April 2017 update

interview with Gabor Maté

'In the medical model, addiction is defined as a brain disease that is largely determined by genetic factors. I would say that this is a false view. There are some genes that may predispose us, but a predisposition is not the same as a predetermination. And we also know that genes are turned on and off by the environment, so the decisive influence in all cases of addiction is personal trauma, emotional loss in childhood, or experiences of abuse.'

by Karen Frances McCarthy

'Historically, we were surrounded by high infant mortality, death in childbirth, plagues and influenza, which normalized death and made us aware of our own mortality from a very young age. These days, however, we try to banish it from view. The dying are often removed to hospices, and the sick are often subjected to medical advancements that prolong the hour of their death but do not necessarily improve the quality of their lives.'

Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Golden Egg Holistic is a peaceful healing space and training centre close to Portlaoise, Co.Laois, Ireland. Built on a hilltop, it has beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

Treatments & Therapies available at Golden Egg Holistic include Reflexology, Holistic Massage, Fertility/Well woman Massage, Indian Head Massage, and Sound Healing. To see a full schedule of events in 2017, please see the link below.

21st May // Smithfield, Dublin City Centre

This workshop offers a safe, confidential and sacred space in which to take a voyage of self-healing in community with others doing likewise. It is a wonderful opportunity to take time out, to give to yourself a day of warmth and spiritual adventure.

1st July // Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow

This dynamic two-day workshop combining the profound wisdom of the book The Presence Process, by the acclaimed Michael Brown, with an introduction to the three levels of Transformational Breath® - physical, mental & emotional, and spiritual.

by Benig Mauger

'All of us have been fathered. But we must not only think of the personal father, but also the greater influence on the psyche of the masculine and the archetype of father. The impact of the father on the psyche is as deeply archetypal as the mother. There are several archetypes of the masculine such as Wise Man, King, Warrior, Lover, and how each of these will be constellated in our psyche will depend on how our own fathers humanized the archetype for us - in other words, how we experienced him.'

interview with Patrick Holford

'The typical western diet is a disaster as far as mental health is concerned, and that is why we have almost an epidemic of low mood, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, memory loss, and later in the process, Alzheimer's disease. Other associated problems such as ADD (attention deficit disorder), autism and even schizophrenia are on the increase. These can all be linked to changes in diet.'

14th May // Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny

A day of sitting and walking meditations, mindful movement, body scan as well as sound awareness.

15th & 16th July // Killarney, Co. Kerry

Jerry will guide you for two days on this extraordinary experiential journey. Though a series of individual and group exercises, deep frequency encoded healing meditations geared specifically to opening your 3rd eye and activating your DNA) and specific DNA Light Encoded exercises. You will experience a massive shift in your awareness.

7th - 9th July // Dunderry Park, Co. Meath

Holotropic Breathwork was created by Dr. Stanislav Grof as a method to journey deeper into the non ordinary realms of consciousness, using deep and fast breathing, powerful evocative trance music and healing bodywork.

by O.R. Melling

'The young Karl Marx wrote of how crucial our work is to our well-being; that alienation from work leads to alienation from life. Albert Einstein wrote that only a life lived for others is worthwhile. The path of Buddhism asks us to contribute to the happiness of all sentient beings; and we are taught that by helping others, we help ourselves.'

by Jonice Webb

'Pushing down emotions may be adaptive during childhood, but the child who copes this way will pay a price in adulthood. As an adult he will need his emotions, but he will lack access to them. He will struggle with the emotional aspects of relationships, and he will feel somehow different from other people. To complicate things further, he will have no memory of what didn't happen in his childhood. So he'll feel baffled about why he is struggling. In the absence of an explanation, he'll blame himself.

Beginning 22nd May // Dublin City Centre

Join Jasbinder and William Garnermann on a 6 week course of Jungian dream interpretation.

1st - 7th July // Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow

How do you react when life presents you with the possibility - or even the necessity - of living in a different way? Do you welcome change or do you freeze at the prospect? Based on the work of Paul Rebillot, this workshop combines Gestalt process and groupwork with elements of theatre, ritual, music, art and movement.

August 28th // Ballyvaloo House, Co. Wexford

The invitation is to come away to a day of Mindfulness and Heartfulness in Ballyvaloo to discover what matters most for you at this time. We come to meditation from a place of longing for freedom from suffering, and maybe a deep knowing that we can find peace within.

by George Percival

'Just as there is a personal conscious and unconscious that Freud identified, for Jung there is a collective conscious and a personal unconscious. The 'persona' is the public mask the individual presents to society, and is necessary for public life and morality. However, the persona is balanced by the shadow, that is, all the collective instincts that are cast out so that society functions.'

by Teresa Healy

'This was sometimes in keeping with the life-changing positive qualities I noted in the art expressions of patients with whom I worked. Art seemed a natural antidote to their disintegration and alienation. At times, amazing images emerged to befriend and guide the soul.'

31st May // Howth, Co. Dublin

The goal of this one day Mindfully at Home in the Cosmos workshop is to open our hearts to the full reality of our lives as children and citizens of the Cosmos - based on the teachings of Thomas Berry, Ilia Delio, and Thich Nhat Hanh.

3rd June // Swords, Co. Dublin

Mandalas have been used throughout the world for self-expression, spiritual transformation, and personal growth - this will be a day of silence, creativity, community and nourishment as we practice mindfulness together, and work individually on creating our own unique mandala.

6th October // Co. Tipperary

Hosted by Irish Steiner Kindergarten Association, this course is a creative gateway for people interesting in exploring the living spirit and the works of Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy.

by Rubin Naiman

'Up until 15 or 20 years ago, sleep was mainly viewed as just downtime - but since then there has been a lot of research that shows us that sleep, for lack of a better term, is functional. We need sleep. We can now see that sleep improves our health, sleep improves immunity, sleep improves our physical appearance, it improves our athletic performance, and it improves our cognitive performance and memory.'

by Prajnagita

'According to essential Buddhist teaching, we usually go around living in the world dividing everything up into different categories - there are things which are me and mine, you and yours, in here and out there, and so on. Our perception of what makes up 'me' and what makes up 'not me' or other is very deeply rooted in each of us. And with this perception of self and other - this fundamental delusion according to Buddhism - comes desire and hatred.'

Rathgar, Dublin

I am a trainee Jungian analyst and psychotherapist offering reduced fee analysis in Dublin, Ireland. I believe the ultimate act of creativity can occur when we engage with the unconscious - with our dreams and emotions, with our desires and our distress - to discover our hidden potential and become the person we are meant to be.

June 10th // Co. Laois

The goal of this one day Mindfully at Home in the Cosmos workshop is to open our hearts to the full reality of our lives as children and citizens of the Cosmos - based on the teachings of Thomas Berry, Ilia Delio, and Thich Nhat Hanh.

September 9th // RDS, Dublin 4

Globally renowned spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle will be in Dublin for this special event. His profound yet simple teachings have already helped countless people throughout the world find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives.

by Marike Peek

'Many turn to therapy to deal with the debris that life in its violent outbursts leaves behind. This is invaluable in our efforts to recognize what has happened and how it has affected our life. But recognition in itself is not always enough. It is the first, very important, step in a much larger process as after recognition comes rejoining, repositioning, and finally releasing. Rituals are the place where all of this happens or has the potential to happen.'

by Laura Murphy

'With my eyes I followed the column of white light to its origins - a gap in the canopy of trees. I was stunned. The sun appeared to be coming through a different aperture. Even more astonishing was that the column of light was shining directly through where I had been sitting and into the ceremonial fire. I remembered the words: 'Through fire to the Light'. The words were manifesting in a magical reality in front of my eyes.'

13th & 14th June // Harold's Cross, Dublin 6

The acclaimed 'Sacred Art of Living & Dying' programme is more about living than dying. The series draws from many sources of wisdom and shows that the quality of life is enhanced when we do not live in fear or denial of suffering and mortality.

Energy healing clears blockages in our energy fields, repairs them, and re-balances our energy so our bodies are more capable of healing themselves. We were designed to self-heal. Find out more about upcoming workshops, events, and publications from Star Magic Healing.

September 16th // Dublin & Cork

Thinking of a career change? The Irish School of Homeopathy are now enrolling for the Professional Practitioner's Course commencing September 2017. See the full prospectus by using the link below.

By Raymond Keane

'Now is a very tricky thing because once it is here it is gone. In clown the 'now' is all that matters. It's not about the show; it's not about why the show; it's about what is happening in the present and the conversation between. And for the clown to be in conversation he must be present, but not just present but 'authentically present'. You might say the clown is Zen Theatre.'

by Noeleen Tyrell

At its truest, most authentic level, yoga is a spiritual practice. The word yoga can be interpreted as 'union' or 'to yoke'. This infers the coming together of two or more things on many levels. You could think of it as a union of body and mind, breath and being, heart and soul, inner and outer consciousness and more besides.'

Glenmalure, Co. Wicklow

The Wilderness Lodge is a complex of six newly built self-catering, own door access apartments and one cosy cottage located in the Glenmalure Valley, County Wicklow. We believe in bringing peace, health and happiness to people in the outdoors. We provide quality service and a fantastic getaway experience in Ireland's breathtaking countryside.

Based in Kilkenny (sessions also available by phone / online)

Spiritual Companioning creates an unhurried sacred space for you to slow down, and to support you to engage in meaningful and nourishing soul care. Mindfulness Coaching is for those who want to learn how to build a mindfulness practise that will seamlessly integrate into your real life and help you to come home to yourself in a way that connects you with the joy that is yours.Mindfulness Supervision is for anyone working with or leading teams of people.

18th June // Dunderry Park, Co. Meath

Martin Duffy and Annette Peard will facilitate a one day Solstice workshop which will include Fire Ceremony and Shamanic Journeying.

in conversation with Susan Mokelke

'Traditionally the goal of shamanism has been about solving problems, and that practical problem solving element is often forgotten about. Journeying allows people to access a spiritual council of immense wisdom, which is applicable not only to personal healing and transformation but to other problems and challenges. In shamanism you go and find your own answers, there is no system of belief or faith. It is a system of knowledge and a kind of spiritual democracy.'

by Phil Robert

'We are presently living in very challenging times with many experiencing powerlessness and hopelessness not knowing what is going to happen from one day to the next. Living with uncertainty can be particularly problematic and can cause much anxiety and stress. Your quality of life should not deteriorate due to stress.'

June 20th // Co. Carlow

This is a practical participatory one day course exploring how mindfulness is currently used in a range of health and social care settings, and what is involved in adopting a mindfulness-based approach to working within the social care setting.

1st - 9th July // Faughart, Co. Louth

In July 2017, the complete 9 day pilgrimage will go from Brigid's Holy well at Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth, to Brigid's Monastic City, Kildare. We invite you to consider joining us on this wonderful spiritual journey!

November 3rd - 5th // Dunderry Park, Co. Meath

Join us for a Guided Weekend of Stillness - Meditation - Soulfulness - Waling in Nature - connecting back to your Soul as we step into the darker half of the year.

by Stephanie Mines

When I was a child growing up in a small apartment in the Bronx, New York that was made even smaller by my parents' violent arguments, I would spend the evenings looking out the kitchen window at the vast night sky, the stars, and the lights coming from the other apartments all around. I found peace and relief in my gazing towards the heavens, knowing there was more promise in life than the barbaric behavior of my family.'

by Karen Ward

There are three absolute certainties in life - birth, change and death, and as human beings we seem to be terrified of all of them. When we grieve we are dealing with all three at the same time - the death of a loved one, the huge changes that inevitably brings and the birth of their new transition to spirit.'