Positive Life Summer 2014

GLUTEN FREE IRELAND

Freedom is everything RADICAL WHOLENESS

The man with two brains SUSAN JANE WHITE

The Alchemist

Russell

Brand

FRoM REVoLUTIoN To EVoLUTIoN

SUMMER 2014 PRICELESS

positivelife.ie

REVIVE ACTIVE - IRELAND’S LEADING HEALTH FOOD SUPPLEMENT

Your Once-a-Day Secret to Feeling Younger, Stronger, More Alert... MORE ALIVE! A powerful formula approved by Doctors, Nurses, Nutritionists and Scientists.

ReviveActive can be bought in over 400 Health food stores and Pharmacies in Ireland or online at www.reviveactive.com.

Increased ENERGY

Boost immune system

Improve Heart Health

Rejuvenation

www.reviveactive.com Freephone:

IRL 1800 910 000

IRISH PRODUCT SUPPORTING IRISH JOBS.

Visit nutricentric at ‘The Allergy & Free - from EXPO’ on October 11th & 12th in the RDS

It flares up after food.

You’re not sure why Diagnosis of food intolerances doesn’t end with the blood test.

It also involves a 12-week Elimination Diet followed by careful re-challenge. And time spent reading tiny supermarket labels.

And willpower.

Food Detective® is a home test kit.

It detects IgG antibodies against 50 foods from a fingerprick – in 40 mins.

Questions are always welcome.

Email peter@nutricentric.com or text (086) 348 3592 For help designing your new diet, why not work with a nutritional therapist (www.NTOI.ie)

Order Food Detective on www.nutricentric.com (€79.95 +P&P)

This is just the beginning...

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. ~ Maori Proverb My latest buzz is beliefs. We are carrying some that simply no longer serve us.

Dr. Joe Dispenza’s new book, ‘You Are the Placebo’, blew my mind. He reckons that when we receive a powerful healing or medicine it’s our belief that it will work that causes our body to release the necessary chemicals to cause the cure, so the healing acts as a permission slip for your body to heal itself. This is testament to our own individual power, which if you refer to this issue and our guest profile on Mr. Russell Brand, is what he and many others are encouraging us to develop.

Russell says tap into that vibe and you will beam like the sun. A fitting theme for our summer issue, thanks for reading. Have a beaming Summer. paul congdon, Publisher

Contentment 4

Summer Vibes Moving music and wonderful workshops.

6

Positively Newsworthy Your happiness is priority to 87%.

10 Spirituality and the City Life stories.

12 Astrology Ride the waves of change.

14 Positive Attraction You feel therefore you are.

16 Feng Shui Do you need, use or love it? Make space for the new.

19 Meditation Finding peace, for busy minds. photo: David Kenna

22 Positive Parenting Courage, kindness and leaving the comfort zone.

cover Photo: Ray Burminston

20 Positive Beauty Your next beauty treatment might be in your garden.

32 Davie Philip Sharing is caring in cohousing communities.

24 Free-From and Allergy Expo The skinny on free-from.

26 Positive Personality Susan Jane White, smart, fun and sharing secrets.

28 Russell Brand Branding a revolution; the man and the message.

31 Tantra The mystery of the orgasm.

34 Samuel Bishop Meals together taste better.

36 CNM Chinese Medicine, balance your Qi with tips from the experts.

39 Becoming a Weed User Weed out the good stuff.

40 Summer Recipes Cornucopia help you pack up a picnic and get outdoors.

43 Short & Sweet Mini guides to Paleo, superfoods, meditation and more.

54 Philip Shepherd Radical wholeness.

Publisher PC Media paul@positivelife.ie Editorial Elva Carri editor@positivelife.ie Design Simon O’Connor simon@postivelife.ie Ad Design Caroline Hanan caroline.hanan@gmail.com Advertising Paul Congdon paul@positivelife.ie 0861579518 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

summer vibes “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability” Sam Keen

Get Physical, Mental and Emotional Bio-Energy therapy works on physical, mental and emotional levels as an holistic solution to our wellbeing. Want to boost your practice with something extra?

Bio-Energy Training are now enrolling students for their Diploma course beginning this September. bioenergytraining.com

5 Rhythms® Summer School 21 – 25 July, Clare A creative movement practice that opens you up to become curious about the sources of your passion, investigate your essential, gentle and fun-loving nature, and identify the parts of us that hold us back from experiencing lightness and joy.

Led by Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphádraig in the beautiful surroundings of the Burren. boghill.com

Emmett Technique

workshops & training

Awaken Your Heart

30 August – 22 September, Kerry 11 – 14 September, Dublin This four day workshop is designed to connect you to the sacred space of the heart, teach you how to create and to activate your Merkaba. ireneviglia.com

Enrich & larify 5 – 6 July, Dublin Endorsed by Bruce Lipton, the purpose of PSYCH-K is to nurture sacred global evolution. Their introductory workshops will teach you to communicate with

4 the subconscious mind using a unique, muscle-testing protocol and enrich your life with goal clarification. psych-k.com

Zest for Life ZestLife offer a range of training and coaching using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a process that helps people to understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviour. Enrich your life and your practice with their professional certification course starting this September. zestlife.ie

Ross Emmett, founder of the Emmett technique had a great impact at a recent Buddha Bag Meeting. Ross developed this technique as a youth working on animals, later combining the skills with older proven therapies with outstanding results.

Courses running in Dublin will be open to practitioners and those who would like to empower and heal themselves. emmett-uk.com

get inspired Embrace Fragility 19 July, Dunderry Park, Meath A groundbreaking seminar, pioneering philosopher Tim Freke will lead a number of ‘I’ to ‘I’ practises to allow you to become conscious of the ‘deep self’ within you and within others. Embrace both your spiritual depths and your vulnerable, tender, fragile humanity. archetypeevents.com

Prem Rawat

Spirit of Folk

5 July, Dublin ‘Ambassador of Peace’ Prem Rawat, a respected international speaker and meditation teacher, attracts audiences from all walks of life around the globe.

Speaking from the heart, he inspires audiences to experience personal peace because peace has to emanate from you to appear in the world.

19 – 21 September, Meath A two-day, camping, family-oriented festival that’s about more than just the music. As well as some great musicians, it’s a holistic event that celebrates all aspects of our rich ancestral traditions, including folk music, storytelling, folk living, games and crafts. Leave happy refreshed, smiling and having learned something new and old!

wopg.org/events

holistic arts David Lynch’s New Film

A fascinating documentary revealing rare insights into Lynch’s creative process.

The award winning feature film, follows Lynch on a tour of Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America to speak about the individual and global impact of meditation as a way of changing the world, starting from within. meditationcreativitypeace.com

Nirbhaya

spiritoffolk.com

Body and Soul 20 – 22 June, Westmeath A three-day weekend festival to coincide with the summer solstice. Dance under the stars, make new friends in a hot tub, have a picnic or go exploring. It’s a festival of surprises but has sold out for the last four years so make sure to get your ticket soon.

david lynch the extra-virgin kitchen

bodyandsoul.ie

healthy you

21 July – 2 August, Dun Laoghaire Internationally acclaimed playwright and director Yael Farber creates a moving new work that cracks open the silence that has surrounded gender based human rights issues in our world, focussing on the story of Nirbhaya. paviliontheatre.ie

goods, including the classic, American muffin – without the gluten.

Sound Healing Recordings

americanmuffin.com

Sound Healer and founder of Parashakti School of Sacred Sound Healing Patricia Lohan has recently released a series of meditation CDs and MP3s to let you feel the bliss of sound healing at home or on the go. Journey through the chakras, meditate with a mantra or harmonise, wherever you are. patricialohan.com

out & about Garden Party

20 July, TheOrganic Centre, Leitrim A garden party with a difference. Learn to grow your organic food, enjoy guided tours of the Organic Centre and take part in clinics on pest control. All with a backdrop of live trad music, children’s activities and heaps more. theorganiccentre.ie

Antigravity Aerial Yoga

Dr. Chocolate Dr. Coy’s sugar free chocolate seems the perfect name for it because coy is exactly how you’ll feel eating it before anyone else knows about it. It’s made with natural sugars, so the blood glucose rise is way lower than with refined sugars, contains heaps of Vitamin E and guess what? It also tastes flipping gorgeous! drcoys.ie

Gluten Freedom The American Muffin Company are in fact a specialist, British bakery, with a twist. They make your favourite, baked

11 – 13 July, Co. Clare A unique weekend retreat. Enjoy restorative Antigravity and Aerial Yoga, floating meditations, life lessons, massage and the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Cliffs of Moher. vitality.ie cliffsofmoherretreat.com

Be Fine, Realign Amatsu therapy is a modern adaptation of a Japanese soft tissue therapy that is brilliant for realigning the body.

Qualified amatsu therapist Monika says we owe it to ourselves to keep that amazing piece of engineering we call ‘the body’, fit, well and balanced. enso.ie Attending an event or trying a product or workshop listed here? Tweet your experience to @PositiveLifeMag

positively newsworthy good news from around the globe

1 87% Choose Your Happiness as Priority

By Elva Carri

Action for Happiness is a movement of individuals and organisations taking action to create a happier society. The movement has over 32,000 members. It’s backed by experts in education, economics, business and social innovation and provides evidence-based ideas and materials to create happier homes, workplaces and communities. A poll commissioned by Action for Happiness recently revealed that your happiness is more important to the people around you than you might have thought.

87% of UK adults would choose the “greatest overall happiness and wellbeing” over the “greatest overall wealth” (chosen

by only 8%) for the society they live in and the figure was broadly consistent across all regions, age groups and socioeconomic statuses.

Director of Action for Happiness, Dr. Mark Williamson commented on what this brings to light, “The economy

“The vast majority of people would prefer society to be happier rather than richer.”

dominates our political and social discussions, but this survey shows that happiness is more important to people.

The vast majority of people would prefer society to be happier rather than richer.

So we need to spend less time focusing on the size of the economy and more time focusing on how to help people live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.”

Economist and co-founder Lord Richard Layard notes, “We should be giving much more attention to mental health, supporting positive family and community relationships and creating a more trusting society.” actionforhappiness.org

2 A Beacon of Light

By Elva Carri Birdman is a US prison inmate.

Each night, all of the prisoners are counted by a guard. One night, although in his cell, the guard missed him. Not being counted is a serious violation; it indicates that you weren’t where you were supposed to be.

The sergeant gave him a write up, involving extra work as punishment.

Understandably, his first thoughts were, “Okay, I truly am not guilty of this and I have many witnesses who will say the same,” and “Screw this. I am not going to do the work,” until someone close to him encouraged him to do whatever would ultimately be best for him, regardless of the injustice.

“I have always prided myself with doing exceptional work and I was desperately looking to find my pride in this situation.”

Birdman was asked to polish a brass fire hydrant and though he says he still felt resentful, he was committed to doing the best job possible. As the hydrant began to glint, he saw his face in it and realised he was grinning ear to ear.

“I began to laugh out loud for no reason other than enjoying that moment and seeing the result of my work. By putting all my conscious effort into shining up that fire hydrant, I had become bigger than the unfairness that led me to my assignment. I do not know how long I was at it but when I was done that hydrant looked like the prettiest thing in the whole prison. Kinda like a small lighthouse standing proudly in an ocean of concrete. I realised I was shining too and it hasn’t left me.

Many people commented on that hydrant all week; wondering how come that thing gives off so much light all of a sudden. I just smiled.” insight-out.org

3 A Winning Attitude

By Laura Ivers László Andraschek, a formerly homeless, Hungarian man, made a spontaneous decision to purchase a lottery ticket with his last few coins last Autumn.

Heavily in debt at the time, his ticket resulted in a significant win. He and his wife have paid off their debts, the debts of relatives and purchased homes for their children. “We don’t think of the win as something we earned, we think of it as a divine miracle.”

Awareness of the story spread after they made a substantial donation to a homeless shelter and László and his wife now intend to set up a foundation to support others going through difficult times.

“It is our duty to take those people who have shared our difficult experiences by the hand…it is easier to survive, and then move on, with someone beside you.”

7

4 Don’t Judge a Model By Her Cover

By Elva Carri

We may know Lily Cole best for her work as a model, notably gracing a Vogue cover, but her work and creativity run wider than the talent she brings to the art of modeling. While some celebrities cash in on fame with a fragrance or fashion line, Cole has dedicated herself to creating the impossible.com.

Gift economy initiative ‘Impossible.com’ is a website and app that Lily started as a way to help people help each other. It helps make it easier to give and receive under categories like food, accommodation, travel and even services.

Before starting the site, Lily was researching the anthropology of the gift economy and looking for projects she could lend her support to. When she couldn’t find anything that reflected what she felt would work best, she settled on starting her own; something she didn’t take lightly, nor has it all been simple.

“Sometimes I have to compromise – to pay the bills, to pay to build a gift economy, to buy that coffee or that flight, or to learn – but more and more I’m living the life I believe in.”

She says her mum, who was always thinking philosophically and discussing injustice is a big inspiration and that travelling also had an influence on her. “Experiencing different cultures and ways of life; seeing how relative our cultures are, and how free happiness is, how it is to be found anywhere and that it bears no real relationship to success as my society had defined it.’

Lily’s ensuring everything is a pure as she can possibly make it; even the website hosting comes from a carbon neutral company. “Anything in life can only begin with yourself – so you become a mirror and create a different reflection.

And that, I believe, is probably the hardest, though simplest part.” impossible.com

The Giving Tree

5 The Secret Magic of Gardens

By Leonie Cornelius, Supergarden mentor

8

Create a Sacred Space in your garden to help heal your family, friends and home.

• Deepen your connection to nature.

• Healing with sacred stones.

• Focus your intentions within your space.

• Bringing in new awareness.

• Design your personal sanctuary.

• One to one healing sessions.

• Courses on working with healing stones and template available.

For more information call Sean on 086 8146924 or email info@thegivingtree.ie www.thegivingtree.ie

I love gardens; big gardens, small gardens, box-hedge formal to meadow wild. Nature’s rooms are spaces that have a profound impact on our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. As a garden designer and interior architect, I’m fascinated by how the designed garden space is really an extension of our interior lives and ultimately ourselves.

Have you ever walked into a garden and felt yourself sigh in delight? Some gardens have that magical quality and yet are simply a few trees and shrubs, whilst others, designed to the millimeter, don’t have the same effect. It’s something that garden designer Dan Pearson calls ‘Spirit’ and it relies on many factors that come together like a puzzle.

Sometimes it’s almost impossible to define what it actually comes down to.

Sympathetically designed gardens aim to take into account the existing site along with the interior of the house and the lives of the people who spend time there. Good garden design should aim to create something more than just a pretty garden. It should ground us yet allow us to dream. It should let us own the space and make it ours without forgetting that we are part of a far greater wild and wonderful picture. It should become a space where lives unfold, a space for contemplation and a space for laughter. Ultimately, its unique and personalised spirit should bring harmony and make our lives more beautiful. Our garden is us, perfectly imperfect, ever changing and full of Spirit.

“It’s something that garden designer Dan Pearson calls ‘Spirit’”

blume.ie

the

ALCHEMY of voice

Angelic Sound Healing Processes with

Stewart Pearce

FIT OR FRAZZLED?

Mobile phone radiation & geopathic stress can undermine your Fitness for Life. Relief with offers:

More energy Greater Concentration Fewer Headaches Better sleep A cooler head Great value for money

These workshops and one-to-one sessions inspire sound healing and leading edge spiritual intelligence, to enchant the compassion of the heart, body and soul to super-coherence. For many years Stewart has worked internationally as a

Master of Voice, Sound Healer, Angel Medium guiding people through the transformation and magic of the song of their soul. stewart@thealchemyofvoice.com

www.energydots.net

www.thealchemyofvoice.com www.theangelsofatlantis.com

E NR

O

PROFESSIONAL SHIATSU TRAINING WITH A HIGH STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE

LL

ING NOW

AR 1 YE SE COUR 10 OVER NDS KE WEE

Japanese Massage Certificate Course This is a stand-alone Certificate course in Shiatsu. It is the first stage of a three year programme that will allow you to become a fully qualified Shiatsu Practitioner.

This year focuses on developing your awareness of the client’s body with emphasis on using the traditional methods of Shiatsu.

Experiential Shiatsu - giving and receiving- is the core of the course.

Shiatsu College D U B L I N

TO FIND OUT MORE

tel 087 261 3355

web www.shiatsu.ie

spirituality & the city Life Stories

Linda O’Grady Yoga Teacher

Katie Culliton Gardener & Café Owner in Training When I’m older I would love to live in the country, in a small cottage, in the middle of a small town with a very big garden where I can grow trees, flowers and food. I will own my own café and serve food that I make myself. We had an allotment and I really enjoyed growing things. I grew the biggest marrow my Mam and I had ever seen. I’m also learning to cook from my Mam who is great at baking. When I’m not practising these things, I like to ride my bike, it makes me feel free and happy.

I also like looking at my collections. I collect money from different countries and old money.

My religion is called the Bahá’í faith and I have lots of good friends in it.

Whenever I feel angry or sad I say a special prayer and it helps to calm me down. I love the Bahá’í faith, it makes me feel special in all the good ways.

When I open my café I hope to see many of you there!

In 2008, I acquired some ‘down time’ giving me an opportunity to reflect and digest the experiences in my life. I lost everything; my business, my home and my practice. I gravitated back to practicing yoga intently, meditating and subsequently embarked on Yoga teacher training. My practice is teaching me to come to terms with my humanity and to rely on my internal barometer to discern inspired desire and take positive action.

My philosophy is that taking time out to tend to the soul, mind and body is essential to gain an understanding of oneself. Also, remaining flexible and adapting to our new needs as we develop and grow is a practice in itself. My practice supports me, grounds me and helps with my awareness. I am dedicated to it and grateful for the changes and growth that continually happen. thestudiowexford.com

Uisce The earliest memory I have in this life is of staring into the water at the edge of a pier. I have no memory of falling in or making any effort to resist the will of the water, just of floating towards the bottom with a feeling of belonging, oneness with the water and blissfulness. An undoubtedly well-meaning arm dragged me back to the surface to go on living and learn the lessons I had been born to learn but the calmness I experienced in the water has stayed with me.

I owe much of my happiness to water for its part in teaching me that to be happy, I just have to stop trying so hard to be something I am not, stop thinking so much and trust my feelings.

It has showed me how to concentrate my mind and observe, relishing in the joys of life, while understanding that they will not last forever and remembering to smile at the obstacles it throws up.

11 Sparkle Kriselle Antoine Student

Dave Rock Spoken word artist, poetic celebrant, teacher

Being Caribbean born, but now living and having twice moved within Europe, has had a huge effect on my life. I grew up on the small island of Trinidad and Tobago. Having never travelled before, sitting on a flight as a child, to an entirely different part of the world was a dramatic change and something I resented. It meant parting from a large part of my family and everything I knew. I resisted change then.

Now that I’m older, I realise how blessed I am. I’ve had the opportunity to live in hugely different parts of the world, met different people who are now very significant in my life, learned about new cultures and had many unique experiences.

I think you should always look at what can be gained from change, instead of what you believe you may lose. Change can teach you something if you’re willing to learn from it. It can make you a braver person and change your outlook.

My dream life is one where I can feed the moment through raw, authentic poetry and stories. Happily, this is reality for me much of the time.

I ask myself, “How can I feed the moment what it wants?”

This has led me to endless co-creation. In all my work, whether it’s a gig, a wedding or a workshop, my intention is to allow myself to speak the words the moment most wants. The words that are alive in the space, between us all. I want things raw, open-ended and beautiful. I let go of the idea that I know what to do or say, or that what I say even matters. I put energy and intention into opening myself up to be in resonance with everyone and everything around me. It’s vulnerable, it’s scary and it’s mind-blowingly alive. daverockcreativity.com | poetryjustforyou.net

PHOTO (SPARKLE): EMMA BRERETON

Abbas Ghadimi Homeopath In 1984 I had to leave my home country due to religious persecution and spent over a year in a refugee camp. I hoped to go to Africa as I always wanted to work with people in need there. An interview eventually came up to make arrangement for temporary asylum in a European country and after a few weeks, I would be transferred to an African country. The time of the interview was 4pm and the journey was 30 minutes. I started out at 2:30 to give myself plenty of time.

I took a bus and after a few miles it broke down. So, I took another bus and that broke down too. The third bus got a puncture. At 6pm, I arrived. I was anxious and went to the office to explain. A gentleman interviewed me and asked if I’d like to put my name down to go to Ireland. Ireland was willing to take 25 people and they had received the news just 10 minutes before I arrived! I asked him to give me a few moments to pray. After prayer, I understood why there were so many breakdowns. I learned that sometimes arriving late can mean that we are really on time and not the other way around. A few prayers brought me to my true destination. foodforlifecallan.com

positi v e a strology

affecting astral bodies Empowering thought-forms and waves of change.

By Andrew Smith

12 A thought-form is a type of living entity, of high energy, animated by the idea or feeling that spawned it. The stronger the emotion that composes its matrix, the greater the energy and power it creates.

Every definitive thought or emotion produces two effects – firstly, a radiating vibration which operates on a wider, more influential scale; and secondly, a floating form with less reach that has an immediate and personal influence.

An emotionally charged thoughtform that is established and radiates from your mental body tends to reproduce its own frequency in any mental body on which it impacts, producing self similar emotional thoughts in the world around you. These radiating vibrations carry not only the subject, but the character, of your thought also1. Consequently any thought-emotion-form is capable of affecting not only your own mental state

and the astral bodies, but also those of other people with whom your thoughtfeelings come into contact.

As Mercury, the planet that symbolises conscious thought processes, stations in connection with Saturn, depicting how we structure our consciousness, in early June, you have the opportunity to inwardly explore how powerfully impacted you are by your emotional-thought-forms, as he moves from the watery domain of our feeling state, back into the airy landscape of our minds over a six week period.

Reflect for a moment on the structure of the constant stream of conversation that goes on within your own mind-space. Does that chatter predominately revolve around ‘what-if’ type scenarios? Do you limit yourself by engaging with negative thinking during your inner questioning? How powerful are the emotions invoked during your soliloquy? Have you ever considered the origin of those non-constructive thoughts? Are they genuinely yours or do they derive from an external agency, (such as the media, your family, your socio-religious background etc.)?

Your thought-forms create your perception of reality. Your thoughts literally create your world. Moreover the world at large has been created by ideas intensified by meaningful feeling. You don’t have to dig too deeply to uncover how the passion of a few souls has inspired the lives of many – from the story of The Christ and the zealousness of St. Paul his evangelising; the rhetoric of Martin Luther King; the gentleness of both Gandhi and Nelson Mandela; to the rigorous determination of Marie Curie and the heavenly inspired Jeanne d’Arc. Their ideas, fuelled by their passion, have shaped our culture.

During the month of June, I would like you to reflect on the question – what is stopping you from changing your inner thoughts from critical, non-answered

questions to a simple – how can I? How can I best serve my life? How can I believe in myself? How can I ask myself better questions, as opposed to filling my mind space with a stream of negations?

Whilst life coaches maintain that you can change your reality anytime, from an astrological perspective there appear to be times within the limitations of third dimensional reality wherein the conditions are more apt to ‘seed’ a different message; times wherein the energetic conditions are ripe to create conditions receptive to bringing forth emotionally charged ideals that fuel your/our consensus reality. You/we are living through such a time this summer, as Saturn and Uranus: the infamous couple ‘Tension’ and its companion, ‘Release’, dance awkwardly together in a discontinuous liaison.

We should, however, be accustomed to the ‘squeeze/stretch’ sensation of this intense deconstruction/ reconstruction vibration, marked by an increase of unusual emotional, geophysical and socio-economic tensions, feelings of rebellion, an urge for freedom, a desire to kick against the oppression of any authoritative structure and an emergence of hope that always comes as we project into the future. This libidinal, freeing, reformist wave was a salient feature of our lives in January, October and November of 2012, as well as in April and October of 2013. In the aftermath of this reformist tsunami, from June 5th through to August 24th, integration is the key concept this time and holds the promise of resolving many problems and issues that have concerned us, as long as we do not return to the same thinking that created the systems that have been breaking down during the past six years.

The test of our willingness to embrace a new path arises during late June as we experience the formation of another Mars-Uranus-Pluto signature.

Starting in 2008, this is the first series of ‘Tempest of Transition’ signatures that we have encountered since 1931-35, as we split the atom and altered the destiny of humanity by giving into the rising dark forces that swept our collective psyche.

Every two years since 2008, we have been faced with similar choice points to those who lived during the paradigm changing 1930s – do we permit darkness to spread though our non-action or do we bravely stand firm to our inner ideals or convictions?

“Their ideas fuelled by their passion have shaped our culture.”

Not only has our consciousness altered irrevocably since the 1930s, due, in part, to the bravery of singular souls who have stood up for truth against a rising wave of apathy during each successive phase of the Pluto-Uranus dance in 194951, 1965-68 and 1986-88, but the overall cosmic weather is different this summer supported by an additional rare planetary dialogue that was not present during that dark period in history.

Roughly every 146 years, the Earth realm experiences an opportunity to heal the deeply entrenched, limiting, emotional fears that wound our collective emotional space. First experienced during mid-November of 2012, again on the Vernal equinox of 2013 and in early October of 2013, such a space opens up

Highlights of Summer’s cosmic activity June 7

Emotional-Thought-Forms as Mercury Retrograde in Cancer

Mid-Late June

Tempest of Transition as Mars activates the PlutoUranus Square

June 21 Summer Solstice June 26 Cancer New Moon Late June-Mid August

Integration as Saturn quincunxes Uranus

July 1

Mercury Direct in Gemini

July 16

Expanded self-belief as Jupiter’s Ingresses into Leo

July 26

Leo New Moon conjoined Jupiter

Late July to Early August

A Healing Matrix as two Water Grand Trines form

Aug 25

Virgoan New Moon

for us in mid-June and again in early August to heal and subsequently reclaim our wounded sense of inner authority; to release any deep seated karmic emotional imprints; and to experience the emergence of a hard-won wisdom, earned as you have successfully ascended from the depths of your own soul, having embodied its darkness and joy and having been handed the gift of deep acceptance of your incarnation.

Now is, therefore, not the time to maintain the thought-forms that defined our previous way of being. Those methods simply do not work anymore – be they the limitations of the logical, positivist methodology of the material and economic sciences or the codification of a hierarchical misogyny within the monotheistic religious traditions.

Never in recorded history has there been such a level of awareness that the system simply is not working! We have been experiencing and witnessing the tumultuous clash between the Old and the New, as ‘dissenters’ rise up against their ‘feudal lords’, as those in power fervently tighten their grip on the reins of their ailing dinosaur, knowing that the meteor is about to strike.

Our world is created by your interior health, which is why the summer of 2014 is so important in terms of birthing a new way of viewing life.

Imagine what the world would look like if your interior world; your moral senses; your wisdom and your willingness to risk for the greater good was central to this new paradigm? What an extra-ordinary reality we would help coax into being!

Andrew’s private practice is in Blackrock, South Dublin. For further information on consultations, workshops or classes, or to receive his free newsletter, email dastroc@gmail.com, text 086 8823554 or join him on Facebook.

positi v e attr action

you are clothe yourself in confidence.

loved

14

By Dee Wallace There seems to be a cycle of fear when it comes to the feeling of isolation or not belonging. I don’t belong because I judge > I create separation > I am alone > I am isolated. How do we overcome those feelings to create a more positive, comfortable state that can attract even more of those feelings in?

It can seem a daunting task to know we are safe and secure and part of everything and always taken care of. We have plenty of proof to the contrary. But yet we know that the belief always comes first and the apparent ‘truth’ has only been created by the original limiting belief. If that is true, it must follow that when we really change our perception to knowing we are safe and secure and taken care of, the ‘truth’ of that must emerge as our reality.

By saying and believing, “I am loved,” “I am never alone,” “I am safe and secure,” “I am blessed and supported,” we create the realities of just that, and create the lives we want. Which brings us back to love, Divine Love, which supports all of this. Divine Love is a choice, and we are honoured to have that choice, and we are honoured to make that choice. And that choice brings us to personal power.

We must claim our personal power to right the wrongs of perception that have haunted us. Will you stand with me and claim your personal power to choose Divine

“Welcome new thoughts that fit and suit the new consciousness of You.” Love? Allow yourself to know that you are safe and secure and always taken care of.

The personal power of the acceptance of yourself as the divine creator will end the fear of isolation. Beautiful souls, it is time to fly free! It is time to know: I Am the One. Which lovingly leads us to…

The Breakthrough The perceived outcome and expectation we hold, equals the outcome. That puts even more power back into our creation process.

The challenge is this: all our lives we have been telling ourselves lies that were passed down to us and that we accepted.

The biggest lie is that we are not sovereign over our own creation and we have lived that as a truth and thus created proof of that lie as truth.

Now we are telling ourselves the real truth: I am sovereign over the creation of me. I am the One. And because it is new, we fear it is a lie but the truth is, the past is the lie. The ‘now awareness’ is the truth.

If you find an antiquated piece of clothing from the sixties hidden in your closet, you laugh, perhaps reminisce, and discard it as outdated and unusable.

We need to do the same with any disempowered thoughts and perceptions.

We need a new ‘Thought Wardrobe’!

Of course, one of those faded, unwearable thoughts is that we are not safe and secure in our power. Old shirts and dress beliefs! Appreciate when you wore them, and acknowledge they are outdated.

Welcome new thoughts that fit and suit the new consciousness of You. “I benefit in a safe and secure way when I step into my Freedom. I am secure in this world to exercise and experience my power.”

The time is now. Regarding every thing you desire to create, what is your perceived outcome and expectation? That is the beginning of your power. Hold yourself firm in the joyful expectation of your successful creation and receivership.

Dee Wallace has worked as an author, teacher, dancer and actress in film, television and the stage for over 30 years. (E.T., Cujo, The Howling). Her book, Bright Light, tells that tale and shares the spiritual lessons she has learned from a life in acting. iamdeewallace.com

positive home

Gifts: Just because someone gave you something, does not mean you need to keep it. Perhaps the item was a gift or an inheritance. If you do not need, use or love the item, pass it on. Keep in mind that what is the highest good for one is always for the highest good for another.

Just in case: If you are keeping things ‘just in case,’ that may represent a feeling of lack in your life. Trust that everything comes to you exactly as you need it and stay light-filled instead of clutter-filled.

16

make space for the new De-clutter for Summer.

By Amanda Collins Clutter has a way of keeping us stuck in the past and not supporting us in moving forward. We may hold onto things that provide us with a false sense of security instead of trusting that things will come to us as we need them. In fact, the less attached we are to things, the happier we are. Letting go of items you don’t need, use or love, opens you up to new possibilities. You will feel lighter, have more energy and become aware of how these items actually weighed you down.

To cherish them, one practice I invite you to do is to create an album or scrap book to hold photos of such items. You can date the photos and write a little note with the story behind it. Then, instead of having an entire garage or house filled with things you don’t need, you’ll have a lovely book to enjoy. After a time, you may even let go of the book. Such a process will unfold step by step.

Cherishing memories: You may be concerned that if you let go of things, you will forget the occasion or the people who gave them to you. The truth is these memories will be forever in your heart.

“Do I need, use or love it? Am I keeping this for my highest good?”

Time and flow: If you have items that are not serving you, let go, and see how everything will flow better in your life.

You will have more time to spend with your loved ones instead of spending hours looking for things. You feel more peaceful when your home looks and feels simpler.

Other spaces: Think also about your wallet; the place where abundance flows in. There needs to be space there as well as in your car’s glove compartment and the boot; these spaces relate to how you journey through life. Your computer desktop and email inbox are one of the forms of communication with the world.

Check to see if your phone has contacts that you no longer need.

New items: Check in with yourself while shopping. Before buying, ask “Do I really need or love this?” Then, every time something new comes in the door, let something old go out.

Schedule time to clear the clutter, make it fun by having friends over to help, play music and enjoy it. You don’t want to be angry while clearing out or you might let go of things you didn’t mean to!

Prepare and organise by having bags or boxes ready for recycling, charity, trash, and gifts for others.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so clutter doesn’t have to be cleared in one. But as you do it, keep asking, “Do I need, use or love it? Am I keeping this for my highest good?” Let these questions become your mantras.

Amanda Collins is the founder and teacher at the International Feng Shui School.

InternationalFengShuiSchool.com

Noirin Callanan Psychic Intuitive Natural Energy Healer Almost 20 years experience

Are YOU searching for; a Clarity on your individual soul journey & life path.

a Relief from pain, illness, injury or infertility.

a More energy and vitality. a Peace of mind & restful sleep.

TESTIMONIALS INCLUDE;

‘after one session the pain was gone’, ‘ I had an overwhelming sense of peace and love’, ‘the doctor cancelled the operation’ Private Healing appointments available at Restore Clinic, 67 Lower Camden St. Dublin 2 and at Laragh, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow For more information see www.healer.ie or Email noirincallanan@yahoo.ie or call (0404) 45948 anytime or text ‘healing’ to (087) 6140411 YOUR new life could start TODAY, so call now !

The God Pods

at Glenstal Abbey

Glenstal Abbey’s new God Pods are small hermitages located on the Abbey grounds. They offer a quiet setting surrounded by nature; a unique place to encounter self, to pray, slow down and refresh one’s spirit. They are perfect for the individual who is seeking solitude. These single, self-catering dwellings are located at the edge of woodland and overlooking a large meadow.

The Godpods are fully equipped with a kitchen unit, wood stove, bathroom, sitting and bedroom areas, and front and back porches.

For information and reservations

Phone: +353 (0) 61 621005 Email: guestmaster@glenstal.org

www.glenstal.org

PSYCH k

THE NEXT GIANT LEAP

CHANGE YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS BELIEFS GUARANTEED

DUBLIN

You can now easily, effortlessly and verifiably upgrade your old limiting subconscious programs to new powerful supportive beliefs Create long lasting change and exponentially improve your joy and success in every day life A recent scientific study showed 98% increase in the brain activity of participants Beyond willpower, affirmation & positive thinking

BASIC WORkSHOP Ian Spicer Certified Instructor AUSTRALIA

5th & 6th JULY Dublin Holistic Centre LONDON : 28th & 29th JUNE

Transform negative thinking and behaviour one belief at a time and discover your true greatness

I know PSYCH-K energy-balancing technology is effective because it radically changed my life. More important, over the last few years I have heard from hundreds of people around the world who have used PSYCH-K to successfully take change of their lives.”

Bruce Lipton, Ph.D, Author The Biology of Belief

www.ianspicer.com • www.psych-k.com

Why is my mind so busy?! I know your frustration. With countless thoughts passing through my mind at a million miles per hour, I’ve tossed and turned through sleepless nights and found it near impossible to focus during work or play.

Motivated to move from mental chaos to mind calm, I’ve meditated for thousands of hours and observed the many people I’ve taught meditation to from around the world. Quite unexpectedly, I’ve discovered some of the more subtle reasons why so many people suffer from such busy minds and the ways to overcome it.

“Desire things, but don’t need them to be happy.”

The Judgement Game Making sense of life is one of the mind’s jobs. To do this, it plays what I call ‘The Judgement Game’ determining whether your life is good or bad, positive or negative, right or wrong, better or worse.

If it deems something to be bad, negative, wrong or worse, you end up with a

The eaSieST WaYS To FinD PeaCe.

By Sandy C. newbigging

‘problem’. There’s a direct relationship between negatively judging life and the compulsion to overthink. The mind loves to problem-solve and becomes highly active thinking about your problem(s) and coming up with solutions.

The Solution: See the judgmental thoughts in your mind but don’t be the judger.

The Resist Persist Joined at the hip of the Judgement Game is resistance. The mind tends to resist whatever it judges as problematic. This often unseen habit of reactive resistance can prevent us from feeling bliss. How you feel is less to do with what happens, and more to do with whether you judge and resist what happens or not.

Naturally, the mind wants to feel good so whenever you notice ‘negative’ energy happening within the body, it feels compelled to figure out how to make the bad feelings go away – with copious amounts of thoughts becoming the by-product of the resistance and the need to feel good once again.

The Solution: Begin to remove reactive resistance and allow yourself to be in harmony with ‘what is’.

The Attach Catch Attachment happens whenever you believe that being, doing or having x, y or z will make you happier, peaceful, loved, safe or

successful. Being attached makes you move away from wanting things to believing that you need them to be OK. Attachment is based on the illusion that you can’t feel good now without fixing, changing or improving your body or life first.

When attached, you become caught up in your busy mind, trying to improve your life so that you can eventually feel good. But during all of that time, you’re missing the beauty and abundance already present in your life that, if focused on, can make you feel great now and even attract more good in.

The Solution: Desire things, but don’t need them to be happy.

The Time Trap This final trick of the mind stems from the subtle belief that the past or future is relevant to your current levels of peace, happiness, love and well-being. If you believe that you need to change, fi x or improve what’s happened in your past or what might happen in the future, then you are going to feel compelled to engage in thoughts about your past and future anytime they pass through your mind.

The Solution: Be fully attentive to now, you don’t need the future to fulfill you.

Watch Sandy explaining the 4 hidden causes and what you can do to enjoy more mind calm at www.sandynewbigging.com/blogs.

Sandy’s no.1 best-selling book ‘Mind Calm’ is out now.

PoSiTi v e MeDiTaTion

19

make meditating easy

PoSiTive Be auT Y

20

native

beauty BeauTY SeCReTS RighT ouTSiDe YouR DooR.

By mary Berkery

When you look at present approaches to health, personal care and beauty rituals, you can see that we have moved far from what was practised in ancient times. The industrial revolution replaced healing herbs, balms and rituals with synthetically made equivalents, many of which may not do what they claim or even have side affects.

In Celtic Ireland, the Celts lived close to nature and realised the importance of staying connected to the daily and seasonal rhythms for physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing. The Druids were the spiritual guardians of the Celts and made sure that each citizen was healthy. Exercise, the use of herbs and proper diet were all reflected in the many seasonal festivals of the Celts.

In late Spring and early Summer, the dandelion can be seen growing

“Peat contains up to 200 organic ingredients that help our skin’s natural beauty.”

here in abundance. It is one of our most common wild plants and was used for medicine in early times. February 1st was celebrated as a festival to the White Goddess, and one of her symbols was the dandelion. It was used to treat fever and jaundice, as the root stimulates the liver.

It can also improve our skin. When the liver is functioning properly, the skin is bright, vitality is high and creative actions come easily.

Burdock was also held in high esteem by the Celts. The Druid Shaman may have used burdock root to treat various skin conditions. It also helps to regulate the hormonal system due to its containing plant sterols. It also has powerful cholesterol-lowering properties. irishorganicherbs.ie Sweathouses are a well-known feature here too. They were in use among the Celtic tribes, and in general use here up to the 18th century. They were used as an ancient physical cleansing ritual, as a rite of passage and for purification and often herbs such as sage were placed on the hot stones as ritual aids. slianchroi.ie Seaweed baths have also been practised in Ireland for hundreds of years, long before the dawn of the weekend Spa retreat! A seaweed bath relaxes the muscles, detoxifies and increases circulation. The natural anti-ageing and anti-cellulite properties improve the suppleness and the elasticity of the skin.

It can stimulate the renewal of damaged skin cells, cleanse, tone, smooth and deeply moisturise the skin. Pick some up the next time you’re at the beach for a swim or a stroll. voya.ie A less well known beauty treat from our island is Irish peat! It has amazing healing abilities. Peat contains up to 200 organic ingredients that help our skin’s natural beauty. Zinc, copper, iron and selenium are all found in the substance, but most remarkable of all is the medicinal plants it contains such as sundew, heath, crowberry, bog whortleberry and bog roseberry. Ógra’s skincare range uses 9000 year-old peat from the bogs of Ireland. Bill Kenny, founder of Ógra skincare, had his interest sparked by it when he burnt his arm as a child. “My mother actually put peat on my burn, she put a cloth over my hand and left it there. There were large blisters on my arms. After four days, she took it off and it was pink, the skin was perfect. I knew from then onwards that there was something special in the bog.” ograskincare.com So with better weather coming along and plenty of long evenings, why not pop outside to your garden to find, dig up or discover your next amazing beauty treatment.

Mary Berkery lives in the west of ireland and works as a Life and Wellness Coach and an equine assisted Personal Development Coach. her background is in beauty and wellness education. mary@livngbeauty.ie

Irelands leading Angel medium and intuitive healer Robbie H. Andrews Author of ‘How I Met My Guardian Angel’ Living and working as full time Angel medium & Intuitive Healer & Spiritual teacher has brought so much bliss to my life & my clients.

Helping others to reconnect to their true spiritual journey is the greatest GIFT. Book a one to one session or a group session and experience the beautiful love and wisdom that I share as I work with my clients assisted by God and the Angelic realms.

Help reconnect to the true you.

Find Happiness and Rejuvenation with Golden Glow Yoga & SriMa Transformational Yoga YAI 200 hr & 500 hr Teacher Training in Cork, Galway, Dublin from September 2014

Phone: 086-8418085 www.robbiehandrews.com Follow me on Facebook and twitter.

“In life, we spend most of our time waiting for the magic to happen. For me I have realised that I am the magic and all I have to do is believe”

Tutti Frutti set out to introduce, grow, manufacture and supply 100% natural fresh juices and tasty smoothies, fresh wheatgrass, wheatgrass juice shots, sunflower greens/Pea shoots and wheatgrass bar soap delivered to your door nationwide. We serve fresh nutritious products that taste as good for you just as Mother Nature intended and continually search for new ways to help improve your health, nutrition and wellbeing naturally.

We squeeze exotic natural fruits and vegetables without preservatives and deliver them to your door. We take the work out of enjoying a vitamin rich glass of pure juice. Why put impurities in your body if you don’t have to! Where you can have juice dropped off at your door weekly, biweekly or monthly.

Tutti Frutti Fresh Juice Delivery also comes in handy if a loved one isn’t able to shop for themselves. Send the best “get well” gift basket of Freshly Squeezed Juices. Perhaps you are having a party and want only our exotic blends. Tutti Frutti is a dynamic entity that is sustained by pure loving intentions and a commitment to excellence. Be sure to tell a friend...

Tutti Frutti juices and smoothies Enniscorthy Road, Ferns, County Wexford

Tel: 0539367314 Mobile: 0877584077

Email: info@tuttifrutti.ie Web: www.tuttifrutti.ie

Introductory Workshop in Dublin: July 19th 2014 Venue: The Oscailt Time: 10am-1pm, 2pm-4pm 8 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4

For bookings call: 087 675 1418 www.goldenglowyoga.ie

COLOUR OF SOUND INSTITUTE www.colourofsound.org

MEDITATION, YOGA, THERAPY & HEALING with mantra, chant, gongs, tuning forks, singing bowls, drums…

WORKSHOPS & PRACTITIONER TRAINING IN DUBLIN

parenting from love Practical steps for a loving approach.

By Caroline Smith

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs there is, and one of the least valued. We get no training for it, and yet it is vital to the progress of our society. The payoff however is that it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs you’ll ever do.

What does parenting from love mean? Does it mean that we have to remain in that haze of hormones that flood

“Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future.”

us when our baby is first born, looking goo-ily at the object of our adoration and always feeling sweetness and light? Does it mean that we do everything we can to avoid upsetting our child? Well, no. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

Patience and kindness Parenting from love requires patience and kindness, and a determination to cultivate those qualities in ourselves. That takes practice so we must also become patient and kind towards everybody else and leave behind judgmental attitudes.

We should be patient and kind with ourselves, allowing ourselves to have an open attitude of learning in parenting.

Critical thinking It also requires some critical thinking to correctly identify what our child needs, as opposed to simply responding to immediate wants. This allows you to meet the longterm needs of your child, enabling them to learn an ability to self regulate, confidence in their capacity and strength of character. It requires thought, consideration and consultation.

Unity The family is the basic unit of society and the first one a child enters. It provides the optimum environment for the growth of the child, but it’s crucial that the family is united. Disunity makes it more difficult to parent from love. If the adults in the family can create a united approach to the life of the family, the children will thrive.

This doesn’t mean there’s no room for difference, find unity in the diversity and you’ll create an even richer atmosphere where an array of things are learned, all in a spirit of love.

The comfort zone In order to be able to meet the long term needs of your child, you’ll need an ability to tolerate some discomfort.

This is important so that we don’t make parenting decisions in order to avoid uncomfortable situations, and so that we don’t indulge our children in order to avoid their discomfort.

Courage Finally, parenting from love requires courage. It takes courage to choose a hard right over an easy wrong. It takes courage to focus on the real needs of our child over the expectations and influences of society. It takes courage to sometimes be unpopular with our children, or to brave the disapproval others. The pay off is that it’s very much worth the courage it takes.

“Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children.…An allembracing love of children, the manner of treating them, the quality of the attention shown them, the spirit of adult behaviour toward them – these are all among the vital aspects of the requisite attitude.”

Nightingale Training and Development is Ann O’Sullivan, Psychotherapist and Certified Trainer, and Caroline Smith, MIAHIP, Psychotherapist. Nightingale provides a range of training courses, including parenting, relationships, personal development and coping with loss and grief. info@nightingale.ie

photo: Alicia Hoctor & her son Matthew by Nicola Gaffey

22

• • • • • • • • •

Counselling Psychotherapy CBT Youth Studies Positive Psychology Mindfulness Cyber Psychology Couples Counselling Supervision

See www.zestlife.ie Facebook.com/Zestlife Phone: 00353 1 296 6047

gluten freedom BeCauSe eveRYBoDY LoveS FRee STuFF.

WiTh The aLLeRgY anD FRee-FRoM exPo CoMing To DuBLin anD CoRK ThiS auTuMn, We ThoughT We’D TaKe a LooK aT SoMe oF The MoST CoMMonLY avoiDeD FooDS, exCiTing aLTeRnaTiveS anD a FeW TiPS FRoM The ToP FRoM exPo SPeaKeRS on hoW You anD YouR FaMiLY Can ReaLLY enJoY Living FReeLY WiTh YouR FooD.

By elva Carri

What is gluten anyway?

With lots of people avoiding gluten, it was fun to see Jimmy Kimmel do a short video piece recently where he asked a number of gluten-free enthusiasts what gluten actually is. While all were aware of what foods to avoid, none could answer the question! Gluten is a composite protein made up of gliadin and glutenin and found in grass-related grains. Dr. Tom O’Bryan explains that when it comes to digestion, protein is a little bit like a brick wall. Our digestive system’s role is to take the mortar off the bricks and use the individual bricks for things like building muscle. With a gluten intolerance, your system can’t take the mortar off the bricks. Your brain doesn’t recognise what the brick and mortar combination is and instructs your immune system to produce antibodies to fight it, resulting in the symptoms you’ll be familiar with. The gluten content of wheat has actually gone up by 50% in the last fifty years. More gluten means lighter, fluffier bread, but it’s not making our digestive system as happy as we’d like to keep it.

Where to get the best gluten-free stuff

24

Ten years ago, sticking to a gluten-free diet might have felt like a chore. Today, it often sets people off on quite the food adventure. Not only are there a lot more products on the market, but there’s also a lot more advice available on what to eat, rather than what to avoid. And Ireland is ahead of the game in some ways.

The first entirely free-from gluten kitchen in Europe was The Gluten Free

Kitchen Company in Tralee, it’s still the only one of its kind in Ireland. It’s all home baked and the perfect spot for food lovers and health conscious alike. The American Muffin Company are a specialist bakery based in the UK with a scrumptious wheat free, gluten free classic muffin. In Ireland, the Gluten Free Foodie is an artisan bakery specialising in wheat free and gluten free handmade breads, cakes and tarts. If you like baking at home, Sowan’s Organic make a great chocolate brownie mix. And if you’re more a fan of savoury treats, Keogh’s make the only Irish produced gluten-free crisps.

And you can check them all out in one day at the Expo as they’ll all be exhibiting.

Get to know your body If you’ve been living a healthy lifestyle and still find nagging, little problems that you can’t quite figure out how to shake, it might be time for an allergy test. People are often

EXPO EXPERTS

Dr. Joe FitzGibbon, doctor and author with specialist interests in allergy, fatigue and nutrition.

Dr. Denise Kelly, Phd in Food Anxiety, will talk about parental stress concerning children eating out.

Eddie Eriksson of Cornucopia, will look at a ‘flexitarian’ approach to family cooking.

Lorraine Fitzmaurice of Blazing Salads, pick up some tips for nutritional home cooking.

Tara Canning: Nutritionist, dietitian and Masterchef.

GLUTEN FREE GREATS Purebred: Tasty alternatives like raisin toast and chia seed loaf. pure-bred.com Sowans: ‘Make at home’ mixes, Ginger Cake, Chocolate Brownies and more. sowansorganic.ie

“It’s all home baked and the perfect spot for food lovers and health conscious alike.”

The Gluten Free Kitchen Company: An entirely gluten free kitchen, café and delicatessen in Tralee. on.fb.me/1gg19Pf

surprised at the simplicity of a small diet change and the positive impact it can have on their whole life. There are a growing number of places you can have an allergy test done, with some even offering a test by post. Some reliable testers with many happy clients testifying to the benefits include Nutricentric and YorkTest. There’ll be information on them and plenty more at the Expo. Along with these guys and some of the exhibitors mentioned above, you’ll also find some great speakers and cookery demonstrations to get you inspired. We spoke to a few of the expo experts for some pre-show tips.

advises that because allergies are often an ‘overheating’ of the system, just like a car – check your oil and water! Get some essential fatty acids into your diet and hydrate.

Herbal Helpfulness. Dr. Dilis Clare Dr. Dilis Clare recommends a tea with nettle, camomile and ribwort to sooth the inflammation of allergies. If you already have a camomile tea, simply snip some nettles and ribwort from the garden and brew it together. Interestingly, the herbs that help hayfever come out at the same time of year as our symptoms. Secondly she

joy of it.

Paul also noted that if you’re

Dr. Dilis Clare, GP and Medical Herbalist. Fresh insights from her years of experience.

Keogh’s Crisps: Gluten-free treats for active kids, busy teens and you. keoghs.ie The American Muffin Company: Classic American Muffins with no wheat or gluten. americanmuffin.com Gluten Free Foodie: Irish artisan bakery serving the best handmade gluten and wheat free breads, cakes and tarts. theglutenfreefoodie.com

Green Spaghetti with Eddie Eriksson Working as a vegan chef, Eddie is well used to avoiding dairy and eggs. He says rice flour is his favourite substitute for regular flour, and works on a one to one ratio when subbing it in. And as a great, green alternative to spaghetti, try using a jullienne peeler on a courgette with your spaghetti bolognese. Use it warmed but raw. Much prettier than beige pasta.

Paul Kelly, The Great Irish Bake Off Paul is a great believer in the importance of food as part of looking after our wellbeing and our state of mind. He recommends trying out new recipes at home for the sheer

changing your diet, be patient with yourself because it’s not easy in the beginning. His advice - do your research, don’t worry about getting things right the fi rst time and experiment until you’ve created dishes you love!

Dr. Denise Kelly, The Gluten-Free Foodie Dr. Denise Kelly who runs a gluten free bakery and will be speaking at the expo gave us her best tips for alternatives in baking and pizza bases! “Wholegrain rice flour has quite a neutral flavour and performs very similarly to wheat flour with the addition of xanthan gum. With savoury pastries, I’ll often add some gram flour. It has higher protein content than most other gluten-free flours and lends a lovely savoury flavour to the product.

With products that stale naturally quite quickly, such as scones, I’ll use some potato starch to hold the moisture in the product. Another flour that I’ve discovered relatively recently is sorghum flour which makes a lovely flatbread. And tapioca flour makes a l ovely pizza base with very few additional ingredients.”

theallergyexpo.ie 11 - 12 october, RDS, Dublin.

8 - 9 november, City hall, Cork.

PoSiTi v e PeRSon a LiT Y

“Creativity for me is being in the kitchen like a little alchemist, I love it.”

Changing your diet isn’t just about what you eat. Changing your diet isn’t so much physical as it is an emotional or mental change. It took me a long time to get over the price of health food. I was still comparing the price to that of a bottle of wine for a long time. I think you need to see it as nourishment and investment. Starting is the most difficult point because you don’t have the benefits to spur you on but once you’re on that road, there’s no stopping you. I should have been in my prime in my twenties and I have so much more energy now. Prepare for it, reward yourself, and be kind to yourself, I think that’s important. If you’re not going to be kind to yourself no one else will. You’re the one who has to live in your body, so you’ve got to treat it right.

Enjoy preparing for the week ahead. If you can carve out even an hour on a Sunday evening, it’s really cathartic. On a Sunday evening, I’ll relax and think of what’s going on for the week and make stuff for the children, for me and my husband and I’ll have loads of stuff in the freezer. Creativity for me is being in the kitchen like a little alchemist, I love it. That’s what makes my blood race.

susan jane white a JoYFuL aPPeTiTe FoR LiFe.

By elva Carri

SuSan Jane WhiTe iS The viBRanT auThoR oF ‘FRee-FRoM’ FooD BiBLe, ‘The exTRa viRgin CooKBooK’. noW on iTS ThiRD PRinT Run, heR BooK SoLD MoRe CoPieS in Six WeeKS Than CeLeBRiTY CheFS in iReLanD’S CooKBooKS have SoLD in Six YeaRS. She SeeMS To Be a WoMan agLoW WiTh a DeLighTFuLLY ReaLiSTiC BRanD oF haPPineSS. She aRRiveS BeaMing anD WiTh heR FingeRS CRoSSeD ThaT TheY’LL have DuBLin KoMBuCha inSiDe. TheY Don’T BuT She SeeMS eQuaLLY PLeaSeD To SeTTLe in WiTh a CuP oF eaRL gReY.

Tips for radiating positive energy. Here’s one that immediately pops to mind and gives me great satisfaction; sending love out in the world.

I write letters of gratitude. If I’ve been somewhere and I see someone working really hard, it might be here and they’re covering all the tables and being really lovely, I write them a note and say thank you for looking after me. Or it might be someone I haven’t seen in a while or an author or someone on Instagram who’s work I think is amazing. I’ll find their address and handwrite them a letter.

Also bright clothes and red lipstick! Brightness is a big thing that radiates positive energy for sure.

Hugs, lots of hugs. And smiling, it costs nothing, smile at strangers. I find it’s almost rude if someone’s walking down the same road and you don’t smile. You have to acknowledge each other, right? And I don’t buy fashion magazines. I know it’s controversial because they write about me. I have to be kind because they help me and they help spread the word. But fashion magazines make me feel inadequate. They show me things that I never knew about and suddenly I think I need and I don’t think they’re a positive force in my life.

What is the glass half full of? Kombucha! But only Dublin Kombucha!

The extra virgin Cookbook is available in bookstores around the country and amazon. Read the extended interview on PositiveLife.ie along with Susan’s links to great instagram accounts to follow later this summer. susanjanewhite.com

PHOTO: EMMA BRERETON

26

Staying inspired. Go on Instagram and follow healthy authors. If you’re checking it every day and you’re looking at people who are on your vibe or the vibe you aspire to be on, it’s like a support network. You’re seeing these amazing photographs and thinking “Oh that looks amazing, I want to do that!” Go into accounts that you like and see who they’re following and you build up a network very quickly. And subscribe to health blogs, you don’t even have to look at them but it’s almost like a positive, constructive form of advertising in your inbox.

Gluten-free for the effort-intolerant.

“The dead human ape has not evolved for the last 10,000 years...

Now we must transform, become enlightened, so we can access the next realm of consciousness necessary for our evolution. I think we elect to ignore the spiritual and it causes a deficit for ourselves and our culture and for our planet… we’re all basically the same as one another, we’re all connected to each other and we have a collective responsibility.”

28

russell

brand

from revolution to evolution.

By Elva Carri

challenges Brand on his choice not to vote. I still was not on board with Brand hype. Why was this man so adamantly opting out when he wasn’t proposing an alternative? Paxman asks him the same question and he laughs it off saying, well he was busy editing a magazine wasn’t he and he wasn’t about to invent it right there on the spot. But why would a man who seemed to not have any clear plan try to incite revolution? His manifesto didn’t come with ‘5 Step How To Instructions”, so what were we to do with it?

A transfer of power Love him or love him not I have not always been a fan of Russell Brand. A few years ago, it looked to me like he was all show and no substance, an opinion that was reinforced when he was spotted at the London riots and asked what he was doing there. He couldn’t answer the question, he didn’t seem to know. When Russell acted as a guest editor of the New Statesman, he wrote a manifesto and within it actually describes that day. He was shopping with a stylist when the protest came to his attention.

He likes a bit of chaos, so he dropped the shopping and went to take part. Within the context of his current ideas, it seems that impulse was not to ‘look like he was at a protest’ but perhaps to participate in something with a different purpose; to be amongst people who knew that things need to change. His instincts were his motive and they’ve led him on a pretty interesting journey.

The Paxman interview

Photo: Ray Burminston

After his stint as editor with the New Statesman, the infamous Paxman interview came about; where Paxman

Delving into more interviews with Brand, it begins to become clear why he hasn’t been extremely specific about how change should come about or what the world will look like when it does. He’s not proposing a set structure for a new system because he’s instigating a shift in our understanding of ourselves and the world and promoting a change in how we go about our daily lives. It’s a grass roots, paradigm shift. He’s not talking to governments and corporations, he’s talking to you. In doing so, he’s transferring the power from ‘them’ to ‘you’. His goal is to empower you so that you can make the best choices, not to tell you what those choices should or shouldn’t be. To me, this is the most interesting facet of his approach.

Revolution as we know it is turbulent,

which might be ok if a ‘revolution’ didn’t bring you 360 degrees – back to the same place you started. What he’s pushing for is evolution, in consciousness. Evolution brings you forward, it’s survival of the fittest and adaptability to change. When it comes to progress, this may come down to the fittest, most adaptable and sustainable ideologies.

Vision with action Brand’s understanding doesn’t come as words alone, it’s complemented by action and attitude. Transcendental Meditation (TM) and yoga have brought him to a place where he seems content in himself yet driven to serve the needs of society. He says he’s happiest when he’s being nice to other people. He promotes the benefits of TM through speaking at events and recently took part in promoting David Lynch’s new film; which documents the filmmaker’s 40 year relationship with TM as a way to change the world. He’s re-written fairytales to help children see the world differently than we were taught to. To help people see through the weird fuzz of what newspapers tell us is important, he makes ‘trews’; short videos where he analyses what the papers are saying and raises alternative viewpoints.

The analysis is embellished by reading from the work of the likes of Eckhart Tolle and visits from Alain de Botton, two people equally dedicated to change.

“Get in alignment with that stuff and you’ll beam like the sun!”

Changing beliefs Another quality of Brand’s approach that is noteworthy comes from some new evidence on belief perseverance. This is the tendency to cling to one’s initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts the basis of that belief. Brendan Nyhan, a professor of political science at Dartmouth, published a study on this with research carried out over three years. None of the methods he thought would or should work had any significant effects. What did have a positive effect, enabling people to answer questions more accurately, was when they were asked to recall a time they felt good about themselves before answering questions; on the basis that our beliefs are tied to our conception of ourselves.

In previous, similar studies, self-affirmation exercises had equally positive effects in overcoming prejudice and low self-esteem.

He loves you Brand seems able to incorporate this approach naturally. He makes efforts to make people feel loved and welcome, have fun and thus feel good about themselves. When he interviewed members of the Westboro Baptist Church he told them he loved them and expressed appreciation and respect for coming into a room of people unlikely to agree with them. He tells Paxman how gorgeous his beard is. If these small gestures of appreciation, love and good humour help people feel good about themselves, he’s facilitating an atmosphere where people are more likely to see things accurately and make good choices. By encouraging people to try yoga and meditation, he’s also encouraging people to be in a state where they feel good about themselves. At that point, Russell doesn’t need to have all of the answers to what a utopia would look like or how exactly to get there, he’s empowered you to decide what is best for you, the planet and the people around you in each, individual moment. It comes back to the transfer of power from the elite to the many, but in a most peaceful, loving manner. He trusts you. It may not be as exciting or dramatic as calling for a rowdy revolution, but it may be more beneficial long-term.

“Think of yourself as a manifestation of some higher thing, some higher frequency. This is the visible realisation. And you know that because you can’t see atoms, can you? And you certainly can’t see the forces that hold atoms together. There, in the micro-quantum world, lie the answers to everything. We can’t understand it with our logical, rational minds. We feel it intuitively. Get yourself in alignment with that stuff and you’ll beam like the sun!”

Be beaming and active My Dad taught me an analogy for ‘goodness’ when I was little.

When there are two adjoining rooms, where one has a light on and the other is in darkness, opening the door between the two serves only to make the dark room brighter; the bright room does not become any less bright. Love and truth are win-win like that, the effects of beaming with them will always be the more powerful energy. And when it comes to being active, don’t forget that just a few years ago Russell couldn’t really say why he was at that protest. If something captures your attention or your imagination, be bold, show up. You never know what you’ll learn about either side of the issue and it just might be the start of a very enlightening adventure. russellbrand.com

the mystery of orgasm Nature’s lessons in connection and pleasure.

By Dawn Cartwright

excitement and arousal. Through her research, Kaplan found emotional factors such as stress, anxiety, defensiveness and lack of communication interfered with sexual arousal and orgasm, therefore she placed the Desire Phase first, before the Excitation Phase, in the human sexual arousal cycle.

Orgasm and Desire Desire is a strong feeling of longing. While physical arousal may be possible without desire, desire for sex means we feel strong feelings of longing for intimate contact. Whether we are engaging sexually with ourselves, solo, or with a partner, our desire for pleasure and connection opens the door to sexual exploration. The body is naturally orgasmic.

The mind, not so much. Yet, wouldn’t you know it, orgasm itself is a precision focused exchange of information between the two.

Orgasm Demystified Orgasm, though

Studies done by Masters and Johnson in the early 1960s, at the height of the sexual revolution, proposed a four stage human sexual response cycle for both men and women. They outlined four phases involved: excitation, plateau, orgasmic and resolution.

The Excitation Phase Sexual response begins. We see something we find arousing, experience physical sensation we find arousing or think an arousing thought. The heart rate increases, breathing deepens and the erogenous zones of the body begin to swell and lubricate.

The Plateau Phase Sexual arousal reaches its peak. Muscular tension, especially in the lower body, increases.

Circulation is heightened and there is a feeling of fullness in the genitals and pelvic region. Sexual pleasure reaches an almost unbearable intensity.

31

The Orgasmic Phase Muscular contractions in the genitals, pelvis and lower thighs release the

tension that has built up over the previous two stages. There’s a feeling of letting go, falling over the edge. Ejaculation may occur during this phase.

The Resolution Phase The final phase is the Resolution Phase. Heart rate and breathing return to normal, breathing and a feeling of calm and even sleepiness takes over.

But we may also add the ‘Desire Phase’ to this list. Helen Singer Kaplan, Ph.D., an Austrian born American sex therapist, was crowned “Sex Queen” for encouraging her clients to enjoy sex as much as possible, rather than see it as shameful or dirty and added a phase to Master and Johnson’s list in 1970. She argued that desire precedes

“the whole purpose of sexual arousal is to focus our attention away from the stresses of life”

mysterious, is a lot more straightforward than we’ve been led to believe. According to clinical sexologist, Amy Cooper, the whole purpose of sexual arousal is to focus our attention away from the stresses of life and onto pleasure. “Several body systems engage in positive feedback loops as sexual excitement increases. Each sensation or event builds on the previous ones in a response cycle that may ultimately lead to orgasm,” says Cooper.

The brain receives information about pleasure in the genitals and sends a message to the engorgement tissues to activate, creating more pleasure in the genitals.

During the excitation phase of arousal, subtle contractions in the pelvis heighten sensation in the genitals, focusing the mind on pleasure and away from distracting thoughts.

Hormones released during sexual arousal affect the type of information the brain receives, keeping the brain focused on sex.

Orgasm is nature’s way of keeping us focused on pleasure and connection. When we look at orgasm and sexual response more closely, we see a sustainable, positive, self-generated vitality circuit. It’s a state of mind as well as a phase in the sexual response cycle. In fact, this ecstatic state may be how we’re meant to experience the world and each other, even when we’re not having sex.

Dawn Cartwright is a Tantric visionary, sacred writer, and innovator in bio-energetic Tantra fusion. dawncartwright.com

considering

good life 2.0

cohousing A Sangha for our times.

By Davie Philip especially younger people, and fulfill a desire to live in smaller units with shared facilities. As well as terraces with one and two bedroom houses and studio apartments, a ‘common house’ will include cooking and dining space, guest rooms and a laundry, as well as meeting and relaxation spaces. Shared energy, a car pool and green spaces will also help reduce costs and make this a warm and welcoming place to live.

But you don’t necessarily need to relocate to an ecovillage or a cohousing project to live more cooperatively, lots of options are emerging for securing housing together. Cohousing might not suit everyone but it could provide an alternative to the growing number of people who are struggling to purchase a home and want a simpler, greener, more

32 Sangha is a word in Pali and Sanskrit meaning association, assembly, company or community and often refers to the monastic community of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns. When Buddha’s disciples asked him, “Isn’t Sangha half of the path to awakening?” the Buddha responded, “No, it is the entire path.” To realise our fullest potential we don’t have to join a monastery but I think we do need to live closer to one another and to collaborate in meaningful ways.

We have sustained ourselves in ‘communities’ of one form or another for millennia. Sharing resources and creating a supportive environment to live in is at the heart of what it is to be human. Since we emerged from the caves, we have lived in large extended families, tribal networks or small villages where we were deeply connected with each other and to nature.

Considering our basic needs for shelter and community, is there an alternative to just buying a home and hoping that you might get to know your neighbours?

Although I’ve been involved in Cloughjordan Ecovillage since the project began, and the sense of neighbourliness is extremely high there, I still don’t own

“Cohousing offers space for transformation and a community where we can build trust and rich, enduring relationships.” a house. Like many people currently find themselves, I don’t earn enough to secure a mortgage, and, as the literal translation of the word is ‘the grip of death’, I don’t think I even want to! So what are my options?

One way to re-grow community and take care of our housing needs is the concept of cohousing. This is a way for a group of people to work together to co-create and co-own places that offer both privacy and community, along with the values of solidarity and mutual concern.

I believe this approach could create a richer way of life with lower running costs and reduced environmental impact.

We recently launched ‘Cloughjordan Cohousing’. It’s a cooperative company that will build and manage a Cohousing development within the Ecovillage. We want to address the issues of affordable housing, attract a diversity of ages,

sharing way of life that helps create a more collaborative atmosphere overall.

Cohousing offers space for transformation and a community where we can build trust and rich, enduring relationships. It creates a healthy environment where we can develop our potential and where we can collectively find the responses to the social, economic and cultural problems we face. If the overarching goal of cohousing is to provide an authentic space to support our flourishing, I do think it is a Sangha for our times.

Davie Philip is a facilitator and trainer who manages the Community Resilience programme at Cultivate Living and Learning.

He is based at the Cloughjordan Ecovillage and is a board member of GIY (Grow it Yourself!) Ireland. davie@cultivate.ie

Rolfing™ & Cranio-Sacral Therapy Interested in grace, ease of movement, vital health and a pain free body?

The deep touch of Rolfing (bodyworks best kept secret), combined with the gentle touch of craniosacral therapy cares for your mind, body and spirit.

Whether you suffer from pain, anxiety, postural issues, trauma or old injuries, this is a winning combination of treatments.

Jim Mc Mahon and Gillian Duffin are both Advanced Certified Rolfers™, Rolf Movement Practitioners and Advanced Cranio-Sacral Therapists.

Both have studied extensively at home and abroad, with 20 years combined experience.

They practice at the Institute of Psychosocial Medicine in Dun Laoghaire.

Contact us at www.jimtherolfer.ie / 086 805 4128 www.loveyourposture.ie / 087 121 9867

AMEC Safety Training Ltd Instructor - Derek Curley

IHF OFAAA Reg - Instructor and Sports Massage Therapists CARDIAC FIRST RESPONSE (CFR) Community Level

Yogabeats workshops Dun Laoghaire, Dublin Open Yogabeats class June 20th 7pm-9.30pm

Yogabeats Burning Mountain Session June 21st 10.30am -1pm Cost : €35 - per workshop

Yogabeats Holiday Crete, Greece

August 23rd - September 2nd.

4 Step Foundation Course

September 25th -28th Location: Dun Laoghaire, Dublin For information contact dani@completebodymovement.ie (+353 87 8147248) or carole@yogabeats.com

www.yogabeats.com

The CFR Community Level Course takes approximately 4.5 hours to complete and you will receive An Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) CFR Community Level certification upon successful completion of the course.

This is an ideal course for therapists as it covers the main medical emergencies that can occur Pre-hospital. These include • • • • •

Assess an incident / emergency Make an emergency call Cardiac Arrest (CPR. AED) Heart Attack (Administration of aspirin) Stroke assessment (FAST Assessment)

• • • •

Recovery Position (Unconsciousness) Choking Critical incident stress awareness Cardiac First Responder Report (CFRR) and legal indemnity issues.

All participants receive certification from the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council which is valid for two years.

There are no pre-requisites required Booking For Individuals This course is open for individuals to join, just email your details for courses in your area • • • • • • • • • • •

AMEC Safety Training also offers a range of courses: Fetac Level 5.Occupational First Aid Fetac Level 5.Occupational First Aid Recertification Course Basic First Aid Sports First Aid Paediatric First Aid Basic life support HCP Cardiac First Response Community Level Cardiac First Response Advanced Level Fire Safety Training Manual handling

amecsafetytraining@eircom.net

around the table,

around ireland Eat out? or eat outside?

By Samuel Bishop FRAOCH Fraoch run laid-back, yoga retreats with local food and great adventures in an eco-lodge in Sligo. Collective feasts are a big part of it with participants helping to cook, guided by artist and chef Fiona Hallinan.

It’s the perfect place to stop, be, gather, relax and escape. fraochretreats.com

34 I grew up around the table. Well, a shed door on legs to be more precise. The hinges and handle were still attached, providing the children with entertainment during less-interesting discussions. The dark green door was perched on the frame of an old oak table – tablecloths were draped over it when guests came and we used a larger shed door when we were expecting more guests!

Around this table, family life revolved. It’s where stories were recounted, school-work completed, arguments settled, and of course, meals

DILLISK Katie Sanderson (Living Dinners and Fumbally Café) and Jasper O’Connor (Fumbally Café) are encouraging us to venture out west this summer. They’ve spent the past few months converting an old boat shed into a temporary restaurant in a far corner of Connemara. A garden has been created as part of the project and those who embark on this food pilgrimage will be rewarded with an array of foraged or locally-grown, seasonal dishes. Open just for the summer months. livingdinners.com

“Grab a blanket and head for the nearest and most beautiful wild spot.” shared. It was at the core of our lives and probably one of the primary reasons I work on events and initiatives that have a table at their centre now. I’m a firm believer that community happens best when people sit around a table and share food. To taste that this summer, here are a delicious collection of projects and activities with food at their heart.

STREET FEAST Take to the streets and share food with your neighbours. Street Feast is the nationwide day of street parties and this year falls on June 15th. It encourages communities to bring their tables out onto their streets for a feast. Even if you miss the date, you can plan your own for later in the summer. streetfeast.ie

HUNT & GATHER A Dublin based collective hosting creative pop-up dinners in quirky locations around the city. huntandgather.com Irish Museum of Modern Art IMMA are planning some culinary adventures and pop-up feasts this July. imma.ie

FORAGING Foraging is a delight for all ages. There’s nothing like the joy of cooking with ingredients you’ve found on a day’s exploration. Picking your way through hedgerows, fields and woodlands; it’s all about working with what’s around you this summer. The Nadur Collective have loads of advice. @NadurCollective COMMUNITY GARDENS A common ground where people come to grow. Get your hands into the soil and eat the produce you’ve grown together. Many gardens hold community feasts with the food that they produce. Find the closest one to you, or explore the possibility of starting one in your local area. communitygardennetwork.ning.com

WILD PICNICS ‘Eating out’ in its purest sense and the food most definitely tastes better. Grab a blanket and head for the nearest and most beautiful wild spot.

So go out and grab those summer vibes. Escape to wavy fields and dappled lane-ways or out to the west. Most of all find the time to sit together, at a picnic bench, around a picnic blanket, a dining table, or even a rusted green door.

Samuel is events coordinator at Street Feast and Happenings. Twitter: @samue1

Elizabeth Hitchcock Tours Holistic tour to Kerala, South India II days/ 10 nights

September 12th to 22nd 2014 I personally accompany each tour to ensure traveller’s comfort at all times.

Travel to beautiful Kerala to rejuvenate the soul and find peace and calm. Experience Yoga at sunrise and sunset, meditation, Ayurvedic Body Treatments, cliff top walks, silence, a profound workshop, a journey to Mother Amma’s Ashram and visits to Temples/Shrines.

Great testimonials available from previous travellers.

Just €685 per person sharing plus International flight.

Please contact me for a detailed itinerary and full booking details.

Elizabeth Hitchcock 023 8847961 or 087 8301053 www. elizabethhitchcock.ie

Fairy Essences balance, calm, clear and invigorate. They help you release and cope with stress in your life and support you in times of need. There are 20 different sprays to choose.

They are made using spring water, organic and wild crafted essential oils and are attuned with unique symbols. The sprays can enhance your day by combining scent and symbol energy to give an unmistakeably powerful spray which will resonate with your cells on the deepest levels.

Testimonials Maureen - A little miracle in a bottle x Louise - Thanks Orela, im loving all the Fairy Essences. The OP AID got rid of my cold by the next day!!! How fantastic is that!

Great Essence to have in your first Aid kit coming into the winter.

Tricia - Orela! I’m going to burst with happiness, on cloud nine, your sprays are the best thing in the world thank you so much xxx Orela@fairyessences.com www.facebook.com/FairyEssences Free postage in Ireland

natur al medicine

36

chinese medicine The interconnected mind and body.

By Deirdre Courtney

The modern field of Psychoneuroimmunology provides ample evidence that the body and mind are interconnected.

The Chinese have said for thousands of years that our emotions impact the state of our physical health. In oriental philosophy, emotions are seen as energy passing through the meridians. When the energy is allowed to flow freely, we stay in balance. We often interrupt the flow of energy due to busy or unbalanced lifestyles but if we understand the wisdom of our bodies and our point of balance, we can correct the flow.

In Chinese Medicine there are five major yin organs and each is associated with an emotion; the liver – anger, the heart – joy, the spleen – worry, the kidney

– fear, the lungs – sorrow or grief. Excess or suppression of any of these emotions can affect the related organ and as a circular process, if the organ is weak, it can also increase the related emotion.

It is so valuable to understand our own particular constitutional tendencies,

“Build your resistance to worry by doing what makes your heart sing.”

when we do, we can choose the foods, activities, patterns of expression and even atmospheres that serve us best. Have a look at the different patterns below to gain an understanding of your own tendencies.

Liver qi energy If you find yourself sighing frequently, feeling irritable and frustrated or prone to temper outbursts, it may be that energetically your liver energy has stagnated. One of the main causes for this is repressed emotion; holding in or onto too many feelings.

Accompanying physical symptoms can include belching, burping, acid regurgitation, sour taste in the mouth.

But there are some easy steps to take.

The liver needs movement, emotion needs expression, so get out and exercise, breathe deeply out in fresh air, express your feelings, try writing a journal or pound a pillow. Green is the healing colour for the liver, so walk in beautiful greenery and eat lots of green foods.

Spleen qi energy If you find yourself constantly prone to worry, you may have a tendency to spleen imbalance.

The spleen energy rules digestion and is negatively affected by worry. Too

much worry can injure the spleen and a weakened spleen energy leaves us more prone to worry! Accompanying physical symptoms may include feeling really tired especially after eating, loose bowel movements, bloating or weight gain which is difficult to loose, especially around the middle.

If you think this applies to you make this a summer to support your spleen. Decide to deal with worries differently, adopt new coping mechanisms. Build your resistance to worry by doing what makes your heart sing. Certain foods weaken spleen energy, such as wheat, dairy and coffee, so reduce these. Also, eat smaller amounts more often and try not to eat late at night.

Kidney yin energy Do you often feel that you are running on empty, using your reserve tank rather than energy that is easily available to you? Do you often ignore the red light on your dashboard that tells you you are doing too much? Does this sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed and fearful?

You might have other symptoms like flushed cheeks, sweating at night,

feeling thirsty and lower back pain. It is often a sign of overwork. Give yourself more rest and relaxation. Have regular early nights, reduce your workload and find a good work life balance. Connect with water and earth by swimming and walking on the grass in your bare feet. Yoga and meditation also help to increase kidney energy. Foods that strengthen the kidney are pulses and mineral rich foods such as seaweeds.

Heart yin energy If you are feeling anxious or panicky, if you are prone to sleep disturbance or are having vivid dreams, if you are feeling disconnected from friendships or pastimes that you usually enjoy, you may have heart-yin

deficiency. Other indicators of this may include your face flushing easily, feeling worse after alcohol or spicy food, palpitations if you’ve recently had emotional stress. It’s important to take time out to nourish this yin energy. You may need more rest or to retreat a little in order to renew. Increase activities that calm and nourish you. Be good to yourself. Surround yourself with colours and landscapes that nurture. Use deep breathing, yoga, visualisation or meditation. Avoid too much fire in the diet by reducing spicy foods, alcohol and sugar and increase cooling foods such as green vegetables and beetroot.

Our bodies often give us clues as to what we need to do to re-balance, make this a summer where you listen to your body’s inner wisdom!

CNM trains practitioners to best international practise standards in various therapies all over Ireland. Deirdre Courtney, (M.A), Head of Acupuncture Department, College of Naturopathic Medicine, has extensive years of experience as a practitioner and lectures in Ireland and abroad. Her practise is in Blackrock. 087-8178561. naturopathy.ie

Yoga Teacher Training

200 hour Yoga Alliance at Yoga Sacred Space studio Wicklow Begins end of June 28th/29th 2014 for 9 months-1 year.

Taking applications now.

This is our 6th year running this successful rich, course.

We have qualified over 45 students to date.

This certification is recognised globally.

Yoga Sacred Space is a Yoga Alliance school of yoga.

We also run Workshops and Retreats at our two beautiful studios by the sea in Bray and Wicklow with a full schedule of quality yoga classes and excellent teachers.

Our next one day workshop is at Blackhill Woods retreat in Abbeyleix Co. Laois on 7th June and 9th August 10am - 5pm. €90 each session.

It’s a rich inspiring healing day !!

For more information please call 087 987 8424 or log on to www.yogasacredspace.com

Reflective Practice Training RPT is a step by step training that’s accessible to anyone interested in improving the quality of their life for good.

Reflective Practice Training is a gateway to a new beginning so I invite you to make that choice.

Introduction to Reflective Practice Training.

11 Herbert Place, Dublin 2. Taking place the third Sunday of each month beginning Sunday 21st September.

Time: 10am to 5pm Cost €80 (free on street parking on Sunday) Contact www.trishbanks.com Mob: 0872703496 Book early as places are limited to keep groups size appropriate.

Trainer Trish Banks Working in holistic therapies since 1994, Trish Banks has a Masters Degree in applied Psychosynthesis, is a Reiki Master and Reflective Practice Trainer.

5 rhythms® Summer School in the Boghill Centre, Co. Clare 21st-25thJuly This is my 16th year teaching the 5 rhythms® Summer School. We dance, create art and visit the archaeology of the Burren with a guide.

Otherwise we swim, eat beautiful food, enjoy the local pubs and listen to good traditional music.

For more details and costs log on to www.info@5rhythms.ie

positive food

the importance of becoming a

weed user

Journey into the wonderful land of weeds.

By Hans Wieland Coming into my fifth decade of gardening and growing food, I have long since developed a less violent approach to tackling weeds: “If you can’t defeat them, cultivate and eat them”, has become my motto. Too many of us spend too much time on weeding, in fact probably more time than on the more enjoyable tasks of sowing and harvesting. However, we can change this with some tips and advice on how to deal with those noxious creatures without becoming obnoxious along the way. Did not weeds make the first vegetables!

What are weeds really?

“Plants growing in the wrong place” is a standard answer. And while most people consider a weed to be undesirable, troublesome and uncultivated, some of the most common garden weeds are edible, nutritionally beneficial and often have medicinal uses.

Dandelions If you are of the opinion that dandelions are just annoying backyard weeds, think twice. All of the dandelion plant is edible or useful in some way. The white substance in a dandelion’s stem is effective in treating warts. The root can be baked or fried, the young leaves can be eaten raw in a salad and the flower makes fantastic lemonade.

Purslane Purslane has already made the transition from a powerful annual weed to a wonderful tasty lettuce.

Native to India and Persia, it has spread throughout the world as an edible plant.

Many cultures, including our own, now embrace purslane as a food and as I am writing this article I am munching cultivated Winter Purslane harvested from my polytunnel. At home, we use purslane in salads or on sandwiches. The latest in purslane culture land is ham and purslane on rye-sourdough bread.

You read it here first!

39 “If you can’t defeat them, cultivate and eat them.”

Ground Elder Ground Elder belongs to the carrot family and is considered by many gardeners as one of the most noxious weeds, but not me. I have eaten ‘Giersch’, as Ground Elder is known in Germany, many years before I set foot on this island and I still vividly remember meeting Eugene and his German wife Sigune at a car park in Sligo in the Spring of 1985 with a basket full of Ground Elder leaves in the boot of their car, which they had foraged in Hazelwood.

“It’s better than spinach they claimed!”

Well, that is debatable, but it makes a delicious soup. Known in medieval Britain as a common vegetable, it is still eaten as a spring vegetable in Russia and also in Sweden.

Burdock Burdock roots are edible raw but it is better to slow roast them like parsnips or chop and toss them into soups. Burdock is

the wild version of the cultivated Japanese vegetable Gobo, which can grow three to four feet long. We grow edible Burdock in our polytunnel in a specially prepared deep raised bed for Gaby’s recipe: Stir fried burdock-mixed roots with baked fish and a green salad.

Fat Hen Fat Hen belongs to the same plant family as spinach, beets and chard and the old Good King Henry. Gathered wild and called a weed, it’s a tasty crop with a milder flavour than spinach. Eating Fat Hen Gazpacho in the summer is delicious!

And let’s not forget nettles or the ‘Irish Gingseng’, perfect for Nettle Soup.

Give edible weeds a chance this Summer and become a weed user! For recipes using weeds, keep an eye on positivelife.ie, we’ll be sharing some great weed recipes soon. theorganiccentre.ie

40

positive food

life’s a picnic

Tasty grub in summer surroundings.

Photo credit: Sammy Murphy

By Deirdre McCafferty, recipes by Tony Keogh, head chef at Cornucopia.

Why not plan for lots of picnics this summer.

Maybe we can’t predict the weather but we can invent some nice back-up plans and the food is going to taste just as good! If the rain does come, simply move indoors and set up for a fun indoor picnic; nothing ventured, nothing gained. If the weather is good, well that will just make the treat even more special.

Link your picnic to an activity – halfway through a hike or a stroll in the woods with a stopping point to rest, eat and a gaze across a beautiful view. If you have kids or nieces and nephews, why not try out a teddy bears’ picnic in the park. If you’re stuck for free time, try a lunch time picnic with a good friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with and each bring a few items so neither has to be laden down with goodies and baskets heading to work.

There’s no doubt that great food tastes even better outside celebrating nature. The countryside is too unique here in Ireland to let the Summer pass without celebrating what we have right on our doorstep. You might even find some interesting edibles out on your walk to add to your salads, wraps or sandwiches.

In Cornucopia Restaurant we have a wonderful selection of items that are perfect for take-aways and portable enough for picnics if you haven’t got the time to make it yourself; from living, sprouted, lentil salad to orange-zest soaked barley salad; full of life force and summer goodness. Our wraps, which is what we’ve decided to share here, are incredibly popular, truly delicious and the recipe is perfect for picnics as they’re easy to transport in a backpack or basket. Combine with a freshly prepared alkaline juice or a handy hummus dish and your body will be buzzing from the goodness and the sunshine.

Smoked tofu and daikon slaw wrap with umeboshi plum and coriander pesto (makes 4 large wraps) Daikon slaw ½ large daikon – Japanese radish (grated) 2 medium carrots (grated) 4 scallions (finely chopped) ½ cucumber (thinly sliced) 100g grated smoked tofu (available in health stores)

Pesto 25g of fresh coriander 150g cashews 2 cloves of garlic Juice of half a lemon A dessertspoon of apple concentrate 20ml sunflower oil Pinch of salt

Dressing 20ml umeboshi plum 30ml shoyu or a good quality soy sauce Few drops of toasted sesame oil

4 large flour tortillas

1 In a large bowl combine the tofu, cucumber, scallion, radishes and carrot. In a small jug or bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Fold in the dressing into the vegetable tofu mixture and combine well. Set the mixture aside to marinate.

2 Now make the pesto: blitz all the ingredients except the sunflower oil in a food processor. When everything is nicely broken down, slowly add the sunflower oil until the mixture is smooth.

“If the rain does come, simply move indoors and set up for a fun indoor picnic.”

3 Spread a quarter of the pesto mixture down the centre of a tortilla and arrange a quarter of the vegetable mixture on top of this. Roll the tortilla up tightly. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Enjoy!

4 Share your favourite picnic spots in or around Dublin and the rest of the country when the article appears on positivelife.ie later this summer. cornucopia.ie

‘No matter what words I use here to describe my experience in our sessions, they will inevitably fall short of how I feel. I feel lucky and blessed to have experienced such powerful healing.’’

Carrigaline Co Cork.

13th - 15th June 2014 YOGA TUNE UP® INTEGRATED EMBODIED ANATOMY

tantra -tlc

A safe place to help you to heal through breathwork, reiki, tantric massage and counselling.

Tel: 01 284 5601 / 087 662 3774 Email: TantraTLC@gmail.com

tantra-tlc.com

is a comprehensive 20 hour Anatomy Module with an accessible YTU approach that will dramatically improve any students’ retention of the clinical language of anatomical structures, physiological processes and typical movement patterns and pathologies as they relate to yoga.

Trainer: Sarah Court YTU Trainer & Facilitator from Los Angeles, USA. 13th - 15th June 2014

YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

With Josh Summer 3rd - 6th July.

Yin Yoga emphasizes stillness and silence. The practice prepares both the body and mind for deeper experiences in meditation.

Josh is a Yin Yoga teacher, a licensed acupuncturist, and a meditation instructor. He teaches workshops and trainings throughout the United States and Europe.

To book contact Carmel on 087 9694378 and for information on workshops and classes see www.yogazone.ie

short & sweet

43

Breathe Into Bliss The tantric route to full body orgasm.

By Mick Sawtell Heartfelt love-making and deep orgasmic states are gifts within each of us - we all carry an infinite capacity for pleasure and orgasm, but often through difficult experiences in childhood or in our relationships these natural feelings can become repressed and we may feel numb or cut off from them.

In my Tantra massage and healing sessions, creating a safe space, where there is no judgement or pressure is extremely important as clients rediscover their full orgasmic potential and I am often struck by

the joy and gratitude expressed as a person experiences a full-body orgasm, often for the first time. It is such a privilege for me to help a person discover this beautiful and rich experience.

In a full body orgasm, not only is physical and emotional stress released but the feelings of love, bliss and compassion that arise bring about a profound sense of fulfillment and a more heartfelt appreciation of life and our partner. The secret lies ultimately in surrender and very deep relaxation and ‘letting go’ as the

sexual feelings build up. We can learn how to breathe more deeply and consciously, feeling an internal awareness which fills the whole body .

Surrender to this energy and breathe up into the heart whilst letting go of the urge to climax then continue to ‘let go’ as subtle & exquisite waves of ecstasy wash throughout the whole body.

You can cultivate this with your partner too. Imagine the beauty as both partners experience this and then together melt into orgasmic bliss and discover a renewed interest in love-making and each other!

Tantra-TLC.Com

short and swee t

Cave Man Convenience Paleolithic people didn’t have it this easy.

By Elva Carri The Paleo diet is becoming increasingly popular, with notable adherents including Conor McGregor and Jamie Heaslip. One nice, little business is making it even easier for people to stick to. Paleo Meal Deliveries are a company set up by James Statham offering exactly what it says on the tin; nationwide delivery of Paleo meals.

James describes Paleo as a way of eating rather than a “diet” and it’s a way of eating that originates from how our ancestors lived and ate before the advent of agriculture. That diet excluded grains, pulses, dairy and processed foods and included meat and poultry, seafood and fish, fruit, vegetables and nuts. It’s nutritionally dense and seen by many as one of the cleanest ways to eat. James says Paleo is high in clean sources of protein and positive fats and can be adapted to suit anyone. What’s more is that it’s gluten, lactose, soy, and sugar free by it’s very nature.

His favourite thing about the business? Offering people something that makes their lives easier as well as healthier, “My favourite thing is the simplicity of our service versus let’s say traditional ‘grocery shopping’ or ‘impulse buying’ during your lunch break.” It also can’t hurt that they get lots of nice comments on their Facebook page. Customers have noticed everything from better energy and focus to weight loss.

His own favourite dish at the moment is North African Chicken, Harrisa-Aubergine Casserole with Spiced Sausage and homemade tomato sauce and for a great Paleo start to the day, he recommends banana bread made with mixed nut flour. paleomealdeliveries.ie

Take Ten, Gain Peace ONLINE MINDFULNESS FOR A PEACEFUL MIND.

By Paul Congdon

Does your head need some space?

Mine certainly does. I’m curious as to where we should centre our thoughts and feelings as we navigate through life? The head doesn’t seem right for decision making, it’s too crowded. And what about the language of feeling, of heart based vibes? Let’s marry the two!

I’m a fan of achieving that through guided meditation. I like the structure and the sound and focus created by a soothing voice.

Getsomeheadspace.com is where I began their ‘Take 10’ programme.

Spend ten minutes each day, for ten days, in lovely mindfulness. Andy Puddicombe is the man with the headspace plan. He’s spent ten years as a monk and received his ordination in a Tibetan monastery. Take 10 begins with Andy asking you to focus on points of contact as you sit comfortably.

45

Next, you take note of the feeling of the weight of your body, followed by listening to the sounds around you.

Breath is the final point of focus.

There’s a lot going on that requires our attention, so these daily ten minutes are a lovely way to create and maintain peace. You find yourself creating a nice, little cushion of extra time, you feel yourself witnessing your thoughts and letting them drift away.

After Take 10, you can follow up with Take 15 and Take 20.

So, step away for a moment, pop your headphones in and train that mind of yours to focus. According to those lovely, science chaps your brain will rewire, you’ll feel more at ease and in a better mood. Sounds good to me. andy puddicombe headspace.com

Spiritual Sexuality Ohad Ezrahi, senior faculty with the International School of Temple Arts.

45

photo: headspace.com

By Ohad Ezrahi

As many of us were brought up, our sexuality was deeply embedded with ‘Sexually Transmitted Dysfunctions’ of guilt, shame and fear. Religion encourages these three STDs for its own reasons, having nothing to do with getting closer to God. On the contrary; it’s only to the degree one sheds off that skin that one can start to heal and experience sexuality as a sacred portal to the Divine realm.

In my twenties, I felt that my sexual desires and my deep longing for God were in conflict with each other. One seemed like it was pulling me up, the other pulling me down. I found much advice in the holy books for how to fight my sexual desires so they would not become an obstacle on my spiritual path. It was only later, after years of search and inner work that I realised that I had been experiencing sexuality in a very limited way, actually belittling God. In fact, there actually is no conflict between these two deep human desires.

An ancient Kabbalistic book says: “Ein b’Tov Lema’ala m’Oneg” meaning, “There is nothing higher than Pleasure”. I now know that sex can be experienced in a totally different way, a way that elevates our spirit and opens doors into the most sacred realisations.

When old, negative patterns are released, and we begin to learn the Energetic-Shamanic way of sexuality that is our birthright. Sexual pleasures can be experienced as deep devotion with utter surrender to the Divine force that is living through us all. tinyurl.com/ISTAIreland2014

ShoRT anD SWee T

46 FRoM eneRgY BooST To ConFiDenCe high.

By Cathy maguire I took a food intolerance test in March of last year. My digestion was very poor at the time. Other tests had found nothing wrong and I was given medication to alleviate symptoms. It wasn’t helping and even made me feel worse. I was disheartened.

When my mum suggested that I take a food intolerance test to see if that could help, I decided to give it a go, as I hadn’t had any luck with other methods. The YorkTest Food&DrinkScan Programme started with a simple finger-prick blood test. I did it at home and sent it back to the laboratory, and the results came back within two weeks. I was intolerant to egg white and egg yolk.

I took eggs out of my diet, replacing them with porridge for breakfast. I instantly felt like I had more energy and after a couple of weeks my swollen stomach went flat for the fi rst time in years. With my new increased energy levels I’ve been able to go the gym more and my weight has come down over two stone. The dark clouds have lifted and my attitude to food and life has changed immeasurably. I am delighted to see my body changing and my new shape. My confidence levels have soared and I couldn’t be happier.

To celebrate Cathy’s success, YorkTest are offering one lucky reader the chance to feel equally uplifted with a Food&DrinkScan Programme worth ¤350. Email your favourite inspiring quote that keeps you going to competition@positivelife.ie to be in with a chance to win.

If you suffer from any of these: IBS l Bloating l Digestive Problems l Migraine Headaches l Joint Pain l Itchy Skin l Eczema l Fatigue l Low Mood

you could have a Food Intolerance.

For more information call Yorktest

01 20 22 701

yorktest.ie

or visit www.yorktest.ie

"

Upliftingly Simple

Frequently Better neW FReQuenCieS FoR heaLing.

By nicky Jenkins

Massage Holiday Do you want to turn off your mobile and to get away from the crowd for a while?

Do you want to relax your shoulders and to improve your posture?

Do you want to detox your body with organic juices and real spring water?

Do you want to learn easy to use massage techniques to help your family to relax?

Do you want to clear your head, set your goals and become focused again?

Then come and spend a week with AcheBusters® in a seafront holiday home on the Wild Atlantic Way in Kerry!

Initiate positive changes in your life with yoga and meditation, 5 aromatic massages (worth €400), 5 massage classes (for home use worth €200), music, silence and mindfulness.

5 organic vegetarian meals per day, 6 night’s cosy accommodation in a refurbished farmhouse on the Western shore. All of these for €750.

Dates: 30th June-6th July, 25th-31st August, 1st-7th September & 8th-14th September www.achebusters.ie/dingle-retreat or call 089 4133 884.

Because You’re worth it!...

FSM stands for Frequency Specific Microcurrent and is the name describing a new way of treating nerve and muscle pain, along with many other conditions. It works by using specific frequencies and ‘micro amperage’ current. How the machine treats conditions, brings unprecedented changes in inflammatory cytokines (a category of small proteins important in cell signalling) and increases ATP – the body’s exclusive energy currency used for exercise and tissue repair, by up to 500%.* The frequencies neutralise inflammation and dissolve scar tissue and other pathologies in various tissues to improve physical wellbeing, movement and overall health.

The only thing the client has to do is drink two litres of water within two hours beforehand, avoid dehydration products, such as tea, coffee and alcohol, and turn up with a willingness and commitment to follow through with the rehabilitation exercises and treatments.

FSM’s approach to this aspect of our health has changed what is possible in our treatment of it. It can improve physical feelings of wellness quickly, easily and comfortably and offers hope to many. Most of the time, FSM produces immediate, dramatic changes in tissue, making it an indispensable tool for our health.

Uniquely, FSM uses your cells as semi-conductors.

Each frequency is used to treat each tissue differently, depending on the issues at hand. It makes it possible to treat the nerves, fascia, muscles, joints, discs and facets individually and comfortably, giving an immediate sense of relief and improvement to the client. *Dr. C McMakin thecorestudio.ie

ShoRT anD SWee T

Self-Healing Creative WorkSHopS with Sarah Codd A six week journey in finding your life purpose.

We live in a wonderful world of colour and through Aura - Soma and art we will explore our unique talents and gifts.

®

®

For Reiki Healing, Aura - Soma readings and course bookings Tel: 01 2843856 or 086 6667658

Heal Yourself with a Little Help a BoWen TheRaPiST ShaReS heR exPeRienCe. Suzette O’Leary I was introduced to Bowen Therapy when I offered to have the therapy demonstrated on me at an event I was attending.

The instructor had asked if anyone in the room had any low back pain so I raised my hand. I had been receiving massage therapy to address it with some result for years but at the end of a very short demonstration, I noted that the nagging feeling in my lower back was gone. Being a skeptic, I recall thinking, “It will come back”. Several months later, when it hadn’t returned, I became curious. What was that therapy?

Could it really have helped that much? And thus began my journey to becoming a Bowen therapist.

Bowen Therapy is a gentle, hands-on, therapy which is used to provide relief from pain. It works subtly together with one’s own body’s ability to repair itself. Aside from being a highly effective therapy, what I appreciate so deeply about it personally is that it doesn’t force any changes to happen in the body. As the practitioner, we simply offer Bowen therapy to those we work with and allow their body to make the adjustments and changes itself. We do not make the body change and force it to feel better or to heal itself.

The body is already quite able to repair and heal itself, we simply help it to remember that it can.

Bowenireland.ie | BowenTraining.ie

Tried and Tested Super-Breakfast Wake up and smell the superfoods.

By Jason Lipton

Whether you’re working in an office, as an athlete or an artist, the first thing you put into your stomach is likely to affect your mood and performance for a good part of the day ahead.

Over the last two years, I’ve been experimenting with different combinations of foods to try and achieve the optimum breakfast, with some success! My morning routine generally involves a cold shower and one to two hours of yoga; after which I need something to ground, nourish and satisfy, without being too heavy or difficult to digest.

Through my work, I’ve been lucky to have access to some really great superfoods, my favourite of the green ones being chlorella. The energy, clarity and cleanliness I feel from it is so good it’s become addictive. Chlorella is excellent for clearing the body of unwanted toxins and is also an abundant source of iron, calcium and protein. In my morning smoothies, I include wheatgrass, chlorella, pineapple and grapefruit juices.

Acidic fruits cut through the strong flavour of the greens nicely, contribute to a mucus free environment in the body and reduce inflammation.

I follow my smoothie with a bowl of ‘Super Oats’; an instant breakfast I developed using a combination of sprouted gluten free oat flakes, desiccated coconut and other superfoods.

All it needs is hot water and it’s ready to eat but the same ingredients mixed at home will give you a calming, grounding, blood sugar stabilising porridge that will keep you satisfied for hours. iswari.net

49

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Feel your way into the perfect relationship.

By Mark Sutton

Tantra cultivates one’s own sense of being embodied. When we are living from our heart and body, we are real, we live in the present moment. When we live in the present, we become aware of the nature of our emotions and our feelings. Living

from our feelings, as opposed to our emotions, is the key to enabling us to determine the status of our relationships and whether we wish to be in them or not.

To understand this it’s important to understand the difference between

feelings and emotions. While the words are often used interchangeably they are distinct. Emotions arise from the unconscious mind and reflect the cumulative events, beliefs or feelings from the past which have not been expressed. Feelings relate purely to the present moment and reflect a state of being, not our mental state.

When we live from emotion, we cloud our ability to trust ourselves and our intuition, we close off and can become confused about our relationships and where we wish to go with them.

When we live from our feelings, we bring clarity, openness and acceptance to our understanding of ourselves and our relationships with others. In Tantra, love is an ever present feeling.

Make the choice to go inwards; connect with your heart and body, enable yourself to make a conscious choice about the nature of your relationships simply by truly experiencing and expressing your feelings.

TantraAwakenings.org | markdsutton.com

EMMETT Technique Practitioner Course A unique muscle release system to treat core musculoskeletal problems.

“Since learning the EMMETT Technique I am using it with as many patients as I can. The increased range of movement and the pain relief they receive is amazing” Dr Liz Garthwaite – Specialist in Chronic Pain Management

A purpose designed, luxury retreat venue set against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean.

Yoga Retreats running all Summer long.

New Practitioner Courses in Ireland 2014: Dublin: 11th & 12th September 2014 Galway: 20th & 21st November 2014 Or attend an EMM-Tech short course for your 1 day introduction.

www.cliffsofmoherretreat.com

For more information contact Hilary on (+44) 7766478211 hilary@lyra-uk.com www.emmet-uk.com for further details on dates and venues around Ireland and the UK.

Positive Life Offer SHIRODHARA Signature Treatment, Dry Floatation, Full use of the Thermal Suites & Pool. Offer - € 99 per person (Normal Price €169) Offer valid until 31st Aug 2014

Indulge yourself with our Shirodhara Signature treatment which relaxes the Mind, Body & Spirit.

The Treatment includes a Rose Foot Soak Indian Head Massage Full Body Massage using Warmed Sesame Oil & a Facial Massage using Oils of Rose & Frankincense. sansanaSPA at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.

T: +353 (0)1 271 2563

E: sansanaSPA@royalmarine.ie

Heaven is Calling Live with wondrous surrender.

By Stewart Pearce

51 Have you noticed one of the biggest heavenly transmissions since the Harmonic Convergence of 1987 is occurring? The current mystical download from the Angels of Atlantis provides inspiration about the phenomenon of Near Death Experience, which is also made significant by the emergence of the film, ‘Heaven is For Real’.

The Angels want us to see that death is an illusion. This is so because we are already dead. When we regard life as, “This is mine, that’s me, I had”, we refer to a time that no longer exists,

memory is merely a relic of something that is no more. We are always conceiving new thoughts, feelings, creations, sensations and experiences. We are excitingly involved in the adventure of an infinitely unfolding creative possibility. Yet the ego likes to keep us in one place, repeating what it knows from the past, craving continuity; it wants today to literally feel like an extension of yesterday.

The Angels teach that to gain an optimum feeling of life means living a sense of ‘wondrous surrender’. This is when Heaven speaks to us most, and we create a paradigm that supersedes dying. Surrender is the act of deleting the timeline of life and instead seeing ourselves involved in a cycle of life and death. The Magician feels this when confounding matter via spelling life. The Mystic lives this by being on the threshold of a new reality. The Alchemist expresses this by needing no boundaries, by plunging deeply into the core of existence, and engaging in a circle of life that experiences the one and only reality. thealchemyofvoice.com | theangelsofatlantis.com

The Genius of Dyslexia Music to help you study.

What do Cher, Anthony Hopkins, Jamie Oliver, Albert Einstein, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali all have in common? As you might have guessed from the title, it’s dyslexia. Dyslexia can occur at any intelligence level. In countries like Ireland, it affects about 8-10% of the population.

A dyslexic brain shows little activity in areas known to be of importance to connecting the written form of words with their phonetic components. So when reading, people with dyslexia must create new neurological pathways. Compensation is made by making more use of of a different area of the brain to assist.

Composer John Bram Levine believes that if you can slow brain waves down to the Alpha state, the left and right brain may communicate more effectively, allowing information to be more easily absorbed, processed and remembered. Stewart Holmes who was struggling with study at university testifies to this theory, “It was all too hard and frustrating until by accident I played ‘Silence of Peace’ whilst revising. I felt as if a curtain surrounded the words on the page allowing me to absorb the words and meaning freely and easily.”

Further testimonials and studies at Cambridge have

also shown positive links between Levine’s Alphamusic and enhanced learning, but more research is being carried out.

Interested in being a part of it? Get in touch with Levine and see if it works for you.

Read the full article at silenceofmusic.com/dyslexia.html

ShoRT anD SWee T

Meditation in Motion

52

genTLY Move inTo The PoWeR oF noW.

By Patricia mcnally It’s over 5,000 years old but the ancient art of T’ai Chi still offers the potential to enhance everything we do. It improves circulation (chi/ energy), aligns our mind, body and spirit, increases our flexibility and balance, relaxes us and even slows down the ageing process.

It’s often described as a ‘meditation in motion’, as a slow, gentle series of movements bring you to inner focus, easing us away from our chattering mind. Cheng Man Ch’ing, master of the Five Excellences, T’ai Chi and Medicine included, said that among his patients, those who practiced T’ai Chi were the healthiest. Incorporating T’ai Chi and its principles into our daily lives, we can gain the pliability of a child, the strength of a lumberjack and the peace of mind of a sage.

Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, also recommends it.

He has said that T’ai Chi takes us into stillness and that the body is a great porthole, a way beyond form. Tolle advises us to pay attention to the ‘space’ around things; a tree or a flower or a person and at times, the word itself will take me to that awareness. Maybe T’ai Chi has the same vibration as Tolle’s work, both help to align us with our true nature and take us beyond form, creating a beautiful space to centre ourselves, and where with practice, we can stay longer each time to continue to live in the power of now. trishmcnally.com

positive

classifieds Dublin

Galway

Limerick

Healing Mind, Body & Soul

An Bhean Feasa Health Shop

Ellen Holmes I.T.E.C. C.I.B.T.A.C.,

METAMORPHOSIS (Individual sessions and workshops), REFLEXOLOGY (Covered by VHI, AVIVA, Laya Healthcare)

Organic food, bodycare, supplements, herbs, books, CDs, household and Clifden Health and Therapy Centre offering Kinesiology, Holistic Balance, Food Testing, Shamanic Healing.

A.R.C.H.T.I.

For more information and bookings contact Cora Lavin 087 687 8696 Ranelagh, Dublin 6 cloh.ie

Terri Conway (095) 30671 info@clifdenhealthandtherapy.com for more information or for an appointment.

Where beauty and relaxation go hand in hand. Treatments Include: Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hot Stone Massage, Facials, Make up (specialising in wedding parties), Private make up lessons. Graduate of Holistic Centre of Excellence.

Ellen 087 8392766/comfortholistics@gmail.com

Brilliant Krill Heart, mind and vision.

By Elva Carri While I’d love to say I’m getting all of the nutrients I need in my diet, eating perfectly all of the time can be a difficult choice between spending a lot of time planning and preparing or spending a lot of money, and I know a lot of people who feel they’re in the same boat. Luckily, that boat now comes with a net for Krill.

Galway Natural Health, makers of Revive Active, have just launched a new product. Revive Active was produced to fulfill a need for a really high quality supplement. They know that research has proven this approach to be effective and indeed it seems to be working for people; including TV presenters Linda Barker and Tracy Piggot who are big fans of the supplement. So now the brand has decided to dive into Omega-3.

Their new products is a 100% pure Krill oil, obtained from “the pristine waters of the Antarctic”. It works in synergy with Revive Active too, which is not surprising if you know how carefully they considered the pairings of components in their previous product.

Taking Krill oil increases your intake of of Omega-3 fatty acids - they’re some of the good fats! This is great for improving heart health, brain function and for maintaining your vision – literally, though I’m sure with the overall boost

An African-Irish Shaman Universal truths and a healing culture.

By Elva Carri

to your health, your heart, mind and vision will be uplifted in a more metaphorical sense too. Good moods and productivity come much easier when your body is given the chance to function optimally. reviveactive.com

John Lockely is a traditional African shaman, known as a Sangoma (medicine person). He comes from the same tribe as Nelson Mandela, but his Mum is Irish and he refers to Ireland as his second home. He spoke to us from hot, noisy New York City, to tell us about his work, his journey and the joy of working as a catalyst to helping people discover and realise their dreams.

For three to four months of the year, John volunteers in his community at home in South Africa. He describes his work there as being like a nurse to the elders, ensuring they are well so that they can continue to help others throughout the year. The rest of the time he spends travelling Europe and the US, teaching people to live with the instinctual intelligence of a leopard in workshops, healing in one on one sessions and giving public talks or blessing ceremonies.

Through dreams, John was called to become a Sangoma at 17, but it was a long path before his training as a Sangoma began. He first trained in the medical corp of the South African army and worked in one of the best hospitals in South Africa.

There, he discovered that black soldiers’ bodies healed about three times faster than the average soldier and he began to learn more about the African culture of healing. The secret? John says they understand and connect with the whole circle of life, from birth to death, their ancestors, their bones and their hearts.

They do not fear death in the way we do. Along with John’s traditional medical beginning to his journey, he also has two degrees in psychology and has studied yoga and Buddhism, all of which compliment and enhance his work in beautiful and practical ways. johnlockley-sangoma.com

54

gut instincts get real Neurological pathways in a very unlikely place.

By Philip Shepherd

Philip Shepherd is the author of ‘New Self, New World’, a book that among other things, looks at the importance of our ‘second brain’.

Scientists recognise that a web of neurons lines our stomach and a field of medicine called ‘neurogastroenterology’ is dedicated to studying it. To help us take advantage of this forgotten brain, Shepherd looks at how we can open our intelligence to a new way of being that calms the busy one in our heads.

The or Elevat Exercise ess in r awaren

of you e centre ead.

1 Feel th ugh your h own thro to drop d ine, e tr n e c llow this f your sp 2 Now a r body, in front o r. a you v le to like an e ic floor. n the pelv o t s re this come to aths into 3 Let it slow bre , e w re o h th tice 4 Take d just no space an u feel. o y

The language, customs, architecture and hierarchies we live with aren’t arbitrary creations. They embody and uphold certain assumptions, which invisibly guide our thinking and our actions.

Once you identify and question such assumptions, though, everything shifts and you begin to see with fresh eyes and act with renewed clarity.

One of the big assumptions we live by is that knowledge will save us.

Whatever problem we face, we feel that if we can just get the facts right, we’ll find the right solution. There’s no question that knowledge can illuminate a situation, but something is amiss. If it were true that knowledge could save us, our world would be in much better shape now than it was five hundred years ago, as our knowledge is exponentially greater.

Yet even our individual lives can be driven to distraction as we try to figure out and stick to the right diet, the right amount of exercise, the right career path etc.

We are missing half the picture.

If the type of knowledge we use isn’t matched by an equal measure of selfknowledge, it can become harmful – promoting things like devoting oneself to acquisition. Knowledge is a self-centred understanding of the world, a possession. The journey to knowledge is fueled by the promise of ‘what might be’. Self-knowledge on the other hand, isn’t something you possess independent of the world – it is something the world

illuminates within you as you come more deeply into relationship with it.

You might say that self-knowledge is a world-centred understanding of the self, fostered by the journey that brings us into a ‘felt relationship’ with ‘what is’.

But we’ve been neglecting the body’s genius for this. Other cultures find it normal to think with their bellies; we find it normal to think with our heads.

Yet, it wasn’t always that way. Thousands of years ago, we too experienced our thinking in the belly – exactly where our ‘second brain’ is. We all have an independent, highly sophisticated brain in the gut that thinks, acts, decides and remembers, without needing any help from the cranial brain.

“We all have an independent, highly sophisticated brain in the gut” Knowledge is acquired by the head, but self knowledge is birthed in the body. Once you understand that, you can come home to yourself in a completely different way. You can allow the centre of your awareness to migrate out of the head and drop down through the body to rest deep in your being. The exercise here will help you achieve that. As you surrender to the guidance of the present, you’ll feel it as keenly as a surfer feels the wave beneath her feet.

Philip will be teaching workshops in Dublin and Galway in early November. His book, New Self New World is available from Amazon. philipshepherd.com

BRAGG

The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle Motto: “You are what you eat, drink, breathe, think, say and do”.

All the way from Santa Barbara, California, Bragg products available include Apple Cider Vinegar, Liquid Aminos, Sprinkle, Salad Dressings, Drinks and Books.

HOPE’S RELIEF

Australia’s Number one natural product for eczema is now available in Ireland. Hope’s Relief is the most potent natural cream available and assists in relief from itching, dryness and symptoms of eczema and psoriasis.

BADGER BALMS

Badger is a small family-owned company nestled in rural New Hampshire.

They blend organic plant extracts, exotic oils and butters and beeswax, and make healing balms, lip balms, and other personal care products that work and feel remarkably good. Badger is a total mind, body and spirit experience.

AUSTRALIAN BUSH FLOWER ESSENCES

Australia has the world’s oldest and highest number of flowering plants exhibiting its’ tremendous beauty and strength, whilst being relatively unpolluted.

IGENNUS

The Igennus core range comprises pure EPA omega-3 isolates derived from pharmaceutical-grade anchovy fish oil, based around the therapeutic and unique properties of EPA in health and disease.

Various EPA-based products are available for adults and children, including a pro-EPA plant-derived alternative for vegetarians and vegans.

The range includes complementary supplements, providing nutrients that are synergistic with EPA in several key areas of health. Igennus products are expertly formulated from the highest quality, natural raw ingredients at therapeutic doses to provide demonstrable improvements to health.

Flower essences are produced by imprinting a flower’s unique vibrational healing signature on to a carrier solution. They are used to treat imbalances at a high level, bringing about an emotional and spiritual balance in the whole person.

HARMONY CONE

Harmony’s Ear Candles are made with Certified Organic Cotton cloth and the highest quality food grade wax available.

Dr. Harmony provides the largest variety of aromatherapy options, a USA patented safety tip, and burnline label for your safety.