dance and learn new skills. They like to make friends and notice the moon and the patterns of the weather. They like to sit by a campfire with a cup of tea, just as they have always done through all of time. By removing the technology and the busyness and other addictive social crutches, the camps simply allow that to happen.
earthsong.ie
“John describes the camps as ‘a rekindling of ancient gatherings’ and talks about how we –as humans – need to get back to basics.”
OSHO, SEX AND ECSTASY.
by Dawn Cartwright
Science &
Mysticism
It’s the beginning of a new decade, the beginning of a New Age, and the perfect time to explore NeoTantra, a beautiful path of self-discovery. Filled with practices that are both science-based and mystical, NeoTantra has its roots in the Vedic tradition.
The Vedic Origins of Tantra
Tantra first appears in written form in the oldest Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. According to Hinduism scholar, Jho Chakradhar, “The initial literature is traditionally believed to be a direct revelation of the ‘cosmic sound of truth’ heard by ancient Rishis, who then translated what was heard into something understandable by humans.” The Vedas, believed to date back to 1700 - 1100 BCE, contain vast spiritual knowledge encompassing all aspects of life.
The Four Vedic texts
• The Rigveda
• The Yajurveda
• The Samaveda
• The Atharvaveda
Connected to the earth and the elements, the Vedas are considered apaurusheyabeyond human imagination. They contain secrets for living life in perfect balance with nature. Tantra, described as a loom or weaving device, is first mentioned in the Rigveda. There are scholars who believe the entire Atharvaveda is fully Tantric in its scope.
“Tantra itself means ‘to weave, to expand, and to spread,’ and according to Tantric masters, the fabric of life can provide true and everlasting fulfilment only when all the threads are woven
according to the pattern designated by nature.”
Jho Chakradhar
Tantra reveals practical, scientific methods for weaving our lives with the life-affirming, mystical threads of nature.
The Origins of NeoTantra
In 1968 the Indian mystic, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho, launched the NeoTantra movement with a lecture series entitled From Sex to Superconsciousness. The lecture series, spanning three months, explored the three stages of sex: physical, psychological and spiritual.
“Sex has to be something immensely respected, because we are born out of it. It is our very life source. And to condemn the life source is to condemn everything. Sex has to be raised higher and higher to its ultimate peak. And that ultimate peak is Samadhi, superconsciousness.”
Osho
Osho initiated several NeoTantra teachers. One of these teachers, Margot Anand, wrote the popular book, The Art of Sexual Ecstasy, filled with practical methods for both singles and couples to create sexual ecstasy in their own lives. As my first NeoTantra teacher, Margot has a very special place in my heart.
Science & Mysticism: The Practices & Benefits
Even the most mystical Tantric practices and techniques are grounded in science. Physics, geometry, biology and biochemistry are at the core of all ancient Tantric teachings. NeoTantra is also
science-based, offering extraordinary benefits to those who dedicate themselves to the practices.
I invite you to explore a small sample of the benefits, science and mysticism of NeoTantra in these three examples. You may be surprised how easy it can be to bring NeoTantra into your own life.
The Benefits: A Greater Connection to Your
Body & Pleasure
“The first thing is to learn respect for the body, to unlearn all the nonsense that has been taught to you about the body. Otherwise you will never turn on, and you will never turn in and you will never turn beyond.”
Osho
The Practices: Breathing Practices, Sexual Awareness Techniques, Channeling Ecstatic Energy
The Science: According to Barbara Bartlik, MD, “This type of deep breathing will actually increase the flow of blood to your genitals, intensifying your state of arousal and pleasure.”
The Mysticism: Kundalini is the raw energy present at the base of the spine. This energy, once activated, flows into the body, awakening divine aspects of the practitioner.
The Benefits: Loving Sexuality & Relationships
“The purpose of meeting your Inner Lover is rooted in the understanding that the more self-accepting you are, the more orgasmic you can become.”
Margot Anand
The Practices: Loving Touch, Conscious Communication, Awakening the Inner Lover
The Science: Emese Nagy, Ph.D. conducted a scientific study on embraces. She discovered that most people embrace for five seconds or less, but it takes much longer to experience the true benefits of a hug. Oxytocin, a bonding hormone, is released at the 20 second mark.
The Mysticism: Each morning at sunrise and again each evening at dusk, the Pancha Upacharas, five moments of access, are offered in every Hindu temple. One of these five offerings is incense. Incense touches everything, enters everything, offers its fragrance without preference. The essence of Anahata, the heart chakra, is the gift of unconditional love.
The Benefits: Orgasm Mastery & Ecstatic Freedom
“At the centre of the heart, there is silence, there is space, there is ecstasy. There is freedom. Silent tranquility. This is Tantric orgasm, the orgasm that has no beginning or end.”
Dawn Cartwright
The Practices: Secrets of the Five Senses, Orgasm Mastery, Inner Stillness
The Science: When was the last time you consciously breathed in the scent of your lover, or felt – really felt – the touch of their lips on yours? Each of the senses lights up a particular part of the brain, constructing an inner reality we experience as the world around us. According to industrial designer, Jinsop Lee, the most exceptional experiences in life include all five senses –and are exceptional because they do.
The Mysticism: According to spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, “You can become aware of awareness as the background to all your sense perceptions, all your thinking. Becoming aware of awareness is
the arising of inner stillness.”
The Future of NeoTantra
There are extraordinary benefits to living in tune with nature, being true to yourself and finding love and spirit in sex. In this new decade, this new age, we are already taking great strides in both science and mysticism to create a world that is loving, positive and free. NeoTantra is infused in almost everything we do, naturally. The future of NeoTantra, and our future, is very bright.
Dawn Cartwright is a NeoTantra visionary, sacred writer, world traveler, and innovator in NeoTantra fusion. In 2020 she’s bringing her Fragrance of the Lotus Year-Long Advanced Study and Teacher Certification Course to Ireland. It’s going to be a year unlike any other. Complete your application at: dawncartwright.com
“It’s amazing when you think about it: our bodies and senses make it possible for us to experience love.”
the soul’s voice
WE SPEAK WITH JULIA CANNON (DAUGHTER OF DOLORES).
by Aisling Cronin
Dolores Cannon (1931 – 2014) was a world-renowned hypnosis pioneer and spiritual teacher, whose work has inspired thousands of people to open up to the deeper questions in life. She initially began to explore hypnosis when her husband Johnny became a hypnotist, and went on to write seminal spiritual works such as ‘Between Death and Life’ and ‘Five Lives Remembered’.
Dolores’ daughter, Julia Cannon, continues her work today. We were thrilled to enjoy an exclusive interview with Julia recently. She shared with us how her journey – and that of her parents – first began, the concept that love is our core, the role extraterrestrial guides are playing in Earth’s ascension process, and much more. The full interview is available for your viewing or listening pleasure on YouTube or Soundcloud. Just search for ‘Positive Life Magazine’ on either platform to find us. In the meantime, enjoy these wonderful extracts from our conversation.
It’s great to talk to you, Julia! I was thinking that we could begin with your own story: how things began for your mother and father, and how this then led you to your own spiritual journey.
It began with my father: he was the original hypnotist! My father was in the Navy and we were stationed in the Philippines. He heard about hypnotism there, and was intrigued by it, so he began to learn about that. When he got transferred back to the States, he found that hypnotism was a great way to help other servicemen as they were being sent to various places –especially because, during the 60s, the Vietnam War was happening and there was a lot of anxiety around that. The type of hypnosis he did was just about calming the nerves, helping people to relax … and
he was very good at it. My mother’s role was to assist him with that: she used to hold a microphone during sessions! At one point, my father had a female patient sent to him: a military wife who was very obese. Her doctor thought he would try sending her for hypnosis to see whether this could calm her eating disorder.
My parents worked with her for a number of months, she got through her anxiety problems, and after that, she started having fun with hypnosis –just wanting to see what could be done with it. She had read something about reincarnation, and she said, “I wonder if this is something we could explore?” My father sent her back further and further during a hypnosis session – asking her to recall herself at a younger and younger age, until finally he asked her to recall a time from before she was a baby … and all of a sudden, she popped up into a life in Chicago during the Roaring Twenties, when she was a flapper! So that was the start of it all. My parents were very curious people, and my mother was especially passionate about it. She carried on researching hypnotism, looking at various methods, and developing her own technique, the Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT). It was a long refining process that took almost forty years! Growing up in that environment, I was inspired to follow spiritual interests too. I trained as a nurse, but at a certain point, the Universe called me to go back and help my mother with her work.
What kind of healing effects have you noticed come about through QHHT?
The QHHT is about contacting that part of ourselves that has all of the information, all of the knowledge …it’s the part of ourselves that knows all we could ever need to know. It even has access to information
about our cosmic purpose. Our purpose here is to remember who we are –remember that love is our core, and all we need is within. The QHHT is one method that helps to facilitate that.
Tell us a bit about the marrying of our Divine and human aspects: how do you see this beginning to develop in people?
The first thing to say is, this is an enormous process that will take time. A lot of people say, “When is the shift going to happen? I can’t see anything, I don’t think anything is going on”… but it’s a very subtle process. It needs to be subtle, so that we can adapt to it. The best way you can see that the global shift has actually happened, or is happening, is if you look back five, ten or twenty years and see how much has changed. Then look again at today – look at our attitude to the Earth, and how we behave, and see if there is a difference. The fact that we’re even trying to take care of our Earth now … a while back, we weren’t even trying to do that!
I believe your mother had a variety of experiences with extraterrestrials. Can you talk a bit about that, and how extraterrestrials are helping Earth to ascend?
She had a number of different experiences, but most of them were very simple – I remember one time, we had unusual lights appear on our wall. We lived right out in the middle of the country, and there are no street lights that could have caused it! Extraterrestrials visit, they check in, they see how we are adapting to our environment … they don’t want to interfere with our daily lives. The Earth is in a huge state of transformation, and humans are often out of sync with it, which makes the process more difficult. So Earth sent out a
call for help, bringing waves of volunteers from other planets and other galaxies. My mother has described these waves of volunteers in her writings: how they often have difficulty adapting to life here on Earth, but they have come here to help raise the vibrational frequency of humans, so that the Earth will be more easily able to go through her own process.
“I trained as a nurse, but at a certain point, the Universe called me to go back and help my mother with her work.”
We heard you have written your own book, ‘SoulSpeak’– could you tell us more about that?
This book is about how the soul speaks its own language, and it speaks through the body – one example is the way that a knee problem can demonstrate that someone is stuck in a rut, or unable to move on in some way. The book is a translation manual of the body!
You can watch or listen to our full interview with Julia on YouTube or Soundcloud. Just search for ‘Positive Life Magazine’ to find us!
To learn more about Julia’s work, go to juliacannon.com.
For more on Dolores Cannon, go to dolorescannon.com.
“Our purpose here is to remember who we are – remember that love is our core, and all we need is within.”
ending pain, embracing love
A CHAT WITH DR. GABOR MATÉ.
Interviewer: Noel Sweeney
Author: Aisling Cronin
“To overcome the status quo, we need to cultivate a sense of deep, abiding love for all of humanity.”
Dr. Gabor Maté is a world-renowned speaker and author, well-known for his expertise on a range of complex issues, including addiction, stress and childhood development.
Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them.
His books include the awardwinning ‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction’ and When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress.’ His works have been published in twenty languages.
For twelve years, Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hardcore drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site.
Dr. Maté has received the Hubert Evans Prize for Literary Non-Fiction; an Honorary Degree (Law) from the University of Northern British Columbia; an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Simon Fraser University; and the 2012 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence. His groundbreaking medical work and writing has also seen him honoured with the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown of Vancouver. We were thrilled to speak with Dr. Maté recently, exploring topics as diverse as addiction, the roots of pain, plant medicine, leadership and more.
Many people will know you as a medical doctor, and the name of Gabor Maté has become wellknown within the holistic world. Can you explain a bit about how you came to the holistic approach, given that you had a conventional medical background?
If your eyes are open, as a medical practitioner, you can’t help noticing that people are not just ailments. They also have stories. They have lives. And after a while, you begin to see, very clearly, the connection between their lives – their social status, their social experiences, things that have happened to them – and their illnesses. The Western separation between mind and body, which views people as separate from their environment, has increasingly proven to be quite unscientific. There have been many studies produced from a Western perspective, demonstrating that people’s social environment, and their experiences, can have a significant impact on their health. Western medicine, as it is currently practised, hasn’t caught up with Western science. So I started noticing that in my practice, especially when I noticed several generations of the same family presenting with the same condition. It prompted me to explore the subject on a deeper level.
You’re well known for your work in addiction recovery. Can you tell us a bit about where your views on addiction stemmed from, and at what point did you notice that people’s stories were intrinsically connected to their addictions?
When asked about why they use a particular substance, addicts will always
tell you about the emotional effects they experience: it gives me a sense of connection, it distracts me, it soothes me, it numbs the pain. Addictions are always a response to emotional pain, and so to say that they’re a choice is inaccurate, in my view. Nobody chooses to be in pain. Nobody chooses to be an addict. And to say that addiction is a disease – as mainstream medicine describes it, by and large – is also wrong because it’s actually about pain. It doesn’t begin as a disease: it begins as a response to a person’s human pain. So the real question is not ‘why the addiction?’ but ‘why the pain?’ Successful addiction treatment needs to include not just the physical symptoms, but also the underlying trauma.
I believe the work you did, at a certain point in your career, led you to find out about the potential therapeutic effects of plant medicines, such as ayahuasca. Was that something you were unsure about initially, or was it something you embraced?
Until the very end of my medical career, I knew nothing about ayahuasca, or indeed, any other alternative medical substances. However, when I was given the opportunity to take part in an ayahuasca ceremony, I availed of it, and I could see that this substance – or the particular process connected with the substance – had the potential to take people very deeply into their psyches and into their selves. The possibility of wholeness beneath the pain: this is what the plant can, in the right circumstances, offer to people. I understood then why people had been asking me about it, and so I decided
“The real question is not ‘why the addiction?’ but ‘why the pain?’”
to find out more.
You mentioned the right circumstances: could you expand on that?
There is a risk involved in using ayahuasca with no ethics, or no pure intention. It is important to ask yourself, how welltrained are the people you’re working with? If you go to places like Peru or Colombia or Brazil, and you can find an indigenous plant worker who has integrity and knowledge, that’s great. Wherever you are in the world, though, check the credentials of the people who are running ayahuasca ceremonies. Have they had the right initiations, and do they know how to work with the plant truly and deeply? I’m glad that people who feel called to work with plant medicines are now able to do so in places like my own country of Canada, or Ireland, because not everybody can afford to go to Peru. Trips to South America are prohibitive for many people. In Canada, I know several people who are trained thoroughly in Native traditions –who are Native practitioners themselves – and I have no concern about the people working with them.
Do you see psychedelics ever being integrated into the mainstream health system, anywhere in the Western world?
Psychedelics is a broad category, of course, but there have been a number of very encouraging peer-reviewed studies in this area – one study that I know of indicated
Dr. Maté on how we can transform the world
You can see, throughout history, that humanity has placed huge emphasis on division, with nationalities as one major point of division. Historically, there have been very few people, in any country – whether in Canada, Germany, Russia, Britain or anywhere else – who have had the courage to say, ‘we are more than just people who belong to particular nationalities.’ They have very often been jailed or suppressed in some way. This trend has continued even today. To overcome the status quo, we need to cultivate a sense of deep, abiding love for all of humanity. This will overcome the barriers we have created around ourselves.
that psychedelics could be helpful in treating certain stress-related health conditions. There needs to be a careful gathering of evidence before certain substances can eventually be legalised for medicinal purposes. I think it will be a very slow, long-term process.
What can the Western and shamanic medical practitioners learn from each other?
I certainly wouldn’t recommend Western practitioners to start appropriating shamanic initiations or customs, but there are many things they can learn from shamanic traditions. If you’re going to be a person working with human beings –troubled, traumatised, hurt human beings, as many people with illnesses are – then you should go through a process that leads you to deal with your own pain. You need to be at peace with your own trauma and suffering before you can really have an insight into the pain of others. This is exactly what shamans have to do. This is certainly something we could learn how to incorporate into our Western model. This can be done without using any particular substances. It’s about embracing selftransformation. This is what makes you a true healer. From the shamanic perspective … I wouldn’t regard them as having much to learn from Western medicine. Of course, there are certain procedures within conventional medicine that have proven to be enormously beneficial. If I had a serious tumour, I wouldn’t go to a shaman, I would go to a surgeon!
In the future, how do you think we are going to look back on the way we treat people with addictions today?
We’ll look back on it as a time of ignorance. A time of wasted opportunity. A time when the knowledge was available, but we didn’t apply it correctly. It is an indictment on society that we have accumulated so much knowledge, and so much research has been done, but we still can’t use all of this information correctly. Western science basically starts from the neck up. You can do a lot of great things with the intellect and logic and hyper-rationality, but it is also important for us to find a sense of compassion for the human experience. This is how we can start to heal the pain that underpins addiction.
For more on his work, go to: drgabormate.com
For info on new courses visit: https://compassionateinquiry.com/onlinetraining/
Lomi Lomi Nui is a profound healing bodywork originating in ancient Polynesia. Training Retreats include physical techniques, spiritual teachings & transformational wisdom.
If you are called to this work email louise@alohahouse.ie or visit www.alohahouse.ie
Unwind - Relax - Rejuvenate
Slí Beatha Float House
A fantastic Float Centre specialising in Floatation Therapy, based in Naas Town Centre (3 Float tanks) and our second location at Dublin 24 (1 Tank).
• A wide range of vegan and vegetarian food supplements and cosmetics available
• Selection of dried herbs
• Wholefoods, speciality foods & superfoods
• Eco-household products
• Organic skin care and body care
on fungi
TREAD
SOFTLY ON THE MUSHROOM
by Alison McEvoy
Mushroom powders, truffles, coffees and supplements abound these days on the market. Mushrooms are a rediscovery, having been used for centuries in Asian diets and healing traditions. According to Paul Stamets, American Mycologist, fungi are our friend, our ally and even our ancestors.
FUNGI OUR FRIEND
Fungi are purported to have profound healing capabilities. Many, such as Paul, also see them as “shamanistically significant” in that “[they] can feed you, kill you, heal you and send you on a spiritual journey”. But should we have fungi in our daily diet? Or should we use shrooms as a supplement on a planet where the soil our food grows in is ever more nutrient poor?
When it comes to researching the benefits of mushrooms there is a lot of language of possibility out there. Mushrooms are “known for”, “used to treat” this or that, “believed by some” to do this or that. The studies are “limited” and any purported benefits are “unsupported by studies”.
Lion’s mane is significantly connected with improving cognitive function. Some small clinical trials have shown it may improve memory and protect the neurological functions from diseases such as dementia.
Chaga is proven to be full of fibre, essential nutrients and has an extremely high melanin content. As such, it has been
involved in many trials and studies for helping with things like diabetes and liver damage. What its nutrient density means for us when we ingest it, isn’t entirely clear however. Melanin, for example, is a skin protective leading some to believe that Chaga can protect against sun damage and even prevent ageing.
FUNGI OUR ALLY
The movie Fantastic Fungi shows just how
“Fungal networks run through the earth, like a ‘natural internet’”
much fungal mass exists under our feetas the soil we walk and build upon - and how this mass is sentient, conscious and intelligent. Fungal networks run through the earth, like a ‘natural internet’, which serve as vehicles of communication. In this way, fungi can detect, share information on, and respond to changes in the ecosystem. It can thereby devise solutions to ecological challenges faced by the earth. According to Paul, many of the bacterial diseases that affect humanity, also affect fungi. Fungi come up with antibodies to fight these bacteria which humans can and do use – penicillin being an obvious example.
It is believed that fungi pose a whole world of possibility when it comes to healing potential. Paul believes that much of this information has been lost - ancient
chains of knowledge broken. He is one among the tribe of people in the modern world who are fighting to rediscover the potential of fungi. Our own Bill O’Dea is part of this tribe. Bill runs mushroom hunts, forages and speaks internationally on his knowledge of fungi.
FUNGI OUR ANCESTOR
Stamets also puts forward a very convincing case that “we are descendants of fungi”. Animals evolved from fungi, including our primate ancestors and, down the line, so did we. Our bodies are “fungal bodies” at a cellular level, consisting of “fungal mass”. Indeed, when you think about it, it’s not that surprising that we might share cellular similarities with many aspects of the planet. The earth provides our food, our water, our air and all of the substances out of which our body forms itself through its inner intelligence.
“Tread softly” people. Just as Yeats spread his dreams under our feet, planet earth has woven intricate webs of fungi underfoot and this natural internet is an intelligence we need to rediscover all about.
Cork screening : The Reel Picture Cinema in Blackpool Tickets: fantasticfungi.com
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM THIS SPRING!
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It helps to heal and strengthen your body at a cellular level. Helps to overcome the symptoms of lowered immune response, symptoms of burnout syndrome and chronic fatigue, also ideal to take when undergoing intense training.
Dr. Wolz Kinderimmun is full of essential ingredients and immune boosting properties for children from 2 upwards.
It contains colostrum, inulin, Vitamins C,D, B complex, zinc, Bifido bacteria’s and more. All with a taste your kids will love. Also suitable for adults and during pregnancy.
a decade of new beginnings
BUILD COMMUNITY, CONNECT TO NATURE.
by Davie Philip
You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you
You could say that the 2020’s will be the defining decade for our species. With storms, floods and wildfires of biblical proportion, along with unprecedented protests by young people, 2019 was the year that we finally woke up to the climate and ecological emergency.
It is being called an existential threat to our civilisation and scientists are telling us that we have ten years to turn things around before we are locked into runaway climate breakdown. The root causes include deforestation, habitat destruction, soil erosion, species loss, pollution, rampant consumerism, fragmented communities, obscene inequality and an epidemic of loneliness. These issues are all interconnected and our response needs to be more holistic, and deeper than just reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We urgently need a decade of new beginnings with change that goes way beyond what we can currently imagine. It is not surprising that people feel helpless in the face of such enormous challenges. Driving an electric car, recycling, avoiding flying and eating less meat should be done, but will not be enough.
Ultimately this is a relationship crisis, and is a unique opportunity to rethink our long-standing separation from nature and transform the way we connect to ourselves and to each other. If ground-breaking change is needed – let’s break new ground. Here are some suggestions of things to
have to do it all the time.” Angela Davis
consider that might help us reconnect and cope with the uncertainties of these times.
Nurture Inner Resilience
A changing climate will have impacts on our mental health and increase emotional
“If ground-breaking change is needed – let’s break new ground.”
distress and anxiety. Slow down, be aware of your shadow and social programming, decolonise your mind, maintain a daily meditation and stretching practice, and spend more time outdoors with friends and family.
Build Community
Collectively we can achieve a lot more than we can do on our own. Reconnect to your place, relocalise and join, or initiate, cooperative initiatives like communitysupported agriculture systems, local energy projects or car clubs. These can improve the resilience and economic prospects of our local communities while strengthening relationships with the
people around us. Connect and converse with people outside your bubble - with racism, cynicism and intolerance on the rise, it’s important we listen more to people with different opinions.
Connect to Nature
Changing our relationship to the natural world and spending more time in it is essential to the quality of our mental health and is closely tied to our sense of well-being. Let children explore and interact with the natural world with little supervision. Rewild and regenerate degraded and damaged ecosystems. By feeling part of nature and loving it we are more likely to protect and not destroy it. Let’s ensure that the 2020s are remembered as the decade where we responded to the greatest challenges of our time and began working to radically transform the world. Together let’s co-create the future that we always wanted while supporting each other and the organisations working for positive change.
Davie Philip is a community catalyst and facilitator at Cultivate.ie, the sustainability cooperative based in Cloughjordan Ecovillage, and a network weaver with ECOLISE.eu the European network for communityled initiatives on climate change and sustainability.
cultivate.ie
beauty revealed
CNM
GRADUATE REVEALS THE SECRET TO GLOWING SKIN.
by Camille Knowles
I am one of the 330 million people worldwide who have eczema. It has had a huge impact on my childhood and teenage years, right into adulthood.
I was diagnosed with the chronic skin condition at just six years old. I led a life where I would be constantly covering up my skin, hiding away and avoiding social occasions. The condition became so debilitating that I was hospitalised and told that there was nothing anyone could do to cure my eczema. So, I turned to my diet and attempted to manage my skin through food and drink intake. However, this obsession surrounding food took its toll on my health, and instead of healing my skin, I developed a huge fear of food.
Fortunately, CNM ignited my passion for all things natural. I first completed a short course on how to make natural skincare products, and later trained to become a Natural Chef. I quickly discovered that eating well and nourishing my skin from the inside, as well as the outside, was a key principle in reducing my eczema symptoms. The course not only helped me fall back in love with food, but the expertise and knowledge I gained allowed me to design recipes which could benefit others too.
The Beauty of Eating Well is a recipe book that puts the freedom and fun back into food, but with a huge focus on nutritional value. All of my recipes are free
“I quickly discovered that eating well and nourishing my skin from the inside, as well as the outside, was a key principle in reducing my eczema symptoms.”
from dairy, eggs, gluten and refined sugar, but are full of colour, flavour and passion. The dishes are all designed to make skin glow, not just for those with eczema, but for anyone who wishes to transform dull, sensitive and dry skin.
I am so grateful to CNM. Not only have they helped me become an eczema warrior, but their courses have helped me build a thriving business which truly helps others apply a holistic approach to living a life beyond eczema.
Hermann Keppler, Principal of the College of Naturopathic Medicine, said: “Congratulations Camille, on creating this wonderful cookbook of beautiful recipes for those wishing to see the benefits of glowing skin. We at CNM believe health is accessed from within, that food is medicine and medicine is food, and that there is no greater joy in life than overcoming an obstacle. Well done for using your qualifications and skills unselfishly: to educate, to help and to reach others. I wish you the best in this journey, for this is only the beginning.”
Equipment: 18cm/7” spring-form tin lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
For the base:
175g/1.75 cups x ground almonds
1tsp x cashew butter
80ml/0.5 cups x coconut oil, melted
1tbsp x maple syrup
For the filling:
1tbsp x matcha powder
3 x limes, zest and juice
3tbsp x coconut cream
100ml/0.5 cups x coconut oil
4 x avocados
3tbsp x raw organic honey
Edible flowers e.g. marigolds and carnations to decorate
Preparation:
• In the bowl of a food processor add the ground almonds and cashew butter and very briefly pulse together. While the food processor is running pour in the melted coconut oil until the dough comes together.
COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC
• Press the mixture into the base of the tin to form an even layer and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• While the base is setting in the freezer, begin to make the cheesecake filling. Add all the filling ingredients into a food processor and blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture comes together and is smooth and creamy.
• Pour over the shortbread base, smooth over and set in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and take out of the tin. Top with edible flowers and cut into slices.
Allergens: Nuts (almonds, cashews)
CNM recommends the use of organic ingredients.
CNM has a superb 22-year record of training successful professionals in natural therapies, in class and online, with colleges across Ireland and the UK. Speak to a helpful Course Consultant or book to attend CNM’s next free Open Event to find out about training in Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Health Coach and Natural Chef.
CNM Natural Chef Diploma Course is accredited by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA).
naturopathy.ie 01 878 8060
For more on Camilla’s book visit - thebeautyofeczema.com. Instagram: @camilleknowles
Health Coach
a garden in every school
WE NEED FOOD EDUCATION AS A SCHOOL SUBJECT.
by Hans Wieland
As we enter a new decade, make resolutions and think about the future, I want you to:
• Imagine a space that demonstrates important examples of native habitats, biodiversity and the balance of nature and the web of life.
• Imagine a space that can teach children how to grow local organic food without using chemicals.
• Imagine an outdoor classroom accommodating geography, biology, maths, arts, languages and physical activity, connecting with 70% of the curriculum.
• Imagine a space where practical outdoor sessions can promote sensory, experiential and fun learning.
• Imagine a space that can be used for all age groups and all abilities.
• Imagine a space that can connect food production to climate change.
• Imagine a space that can teach respect, commitment and responsibility. That space, where all these imaginations can come true, is a School Garden!
As we are all becoming more concerned with the effects of climate change on our daily lives – and also on our future and the future of our children – it has become a necessity to encourage caring about our environment and sustainability, and to integrate this into the education of our children. School gardens can lay the foundation, because they can become a communal space where parents, teachers and pupils can come together to understand and learn from nature.
I see school gardens as connective spaces that allow us to see a bigger picture. There, we can experience the interaction between humans and nature. We can directly experience the effects of climate change: we can feel them and we can measure them. The challenge of
growing food from tiny seeds in a school garden can also prepare us to understand the cause of food shortages and hunger in the world, in a way that books and television can’t.
We need to come together for one goal I have written about the importance of school gardens before – for the last 20 years, in fact. During my time at The Organic Centre, I oversaw the establishment of gardens in many primary and secondary schools, based on the far-reaching concept developed by Paddy Madden in his book ‘Go Wild at School’, published in 1996, almost 25 years ago! Much has happened in the meantime. Hundreds of schools around the country now have school gardens, and according to my knowledge, there are at least 15 initiatives promoting food education in one way or another. One of the latest is from The Irish Food Writers’
Guild (IFWG). They would like to see the government “provide better and more consistent food education in schools, highlight the role that better eating plays in everyone’s health, well-being and quality of life and empower citizens to make informed choices.” (IFWG: It’s time to cherish and nourish all children equally, 2019) 2020 is the year when all people behind these initiatives, programmes and manifestos – all these educators, teachers, growers, chefs, parents and pupils – could come together under one simple goal: a garden in every school!
We all can lay the foundation for food education at home
In the meantime, here is what you can do to be part of a groundbreaking (in the truest sense of the word) movement to give future generations the understanding, knowledge and skills of growing and producing food in a sustainable and ethical way, as part of a wider climate action plan for a future. We all can lay the foundation for food education at home together with our children. I have three suggestions, from sowing seeds to planting trees.
Project one: Start a garden Study seed catalogues with your children and discuss the importance of varieties. Choose your project ‘garden’, this can be pots, a big wooden box, a raised bed, an outside bed in your garden or a corner of your lawn, no space is too small to get started. Make a plan including sowing, planting, harvesting and cooking dates.
“School gardens become a communal space where parents, teachers and pupils can come together to understand and learn from nature.”
Project two: Grow herbs for the kitchen
This project doesn’t require much space, nor time to get started. Three big pots will do, as well as a visit to your local garden centre to pick the plants. I suggest peppermint for tea, oregano or thyme for pizza and rosemary for roast potatoes. Bear in mind that your plants will be at the beginning of their life, so don’t over-harvest!
Project three: Plant a fruit tree or fruit bush
Like the previous projects, this can be tailored to the space you have available, from dwarf trees in pots to bigger trees for your garden, or transforming your lawn! There is a huge variety of fruit trees and bushes available: apples and plums, raspberries and currants … and if you have a big conservatory or polytunnel, you can try grapes, apricots or lemons.
Note: to make your projects work, fully engage your children, from deciding what to buy and where to plant, to looking after and harvesting.
Political action is needed
Finally, in order for food education –based on school gardens – to become national policy and a school subject with a curriculum, it needs politicians to vote for it and the Department of Education to implement it, so we all need to shout about it.
Resources:
Living Classroom: A partnership programme between three organisations (Bord Bia, GIY and SEED) that share a common goal to see a school garden or ‘living classroom’ in every school in Ireland.
giyinternational.org/living_classroom
SEED is a national network of educational centres with many years experience in environmental education, specialising in all aspects of organic school gardens.
schoolearthed.ie neantog.com
tuck into spring tastes
SPRING VEG CASSEROLE WITH ASPARAGUS.
by David and Stephen Flynn of The Happy Pear
This is the perfect seasonal change dish: a quick, easy, comforting bake, but with the delicious fresh flavours of spring, containing mint, zesty lemon and asparagus. The basis of this dish is a creamy leek and sweet potato stew topped with asparagus and a herbed breadcrumb topping. It’s a great dish to add to your weekly repertoire as it will help you eat more veg in a very delicious manner.
SERVES 4-6
TAKES 45 MINS TO MAKE
For Veg Mix
1 large red onion 130g
3 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
1 large leek 300g
2 courgettes 400g
200g broccoli
700g sweet potato
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
15g mint
Pinch salt
170g of fresh asparagus
2 tbsp oil
250ml of veg stock
2 tbsp of tamari
For Breadcrumb
100g breadcrumbs (use GF if coeliac)
10g fresh thyme
1 tbsp oil
Béchamel sauce
350ml oat milk
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white flour
Pinch salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 Chop the onion, garlic and chilli finely. Chop the leek (ensure to cut the leek lengthwise and wash any sediment that can often hide in the centre), chop the courgette and sweet potato into small bite-size pieces, then chop the broccoli into small florets and the stalk into fine pieces. Remove the mint from its stalk and roughly chop. Remove any woody hard bases from the asparagus (if it’s new season UK asparagus, it’s normally all delicious!).
2 Preheat the oven to 200ºC
3 In a large ovenproof frying pan or saucepan, add 1 tbsp of oil and allow to heat up on high heat. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned/ charred. Remove and set aside for later.
4 Add another 1 tbsp of oil to the pan, then add the onion, garlic and chilli, and fry for 3 minutes. Next, add sweet potato first as it takes the longest to cook, along with a generous pinch of salt. Then add the leek, courgette, broccoli and give it all a good mix, put the lid on and leave to stew for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
5 Once the sweet potato is soft and cooked, remove the lid and mix through, ensuring to include any charring at the bottom of the pan. Add in the zest of the lemon and then the juice of ½ the lemon, along with the chopped mint.
6 In a separate pot, turn on high heat. Once hot, reduce to a medium heat, add 3 tbsp of oil, sieve in 3 tbsp of white flour and whisk for 1 minute. Add a pinch of salt, black pepper and pinch of nutmeg, mix and add the 350ml of oat milk. Whisk continuously, allowing the mixture to come to the boil. As it comes to the boil, it should start to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the nutritional yeast.
7 Add the béchamel into the pan with the veg, along with 250ml of veg stock and 2 tbsp tamari. Mix well.
8 Cut the sautéed asparagus in half and scatter on top of the veg and béchamel.
9 In a small bowl, add the fresh thyme to the bread crumbs and 1 tbsp of oil. Mix well and sprinkle on top of the casserole.
10 Bake at 200ºC for 10-15 mins, or until nice and golden. Share with loved ones and enjoy!
thehappypear.ie
“It’s a great dish to add to your weekly repertoire as it will help you eat more veg in a very delicious manner.”
short & sweet
Ignite your courageous heart
HORSES WITH HEART.
by Dusty Staub and Mary Berkery
In recent years there has been a growing interest in the positive impact of spending time in nature. Natural environments can help relieve symptoms of both physical and psychological distress. Horses, as part of that nature, have an uncanny ability to assist people in reconnecting to their essence. It has been scientifically shown that simply being near equines has a positive effect on blood pressure, personal heart rate and increases beta-endorphin levels while decreasing stress levels. Being present around horses also reduced feelings of anger, tension and anxiety.
Mary Berkery and Dusty Staub run Courageous Heart Retreats where they combine seven levels of courage exercises and rituals in nature to melt defences, with equine assisted learning. These retreats harness the huge power of horses to reveal, heal and restore deeper connections to self.
The Positive Night event in Dublin in January stated, “2020 is the year of the heart.” You need to take your heart, the wholeness and depth of you, into the mind. Otherwise the mind will lead you off the path of living fully, completely and joyfully. There is no greater guide or assistance in the process of centering in heart than working with powerful methodologies in nature, and with horses.
What actions are you taking in 2020 to engage and ignite your Courageous Heart?
staubleadership.com maryberkery.com
“These retreats harness the huge power of horses to reveal, heal and restore deeper connections to self”
An Ashram Experience in Ireland
SILENCE, CONTEMPLATION AND REST.
by Jackie Smyth
Visiting an ashram in India has become popular in recent times. More and more people are looking for meaning in life, work and relationships and for a way of slowing down and finding simplicity and peace.
“The ashram provides...a time to rest - to find or to rediscover direction and meaning.”
An ashram is a place where people of any faith, gender or nationality can stay, practice meditation, mindfulness and yoga, and take an inward journey under guidance. The general aim is to reconnect with oneself and one’s spirituality. The ashram provides an opportunity for participants to contemplate the deeper, meaningful questions about life itself. It is a time to rest - to find or to rediscover direction and meaning. Spending time at an ashram offers solitude, peace, and time out to reflect while also benefiting from various spiritual teachings in a setting that is close to nature.
The ashram model comes from the Indian Spiritual Tradition. For the past few years Fr Korko Moses S.J., a Jesuit priest who founded Dhyanavanam Ashram in India, inspired by both Christian and Eastern spiritual traditions, has being coming to Ireland to make an Ashram Experience available to people here. He is a spiritual guide and counsellor. Fr Korko teaches meditation and yoga, leads retreats and has worked with people with addictions.
Nourishing vegetarian meals are provided throughout the retreat. There is an opportunity to reflect on the experience of each day with participants and with the ashram director each evening. The rest of the day’s activities are performed in silence and indeed an atmosphere of silence is cultivated throughout the time of the ashram. For a nourishing, recharging and enriching experience, look no further.
Antobar.ie
A Holistic Paradigm
COACHING WITH VISION.
by Aisling Cronin
Cathleen Beerkens is a renowned entrepreneur and Holistic Health Coach, based in the Netherlands. I was thrilled to get the chance to speak with her recently. Cathleen’s original purpose in starting her coaching work was to make a lasting difference in people’s lives. In her former role as a nurse, she felt limited in her ability to help people. She said, “if you go into hospitals, you will see that the staff do their best, but they don’t have the time to help Patients change their everyday habits that contribute to disease – lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, stress management – and neuroscience factors such as thought patterns and emotional wellbeing, which really make the difference.”
“A Wellness Revolution … enables health and wellness coaches to develop a more holistic approach to wellness.”
Her coaching initiative, A Wellness Revolution, now trains Certified Health and Wellness Coaches to serve in fields as diverse as Hospitals, the Military, Doctors’ clinics and Insurance companies. Some become entrepreneurs. Cathleen is dedicated to creating a new and improved healthcare paradigm by impacting human consciousness to take more personal responsibility for self care.
The programme offers trainees an in-depth knowledge and understanding of emerging and established scientific disciplines, including Epigenetics, Neuroscience, and Glycoscience. This education enables Health and Wellness Coaches to develop a more holistic approach looking at the body, mind and spirit and focuses on wellbeing at the cellular level.
The quality of the programme has been internationally recognised, winning a spate of recent awards in the U.K. (including Best on-line Health and Wellness Training Coach) and recognition in the US (Top 50 Most Innovative Companies to Watch 2020). It looks set to go from strength to strength!
To learn more, visit awellnessrevolution.com
Mindfulness Haven Galway
RESTORE WELL-BEING AND PEACE WITHIN.
by Alison McEvoy
Speaking with Kasia about the Mindfulness Haven in Galway, a real sense of purpose and passion shines through her words.
“Stress is an increasing problem these days, and we need to make space and time to relax and cultivate more self-awareness, kindness and compassion.”
The Mindfulness Haven sprang from Kasia’s own experience with chronic anxiety and panic disorder; “I have been exploring various techniques to manage them in my life. Discovering meditation and the power of sound was the best thing that could happen to me. Now I want to help people like me who suffer because of stress. I created this space in Galway city to serve just this purpose, with full relaxation equipment and a range of amazing classes and workshops on offer.”
Apart from various workshops and meditation classes, Kasia and her husband Lukasz run regular Sound Baths from the Mindfulness Haven where they enable people to experience the deep feeling of effortless relaxation which Sound brings.
Community is at the heart of The Mindfulness Haven. Kasia is far from her native Poland, and she feels that the studio is a way of connecting with the local community, and meeting other facilitators with a similar mission. “The more we do for the community, the more we feel the sense of connection with others.”
“Kasia and her husband Lukasz...enable people to experience the deep feeling of effortless relaxation which Sound brings.”
Kasia hopes that practitioners and renters alike will come and add to the eclectic mix of classes, courses and community workshops already on the go at the centre, including sound baths, tai chi, yoga, laughter yoga, Thai massage classes, stress reduction workshops and regular mindfulness courses.
Wholesome Indulgence
THE SUPERB SUPERNATURE.
by Aisling Cronin
If you’re a connoisseur of healthy yet indulgent treats, you may well have come across Supernature’s peanut butter cups or chocolatey nut clusters in your local health store, SuperValu or even Spar. These little nuggets of goodness are rapidly making a name for themselves – it’s hard to believe they are each crafted using just four ingredients!
Supernature’s story began when founder Noele McEvoy had to devise a creative solution to a health challenge faced by her daughter. ‘My youngest daughter Laura, when she was thirteen, had to go on a restricted diet. So she wasn’t allowed any dairy, gluten or refined sugar,’ she explains. ‘She couldn’t have sweets like her friends, and I didn’t want her to feel left out. so I began whipping up my own creations in the kitchen.’
“Before long, word spread about Noele’s fabulous goodies, with friends and families clamouring for more.”
Before long, word spread about Noele’s fabulous goodies, with Laura’s friends and their families clamouring for more. From there, Noele was inspired to set up a business, with the aim of spreading the magic to as many people as possible. Supernature is guided by strong ethical principles, ensuring that their chocolate is sustainably and fairly sourced. They work with farmers all over the world, including collectives in Indonesia and fourth-generation growers in California.
‘I’ve been surprised by just how many people like our treats,’ Noele reveals. ‘They don’t just appeal to niche groups, like healthy eaters or vegans. I often hear of people who would never usually touch any products marked as ‘healthy’. They give our treats a go … and they love them!’
supernature.com
Irish Made Gluten Free
FULL OF FLAVOUR, FULL OF GOODNEES, FULL OF
Hempful Health Bars, a range of 4 tasty CBD and Hemp infused snacks produced right here in Ireland. We’re passionate about nutrition but we make no compromises on taste and never skimp on flavour.
Our bars are packed full of nutrients, with no additives or sweeteners. Good food is simple and all our bars contain less than 10 ingredients. We believe that eating well should be easy and that a healthy body and mind is the key to wellbeing.
Hempful bars are the natural choice for energy and with the right fuel, the possibilities are endless.
• WELL KNOWN AND VERY BUSY MASSAGE THERAPY AND YOGA BUSINESS. • LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE FOR 15 YEARS
• LOCATED IN A PRIME LOCATION
• AFFLUENT AREA
• GOOD FOOTFALL
• BUSY PASSING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
• MAJOR BUS ROUTES
Would suit anyone in the Massage/Yoga/ Holistic Medicine/Alternative Health/Acupuncture Field. It enjoys the benefit of a lease which the current business owners are willing to assign. The business does not depend solely on the owner which would suit someone wanting to expand.
Grandmaster Mantak Chia
MASTERING HEALTH AND VITALITY.
by Maire Ni G
I’ve had a few pinch-me moments in my life. One of them was on my way to Positive Nights, when Taoist Grandmaster Mantak Chia jumped out of my car and started directing me into a tight parking space! This, in many ways, defines the man he is – humble, simple, down to earth and very practical. He often says, “I’m just a regular guy that does a lot of practice”. He makes esoteric practice seem easy and spiritual advancement, attainable.
Since I started organising his seminars here in Ireland, I’ve had many people phone me up saying that they’ve had Mantak Chia’s books for 30 years and can’t believe he is coming to Dublin!
It amazes me how he has been doing a world tour every year for the past 40 years and never had to cancel a single one. At 76 years young, Master Chia embodies the
health and vitality that he teaches. He is fully committed to sharing this simple, ancient wisdom with as many people as possible, even beyond his own lifetime. Recently he told me about his 100 year plan for the continuation of his Universal Healing Tao practices.
Along with many others, I’ve been enchanted by Mantak Chia’s warmth, wit and wisdom. A special kind of energy builds up during the seminar week, doing Tai Chi, Qi Gong practice and energy meditations. Every day people return with bigger smiles and looking brighter, eager for more knowledge. Witnessing this transformation in others is the greatest joy for me in bringing the Tao to Ireland.
universaltao.ie
Arrive at Abundance
GET THE KNOW-HOW HERE.
by Ana Rodriguez
Would you like more money?
Most people would answer yes. However, most people do not have an actual figure at the tip of their tongue as to just how much more money. Some might say enough to cancel their debt. A few might start dreaming about some extravagant holiday, a new car or house. Only a small number would have a clear figure in mind that, if invested wisely, would provide a passive income which would continue to pay for their desired lifestyle.
I would like to offer you seven simple ideas to reflect upon regarding wealth:
1. Clarity: We need to decide the exact amount of ‘more money’ we want to arrive at in our lives. One extra euro could easily fulfil a desire articulated by the general phrase of ‘wanting more money’.
“He makes esoteric practice seem easy and spiritual advancement, attainable.”
2. Mindset: Thinking of debt only brings more scarcity. Look at the mindsets of wealthy people and ‘fake it till you make it’.
3. Knowledge/Expertise: Wealthy people do not use money to buy things; they get money to work for them so they can buy things and still preserve their capital. Making money is not the same as keeping money. Learn how!
4. Peer influence: People tend to have the average amount of money of the five closest people they surround themselves with most of the time. In short, wealthy people hang around with wealthy people.
5. The why: We need to have a compelling reason to make our finances grow.
The key? Feeling worthy, grateful… and copy those who have already done it!
ticn.ie
“Making money is not the same as keeping money. Learn how!” 49
Household Help
CARE FOR THE PLANET.
by Aisling Cronin
During this age of increasing eco-awareness, many people are wondering what differences they can make in their everyday lives that will help our planet to heal. One way to help is by checking out If You Care. The environmental advocates behind this company have been around for over fifteen years, offering a variety of ecoconscious household goods including cloths, dishwasher tablets, coffee and tea filters, baking cups and more.
“If You Care offers recipes, tips and other resources to help encourage you on your journey to embracing a more ecofriendly life.”
They are passionate about promoting the use of unbleached paper and other alternatives to many of the chemical-laden household goods that line our shelves, explaining: “Paper, in its natural state, is beige or light brown. For years people have subjected it to a bleaching process to create the white sheets we all know and love. Unfortunately, the paper bleaching process deposits chlorine in the lakes and streams where mills are most commonly
“I know for certain that my mum’s just having a holiday from life, and when’s she’s ready, she’ll book her ticket back.”
located, and once there it bonds with organic matter in the form of dioxins: highly toxic chemicals that are thought to contribute to a host of health problems.”
They encourage seeking out alternatives to aluminium foil, because the primary component of this foil is bauxite, typically mined in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Therefore, very significant extraction, transportation and fuel costs are involved in moving this mineral around the globe. If You Care’s recycled aluminium foil uses 95% less energy to produce than regular foil.
Their website also features a variety of recipes, tips and other resources to help encourage you on your journey to embracing a more eco-friendly life.
ifyoucare.com
A Tribute to Martha
HONOURING MY MOTHER.
by Aisling Fitzgibbon
On the 14th February two years ago, my mum had a grand mal seizure in front of me in the A&E in Kerry General. In that moment, I shouted “My mum’s dead” and just like that, life as I knew it was over.
Twelve rollercoaster weeks of my mum in a medically induced coma brought me to my worst fears and an all-time low on every level. The fabric of my reality was torn, and in its place, I’ve learned that death is not the end. Death is a leaving from one place – the physical – to the other place, where souls go.
I felt immense pain and suffering as I let go of the reality I once knew, but in its place was a new version where I had no choice but to face my many fears that were holding me back from living the life I’m here for.
I’ve learned slowly to trust in myself and in life, to support me as I grow and evolve.
And now I know for certain that my mum’s just having a holiday from life, and when’s she’s ready, she’ll book her ticket back with a new baby body.
As she told me when I was first born: “I knew you from before.” I know I’ll realise it’s her when we meet again. To you my love, my Mum, you’ll always be the greatest to me. Xo
aislingfitzgibbon.com #MovingFromFearToTrust
A SUPPLEMENT TO PERK YOU UP.
by Aisling Cronin
Revive Active, Ireland’s award winning super supplement, combines a comprehensive blend of ingredients that work in synergy to supplement the body’s natural resources. The aim of the supplement is simple: to help you get ready for whatever the day may throw at you. Whether your goal is to get active, feel on top form or get back on track after a physical slump, Revive Active has got you covered. Revive Active contains 26 ingredients, designed to provide you with a daily dose of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which work in combination to support energy, immunity and a healthy heart. It is also the only supplement that contains 150mg CoQ10 and 3,000mg of L-Arginine, along with 24 other active ingredients, in one daily sachet.
Each powder sachet is recommended to be taken in the morning. Just open a sachet and add it to water, juice or a smoothie. This process ensures that Revive Active’s nutrients are easily absorbed, as well as allowing the ingredients to get to work quickly and efficiently.
“The company was established in Galway in 2011, with a vision of formulating super supplements that enrich people’s lives.”
The company was established in Galway in 2011, with a vision of formulating super supplements that enrich people’s lives and energy levels. Revive Active is the perfect supplement to add into your daily routine. It is available to purchase in pharmacies and health stores nationwide, as well as online:
reviveactive.com
IBS RESPONDS WELL TO TARGETED DIETARY CHANGE
Results of the IgG Antibody test are used to design a tailored Elimination-Rechallenge Diet (Food Intolerence Elimitation Diet) For info e-mail info@nutricentric.com or text Peter on +353 86 348 3592
Towards a Chemical-free Lifestyle
RETHINK YOUR HAIRCARE.
by Alison McEvoy
The best creations often emerge out of a period of crisis. Danish couple Stigg and Mette faced a personal crisis when Mette was diagnosed with cancer. Mette recovered and the couple sought to create a chemical-free lifestyle in the midst of this wake-up call to better health.
They used their professional experience to create a natural hair care line. Thus, Naturgin was born. The Naturgin range offers a selection of nineteen colours and promises to cover even the most stubborn and resilient of greys. They also offer hair care products such as Colour Care Hair Wash, Colour Care Conditioner, vegan dry shampoo and hair spray.
Naturgin boasts a long list of ‘free-from’ that you would expect from an organic-based, natural product; free from SLS, ammonia, parabens, cruelty and from a heavy carbon footprint to boot. The couple have ensured that their production method is environmentally sound by using sustainable wind energy and 100%
Masters of Calm
SELF-EXPLORATION MADE FUN.
by Aidas Guliokas
It all began in 2016 at a festival in Lithuania, called Masters of Calm. It forced me to become humble in the admission of self-exploration and altered states of consciousness - which enabled me to hold space for possibilities. I made a decision then, to share this experience with the people of Ireland. One year later, the Masters of Calm Ireland was born.
Masters of Calm Ireland is a healthy
recyclable packaging materials.
What you will find in Naturgin products are certified organic oils and extracts, such as orange peel essential oil and lemon peel extract. The ingredients are promised to be suitable for sensitive scalps, those who suffer with psoriasis and post-chemotherapy patients.
More and more of us are opting for chemical-free lifestyles as we make the connection between not only what we eat, but also what comes into contact with our skin, and our health and well-being. Naturgin allows us to make replace yet another bottle on our bathroom shelves with a healthier alternative.
and conscious-living initiative which takes the form of a three-day, family festival from 26th to 28th of June 2020. For those three days we will gather on a remote island in the middle of the beautiful Lough Erne, called Inis Rath. The festival’s purpose is to help people create a deeper connection with mother nature, others and, most importantly, with themselves. The festival is facilitated in an alcohol- and
“Naturgin boasts a long list of ‘freefrom’ that you would expect from an organic-based, natural product”
“The festival is a lifechanging adventure.”
drug-free environment to ensure a safe setting for the whole family.
A question that emerges for many of us is, “What is the purpose of my existence?” This question forces us to go beneath the surface to self-exploration. What is unique about Masters of Calm Ireland is the diversity of workshops; ranging from yoga, mindfulness and meditation to sound baths, drumming and much more. People often say that the festival is a life-changing adventure.
Masters of Calm Ireland continues to flourish into its fourth year on the shoulders of dedicated volunteers and teachers, who are in service of others with little or no reward and to whom we are deeply grateful.
mastersofcalm.ie
Simply Natural is the distributor for Naturgin organic hair colour in Ireland. For more information visit online simplynatural.ie or call (01)214 3674
A range of organic hair colours using only natural oils and extracts that are 100% permanent, gentle on your hair and gentle on the planet.
• 98.2% naturally derived ingredients
• 100% ammonia & parabens free
• Superb shine and coverage with no nasty smell
• Great for Psoriasis & itchy sensitive scalp www.simplynatural.ie
• Suitable for post Chemo Therapy
• Suitable for vegans
• Not tested on animals
Visit www.simplynatural.ie for your local stockist or call (01) 214 3674
SLS AMMONIA PARABENS FREE
MASTERS OF CALM IRELAND
26-28 June 2020
Take that first step towards inner peace by joining us at MASTERS OF CALM
Summer Family Festival, where you will find Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness Workshops, Camping, Family Activities, Healthy Food (Vegetarian or Vegan)
www.mastersofcalm.ie
Simone Nelson is a qualified Herbalist, Naturopath, Beauty Therapist and Electrologist.
Simone has 35 years experience in beauty therapy and when she discovered her passion for herbal medicine, she became inspired to combine these two areas to create her organic, handmade, herbal skincare range.
2b organic is for Men, Women and Children of all ages. 2b Organic will be Refillable in Certain stores from March 2020.
Carrageen Night Mask and Head To Toe Baby Cream
2b ORGANIC, a range of natural skincare products for men and women. Contact Simone on 086 8204567 Or email: simone.tobeorganic@gmail.com 2borganic.ie for more
Boost Your Brain Health
AYURVEDA SHEDS LIGHT.
by Alison McEvoy
While studying Ayurveda a few years back, I visited Dr. Donn Brennan and found him to be an expert and highly experienced conduit for the natural wisdom of Ayurveda – aka ‘The Science of Life’. I spoke with Dr. Brennan recently about brain health.
Too many of us know someone, or have someone close to us, suffering with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. For too long these illnesses have been a mystery; the causes and treatment unknown. Now, we know enough to prevent them from taking hold in our old age.
The three main causes of brain degeneration are what Dr Brennan terms as “the chronic insults happening over decades” to the body and, consequently, the brain. First, is a lack of proper nourishment, or the inability of the nutrients in our food to be absorbed and assimilated by the body (aka poor
digestion). Second, an accumulation of toxins - the result of pollutants entering the body via our food, cosmetics, water and air. Third, is inflammation resulting from chronic diseases, or underlying infections, which
“...the brain is capable of regenerating itself entirely, once we remove the ‘impeding factors’”
attack the molecules of the brain. By taking care of the body via the food we eat, treating the small conditions
we have on time, exercising and entering into deep sleep - during which the brain flushes out a vast amount of toxins - we can regain and maintain the health and vitality of our bodies and, ultimately, our brain.
The good news is that the brain is capable of regenerating itself entirely, once we remove the ‘impeding factors’ by eating the right food and making the lifestyle choices that serve our health best. Ayurveda has lots to share and looks at the individual – you. For more, do check out the website below.
ayurveda.ie
We are delighted to host the Lyme Disease Conference in conjunction with BCA Labs in Germany featuring Dr John Lambert, MD, Dr Carsten Nicolaus and Amina Eastham-Hillier
Open to the following groups on: GPs: 12th June
Public: 13th June 2020
Herbalists: 12th & 13th June
If you would like to know more about our upcoming courses on nutrition, thyroid and many more, please visit our website: shanbally ie/shanbally-education/all-courses/ Limited spaces available. Book your ticket now
Health Through Nature
the pineal portal
SONIC ACTIVATION OF THE SPIRITUAL SELF.
by Alison McEvoy
Most of us already know the power of music to ‘move’ us. Music, at its best, transports us, moulds and shapes our mood, uplifts and awakens our emotions. Gabriela Gomez began her music career as a musician and baroque singer. Throughout the process of deepening her expertise and experience, a completely unexpected thing happened – she discovered the energetic and spiritual power of sound. Music initiated in Gabriela an inner process of awakening which totally changed her life;
“Music opened a door in me to the subtle world, and to my multidimensional, higher self. It made me discover who I am and my potential. It gave me more confidence and security. It gave me clarity on how to use my gifts in service to others.”
Gabriela now uses music itself in service of others. She has crafted a number of workshops aimed at helping people to awaken spiritually, or, as she puts it “to become conscious of who we are in reality.” Human beings have truly infinite potential and each of us have a specific purpose. Spiritual awakening guides us towards that purpose and thereby unfolds our potential, our passion, our true way of being in the world - the most valuable of
discoveries in this life.
It is twenty years since Gabriela began to guide workshops aimed at enabling others to receive the energetic and spiritual gifts of sound. During a two day workshop in Dublin on 30th and 31st of May she will be giving a beautiful, professional training where participants will learn to apply her technique, Pineal Gland Activation by Sound, through a three stage process of pineal opening, pineal activation and pineal calibration.
“The pineal gland is...a portal to the multidimensional world.”
The pineal gland - “a biological-spiritual device” - is at the centre of her approach, as it is a portal to the multidimensional world. It is the doorway through which we access our quantum self;
“When the pineal gland takes over, it connects us with our Essence, with our highest multidimensional level and even with potentials that NEVER came into existence but which are waiting to be materialised: Peace on earth...These glands contain crystallised light particles,
which settled in the brain cavity. Each one represents high dimensional elements, which have remained inactive. To activate the Pineal Circuit will change the idea of who we are since we now know that our brain is made of extra-sensorial tools, which convert us into inter-dimensional antennas.”
This kind of activation is hugely empowering, says Gabriela, as it allows people to look to themselves for guidance, answers and wisdom. She is here to allow music be a channel to transport others through the doorway, the portal, and on to the other side, where human beings live according to their highest nature, rather than living a life guided by the brain or ego. It is the spiritual journey, with music as the ‘way’;
“If you have come to me, it is most probably because your soul is showing you the path of music as an important door to your evolution. I hope to have the joy to sing with you and bring a small contribution to your path.”
gabrielagomez.org
Specialists in treating imbalance using Acupuncture or Reflexology to treat: Anxiety Fertility Pregnancy Menopause
Migraine/headache
Digestive problems
Rhinitis or Hay fever
Insomnia Pain
If you would like to discuss a health issue, don’t delay, contact us today on: Phone: 01 8074487 or email info@swordsacupuncture.ie or visit our website www.swordsacupuncture.ie We are located at 5 Bridge St, Swords
Park Shopping Centre, Prussia Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.
Phone: 0871625566
Email: fernandabettisolano@gmail.com Website: nandabettisolano.com NUM 26
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Look and feel your best with natural treatments that relax your mind and body and also tighten and brighten your face and skin. Enhance your features and let your skin glow with these advanced methods as alternatives to botox and fillers.
Facial Cupping and Gua Sha Cosmetic Acupuncture
Aesthetic Acupuncture – Synergy Facial
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‘The Botox Alternative that Really Works’ Irish Times The Gloss Magazine
Available at Dublin Wellness Centre, 28 South William Street, D2 and Windy Arbour, Dundrum Road, D14.
Phone: 086 8115877 www.amandanordell.com
Acupuncture Leinster
Caoimhe Collins
BSc (Hons) Psych. Dip Ac. Dip Nat. MAFPA Ryan Wellness Centre, 1st Floor, Emmet Street, Trim, Co. Meath, C15K590
• Herbal Medicine (there are two fully qualified medical herbalists practicing in Acupuncture Leinster, Trim)
• Home Visits
• Gift Vouchers Available
AMATSU
“If you have back pain or any structural issues or find yourself prone to injuries, i highly recommend this therapy, it simply works, and ive tried them all...take one session and i promise you, you wont look back, excuse the pun. Amatsu has changed my life and Tomas is a true gent and brilliant at what he does.”
Paul Congdon, Publisher , Positive Life
new beginnings
WHAT I’VE LEARNT BEING A NEW MUM.
I’ve had to snatch a few minutes here and there over the past six hours in order to patch this article together from the array of thoughts this title evokes. That brings me to lesson number one – time.
Time is all we really have in life. Time is the container for everything. It is the most precious thing we have to spend, to give and to receive. Time is the sun that nourishes our goals in life. Whatever we give time to will grow, develop and advance. As a new mum, almost all of my time goes into my baby.
I’ve spent my time on many things before this. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in ashrams and on courses, learning the ‘art’ of presence, being in the moment, mindfulness – whatever way you wish to phrase it. A baby teaches, no, demands, this and more. Being a mum is selfless service. It is presence and being in the moment. It is obliteration of the self with a small ‘s’. As a new mum, almost all of my energy goes into my baby.
Many who read these pages are aware of the kind of self-inquiry involved in ‘inner child work’.This is the unearthing of the roots of our discontent, our stressors, triggers and our deepest hurts... all of which tend to stem from our less than perfect childhoods in the company
“It is as much a mother’s dream to be able to give her all to her baby, as much as it is a child’s dream to receive...”
of our less than perfect caregivers. What I now realise is that the kind of pure, perfect and undivided attention, love and affection we all need and crave to varying degrees, is actually a gift to be able to give, as well as to receive. It is as much a mother’s dream to be able to give her all to her baby, as much as it is a child’s dream to receive this level of care. It would require a mum to have her s**t so much in order, her inner complexes resolved, her own needs fully met, her support system securely in place, her finances in order and her house clean...all in all it’s a big ask.
I’ve learned that to be vulnerable is beautiful. The innocence and sheer vulnerability of my baby are the essence of his beauty. It shows clearly in the wideness of his eyes, and of his smile. As I
trundle up and down the ill-paved streets in my local area, many people stop to gaze into the pram a while. When they look up again, they are smiling, sharing for a moment in that beauty, Many others, without even looking in, step aside, or pause their car just before they get to the corner, to let us pass, just knowing that inside is lying a wide-eyed and gummysmiled baby.
I’ve learned to think of my foremothers. The women behind my existence who brought baby upon baby into the world without any central heating, running water, pampers, buggies, Google or changing tables. I am amazed by all our foremothers who existed generations upon generations ago.
I have, of course, learnt how much sleep I can live without, how to burp and change nappies and what this particular strain of love, a mother’s love, feels like. It is a river of giving that starts in the heart and pours out in streams of holding, feeding, cuddling and playing that never ends until those beautiful, baby eyes drift off to sleep. Then, what feels like a long time later, my eyes are no longer open and the two of us lie dreaming together.
BY ALYSON MCEVOY
all things acupuncture
WE TALK TO ACUPUNCTURIST
by Aisling Cronin
Shane McMunn is the founder of Sligo Acupuncture and Tuina. He specialises in the ancient Chinese healing practices of acupuncture – a therapy that aims to brings about balance and healing by stimulating certain points on the body with the use of needles – and Tuina – a massage therapy which assists people in releasing physical blockages. His clinic is located in the heart of Sligo town. He also teaches Tai Chi Chuan and Hung Kuen Kung Fu: both traditional Chinese martial arts.
He is also the chairperson of the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA). The AFPA is the longest established independent professional register of acupuncturists and practitioners of TCM in Ireland. Since it was established in 1987, it has been responsible for the regulation and maintenance of a register of acupuncturists who work within the guidelines set out in 2006 by the Department of He alth and Children. Their members are all bound by a Code of Ethics and Practice which is strictly enforced by AFPA.
I had the opportunity to learn more about Shane’s work and what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) means to him during a recent conversation we had.
“I became interested in acupuncture quite young, and quite unexpectedly,” he explains. “I was 23 years old, I was doing
SHANE MCMUNN.
Tai Chi – which I was very interested in – and I opened up the phone book one day and saw a listing for an acupuncture school in Dublin. It was strange, because I had never known anything about that practice before, but I just had a strong feeling that I needed to do it. I lived in Sligo, so I started commuting to Dublin to learn all about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.”
From there, his experience and comfort level with acupuncture and other TCM practices grew ever stronger. He traveled to China, where he spent a month working in a hospital to learn more about the Chinese approach to medicine. He then went to the effort of learning Chinese, and spent some time in London learning about Tuina and Chinese herbal medicine.
Shane has now been a qualified acupuncturist for eleven years. During that time, he has noticed a great increase in public awareness and understanding about the benefits of complementary therapies. “When I first qualified, there was very little decent medical literature on the benefits of acupuncture,” he explains, “whereas nowadays, I have seen, in my own practice, that more and more doctors will send people on to me to receive an acupuncture treatment. Many clients come to me because they want to offset the side effects of necessary medication that they may be taking. Acupuncture can also be helpful with pain relief, stress, insomnia or fertility issues.”
“I have seen, in my own practice, that more and more doctors will send people on to me to receive an acupuncture treatment.”
Shane is very keen to stress that when people seek out an acupuncture treatment, they do so via a reputable organisation. “Acupuncture is not regulated in this country,” he explains, “but it is self-regulated by the organisation. I would recommend that people go to a registered acupuncturist. In our association, AFPA, we insist on at least three years’ training and we insist that the practitioner is insured.”
To learn about AFPA, go to afpa.ie. They will be holding an Acupuncture Awareness Week from April 20th to 26th – an excellent time to familiarise yourself with this ancient modality. For more information on Shane’s work and clinic, go to sligoacupunctureandtuina.com.
The Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association
(AFPA) is Ireland’s longest established independent professional association representing Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine Practitioners since 1987. All of our members have trained for at least three years and hold professional and public liability insurance.
Find an Acupuncturist in your area on our website www.AFPA.ie
Our Acupuncture Awareness Week runs from the 20th - 26th April 2020. Keep your eye on our Facebook page for more information or call us on 01 412 4917.
“Every morning, we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Buddha
Your Vedic astrology chart is a map of your potential. The positions and relative placements of the nine planets in the 12 signs, 12 houses and 27 constellations, show your character and the challenges, opportunities and growth potential you have in this life. They also give insights into your passions, drives and purpose.
The ‘dashas’, or planetary periods, show the timings of when the potential can be unlocked and realised. The nine planets which rule the nine dashas include the seven classical planets, plus the north node, Rahu, and south node, Ketu, of the Moon. The transits of the planets in today’s sky give further insights.
While there are general seasons in nature that we are all subject to, the planetary periods you are going through, based on your unique time of birth and chart, show what seasons you are going through in your life and where the spotlight is.Some of us may be going through storms in specific life areas – like health, relationships, finances while for others the weather is fine and there are plenty of opportunities for worldly success.
Generally, a new moon is the start of a new lunar cycle and symbolises ‘new beginnings’ and a fresh start. You can use
the energy of a new moon to commit to goals, or start a new project. It is also a good time for reflection and mid-course correction. If you want to benefit from the natural lunar energy to boost your momentum, write down what you want and focus on these goals while the new moon is in the sky. Full moons are associated with spiritual completion and harvest.
“An understanding of the planetary periods in your chart is like an accurate weather forecast!”
While we cannot always control what is happening - ‘the weather’ in our life – we can control our response to it. An understanding of the planetary periods in your chart is like an accurate weather forecast! When you know the weather, you can dress and plan accordingly.
There are so many new beginnings open to each and every one of us. Each day, month or year, every planetary transit, and, more powerfully, each dasha period, has the potential to grow the seeds we
plant fruitfully. Each one is a doorway, but what we make of these opportunities is what ultimately determines the outcome.
“Fate and free will are equally powerful forces but I consider free will to be more important as it is your free will that determines your fate.” Ved Vyasa (legendary author of the Mahabharata, Vedas and Puranas)
We can commit to what we start and give it 100 percent. Or, we can allow doubt, or the shadows of the past, to hold us back and thereby limit our growth.
There are no shortage of opportunities for new beginnings in life. An insight into astrology and your chart gives you a powerful understanding of the bigger doorways with most promise and the greatest challenges.
Calodagh McCumiskey is the director of Spiritual Earth in Rocklands Co. Wexford.
