Positive Life – Spring 2021 by Positive Life

Good News Feels Better

FOSTER GAMBLE

Free Your Energy

CRYPTOCURRENCY

Is Cash Still King?

HEALTH STORES

Keeping Communities Connected

We Talk To

Oracle Girl Embodying Love And Freedom

SPRING 2021 PRICELESS

positivelife.ie

Speed up your blood flow Ginkgo biloba is a traditional herbal medicinal product used to alleviate the symptoms of poor blood flow in conditions such as cold hands and feet. To get the desired effects, it is essential that you choose a product with a documented content of active compounds.

Warm hands and feet again A thermo-graphic camera can be used to test ginkgo biloba's ability to improve circulation in the hands. When the test subject takes ginkgo biloba, their hands become significantly warmer in the minutes right after they have been cooled down in very cold water.

Your bloodstream carries oxygen and nutrients to every single part of your body – from head to toe – to ensure that all your body functions work properly. However, the flow of blood through the smallest capillaries can decrease for various reasons, and that may cause problems like cold fingers and toes.

35° C 30° C 25° C

Without Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord: After 10 minutes, the skin temperature increased from 12.6° to approx. 20.0° C.

20° C 15° C 10° C 5° C

35° C

With Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord: After 10 minutes, the skin temperature increased from 13.8° to approx. 30.9° C.

30° C 25° C 20° C 15° C 10° C 5° C

Cold hands and feet? This problem may be a result of having poor blood circulation, and the solution could be tablets with ginkgo biloba. Every inch of the body depends on a wellfunctioning blood supply that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells. As we humans age, our blood circulation becomes less efficient, leading to problems like cold hands and feet. Supports your blood circulation It stands to reason that ginkgo biloba is so popular among older people. The active compounds in the extract dilate your blood vessels, helping your blood to flow more easily through them.

What is ginkgo biloba? Ginkgo biloba is a plant extract made from the leaves of ginkgo biloba, an ancient temple tree that is also known as maidenhair tree. The extract contains a variety of biologically active compounds. Two specific compounds – ginkgoflavone glycosides and terpene lactones – are particularly well-documented and have been shown to support good blood circulation and good cognitive function. Today, thanks to scientific research that has delved into

the underlying mechanisms of these active ingredients, it is possible to manufacture high-quality extracts that deliver the exact same amount of active compound with each tablet. Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord represents this new generation of pharmaceutical-standard ginkgo biloba products that have become increasingly popular, namely among the elderly.

IE_Biloba_Ad_PositiveLIfe _210x297_1120

Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord has a high content of active compounds: The high content of active compounds makes it possible to obtain the desired effect with 1 tablet twice a day. Traditional herbal medicinal product used to alleviate the symptoms of poor blood flow in conditions such as cold hands and feet, exclusively based upon long-standing use. Always read the leaflet.

Tel: 01 899 1650 • Fax: 01 885 3893 ireland@pharmanord.com • www.pharmanord.ie

“There is no life I know, to compare with pure imagination Living there you’ll be free, if you truly wish to be.” - Willy Wonka Imagination. That’s the theme this spring. Time for us humans to imagine a new future based on freedom, inclusion, love, peace, harmony, truth, and all the other things all Beings really want. Find the sweet spot in your own imagination, access it, and allow it to unfold into your reality. This issue, we celebrate health stores, the sweet spot in each community right now. We talk to Oracle Girl, who gives us the vibe on the New Humans, and we take a look at cryptocurrency. Foster Gamble gives us his take on how to have a positive life. Explore this issue – there’s a lot in here – and always use your Imagination. Next stop, summer. paul congdon, Publisher

Contentment 4 Spring Vibes Bite-sized inspirations for holistic wellness

6 Positively Newsworthy Positive stories to light up your day 10 Spirituality in the City Our readers share their visions for the world 12 Positive Parenting Meet your children in the world of imagination 14 Judith McAdam Visualise the bridge to your dreams 16 Amanda Sophia A positive ritual to welcome the equinox 18 Sandy Newbigging Unplug from the stories of your mind 20 Health Stores Ireland Community hubs 22 Positive Personality We interview designer Tahnee Morgan

PHOTO: EMILIA KRYSZTOFIAK RUA PHOTOGRAPHY

24 Positive Tantra Your imagination is your superpower 26 Thrive On Discover the Unified Field 28 Oracle Girl On becoming the new embodied human 32 Cryptocurrency Is this the start of a financial revolution? 34 Davie Philip Envisioning a better future 36 CNM How to boost your health this year 38 Hans Wieland Reimagine your garden lawn 40 The Happy Pear Recipes to make your mouth water 43 Short & Sweet We interview holistic movers and shakers 56 Pharmanord Tips on how to boost your circulation 58 Positive Supplement A look at Revive Active’s energy boosters 60 Positive Therapy Wise woman Amantha Murphy inspires us 62 Positive Astrology Commit to what makes you unique

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

spring vibes ‘‘SHE TURNED TO THE SUNLIGHT AND SHOOK HER YELLOW HEAD, AND WHISPERED TO HER NEIGHBOUR; ‘WINTER IS DEAD.’’’ A. A. MILNE

body

intelligence

Fuel

Plus means more Vitamin D is revealing its secrets, as more and more companies probe how to make better and better supplements. Vitamin D Plus by ITL Health boasts Vitamin D combined with magnesium and Vitamin K2. These two accompaniments combine to ensure “optimal uptake” of the vitamin D. Now that’s science in service of health! Itlhealth.eu

Energy tune up Pharmanord’s Q10 is, as with all of the pharmaceutical standard supplements that emerge from Pharmanord labs, developed with superior bioavailability and superior care. These little capsules encapsulate the coenzyme Q10, which is an essential component in the energy production activties of every cell in the body. Pharmanord.ie

Proudly potent CBD Do we want the benefit of the whole hemp plant when taking a CBD oil? We surely do. Dr. Hemp Me is one such full spectrum CBD oil, one of the few “tested, trusted and proven” CBD oils in Ireland, as certified by the Cannabis Trade

Association in Europe. At Dr Hemp Me you can get everything from CBD oils and capsules, to CBD pet products and bath bombs! drhempme.com Charlenes wholesome pantry

Human free honey

when you drop by - tell her we sent you!

Believe in your biology

From hive to honey pot, Lifemel honey’s journey is uninterrupted by human hands or the addition of, well, anything. This is a medicinal honey that has been shown to have a plethora of positive benefits, particularly for the blood; raising red and white blood cells both. Bless those bees!

FInd them on Facebook

Bruce Lipton could be ‘dropping in’ to your living room this March, thanks to our creative Positive Nights series. We will chat to Bruce about his fascinating work, which is brimful of empowering awareness. Awareness that allows us to activate the actual power in our human nature and biology, to bring more joy, healing, harmony and health to our life and world.

downtoearth.ie

Brainfile Designed with the “older adult” in mind, Eskimo Brainsharp fish oil capsules are like a little tune up for the brain, keeping it oiled and functioning as optimally as possible...as we go on ageing. Add to the mix coQ10, vitamin D and omegas 6 and 9, and this product is a well-rounded way to maintain health in the harvest years of life.

Uplifting creations We were recently sent some wonderful jewellery by 7th heaven, and we love it! This is angel-inspired, intention-infused jewellery aimed at uplifting the wearer. The packaging is pretty awesome too. Check out the unique creations of award-winning Irish designer Tahnee Morgan online and read on for more in our interview with her on page 22.

brucelipton.com

Space for Men Aloha. We know that men need to gather, to share, to be in the company of men. This summer there is a call out to the men. Retreats will be run by Brian McEvoy, along with a group of expert facilitators, in Aloha House. Boy, do we love Aloha!

7thheaven.ie

alohahouse.ie

ppcgalway.ie

tantalising

Space for Womben

Chocolate adventurers

namastewellnesscentre.ie

We love the work of Sarah Richardson, always striving to empower and uplift all she touches. Read about Sarah’s story and more at the Namaste Wellness Centre online. Sarah will host a Sacred Rebirth full day experience this April.

treats

I, for one, am more than thankful– chocolate just keeps getting better and better these days! The Beneficial Chocolate Company are among the many doing awesome things with chocolate. Check out their Seaweed and Lime flavoured bar, or the CBD oil bar. This might just be the best we’ve ever tasted...

Wicklow Wishes

FInd them on Facebook

Nutritious nibbles Charlene was once a busy working mum rustling up her own healthy snacks. Now, she’s Charlene’s Wholesome Pantry, creating healthy bites you can munch “with a cuppa or on the go”. Think jaffa cake slices, chocolate almond bites and pecan bites. She’s got vegan, paleo and wheat free options for one and all. FInd them on Facebook

Vibe High From aesthetician to maker of high vibrational mists, Ruth Murphy was transformed through partaking in the purification process with Oracle Girl. Ruth’s mists carry a frequency that will purify any space you care for. ruthevemurphy@gmail.com

Health is wealth We love health stores. It’s well worth a peek at our feature on page 20. Loop de Loop is one health store that is brimful of positive vibes and positive products for a healthier you. Oh, and ask for Frederika

Bruce Lipton

put a spring in your vibe

Wicklow foodies, take note. Juice Box is a converted horse box selling fresh smoothies, juices and juice shots in the Boatyard, Greystones. Malgudi, meanwhile, is a small vegetarian/vegan café, located just opposite St. Philomena’s school in Bray. These are great spots to try out for a bite or two! juiceboxgreystones.ie Find Malgudi on Facebook

Words from the wise Wise woman Amantha Murphy has just released a profound and beautiful work of a lifetime – a book entitled ‘The Way of the Seabhean’. If the way of the Goddess calls to you, if you long to feel a connection to the earth around and within you, if the words of wise women make your cells sing on high, then this book is for you!

Charlenes wholesome pantry

celticsouljourneys.com

Get Sofft and soulful SOFFT Nights are on the horizon. The brainchild of a two-woman creative team, SOFFT productions are here to bring the gifts of connection, art, access to nature and soulfulness to musical and festival experiences. Tread SOFFTLY along Boyne Valley forest trails and lake walks as you soak in the soulfulness... sofftproductions.com

Ruth Murphy from High Vibrations Mists

positively newsworthy GOOD NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. POSITIVELIFE.IE

1 Self-care survey INVEST TIME INWARDS.

by Alison McEvoy A recent survey carried out in the USA revealed that, in the current social climate, people are deciding to spend more time on self-care. The survey revealed two areas of self-care that people identified for themselves; home spa rituals and exercising out of doors or in the gym. I can think of many more... Caring for yourself is like peeling an onion. The outer layer of self-care involves tending to bodily needs like the ones mentioned above. It can mean tending to your hair, your skin, your needs for exercise and for nice, healthy food and drink. It can mean cosying up your

bedroom or study or kitchen, wherever you like spending time.

“Time is a gift. Let’s use it wisely!” When it comes to the inner layers, you start looking at caring for your emotional needs. Are there any weights on your heart that could do with being aired? Would music or song or a dance allow you to energetically release something that’s weighing on you? Do you need to find yourself a good therapist? Innermore still, you come to the

soulful parts....do you have a talent that is wanting to come out? Are you holding back your creative energy? Did you ever love to write, tell stories, draw, play an instrument or sing? Do you feel whole, loved, at home in your life? Are there answers you need to find to longharboured questions? Gifts come in all shapes, sizes and shades. John O’Donoughe, Irish mystic poet, spoke of “dark gifts” that nurture our greatest strengths in the art of being human. Time is a gift. Let’s use it wisely!

2 Mother-Daughter Power A GRADUATION STORY TO CELEBRATE. by Aisling Cronin

Quiana Cohn, a resident of the U.S. city of Chicago, was 19 years old when she gave birth to her daughter India.Then and there, Quiana set a goal for herself: she would graduate with a master’s degree and become a social worker before India graduated from high school. When India began to attend kindergarten, Quiana started studying. In 2009, she obtained her associate degree, her bachelor’s degree followed in 2019, and in 2020, she earned her master’s degree – just in time for India’s high school graduation. “I wanted to show her that we can overcome anything,” Quiana explained. “I wanted to show her that any hurdle, we can definitely conquer it.” “I’m proud that she graduated at the same time I did,” India commented. “I’m majoring in the same thing as my mom, and I want to be a social worker like her.” Quiana said that the most difficult part of achieving her goals was finding a balance between being a mother, working

full-time and completing her classes. “Making sure that I was actually present for my kids was hard,” said Quiana. She re-married after a divorce when her children were young, and has three biological kids and a stepson, who range in age from 14 to 18. “I’d stay up at night getting homework done, making sure they didn’t lose their mom while I was accomplishing my goals, too. All of my children have heard since preschool that they’re going to college and they’re going to be successful. There’s no other choice in this house.” Though physical graduation ceremonies were not possible during 2020, Quiana and India were determined to celebrate in style. They both acquired graduation gowns and posed in them together, so they would always have special photographs to commemorate their achievement. Their joy is plain to see!

“I’m proud that she graduated at the same time I did. I’m majoring in the same thing as my mom, and I want to be a social worker like her.”

3 The Potato Odyssey A UNIQUE FUNDRAISING ADVENTURE. by Aisling Cronin Corey Williams, a kind-hearted Welsh boy, recently undertook an onerous physical challenge in order to raise funds for patients in local hospitals. When tenyear-old Corey heard that patients were unable to receive visitors due to lockdown restrictions, he decided to help them in a unique way: by carrying a large sack of potatoes two miles up the steep hill to the top of Penrhys in Rhondda, Wales. He did not stop there, though – he also tackled two other hills, biking over the Bwlch and running up the Rhigos. Speaking of the patients he was moved to help, Corey said, ‘put yourself in their shoes. You can’t talk to them, you can’t see them. It’s really sad. I got an idea in my head to raise money, so they can see people on Zoom or Facetime.’ Corey’s efforts were met with

great support – people banged pots in the nearby town of Cwmparc to cheer him on, and he received messages of encouragement from rugby heroes such as Sam Warburton and Nigel Owens. He also appeared on BBC Wales programme The Great Indoors, where hosts Carol Vorderman and Scott Quinnell marvelled at his dedication. ‘It’s quite inspirational to see a 10-year-old kid running up nearly a twomile, very steep mountain in the Rhondda with a sack of potatoes,’ Corey’s dad Mathew said. ‘He was crying halfway up and he said “I can’t give up, I’ll let people down otherwise”. That was mind-blowing.’ Corey raised £4,000 to buy tablet computers for patients at the Royal Glamorgan, Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda and Y Bwthyn hospitals.

“It’s quite inspirational to see a 10-year-old kid running up nearly a two-mile, very steep mountain with a sack of potatoes.”

positively newsworthy the little things 1 Ode to Being Human THE FIRST YEAR OF HUMAN LIFE.

by Alison McEvoy

“You are part of the great unknown that is ahead of the entire world”

It’s been a year, times two. Both when the sun is up and the sun is down, we have been side by side, cheek to chest, hand to hand. You cooed and slurped your way through the first few months, and then, like a rocket having stocked up on its fuel of food and sleep, you burst forth. One day, just like that, you lifted your head all by yourself. Another day, when my back was turned, you rolled over for the first time. Then you sat up. Later, you took your first, tentative steps. You learned to mash and munch food. You learned to guide it with your own hand, into the centre of your mouth. You have taken my world by storm. A great, beautiful, powerful and awesome storm.

Under the surface of your skin, your depths have been growing deeper. You have felt sadness for the first time. A kaleidoscope from under your skin has emerged onto your face; frustration, anger, dismay, joy, belly-aching laughter and fear of aloneness. You were born in a year like no other in my lifetime. You will be part of a future I cannot anticipate or imagine. You are part of the great unknown that is ahead of the entire world. May the great Creator Guide and Protect every single one of your steps. May you be part of a contribution to the world which will bring about a turn towards the Light, in the hearts of all peoples. A(wo)men

2 For Gentle Ones by Aisling Cronin You, gentle ones, may be surrounded by hard-hitting truth tellers, feisty freedom fighters, and overall badasses whose courage takes your breath away. You are amazed by their strength. You see how their commanding presence can hold a room in thrall … and perhaps, in the back of your mind, you feel that your quiet, gentle presence isn’t seen or important. You witness one fiery, impassioned debate after another … and perhaps you have worried that you have little to contribute. You may have ceased to feel the value of your sweet, compassionate gestures. Your soothing cups of tea. Your friendly strings of heart emojis. Your softly spoken words. Your comforting smiles. Your understanding eyes, that carry a pure and precious light of total acceptance. You are the peacemaker. In an embattled world, it is increasingly difficult to hold the middle ground, to find the still centre of peace … and you are the ones who hold yourselves in that space, reminding others that it exists. You hold yourself. You hold us. You.

“You are the ones who hold yourselves in that space, reminding others that it exists.”

Everything your family needs to stay healthy! DOWN TO EARTH HEALTH FOOD STORE & HOMEOPATHIC DISPENSARY 73 South Great George’s St. Dublin 2 PHONE / FAX 01-671 9702 Opening hours: Monday - Friday 8.30 - 19.00; Saturday 8.30 - 18.30 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Acute homeopathic service Qualified homeopaths in store 6 days a week Over 400 homeopathic remedies in the dispensary Wide range of homeopathic creams and herbal tinctures Helios kits Flower and crystal essences (Bach, Healing Herbs, Australian Bush Flowers, Indigo, Crystal Light)

info@downtoearth.ie homeopathy@downtoearth.ie www.downtoearth.ie

Superb range of vitamin and herbal supplements Nature’s Plus, Viridian, Biocare, Higher Nature, Wild Nutrition, Together, Terranova Liposomal C The LifeMel Range 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

downtoearthdublin Down to Earth Dublin

Free delivery for orders over €30

Sleep Well. Prepare body & mind for sleep Sleep better and for longer Helps you switch off Ease Anxiety Supports natural sleep cycles Wake up feeling refreshed & alert No morning grogginess 0% THC

15% off all products + Free Shipping Use code POSITIVE15 @ checkout*

www.altacbd.com

*expires April 5th 2021

spirituality in the city YOUR VISION FOR THE WORLD...

Anthony Monteith Mastering your own definition of spirituality requires letting go of the stereotypical definition of being a master. Most of us cannot live away from society, on a mountain top, by the river, or the lake. At this special point in history, we are learning how much of a challenge it can be to stay inside, both physically, mentally, and more importantly, spiritually. My vision for the future is that we learn to become the Human Being, not the Human Doing. This is how we will progress spiritually in this current reality. Take time to foster peace internally through the breath. Take time to listen to the workings of your body. Conscious embodiment through movement of the breath. jadenaturalhealth.com

Michelle Keane I think we need to go back to the basics. As a mother of two children, I think we as parents need to educate our children on the importance of spirituality. We need to stop searching and look within ourselves, as deep inside we have the solution to fixing all of life’s problems. I pray that all people in this world awaken within themselves. I pray for peace, joy and justice in the world, and I pray for our universe to be protected, as we as humans are destroying our planet. A line from a song comes to mind – ‘Imagine’ by the Great John Lennon. ‘Imagine all the people, sharing all the world. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one.’ The children of our world are our future. We need to invest in them to make this world a better place. kingdomwater.ie

Kim Kindersley For years now, I have been holding community heart song circles all over the world. The circle is a safe space for people from all backgrounds, beliefs and ideologies to come together as one. This is what is needed now on this planet, for us to feel our common humanity in the heart. I see an awakened world led by the people, for the people. I see a beautiful, balanced and fair world, full of localised freedom cells living on the land. I see us once again in tune with the natural world, communing with the great mystery of this beautiful life. I see communities held together though loving support of one another, rather than market forces and outmoded competition. This is the moment to explore true sovereignty in the heart and build an entirely new system, so that there can be a future for the generations to come. hugold.online chantbreathedance.com

Susan Barnes The vision I hold for the future is one in which all humanity co-exists in harmonious symbiosis with each other, the animals, the plants, and our Earth. I use the phrase ‘harmonious symbiosis’ to mean the restoration of the natural balance, rather than an absence of the things we would deem ‘negative.’ We humans have forgotten that we are nature. As a result, we have stepped out of the effortless order of governance that the rest of the natural world abides by. This creates disconnection within our inner ecosystem and our external ecosystems. When we remember our connection to the natural world, we are able to listen. In listening, we can be guided into the flow of Life, no longer resisting the instinctual, intuitive forces that always move through us. These forces inspire our action and creativity, attuning us towards a shared impulse: to work together for the betterment of the Whole. likewatersheflows.com

Dean Fraser Had you asked me a little over a year ago what the future held for most people, I would have said, ‘it will be largely the same as the past.’ And then a massive pattern interrupt to established lifestyles happened through Covid. As people adjusted to this new reality, it seems many also took the opportunity to access their lives and what truly matters. I see more of us making good physical health and positive mental wellbeing central to our life philosophies, awakening to the awareness that without those two things, we actually have so little. Some aspects of life, then, will not return to the way they were before. Once our eyes have been opened to new paradigms, they will remain open. I see many more of us placing wellness as a first priority in the future. deanfrasercentral.com

Sarah Fogarty I imagine a community owned, renewable energy future. I imagine citizens owning and generating their own renewable energy and reaping rewards for it. I imagine a future in which citizens can participate and be included in a community energy market in Ireland. This is the philosophy and goal of Community Power (Ireland’s first community owned electricity supplier). Community energy is the answer to a sustainable future. It can also help create balance between local economies and the global economy, and overcome the rich and the poor divide. It creates a democracy in which our villages and towns can partake in co-operation, not competition. I am excited for the future of community energy and the movement that has begun to allow us all to grow. communitypower.ie

POSITIVE PARENTING

the realm of

imagination MEET YOUR CHILDREN THERE. by Anna Cole

Relationship therapist Esther Perel says our imaginations have played a more central part than ever in our lives, as the lockdowns continue. ‘Over the last year, our imaginations have gone into overdrive—both good and bad. Unable to see our friends, we’ve had to get extremely creative. But that creativity has also extended to the scary things, too. How much time have we spent hypothesising how bad it will get? We’ve fantasised a roller coaster of apocalyptic outcomes. .… The economy is forever in smithers …The kids will never return to school. We’re going to lose grandma. We’re going to lose everything. For so many, some of our deepest fears have come true. And so we wonder, what if they all do?’ As parents, we are living with experts in imagination. Play and imagination are a child’s first language. In one study described by the clinical psychologist Laurence Cohen in his excellent book ‘Playful Parenting’, a Russian nursery measured how long a classroom full of young children could stand still in a line. When told to stand as still as they could, for as long as they could, the group managed barely 5 seconds before a wiggle, a wriggle, an itch and a giggle. When told to imagine they were soldiers standing straight on parade, the time they could stay still doubled, and in some cases trebled. Imagination is a powerful way to meet your child where they are at and join them there. If you can enter your child’s world and meet them in the realm of imagination, you will go a lot further together than staying in a blander lockdown adult world. This year, let’s plan, as parents, to use our own imagination for good, inspired by the children in our lives. Esther describes a video sent by her niece, of her young children in lockdown, hopping from pillow to pillow, pretending the pillows are rocks in a river. In another video, they pile those same pillows up to make their “cabin in the woods.” Children are naturals. They know the trick: freedom in confinement comes from our imaginations. We’re not out of the woods yet, but fantasy can take us anywhere. So what would you like to imagine? Recently in my local park, I watched a little toddler bent

over, exploring the cracks and crevices in the paving stones: lost in the detail, delighted by it, entranced by worlds in the pavement, while his patient parent waited nearby to move on.

“This year, let’s plan, as parents, to use our own imagination for good, inspired by the children in our lives.” Fast-forward now to the teen years. Adolescence has long been misunderstood, and is now a site of real concern. In a recent news article entitled ‘Behind closed bedroom doors, a teenage mental health crisis is brewing’, Gaby Hinsliff writes: ‘[d]uring last spring and summer, parents of older children worried about them gallivanting off for rebellious lockdown busting parties. Through the cold winter months, the fear is more for kids with all the stuffing knocked out of them; teenagers spending the whole day huddled under the covers, refusing to complete online lessons, or mentally checking out.’ Even before lockdown, adolescence was a difficult time. Many people, including their parents, have a strong negative attitude towards adolescents. I remember when my daughter was approaching her thirteenth birthday, people would remark something along the lines of, ‘it’s all raging hormones from here on.’ This attitude is seldom questioned. It is as if we have all agreed to expect the worst from teens. Patty Wipfler, founder of Hand in Hand Parenting, and now a grandmother with grown-up sons and grandchildren, writes eloquently about this situation: ‘There is no reason to back away from our children just because they have become teenagers. We parents of teenagers know our children. These are the children who ran from across the school playground to hug us. These are the children we rocked in the night, the children we read to at bedtime for years, the children who

cried for us when we went away. These are the children who couldn’t wait to snuggle with us on weekend mornings. They are good people. They love us. We love them. We have a vital role to play in their lives as they make their way to adulthood.’ Here’s something we can do as parents amidst the lockdown and fallout from the restrictions around coronavirus. We can imagine our teens in new ways. We can remember the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe words: ‘Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.’ Adolescence is not a period of ‘immaturity’ or ‘hormonal moodiness’ alone. It is an essential time of emotional intensity, social engagement and creativity. While the world out there has closed down options for our teens to do what they must do – explore, take risks and socialise – we can open up the world to them via our imaginations. I don’t mean showing them great films or art online, although that’s a great thing to do. I mean we can reimagine who they are on a daily basis – not the sullen, moody, withdrawn, angry, lazy teenager who won’t get up for online schooling today, but a young person aching with confusion, dreams, hopes, ideas, loneliness, and likely some fear, about the world. A person whose developmental needs for exploration and socialisation have been curtailed. Someone whose needs for love and playfulness, connection and affection are no less than those of a much younger child. Imagine that angry, sullen or critical teenager as the sweet boy or girl they once were. See that sweet child in there, needing the same kindness, warmth and playful limits around behaviour that doesn’t work. Reach out for them from that place. Let your imagination out to play in this way for the sake of your teens.

Anna Cole is a certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor and the Regional Lead for the UK. Anna is offering, with colleague Liesl Orr, an online class for parents of teens during lockdown and out the other side. Contact her at anna@handinhandparenting.org for details.

POSITI V E AT TR ACTION

the bridge A POWERFUL VISUALISATION TO IMAGINE YOUR GOAL. by Judith McAdam

I’d love to do a study on how many resistant thoughts we, as human beings, think in just one day. You know those thoughts yourself – all of us do. It’s the constant voice of fear, anxiety, doubt, and lack of self-worth, among other things, that seem to never give up. The chitterchatter of ‘I can’t do that course, I wouldn’t be good enough, I was terrible in school’ or ‘I’d love to change job but…’ ‘I’m never going to be able to…’ ‘I’m sick of being broke,’ ‘the kids are driving me mad, I’m a terrible mother.’ The list of mental abuse we give ourselves is endless. It wouldn’t be so bad if this barrage of negativity didn’t create anything, but it actually does. These resistant thoughts stop you from moving forward. They block your way and keep you stuck, sometimes for years. These resistant thoughts keep you in jobs where you are being bullied, in marriages that are not working, in friendships that have long since served their purpose, or in a state of lack. Lack of happiness, joy, money that ultimately can lead to severe anxiety and lack of good health. So, how do you change this? It’s easier than you think. All you have to do is create non-resistant thoughts and everything will unfold accordingly. This is where your imagination comes in, and we are going to use The Bridge Visualisation

to help you do this. I’d like you to think of something you want to create in your life. It could be anything, from a new washing machine or car, to a beautiful baby, because it’s the same energetic-mental-emotional process. Now close your eyes. Listen to your breath ebbing and flowing. Visualise yourself in a beautiful field near a river. It’s a gorgeous day. You can feel the warm sun on your face. The birds are singing and there are the most vibrant flowers leading down into a flowing river. As you get closer to the water, you see a bridge. This is an old, strong, sturdy bridge that will easily take your weight. Think about what you want to create in your life. You are on one side of this bridge, and what you want to create is on the other side, waiting for you. It could be a lover, a new house, or good health. Start walking slowly toward the bridge and take just one step onto it. Don’t worry – just see yourself taking that one step. If you are nervous or afraid of taking the step, tell yourself it will be okay. The bridge is strong and will support you. The way is very clear and your desire awaits you on the other side. All you have to do is Just Keep Stepping. Well done! You are now on your way. You’ve stepped on that bridge, and now

you are moving in the direction of your creation. Draw this image of you on the bridge in your journal – even colour it in – and know that as you do this simple nonresistant visualisation and drawing, you are imprinting upon your subconscious mind a clear path to your desire. You can see what you want on the other side, waiting for you, and all you have to do is Just Keep Stepping… This visualisation is available on my website below, or join me on Insta Live every Wednesday night at 9 pm (@ judith_mcadam). Never underestimate the power of your imagination. judithmcadam.com

“The way is very clear and your desire awaits you on the other side. All you have to do is Just Keep Stepping.”

GET A FIGHTING FIT IMMUNE SYSTEM THIS SPRING! To help fight against colds and flus, Dr. Wolz has formulated a range of immune complexes to help get you through. Zell Oxygen Immunkomplex boosts the immune system, provides the body with a wide range of nutrients, helps to heal and strengthen your body at a cellular level, helps to overcome the symptoms of burnout and chronic fatigue. Also ideal to take when undergoing intense training.

Immun Select is a formulation in capsule form to help improve Immunity containing Zinc, Quercetin, Vitamin C, Beneficial Bacteria, Immune boosting beta-glucanns and Antioxidants. 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, beneficial bifido bacteria’s and more. And an easy, flavourless powder your kids will love. Also suitable for adults and during pregnancy.

Ask your health shop or www.rossmorehealth.com Or Call us +44 2886769873

ne (including

Fitness and Nutrition Awards 2019

Voted Best Online Health & Wellness Coaching Training Coach 2019 & Leading Experts in Holistic Training & Education 2019

Best Online Health & Wellness Coaching Training Coach 2019 Upon completion of this course, you will earn 63 hours & for ICF Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH)™ Leading Experts in Holistic Trainingto&change Education 2019 this year If you are looking your career sign up with our award winning company and Become a Health and Wellness Coach!

When registering, let us know that you have seen this ad to get your € 100 discount!

Best Online Health & Wellness Coaching Training Coach 2019

POSITIVE HOME

bring in

the new A NETTLE RITUAL TO WELCOME THE EQUINOX.

by Amanda Sophia

Spring Equinox / Ostara – March 2021 Welcome to the Spring Equinox, a time that brings energies of blossoming, rebirth, renewal, and awakening your inner child. Day and night are of equal length in perfect equilibrium; nature is coming alive. Dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer are all in balance. Some powerful questions for self-inquiry What is stirring within you and wants to be born and blossom? What needs grounding or feels unsettled? Where could you find more balance? Journal about this and let the magic flow. A Spring Equinox Ritual Using Nettles for Healthy Boundaries, Empowerment & Grounding Medicinal nettles have been used by our ancestors for centuries. Nature offers us an abundance of this deeply nourishing wild plant that symbolises healthy, strong boundaries. It’s a superfood and spring tonic. It supports kidney and liver function. The leaves contain vitamins A, C, and many B complex vitamins, in addition to beta-carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. Nettles are healing. They can be applied to cuts, wounds, and burns. They also treat hay fever, asthma, anemia, cystitis, high blood pressure, and eczema. Nettles teach us about boundaries, protection, and the empowerment of standing in one’s truth. If you touch the leaf, you get a sting, caused by formic acid from the leaf. But to cure a nettle sting, you rub a dock leaf over the irritation, and dock

leaves tend to grow next to nettles. Mother Nature gives us exactly what we need, as long as we are willing to tune in. Three doses of nettles in Spring will prevent any disease for the rest of the year.

“Nettles teach us about boundaries, protection, and the empowerment of standing in one’s truth.” How to perform the Tea Nettle Ritual 1. When gathering, ask the land if you can pick them, then honour the answer. Be careful to hold the centre of the leaf or wear gloves, as their sting can leave blisters on your hands. 2. Bring them home to dry in a warm window. 3. You can also get organic dried nettles at your local health food store. 4. A lone or in a circle with your beloveds, call upon your ancestors who have walked the path before you and would like to join for the highest good. 5. Set the intention to create healthy boundaries in both your human and spirit forms.

8. Use spring water for the tea. As you brew your tea, bless the spring water and give deep gratitude to the waters and the earth and ask that it bless you with love, peace, and grace for the highest good on your journey. 9. If more than one is experiencing the ritual, request that it be done in silence. 10. Brew the tea and allow it to sit for eight minutes. 11. Pour the tea for each beloved. 12. Holding the cup with both hands mindfully, feel the heat of the tea and allow the warmth to drop you into the present moment. 13. Look at the tea and notice everything you can about its appearance, how the leaves gather in the bottom of the cup. 14. Feel the magic of every sip as the tea moves down through your throat and brings you into your body and empowerment. Smell the aroma. 15. Feel the nettles filling you with the strength to speak and stand in your truth. 16. Close the sacred space by giving thanks to your ancestors and the spirits of the tea, to communicate that the ritual and line of energy are closed until next time.

6. Light a candle. joinamandasophia.com

7. Set the tea table, and if you have fresh nettles, place them in a vase as a centrepiece, or burn dried nettles, as they also clear the energy of the space.

POSITIVE PE ACE

real world

realisations MASTER IMAGINATION FOR LESS FEAR AND MORE PEACE. by Sandy Newbigging

Words cannot describe the relief that came to me the day I discovered that my memories from the past, irrespective of how bad or sad, were only accessible now via my imagination. Shockingly, the same went for my fears about the future. For years I had literally been scared by my mind and imagination. From that moment on, any therapy to find peace with past memories and future concerns became so much easier, and less daunting, once I played with the possibility that the past or future was nothing more than imagined stories in my mind.

“my fears exist mainly in my mind...rarely in the real world of this moment.”

PRODUCT OF MY OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION

around. Right now, wherever you happen to be, is ‘your world’. We tend to leave ‘our world’ and reach into ‘other worlds’ that are not actually happening right here or now. We reach into the ‘news world’ and accidentally start believing the news is happening in our living room. Or we reach into the ‘social media world’, read about other people’s worlds, and again, can bring things into ‘our world’ that are upsetting or unsettling, for example. Staying in our personal world is not about spiritual bypassing or denying reality. Quite the opposite. It’s about returning to ‘real reality’ and not letting our mind and imagination negatively impact our inner peace and empowerment. Try this quick Reality Check protocol for letting go of the mind and returning to the moment:

When I was a child, I snuck into the television room late one evening and watched the movie ‘Jaws’. It scared me to death! For weeks after seeing the movie I couldn’t sleep; I was convinced the massive shark from the movie was hiding in my bedroom wardrobe, waiting for me to go to sleep before it came out to eat me. Now, looking back on it, I can’t help but laugh at the thought of a giant fish living in my wardrobe, but at the time it felt so real that I would sweat and shake from fear. When my parents tried to tell me it wasn’t real, it was just my imagination, I didn’t believe them because it felt so real. But they spoke the truth, and gave me one of the most important lessons of my life. I’ve now discovered that my fears exist mainly in my mind – in either my imagined past or future – and rarely in • Visual: Notice an object that is currently the real world of this moment. Please in your field of vision that you were take a second to consider this possibility. unaware of previously. (Do not look at it Although the perceived problems that directly. Use your peripheral vision.) appear to cause us emotional stress • Audio: Notice a sound that is currently may feel real, they exist more in our occurring in your proximity that you imagination than in reality. were unaware of previously. Just because a problem feels real, it • Touch: Notice something that you doesn’t mean it exists in the reality of now. are physically touching that you were I appreciate this might be a bit unaware of previously. hard to swallow at first, in particular if your memories feel real and appear to be Becoming attentive to these visual, impacting your peace today. However, for auditory and kinaesthetic things in your the sake of your health and happiness, I immediate environment helps you to invite you to explore whether much of your tune into ‘your world’. The power of this stress and negative emotions are caused by protocol comes from noticing what’s over-thinking about the past and future. already present, that we’ve been missing When we are upset about things because we’ve been too caught up in our that have happened before, or might mind. This protocol requires a higher level happen later, we are essentially ‘feeling of present moment awareness, which also our thinking’. Therefore, if we want to fear causes a calmer and clearer mind. less and experience more peace in daily life, By staying in our ‘here-and-nowthen we must master our imagination. world’, and not spending our days lost in If we aren’t careful, we could our imagination, we can even find that we spend years trying to fix, and find peace already have ‘world peace’. Before rejecting with, stuff that’s happened in the past, this possibility, give this awareness-raising when all the time, we can find peace far exercise a go and see what you discover. more quickly by no longer letting our imagination get the better of us. We can spend more time in the reality of the present moment. Sandy is the creator of the popular Mind Detox

WHAT WORLD ARE YOU LIVING IN? Irrespective of where you are reading this, take a moment to stop and have a look

and Mind Calm methods. Visit his website for more on his online mentoring sessions, club and academy. sandynewbigging.com

supporting community

wellness WE CHAT TO HEALTH STORES IRELAND.

by Aisling Cronin Maintaining great health and supporting small businesses have emerged as top priorities for many of us over the last year. Communities all over Ireland have come to deeply appreciate the dedication, care and expertise offered by small, independent health stores. These stores have, in many cases, served as community hubs, connecting people who share a passion for optimising their wellbeing, while also supporting local producers. Small health stores are the places that many of us visit for food and care products that will nourish us, and conversations that will sustain us. The friendliness and knowledge levels of small store owners and staff are second to none. With this in mind, I was pleased to chat with Alan McGrath of Health Stores Ireland, to learn more about the association and the role they play in supporting independent health stores across the length and breadth of the country. ‘We represent over 70 retailers, from Bandon to Buncrana,’ he explained. ‘This would include individual “mom and pop shops”, with maybe one or two people on staff, to groups like Health Matters in

“We give store owners a space to share and learn from other stores. People are very generous with their time and advice.” Leinster, Evergreen in Galway, or Horans in Munster, who would have a few stores. Our role as an association is primarily to give people a network. So we have a members’ forum that enables people to exchange ideas and information, and we also do surveys and training programmes to benefit our members and give them new skills and information.’ A core part of the group’s ethos is to ensure that health store staff are fully trained in hygiene and safety protocols. ‘The primary aim of our health food stores is the promotion of natural foodstuffs, organically grown where possible, as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle,’ Alan told me. ‘We have a rigorous hygiene protocol in place to ensure high standards of safety in our stores. We have a specific code of ethics, helping our stores

to trade responsibly, and we are proud of that.’ Community resilience has emerged as a strong theme for societies around the world over the past year. Moving forward requires that we work together – on an international scale, right down to small towns and villages – and pool our resources. Alan believes that the greatest strength of the Irish Health Stores association is its spirit of cooperation and inclusiveness. ‘We give store owners a space to share and learn from other stores. The nature of the group is that people are very generous with their time and advice, so anybody who comes into the group finds very quickly that it adds an incredible value to their business model.’ ‘We’ve found that over the last few years, the local health store has begun to play a role that is similar to the one corner shops would have played two or three decades ago,’ he added. ‘More and more often, the local health food store is turning into a small community hub, and we are here to support that.’ irishhealthstores.com

HEALTH FOOD STORE

Unit 17 Carlow Shopping Centre, Carlow

Supplements

Wholefoods

Sports Nutrition

Natural Skincare

Eco Friendly Household Cleaning

Take Away Organic Coffee Menu

Tel: 071 9634411 Email: tesscall@gmail.com Address: Elphin St., Strokestown, Co. Roscommon At Healthy Beings we have a superb range of vitamins and supplements: _ A Vogel, Biocare, Natures Plus, Macánta, Revive. _ Organic Skin Care & Body Products - Burts Bees, Dead Sea Magik, Kinvara, Seavite. _ Eco Cleaning and household products including refill service. _ A wide selection of Wholefoods, herb spices vegetarian & vegan options available. _ Gift Hampers ‘Made to Order’ _ Gift Vouchers available Services Available include:

059 9131008 info@aliveandwell.ie www.aliveandwell.ie @aliveandwellhealthstorecarlow www.facebook.com/AliveandWellHealthStore

_ _ _

Allergy Testing Chiropody/Podiatry Essential Oils

_ _ _

Holistic Therapies Nutritional Therapy Reflexology

Member of the Health Stores Ireland

The Tattie Hoaker Health Food Store

Goff Street, Roscommon F42EK20 (090)6630492

A Healthstore in the heart of West Cork Supplying health foods, dietary supplements, Eco-friendly homeware solutions. Fairtrade & ethically sourced gifts & much more.

Roscommon’s only independent Health food store since 2001. Twenty years of serving our community. We are open as usual Monday to Saturday 10-6. Selling supplements, organic food and skincare, gifts etc.

Wide range of therapies available in our therapy rooms (post lockdown) call and collect available.

Loop de Loop Healthstore Bank Place - Castletownbere - West Cork 027 70770 loopdeloop.ie facebook.com/TattieHoaker

POSITIVE PERSONALITY

spirit-infused

creations

DESIGNER TAHNEE MORGAN ON HER INSPIRATIONS. by Aisling Cronin Tahnee Morgan is an award-winning milliner and designer who creates beautiful semi-precious gemstone necklaces, beaded bracelets, cashmere, wool and silk scarves and other accessories through her company, 7th Heaven. Her spiritual journey took an extraordinary turn after she had a near-death experience in 2009, following complications from a surgical procedure. Tahnee found her psychic powers increased and she acquired the ability to heal and even predict some future events.

From that time onwards, I found myself spontaneously channelling messages for people I would meet, people at the supermarket till, people who would come to see me through my millinery business ... and my intuitive third eye grew so much that I knew I had to really commit to my spiritual journey. I was lucky enough to travel to the Himalayas in India with a pilgrimage group, and I found it deeply spiritual and grounding. I’ve been over and back many times since then.

This very personal, life-changing phenomenon inspired Tahnee to visit India for mindfulness retreats and engage in soulful meditation, in order to reconnect with her true Divine self.

“I told the angels I wanted to go back to my life – and we agreed that I would work with them once I did.”

I was thrilled to talk to Tahnee about her beautiful experiences.

How did your journey begin? Over ten years ago, I went through a neardeath experience, after I got my tonsils removed and ended up getting a clot in my throat. I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. The minute the ambulance doors closed behind me, I had a seizure – it was very sudden, and although I could hear what was going on, I was going in and out of my body. I could feel my spirit moving towards a place that was filled with beautiful golden light. I felt like I was embraced in the breast of a very large swan – which was Archangel Michael – and the divine lights of heaven. To me, they looked like sparks: little flares of light orbs. Archangel Michael’s colour was a gorgeous cobalt blue, like the blue part of a flame. I talked to the angels – I told them I wanted to go back to my life – and we agreed that I would work with them once I went back to earth. So I ended up returning to my body very suddenly.

What inspired you to create 7th Heaven? The thing that really inspired 7th Heaven, for me, was a trip to Mary Magdalene’s grotto in France. During the time that I was there, I was woken up one night by a

voice of an angel, repeatedly saying the words ‘seventh heaven.’ I didn’t know what they meant until I returned home. Two days later, I was awoken in the middle of the night by an angelic voice saying, ‘work with us using our colours.’ I asked, ‘what do you mean?’ and they responded, ‘we will guide you to choose the right colours that represent our energy.’ That night, they channeled through me the whole night to create seven scarves, which would correspond with the seven colours of the Archangels. This later expanded into bracelets and jewellery.

I know that you have experienced many powerful spiritual realisations over the years, and you were involved in the discovery of Kingdom Water. Can you tell us more about that? Yes, that happened in 2018, when my son and I went down to visit my friend Michelle Keane (founder of Kingdom Water) for a few days. She lives in a gorgeous part of Kerry. I remember one evening after supper, I was drawn to open

a bottle of Archangel Michael holy water from Ballinskelligs well, that had been sitting in a press. When I opened the cap, I got unbelievably hot, and I knew from my many past experiences that I was about to be channelled. I felt a flood of angelic messages come through, telling me about seven ancient spring wells – three grouped in one area and four grouped in another area – which had been buried for hundreds of years, deep under Michelle’s land. They gave me the names and the descriptions of Michelle’s ancestors. During that angelic channelling, Michelle was able to validate who these ancestors were. It was a fascinating couple of hours – Michelle tells the whole story in her book, ‘The Discovery of Kingdom Water.’

COMPETITION TIME Tahnee has generously offered the following competition prizes: - Angel Raphael Peacock Green Cashmere Wrap Scarf for Healing, Travel & Guidance - Men's Green Malachite bracelet for Growth, Abundance & Healing - Men's Matte Black Bracelet for Strength, Power & Protection - Angel Raphael Green Bracelet for Healing, Travel & Guidance - Angel Michael Blue Bracelet for Protection, Strength & Courage

How to Win: We will post this article to our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages shortly after the magazine goes to print. To win, just go to any of our social media pages, find the competition post, then share it. Make sure you tag us, so we know you’ve done it. Winners will be selected through a random draw in You can find 7thheaven.ie on Instagram, May. Good luck! Facebook and Twitter. Our full interview with Tahnee is available on our YouTube channel – just search ‘Positive Life Magazine’ to find us. For more on Tahnee and her beautiful accessories, go to: 7thheaven.ie

Designed with a story, inspired by the 7 Arch Angel colours to guide & support - www.7thHeaven.ie

POSITIVE TANTR A

imagine

orgasm THE TEETERING MOMENT.

by Dawn Cartwright

“There’s a part of your brain that has never forgotten who you truly are … and this part of you is ready for action, anytime, any place. For real.”

You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope some day you’ll join us And the world will be as one ~ John Lennon ~ There’s a sort of exquisite agony at the turning point in orgasm. That teetering moment when we finally let go and open to the wild expanse of who we truly are. Scientists have done MRI studies of the brain during orgasm, showing us this teetering process from the neurological perspective. During sexual pleasure, the MRI shows that the brain glows and fades like clouds on a stormy day until, all at once, it lights up – the entire brain lights up! – at the moment of orgasm. It’s the same kind of brain activity that occurs during deep meditation and flow states and any time we gain access to the unfiltered experience of being ourselves. Already, reading this, you may have discovered your body coming alive – just a little. This is because there’s more than just the body involved when it comes to pleasure, orgasm and self-discovery. Our imagination (our knowing and remembering) is an important part of the experience too. What?! Orgasm and Imagination? How Is That Even Possible? It’s sort of mind-blowing to consider imagination as a doorway to ecstasy, yet it’s true. Your imagination is one of your super powers and it works like this . . . Say you wake up in the middle of the night with an overwhelming desire for a midnight snack. In total darkness and sleep-infused grogginess, you navigate your way through the house and end up at the fridge. This is possible because your brain has a map, including obstacles (if you have kids, errant Legos are not part of this map), laid out from past experience. Your brain knows how to get you there because it contains a map from your past experience. It knows where ‘there’ is without the usual sensory input – like

seeing the door, the stairs, the kitchen, etc. Now we’re going to activate this super power you’ve always had, yet have taken for granted, in a way that’s even more precise. Imagine you had pizza for dinner last night and there’s one last slice in your fridge right now. Imagine that pizza. See it in your mind’s eye. Take in the aroma. Taste it. (Don’t just read this exercise, do it now.) What did you experience? Yep, about 75% of you were able to taste pizza without even taking a bite. Or, at the very least, saw pizza without even seeing pizza. Right? How did that happen? It happened the same way imagination, pleasure and orgasm happen. There’s a part of your brain that has never forgotten who you truly are (by the way, in case you haven’t already figured this out, orgasm is the all-too-brief experience of your totality) and this part of you is ready for action, anytime, any place. For real. All you need to do is trust. Try this. Here’s a real life orgasm experiment created by the great orgasm research scientist, Barry Komisaruk, at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Tap your thumb with your middle finger for about 30 seconds. (Are you tapping? Tap, people!!!) Then, stop tapping your thumb with your middle finger and imagine you are tapping your thumb with your middle finger. Stay focused. Have a little faith. Did you feel your middle finger tapping your thumb? (If not, keep practising.) In a very short time your brain will map out the feeling of your middle finger tapping your thumb and you’ll be able to access that feeling anytime you wish. In fact, the parts of your brain that light up when your middle finger is tapping your thumb will light up even more when you imagine the tapping than when the tapping is actually happening.

(Bet you never thought orgasm research could be this exciting.) While I’ve got you here in the lab, let’s try one more experiment. Get some privacy. Touch your body right now in a way that is pleasurable. Take some time, not a lot, not a little. Give yourself at least 3 minutes to experience the pleasure of your own touch. Then, stop. Sit back. Imagine you’re touching your body in that same way. Feel the same pleasure. If you don’t feel anything right away, don’t be discouraged. Each time you practice, you’re reinforcing pleasure pathways in your body and brain. Hidden super powers ready to be revealed. So, to review. One way we experience orgasm is through the senses. It happens when we see, taste, touch, hear, smell or feel sensations that bring pleasure and we allow those sensations to build. Your imagination is one of your many super powers. It’s the part of you that has never forgotten who you are and knows, deep inside, the pleasure and freedom of being you. The ecstasy and bliss of orgasm. Even when you’re not being touched. Even in the dark. Even with Legos strewn all over the floor.

Dawn Cartwright is a Neo Tantra visionary, sacred writer, world traveler, and innovator in authentic lovemaking and Neo Tantra fusion. dawncartwright.com

the

sweet spot FOR A POSITIVE LIFE. by Foster Gamble – Creator, Thrive Movies and Movement

“The better we balance our inflow and outflow of energy, the more centred we are, and the more productive and positive we can be.”

As a drummer, I called it “the groove.” As an athlete I was always looking to be in “the zone.” As an instructor of the nonviolent martial art of aikido, I trained and taught about centring in the “hara” or “dantien” – the “One Point.” I knew this phenomenon was one of the keys to a successful, enjoyable and positive life, but I had no idea how vast the implications were until I started traveling around the world checking out various inventors, healers and shamans. This was the vetting quest that would ultimately lead to my commitment to create THRIVE II: This Is What It Takes. The star of our film is The Unified Field. It turns out that scientists like Einstein, Bohm, Wheeler, Fuller, Russell and Young came to agree with mystics like the Dalai Lama - that we all live within a boundless sea of energy that creates and connects everything. I got to ask the Dalai Lama in person one day, “What is at your leading-edge? What are you most excited about these days?” He answered, “Meeting with western physicists…because they are finally starting to get it!” It turns out that this sea of energy is always in motion, always spiraling in infinite doughnut-shaped vortices – from the smallest Planck Units through the vast clustering of galaxies. Every one of these fractal torus forms is centred by stillness. As individual humans, we too are this fundamental pattern. The better we balance our inflow and outflow of energy – physically, emotionally and mentally – the more centred we are, and the more productive and positive we can be.’ Dr. Todd Ovokaitys showed us his discovery that a “phase – conjugation” of sound waves and laser light could be balanced in such a way that the inflow and outflow ‘created a still point, whose resonance could awaken billions of dormant human stem cells that were capable of astounding physical healing. Think back to a time you were singing in the shower. All of a sudden you hit a particular note that resonated beyond all of the others. The surrounding acoustic energy jumped to a new level. Think of a time when you were watching a sunset or sitting in deep meditation and an

unusual level of stillness invited a sense of boundless connection with the cosmos… At once you could hear the birds speaking to one another… or the beating of your heart in rhythm with the cycle of your breath. The shamans and breath workers with whom I have visited have repeatedly spoken of relaxing the body, letting the emotions flow freely, focusing the mind, and opening the portal to cosmic consciousness. This process has been a source of profound guidance and deep healing for me. More than 20 years ago, as

my scientific investigations into the geometric nature of energy began to merge with my societal research into covert agendas that stood in the way of humanity thriving, I kept running up against the limitations of my intellect. In frustration, I would often get up from my desk and just go for a walk, take a nap or meditate. I began to realise that if my burning questions were clearly posed, I would very frequently get full-blown answers from these more subtle states of consciousness. I would be shown patterns in dreams that were exactly the next level of the inner shells of a particular element in the periodic table that I was trying to solve. A sudden flash while walking in the redwoods would show me the connection amongst various banking, media, health and energy schemes. The process filled me with awe and gratitude as I realised its potential. I made a pledge to the universe that in return for showing me what I was ready for, and needed to know, I would collect and cohere the relevant information and get it back out to humanity in as compelling a form as

possible. ‘To this day, I still always carry a recorder with me and have a pad by my bedside to take notes as they come through the portal of stillness from the Akasha. THRIVE reflects much of this guidance. Dr. Robert Young teaches in THRIVE II that a conscious and balanced lifestyle is the greatest healer of all. A wise combination of healthy diet, good sleep, sufficient exercise and managed stress will keep our interstitial fluids in the “zone” that balances our acidity with our alkalinity. This supports the electrical communication between the still points at the center of each blood cell to resonate in harmony with one another, so they can joyously get their job done of supporting our well-being and creativity. All of these instances of the power of tuning to the still point lead inexorably toward an enhanced experience of love in one’s life. When we are in radiant balance, others are drawn to that vibration. When we are truly still enough to fully listen to the communications from a friend, a lover, a work associate or even a plant or pet, we will experience the placid reality of connectedness. The energy will rise to the next level and they will relish being seen, heard and loved. The individual human being is an organic version of the Free Energy devices we show in THRIVE II - a free energy conduit between the atom and the cosmos, between the Earth and the sun. It is the potential into which we were born, and the calling for which we awaken each day. The great news is that energetically we are already the oak that lives in the still point of the acorn. We are exactly where we need to be in our path of unfoldment. We are held and loved by the entirety of existence. In any moment when we are willing to shrug off unnecessary baggage from the past and useless tension about the future, we can consciously manifest our sweet spot in this miraculous adventure and thrive in a positive life! Thriveon.com

“All of these notions of different frequency ’settings’, if you like – 3D, 4D, 5D and so on – they are all collapsing into one infinite slipstream.”

embodying the new

human A CONVERSATION WITH JACQUELINE HOBBS. by Aisling Cronin Interviewer: Paul Congdon

Jacqueline, also called Oracle Girl, has become a well-known figure over the last few years. She helps people to switch on their own ability to purify themselves and others of the ‘slave self’, which limits and shuts down our infinite being with family patterns, personal issues, and outdated beliefs. Her purification events, videos, tracks and messages have now been seen and heard by people all over the world. During a recent Positive Nights event with Jacqueline, we had the opportunity to speak to her and learn more about her work. She led the event with a powerful opening message, intended to bring up an energy of deep peace in all who attended. Real silence is very active. When it’s at the right frequency, it really switches you on, and your self-healing ability will start to strip out the ‘slave self’ automatically. The more we can work with that real silence, the better. When we all join there, everything takes care of itself, so there is nothing to worry about. It’s going to be okay. Your body knows exactly what to do, and you came here for these times. Just pay attention to your body. There’s no need to change anything. Right now, I am generating a stronger and stronger signal, which a certain part of you is picking up. I don’t ‘go into you’. I don’t take anything out. I’m not a healer. I just emit a strong frequency, like a wavelength, and your body picks it up.

It activates an area within your source connection that contains instructions that you brought here for these times. We’re all a bit like ‘sleeper agents’! These instructions are not affected by what’s going on in the outside world. They are already in you, just waiting for the speed of your whole personal field to pick up and oscillate in a certain way. And as soon as it does, your self-healing ability starts to switch on. You start to delete something called ‘the slave self’ from your being. The slave self is a setting that keeps you limited and unable to embody your infinite self.

“Once you begin to vibrate at the level of the new embodied self … the mind blossoms, transforming from a ‘controller’ into an amazing instrument.” Paul: We’re delighted to be with you Jacqueline. Let’s talk about patterns. How do they get stuck within us, or within our ancestral line, and how we can shift them? Jacqueline: Let’s start at the beginning – you are a new embodied human, and

within you, you have a fixture, or a setting, that is called the ‘slave self’, which vibrates at a certain frequency. Within that setup of the ‘slave self’, there is a nexus of what you’re calling patterns. All of those patterns mesh together. If you are vibrating at the level of the new embodied human, you start to purify and delete the slave self and automatically erase your patterns. If, however, you are vibrating at the level of the slave self, you start to experience life from inside a kind of box. Then you become consumed by trying to resolve, or get out of, your patterns. Until recently, the ‘default setting’ for most of humanity has been the level of the slave self. What has happened since then is that in concert with the Earth, your own body technology has started to work on a different level, ejecting the slave self. We have two timelines on the planet right now: a timeline where some of humanity are still vibrating at the level of the slave self; and another timeline where humans are upgrading – and they are upgrading physically and biologically. The issue is not about upgrading your consciousness or trying to remove your patterns. You need to upgrade physically, so that your carrier ‘vessel’, if you like, can hold that new high-frequency being that is meshing with this reality. When you start to unravel the slave self, your patterns start to disappear. Paul: The topic of this conversation is ‘the new embodied human’ – let’s really give people a sense of that new human. Can you talk to us about what that feels like?

“Real silence is very active. When it’s at the right frequency, it really switches you on.”

Jacqueline: Definitely! The new human is totally alive. There is still struggle and there is still pain … but you will also be able to feel the directness of reality in all of the positive areas of life as well. And because your biology will be more sensitive, and able to receive a wider bandwidth of frequencies, your physical body will begin to change. Sometimes you will have ‘symptoms’, if you like, of your body starting to manifest different abilities, or the changing of your cellular and skeletal structure. You might feel so much coursing energy, at times, that you won’t know what to do with it! This is a sign of your body ‘revving up’ to carry out those instructions that exist within your source connection: instructions that are physically there for this time. You can also feel, at this time, as though one part of your being is trying to move forward, while another part of you is trying to turn around and move you backwards.

Jacqueline: It’s a bit of both! Once you start to oscillate and actually exist at the new high frequency level, you experience your mind – which is a part of the slave self – feeling quite unreal, because it starts to slip away and become quieter. While you’re still vibrating at the level of the slave self, however, the mind is incredibly real. It’s a bit like a knot that you can’t slip, because you are vibrating at the same level as the installation that you are fixated on, and actually operating within. Spiritual teachers tend to invest a lot of time in trying to sort out the mind … but you can’t use a robber to catch a thief. Once you begin to vibrate at the level of the new embodied self, what happens is that the mind actually blossoms, transforming from a ‘controller’ into an amazing instrument.

don’t need to ask what to do. At that point, the slave self – which blocks your natural sense of spontaneity – no longer has a grip on you. You find yourself naturally doing what you’re meant to do. You don’t need to think about it, because it’s just you being you. You’re not meditating to find out what your deepest wisdom is, because you are already that wisdom, in human form. So I don’t tell anybody what they should or shouldn’t do. When I speak in my recordings, the words that come out are actually not instructions, even if they might seem so. They are literally just the words that need to be heard in that moment to keep everyone vibrating at the level they need to be at, in order to complete their higher embodiment process.

Paul: When it comes to world events, how much attention or resistance should people give to what’s going on?

Paul: How do you feel about the word ‘ascension’ and the term ‘ascension process’? There’s a lot of talk at the moment about humanity moving from 3D to 5D.

Paul: When you talk about the ‘slave self’, it brings to mind a beautiful statement I once heard about the conscious mind: ‘it’s not real.’ When I said that to myself, it enabled me to allow it to drift away. Do you think that could be applied to the slave self, too? Would you see it as real or not?

Jacqueline: You’re asking a question about action, which is a very difficult question to answer in the realm of spirituality sometimes, because there are all sorts of rules and teachings. But from the new embodied human perspective, you don’t really need to ask the question. You

Jacqueline: All these ideas are completely obsolete. You’re not diving into different dimensions – you are multidimensionality turning up here, in physical form. You are actually jetpacking all of the different dimensions into you. All of these notions

of different frequency ’settings’, if you like – 3D, 4D, 5D and so on – they are all collapsing into one infinite slipstream. Paul: Are we stepping into a new ‘lightbody’, do you feel? That’s another very common term I’ve heard. Jacqueline: Again, this term is part of the current spiritual paradigm. It’s not about taking on a ‘lightbody.’ We are muscling up into a much more physically advanced body, which is lighter, but much denser. That sounds like a contradiction in terms, but let me put it like this: the speed of the body will greatly increase, but the experience of having a body will feel much heavier. However, you will be able to move with it and process everything faster and faster. This is why we’re experiencing time collapsing. During the second half of our event, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Jacqueline themselves. One person initiated an interesting discussion about whether we have ‘souls’, as they have been traditionally understood. Jacqueline: The soul is a concept or an idea left over from another time, when actually, you could say it was accurate. However, it isn’t anymore. The new set of realities that we’re taking on now … you could point to a certain aspect of yourself where a part of the ‘soul’ teaching might be true, but we’re getting to a point where you have to step away from the old

teachings. We can’t just continue to repeat them anymore. Another attendee asked Jacqueline whether the arts – music, dancing, and other creative pursuits – would continue to exist in our new reality. They beautifully asked her, ‘do we become the new myths?’

“All of these notions of different frequency ’settings’, if you like – 3D, 4D, 5D and so on – they are all collapsing into one infinite slipstream.” Jacqueline: Yes, lovely question! We are the heroes of our own dramas. I often say, ‘I am my own masterpiece,’ and so are each and every one of you. We are engaged in an epic adventure of redefining ourselves, in a time-lapse reality that is falling away. We are our own legend, but we are also fact made true, in the same breath. We’re writing the greatest story on Earth right now, which is why I often call my events ‘Future re-write’. Another person asked a question about letting go of relationships that no longer feel aligned.

Jacqueline: Let’s keep things practical. You can’t hold onto something that is meant to leave. No matter how hard you try, it will eventually go. So just see what leaves: it’s not so much about letting go. Because we’re in a time where certain things that exist within a particular bandwidth are falling away, you need to make sure that you are moving in a direction that is right for you. When you do that, whatever is meant to leave will leave naturally, and everything that is meant to stay will solidify. One attendee asked Jacqueline, ‘what is your vision for the future? Jacqueline: I see it not so much as a vision, but as a reality that is already coming forward. I see humans moving into more communities – both digitally and on the ground. I see humans aligning more with nature’s principles, and they are also thinking for themselves more. You may not see much evidence of that in the bandwidths that are currently leaving, but in the higher frequency ones that are going to be staying, you are freer than you ever have been. You can watch our full interview with Jacqueline on our YouTube channel – just search ‘Positive Life Magazine’ to find us. We highly recommend checking out the full interview, as it contains a great deal of information that we couldn’t fit into these pages! For more on Jacqueline, go to: oraclegirl.org

cresting the crypto wave IS CASH STILL KING? by Aisling Cronin Change is the buzz word of the moment. Our world is in flux and many traditional systems are being re-examined. For many, the financial system is at the top of that list. Cryptocurrencies have been garnering a lot of attention in alternative living communities. Chances are, you have heard of some famous ones: Bitcoin, Etherum and XRP are a few of the best-known crypto offerings on the market, each with their own pros and cons.

In keeping with the theme of this issue – imagination – we decided to take a closer look. Let’s start with the basics: what is cryptocurrency? And what differentiates this kind of currency from the money we use in everyday life? Fiat money (euro, pounds, dollars, yen, etc.) is a term used to describe government-issued currency that has been designated as legal tender in its country of origin. It is not backed by any particular commodity (such as gold or silver) – as many world currencies were in the past – but derives its value from broad market use: i.e., the collective actions of those who exchange fiat currency decide how much it is worth at any given time. Fiat money can be issued in the form of coins and notes, as well as existing in a digital form. This is the type of money we use every day. Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, typically do not exist in physical form (like paper money) and are not issued by a central authority. They use decentralised systems of control, as opposed to centralised fiat banking systems.

“One major plus point of cryptocurrency, in the eyes of many users, is its transparency.” Individual cryptocurrency ownership records are stored in a computerised database, using strong cryptography to secure transaction records, control the creation of additional coins, and verify the transfer of coin ownership.

One major plus point of cryptocurrency, in the eyes of many users, is its transparency. While individual users of cryptocurrency remain anonymous, the transactions themselves are all stored on an open ledger (the blockchain). This means that the data is available to view by anyone at any time, which appeals to those who want a more transparent banking system. Cryptocurrency’s anonymity has won the favour of those who value their online privacy, and are wary of handing over too much digital data. One obstacle that has prevented cryptocurrencies from being universally adopted is that they are not yet well understood. The concept of a decentralised financial system, stored via blockchain, can be challenging to people who aren’t tech-savvy. At the moment, cryptocurrencies are not broadly used in everyday transactions. Most holders

of these currencies are treating them as investments: waiting for the market fluctuations to work in their favour, and seeking the most opportune moments to buy and sell their coins. Cryptocurrencies are not bound by customs adjustments, centralised regulations, or fluctuating political changes (as fiat currencies are), so market trends can be unpredictable. However, crypto lovers hope that as awareness grows, these currencies will be more commonly used in everyday transactions. Every budding technology initially faces a degree of uncertainty and resistance, and cryptocurrency is no different.

Could the crypto revolution be underway? This remains to be seen, but it certainly has the potential to inspire greater transparency in the way we do business. In years to come, we may well be able to point to the advent of cryptocurrency as a key development that reimagined the financial world as we knew it. If you are thinking of investing in cryptocurrency, make sure that you do your research, seek expert advice, and go with the currency that feels best for you. If you’re a total beginner in the world of cryptocurrencies, we recommend cryptocurrencyfacts.com, tradingbeasts.com and cryptocasey.com as great sources of information.

Welcome to Roaring Water Wholefoods on Schull’s Main Street We stock a good selection of Organic Wholefoods. A wide range of quality teas and coffees, a selection of chilled and frozen foods, beverages, organic chocolate and a good range of gluten free foods.

SISTERHOOD OF THE ROSE MEMBERSHIP

Seasonal locally grown vegetables and a large range of quality supplements.

with Sarah Richardson Modern Medicine Woman, Midwife, Healer & Teacher.

A good variety of ethical toiletries and cleaning products. We offer refills of selected cleaning products and toiletries.

Guiding, Supporting & Midwifing women through their rebirth through Spiritual Healing, Ceremonial Cacao & Womb Wisdom. Sisterhood of the Rose is an online community and tribe of like minded spiritual women & sisters, gathering together to heal, grow and rebirth.

WHATS INCLUDED: n

n n

Monthly Teaching Bundles with Videos, PDF workbooks, and lots of resources! Womens Wisdom & Practices, Rituals and Ceremony. Monthly Audio Meditation Downloads and Channelling. New Moon Rituals

A full monthly Astrology Forecast by our chief Astrologer - Rachelle Hicks Amazing Masterclasses with the best in their field for areas like Pleasure & Intimacy, Mediumship, Ancestral Healing, Feng Shui, Past Life Regression, and so much more

www.sarahrichardson.ie @sarahrichardson.ie

Homoeopathy, Kinesiology and Aura Soma Colour Care Clinics

At Food for Life, we carry a full range of natural and organic products such as Food, Vitamins, Skin Care and Household . We focus on stocking as much Irish products as possible supporting local providers. Buy Irish Support Local Stay Positive Test Negative With some small adjustments, such as healthy eating and healthy lifestyle you can improve your health. Kilkenny 0567761689 Callan 056 7725777 www.wellnesscentre.ie

We stock cards depicting local scenery and other treats and gifts. Our friendly staff are always keen to help with any queries. Simply call us on 028 27834 or pop by our store.

GOOD LIFE 2.0

cultivating our collective imagination WE NEED TO REWILD OUR IMAGINATION. WE MUST LEARN HOW TO DREAM AGAIN, AND WE HAVE TO LEARN THAT TOGETHER.” Extinction Rebellion by Davie Philip It has been said many times...the greatest crisis of these times is not the pandemic, mental health, growing inequality, or even the climate and ecological emergency. At its core, every crisis is a failure of imagination. Imagination is our superpower, an ability that allows us to tap into a greater sense of what is possible, enabling us to innovate, catalyse action and adapt. Sci-fi legend Ursula Leguin writes, ‘it is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.’ However, in these times of deepening division and despair, at precisely the moment we need to reimagine everything, this capacity is rapidly deteriorating. Many people are now convinced that the damage to our ecosystem is beyond repair, that catastrophic collapse is now inevitable, and positive change impossible. Others are in deep denial, or oblivious to the unique challenges we currently face. Both paths demonstrate a lack of imagination and both lead to inaction. According to George Monbiot In his book ‘Out of the Wreckage’, “As we rekindle our imagination, we discover our power to act. And that is the point at which we become unstoppable.” It is, of course, difficult to imagine a positive future when your basic needs aren’t being met, or when you are anxious or stressed. Imagination may seem like a luxury in a crisis, but to navigate the uncertainties ahead, our ability to re-imagine the future needs nurturing. If we revive and reclaim this extraordinary power, there is no end to what we might accomplish.

Rob Hopkins, a torch-bearer of local transitions, believes that we need to envision positive futures and take practical action to build community resilience everywhere. In his book, ‘From What is to What If’, he shares the stories of communities creatively applying the power of imagination to rebuild relationships, connect to nature and regenerate local economies.

“ Imagination is our superpower...” As the poet Rilke says... ‘the future must enter into you a long time before it happens’. We can’t co-create a different future, one in which we live in harmony with each other and in balance with nature, if we cannot imagine it first. Envisioning positive futures is a first step in creating a shared understanding and commitment for transformational change. Here are five suggestions on how we might begin to rewild our collective imagination. •S low down and make space for reflection - a daily practice and connecting with others can expand our capacity to imagine and act. •P ractise asking “what if” questions - a simple way to open up possibilities

• Facilitate collective imagination individual action is not enough. Use dialogue and participative practices that build community and ensure marginal voices are included. • Use visioning processes - for example, Backcasting: a method that starts by collaboratively imagining a desirable future and then working back to the present, identifying the actions that will be required to get there. • Stay hopeful and get active - imagination feeds off the aspirations that motivate us towards a better future. Show up - everyone has a role to play in the transition to a life-sustaining society.

OFN Ireland is at openfoodnetwork.ie. Davie Philip is a community catalyst at Cultivate, the sustainability cooperative based in Cloughjordan Ecovillage, and a network weaver with ECOLISE, the European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability. cultivate.ie

NEW

IRELAND’S NO.1 PREMIUM CBD MANUFACTURER

JOIN HEMPFUL’S GROUND BREAKING REWARDs PROGRAM FOR INDEPENDeNT HEALTH STORES TO BENEFIT SIMPLY CONTACT: BRETT.GILES@HEMPFUL.EU 02871 879 525 | 07493 95882 Certified and Regulated under European Legislation EC 852/2004 EC 1924/2006 EC 1169/2011 Directive 2002/46/EC FSAI & FSA REGISTERED

info@hempful.eu 02871 879 525 | 07493 95882 www.hempful.eu

POSITIVE MEDICINE

natural

boosts HOW TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH THIS YEAR.

by Michelle Sanchez - Naturopath, Nutritionist and Medical Herbalist

Taking control of your health and making your wellbeing a priority has never been more important. With so much uncertainty happening in the world, it’s important to maintain control of your physical and emotional health, and avoid feelings of overwhelm, stress and anxiety.

So, if you’ve let your health slide, or you’re not feeling as energised and focused as you should be, now is the time to empower yourself and take back the reins.

“If you want to make your health a priority this year, then why wait? Get started as soon as possible.” What factors can compromise your health?

Chronic stress negatively impacts health, and can cause a host of complications and conditions, including depression, infertility, fatigue and heart disease. When you get stressed, your nervous system responds by releasing the hormones cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream. This is known as ‘the fight or flight response’, and it results in certain changes within the body, to enable you to deal with stress accordingly. Constant stress changes the way your body functions, and can affect your hormones, blood pressure and digestive function. A poor diet that is high in sugar, refined carbohydrates (bread, pastries, pizza, cakes, pasta), fizzy drinks, juices/ cordials, junk food, pasteurised dairy and trans fats promotes inflammation and robs your body of essential nutrients. Sugar (in all its forms including refined carbohydrates and sweetened drinks) spikes your insulin levels, causing weight gain and blood sugar imbalances. Lack of exercise makes you feel sluggish and can contribute to weight gain. Exercise helps strengthen your muscles, including your heart muscle, which is essential for pumping blood around the body. It also keeps your blood vessels healthy, your cells well oxygenated, and your immune system strong.

Insufficient sleep changes your body’s circadian rhythm, which in turn impacts hormone production, dysregulates blood sugar levels, and contributes to unhealthy eating habits and weight gain. Smoking floods the body with toxic chemicals, which damages the DNA of cells, increases the formation of clots, and causes irreparable damage to your lungs and blood vessels. Alcohol and caffeine consumption creates acidity and inflammation in the body, and also increases heart rate and blood pressure. Eat more nutrient-dense, whole foods such as fruit and vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, sweet potato, blueberries), quinoa, chia seeds, nuts, beans and lentils. Go organic if you can, as organic produce contains more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than non-organic food. Widen your knowledge on nutrition and diet by taking a short online nutrition course where you can learn the fundamentals of a healthy diet and the essential nutrients needed to support your body through the life stages. Becoming aware of how to avoid harmful toxins, and boost your gut health and immune system

CNM

naturally, is also important. Set realistic health goals that fit in with your lifestyle. One of the issues with goal setting is being able to achieve them long-term. You might have very good intentions to get up at 5 a.m. to exercise every morning, but the reality of actually doing this is a different matter. Don’t set yourself up for failure; create achievable goals that you can fit around your family, work and other personal commitments. There is a powerful tool called the Wheel of Life that CNM Health Coaches use, which helps people understand each aspect of their life (health, career, relationships, environment, goals), to see which areas are thriving and which areas may need improvement. When you have a handle on this, you can then set goals to create balance in your life. Make time for exercise and regular movement. You don’t need to do high-intensity training or go for a ten-mile run; a brisk walk or an online yoga class can be just as effective for getting the blood pumping and moving your muscles. Reduce your stress levels by spending more time outside and making time for relaxation. Stop overcommitting yourself; an excessively busy schedule

only creates overwhelm. Self-care is also incredibly important, as it boosts your mood and self-confidence. Treat yourself to a massage, read a book, or take a bath with some relaxing essential oils such as lavender. Optimise your gut health by eating gut-healing foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, Brussels sprouts and garlic. Your gut houses 70% of your immune system cells and 90% of your serotonin receptors (serotonin is the neurotransmitter which helps stabilise mood and feelings of wellbeing), so a healthy gastrointestinal system is vital for your mental health and immune system. If you’ve let your health slip, and you want to make your health a priority this year, then why wait? Get started as soon as possible. Make time for regular exercise and relaxation, eat a nutritious diet and start setting realistic health goals you can achieve. When you feel empowered and in control of your health, anything is possible. CNM trains successful natural therapy professionals, online and in class. Colleges across the UK and Ireland. Visit naturopathy.ie or call 01 878 8060

COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

Attend a FREE Online Event

Training Successful Practitioners

Online and In Class

CHANGE CAREER

Train to become a…  Nutritionist  Acupuncturist  Herbalist  Homeopath

 Natural Chef NEW

Health Coach

Part-time studies Online & In Class

Short Course in Nutrition for Everyday Living Colleges in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast and across the UK

01 878 8060

www.cnmcourses.com

POSITIVELY ORGANIC

living on

the lawn A PLEDGE FOR A HAPPY PLACE!

by Hans Wieland

Lawns have always been a controversial and complex topic. “Rasen betreten verboten!” – “Keep off the grass!“ - is a running joke about the law and order obeying Germans, but I could easily counter that with the image of big family mansions in the Irish countryside surrounded by two acres of lawn and not a human in sight, sitting or playing on it. What is it with lawns that makes some people obsessed and others depressed? Here is my pledge for lawns as a place of happiness!

“Just imagine what your lawn could be...a small orchard...a soft fruit area...a herb garden...a mini woodland...”

Lawns as a status symbol – a very, very short history Historically, the first lawns were grass fields surrounding English and French castles, old English “launde” meant an “opening in the woods”. Formal lawns became popular with the aristocracy in northern Europe from the Middle Ages onward, when lawns were the perfect status symbol for the nobility. Keeping huge lawns in shape was very labour intensive. In Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, fifty people each day were employed to cut the grass and maintain the lawns. This all changed during the Industrial Revolution with the invention of the lawnmower in 1830. A perfectly mowed lawn became the ultimate suburban status symbol for the emerging middle classes, who could afford their own mini versions of wealthy manors, while working class people, living in industrial housing estates, grew vegetables in allotments on public land to supplement their food.

Lawns and Biodiversity Today, in a world threatened by global warming, the debate about lawns has taken on a new dimension; “To humans, a neatly manicured lawn looks tidy but, without being dramatic, to our wildlife it must look a bit like the apocalypse.” says Dr Úna Fitzpatrick, a senior ecologist with the National Biodiversity Data Centre. American food writer Michael Pollan describes lawns as emblematic of a “skewed relationship to the land,” adding, “they teach us that, with the help of petrochemicals and technology, we can bend nature to our will.” (In a 1989 article in The New York Times Magazine, “Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns.”)

Lawns and Climate Change The total estimation of greenhouse gas emission from lawn care, which includes fertiliser and pesticide production, watering, mowing, leaf blowing and other

lawn management practices, was found by a University of California-Irvine study *(footnote 1) to be four times greater than the amount of carbon stored by grass. In other words, our lawns produce more CO2 than they absorb.

Lawns in a pandemic During the various levels of restrictions, many lawns have – often for the first time – become meeting places, exercise areas… If you (still) have a lawn, why not dream big and turn your lawn into a place of happiness? At least sit on it and watch the clouds and listen to the birds.

Imagine, what your (too big) lawn could be: Just imagine what your lawn could be and think what you could buy for the €600€1000, which is the average that people spend on lawn maintenance per year. - A small orchard with apples, pears and plums, grown on semi dwarfing rootstock and spaced 4m apart. Start with two-year old trees and go for indigenous varieties. - A soft fruit area with currants, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and strawberries. Once established there is very little maintenance, except a little pruning and mulching. - A garden with four raised beds, dimension 5m x 1.20m, with purple potatoes, broad beans, shallots and salad leaves. Grow varieties you cannot buy. A big lawn can house a polytunnel. - A herb garden with culinary and medicinal herbs. Again, once established there is little maintenance for great returns. And you can add plants each year to your collection. Simply start with herbs in pots or containers. Ideally, place them in a sunny and sheltered spot.

- A mini woodland with one or two big trees (birch or alder), fruiting varieties like elder, rowan, hawthorn, hazelnuts and sea buckthorn. - Lawns were not always of grass. Other possible plants can be chamomile and thyme. Lawns – in difficult conditions for grasses – can become dominated by clovers in dry conditions, and moss, in damp conditions. Let them be. Your wildflower meadow can be just buttercup, ragged robin, bethany, cranesbill and knapweed.

Our law of the lawn Finally, let me tell you about our lawn. I called it a football pitch or play area years ago, for our children and now for our grandchildren. As it was part of a damp field when we bought the cottage, it’s full of dandelion in the Spring, has patches of red clover, and lots of plantain, beside the less useful creeping buttercup and a few rushes. So, it is a foraging area before it becomes a football pitch and the grass clippings from the occasional mowing in the summer are a superb mulch for our raspberry plants and currant bushes. Surrounded on two sides by a native hedgerow, it provides us with hawthorn berries, elderflowers and berries, rose petals and rosehips and rowan berries. Native trees shelter it against the SW winds and provide shade in the summer for our outdoor dining area. It is a lived-in lawn. Footnote 1: Judy Lowe, January 22, 2010, in a University of California-Irvine study. Hans Wieland works and teaches at Neantog Kitchen Garden School in Cliffony, Co.Sligo. neantog.com

POSITIVE FOOD

the taste

of spring RECIPES TO PUT A PEP IN YOUR STEP. by David and Stephen Flynn

EASY CHEESY ENCHILADAS The root of the word enchiladas comes from the word enchilar, which means to add chilli. Here, tortillas are filled with a delicious tomato and bean sauce, and baked in the oven and served with a rocking cashew cream. This is a family favourite in our house! Takes 10-15 mins to make Serves 4 Time: 30 mins Ingredients Enchilada sauce: ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp onion powder 200ml tomato puree/ tomato paste 200ml veg stock Juice ½ lime ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp maple syrup Method: 1 Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C. 2 Cover the cashew nuts with just boiled water

and leave to soak. 3 I n a bowl, whisk or mix all ingredients for

the enchilada sauce until smooth. Pour half of the mixture into a separate large bowl and keep the remaining half for garnish. 4 D rain and rinse the black beans, sweet corn and roasted red peppers. Chop the red peppers into thin strips. Add the black beans, sweet corn and roasted red peppers to the large bowl with half the sauce, and mix well. 5 I n an ovenproof dish or baking tray (approx 30x 20cm), fill and roll the 6 tortillas with this filling and lay out evenly on the baking tray. Six filled tortillas should fit perfectly. Once rolled and looking even, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over them. Bake for 5 mins at 250 degrees C. 6 While the enchiladas are in the oven, drain the soaked cashew nuts and rinse them. Add the ingredients for the cashew cream into a blender and blend till smooth. 7 R oughly chop the coriander leaves. Peel and slice the avocado. Finely slice the red chilli. 8 Remove the enchiladas from the oven, drizzle the cashew cream over them, and decorate with the sliced avocado, chilli and coriander.

Filling: 1 can black beans 1 x 400g jar of roasted red peppers in brine 1 x 200g can of sweet corn 5-6 medium wholemeal / corn tortillas Cashew cream: 100g cashew nuts 1/2 juice of lime 12 tbsp non dairy milk 1/2 tsp salt pinch black pepper

Garnish: 1 avocado 1 red chilli Handful of fresh coriander/ cilantro (15g)

“We have done five different versions of the cake, and this one got 10/10 feedback!”

5 INGREDIENT, 5 MINUTE EASY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE This is a super easy and surprisingly delicious chocolate cake. We have done five different versions of it, and this one got 10/10 feedback! It’s perfect for anyone who is new to baking. We serve it with some whipped vegan cream and berries. Takes: 5 minutes to make, 30 minutes to bake Serves 8-10 slices Ingredients 200g all purpose white flour 70g cocoa powder 1 tbsp baking powder 180g coconut sugar/castor/muscovado sugar 130g sunflower oil 500 boiling water

Instructions 1 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. 2 Sieve the flour and cacao powder into a mixing bowl. Add the

baking powder and sugar and mix well together. 3 Add the oil and boiling water and fold all the ingredients into a

consistent cake batter. 4 Line a spring form cake tin with baking parchment. 5 Pour the batter into the lined spring form cake tin, put in the oven

and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees C. 6 Test that the cake is cooked through by sticking a tooth pick/knife

and checking whether it comes out clean. If it doesn’t come out clean, bake for another 5-10 minutes until it comes out clean. 7 Remove and leave to cool. 8 Decorate with frosting of choice or serve plain with some whipped vegan cream and berries. thehappypear.ie

Well & Good NATURAL HEALTH STORE

Our customers’ wellbeing is our priority. That’s why when you enter our store, you will find a wide selection of foods and eco-friendly personal and household products to suit your needs. From Aduki Beans to Za’atar spice and Agnus Castus to Zinc, we specialise in high quality health supplements, organic wholefoods, vegan products and special dietery requirements, alongside Irish candles, skincare and essential oils. We look forward to welcoming you to our friendly store!

Broderick Street Midleton, Co Cork 021 4633499 / 086 1701193 jbwellgood@gmail.com www.corkhealthstore.com

For the month of March, we have 20% off all Better You Vitamin D sprays A great bone, teeth and immune support, these sprays have a fast and effective absorption rate.

Easter treats that are free from gluten, wheat and dairy will be available this April.

Main Street, Cavan Town Info@backtonaturehealthstore.ie

10% off

in store with this voucher

Helping you to achieve optimum health naturally

This May we will have 20% off selected stress remedies. Pop in store to discuss what product would suit your needs best. Dargan Healthfoods will be celebrating 20years in business this year. We remain open to the public following all Government guidelines. Dargan Healthfoods, Unit 6 Castletroy SC, Limerick 061-339506 @darganhealthfoods

Valid until Dec 31st 2021 One voucher per customer

@darganhealthfoods

100% Natural Organic Products

We are a Health Food Store located along The Wild Atlantic Way in Louisburgh, Co Mayo Forgotten Ferns & Oak 100% beeswax candle

Bee Beauty PINK LOVE Lip Balm

Donkey Milk Soaps

At Healthy Roots Health Store, You will find a large selection of Nutritional Food Supplements, Organic Wholefoods, Vegan, Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly Products. We also offer a variety of Holistic and Nutritional Services instore. This April we will be introducing our instore Zero Waste Refill Station. Our mission is to provide access to plastic free, sustainable and eco friendly Wholefood & Household Goods. Open Monday to Satuday, 10am - 5 30pm

Agata Borkowska - Saggart, Dublin www.nourishedbynature.online nourishedbynature.online Organic sweet orange - body lotion spray

Bee Beauty Coconut sugar lip scrub

Scented Beeswax Ornaments

Rock Salt & Driftwood 100% Beeswax Candle

healthyroots.healthstore

short & sweet Aquarian Awakening AN INTERVIEW WITH AISLING FITZGIBBON. by Aisling Cronin Our planet has recently entered the astrological Aquarian Age. Many astrologers believe this will be a period of increased innovation, harmony, and co-operation for humanity. One person who is keen to embrace the opportunities of this new era is nutritionist and holistic coach Aisling Fitzgibbon. ‘I went through a lot when I was younger,’ she shared with me during a recent conversation. ‘My health broke down when I was nineteen, I ended up going on antidepressants for a number of years, and I then went on to train as an Occupational Therapist. During that time, I was constantly questioning why the medical model never emphasised the connection between good nutrition and health. I began to move more and more in the direction of natural health and healing. I went to see a nutritionist – which totally transformed my health and my life – and from then on, I was really passionate about helping others to do the same.’ When Aisling was a small child, her mother asked an astrologer to draw up her daughter’s birth chart. This revealed that one of Aisling’s main reasons for being on the planet was to help bring in the gifts of the Aquarian Age. Aisling’s mother did not share this information with Aisling until she was 29 years old, as she didn’t want to impose any particular expectations onto her daughter’s path. However, when Aisling learned what her birth chart had indicated, it immediately made sense to her. Her beautiful social media hashtag, #MovingFromFearToTrust, perfectly summarises what her work is all about. ‘My journey was really tested when my mother passed away. She later channelled a message for me through my good friend, Mary Helen Hensley, letting me know that it was her time to exit, but that she would always be with me. This propelled me to continue letting go of fear, and moving into trust. This journey is a process: it involves being very compassionate with yourself. Gently bring yourself back to a place of trust, even when you are challenged or afraid at times.’

Our full interview is available on our YouTube channel – just search ‘Positive Life Magazine’ to find us. For more information on Aisling, go to aislingfitzgibbon.com

“Aisling’s beautiful social media hashtag, #MovingFromFearToTrust, perfectly summarises what her work is all about.”

SHORT AND SWEE T

Nature Is In THE STORE WITH A PASSION FOR HEALTH. by Aisling Cronin Many of us are going out of our way to support small local businesses at the moment. Global events have reminded us that our greatest strengths lie in collaboration and community resilience.

“We would like to raise the awareness that all of us have our lives in our own hands.” For this reason, we were thrilled to hear about a new health store called Nature In. Proprietor Veronika spoke to me recently about the journey of the business, from its initial opening in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, in June 2019, through to the unveiling of its second store in Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, in December 2020. She and her partner originally founded Nature In because of their deep desire to make a difference to people seeking out more conscious, healthy and eco-friendly products. ‘That’s why we decided to open a health food store, through which we could share our experience and knowledge and expand the availability of healthier living, among others,’ Veronika explained. ‘We would like to raise the awareness that all of us have our lives in our own hands, and that we always have a choice.’ As Veronika puts it, the decision to open up a second outlet was inspired by a great leap of faith. ‘When my partner lost his job, we realised we had nothing to lose. We wanted to offer people healthy options, and focus on finding brands we really loved and believed in. We are very open to people’s requests: if they come into the shop, asking for a particular item, we will do our best to order it in for them.’ We can’t wait to see how Nature In continues to grow and develop in the future! naturein.ie

At The Heart Of Health EFAS ARE OF THE ESSENCE. by Alison McEvoy Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are, as it turns out, essential to our diet. I hadn’t contemplated their name in much depth before talking to Edel Murphy. Edel supplies ‘UnoCardio’ (meaning ‘one heart’) to the Irish market. This is a one-a-day, powerful omega 3 fish oil supplement, with added vitamin D. Labdoor, an independent company which tests supplements, has ranked it as number one in the USA.

“..our body does not store these fatty acids, so we must continue to ingest them regularly.” “UnoCardio 1000 was the first European omega-3 supplement to be voted number one in the U.S. It has been awarded excellent scores by renowned consumer organisations for its high concentration, remarkable purity....and absence of contaminants such as heavy metals, PCBs or dioxin.” The secret is in using the tiny fish at the bottom of the ocean - the ones which aren’t in the sea long and feed only on the plankton and algae from the ocean floor. The essential bit? Well, our body does not store these fatty acids, so we must continue to ingest them regularly; “It’s important to get a high dosage, good quality supplement, because you can feel the difference after 2-3 months. If I stop taking the oils, I start to notice it.” EFAs and vitamin D are really essential for us all to be taking right now. Our body needs these for heart repair, for reducing inflammation, for immunity and for speedier recoveries when things go wrong. It is especially important for those who are pregnant or postpartum. These little capsules help our body repair and rebuild where needed, throughout our system. kindelhealth.ie

UniCardio 1000 omega3 & VitaminD 1000

THE HIGHEST POTENCY FISH OIL OMEGA-3 CONCENTRATION + 95% EXCEPTIONAL PURITY COLD AND ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY

•

Boost your Immunity, Heart & Head health with just 1 capsule a day.

•

Exceptionally powerful.

•

Probably the best thing you can do for yourself now.

•

Next day delivery order now from www.kindelhealth.ie Phone: 045 820 200

Certified by sustainable fisheries

www.kindelhealth.ie Product of Belgium

NEW IRISH PRODUCT AVAILABLE FROM HEALTH STORES NATIONWIDE

QUERCETIN COMPLEX WITH WITH

Lyster Square, Portlaoise Opening Hours 9am-6pm Monday - Saturday Phone 057 8622239 fruitandnuthealthstore@gmail.com Fruit ‘N Nut Health Store Fruit ‘N Nut Health Store

VITAMIN VITAMIN C C || VITAMIN VITAMIN D3 D3 || ZINC ZINC

The antioxidant support of Quercetin combined with the immune support offered by Vitamin C, Vitamin D3 and Zinc.

Main St, Kinvara, Co Galway 091 637176 www.healingharvest.ie healingharvestshop@gmail.com

For all your health shop needs; from wholefoods to natural bodycare, food supplements to eco-friendly household goods; along with helpful advice from knowledgeable staff.

SHORT AND SWEE T

Somega Boost THE BENEFITS OF LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C. by Aisling Cronin Liposomal encapsulation technology is a cutting-edge method of encasing vitamins within a phospholipid bubble that protects the nutrients from external wear and tear. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that the nutritional content of a liposomal supplement is better absorbed by the body than that of a traditional supplement. Irish company Somega is pioneering this technique, through their liposomal vitamin C products. I spoke to co-founders Dr. Paula Gaynor and Mark Clifford to learn more. ‘The phospholipid layer around the vitamin is quite similar to the cell membranes of our bodies,’ Paula explained, ‘so when you take liposomal vitamin C, it passes through the digestive tract

“This vitamin helps the body to absorb iron, making it ideal for those with anaemia or low iron levels.” undamaged, and can be delivered much more efficiently to the rest of the body. Our supplements are also alcohol-free, so they are suitable for both adults and children.’ Paula and Mark have taken great care to ensure that Somega’s products are of the highest quality and that the product packaging is kind to the environment. The cardboard carton is sourced from responsibly managed, FSC certified forests, and both the carton and product bottle are recyclable. Mark said, ‘our journey in developing these products has involved not just researching ingredients, but also understanding the environmental impact of our packaging. We wanted our impact to be as minimal as possible.’ Vitamin C plays a vital role in supporting our immune system, boosting energy levels and promoting skin health. This vitamin helps the body to absorb iron, making it ideal for those with anaemia or low iron levels. If you’re looking for a vitamin C supplement that will really give you a boost, we highly recommend checking out Somega’s liposomal offering. It comes in liquid form, and tastes delicious! gosomega.com

The Body Talks CRANIOSACRAL INSIGHT FROM STEVE HAINES. by Aisling Cronin I recently had the chance to chat to Steve Haines, the founder of Body College and Body Intelligence, who has been a bodyworker and craniosacral therapist for over 20 years. He spoke about the quiet revolution that is ongoing in the way we think about – and process – pain, as well as sharing some details about his upcoming two-year craniosacral training course at Body Intelligence Galway.

“My work is based on helping people to feel joy and ease in their bodies.” ‘The core idea behind what I do is that by connecting with our bodies, we can heal pain, anxiety and trauma,’ he explained. ‘My work is focused on simple, gentle, meditative approaches to helping people to feel more alive, more joyful and more connected.’ He went on to discuss how pain and anxiety can arise from protective habits that we adopt after a traumatic experience. ‘When something difficult has happened to us, we often end up getting stuck in protective reflexes in our body – so we’re braced against life. We could have tight hips, a tight back, a tight jaw, a tight neck … and all of those things are hard to live with! Another effect of trauma is that we can end up really dissociating from our bodies, so we find it hard to connect with them. My work is based on helping people to feel joy and ease in their bodies.’ These principles have helped to inform his Body Intelligence training programme. His upcoming two-year course in Galway, which is set to begin in September, will focus on training students in how they can help future clients to connect to their bodies with ease. bodyintelligence.com

Learn Life Changing Skills Train in Galway, Start 22 Sep 2021

Two year professional training in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. For details and intros visit

www.bodyintelligence.com

At Golden Health, it’s our mission to enable you to live a healthier, happier and tastier life. We are based in Longford town & have a wonderful health shop ready for you to explore! *vegetarian & vegan foods *organic wholefoods *chilled & frozen *essential oils *Viridian *Solgar *Natures Plus *A Vogel *Terra Nova *Mag365 *Lavera *Sukin *Benecos *Simpli Botanicals *Sustainable Toiletries & Household Products Ring or email in advance to place your order & we will have it ready & waiting for you to collect or we can post it to you.

4 GRAFTON COURT, LONGFORD 043 3328500 info@goldenhealthstore.ie www.goldenhealthstore.ie Mon - Sat: 9.30am - 6pm

Natures Cures Your Health in Your Hands

Your Healthfood Store - for all your needs

num 46

Available in Health Stores, Pharmacies and online - eskimo3.ie

48 Creativity and This Liminal Space WAYS TO NAVIGATE THROUGH UNCERTAINTY. by Monica Haughey

Each day can seem like Groundhog Day, as we are thwarted from engaging in many of the activities we used to engage in. However, it also seems that there are opportunities to adapt and perhaps even grow through them. We are on a threshold – between our old lives, our comfort zones and some future not yet in clear sight. From the perspective of astrology, we have entered a new era, the much-anticipated Age of Aquarius. This will be around for a while – so we have time! Whilst many of us have found it challenging working from home, not working, or juggling home and family, some interesting ideas have emerged. Some have discovered talents and strengths in themselves, or their kids, which they hadn’t previously noticed or acknowledged. One friend noticed, through the extra time she was spending home-schooling, that one of her children had a photographic memory and the other loved writing. She wouldn’t have noticed this without this “close in”, less structured time, with her children. I have seen a trend of more co-operation and collaboration emerging among people and families. The Rat Race has disappeared. Going forward, I expect we will see that there is much more to be gained from working together than against each other, especially as we have some serious issues to attend to, such as the environment and managing our resources.

More Time Whilst we are being ‘restricted’ with lockdown, we also have more time; we are commuting less and spending less time going to places. Many are taking this time to do things they enjoy, whether it be exercise, connecting with themselves, or connecting with others. In my view, now is the time to re-evaluate our lives and notice what FEELS aligned to who we are. This is the ‘place’ where we will find satisfaction and will be on track with our strengths and values. More Creativity Whether it’s writing, baking bread … I have attended online conferences, wine clubs, dances and exercise classes. Journal. Break the routine in whatever way you like. Just do things differently now and again. Notice what you love to do and are good at – and do more of it! Have you ever noticed that you spend less time worrying when totally involved in something you love doing? Have you noticed that you are happier inside when you are absorbed in a creative project? Creativity spills over into all areas of my life, bringing renewed vigour and joy where there was perhaps boredom or loss of interest in life. I see people spending more time on what may have been their hobbies, or long lost hobbies at that; my neighbour, for example, is now selling some of her homemade bread!

Why not make your life your creative project? Turn your dreams into reality and set about designing, calling into being and creating the life you really want to live. Step in to your strengths and potential – this is indeed what we are here to do in the long run.

“...now is the time to re-evaluate our lives and notice what FEELS aligned to who we are.” Impact your Health If you are more aligned with your purpose and what you love doing, you naturally feel better inside. There is more coherence in your life, and the body responds to this outer alignment with its own inner alignment to health and wellbeing. May the Creative Powers that be, be with you as you navigate through this time. MonicaHaughey.ie

num 47

27 YEARS IN BUSINESS

With two locations, Kerry and Limerick, our customer base is mainly local for which we are very grateful. Our ethos is friendly, warm, welcoming and to give as much help and advice as possible to effect positive change to whatever condition is presented.

num 48

Natural remedies and a little bit of tweaking to diet and lifestyle can make a real difference in maintaining good health and immunity. We move in authentic commitment to that which is real in our lives when we find balance, in turn aligning us with the inner wisdom to become our own best healthcare provider.

97 Main St. Castleisland Co Kerry 066 7142358 1 Main St. Abbeyfeale Co. Limerick 068 32655

“The Sensational world of Healy” WELCOME TO ZINZINO BALANCE TEST! Your BalanceTest results will show whether your diet is balanced or unbalanced. Use our recommended products to transform your health. So far we have tested 507 880 people.

num 49

New compact bioresonance device scans and analyses your Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual levels, helps to identify what is out of balance and customizes a frequency to rebalance your bioenergetic field.

A simple dry blood test, a pin prick tested in an independent Medical Lab in Norway. Specifically for Therapists as an extra income stream. High inflammation =low immune system.

num 50

Test your Client before and 120 days after starting the program.

Contact Tomas Ronan Tel: 0872711215. Email tom.balanceoil@gmail.com

My experience Amazing

For a Demo contact Margaret: Aanahatayoga@gmail.com 086 3722653 www.zinzino.com

“Dublin’s newest Raw juice company”

“It’s the easiest way you’ll get your 5 a day, We at the Juice Boxx have your health on our mind.” Call Jack on 0879276911 Email: juiceboxxdelivery@gmail.com www.thejuiceboxx.ie

num 41

Natural Way is a Health Food Store providing quality herbal and natural products since 1984. We are a family run business providing a wide range of natural and alternative remedies, natural supplements, body care products and homeopathic remedies.

The Natural Way Letterkenny Shopping Centre Letterkenny Co. Donegal 074 9125738 Email: stores.thenaturalway@gmail.com TheNaturalWayOnline/

The Gold Standard Of Active Support Antioxidant Protection Immune Support Cognitive Support Multi-Vitamin & Mineral Vital Organ Support 55 Top Quality Nutritional Ingredients

num 52

Keep Refreshed This Spring With Energy-C

Refreshing multi-vitamin drink

Energy-C sachets are a refreshing multi-vitamin health drinks that contain 1000mg of vitamin C to support the immune system. It contains 22 nutrients, 8 vitamins and real orange powder.

WWW.EDUCOHEALTH.COM MAIL ORDER 01 8308588 Also check out our blog for Delicious Recipes and Health, Fitness & Lifestyle tips, Follow us on

Quality Sea Veg producers of Organic Sea Veg and Sea herbs since 1986

num 53

Nature’s easy to use and truly healthy additions to any meal. Your health shop can order our retail packs via Donegal wholefoods 087 2545870, donegalwholefoods@eircom.net You can also buy direct our new catering packs at wholesale prices via our website www.qualityseaveg.ie Tel. 00353749542159 email: manus.qualityseaveg@gmail.com

Imagination Arises A CONVERSATION WITH HEMA VYAS. by Aisling Cronin Hema Vyas is a renowned psychologist, spiritual mentor and speaker. Her work is centred on connecting with ancient wisdom to solve the problems of modern times, especially by understanding the significance of the heart. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Hema about the power of imagination, and how it can uplift us at this time. We spoke about how imagination can be a portal to the heart; balancing the left and right brain; and how tuning into our capacity to dream is key to building a more harmonious world. ‘From my perspective, it seems that old structures are breaking down,’ Hema said, ‘but we’re afraid to let go, because we don’t know what to replace those structures with. That’s where imagination becomes so important. The more we can create through our imagination, the more we are comforted by the knowledge that there is a solution. There is another way. What can we create that is new?

“When we balance our left and right brain, our imagination becomes that much deeper: that much more accessible to us.” What is possible?’ On the subject of imagining our lives anew, she shared, ‘as difficult as it has been, we have been given an opportunity to tap into our deeply creative and intuitive selves. Many of us have been conditioned to operate from a predominantly left-brain perspective. The school system, for example, tests you on your ability to memorise and repeat information, rather than your ability to innovate. However, when we are not being constantly stimulated with activity, we have an opportunity to engage with our right brain.’

Hema’s work is primarily focused on heart awakening and attunement – the name of her free online community, Heart Renaissance, reflects this – so I was interested to hear her thoughts on how connecting to our hearts can assist us in opening up to the gifts of our imagination. ‘For me, the heart is a portal,’ Hema explained. ‘It is a portal to all aspects of our being: the cosmos, our spirit, and our grounded physical reality. The heart offers us a way of connecting both sides of the brain. When we connect to our heart’s truth, we understand that we are physical beings, inhabiting a particular reality … but we also understand that we are here as spiritual essence as well. On a practical level, I would say that yoga and meditation are beautiful methods of connecting with our hearts, connecting with our bodies, and achieving balance between our left and right brains.’ Hema’s online course, The Art of Fantasy and Conscious Imagination, guides people on how to use their imaginations to access deeper states of meditation. It also assists them to create and manifest the lives they truly want: manifestations that are grounded in a space of deep, heart-centred inner peace. These principles are also explored in her free community, the Heart Renaissance. ‘We’ve been very much conditioned to look at things purely from a left-brained, evidence-focused place: when we see it, then we’ll believe it. But on the spiritual path, often, what you are asked to do is to believe it, then you’ll see it. When we manage to balance our left and right brain aspects, our imagination becomes that much deeper: that much more accessible to us.’ hemavyas.com

SHORT AND SWEE T

Hugh and the Manatee A CHILDREN’S BOOK WITH EMPATHY. by Aisling Cronin

52 “I want to write stories in which all children can see themselves.”

Mary Helen Hensley is an author, healer and public speaker. Her writings on healing, love, and the afterlife have brought hope and comfort to many. I recently had the chance to speak with Mary about her children’s book, ‘Hugh and the Manatee’, which was launched just before Christmas 2020. ‘The first time I saw a manatee was in Florida, at the age of four. I went back there to commemorate my mother’s 90th birthday,’ Mary shared with me. ‘They are such beautiful creatures, and I wanted to include them in a story.’ The main character of ‘Hugh and the Manatee’ is a young boy named Hugh, who is expected to like football and stereotypically masculine activities, but prefers to engage in pastimes that are considered feminine. This catches the attention of school bullies. He and two of the bullies in question end up being led on a journey through the oceans by a magical manatee, who shows them the great diversity of gender expression in aquatic species. This helps the bullies to understand human diversity, too, and become less judgemental. Mary said, ‘This book is the first in a series that highlights the challenges faced by LGBTQ children as they are growing up. I want to write stories in which all children can see themselves, and books which offer solutions such as understanding, compassion, inclusion and education.’

Learn more about ‘Hugh and the Manatee’, and Mary’s other works, at: maryhelenhensley.com

The Loop of Creation A SNEAK PEEK OF AN AMAZING BOOK.

Kim Bellisimo, M.A. teaches individuals, families and businesses how to create success in their work, relationships, finances, and lives. She kindly shared with us this excerpt from her upcoming book, ‘From Chaos to Creativity: The Art and Practice of the EnergyWorks Method, which will soon be published by Turning Stone Press.

“When The Loop is activated and energy is flowing, it becomes the blueprint of creation and manifestation.” The mind is racing constantly. Pictures (mental images) and thoughts about the past and future pop up in your mind non-stop. The mind is relentless, keeping you trapped in all sorts of false realities in different spaces and times. EnergyWorks was created after a lifetime of living in survival mode. I grew up in poverty, scavenging for household items at the dump. To make matters worse, I had a severe learning disability and was taunted by my teachers. In 2006, I received a gift from God in the form of the EnergyWorks method. When I placed my Attention within my Heart, I opened to the Wisdom of the Heart, pulling in four fields of energy that overlap and move and flow, creating the symbol,

The EnergyWorks Loop of Movement and Flow, also known as “The Loop” or The Blueprint of Creation. When The Loop is activated and energy is flowing, The Loop becomes the blueprint of creation and manifestation. As an intuitive, when I ‘read” people’ (either in person or remotely), I am reading The Loop within them. I can tell where someone’s energy has gotten stuck, and how to help them, so that their energy can move and flow again. The EnergyWorks method takes you on a journey of the Heart, moving and flowing energy through The Loop, which is how you transform and grow. kimbellisimo.com

Blank

Kim Bellisimo's EnergyWorks Method OPEN TO THE WISDOM OF THE HEART

num 43 Clear Your Energy, Change Your Life Kim Bellisimo is an International Intuitive, EnergyWorker, Healer, Author, and founder of the EnergyWorks Method, a Heart-centered path of co-creating from a place of wholeness. Learn how to transform internal chaos into creativity so that you can live the life you love and love the life you live. kimbellisimo.com

@kimbellisimo

kimbellisimo@me.com

num 36

“Getting to the root cause of illness” Illness is a great leveller and my 14 years of chronic pain and fatigue was a great teacher; allow me to use that invaluable learning and growth to help you overcome your own health issues with empathy and understanding.

“There are some things that you have to experience to understand” Client quote

Pair Therapy 4Biomagnetic Reflexology 4 4Reiki

Blank

Long distance treatments are available for Biomagnetic Pair Therapy and Reiki. Receive treatment and advice from the comfort of your own home, regardless of Covid 19 restrictions. Testimonials are available from many happy clients.

Special areas of interest

Chronic ‘invisible illnesses’ of all kinds including Lyme Disease and associated tick borne infections, CFS, Fibromyalgia, Endocrine Disorders and Reproductive Health, Urinary and Gastrointestinal System Disorders, Immunological Imbalance. Botanic Health Clinic, Unit 4, Cian Park, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, D09N5W9 www.biomagdublin.com

(087) 6121 876 biomagneticpairtherapydublin/

biomagdublinwithmariannewims/

The Minutiae of Healing WEAR, DRINK AND LIVE ‘CLEAN’. by Alison McEvoy Agata Borkowska recreated her lifestyle nine years ago, and today, she invites you to do the same. The essence of Agata’s message is that while we can begin with food and physical exercise to change our lives....we must then go deeper. What we use on our bodies, the utensils we cook with, the type of water we drink: these choices impact our health in small ways that all add up. Agata has handmade and sourced a variety of beautiful, curiously interesting and “one-of-a-kind” products which you can drink from, or put on your body, safe in the knowledge that you are amplifying your health and well-being. She handmakes many of these products herself. Take her current favourite, the Sweet Orange Moisturiser. It contains just 3 ingredients; beeswax, almond oil and sweet orange essential oil. This is sweet simplicity at its best. Agata’s donkey milk products sparked my attention immediately. Her use of donkey milk echoes back to a time when

the donkey was acknowledged and prized for the healing properties of its milk. Indeed, women were fabled to take donkey milk baths to maintain the softness and pristineness of their skin.

“This is sweet simplicity at its best.” My personal top pick from her collection is the Vital Water Caraf with the Flower of Life (FOL) symbol emboldened on the bottom of the carafe. It is a work of art. Water stored in the carafe is re-energised and revitalised through the effects of the gold and FOL symbol present on its base. There is plenty more information on Agata’s website so check it out: nourishedbynature.online

A Tonic for our Times ‘FIRE TONIC’. by Alison McEvoy Speaking to the most recent formulators of an old recipe which they have named ‘Fire Tonic’, I was astounded by the attention to detail that husband and wife, Jerome McCormick and Jes Walsh put into every bottle; “Nothing attacks nature’s toughest antibiotic [garlic]...if something does manage to grow on it or there is bacteria in the air attacking it, it releases two compounds – that’s the antibiotic. We are aware of this and we use it. We cut the garlic, leave it open to the air and allow the antiobiotic to get released. Then we submerge it in the vinegar, keeping it preserved.” There’s so much going on in the ‘Fire Tonic’. It is, essentially, apple cider vinegar with raw honey added. After that, there is the “extra mile” put in by Jerome and Jes, whereby they add a host of root botanicals that are famed for their healing properties.

“a tonic for our times made [of]... the most reknowned and simplest of healing plants and herbs.” Take the horseradish, for example. It’s well known to clear up sinus issues. Take the garlic – well known for bolstering the immune system. The black pepper and turmeric work together making the prized component, curcumin, more readily absorbable to the body. Put all these together and you have a tonic for our times, made out of what are among the most reknowned and simplest of healing plants and herbs. Jerome and Jes are working with nature’s provisions – activating, sealing and storing it in an amber bottle to keep out any UV ray contamination. This is Fire Tonic. It’s quite a brew.

botanicrevival.ie

POSITIVE ADVERTORIAL

“The more blood reaches the different parts of your body, the better.”

blood benefits HOW GINGKO BILOBA CAN HELP CIRCULATION.

Do you have good blood circulation? Or are you one of the many people who search the internet to find a way to optimise your circulation and blood flow? Every month, around 100,000 Irish men, specifically, search the net for information about blood pressure. Irish people generally carry out 28,000 monthly searches for ‘blood flow’ and ‘blood circulation.’ In addition, 18,000 individuals per month put ‘cold hands and feet’ in the search field. This annoying health complaint is often a sign of poor blood flow. Many people who look for solutions stumble across ginkgo biloba – with good reason. Good blood circulation is essential The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all the different tissues and organs, which is why good blood circulation is so vital. The more blood reaches the different parts of your body, the better – not just for supporting body functions but also for keeping your hands and feet warm and helping you to stay comfortable.

Extract made from the ginkgo biloba leaves can help with this process because of its effect on the circulatory system. Even though the remedy is completely natural, it is listed as a traditional herbal medicinal license in Ireland (THMP), available over the counter in pharmacies only. Is your brain getting enough oxygen? The active compounds in ginkgo biloba – the flavonoids, ginkgolides, and bilobalides – also improve cerebral blood flow. The brain alone accounts for approximately 20 percent of the body’s total oxygen consumption, so you can easily imagine how an improved blood flow would benefit your brain. Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord is Ireland’s only traditional herbal medicinal product used to alleviate the symptoms of poor blood flow in conditions such as cold hands and feet. The preparation is manufactured with high-quality raw materials, and is also standardised, which guarantees that each tablet contains exactly the same high amount of active ingredients.

In one study, where British scientists compared Ginkgo-Biloba Pharma Nord with 17 other ginkgo biloba supplements, Pharma Nord’s product came out on top. Even though several of the competing products contained more ginkgo biloba extract, the effects of Pharma Nord’s product were better. Other things you can do to improve your circulation Exercise regularly. It strengthens your heart and helps it to pump blood to all parts of the body. Avoid smoking. It damages your heart and cardiovascular system. Try to eat a healthy and balanced diet which includes plenty of healthy fats and all the vitamins and minerals that help maintain cardiovascular health. Try your best to avoid stress. It is known to have a negative impact on both heart health and circulation. pharmanord.ie

Better Circulation. Better Health. Better Life. BEMER is changing the way we think about our health, challenging our understanding of the human body, and empowering us to reach optimal physical condition in a non-invasive way. Blood flow plays a critical role in our general health. BEMER can stimulate healthy muscles in order to improve and facilitate muscle performance and temporarily improve local circulation in healthy muscles — in just 8 minutes twice a day. For more than 20 years, the benefits of BEMER have impacted millions of people around the world. BEMER is an FDA Class II cleared consumer medical device that is noninvasive and easy to use.

Call Tim on 0872212550 Mention “POSITIVE LIFE”

life.bemergroup.com

immunity superheroes WE LOVE THESE POWER-PACKED SUPPLEMENTS.

by Aisling Cronin Spring is a time for putting our best foot forward and embracing the new. As nature awakens, it is an amazing time for us, too, to let go of what has come before, and create ourselves anew. One way to support our bodies throughout this process is to reimagine how we feed them. Many people choose this time of year to adopt a healthier diet, or try new supplements. We love Revive Active’s awardwinning, Irish made collection of supplements. There is a targeted formula for everyone: Revive Active, Zest Active, Junior Revive and Teen Revive. Each blend is available in one convenient daily sachet, which you simply dissolve into a glass of water.

“There is a targeted formula for everyone.” Both Revive Active and Zest Active contain eight active ingredients that contribute to the normal function of the immune system and support energy levels – Vitamins B6, B12, C, and D, as well as Zinc, Vitamin B12, B6, Copper, Folate and Selenium. Revive Active is tailored for those over the age of 35, as it contains additional ingredients targeted at heart health, while Zest Active is targeted at a younger demographic of people aged 18-35. Zest Active contains an additional ingredient

called Wellmune®, a beta glucan produced by the Kerry Group. Children’s nutritional needs are covered with Junior Revive and Teen Revive. Junior Revive is suitable for children aged from 4 to 12 years old, while Teen Revive is suitable for teenagers aged 13 to 18. All Revive Active products contain no fillers, binders, artificial sweeteners, caffeine or preservatives, and are the perfect addition to a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. However, it is important to note that Revive Active supplements are not suitable for consumption when pregnant or breastfeeding. reviveactive.com

Nuin Holistic Wellness and Beauty

Stress causes so much imbalance in the body, but by managing the stress many of the harmful effects can be avoided. At Nuin Holistic Wellness and Beauty, there are many different therapies and treatments available that can be adjusted to the clients’ individual needs and this can counteract the effects of stress. It is important to Nuin Holistic Wellness and Beauty to help nurture the nature of your being. To book an appointment with Heilie call 0879234591 (Thurles) or email her at info@nuinholisticwellnessandbeauty.ie For more information check out the following website and social media sites: www.nuinholisticwellnessandbeauty.ie Facebook: www.facebook.com/NuinHolisticWellness Instagram: nuinwellnessandbeauty

celtic soul

journeys MOTHER NATURE AND YOU. by Alison McEvoy

A call to the hearth Wise woman Amantha Murphy is a joy to listen to. You get the feeling of being immediately transported back to an older, simpler time. Her voice, her stories, carry you to a space around the hearth, where connection to the land, to the community, to the wisdom within, are live and vital forces pulsing through the heart of the human being.

Remembering your Roots For Amantha, reconnecting into what may have been misplaced within begins with the roots – the ancestors. She tells wonderful stories about her own grandmother, a small lady with a big heart, the midwife of the community, who guided life both in and out of this world. Hers is an invitation to us all to get to know our roots. The lives and experiences of our ancestors created patterns of feeling, thinking, being and acting in them. These patterns were woven into their DNA and the ongoing flow of that DNA, to their children, and their children’s children and into you... this can so often be seen, through the simple act of children imitating the actions, and absorbing the attitudes, of their caregivers. We need to know our ancestors’ stories. To know

who we are – so we can understand whose griefs, pains and hardships, whose joys, wonders and curiosities, are emanating out from within us. It was Amantha’s grandmother who first initiated her towards the path of the Seabhean – ‘for me this is “the traditional Irish path of the healing woman and seer”.’ Her book reveals the teachings she has gleaned from a lifetime of treading this path, allowing willing readers to “delve deeper within themselves...to become all that one is meant to be within the essence of their nature.”

Landmarks along the ‘Way’ Walking a conscious journey through life involves recognising the often silent, gentle communications which Life offers us, to guide us. Amantha remains consistently open to this guidance, listening, asking for clarification, responding to the call. It can sound complicated. However, it’s really rather simple. Where it leads you, is always where you need to be. The following story is how Celtic Soul Journeys began; “I went to a psychotherapy conference in Killarney in 1995...There were many people from the US attending. I met some women who asked me to take them to the sacred sites upon the land and I panicked. I went into the bathroom, and

“[T]he path of the Seabhean...the traditional Irish path of the healing woman and seer” turning inwards asked, “what do you want me to do, Great Mother, what do you want of me here?” In response I heard the words, “Bring them in pilgrimage”. I came out and said “Yes...” Thus the next phase of my journey began.”

Offerings Amantha offers a variety of ways for you to access her work. Her book ‘The Way of the Seabhean’ finally emerged from its womb of creation this February. You can also walk with her through pilgrimage or have her enact rites of passage for you or your loved ones during times of transition or hardship. She offers teaching courses online and personal sessions, one to one. If you feel the call, remember to respond, and that on the other side of your response to the call of your soul, lies healing, reconnection and wholeness. Bless your way! celticsouljourneys.com

Num 51 Amantha

Specialising in Facial Reflexology

Reflexology

Zone Face Lift Acupuncture

Facial Acupuncture

Clinics in Dublin Northside Southside Blanchardstown Sandyford

T:086 2053653 E: unacashintherapies@gmail.com W: unacashinacupuncture.com

Num 54

POSITI V E A STROLOGY

‘as imagination bodies forth’ William Shakespeare

CONTRIBUTE YOUR TRUE SELF TO THE WORLD. by Rachelle Hicks We are called this year to re-imagine the question, What is a good and valuable life for you? This is an interesting question. You might be tempted to dive straight in with answers you haven’t ever really investigated. Or perhaps wondered if the answers are true for you, or if they are inherited and assumed.

“... this is a year for questioning.” Maybe you have investigated your values, and, if so, this year might be about deepening into this and continuing to build a life that is creative and inspiring. 2021 is a time for deeply pondering how we have transformed since last year, and in that pondering we have the opportunity to re-imagine a more authentic version of ourselves. This is a year for being vigilant about how we spend our time and attention, as this is a reflection of what we deem in life to be valuable. Since last year, have your priorities changed? Have you explored parts of yourself that you hadn’t tapped into before? Have you shed limiting beliefs,

so as to ultimately embrace a higher expression of self-love? One major astrological theme this year is Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus. This juxtaposed pair are asking us to commit to what makes us unique. This is a year for deeply listening to those creative desires and following the whispers of your heart, even if there is no logical reason for doing so. It’s a year for breaking through limiting thought patterns that doubt your newly sprouting buds of creativity. As we consider our personal values, we are asked to be honest in our answer. We are asked to scrutinise each value on the list and ask ourselves; is this truly a value for me, or is it just something that I have been told is valuable by someone else? A collective experience we will all have, in terms of questioning value, is around money. Money is an energy that is interpreted completely differently by everyone, yet it brings up such big feelings for us all. In our collective mind, there will be a tension to consider what money really is. What is the purpose of money? How is it being used in ways that are damaging, and how can we transform the energy of

money into a more conscious concept? From what I’ve already written, you can tell that this is a year for questioning. You might not find the answers now, or even in the near future. But the nature of this questioning is meant to tease out any tangles of limitations holding you back from your true expression. The planet Uranus is saying that your unusual-ness is valuable. And Saturn is asking you to have some integrity around what makes you unique. As each of us focus on filling our own cups with joy, we find deep peace and freedom through the vantage point of our hearts. This is a year for embracing your individualism, so as to be a stronger contributor to the collective. Rachelle is a Dublin based Astrologer. She has studied with Blue Rose and is currently enrolled in the four year Professional Astrologer’s Program at Astrology University. Rachellehicks.com IG @rachellehicksastrology

At the heart of your community

Keeping You Well

Look for the badge on the door www.irishhealthstores.com/member-stores

Presents

POSITIVE NIGHTS

HOLISTIC EVENTS NOW ON ZOOM JOIN OUR POSITIVE CLUB Raise Your Positive Vibe Podcasts and events live streamed to you. Good news feels better https://www.positivelife.ie/the-positive-club/ For Schedule and to join our Mailing List see:

positivelife.ie/positivenights

“The journey to Realization begins and ends with Allowing.” – Adamus Saint-Germain

A global community for exploring the journey from awakening to Embodied Realization, featuring guidance from Adamus Saint-Germain. Visit us at CrimsonCircle.com.

Positive Life – Spring 2021

Articles inside

Cryptocurrency Is this the start of a financial revolution?

Judith McAdam Visualise the bridge to your dreams

Thrive On Discover the Unified Field

Pharmanord Tips on how to boost your circulation

Spirituality in the City Our readers share their visions for the world