Positive Life – Summer 2021

T R A N S C E N D E N C E

Good News Feels Better

ANITA MOORJANI ON HER NDE

Sensitivity Is Strength

THEATRE MAN

Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Inspirations

HEALING WITH LIPOSOMES

One Man’s Incredible Story

Bruce Lipton Heaven on Earth Lies Within

SUMMMER 2021 PRICELESS

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Transcendence: our theme this issue.

Definition: existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level.

There’s a lot of it about at present: the ability to transcend the reality you find yourself in. It begs the question, what is reality? It’s a malleable form, an ever-changing reflection based on your thoughts, feelings and vibe. Feel free to transcend it any time. That’s your skill in this reality: a divine skill housed in a human being.

You are a walking transcender, a master at flowing energy in the direction you prefer. Focus and own that skill.

This time around, we spoke to Bruce Lipton, Anita Moorjani, and other holistic pioneers. We received a great deal of beauty from so many people to prepare this issue for you.

We transcended time and space to deliver it into your hands, Now. Now is all there is, so with this, our Summer issue: BE. HERE. NOW. paul congdon, Publisher

Contentment 4 Summer Vibes Our sun-kissed suggestions for your holistic life

6 Positively Newsworthy Our pick of uplifting news to make you smile 10 Spirituality in the City Our readers talk about transcendence 12 Positive Parenting Pamela Quiery on consent and boundaries 14 Judith McAdam Find clarity in the midst of stormy circumstances 16 Amanda Sophia Welcome in the summer with a Litha ritual 18 Sandy Newbigging Transcend trauma through awareness 20 Positive Hydration Simon Newell on his passion for healthier water 22 Positive Personality We chat to choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan

PHOTO: EMILIA KRYSZTOFIAK RUA PHOTOGRAPHY

24 Positive Tantra Experience the ecstasy of transcendent sex 26 Anita Moorjani Sensitivity and empathy are our greatest strengths 28 Ryszard Porebski One man’s journey of healing with vitamins 30 Davie Philip Transcending the old paradigm of separation 32 Bruce Lipton The revolutionary implications of epigenetics and belief 36 CNM Healthy sunbathing to be sun safe this summer 38 Hans Wieland Discover the benefits of a sensory garden 40 The Happy Pear A scrumptious hot pockets and cake combination 43 Short & Sweet Exciting happenings in the holistic world 56 Pharmanord Two supplements that can boost your heart health 58 Positive Light Glasses to see within 60 Positive Therapy We speak with acupuncturist Caroline McHugh 62 Positive Astrology Emerge from your cocoon and be free

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 Margaret O’Connor margaretpositivelife@gmail.com 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

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summer vibes

“SUMMER HAS A FLAVOUR LIKE NO OTHER...FRESH AND SIMMERED IN SUNSHINE.” OPRAH

Teresa - Yoga Sacred Space

positive

Leni Morrison

pathways YOGA JOURNEY Yoga Sacred Space is offering an awesomely informative and inspiring online yoga teacher training course. If you are called to follow this soulful journey with Teresa, she promises an empowering, accredited, fully supported training course, that you can take at your own pace over 12 months. Let your transformation begin here. yogasacredspace.com

TEND TO YOUR TRAUMA SOUL SUPPORT Leni Morrison is here for you - a support and guide whose intuitive and multidimensional gifts allow her to see your ‘soul picture’, and the most pressing needs of your soul. Leni’s new book ‘Discovering your Mastery’ is out this Autumn, and seeks to help you in unleashing the metaphysical and sovereign power of your soul.

Spirhaven healing, spearheaded by Havening Practitioner Alex Mackey, is here to help the brain achieve new pathways to emotional peace and harmony. There’s a whole lot of science behind this gentle yet powerful healing technique. Alex encorporates spiritual and energy healing into her treatments too. Check out more below.

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0-STIMULI STRESS RELIEF

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NOURISH YOUR LIGHT If you’re looking for enlightening listening these long summer days, check out the Crimson Circle’s heart-connected community. You’ll find a free listening library, live monthly webcasts, an e-magazine and so much more food for expansion and growth. Begun in 1999 by a group of Colorado-based lightworkers, this community is still going strong! crimsoncircle.com

For a beautifully restorative experience, Butterfly Cottage Retreat in Co. Westmeath is the place to be. Olive MacDonagh offers a wide range of courses, meditation exercises, healthy food, recipes and holistic therapies: all designed to help you de-stress and find inner peace. butterflycottageretreat.ie

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POSITIVITY TONIC Join the Positive Club via Facebook or Patreon and set up your regular positivity fix. Videos from Lorie Ladd and he-whoneeds-no-introduction, Joe Vitale, are in the archive this summer to help keep your inner sun shining strong. It’s as easy as signing up and tuning in. positivelife.ie

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

6

“ “Fast fashion”... didn’t align with her values and Sojo was her way of making a change”

1 Solution Seekers GEN-Z MAKING THE CHANGE.

by Alison McEvoy A London-based app is now making it much easier to save old or ill-fitting clothes from the scrapheap. Sojo is a web app that links people to talented seamstresses in their area to adjust and alter clothing; “Users enter their postcode, choose a local seamster and the service they need and await collection of their garments by a bike courier. The clothes will be returned within five days, ready to wear,” comments Sojo creator, Josephine Philips.

One customer raved that “it was

like getting a new piece of clothing”.

This is heartening, as it can be hard to resist the pull of cheap and chearful online shopping. However, it can be just as exciting to re-tailor and creatively adjust a piece of clothing that has been gathering dust in your wardrobe.

“Fast fashion is the term that Josephine uses to describe the massive fashion industries that churn out cheap clothing as fast as their underpaid and overworked employees can force their fingers to move. She realised that her clothing choices didn’t align with her

values and Sojo was her way of making a change; “..whether in charity shops, thrift stores or on [buying and selling website] Depop, I’d constantly find clothes that I loved that weren’t my size. I realised the solution was to alter them.”

It is so amazing to see the newer generations seeking solutions to the injustices and unsustainable practices they encounter in the world, and making efforts to make things right from the epicentre of their own lives.

2 Knowledge is Power

“The ‘goodies’ will leave you feeling mentally and physically calm, satisfied and grounded.”

THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS.

by Alison McEvoy

Since many of us are spending more time in our home kitchens, it might excite you to know that what you rustle up not once a fully belly, but also a good mood.

There is a prolific amount of data emerging from scientific quarters about the gut-brain axis. While folk and traditional medicine has long been aware of this connection, it is really helpful to have modern language to talk about this connection, and some awesome people out there are coming up with modern solutions to the lack of understanding and practical support.

The Good Mood Company is one

such initiative. They have come up with a two-pronged, physical and digital approach to help people rebalance the health of the gut.

More and more of us are coming to know that what is in the gut actually communicates with and affects the brain.

‘Bad’ bacteria will literally put you in a bad mood. Think crankiness, irritation and grumpiness until the little ‘baddies’ screaming out in your gut get their afternoon sugar fix! The ‘goodies’ will leave you feeling mentally and physically calm, satisfied and grounded.

TThe Good Mood Company is a

3 Bees Buzz Back THE UPSWING IN DUTCH CITIES.

by Aisling Cronin A nationwide bee census in the Netherlands has revealed that a recovery in bee numbers is afoot, and highlighted how small-scale conservation projects in Dutch cities have sown the seeds for this recovery.

Some 11,000 volunteers took part in the annual survey, which appeared to show an increase in bee numbers in urban areas.

In recent years, the Netherlands has made some subtle changes to its cities to make them more hospitable to pollinating insects. Some of the tactics used to address declines in the bee population included the establishment of ‘bee hotels’ in parks and gardens, green roofs on bus stops, and wildflowers planted along grass verges.

Koos Biesmeijer, head of Naturalis, a biodiversity charity behind the survey, said those efforts appear to be paying off. “We think numbers are increasing

good place to start, and there are plenty of plain-talking books out there that will fill you in on what’s happening under your very own skin, between the gut and the brain.

While it can feel like we are tiny dinghies – regularly tossed, overturned and sunk by the tumultous winds and waves of the emotions – we can turn the tide with information, knowledge and awareness. This empowers us once more to stand stable at the helm of our lives.

“If everybody does their bit, then you can really transform landscapes. If you put in habitats for them, bees can thrive.”

in cities, and that’s because of greater awareness among people,” he commented, explaining that many city dwellers had made efforts to attract bees.

The Dutch bee census is now in its fourth year. While Biesmeijer warned that it was too early to draw definitive conclusions from it, he said that the initial results of the survey were encouraging. “If everybody does their bit, then you can really transform landscapes. If you put in habitats for them, bees can thrive.”

positively newsworthy the little things 1 The Mother of us all NATURE’S EMBRACE

by Alison McEvoy

“Behind such beauty there must be goodness...in summertime, the beauty abounds.”

8

It’s officially summer time. Trees that line streets, and the lucky ones that live in parks, and the luckier ones that inhabit forests, beside rivers, lakes, perhaps the sea...are filling up with foliage. The colour green is coming out in full force and it strengthens the heart to see.

There is a very special place to me – the inner circle of a beauteous rose garden in my local park. I have been visiting that park my whole life long. The rose garden is the place where I have come to celebrate, to ruminate, to recover, to lament....all the various twists and turns my life has given me thus far.

When my faith in humanity has been tested, the roses dripping with tender petals have reassured me. Behind such beauty there must be goodness...and all around us, especially in summertime, the beauty abounds.

These days, I take my little boy to the rose garden.

For a while, I step back and let Nature be his mother.

Let the sun shine on him. The wind blow through his hair. The grass curl up around his feet. I have made the introduction, and I hope the meeting with Mother Nature will be a fruitful one for him his whole life long, as it has been for me.

2 Dream of Daisies

by Aisling Cronin

When we began to dream – before we ever stood atop the mountain, or heard the roar of a wish fulfilled – We sat on the ground (Childlike hearts Eyes of wonder) And made daisy chains.

When we next stand atop the mountain: Showered with glory Wishes fulfilled Promises kept And our mission complete Let us remember To sit on the ground And dream of daisies.

“Let us remember to sit on the ground and dream of daisies.”

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spirituality in the city TIME TO TRANSCEND Gloria Garcia One moment of transcendence that comes to mind is the birth of my daughter when I was twenty years old. In that moment, after the child had been safely delivered and placed in my arms, time stood still. All worries dissipated. I became acutely aware of God’s presence, the cycle of life, and my place in the universe. A sense that all was as it should be filled my heart. As I basked in the glow of playing such an important role in the miracle of life, an immense wave of love for my daughter swept over me. Although I knew my life would be changing drastically in the years to come, I was no longer afraid or concerned. My connection to this new being and my love for her would withstand all.

Donogh O’Loughlin I’m grateful to travel this beautiful country and meet the most interesting people. I work on Sherkin Island sometimes, and the most common question I’m asked there is ‘what day is it?’ It always fills my heart and makes me smile. I love science and nature, as they help us to understand the physical world.

I’ve surfed barrelling waves in deserted bays where time stood still, I’ve sat on shores and stared at fossils: trapped in rocks, yet free to move. When my first child was born, the universe stopped in that moment. When my dad was in a stroke-induced coma just before he died, I placed my forehead to his and said, ‘I am you and you are me. We are one.’ That changed my perception of time and space deeply.

Later, at a Spoken Word meeting, Mags Creedon asked me whether she could she use that line in a song. Yes. Now it flies again. ecoplumb.ie

Veronika Sardiko

©Anna-Louise Hally

Dance – my passion and profession – allows me to experience transcendence.

Inconceivable moments happen during my performances. Before going onstage, when I’m waiting to step out from the curtain, I can hear my heartbeat – it’s so strong; my legs are heavy; time drags. As soon as I step onto the stage, I no longer have a sense of time.

A one-hour show feels like five minutes. The boost of adrenaline makes me feel like I’m flying.

During a tour to Portugal, I felt upset when I saw that the stage for our performance was so small, I would have to cut some steps and jumps from my solo. In rehearsals, I practised the combinations without a few elements. When I watched the video of the performance, however, I couldn’t believe my eyes. During the show, I had managed to perform all the original steps within the restricted stage space. The dance looked perfect. Magic.

Dance is meditation for me. I forget about my problems, just enjoying myself and the process. myartdublin.com

Tommy Ellis A lot of my inner world is immersed in the idea and application of transcendence. As such, I meditate. Not sometimes, but every day. I calm and soothe my autonomic nervous system every single day with meditation. As I bathe energetically in our collective chemistry of oxytocin, the drama falls away. A couple of weeks ago, it fell away a lot. I could see a vent on the ceiling. I could see a door in front of me. I could see a light fitting, but up close. I had my eyes closed and I was out of my body. I was on the ceiling in the corridor. I was having an outof-body experience. I am not a body, and neither are you. It’s not true that I can ‘transcend’ time and space. The truth is, I am not in time and space. Neither are you. So, what does this mean? It means you’re a superhero.

Geraldine Walsh Having taken a good big mug of sacred ‘San Pedro’ on the ascent to Pachatata (Fatherearth) on the island of Amantani – also called the island of love – on Lake Titicaca, I became one with nature, the plants, the moon. I spoke and played with them. They enticed me beyond time and space. Such fun!

I did this again at my local Lough Gur – I sat alone in that beautiful stone circle, attuned to my inner self and surroundings. I entered the sacred waters of the lake, entering a space of timelessness and joy. No drugs this time – just pure bliss and oneness with the water, the lake and nature. After that, I met a real-life fairy who guided me to Cnoc Áine, for a magical adventure on the hill.

Blessings to the power of nature, the depth and beauty of our sacred land and its magical ability to soothe us. Find your sacred place, do ceremony and be transported beyond time and space. timeforme.ie thedublinwellbeingcentre.ie

Thomas O’Sullivan One of the greatest experiences I have had with transcending time and space was during a rebirthing breathwork session, when I was so deeply immersed in the breath that I had moved completely away from time and space. There was nothing or no one, no sense of time, no sense of anything ... and there, in a timeless darkness before me, appeared my deceased son in a water-like screen image. He was smiling in absolute perfection: his form angelic, without blemish, in high definition. He spoke to me and he brought great peace to my soul by telling me that everything is as it should be. He also spoke to me about my future. When I arrived back into my weeping body, I felt that wherever this meeting point was, I had transcended time and space to get there. instagram.com/thomas.o.sullivan

11

POSITIVE PARENTING

model consent with your children NO MEANS NO.

byPamela Quiery

12

A few years back, when my daughter was about four years old, a new family moved into our neighbourhood. Their two children started to play in our back garden. One child was the same age as my daughter, and her big brother was about four years older. The trampoline in our garden was a big attraction, and the three children started bouncing on it happily.

I noticed that the older boy was jumping quite aggressively, diving on purpose into his sister and pinning her to the ground. She shrieked in protest but he refused to get off her and laughed at her attempts to free herself. He was the only one enjoying the game. Before I had time to intervene, my own daughter took matters into her own hands. She got down to the boy’s level and shouted, “no means no. If someone says STOP, you have to stop.”

I backed her up at this stage. I separated the wrestling children and reinforced the boundary she had stated.

I told the kids that the rules for playing at our house were that if someone says “no”, or if it is clear that someone is no longer having fun, then you have to stop.

Immediately. The older boy reluctantly agreed, but his face hardened as he glared at me for correcting him.

I jumped up and said lightly, “let’s practise consent!” We ran around inside the trampoline bumping into each other and I light-heartedly wrestled with my daughter, trying to make her fall over. My daughter caught on quickly and shouted, “stop!” I immediately jumped backwards with my hands in the air and a surprised expression on my face. All the kids giggled.

She shouted “play” and off we went again.

We practised giving and withdrawing our consent in a playful way for a few minutes, before I made my exit and let them play together again.

I kept close watch the next few times the neighbours came to play. I had to enforce the boundary quite a few times with the older child, but gradually he came onboard (and if he didn’t, well, my daughter had a lot to say about it). I was extremely proud that my daughter, aged only four at the time, was able to notice when her friend’s boundaries were being crossed and was able to strongly advocate for her.

This had come about without me explicitly

talking to her about consent. It came from modelling consent in our daily interactions. This is how I did that.

Model Consent With Your Kids During Daily Interactions From when my children were young babies, I tried to explain to them what I was doing and asked their permission to wash them, to lift them, to change them.

I would ask and then wait for a response.

This could be as subtle as a wiggle or making eye contact, before proceeding.

This kind of contingent communication – where we attune to the signals a child is giving us and respond accordingly – gives even very young children the message that they are understood, and what they want and need matters and will be respected.

As my children grow older, I do my best to respect their choices. Before I override their own decisions, I try to look at my own motivations. Is this a necessary intervention to keep them safe and well, or is it a value judgement on my part? If the intervention is necessary, I try to bring the limit with connection and love instead of harshness and force.

Physical play is popular in our home, and it is a great opportunity to model and practise consent in a fun way.

When we have rough and tumble play, family wrestles or pillow fights, we have a safe word – “jellybean” – which we use often to pause play if someone is hurt or needs a break. If anyone yells “jellybean”, we pause the play straight away until the person is ready to restart. This keeps the play safe and fun, and also gives my children the opportunity to set their own boundaries and have them respected by others. It is through play and modelling that my children have learnt how to negotiate consent.

Five Ways To Put Consent At The Centre Of Your Family Tips for comfortable, confident conversations around consent: 1. Model consent by asking permission to kiss, cuddle or pick up your child, and warmly request that others do too.

2. Give your child as much control over their lives as you are safely able to do.

This gives them the opportunity to make decisions, assert their opinion and have their choices respected.

3. Teach basic rules of consent amongst friends and siblings. No means no.

Stop means stop. If someone doesn’t look like they are having fun, stop before they say “no”. You may have to step in to ensure these ground rules are followed at first, until it becomes natural.

4. Start young. You don’t need to talk about sex to start learning consent.

“Give your child as much control over their lives as you are safely able to do.”

5. Practise how to say “no” with your child in situations when they might feel uncomfortable. This could start with saying “no” during physical play with a sibling, and continue as they make decisions with their friends around staying out late, alcohol and other tricky situations.

Teaching children about consent is about so much more than sex education. It will help your child to develop good boundaries in all of their relationships, from friends to intimate partners to work colleagues and bosses. Not only do we want our children to stand up for themselves, but also to have the confidence and skills to stand up for others more vulnerable or less privileged than themselves, and to call out injustice and oppression wherever they see it in the world.

How do you model consent in your family?

This issue’s parenting feature was written

by Pamela Quiery, Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor for Belfast, Northern Ireland. Find Pamela and learn more about her work online and in person here: handinhandparenting. org/instructor/pamela-quiery

POSITI V E AT TR ACTION

transcending

a storm cloud ASK FOR CLARITY.

by Judith McAdam

14 A couple of years ago, a friend had an issue with me. Although I wasn’t really sure what I had done to offend her, I could feel her energy coming toward me like a storm cloud. I knew she was going through a lot in her life, and my relationship with her meant the world to me.

The consequences of a ‘falling out’ would be devastating, not only to me but to those around me. So, I also decided to use all my tools in my toolbox to consciously create a more positive outcome. I was determined to create positive momentum, or at least to employ the Law of Least Resistance.

“I would place my hand on my heart and soothe that wounded part of me and say, ‘I really do know that I can transcend this.”

Remembering my days in the airline business, I began to use non-resistant thought, creating a metaphor to help me solve the problem. The image of my friend as a ‘storm cloud’ coming toward me made me feel less threatened and provoked the thought that an aircraft never flies

into severe thunderstorms because the turbulence can be so extreme it could tear an aircraft up.

So, I wholeheartedly decided not to allow myself to be sucked into her storm and ultimately ripped to pieces! Again, reverting to the aircraft metaphor, I asked myself what the pilot would do. The answer was simple. The pilot would fly around the storm – this was akin to the Law of Least Resistance – or she would fly above the storm, which I likened to transcending the problem.

Applying non-resistant thought was helping me not to get so emotionally triggered. As hard as it was, considering I hate conflict and was anxious, upset, and a tad bit angry myself, I managed to slow everything down. Each correspondence with my friend reminded me of a minefield with plenty of explosive mines hidden in her text messages. I needed to step with extreme caution – otherwise, metaphorically speaking, I could get blow up!

During this process, I relied heavily on my intuition. I asked my subconscious mind, a.k.a. my inner child, for clarity.

‘Give me clarity – please show me the way to fly around this storm cloud, or transcend it,’ I would plea. When I got really upset or triggered by some of her texts, I would place my hand on my heart and soothe that wounded part of me and

talk deeply to myself, saying, ‘I really do know that I can transcend this, just show me how.’

Over a period of weeks, I managed to watch every word I wrote in my text messages, making sure each word carried with it only high vibrations. I noticed when I got triggered and listened to my negative internal chitter-chatter. With each trigger, I would place my hand on my heart, soothe and calm myself, then ask for clarity. It was hard going, as I had to be vigilant, remaining consciously aware of my actions. It would have been all too easy to dissolve into tears … or worse still, send a stinker of a text.

Step by step, I began to see the situation differently and get answers or intuitions on what to do next. Finally, one day, I caught my thoughts. I could hear myself say, ‘I would just love it if she walked in my door and I could put my arms around her and tell her how much she means to me.’ Then I heard a voice inside me say, ‘you be that change’.

Reluctantly, listening to my intuition with fear and trepidation, I knocked on her door and told her how much she means to me.

The storm cloud dissipated and the aircraft landed safely. All was well.

Jx judithmcadam.com

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POSITIVE HOME

celebrate

the solstice SUMMER LIGHTNESS BECKONS.

by Amanda Sophia

16

Welcome to the Summer Solstice, Litha, with its message of energy, inspiration, outwardness, manifestation, and transformation. As a Celtic Priestess, I have discovered that my intention to seek holistic healing through nature has proven invaluable. The Celtic wheel of the year is a beautiful guide and invitation to this process, because nature invites us to align our internal and external rhythms with hers. We learn that time is cyclical and therefore includes death and rebirth. When we embody nature, we become one with the deepest part of ourselves.

Each festival on the Celtic Wheel is a point that encourages us to look into nature and pay attention to its teachings.

When we work with these natural pauses, we have a chance to consider our lives and choices in a way that syncs with the energies of the earth.

My previous article was about the Spring Equinox, a time of blossoming, rebirth, renewal, and awakening your inner child. Day and night are then of equal length in perfect equilibrium; nature is coming alive.

Since then, we have experienced Bealtaine on May 1st, which was about honouring your inner world of sensuality, fertility, and light. Bealtaine is the time of the Fire Festival, when the boundaries between our world and the otherworld are thin, and magic can happen.

But now we are at the Summer Solstice in the Northern hemisphere, when the axial tilt of the earth is at its closest point to the sun, and the sun’s elevation in the sky is at its highest. This is the turning point of the year, when the sun shines

brightest. It’s a time of balance between our inner masculine and feminine. The word “solstice” literally means the “sun stands still.” The sun has reached its peak; the days will gradually become shorter.

“The Irish goddess associated with the Summer Solstice is Grainne (who) eloped with Diarmaid, god of the underworld ... bringing together the duality of opposites through love.”

With the sun on your face, ask yourself these related questions.

• Where in your life are you forcing things to happen? Can you shift to inviting divine flow?

• What brings you alive?

• How can you reclaim your inner sensuality in a deeper way in your life?

• What action can you take today to step more fully into your joy?

• Do you need to unify the duality of opposites?

• ' Take some time to pause, stand still, and see where you may be feeling overheated. Can you bring cool, calm energy there?

The Irish goddess associated with the Summer Solstice is Grainne (pronounced GRAWN-yah), honoured at the summer solstice and the first grain harvest. She was also a herbalist and protector of the land. In Celtic mythology, Grainne eloped with Diarmaid, god of the underworld. She embraced the darkness, bringing together the duality of opposites through love.

Invite the essence of the goddess Grainne into your life and commune with her over the next six weeks for guidance while performing these Summer Solstice Rituals.

• Create a solstice crown to celebrate nature and the changing of the seasons.

You’ll need flowers, floral tape, floral wire, and scissors. Wrap the wire around your head where you’d like to wear the crown. Weave the flowers through the wire and secure with the tape. Connect with the energy of the flowers and infuse them with your intentions for the next half of the year.

• Create wholeness and sensuality by inviting deep union with the land, yourself, and others. If you are in a relationship, make love outdoors on the land, and if you are single, lay on the earth naked and feel the oneness (find somewhere very private, of course, and don’t get caught).

joinamandasophia.com

POSITIVE PE ACE

transcending 18

trauma FIND MORE PEACE WITH THE PAST.

by Sandy Newbigging

Little can be done to heal our past if we are adamant that the past only happened in the way we believe it did. However, if we are open to perceiving our past with fresh eyes, and from a more positive and empowered perspective, then peace with any memory is most definitely possible.

Transcending past traumas requires us to go beyond what we think happened – and how we remember and recall our past – to return to the truth of reality. Until we do this, our life can end up defined and determined by a series of fictitious fantasies, which are only a relative reality (similar to a dream or convincing story).

The stories that we make up and tell ourselves about life – distorted by our potentially impure perceptions of how the past happened – hurt and hinder us over time. When we uncover the bigger-picture truth of reality, we can automatically and immediately find the hidden treasures of forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, understanding and acceptance.

I’m about to share ten of my favourite questions that have repeatedly helped my clients to find resolution. With a willingness to perceive your past differently, and from a fresh perspective, consider these questions and responses within the context of a memory that has been causing anger, sadness, fear, guilt or hurt:

• Were you safer than you thought? Yes; the fact that I am here today to tell the tale means I survived.

• Did life continue? Yes; despite disliking the past moment, life moved on and there have been good times since.

• Were they doing the best they could?

Yes; if given a choice they would want to experience peace or love, but they didn’t know how to and acted in ways that hurt their own happiness too.

“When we uncover the bigger-picture truth of reality, we [find]...forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, understanding and acceptance.”

• Were they dealing with their own stuff ?

Yes; they were not enlightened and were blinded and governed by their beliefs.

• Did you take it way too personally? Yes; their unkind words or actions said much more about them than me.

• Have you been mind-reading? Yes, I’ve been assuming that I know what they were thinking, which I can’t know for sure.

• Can you honour them by being happy?

(For cases of grief ) Yes; because they loved me, they would want me to be happy.

• Are you more capable than you think?

Yes, I am a resourceful person, having always done what it takes to survive.

• Were you looking outside for love?

Yes, and I now know I am a good and lovable person and don’t need to seek reassurance.

• Were you not being very loving either? Yes, I could have been more unconditionally loving, judged them less and not forced them to be someone they weren’t able to be then.

By answering these questions, we can start purifying our perceptions of the past. They challenge our assumptions and attitudes we have been using to justify our resistances towards what we think happened. We can then return to reality, where peace patiently awaits us.

Sandy is the creator of the popular Mind Detox and Mind Calm methods. Visit his website for more on his online mentoring sessions, club and academy. sandynewbigging.com

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20

water

essentials INTERVIEW WITH SIMON NEWELL.

by Aisling Cronin Water makes up an estimated 60 percent of our bodies, so it goes without saying that the quality of the water we drink, use and bathe in each day can profoundly impact our overall wellbeing.

In Ireland, our tap water passes through a processing treatment that is intended to remove serious pathogens.

However, this process can also strip the water of important nutrients, while adding a number of chemical ingredients that are hazardous to health in large quantities.

Rather than constantly drinking this water in an unfiltered form, a growing number of health-conscious consumers are seeking ways to mitigate any negative effects by installing water filtration systems in their homes.

Renewell Water is one such company at the vanguard of this change. They offer a range of highly effective products and services, including: water purifiers; hydrogen water generators; three-way and four-way kitchen water faucets; shower filters; reusable water bottles and much more.

I was pleased to have a chance to speak with the company’s founder, Simon Newell, to learn more about his journey.

Simon explained, “I suffered from severe acne as a teenager, which really

“What I always say to people is, buy the filter – don’t be the filter!” took a toll on my self-esteem. This led me to look into self-development and natural health. I was about nineteen years old when I first came across the whole concept of purified filtered water. It was 2002, so the idea of water filtration in people’s homes was a very new idea.”

“I heard about reverse osmosis, a water filtration system that would take your water back to a state of pure H2O. I was very excited about that – I felt a huge passion to go out and tell people about this new way of treating water, that wouldn’t damage their health.”

“Sometimes, when I’m talking to people about my water filtration systems, they express some concern about reverse osmosis – they ask, will reverse osmosis not strip water of any good minerals it already has? But for me, the most important thing is to take out chemicals in the water and return it to its pure form, first of all – pure H2O – and from there, you can add in any new minerals you like. There’s a lot that can be done to add more vitality and nutritional value to your

water, once it has first been cleaned and returned to its natural state. This is what I’m passionate about doing now.”

Renewell’s water purifiers push tap water through a filter that is composed of small pores 1,000 times smaller than a strand of hair. They can be positioned under a kitchen sink, and have been proven to remove up to 99.99% of all known contaminants, instantly transforming regular tap water into pure H2O. “One major thing our customers notice is that the taste of their tap water dramatically improves when they install our filters,” Simon told me. “They’ve often been in situations where they didn’t like the old taste of their tap water, so they went out and bought lots of bottled water instead, but then they weren’t happy about the amount of plastic bottles they ended up having to throw out because of that.”

“My simple view is that we are natural being, made up of roughly 60 percent water, depending on how hydrated we are. It is the single most important substance we consume, for our health.

What I always say to people is, buy the filter – don’t be the filter!” renewellwater.com

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POSITIVE PERSONALITY

theatre

man EXPLORING CREATIVITY WITH MICHAEL KEEGAN-DOLAN.

by Alison McEvoy Interview by Paul Congdon

22

Michael Keegan-Dolan has had a long and prolific career. He is a talented choreographer and is the founding artistic director of award-winning dance theatre companies such as ‘Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre’ and currently ‘Teac Damsa’ (meaning ‘House of Dance’ in Gaelic/Irish).

He is, in his own words, “a theatre man” – a man whose gift shines the brightest, and who is at his finest, when putting his energies into theatre.

Here is someone who has found his way to a place where so many of us long to be as we grapple with questions such as; ‘who am I?’ or ‘what should I be doing with my life?’

Michael tells a wonderful story about his discovery of yoga...

He wound up at a yoga retreat after a particularly gruelling phase of work in the bustle of the London theatre scene. He found himself drawn to the yoga teacher – a man who had trained as an expert in The Japanese Sword. This man became his mentor and Michael eventually fell in love with yoga enough to want to become a teacher. The response to his application was a short and, in the long run, sweet one.

It took the form of a few simple sentences stating that he was a theatre man, and should remain a theatre man.

Creative Principles ~ The Relaxation Factor Michael is aware that “I am at my most creative when I’m at my most relaxed.”

He goes to great lengths to ensure the presence of relaxation among his company.

“For their particular gift to fully sing... in my humble opinion, the best way to allow that to happen is to create a situation where they feel the most relaxed.

A lot of it comes down to me and how I am.

So I have to do a good bit of work on myself … ask myself questions about life, what I want, and why I am doing this.”

Michael is well-known in theatre circles for having a slightly unusual manner of collaborating with his company-of-the-moment. He brings his collaborators on retreats in rural Ireland – yoga and vegetarian retreats, essentially. This apparently simple act, of bringing people to live in a rural setting and eat three healthy meals a day, has

quite a profound effect on the creations Empathy among the dancers allows that ultimately emerge from the process of them to connect with one another, while collaboration. empathy from the audience allows the The nutritious food, the forced dancers to connect to the viewer in a way enclosure which encourages people to that creates a new possibility. The viewer share their truth, and the quality of the doesn’t simply sit and judge, assessing relationships that people naturally forge whether they like or dislike what they within such close confines, all become a see. They are touched in a much more very significant part of the creative process. profound way.

While there can be challenges to such an “Dancers are not showing you what experience, the benefits are significant. they can do, but showing the audience The boundaries among the collaborators what they can do.” can quite naturally soften in such an environment; there may be revelations, ~ The Discipline Factor sharings, moments of connection and a crucial deepening of the level of relaxation Interestingly, Michael identifies the possible when they are together. fundamental reasons for his being good at When creating a complex piece of something as a sense of; timing, structure, work, which balances the energies of both sensitivity and co-ordination. He applies the brighter and darker aspects of what it these disciplines to all of the various means to be human, relaxation allows the practices he performs as a ‘Theatre Man’, entire company to dive deeper. whether it be writing, acting, singing or “It’s like free-diving,” Michael says. choreographing.

“The key to it is relaxation. Working with In order to make something count – to complicated or darker themes, you can make it useful, and turn it into something only go as far as you can stay relaxed with that can be articulated in some form or the subject. And know your limitations. another – one needs to put structure on And it’s important to know why you’re the thing. Michael jokes about the amount going free-diving anyway.” of improvisation his collaborators and he engage in. There’s a lot of playing around.

Things emerge from the flow and new ideas spring into being. However, in the end, there must be structure in order for the thing to be what it is.

“For their particular gift to fully sing...create a situation where they feel the most relaxed.” ~ The Empathy Factor

While there seems to be “no reliable metric in the field of creativity”, there are things that Michael has come to see as requirements in order for awesome moments of connection-throughcreativity to occur; “When the majority of people sharing the collective space agree, for a moment, that creates a special feeling.

When you’re in the room and that happens, it’s so beautiful and reassuring. It assuages your fears and your loneliness when you experience that level of connectivity. When that happens, I feel like Superman.”

“You need empathy for this process to happen.”

~ The Likeability Factor Michael adds that it is very important, in the field of creative work, that “they like me and I like them.”

“If you like each other, you can go much further with any relationship… if you like each other, it’s an amazing kind of glue.”

Some of the people he works best with are the ones he talks very little to; “When a relationship is low on verbal communication, that’s an indication that it’s going well. We get each other. It sounds very crude and simple, but it’s describing a very complex and profound relationship, based on love and mutual respect.”

Teacdamsa.com

POSITIVE TANTR A

transcendent

sex EXPERIENCE NEW LEVELS OF ECSTASY.

by Dawn Cartwright

“When novelty and mystery are a part of your lovemaking experience, a chain reaction happens in the body…”

If you’ve ever been curious about transcendence, look no further than your very own bedroom. Sex is, according to many, the most transcendent of all human experiences. And NeoTantra is filled with euphoric wisdom, sure to take your love making (alone or with your partner) to new heights.

Five Steps to Transcendent Sex Step 1: De-Stress

see how it feels to explore different types of touch.

the nape of the neck. Scent is our most direct connection, making the transcendent impact immediate. Some potent essential oils to explore include ylang ylang and cedar.

• Touch … but not too much. Our attention refocuses about every eight Stress is one of the biggest blocks to seconds. This means we are feeling and transcendent sex - and it’s something we receiving sensation in frames, almost Step 4: Move Your Body all have control over, even if we think we like a movie film. Touch, then move don’t. Work deadlines, politics, neighbours, your hand away, touch, then move your loneliness … there are lots of things to feel Bedroom oasis, check. Tantalising touch, body away just a bit. stressed about. De-stressing takes a bit of check. Novelty and mystery, check. Next focus and discipline. up, move your body. Moving your body • Try the full body touch. Hugging is one unleashes a cascade of transcendent of the most transcendent ways to touch. hormones. These hormones wake you • Schedule transcendent sex time. We Notice how you feel when you hug a up, make you feel alive, and increase your know sex is good for us. We know little longer: perhaps 20-30 seconds, body’s ability to feel aroused. sex improves our quality of life and which is the amount of time it takes relationships. Yet we don’t make time for oxytocin to be released into the for it, meaning that we often end • Try partner yoga. Partner yoga is bloodstream. up with functional sex (gets the job almost perfect, because of the way done) rather than tripping-the-light it gets your bodies moving AND Step 3: Mystery & Novelty transcendent. Schedule bedtime one amplifies attraction. Search for some hour earlier – starting tonight. partner yoga on YouTube, and the two So far, in pursuit of transcendent sex, of you will be transcendent in minutes. you’ve let go of stress and explored new • Stop working at a set time each day. If ways of touch. Now, you’ll create some you’re like most, you push yourself to • Create a dance playlist you both love. mystery. When novelty and mystery are work way too many hours, doing your Okay, you might feel silly at first, but a part of your lovemaking experience, best to stay ahead. It’s been proven believe me, once the two of you get a chain reaction happens in the body, that we are much less productive when dancing and let go, the energy will grab causing you to become more focused on we push ourselves. Decide what time you and take you away. pleasure and more likely to feel desire. you’re going to stop working each day, and stick to it.

• Walk a hill or two. Fresh air, a brisk • Make love in the morning, at noon, or pace and the one you adore make in the middle of the night. To up the • Make your bedroom a stress-free zone. this an ideal way to amplify the mystery and novelty in your sex life, This means moving the television, transcendent goodness in your try making love at different times of laptop and laundry out of the bedroom. bedroom. the day or night. The sex hormones You’ll be amazed by how quickly you in our bodies fluctuate quite a bit begin to feel more passion and desire.

Step 5: Be Kind around the clock, and you might just find yourselves feeling particularly Step 2: Transcendent Touch And last, but certainly not least, to transcendent at a time you never experience truly transcendent sex, you expected.

Now that you’ve created the time, stopped must be kind. Be kind to one another, letting work spill over into every moment listen, respond, accept and bond. The of your life, and cleared out your bedroom, • Make love outside, in the shower, connection you share is your first class sitting down and standing up. Instead you’re ready to explore touch. And not just ticket to transcendence. of having sex in that one place (the bed) any kind of touch, but transcendent touch or in one position (missionary), try – touch that takes you over and gets you out Dawn Cartwright is a Neo Tantra visionary, something new and give yourself time of your thoughts. sacred writer, world traveler, and innovator to explore. The genitals have thousands in authentic lovemaking and Neo Tantra of pleasure zones, accessed through a • Transcendent touch is every kind fusion. dawncartwright.com variety of positions and environments. of touch. It’s soft, feathery, warm,

strong, deep, intense and soothing. It’s • Bring in a fresh new scent. Experiment everything. When you are with your with essential oil blends applied to partner, notice whether you’re always the wrists, the backs of the knees, or touching one another in one way, and

25

26

“Love , empathy and sensitivity deserve to be seen as strengths”

sensitivity is strength A CONVERSATION WITH ANITA MOORJANI

by Aisling Cronin - Interviewers: Paul Congdon and Jane Stephenson Anita Moorjani is a world-renowned spiritual author, speaker and teacher. We were honoured to speak with her recently on the subjects of sensitivity, strength, and the courage it takes to fully be oneself.

Anita is well-known for her 2012 book ‘Dying to be Me’, which chronicled a near-death experience she went through six years earlier. ‘In 2006, after a four-year battle with cancer, I fell into a coma and was given hours to live,’ she explains. ‘As my doctors gathered to revive me, I was given the choice to return to my physical form or to continue into this new realm.

I chose the former, and when I regained consciousness, my cancer began to heal.

Since then, I’ve heeded the call to share this powerful story—and divine lesson—with the world: love yourself fully. That’s what you’re here to do.”

This is a message she powerfully expresses in her new book, ‘Sensitive Is the New Strong’, which focuses on the harnessing and fostering of empathic gifts.

Anita helps empaths — whether emerging or acknowledged — to navigate obstacles they may face and identify what makes them unique. She teaches them how to claim their true powers as empaths, with the ultimate aim of shifting the planet in a more harmonious direction.

According to Anita, this shift has never been more needed.

‘Ruthlessness, competitiveness, winning at all costs … these are considered strengths in our current society,’ she says. ‘People with these qualities are the ones who tend to rise to the top, precisely because these are the traits we have been led to value.

This is why the world is in the state it’s in today. Traits like empathy, gentleness and compassion haven’t been valued. Sensitive people don’t get into power, because we think those qualities we have are weak.

So we have to change the metrics of what it means to be strong if we want to see a different world. Love, empathy and

sensitivity deserve to be seen as strengths.’

Anita is passionate about helping empaths to be secure and at peace with who they are. She understands the hurdles that sensitive people can face in a world that doesn’t always honour their needs.

‘Many empaths have a problem with being assertive,’ she comments, ‘as they worry that being assertive must mean being aggressive. One thing I often recommend to people who struggle with this is: imagine you have a spectrum, or sliding scale. On one end of the scale is aggressive behaviour, in the middle of the scale, you have healthy, assertive actions, and at the other end of the scale, you have passiveness. Empaths who are on the passive end of that scale allow people to walk all over them, and this is how they lose their energy.’

On the difference between assertiveness and aggression, Anita adds, ‘when you are being assertive, you are just taking back control of your own life. You are identifying that ‘I am a soul, I have a purpose, and I need to keep my battery charged so that I can fulfil my purpose.’

Aggression involves wanting to control not just your own life, but somebody else’s life too. So when you simply want to take decisions about your own life, you are not being selfish for doing that. When you don’t want anyone to control you, nor do you want to control other people, that’s exactly where you need to be.’

The nurturance of compassion is one of the greatest gifts we can offer to an embattled world.

Humanity’s present reality will improve when we fully engage with our ability to love and understand those around us. Anita says, ‘the biggest issue we face today is divisiveness. If we can heal the underlying division that we have in society, our other problems will disappear too.

I feel that the way the world was, before

lockdown happened, couldn’t have kept going. If we had kept moving in that direction, we would have self-combusted.

Our world was led by people who were not empathic, were not sensitive, and were power-hungry.’

She is passionate about spreading one, simple truth. ‘Love can heal us. I believe that now we’ve been forced to stop in our tracks, we can turn inward and realise that. I still have hope that people will continue to reflect, and will realise that our primary problem in society is that we lack compassion for each other. As soon as we understand that, and step into compassion, we will be able to heal.’

Anita states that our main purpose in life is to love. This begins with loving ourselves, before spreading that love outwards to embrace others.

She likens the process of revealing our own authentic selves to Michelangelo’s artistic process of chipping away at a block of marble, until the angel within was set free.

‘A lot of people worry that becoming your authentic self must mean studying hard, doing great things, trying out all kinds of methods … yet the simple truth of being authentic is that it involves an undoing: a gradual release of all the things that are not you. When you are able to do that, you are also able to have healthy relationships with others. You understand that your role is not fix all of their problems or let them walk all over you, as empaths can be prone to do. Your role is to love yourself, first of all, and then love them: remembering, all the while, that this love begins with you.’.

For more information on Anita’s new book, ‘Sensitive is the New Strong’, as well as her other books, teachings and videos, go to anitamoorjani.com

28

liposome power ONE MAN’S HEALING JOURNEY

by Aisling Cronin From the crucible of pain, deep healing can be achieved. This was the primary impression I was left with after a recent conversation with Ryszard Porebski, founder of POREBSKI Liposomes.

Ryszard first became interested in the health-boosting potential of liposomal vitamins after going through a very difficult paragliding accident in 2007. ‘I broke my leg below the knee, and both bones were completely shattered,’ he said.

‘My leg ended up being shortened by seven centimetres, as surgeons found that so much of the bone had been shattered, they were unable to save it.’

At that time, Ryszard was told that he would never again be able to walk without crutches: a devastating blow for a man who had been an avid mountain climber, diver, sailing instructor, swimmer and paraglider. Doctors also told him that he was at risk of losing his leg entirely, and would have to be placed on medication for the rest of his life.

‘I tried to follow all of the medical advice I was given for two years,’ Ryszard continued. ‘I went through many different surgeries: muscle grafts, skin grafts, bone grafts … all kinds of things were done to try and restore the function of my leg. Doctors tried hard to restore a stable connection between my bones, but even with all their efforts, after almost three years, my leg still didn’t work and I was in a lot of pain.’

Ryszard’s mother – who was a doctor in Poland – expressed concern over

“The situation I found myself in led me to find a whole new way of supporting my health … and it is my honour to be able to share that with others now.” the amount of antibiotics that were being prescribed to her son, as she could see that they were having a detrimental impact on his immune system. She recommended that he look into the health-promoting effects of vitamins and minerals.

Ryszard began to explore liposomal encapsulation technology (which involves placing vitamins into protective bubbles called liposomes, to ensure more efficient absorption into the body). He began to take these vitamins, and soon noticed that his pain was easing. The vitamins were helping him to restore his immune system and ward off a persistent bone infection in his leg. Two years later, after another few operations and a long bone reconstruction process, he got his life back.

He initially created liposomal vitamin products for his own personal use, but it wasn’t long before family and friends began to request them too. Word

soon spread, and Ryszard was surprised to find that people he didn’t know were beginning to request his products.

‘One day out of the blue a man called, wanting to buy my products,’ he recalled.

‘He said, my doctor recommended that I buy your vitamins! I was completely confused, but the man told me his doctor had probably gotten them from a friend of mine.’

This was how SunflowerLiposomes

by POREBSKI Liposomes came into being: as a business that developed very organically, through word of mouth.

Ryszard never intended to set up the business, but he moved in that direction because he was deeply passionate about helping people to improve their health, and making liposomes available for everyone.

Now, Ryszard and his wife Aleksandra produce their goods to a highly professional standard, as they are officially registered by the FSAI (Food Safety Authority Ireland) and and supervised by the HSE (Health Service Executive). Their liposomal products are manufactured in Ireland, under a strict HACCP food safety protocol.

‘The situation I found myself in – the pain, the desperation – led me to find a whole new way of supporting my health,’ Ryszard said, ‘and it is my honour to be able to share that with others now.’

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You are not what you eat, you are what you absorb Why liposomes? Liposomes can pass through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream for distribution to the cells. In this way, they offer maximized absorption with every dose by breaking through your body’s nutrient absorption barriers.

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GOOD LIFE 2.0

transcending a paradigm of separation EMBRACING AN ECOLOGICAL WORLDVIEW

by Davie Philip We all behave according to assumptions that we hold about how things work and how society functions. Our lives are underpinned by paradigms that help us make sense of the world and are the sources of our beliefs and values. People rarely, if ever, question or challenge these sets of ideas and are oblivious that a different way of seeing the world is possible.

We tend to operate from a paradigm of separation. This contributes to the increasing epidemic of loneliness, individualism, social atomisation and a ‘growth at any cost’ economy driving the continued destruction of our natural world.

Buddhism says that suffering occurs when people are detached or isolated, identifying this as the cause of most of our problems and the world’s troubles. When Buddha gained enlightenment, it was the realisation that interconnectedness is the true nature of all beings.

Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer, in their book ‘Leading from the Emerging Future’, state that although our world is interconnected, in many cases our

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awareness as individuals, organisations or nations is still limited. They propose a deep shift in consciousness that would enable us to begin to care and act in the interests of the entire ecosystem, not just for ourselves.

They call for a internal shift from from an outdated “ego-system” awareness, focused on what is good for ourselves, to an “eco-system” awareness that emphasises connection, relationship and the health of the whole. This transformation, they say, needs us to nurture an open mind, an open heart and an open will.

An open mind is the capacity to see the world with fresh eyes and to suspend old habits of thought. An open heart enables us to empathise and see any situation through the eyes of others. An open will is the ability of letting go of old identities and being receptive to a new sense of self and to what transcendence makes possible.

At the very end of his life, Maslow added selftranscendence to the top of his

‘hierarchy of needs’, describing this as “the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos”.

People who make this shift tend to value empathy, care and community, and are more likely to express greater concern about bigger-than-self problems. Whereas people operating from a paradigm of separation get stuck at an individualist, ego-driven level of development and tend to value self-enhancement, status and competition.

“ an “eco-system” awareness... emphasises connection, relationship and the health of the whole.”

According to Donella Meadows, a pioneer of whole systems thinking; “It is in the space of mastery over paradigms that people throw off addictions, live in constant joy, bring down empires, get locked up or burned at the stake or crucified or shot, and have impacts that last for millennia.”

To ensure a resilient and regenerative future we are now urgently called to transcend the paradigm of separation and embrace an ecological worldview. This is the shift in thinking and way of making sense of the world that is truly transformative.

Davie Philip is a facilitator and trainer with a focus on community resilience at Cultivate. ie and a network weaver at ECOLISE.eu, the European network for communityled initiatives on climate change and sustainability,

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believe in

heaven on earth WE INTERVIEW BRUCE LIPTON

by Aisling Cronin Interviewers: Paul Congdon and Jane Stephenson

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“We are all skincovered petri dishes! Our blood is the culture medium that feeds every one of our cells.”

Bruce H. Lipton, PhD, is a man who needs little introduction. He is an internationally recognised leader in bridging science and spirit, whose work has served as an inspiration to many. Bruce is a stem cell biologist, bestselling author of ‘The Biology of Belief’, and recipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award. He has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as a keynote presenter for multiple international conferences.

Bruce’s research at Stanford University’s School of Medicine between 1987 and 1992 revealed that the environment – operating through the cell membrane – controlled the behaviour and physiology of cells, turning genes on and off. His discoveries ran counter to the established scientific view that life is controlled by the genes, and they presaged one of today’s most important fields of study: the science of epigenetics.

Two major scientific publications derived from these studies defined the molecular pathways connecting the mind and body.

During a recent interview we enjoyed with him, Bruce said of his early years, ‘I was a scientist who was never spiritual, but when I studied cells – and cells revealed their underlying mechanisms to me – it changed my entire life. I realised that there is a mechanism to how spirit actually works inside our bodies.’

We asked Bruce how his scientific views have developed over the years, and he said: Quantum physics is the most valid science on planet Earth. There is no science with more factual truth than quantum physics.

Quantum physics says that the world we’ve been looking at, which is composed of matter, physical things, visible objects: that’s all an illusion. Everything is energy.

There’s no such thing as matter.

What do I mean by that? Well, when scientists first started to take cells apart, they found atoms containing a little solar system, with a nucleus at the centre and electrons rotating around them, like little satellites. Then they investigated those subatomic particles and found they were composed of protons and neutrons … but when they took those apart, what did they find? Nothing! They were just energy vortices.

So an atom isn’t made out of matter. It’s made out of energy, and so are we. Quantum physics has recognised

this as a fundamental truth since it was founded in 1927. Max Planck said, ‘All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force … We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.’

This shows us, very clearly, that our consciousness creates our life experiences. We no longer have to view ourselves as passive, or unable to influence our material circumstances. We are not victims of what’s happening.

For a long time, this has been the template of our understanding: our genes control our traits. We did not pick the genes we were born with. We cannot change the genes if we don’t like our traits.

Genes turn on and off by themselves. But the science of epigenetics explores a reality that goes deeper than that.

“Heaven on Earth can be experienced every single day of your life, if you are willing to see it.”

This comment led us into a discussion about what the science of epigenetics is.

The word ‘epi’ means ‘above’. For example, you’d refer to the skin as the epidermis, because it sits above another layer in our bodies called the dermis. So the science of epigenetics refers to what sits above genetic control. And what’s above the genes? The environment.

Contrary to our prior belief, genes don’t randomly turn on and off by themselves.

They are controlled by the environment in which they live.

The way I describe it is: genes are blueprints that are used to create proteins, the building blocks of the body. In a lab, the growth of genetically identical cells can be observed in petri dishes, and it has been proven that these cells – identical as they are, in their genetic makeup – will develop differently, based on the culture medium in each petri dish. And we are all skin-covered petri dishes! Our blood, in fact, is the culture medium that feeds every one of our cells.

So what elements go into a successful culture medium? Firstly, good nutrition. Secondly, cellular signals, which

would include hormones, emotional chemicals, and other factors that contribute to our overall physiological makeup. And what influences those factors? External and internal signals.

These include physical observations we make about our surroundings. Is it cold outside? Is it warm? What’s the weather like? These are the signals that the brain receives and communicates to the rest of our body.

But here’s the key thing: our mind comes in and interprets those signals. Two people can be in the exact same place, and one person might think, ‘this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in’, while the other person could be thinking, ‘this place is scary.’ Even though those people are in exactly the same surroundings, or seeing the exact same thing, their experience of that thing is totally different. Each one of us perceives our environment through the lens of our mind, our experiences, our worldview.

So why is that relevant? Because the mind sends signals to the nervous system, which then controls your genes.

Epigenetics! This is exactly what has been discovered by quantum physics, and this is why I describe this entire mechanism as the biology of belief.

When you’re in love, your culture medium will reflect that. Your blood will contain all of the chemicals associated with love: dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin and growth hormones, which make you feel vital and healthy and radiant. That’s why people in love will often be told that they look as though they’re glowing.

Someone who’s in a lot of fear, however, will have a different chemical makeup in their blood: stress hormones, cortisol, cytokines, histamine. Fear chemistry shuts off the immune system.

The more afraid you are, the less effective your immune system is – and this doesn’t happen to ‘punish’ you. It happens simply because the immune system uses a lot of energy.

If you’re being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger, you need all of the energy you can get to run away from that tiger. The body wants to respond to the immediate threat. So it decides, in that moment, that the tiger is a bigger emergency than, say, a bacterial infection you might have.

So your thoughts are not just passing through. They are directly influencing the culture medium that houses your cells.

“You can choose to look at the caterpillar version of our civilisation, and get upset about how it is falling apart … or you could look in the other direction.”

We also inherit thoughts and beliefs from people around us: our parents, our families, our friends, wider society … and it is important for us to understand that sometimes, the ‘programmes’ we inherit don’t support what we truly wish to create in life.

Bruce then delved into the specific tools we can use to rewrite our subconscious programmes.

Energy psychology is one way to ‘rewrite’ those programmes and become more conscious of what you’re thinking and saying. Another way to do this is hypnosis.

Anther way is habituation. Repeat the habit you want to acquire, or your affirmations, over and over again. Practise and practise until the new way of life has become second nature to you. Sometimes this is a case of ‘fake it ’til you make it.’

We hear a lot about the placebo effect, which is a term science uses to describe how the conscious mind creates healing within the physical body, using a sugar pill. We know that positive thinking and the placebo effect can heal you.

So we have to take responsibility for our thinking. We may not be able to change our genes, but we can change

our programmes. We can change how we think. Find something that you love doing, and let all of your love, and all of your conscious attention, be focused on that thing. Invest your energy in things that bring you joy. Live your days in a state of love. Heaven on Earth can be experienced every single day of your life, if you are willing to see it.

We asked Bruce how he feels about the societal transformation that is currently underway on our planet. He described our collective experience using a beautiful metaphor of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly: This is a very interesting time, when the world seems to be turning upside down and there’s chaos all over … but what’s so interesting, from a biological point of view, is that we’re in exactly the right place we need to be. In the history of this planet, there have been five mass extinctions. Human behaviour is driving the sixth mass extinction, so we now have to profoundly change how we’re living.

A very simple analogy I like to use is how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. A

caterpillar is an incredibly voracious organism. Put it on a plant, and it’ll eat all the leaves on that plant. But at a certain point, the caterpillar stops growing, puts itself into a cocoon, and transforms into a butterfly. A butterfly is a very light-touch organism, compared to the caterpillar, which is an incredibly voracious organism.

The cells are the living organism that determine how that caterpillar – or how any of us – will manage that transformation. So if you look at me, for example, you might say, ‘oh, there’s Bruce, he’s a living organism’, but I’d say, ‘no, Bruce is actually a community of fifty trillion cells, and they are the living organisms’. Back to the story of the caterpillar: the caterpillar is composed of billions of cells. All of these cells are doing specific jobs – as part of the nervous system, digestive system or circulatory system, for example – and as long as they are doing their jobs, everything is flowing smoothly.

However, when the caterpillar stops moving and prepares to go into its cocoon, suddenly there are no more jobs. Everything is breaking down, the caterpillar is disintegrating, and all at once, you’re left with a soup of cells that are all

out of work! But within that community, you have what are called ‘imaginal cells’, and they’re the ones with the vision of the butterfly. They’re the ones who co-ordinate the mass of unemployed cells and ‘retrain’ them, in a sense, to make the butterfly.

So how is this relevant? Our civilisation has become a voracious caterpillar. That’s where our problems have come from. We’ve damaged the environment to an extent that we’re being forced by the planet to transform how we live. So now, we need to create a more sustainable ‘butterfly’ version of our civilisation.

You can choose to look at the caterpillar version of our civilisation, and get upset about how it is falling apart … or you could look in the other direction and get inspired by how we are building something new. The civilisation that’s coming down has to come down. How else do we move from where we are today to a more beautiful, sustainable, ‘light touch’ civilisation? If you’re holding onto the caterpillar version of life, I would have to say, ‘I’m sorry. It’s not going to work anymore. Let it go.’

Learn more about Bruce and his works at: brucelipton.com

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POSITIVE MEDICINE

sun cream

alternatives HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN NATURALLY.

by Michelle Sanchez - Naturopath, Nutritionist and Medical Herbalist

At this time of year, hundreds of bottles, sprays and tubes of sun cream take prime position in personal care shops and supermarkets. Sun cream is considered an essential purchase for those heading away for a break in the sunshine. However, it is worth taking some time to consider which products will be most beneficial for your health and the environment.

What is sunscreen and how does it work?

Sunscreen, also known as sun cream or sunblock, is a topical product which is applied to the skin; the aim being to protect it from the sun. It works by

absorbing or reflecting ultraviolet rays from the sun, thereby preventing sunburn.

There are two types of ultraviolet rays: Ultraviolet A (UVA) which is a long wavelength associated with skin burning; and Ultraviolet B (UVB) which is a shorter wavelength linked to skin ageing. Around 95% of the ultraviolet rays which reach the skin through sunlight are UVA. When choosing a sunscreen, it’s essential to check that it contains both UVA and UVB protection, as both ultraviolet rays are considered harmful for your skin.

“Seek out shade wherever possible.

Use an umbrella or beach tent when at the park or beach.”

Be sunscreen aware If you look at the back of your sunscreen packaging, you’ll see a long list of ingredients that you may not be familiar with. These chemically complex ingredients have been specially formulated in a laboratory setting to block UVA and UVB rays, but they can affect the body in ways that are best avoided.

Here are a few sunscreen ingredients to look out for: • Oxybenzone, also called Benzophenone-3, is a common ingredient in sunscreens due to its efficacy at reducing UV exposure. It is able to penetrate the skin and leach into the blood; studies have shown that traces of oxybenzone can be found in breast milk. This chemical has been linked to skin allergies, hormone disruption and lowered birth weight.

Oxybenzone is also hazardous to ecosystems, as it bleaches and deforms coral and contaminates fish.

• Octinoxate (Octyl methoxycinnamate) is another common ingredient used in sunscreens as a UV filter. It has been linked with reproductive and developmental issues and hormone disruption. Octinoxate has also been linked to the reduction of thyroid hormones in the blood, which impacts metabolism.

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• Homosalate is known to disrupt hormones (progesterone and androgens) and increase the production of oestrogen in the body. The reason that homosalate is used in sunscreens is that it has the ability to absorb shortwave UVB rays; these are the rays that can damage the DNA of cells.

• Octocrylene is another UV filter widely used in sunscreens. It absorbs UVB rays and short UVA rays. The issue is, when exposed to UV light, octocrylene produces free radicals which can cause damage to cells, making them mutate.

This chemical is highly allergenic and is able to seep through the skin, accumulating in the body.

• Fragrances in sunscreens are another concern, as they contain chemicals that have been linked to a host of health conditions.

Always read the labels of sunscreen products to check the ingredient list, even when the product is labelled “natural” or “organic.” Quite often, these products do contain some chemicals. If you are in doubt about any of the ingredients, call the brand directly and ask them questions.

How to protect your skin naturally • Avoid the sun during peak times of the day, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., as this is when the sun is strongest. Instead, venture outside in the early morning or late afternoon. Use the ‘shadow rule’ to

CNM

determine when you should go out in the sun. If your shadow is shorter than your height, avoid the sun, as UV rays will be too strong.

• Seek out shade wherever possible. Use an umbrella or beach tent when at the park or beach.

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and clothing with UV protection, such as a rash guard or a rash vest, which offer protection up to UPF 50+. The more coverage your body has from the sun, the less chance you have of burning.

• Be aware that you can still suffer from sunburn in the water or if it’s cloudy.

• Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block out both UVA and UVB rays. Opt for sunglasses with a UV rating of 400 plus, as excessive sun exposure can increase your chances of developing eyes diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

• Eat more skin-protecting foods like blueberries, watermelon, carrots, leafy greens and cauliflower. These foods

are high in antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which are essential nutrients for skin health. Watermelon and tomatoes are particularly high in an antioxidant called lycopene, which has the potential to act as a natural sunblock.

• Make your own natural sun cream at home! It’s not as complicated as you might think – you can easily make a natural sun cream with a few ingredients. Some natural carrier oils have a high SPF factor, including carrot seed oil (SPF 38-40), raspberry seed oil (SPF 28-50), wheatgerm oil (SPF 20), avocado oil (SPF 4-15) olive oil (SPF 2-8) and coconut oil (SPF 2-8). You can blend one of the above oils with beeswax and zinc oxide for a natural sunscreen. It is important to obtain organic produce (or Soil Association certified) for best results, and always do a patch test..

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POSITIVELY ORGANIC

gardens for all senses UPLIFT, CALM AND REFRESH YOURSELF.

by Hans Wieland

If we have learned one thing over the course of the last year, it is the healing power of nature and the joy, happiness and fun that interacting with the natural world can bring. Having all our senses stimulated through nature is so beneficial to our wellbeing and a garden is one of the best places for it. French “potagers” or German “Bauerngaerten” have always tried to combine edible and ornamental plants in stunning designs. And although every garden is a senses garden, there are also specially designed sensory gardens.

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“What makes designed sensory gardens so exciting are the endless possibilities...”

A Blueprint for a Senses Garden I still vividly remember bringing visitors on a tour to the senses garden in The Organic Centre in Leitrim, established by the late Jill Scott and her husband Mark about twenty years ago. Five large raised beds, dedicated to our five senses, were planted with grasses that made different sounds when brushed with our hands.

There were hairy leaves, fleshy leaves, and leaves that were prickly when touched.

Colourful flowers drew in your eyes and there were scented herbs and tasty salad leaves.

I know this small area became a blueprint for a range of educational and recreational applications in schools, day care centres and nursing homes; used in the education of special needs students, in horticultural therapy and in the care of people with dementia.

The Benefits of a Sensory Garden What makes designed sensory gardens so exciting are the endless possibilities they can provide. A simple community garden with tasty food plants and wildlife friendly areas such as hedges; calming, zen like areas with scented plants and restful seating; a therapeutic space for people to recuperate from illness or stress; an outdoor classroom full of exciting things to do; an accessible and safe space for people who have lost a sense; and a wheelchair friendly garden.

Besides plants and natural features, sensory gardens can also include surfaces and objects that stimulate our senses through touch, sight, scent, taste and hearing. Whether you have a large space or a small balcony, there are so many ideas you can explore to create a sensory experience. The sales of house plants increased manyfold in the last year, especially in people with no outdoor spaces. Windowsill gardens have mushroomed. This is a sure sign of our deep craving for nature and the comfort plants can provide in difficult times!

Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch Sensory gardens focus on the positive emotions they create.

Sight – While colours provide the most

visual appeal, this sense can also be stimulated by growing habits, from creeping to climbing and trailing to standing upright – uplifting and joyful.

Sound - Wind blowing through your garden can have devastating consequences for your plants. Therefore, natural shelters like a native hedge are not only beneficial for your plants, they will attract wildlife like birds who will entertain you all year long with their song – relaxing and calming.

Smell – The sense of smell stimulated by highly aromatic plants can often trigger memorable experiences and bring you back in time – refreshing and stimulating.

Taste’ looks like it should be bolded and have a line space put before it, as it is part of the wider list. ‘In my view, the most exciting sense. This can be fuelled by edible fruits, herbs, spices and vegetables – fulfilling and satisfying.

Touch – Like no other sense, this physical experience can be painful in the extreme: think nettles or roses or gorse. Planting with touch in mind should exclude dangerous textures and concentrate on leaf structures - soothing and stimulating.

How to increase the sensual value of our gardens We know how our senses can trigger powerful emotions, and ideally a garden of the senses should give us positive emotions. Looking at tulips can be uplifting and joyful, hearing water flow can be relaxing, smelling mint is refreshing, tasting strawberries can be satisfying and touching the bark of a tree can be invigorating. Many gardens will provide sensual experiences all year round. Just think about trees and their leaves, or herbs and their scents. Two of my favourite plants for all senses are lavender and rosemary. To find out more about your garden, I encourage you to do the following. It is a widely practised De-Stress Exercise.

Try this exercise This multi-sensory practice can help calm and focus your mind.

Find your favourite spot in your garden, take a deep breath and focus on: • 5 things you can see • 4 things you can touch • 3 things you can hear • 2 things you can smell • 1 thing you can taste After the exercise note what you feel is missing and how you can improve stimulating your senses. In general, augmenting your garden with native plants is best, as they are used to the environment, less susceptible to diseases and lower on maintenance. That is not to say you shouldn’t try rare and more exotic plants that will entice your senses. We planted a magnolia tree recently for the sheer pleasure of the white flowers with their sweet fragrance.

Create that magic spot In doing the above exercise, you might have found your favourite spot in the garden, or noticed the absence of a place to relax and enjoy nature. If it was the latter, then it might be time to create a spot that is most beneficial to ALL your senses. This could be a bench beneath your favourite tree or in a place with the best view or surrounded by flowers and herbs or hidden away near a hedge or in a deck chair in your polytunnel. …and if you have no garden, find a resting spot on your daily walks that most stimulates your senses, or sit on the edge of a forest and let yourself be surprised!

Hans Wieland works and teaches at Neantog Kitchen Garden School in Cliffony, Co.Sligo. neantog.com

POSITIVE FOOD

summer

taste sensation RECIPES WITH ZEST.

by David and Stephen Flynn

Summer is here, and we are celebrating with this winning savoury and sweet combination: plant-based hot pockets and carrot cake.

HOT POCKET WITH GREEN VEG AND FETA Hot pockets are a classic American fast food. This is our take on a slightly healthier vegan version, with green veg and creamy feta and basil.

Method: 1 Preheat the oven to 200C° fan.

Makes 4 pockets 2 Chop the courgette into small bite size Takes 10 mins prep and 40 mins oven time cubes. Chop the red onion into slices. Add them to a lined baking tray, along with the Ingredients asparagus, and toss in 1 tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp of 100g asparagus salt and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Mix well.

50g frozen peas Bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, 175g courgette until nicely roasted.

50g vegan feta 3 Chop the feta into cubes. Cut the puff pastry/ 1 red onion (75g) shortcrust sheet into quarters, so you have 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar four rectangles. Cover the frozen peas with Small bunch of basil, approx. 8g boiling water for 10 mins, then drain and set aside.

2 tbsp tomato paste 4 Using a rolling pin or a clean dry glass jar, 2 tbsp pesto of choice roll each rectangle so that its size increases 1 sheet of puff pastry (320g) by approx 2 cm each side.

40ml oat milk 5 R emove the roasted veg from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180C° fan.

Chop the asparagus into thirds, mix well, and leave it aside to cool before adding to the pastry.

6 Chop the basil and mix through the cooled veg, along with the peas.

7 M ix together the pesto and the tomato puree and use approximately 1 tbsp of the mixture to cover each of the pastry pieces, leaving 1cm from the edge free.

8 Spoon approx ¼ of the spring veg mixture into the middle of each of the 4 quarters of the pastry. Add a quarter of the vegan feta to each.

9 Fold and seal into a hot pocket/parcel shape and turn over so the seam side is down, taking care not to tear the pastry. Transfer carefully to a parchment lined baking tray.

10 Using a pastry brush, brush each parcel with oat milk.

11 Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the parcels are an even golden colour.

5 INGREDIENT CARROT CAKE This cake is a wonderfully simplified version of the classic carrot cake – and it tastes delicious! To keep it within five ingredients, we had to omit the walnuts, raisins and spices that would traditionally be in a carrot cake. However, we left those ingredients down below for you to add if you have them. They give the cake more character and texture, as well as complexity.

Serves 12 slices Takes 55 mins Ingredients for the sponge: 400g self raising flour 300g icing/powdered sugar 250ml neutral tasting Oil 200g grated carrot 150ml water Cream cheese icing: 450g vegan cream cheese (for icing) 150g icing sugar Optional extras to break out of the five ingredients and go more traditional: 100g raisins 100g chopped walnuts 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice

“walnuts, raisins and spices … give the cake more character and texture, as well as complexity.”

Instructions 1 Preheat your oven to 180C° fan 2 Grease and line two 20cm (or 8 inch) springform cake tins, with

baking parchment on the base and sides. We used coconut oil to grease the tins, so that the baking parchment stuck.

3 In a large mixing bowl, sieve in the self raising flour and icing sugar, add the grated carrot, then mix them together. Make a well in the centre.

4 Measure the oil and water and add to the bowl with the flour and sugar ingredients.

5 Mix using a spatula or a hand mixer, until the ingredients just come together. Be careful not to over mix.

6 Split the mixture between the two cake tins and place them in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through the cooking time to ensure they cook evenly.

7 Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside on a rack to cool fully. Check whether they are fully cooked by placing a skewer in the centre. It should come out clean. If the skewer still has a few crumbs on it, pop the cakes back in the oven and cook for a little longer, until the skewer comes out dry.

8 While the cakes are baking, it’s time to make your frosting (you can leave the cream cheese frosting in the fridge to chill until the cakes are baked and cooled).

9 Add the vegan cream cheese to a bowl, using a fork to mash and soften it, so it’s easier to mix in the icing sugar. Sift in the icing sugar using a sieve, so there are no lumps. Use a whisk to whisk the vegan cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth (you may have to stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl and incorporate all of the icing sugar).

10 To assemble the carrot cake, choose the base cake and add half the cream cheese frosting layer to the top of it. Gently and evenly spread the mixture from the centre. Don’t go all the way to the edge – leave half an inch free. Gently place the second cake on top, pressing it down lightly, so that the filling now comes to the edge. Then add your top layer of frosting to the top of the cake, again working your way from the centre, spreading the frosting to the edge.

11 Add any suggested decoration and serve! thehappypear.ie

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short & sweet 43

The Personal Touch A HEALTH SHOP WITH HEART.

by Aisling Cronin Two years ago, the small town of Dunlavin in Co. Wicklow acquired a new health food shop and cafe, in the form of A&K Real Food. The business took some time, effort and dedication to develop, as I learned from co-founder Krystian Pietrzak.

‘Our company really began about eight years ago, when we started appearing at Carlow Farmers’ Market and Naas Farmers’ Market,’ he said. ‘The shop and cafe developed as a result of a lot of work and patience. But we were lucky to have amazing support in place. We already had a good customer base after being in the markets for so long, and since then, we’ve often had customers coming in not just from Dunlavin, but also Naas, Carlow, and even from Dublin.’

A&K’s online shop boasts an impressive array of products.

They stock both dairy and dairy-free gelato, cheeses, cookies, breads and other baked goods, along with fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and other healthy treats.

They ship to all locations within Ireland, but when they receive an order within their local delivery radius – which includes towns such as Baltinglass, Blessington, Naas,

“When A&K receives an order within their local delivery radius … they do that delivery personally.”

Newbridge and Carlow – Krystian or another member of the team is able to do that delivery personally.

‘For local deliveries, we like to keep the packaging to an absolute minimum,’ Krystian explains, ‘which is why we do those deliveries ourselves. Our local customers love having that convenient service available to them, as local deliveries can include fresh bread and refrigerated goods too.’ akrealfood.ie

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Let Your Stress Unwind THE BENEFITS OF FLOATING

by Aisling Cronin

Floatation therapy is a unique healing modality that involves floating in a tank of water enriched with Epsom Salts for a specific length of time: usually an hour. Multiple studies have shown that this therapy is highly effective at combating chronic stress and associated conditions. It is also a powerful tool for assisting the body to recover from injury, as web designer and photographer Stewart Bannon can attest.

‘A few years ago, I popped a joint in my shoulder and tore a few muscles in my back – leading to nerve damage – and I find that floating gives me a huge sense of relief from pain,’ he explains. ‘It’s so beneficial for my body, especially when I’m trying to recover from a long walk or from playing sports.’

“Floating is a powerful tool for assisting the body to recover from injury” Stewart regularly attends floatation therapy sessions at Slí Beatha Float House, a dedicated centre in Naas, Co. Kildare. After each visit, he feels deeply refreshed and reinvigorated.

‘I’ve had about thirty floats in Floathouse over the last couple of years – I go once a month, or sometimes more often – and it has been life-changing,’ he says. ‘The first time I floated, it didn’t feel real! I had hyped it up in my mind, but I never thought it would feel the way it did. It was so relaxing. I could hear absolutely nothing outside the tank, and I was able to completely unwind. I always tell my friends now, if they have a sore back or anything like that, I urge them to try floating, and see how it feels.

They always want to go back!’

floathouse.ie

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Gifts From the Devastation WHAT CANCER TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE.

by Celine O’Donovan A car accident in 2014 stopped me in my tracks for a month. At the time, I knew it was a warning sign as I had been feeling burnt out for a couple of years. It dawned on me that I had lost my joy for life and my work. Then came my diagnosis of breast cancer in 2016.

“[cancer] ended up being the wake-up call I needed to start afresh.”

Ultimately, I have cancer to thank. It ended up being the wake-up call I needed to start afresh. Once I got over the shock, the overwhelming emotion I felt was relief – I could stop and breathe. Although it was an extremely difficult experience, I knew it had happened for a reason. I needed to change my life.

Alongside my career in marketing, I had pursued my lifelong interest in all things holistic. I loved this aspect of my life but struggled to see how I might make a living that called upon all of my experience, passions and my desire to be the master of my own destiny.

Transitioning back into life afterwards was difficult. I felt lost. Thankfully, I was nudged to write about my experience by a friend. It started as a journal; a way of processing things…

Soon, it turned into a book. I hope my story reminds people that although pain inevitably accompanies growth, life is always trying to help us grow into the fullest version of ourselves. I believe that life is always happening for us, not to us. We are not just helpless victims of life. We really are powerful creators.

To pre-order: celineodonovan.com

Floatation Therapy

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Experience better sleep, less stress and more relaxation, based in Naas Town Centre (3 Float tanks) and our second location at Dublin 24 (1 Tank).

AVAILABLE IN ALL GOOD HEALTHFOOD SHOPS ORDER ONLINE e cop lu mb .ie 086 6001 625 CONTACT FOR WHOLESALE

www.floathouse.ie Call: (087) 460 5005 email: info@floathouse.ie @ floathouse_ireland

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)

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

Free delivery for orders over €30

info@downtoearth.ie homeopathy@downtoearth.ie www.downtoearth.ie downtoearthdublin Down to Earth Dublin

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In the Arms of Danu HELP IN TIMES OF TRANSITION.

by Alison McEvoy

Danu Lodge is nestled amid a number of sacred mountains and sites along the gloriously beautiful border of Wicklow and Wexford. Owner Kate Curtis was inspired to lovingly restore and recreate this lodge into “a retreat for people in transition”; “At Danu Lodge it is my honour, along with several others, to offer guidance and counsel to those going through major life changes, and who are on the path of self discovery and deep transformation at this time of great change for humanity.”

Originally a nurse and midwife, Kate extended her training vastly into all manner of healing modalities. She is passionate about acupuncture and has come to see just how useful it is in boosting immunity and in healing the emotional system of the mind-body. She also offers Shamanic healing, reiki, reflexology, herbal medicine, Tai Chi and ChiGong.

All these healing arts have aided her in her own journey of healing; “I did a lot of work on myself. We have to do our own deep inner shadow work. Dig deep and try to heal what is not healed... what’s lying beneath the shadows cannot be healed. It must be brought into the light.”

There is “deep work” to do for all those willing to dive into the shadows and emerge into the light. Danu Lodge, named after the mother goddess Danu, is a place where nature’s beauty and support, a core ethos of compassion and a host of talented guides, can help you along the way.

Come and dig deep in whatever way you feel inspired.

You will find space for “silence, meditation, writing, painting, whatever you want,” in the nurturing embrace of Danu Lodge. .

Danulodge.com

“...what’s lying beneath the shadows cannot be healed. It must be brought into the light.”

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Savour and Nourish MINDFUL EATING FOR A HEALTHY LIFE.

by Aisling Cronin When you hear the words ‘healthy eating’, you may immediately assume that this term is a reference to what you eat.

But many people don’t realise that healthy eating is not just about what you eat, but how you eat it. According to Nevill Houston – the owner of Health and Healing Natural Food Store, Co. Wicklow – digestion can be greatly improved by taking the time to chew your food thoroughly.

“… healthy eating is not just about what you eat, but how you eat it.”

Nevill explains, ‘I always advise people to chew their food well.

Make sure it is thoroughly liquified. Otherwise, it forms blobs in your stomach that can’t be digested very well by our stomach enzymes, as these digestive enzymes only work on the topmost layer of the food.’

The secret to increasing the bioavailability of nutrients in the food you eat is simple: savour it. Eat mindfully, don’t rush your meal, and chew your food well. Nevill also recommends that people avoid drinking while eating, because liquid dilutes the stomach acid, making it less efficient in its task of activating the surrounding enzymes.

‘Believe it or not,’ he shares, ‘you will actually be able to extract more nutrition from an unhealthy meal that’s chewed very well, than from a healthy meal – such as a salad – that just gets wolfed down in no time. Mindful eating is key. Drink your food, eat your drink, and preferably not at the same time!’

Find Health and Healing Natural Food Store on Facebook.

Danu Lodge retreat and healing centre

www.danulodge.com 087 2325383

We are a small retreat centre situated on the east coast of Ireland, in Co Wexford, inland from the coast and nestled with views of Annagh mountain.

Natures Cures Your Health in Your Hands

Your Healthfood Store - for all your needs

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Alvagh Cronin Golden TeraMai™️ Reiki and Seichem Practitioner and Teacher Golden TeraMai™️ Reiki is a very transformative healing modality and helps us to move through our life with purpose.

It works by helping us to release blockages within our energetic Chakra system, in order to live at ease with yourself, allows you to face your fears, release what might be holding you back and become the lighter, brighter you that you always intended to be.

Contact me to find out more 086 8568440 alvaghcronin@gmail.com www.alvaghcronin.com

Danu lodge rests on 4 acre site of beautiful gardens, and natural fields.

We at Danu Lodge offer retreat and respite for the weary soul, and those who are undergoing deep transformational process and change during these very challenging times.

We offer residential retreat space, daily meditation and Holotropic Breathwork Anxiety and trauma treatment, Holistic Massage Therapy, Shamanic healing, Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki, Acupuncture, Kundalini Yoga, Reflexology, Herbal medicine, Psychotherapy, Chigong classes and Taichi Classes.

Health & Healing are experts in all things natural and stock everything from non-chemical remedies, supplements and body care to healthy treats, organic foods and environmentally friendly cleaning products, Aromatherapy and gift items.

You can visit their shop at Health & Healing, Church Street, Wicklow Town, A67 X935 from 10am-6pm, Mon-Sat. +353 404 20934. www.facebook.com/healthandhealingwicklow/

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“...the intention of Creacon, namely, to guide each visitor towards the shift and changes they are seeking...”

Transformational Retreat Space CREACON CO-CREATES WELLNESS.

by Alison McEvoy Creacon Wellness Retreat has long been on our list of favourites when it comes to places to retreat, relax and restore. Having a place like Creacon on our own little island is a gift.

This established retreat centre is set in luscious, mature gardens that drip with natural beauty. Inside its doors are worldclass offerings aimed to bring you home to yourself – restore health and well-being from within. There is an art space, a personal gym, treatment rooms, workshop spaces and fantastic food offerings that incorporate the ancient knowledge of food as medicine.

What you eat, what you see, and what you do here all aligns with the intention of Creacon: namely, to guide each visitor towards the shift and changes they are seeking in their lives and bring about more joy, success, ease and wellness. You can even start with a taste of Creacon from afar these days, as they are offering a set of online classes such as meditation, yoga and wellness workshops with a variety of themes.

So, if you have been hearing a whisper in your heart; to change paths, to grow deeper in the path that you are on, to restore yourself, to nurture yourself, then Creacon might just be calling out to you. It is waiting to embrace you into a coccoon of nurturing spiritual teachings, practices and food, so that you might burst forth like a butterfly through awesome, life-changing transformation. creaconwellnessretreat.com

Evergreen Health THE NATURAL PIONEERS OF THE WEST.

by Aisling Cronin Healthy living is a hot topic these days, and health stores are leading the charge. Evergreen Health Stores were pioneers in this regard, as their first store opened on Mainguard Street in Galway City back in 1992. I recently spoke to co-founder Aideen Hurley to learn more about how the business has developed over the years.

“Evergreen’s staff are renowned for their high level of expertise and professionalism.”

‘Evergreen first came about when my husband Kieran recognised a gap in the market,’ she explains. ‘We were both passionate about healthy food, and we knew that this interest was growing in Ireland, little by little. So we opened up in Galway, and never looked back. We now have eight stores across the West – the most recent one was opened in Knocknacarra.’

As a family-run business, Evergreen has garnered a loyal clientele who appreciate the dedication and care evident in each of its stores. Staff are renowned for their high level of expertise and professionalism: qualities that are carefully nurtured by the company’s training programme. Evergreen currently puts forward more candidates for Certificates and Diplomas in Health Store Retailing than any other health store in Ireland or the UK. ‘It’s important to us that we send out staff who have been trained to a very high standard, and know exactly what they’re talking about,’ Aideen explains. ‘That level of expertise is one of the main things we strive to offer to customers.’

Evergreen’s online shop has gone from strength to strength since being launched back in 2008. They regularly update their blog to keep customers posted on the most up-to-date developments in the natural health field. evergreen.ie

Pesto and Tapenade Delight WE LOVE THIS PLANT-BASED RANGE.

by Aisling Cronin If you’re looking for a truly nutritious, tasty pesto or tapenade, we highly recommend Genovese Foods’ new plant-based range, Veggie Earth.

Genovese Foods are a specialist gourmet company that produces high quality, award-winning products, with no scary additives in sight. The company uses small batch production and minimal processing to enhance their products’ flavours and give them a longer shelf life, even when opened.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the primary ingredient used in these products, and they source it directly from a small family estate in Portugal. This ensures that the oil they use is a truly gourmet ingredient of exceptional quality, while also allowing the farmer to achieve a fair price for his product. We love to hear about small businesses supporting one another!

“This wonderful oil is fresh and fruity, and was pivotal to us winning six awards last year,” says Gill Toal, managing director of Genovese Foods. “This single farm, single variety cold pressed gourmet olive oil is now available to buy only from our website.”

Basil is the primary herb used throughout the

“Genovese’s dedication and care are evident in the delicious taste of their Veggie Earth offerings.”

Veggie Earth range, but it is difficult to grow through conventional methods here in Ireland. Gill shares: “Typically, most basil used in catering is imported, and travels many thousands of miles before reaching our shores.”

Here, too, Genovese Foods has found an innovative solution in the form of hydroponic farming: an eco-friendly alternative to conventional agriculture, which allows the company to buy fresh home-grown basil all year round. This level of dedication and care is evident in the delicious taste of this Veggie Earth range.

We can’t get enough! genovese.ie veggie-earth.ie

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LIVE EVENTS Coming Soon TO JOIN OUR POSITIVE CLUB GO TO:

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Wild Rose Botanicals ‘SUPER SERIOUSLY ORGANIC’.

by Alison McEvoy After a serendipitous meeting with her now husband Rob, Rachel set off with him down a whirlwind path that led them to become the makers of Wild Rose Botanicals - a set of products that are wildly creative, passionately natural and wholly organic.

Rachel speaks so eloquently, and with a philosophical twist, about her journey. It was “a bit of a whirlwind. A bit of magic...We have free will, we have choice, but if we say yes to things, it sets us off on this path.. That to me is super magical... This little business has brought so much into my life and taught me to really trust the universe.”

Rob came home with a soap mould one evening, and this creative couple taught themselves to make soap for their family. - “It felt amazing. I was like a duck to water.” They went from making for their family, to selling at a farmers’ market, to having a pop-up shop

“... wildly creative, passionately natural and wholly organic” and now, they are proud owners of a shop front from which they sell an amazing array of products for the face, the body and all the family.

A strong value system is the foundation of this fragrance-free, handmade-in-small-batches and raw-ingredient-based enterprise: a chemical-free life that is as nature intended it to be – namely, healthy and real.

“We do it for food. We look at the labels. Why don’t we do it for our beauty products? I say to people, look in your beauty cabinet.

Read the label and if you don’t understand something, google it. And see – how do you feel about putting whatever it is on your skin or your family’s skin?” wildrosebotanicals.co

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Divine Feminine Circles

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EMBODYING THE HIGHER SELF.

by Aisling Cronin

“The intention of the Sophia Circles is to create a supportive network … (and) the opportunity to grow and transform.”

During this time of profound awakening, there is a great need for spiritual seekers to find support and common ground with one another. Zoë Daly is one soul who is passionate about facilitating a support network for those exploring Divine Feminine teachings. She will do this through her upcoming Sophia Circle Journeys™.

When I spoke to Zoë about the Circles, she explained, “there will be thirteen Sophia Circle sessions in total. The first one begins on June 17th, and they’ll continue every two weeks after that, on Thursday mornings. In each session we will step through a chapter of the Sophia Code™, gaining insights and practices which build a momentum for personal transformation.”

The Sophia Code™, by American author Kaia Ra, is often described as a modern sacred text, which encompasses a variety of teachings from a council of eight Divine Feminine masters. This council is composed of many legendary women, including Mary Magdalene, Mother Mary, White Buffalo Woman, Green Tara, Isis and Hathor.

“The way I describe this book is, it’s a manual for embodying your Higher Self,” Zoë shared with me. “It is a living transmission: not something that you read once and never think about again, but something that continually calls you back. What I love about the teachings, though, is that they’re all so grounded. All of these Divine Feminine masters actually walked on the Earth, so the book is about applying their wisdom to everyday life.”

“The intention of the Sophia Circles is to create a supportive network of people with whom you can journey as a community. My hope is to create a space where the power of the group gives each participant the opportunity to grow and transform.”

For more information, and to book your place, contact Zoë at sophiacirclesireland@gmail.com or 085 261 1497.

In love with health food A LIFETIME IN HEALTH FOOD HEAVEN.

by Alison McEvoy

The Tattie Hoaker Healthfood Shop has a claim to fame – it is “Roscommon’s only independent health food store.” Owner Maureen Brosnan began her health food store career in 1970 in the UK. At 80 years of age, and still working full-time, she has had a lifetime of experience in the world of healthy food and supplements;

“The Tattie Hoaker opened in 2001 and is a very happy store.”

“I love this business. I have met so many wonderful people over the years and continue to do so still. The Tattie Hoaker opened in 2001 and is a very happy store. Every day is a learning day.”

Maureen has spent her working life doing what she loves; “I feel very fortunate to be able to spend my time working at something I love, and even though I am in my 80s now I still work full-time and I have no plans to retire any time soon - I’m enjoying myself far too much!”

She has been blessed with good health throughout her life, which in itself is testament, not only to the fulfilling powers of working at what you love, but also to the sustaining powers of the foods and supplements she stocks on her own shelves; “I am very fortunate in my health as I have never had an illness and do not take any medications, only my supplements.

People often ask me what I take and this is what works for me - I take a good fish oil, supergreens, CoQ10, vitamin D and Somega liposomal C daily.”

So, do what you love – it’s good for your health! Oh, and so are natural supplements. Find out more below:

facebook.com/TattieHoaker

Dear ‘competition’, We are sorry…

Explore the Divine Feminine teachings of The Sophia Code™ in a sacred space designed to facilitate personal transformation.

Experience rituals, initiations and practices that will continue to work for you long after the journey finishes.

Circles starting from June 17th on Zoom, in person Circles starting once restrictions allow.

Contact Zoë on 085 2611497 or sophiacirclesireland@gmail.com to arrange an exploratory call and learn more about Sophia Circle Journeys™

www.theproperdairy.com

The Tattie Hoaker Health Food Store

Goff Street, Roscommon F42EK20 (090)6630492

ACUPUNCTURE WEST Trish Crampton Acupuncturist Dip.Ac Oughterard, Co. Galway 089 4920879 acupuncturewest20@gmail.com

Roscommon’s only independent Health food store since 2001. Twenty years of serving our community.

We are open as usual mon 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.

Find us on www.facebook.com/Acupuncture-West-Clinic facebook.com/TattieHoaker

MARCUS MILES Offering Spiritual Healing I have lived and studied Buddhism and Feng Shui & at Hsien Fo Si. temple Taiwan from 2008 -2014.

As a self financed disaster relief worker, I have attended solo missions to support the Taiwan Earthquake, Yolanda Typhoon - Philippines, Hawaiian Volcano and Japanese’s Tsunami. Seeing first hand the impact on human life, this has given me the drive to help people overcome their challenges through offering Spiritual Healing.

WELCOME TO ZINZINO BALANCE TEST! Your BalanceTest results will show whether your diet is balanced or unbalanced.

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Fore more information contact me at Chinese Medical Centre 47 Georges Street, DunLaoghrare Or call 083 8481200

This beautiful book was written by Ann Maria Dunne, founder of Chrysalis, Ireland’s first holistic / lay retreat and therapeutic centre.

Ann Maria passed away peacefully on February 5th, 2021. ‘Carried on Spirit Wings’ is a testament of her great faith and enduring legacy.

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A truly indomitable spirit, she regained her zeal for life while under fire from a military dictatorship in the Phillipines. She travelled to India seeking wisdom from gurus, and experienced the sacred healing of shamans in South America. Even in the face of a terminal cancer diagnosis, Ann Maria continued to seek transformation, healing and enlightenment until the very end of her amazing life. ‘Carried on Spirit Wings’ is an inspirational tale of overcoming tragedy, living and loving.

Most of all, it is a story about hope.

Price: €20 including P & P to Ireland. If you have any queries regarding your order, please email amdspiritwings@gmail.com To buy, go to positivelife.ie

www.zinzino.com

Reconnect and Celebrate SOFFT NIGHTS RETURN THIS SUMMER.

by Aisling Cronin

“I’ve had lots of people saying to me that they long to dance in a field again.”

55 Sofft Nights, a much-loved series of outdoor events that kicked off last autumn in Dunderry Park, Co. Meath, are back for the summer! The team behind Sofft Nights – SoFFT Productions – have over forty years’ combined experience in the most ambitious spectacles Ireland has to offer, such as Music Town’s Roughtop Lullabies, Celestial Bodies, The Lyric Concert, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and RTÉ Choice Music Prize awards.

SoFFT Productions were the first creators of a COVID-19 compliant outdoor gathering in 2020. Co-founder and festival creator Natasha Duffy says that they are proud to have created Ireland’s first openair, socially distanced boutique festival.

The 2021 events will run across a series of weekends in July, August and September. Those who attend can enjoy live music, talks, craft markets, and wellbeing initiatives such as meditation, shamanic drumming, and healing through dance. The ultimate goal of these events is to offer attendees a space to reconnect and come together as a community.

“People coming out of lockdown are curious,” Natasha explains. “We’ve had lots of time for self reflection, but not

much of a chance to do it in a community or supportive environment. We’ve been alone, for the most part, so we are really missing communal experiences. I’ve had lots of people saying to me that they long to dance in a field again, the way they did back when we ran the Spirit of Folk events.”

Music fans, rejoice: Sofft Nights has a great assortment of musical acts lined up for each of its events. On the 16th and 17th of July, Cormac Begley will appear at Sofft Nights, alongside special guests Bunoscionn and Lemoncello. On the 27th and 28th of August, the festival will host Soda Blonde with special guests Maija Sofia and Nava. On the 3rd and 4th of September, festival goers will be joined

by Pillow Queens, Roe, Art of Algebra and Dani Larkin.

Another highlight of these unique gatherings is an enchanting craft market, in which local artists and creators will sell their creations from 2pm onwards, across all of the events.

“As well as the concerts, Sofft Nights Summer 2021 day festivals will be hosting all sorts of interesting events, from shamanic journeying and

storytelling to forest gong baths and nighttime astronomy lessons,” Natasha shares. “We’ve been through a lot, and these gatherings are about connecting back in with each other in meaningful ways.”

These one-of-a-kind events are centred around helping people to reconnect with one another, share the experiences and insights they’ve gained over the past year, and celebrate their resilience.

“Over the course of the three events, we’re going to have some very interesting workshops,” Natasha adds. “One that I’m really looking forward to is taking place during the August event, when we’ll be hosting Conor Rua for a workshop called Mantra agus an Gaeilge. He’ll be looking at the health and wellbeing aspects of traditional mantra, but will also be bringing in the Irish language. There will be lots of fascinating workshops like that, aimed at helping people to ease back into sharing a communal experience again.”

For more information about the festival, go to sofftproductions.com/sofftnights.

Tickets are available via tickets.ie

POSITIVE ADVERTORIAL

“Scientists concluded that the supplements reduced mortality by over 50 percent, and notably improved heart function.”

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hope for heart health INTRODUCING THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DUO.

If you are currently caring for older family members who may be at risk of heart problems, help is at hand in the form of two vital nutrients – selenium and coenzyme Q10.

Inflammation is a common thread in countless diseases, and is a key driver of cardiovascular disease: one of the leading causes of mortality and reduced quality of life for older people.

Luckily, a Swedish KiSel-10 study – published in the International Journal of Cardiology in 2013 – revealed that the combination of selenium and coenzyme Q10 could present a powerful solution. Both of these nutrients boast anti-inflammatory properties, and the KiSel-10 study demonstrated that when they are both taken as supplements, they could reduce cardiovascular mortality by 54 percent.

Positive impact on inflammatory markers Eight years on from the publication of the KiSel-10 research, nineteen sub-studies have been published, all supporting the original findings. The nineteenth and most recent study – published in the online edition of Nutrients on April 17th, 2021 – shows that combined supplementation with SelenoPrecise and Bio-Quinone Q10 lowers levels of a compound called D-dimer.

D-dimer is a protein that is commonly used as a biomarker of increased inflammation, blood clotting, and cardiovascular disease. Levels of this protein tend to increase as a natural result of ageing, but they can also rise as a result of blood clots and other cardiovascular problems.

D-dimer is a biological “footprint” of inflammation, as are other blood-borne biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), von Willebrand factor, sP-selectin, and osteopontin. Levels of these compounds, as well as similar biomarkers, go up when inflammation sets in.

This is where it gets really interesting: a number of the sub-studies that have been conducted since the original KiSel-10 trial have shown that selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation has a favourable impact on inflammation biomarkers.

In other words, the supplements appear to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Analyses of over 50,000 blood samples The original KiSel-10 study was conducted on 443 men and women, all aged between 70 and 88. For four years, they took selenium and coenzyme Q10, or a matching placebo. More than 50,000 blood samples were drawn from the participants during this period.

The scientists concluded that the supplements reduced mortality by over 50 percent, and notably improved heart function.

Afterwards, through further analysis of the blood samples, they have seen again and again how the supplements affect various biomarkers in the blood, and inflammation seems to paint the greater picture. pharmanord.ie

Sources: Cardiovascular mortality and N-terminal-proBNP reduced after combined selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation: a 5-year prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens – International Journal of Cardiology, Sep 1 2013 Dietary Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 Prevents Increase in Plasma D-Dimer While Lowering Cardiovascular Mortality in an Elderly Swedish Population – Nutrients, Apr 17 2021

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.

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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

POSITIVE LIGHT

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“The glasses have a positive effect on memory, mental well-being, and maintaining the correct circadian cycle.”

58

see a clearer mind REVOLUTIONARY EYEWEAR FOR THE BRAIN.

by Aisling Cronin

The concept of eyewear designed to enhance wellbeing is gaining traction.

Blue light glasses have witnessed a surge of interest in recent years, for example, as health-conscious computer users have recognised the need to shield their retinas from the glare of their screens … but one company is taking the concept to new heights. mnemosline® 2020 is a patented electronic device that looks like a pair of glasses. These glasses have been installed with a tiny microcomputer that generates pulses of LED light. This light is therapeutic in nature: it aims to stimulate the reconstruction of the brain’s neurons and synaptic connections.

This revolutionary device has attracted a great deal of attention because of its anti-ageing potential. There are also indications that mnemosline® can assist with the treatment of anxiety and memory preservation.

The mnemosline® method developed from a body of fifty years of work conducted by Italian neurologist and surgeon, Professor Francesco Ferro Milone. He and his team carried out their research in specialist centres such as the Alzheimer’s State Institute in Vicenza, Italy. Numerous scientific studies have

documented Milone’s work with people suffering from Alzheimer’s, depression and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The first mnemosline® device consisted of an EEG helmet and an individually calibrated device, which ran on complex software that had to be operated by a neurologist. This prototype was designed primarily to assist in the treatment of cognitive problems in people over 60 years of age.

The new mnemosline® 2020 glasses can be used by 99% of the population – only epileptic people are advised to avoid them. In people of all ages, the glasses have been observed to positively affect brain health, mental wellbeing, and maintaining the correct circadian cycle. Using mnemosline® 2020 is a simple process, as the software that comes with it enables the average person to start using the glasses immediately.

Our publisher Paul Congdon recently had an opportunity to trial the glasses. He commented: “My immediate impression of the glasses was that they were very calming. I definitely felt like they were bringing me into a different brain state – like the Alpha wave state, which is a much calmer, more peaceful way to be.’

Scientific research has indicated that mnemosline® devices may assist people who experience insomnia, jet lag, stress and other neurodegenerative problems.

The mnemosline® glasses are recommended for use during ten-minute sessions per day. The therapy aims to reduce stress levels, calm an overloaded brain, improve mood, and help the neural network to function as efficiently as possible. It can also be beneficial for those who wish to cultivate a greater sense of mindfulness in their lives, as it encourages the wearer to focus more deeply on the here and now.

‘They were very conducive to meditation,’ Paul said. ‘I would use them for a ten-minute session, and after using them, I felt that I could easily and seamlessly go into a relaxed meditative state. I was less immersed in thought, and much more able to connect with the peaceful aspect of myself.’

If you’re looking for a convenient, drug-free way to boost your cognitive function, these revolutionary glasses might just help you with that.

To learn more, go to en.mnemosline.pl

POSITIVE THER APY

60

the finer

points EXPLORING ACUPUNCTURE.

by Aisling Cronin

Acupuncture is a popular healing modality that can help alleviate a wide range of mental and physical conditions. According to Caroline McHugh – an experienced acupuncturist – it can be used alongside conventional medical treatment to address a host of issues. Caroline is the founder of BodyLogic Acupuncture & Sports Injury Clinic, and in recent years, she has noticed a growing number of GPs referring patients to her clinic.

Acupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that involves stimulating specific acupuncture points on the body – which lie along energy channels or meridians – with very thin needles. These needles are then manipulated very gently by the acupuncturist, with the aim of stimulating the flow of Qi or energy to help restore and balance harmony throughout the body.

Qi is believed to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body, and the Chinese believe that when this flow is disrupted in some way, disease can occur as a result.

The experience of this treatment can vary greatly from person to person.

Caroline says, ‘the experience or sensation of Qi can feel very different to different people. For some people, it can feel like a gentle tingling sensation after the needle has been inserted. The experience is different for everybody.’

“I have witnessed, time and time again, how this treatment can help people.”

Caroline specialises in treating musculoskeletal conditions and assisting women and couples with fertility issues; it is very important to help reduce the couple’s stress and anxiety levels during these anxious times.

‘Given the high levels of stress and anxiety many people have lived through this year, acupuncture is extremely beneficial in helping people with these issues,’ she explains. ‘It can be used alongside counselling and therapy. People feel that acupuncture benefits them because it involves doing something proactive about what they are going through. Clients of mine have reported that during the treatment sessions, they feel relaxed, which helps them to cope better over time with things that would have previously stressed them out.’

Caroline is also passionate about helping women with issues that prevent them from successfully conceiving. ‘I deal a lot with women’ issues, with menstrual cycle irregularities, and with helping couples to boost their fertility. I greatly

enjoy being able to make a difference and help people by doing what I love.’

For people who wish to learn more about acupuncture, or find a skilled acupuncturist in their area, Caroline recommends consulting the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA).

The AFPA is the longest established independent professional register of acupuncturists and TCM practitioners in Ireland. Since its establishment in 1987, the body has been responsible for the regulation and maintenance of a register of acupuncturists who work within guidelines set out in 2006 by the Department of Health and Children. Their members are all bound by a Code of Ethics and Practice which is strictly enforced by the AFPA. As a committee member of the AFPA, Caroline is passionate about spreading awareness about acupuncture. ‘I came from a sports therapy background,’ she shares, ‘so when I first came across the concept of acupuncture, it certainly took me some time to wrap my head around it … but I have witnessed, time and time again, how this treatment can help people.’!

For general information on acupuncture, or to find your nearest practitioner, go to afpa.ie.

For more information on Caroline’s services, go to bodylogic.ie

The Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA) is Ireland’s longest established independent professional association representing Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine Practitioners since 1987. All of our members have trained for at least three years and hold professional and public liability insurance.

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Find an Acupuncturist in your area on our website www.AFPA.ie For more information find us on Facebook or call 01 412 4917

Kathleen Dowd Dip.Lic. Acu, MQP, GDCHM, Dip Ob/Gyn (Dist), MAFPA

Woodlands Health Centre Lyons Road Newcastle Co Dublin healthcentrewoodlands@gmail.com 086 2236335

Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

www.acufusion.ie

Proud member of the AFPA and grateful supporter of Positive Life

Complementary Healthcare Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tuina Massage

POSITI V E A STROLOGY

emerging from

the cocoon

62 BUTTERFLY OF LOVE.

by Rachelle Hicks There is a tension in the air between the old and the new. Between what once was and an unknown future. Between how we want things to be and the inevitable current of change.

How do we balance boundaries and freedom?

This is a question we are being asked this year. While you may lean towards one more than the other, we are being called to hold them both; to alchemise these two energies in the chamber of the heart.

The major players of 2021 are Saturn and Uranus. Saturn is the planet of structure, limita-tions, and systems.

Uranus is the planet of freedom, independence and break-throughs. Uranus naturally rebels from all that Saturn confines.

These energies are giving both our collective and personal value systems a massive shake-up. They are challenging the groups and social dynamics that we thought were immovable, and getting us to investigate who and what we are beyond the labels we’ve taken ourselves to be.

In relation to value, Uranus - the archetype that loves independence, unusualness and freedom - is asking us

to amp up self-value and self-love. It is asking us to break out of the scripts and habits we’ve used to limit self-love and self-value, and other ways we have lim-ited our self-worth.

It’s helpful to be aware of the rumble

“We’re in a time of necessary adjustment… towards bigger love” that is shaking things up, so that you can be a more conscious participant in this experience. If you notice change being ushered in your own life, open up to it rather than resist it.

‘This summer, you are being asked to step further into the truth of who you are. You are being asked to consider the path you are on, and whether this is still the right path for you to take. You may completely change your direction, or gain a fresh perspective and a renewed commitment to your existing path.

The shakeups of this year challenge us to consider new directions. These new directions might feel inspiring and full of potential, or they could feel shocking and

uncertain. However this energy is showing up for you, know that any changes are meant to awaken you to greater dimensions of yourself.’

Just like the butterfly, change is necessary for growth. It is not something to fear, but ra-ther to embrace. We are being tested now in a way that shakes up old patterns and beliefs, in order to see what is strong and what is not. We discover great creative potential when we learn to sit in the unknown.

Even though this tension can sometimes feel like it brings us farther apart, the nature of this astrological cycle indicates that we’re in a time of necessary adjustment. Not to divide us, but to create enough friction to break us open into a new dimension, towards bigger love.

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

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