3

WINTER 2008 `3 WINTER VIBES Find out some new and entertaining ways to treat yourself EFT AND TAT Could they work for you MARIANNE WILLIAMSON Is this the age of miracles?

01 20 22 701Call now for a FREE consultation or visit yorktest.ie*Offer only available until 31st December 2007 €59 discountfor readers ofHealth Living* Almost halfthe population has a hidden sensitivity or intolerance to foods that can lead to the symptoms ofIBS.Ifyou suffer from bloating,take a look at the food that you’re eating.A YORKTEST foodSCAN may identify the foods you’ll benefit from avoiding.Taken in the comfort ofyour home,your finger-prick blood sample is analysed in our lab to accurately identify which foods are causing a reaction. An independent survey shows that 3 in 4 patients who changed their diet as a result ofthe foodSCAN test saw a notable improvement in their condition. Find out ifyour diet is contributing to your symptoms

4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 Contents Winter vibes Dr. Anthony Sharkey on E.F.T. Manuka Honey - How it heals Spirituality and the city Marianne Williamson - The Age of Miracles George Esser - Natural Calm CNM - Staying young Caroline Carey - Soul Action ,QQHU&RQÀGDQW)HHO\RXULQQHUJXLGDQFH Sarah Bird - TAT Positive news - Open a lemonade stand Educating Declan - Irish School of Homoeopathy Davie Philip - Green Christmas Medica Health - Three practitioners tell us their story What can Yoga do for you? - ITTC Energise with Raw Food Interview - Inna Segal YorkTest - Could you lose weight also? Your health - Your choice Bernice Maria Paolozzi - Thriving with grace in-SPA-rational Secrets to Successful Living 24 Publisher PC Media paulpositivelife@gmail.com Editorial Patrick Bridgeman patrickpositivelife@gmail.com Design Bronco Design e.broncodesign@gmail.com Advertising Paul Congdon paulpositivelife@gmail.com 0861579518 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. www.positivelife.ie

GUIDED TOURS OF THE TEMPLES OF HUMANKIND The Federation of Damanhur, Italy, opens the door on its most precious realization, the Temples dedicated to Humanity: an extra- ordinary, underground construction, begun in 1978 and created entirely by hand. It has been declared a work of art by the Soprin- tendenza alle Belle Arti. There are 3 and 7-day programmes available, offering a full immersion in Damanhur including many hours in the spiritual energies of the Tem- ples of Humankind. www.olamidamanhur.com TAO GARDEN HEALTH RESORT The Tao Garden Health Resort, about thirty minutes outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand, is an internationally renowned Healing Resort where an individual or groups can go and experience a wide variety of holistic hea- ling methodologies. Tao Garden Training Centre is more than a relaxing health resort for the individual, more than a place to train rigorous Taoist practices, and more than a spa for the whole family, it is a place where the very fabric of what one thinks is lifted to reveal what one knows. www.tao-garden.com SACRED SCOTLAND Guided tours around ancient sacred sites in Highland Perthshire, Scotland with his- torical researcher, Barry Dunford, author of The Holy Land of Scotland: Jesus in Scot- land and the Gospel of the Grail. Based in the central Highlands of Scotland, which are steeped in ancient history and folklore, Barry integrates into his personalised tours, twelve years of research into this unique area. Sites include: megalithic stone circles, pictish symbol stones, hermitages, sanctua- ry stone crosses, ancient Celtic church sites and the famous Fortingall Yew believed to be the oldest tree in Europe. www.sacredconnections.co.uk Wintervibes HAPPY HOLIDAYS SAMADHI YOGASTUDIOS Stretch into winter by taking an extra heal- thy lunch break. With daily morning classes (complete with porridge) and lunchtime classes three times a week, this Temple Bar Studio (with sister studios in Drogheda) of- fers a wide range of yoga classes, massage and meditation for all levels. With the friendliest teachers in town. www.samadhi.ie FREQUENCYSPECIFIC MICROCURRENT Frequency Speciﬁc Microcurrent is an ex- citing new way of treating nerve and mus- cle pain and many other conditions using speciﬁc frequencies and micro amperage current. We have not found anyone it does not work on or any other condition for which it is not useful. The frequency speciﬁc effect is remarka- ble and reproducible. For more info, contact David on 0862463797 - www.frequencyspeciﬁc.com STEAMYWONDER SPA SYSTEM Natures natural way of healing the body with steam. Transform your massage table into a complete spa. Beneﬁts of steam include- Detoxiﬁcation, increased metabolism, weight loss, youthful hydrated skin, relaxed muscles, improved circulation, relief from muscle/joint pain. www.steamywonderireland.eu BEAUTIFUL BAMBOO BED LINEN The ultimate sleep experience…a real treat for yourself or an original present gift wrap- ped for someone special. Visit www.luxurybamboolinen.com for fur- ther information. PAMPERINGYOURSELF “ONE KIND WORD CAN WARM THREE WINTER MONTHS.” JAPANESE PROVERB

THE FUNKYSEOMRA AT LAST! A SATURDAYNIGHT OUTWITH ADIFFERENCE. Imagine yourself on a night out in an exci- ting club atmosphere where you’re free to dance anyway you like without limitations, to the lush beats of funky world music ac- companied by live African drummers. All this in a vibrant ecstatic atmosphere wi- thout alcohol or drugs. Here it is....The Fu- nky Seomra! is an Embodiment event held monthly in association with Temple Bar’s Cultivate Centre. Everyone welcome. When: Saturday December 13th What time: 6pm - 11pm Where: Cultivate Centre, Essex Street West, Temple Bar Entry: Â15 / Â10 for members & unem- ployed - From January venue TBC www.dublin.ie/websites/movement HEAVENANDEARTHDAY SPA The sanctuary on George’s Street Lower in Dun Laoghaire, is designed in every way to restore you and reconnect you to your inner self, with holistic design, professional beau- ty, body and soul care and advice on living food nutrition. It is a place to relax, rest and unwind. Enjoy the delicious organic living foods in the Living Food café that will help to revitalise your body, and take time to browse through the selection of handpicked ethical, fair-trade products on offer. Tel: (01)284 33 33 www.heavenandearth.ie THE APPLE FARM The Apple Farm in Tipperary has some- thing for every health conscious person this season. Cider vinegar, recommended by Hippocrates himself, and used for thou- sands of years is a traditional favourite. Jui- ces freshly pressed on the farm, from fruits grown right there on the spot make a great Christmas gift, and hampers are also availa- ble. Home-grown apples, of which there are a selection, are always popular too. You can call to the farm shop, which is open 7 days a week, or order the cider vinegar and juices online from www.theapplefarm.com The Apple Farm, is located on the N24 between Cahir and Clonmel. CLIFDENHOLISTICHEALTHDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2009 PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SPIRITUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Local practitioners of Systematic Kine- siology, Acupuncture, Reiki, Reﬂexology, Bowen Therapy and Massage, Chakra Ba- lancing, Pranic Healing and Herbalism will be on hand to dispense advice and to offer sessions or tasters. Speakers from Cultivate Ireland, Sustainability Institute, Forum, GM FREE Ireland and Atlantic Aromatics, as well as Ronnie Plant and Audrey Keane will inspire us with talks. There will also be Drama, Yoga and 5 Rhythm Dance works- hops. There will also be stands where you can try organic food, and products and also enjoy cookery demonstrations . location: Clifden Town People can visit www.Clifden.ie and contact Michele@clifdenchamber.ie Phone numbers to call are 0870520295 or 09530671 THE GREEN ENERGYAWARDS Green Awards winners will be unveiled at a glittering gala dinner in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, on Thursday, December 4. Healthbuild Ltd., committed since 1989 to ecological buildings, is proud to be short- listed for this years “The Green Energy Award”; category “Green Organisation.” The main focus of their work has always been low energy design in manufacturing, distribution and supply of a broad range of high quality and innovative ecological and healthy products as well as being actively involved in campaigning for sustainable and forward thinking transport and urban plan- ning solutions for the city of Sligo. This recognition is a wonderful encoura- gement to people everywhere who are in- volved in creating a positive and sustainable future. www.healthbuild.com FESTIVE DAYS AND NIGHTS PLANET BEACH To celebrate the launch of Positive Life’s new website, Planet Beach have given us 10 sets of 3 Free Spa Treatments. The ﬁrst 10 people to subscribe to our magazine online at www.positivelife.ie will receive 1 of these sets of free treatments each. For more info on Planet Beach, tel: (01) 4629999 Or go online at www.planetbeach.com THEORGANIC GUIDE This All-Ireland directory will tell you where to ﬁnd certiﬁed local organic producers from free range poultry to organic wines and from cotton nappies to organic cosmetics. This highly practical, concise guide is organised by province and alphabetically providing not only full contact details but also a brief description of the products and services offered. It is a book to use at home or take with you on your travels throughout the North and South of Ireland. TheOrganic Centre, Rossinver, Co. Leitrim,0719854338 All good bookshops and health food stores nationwide. www.theorganiccentre.ie For a chance to receive a copy of The Organic Guide, or a bottle of the new Winter Magic essential oil blend from Atlantic Aromatics, simply log on to www.positivelife.ie and sign up for our FREE e-newsletter. GIVEAWAYS 5

Dr. Anthony Sharkey (MB, Bch, BA0, DCH, Trinity 1982) is Ireland’s only medically qualiﬁed doctor specializing in the use of Mindful EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) for serious illness. EFT has been clinically effective in thousands of cases for trauma, abuse, stress, fear, Children’s Issues and hundreds of physical symptoms including headaches, body pains, asthma and other breathing difﬁculties. When EFT is properly applied with Mindfulness, it results in both subs- tantial and measura- ble improvement or a total cessation of the problem entirely. 6 Interview PL: Could you tell us in the most simplistic fashion, “What is EFT?” A: Most people know about the use of acupuncture to treat physical pain. It has now been discovered that the same acupuncture procedures can also be used to treat emotional pain. Think of EFT as acupuncture without needles for the treatment of emotional pain. PL: Why does EFT get people to focus on the negative? This seems to go against the popular philosophy of only focusing on the positive? A: When you ‘focus on the negative’ this means that you are bringing your mindfulness to an essentially painful experience that has not gone away despite your previous best efforts. You focus very deliberately to enable you to apply EFT to it. This is a very conscious, mindful act – obviously a quite different process from passively allowing your mind to repeatedly go into an emotionally painful place and, somehow, remain stuck there. PL: What could someone expect when they go for a session with you? A: The essence of a session is that I guide a person to connect with their issue and hold it in mind. As they do this they tap on designated points on their head and chest area. At the same time they repeat phra- ses that are speciﬁc to their case. Obviously there is an art to becoming clear and speciﬁc about exactly how to proceed here and that is where mindful awareness comes in. I also use muscle testing to guide me. PL: Can you really learn to do it for yourself or is it best to go to a practitioner? A: Yes, you can learn how to do it for yourself. There are plenty of examples of ordinary people on the emofree.com website who just came across the technique, tried it on themselves and found that they had totally cured themselves - sometimes of very serious disease! If you are not getting results, this is often because of aspects of your case that are speciﬁc to you. This is where we at the EFT Clinic come in. We are practiced in uncovering these aspects for you and I would suggest calling us, as we offer a free 20-minute telephone consultation. PL: Have you any recent success stories? A: Yes, things have recently gone on to a new level. A few days ago I had an impromptu session with a nurse who had been in constant pain after an attack of shingles. After the EFT treatment, her pain went down to a degree that she had never experienced without the help of painkillers. She was impressed. I was impressed! It doesn’t happen with every single patient, but that kind of sudden, dramatic stuff is now quite common for me. On my recent seminar, everyone who came forward experienced a massive improvement live onstage, so that was nice! In fact my promotional text for that seminar at Cultivate read: “JUST DROP IN TO SEE PEOPLE BEING HEALED. It goes against the grain to say this as a Doctor but that is what you are going to see on the day, it’s as simple as that.” Dr. Sharkey’s clinic: 086 254 3762 Email: doc.sharkey@gmail.com www.EFT-Clinic-Dublin.com www.Emofree.com Dr. Anthony Sharkey

Beautiful Bamboo Bed Linen Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Tel: 045 435892. For a free sample, log on to: www.luxurybamboolinen.com ~ exceptionally soft and light, with a luxurious silky feel ~ bamboo is organically grown, 100% biodegradable ~ antibacterial, hypoallergenic, breathable Our speciality tea range consists of organic, 1st Æ][P_PWTMTMINPMZJIT OZMMV_PQ\MIVL JTIKS\MI[ Solaris.Botanicals Contact us on +353 (0)91 750020 or info@solarisbotanicals.com Visit our website at www.solaristea.com * 6 Great Taste Awards to date +MZ\QÅML7ZOIVQK * Best Irish Grocery Product Award *QWLMOZILIJTM;QTSMV

Manuka Honey STILL BUZZING WITH HEALING PROPERTIES THERE are many different aids and beneﬁts to health that come onto the scene every year. Most have a moderate amount of success and then are replaced by the next trend. Manuka honey has proven not to be one of those trends and is still around - big time. It has been found time and time again to be an important part of a healthy recovery from an illness. Also as an aid to everyday good health. It is a great way to boost our bodies ability to ﬁght common bacteria. The Active ingredient in Manuka honey, along with hydrogen perioxde, is a powerful anti-bacterial agent that is very effective in killing many types of bacteria. Af- ter scientiﬁcally testing each batch of honey the level of the Active ingredient is revealed. The lower strength 5+ is useful for maintaining good health, 10+ also for that reason but for those who suffer from repeated infections and the higher factors for more serious illness and topically. It has been found on many occasions to be very effective against persistent wounds and leg ulcers. There are many testimonies from people who have beneﬁted enormously from using Manuka honey. Deirdre O’Toole from Co. Wicklow, was getting throat infections every year that required antibiotics. She started taking Mr Bee’s Active Manuka honey and hasn’t needed to use antibiotics since. Maire from New Zealand (where Manuka honey comes from) had a nasty dog bite on her ankle which wouldn’t heal. So she applied some of Mr Bee’s 15+ and it was cleared up within a week. It has also been extre- mely beneﬁcial to animal lovers and especially for horses. It has drastically improved their health status enough to bring them up to racing level. Also on cuts etc., which horses are very prone to. At this time of the year and also this present point in history we all need a little lift to help us travel our journey through life. What better way than to enjoy the delicious taste of Manuka honey with the added bonus that it is aiding our bodies to cope with the stress and strains of mo- dern life. It is also a great way of reducing doctors bills and the soaring cost of conventional drugs. The best quality Manuka honeys are available mainly in health food shops.8 By Sue Wardell

www.mrbeesmanuka.com Available at leading Health Stores, Pharmacies and selected 1HZ-DSDQHVHVWXG\VKRZVXQLTXHEHQHÀWVIRUKHDUWKHDOWK JRWRZZZVDUDVFKRLFHLHIRUIXUWKHULQIR

DAVIDMOONEYEmbodimentMovement Medi-tation Teacher To me Dublin has a strong spirit with deep roots. I love Dublin. I feel I belong here. There are places where I feel a strong connection to the spirit of the place… Down by the Liffey amongst the oak in Lucan where I grew up, its beautiful and quietly alive. In the Sunday market in Dun Laoghaire, a lyrically lul- ling spirit, in Herbert Park on a Saturday afternoon in autumn getting mucky playing football, in the cool waters of White Rock with friends, in the blos- soming of colourful Parnell street, in the vibrant and richly diverse tribe of dancers I meet in my classes and on the dance ﬂoor, probably my favourite meeting place with spirit! www.dublin.ie/websites/move- ment and the City MAYABENHAR-ROCHUntitled There’s so much of it around, especially in the city centre. You see ads everywhere about “meditation this“, “workshop that“, and I think its great. It’s there because a lot of people are interested in it. So- metimes I wonder if the- re’s room for all the peo- ple who want to teach, me being one of them, and then I realise that the desire for people to teach is growing in alignment with the need and the request. Its also very exciting ta- king part in those works- hops. One of the major ones for me has been Primordial Sound Meditation, which also intro- duced me to the Buddha Bag meeting and through them, Rebirthing and the teachings of Abraham Hicks. I think its great that people have so much to choose from, so that they can actually go and ﬁnd something that really has a good ﬁt with them. Also social- ly, its great to know that there are so many people about that have a similar way of looking at things. And the cherry on the cake… I met a great man in the Buddha Bag meeting. Those kinds of social events are a great place for people to make those kinds of connections. I’m very blessed to have all of this around me. DMITRIMASLOVTea-ArtCeremonyPerformer I love people. When I love people, I think what can I make good for them, or how can I make myself happy and share the happiness with them. That’s my Spirituality in the City. A city is a group of people who come together for some reason, to share the good fee- ling. That’s why I’m still in the city, because I still like that. I still love people, I still love gi- ving hugs, I still love to make them feel good, and that’s ac- tually the purpose of my tea ceremonies as well. I think everything is a spiritual expe- rience. Every single second. It’s not really important to be in the city or in the countryside. In the countryside there are less human involvements, there are natural involvements. When you enter inside a natural forest you feel clarity. When you go into a human grown forest you experience human thoughts and ideas. That’s why some- times you can feel different in different cities. If you come to a city where people pray all the time, like in India, you would feel the power of prayer. You feel different in Galway than in Dublin because they have different thought forms, and because there are less thoughts in Nature, you feel nicer. SHARYN CUNNEEN5HÁH[RORJLVW I’ve been thinking I need to connect with nature, you know. And you know when you’re thinking about things, you at- tract those kinds of people into your life? I’ve been thinking about growing my own vegeta- bles and stuff but I have no idea how to, but I’ve been meeting lots of people who know lots of stuff. I met a lovely person last week. He has his own farm in Longford and he grows all his own vegetables bio-dynami- cally in the shape of a mandala, and he does energy healing and shamanic stuff and he’s ama- zing. I think I’ve known him in other lifetimes. You know when you meet people and you feel really gra- teful and happy that you met them? I’ve been meeting lots of those people lately, and the more you’re grateful for it the more you meet them as well. I’m meeting so many lovely new people its amazing. I think the city is probably a good place because things manifest really quick because there are lots of people and lots of things happening as well. It depends on what you’re trying to manifest. I’m trying to ma- nifest people things because I like meeting new people. I want to spread love, joy, magic and happiness. www.swasthyahealing.com Spirituality 10

Karmine Cider Vinegar FOLLOWING IN THE TRADITION OF NATURAL HEALING USED BY HIPPOCRATES AS A NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC AND HEALING AGENT IN 400 BC. RECOMMENDED EVER SINCE AS ASSISTING WITH ARTHRITIS, ASTHMA, ECZEMA, FATIGUE, HEADACHES, SORE THROAT ETC. SCIENTIFICALLY DEMONSTRATED TO THIN THE BLOOD AND REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE. KARMINE CIDER VINEGAR IS MADE ON OUR FARM IN IRELAND USING HOMEGROWN APPLES AND NATURAL PROBIOTIC CULTURES. Ask for it in your health store. Available in 330ml & 750ml bottles, and in bulk. Karmine Fruit Juices, Moorstown, Cahir, Co. Tipperary 052-41459 www.theapplefarm.com email con@theapplefarm.com JJO JJO January 12th 09

FOR almost 25 years, Marianne Williamson has been a student and teacher of A Course in Miracles. When she ﬁrst started speaking, people found this kind of information to be new and different, like they’d never heard before. However, over the last 25 years, these kinds of ideas have become so mainstream that people like myself now rarely come to a seminar by someone like Marianne to hear something that we don’t already know. Ins- tead, we come to access more deeply things which by now we all already do know. So, what did Ma- rianne help those of us sitting in The Davenport Hotel that day to access more deeply? There is a new kind of thinking emerging from the depths of the consciousness of the human race. It is not coming from any particular ethnici- ty. It is not coming from a particular religion. It is not coming from a particular part of the world. It is truly international because it has nothing to do with physical geography at all. It has to do with what Carl Jung called, “The inevitable search for balance.” This new thinking is enlightenment. The behaviour of the Human species at the moment is unsustainable. We are now living in a time that if we don’t advance in a better direction, the whole world is heading for catastrophe. If we continue the way we are, we will not survive, and there is something within the subconscious of the human race that knows this. Fortunately, it is not too late. In fact, the time is now. We are heir to the laws that hold within the world that we identify with. So, what is needed is a change in our thinking from Body identiﬁca- tion to Spirit identiﬁcation. Our mortal mind tells us we are separate from each other, but spiritual reality tells us we are one. If you go deep enough into your mind and deep enough into my mind, you will ﬁnd we share the same mind, like waves in the ocean sharing the same water. The Age of Miracles This one mind is non-local, so as soon as an idea or invention or leap in evolution happens, everyone catches on, regardless of where they are on the planet. The evolutionary leap that we are in the process of achieving at the moment is the dismantling of a thought system based on fear, the Ego’s thought system, and the accepting of a thought system based on Love. We have had in human history those people who did it, Jesus, Buddha and others. For them and those like them, miracles oc- curred naturally as expressions of love. The laws of the human world do not hold in the presence of one who’s mind has reali- gned itself with God. The consciousness of these individuals was such that physical laws as we know them were superseded by the power of their one mind. The laws of limitation that normally rule the world as we know it are simply products of the consciousness of the people who live within that system. The notion now is for us to collectively emer- ge into a place of awareness, to collectively make a quantum leap, where enough of us have emerged far enough along in our own evolutionary process, where we are vibrating at a high enough fre- quency of consciousness that that which is of lower consciousness will simply fall away as dead weight. A Course in Miracles says that the thinking of the world is 180 degrees away from the thinking of God, not that this spiritual thin- king is difﬁcult, but that it is different. All thought creates form on some level, and it turns out the world is not a big machine, as was the material world view, but is more like One Big Thought. Now, the only way we can transform the world is for each and every one of us to allow the transformation to take place within our own individual minds and our own individual lives. At this point, the issue is that we must make a journey, without distance, from merely having an intellectual understanding of these prin- ciples to an actual visceral understanding, so we don’t just know something new, we become something new. That is what we are here for, to achieve that place in our own thinking so that then joined with the thought processes of enough other people, in this non-local universe, we will change, we will move out of that probability vector into a new possibility vector and we will do it in time. As Marianne wrote in her ﬁrst book, A Return to Love, “Our dee- pest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gor- geous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Thanks to Jane Stephenson (www.seminars.ie), this was Marianne’s ﬁrst time speaking in Ireland. She teaches A Course in Miracles on Oprah’s radio program (www.oprah.com) and her new book The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife is already a bestsel- ler (www.marianne.com). By Patrick Bridgeman

IMAGINE that you are camping and when you open your tent ﬂap, you are confronted with a wild animal. Your heart starts to race, your body pumps adrenaline into every cell, your heart beats faster, you tense up, your breathing changes and you are ready for some kind of action. This is called stress. Your body is doing what it was designed to do. In dan- gerous situations, your body goes into a “ﬁght or ﬂight” state. The problem is that your body doesn’t know the difference between a car careening towards you, a looming job loss, or thoughts of the busy season ahead. Your body responds to all of these types of situations with its internal stress response. The holiday season with all its extra festivities will soon be upon us. Though in many ways it is a wonderful time of year in which we get to spend time with friends and family, it is often also a very stressful time. Much of society runs on stress a large percent of the time, not just during the holiday season. The problem with the stress response is that the more it is activated, the harder it is to shut off, so that over time our stress hormones, our heart rates, and our blood pressure remain elevated, even after a particular crisis may have passed. This is why managing stress is very important for our health. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU REDUCE STRESS: Give yourself extra time. When we are pressed for time, our subconscious puts our body into stress mode. Give yourself 10 extra minutes and you will be less stressed. Do as much as you can before hand. Start your purcha- sing of gifts well in advance, as well as baking, decora- ting, and extra cleaning. When travelling, leave 10-15 minutes earlier and drive a little slower. While it will take you a few minutes lon- ger to get to where you need to go, you will arrive much more relaxed. Use your travel time as ‘down time’, not as something that leaves you more stressed out. Learn to enjoy the moment. When you are feeling negative emotions about a situation, ask yourself if what is happening is really going to make a difference a year from now. Most ‘mini-disasters’ make a memory. For example, a few years ago my family decided to have our ﬁrst fondue. It wasn’t the best experience, espe- cially when the table cloth caught on ﬁre due to a little Natural Calm carelessness on my part. But the house is still standing and we still laugh about this when we reminisce. Make sure you are building enough “down time” into the holiday season. You need some quiet time to rejuvenate and you also need to ensure that you get adequate sleep. Go for a brisk walk or work out. Make sure that you are getting adequate magnesium in your diet. Most of us need sup- plementation due to the fact that it is almost impossible because of today’s farming techni- ques to get enough from the food we eat. Stress actually depletes the magnesium levels in our bodies. We need to understand that there are two key minerals --- calcium and magnesium--- whose roles are like two opposite sides of a coin. Calcium excites our nerves and makes our muscles contract, while magnesium is necessary for our muscles to re- lax. Magnesium also keeps our blood ﬂowing while calcium helps it clot. Our cells are normally in a relaxed state when they contain magnesium. But when we are under stress, they go through a change. Calcium, which is normally outside of our cells, rushes into our cells. This in turn forces the magnesium out. If you are deﬁcient in magnesium, then there is a physical reason why you can’t relax or sleep at night. Just a few symptoms of magne- sium deﬁciency include insomnia, migraine headaches, muscle aches, PMS, and heart palpitations. Because magnesium is necessary for more than 350 bodily functions, this list is just the beginning of all the symptoms that are a result of magnesium deﬁciency. One important thing to realize is that not all magnesium is the same. Most laxatives use magnesium as their main ingredient in the form of magnesium oxide. Because the body has a hard time digesting it, it puts it into the colon, causing it to hydrate and work as a laxative. The best form of magnesium is liquid magnesium, but that is also the most expensive. The best cost-effective magne- sium is a citrate powder. You simply add hot water to the powder which converts it into a liquid. For most people, the best time to take this is about ½ hour before bed time. Many people ﬁnd that it really makes a difference in their ability to sleep, giving them a peaceful, restful sleep. Magnesium citrate is a good choice because it is a mineral in a citric acid form that is much more bio-available to the body. Tablets and capsules generally are not as absorbable as the liquid form. Challenge yourself this holiday season. You really can make it the most relaxing one you’ve had in a long time by making a few small changes along the way. Don’t forget to take your soothing magnesium supplement to help your body along. 14 By George Esser

Natural Easy to use Fast acting Great taste ! " #$ % & !"## $ %& ' ( ) *%"+)'+ , %- . / - 01 %#! Feel Good – Live Well Available at Local Health Stores or Call 01 526 27 05 For more product information, visitwww.naturalcalm.eu Natural Calm is the Best Selling Magnesium SupplementUS SPINS data 2008 Magnesium is Necessary for over 350 Body Processes Low Cost of Powder High Bioavailability of Liquid Calm Natural Limited 235 Old Marylebone Rd London NW1 5QT

EVERY day we are bombarded with advertisements promising the newest anti-ageing quick- ﬁx. These ‘treatments’ often cost a pretty penny, and there are no guarantees. Worldwide, people attend their naturo- paths or nutritional therapists enquiring about ways to remain youthful. Is there a way? What can we do? The great news is that according to the latest ad- vances in medical science, we do not need to spend a fortu- ne to get the best anti-ageing treatment available. Scientists are now advocating that we can signiﬁcantly slow down the metabolic ageing process and live up to a decade longer in good health simply by adopting a healthier lifestyle - eating the right diet, exercising regularly and effectively managing stress in our lives. In a society obsessed with appearances, ageing is often associated in our communities with wrinkles and grey hair. In actuality, the ageing process is much more complex and af- fects all of our internal organs, our immune system, our ner- vous system, and our mental processes. In this article, it will become clear that the choices we make during our lives will have a profound effect on how young we are both on the out- side and on the inside. LESSONS IN LONGEVITY When examining lifestyle choi- ces that will result in a longer and healthier life, we need to look to the example of peo- ple living today who embody health, well-being and longe- vity. Residents of Okinawa, the HunzaValley, and Seventh-day Adventists from Loma Linda in California, live longer and healthier lives than just about anyone else on Earth. These groups produce a high rate of centenarians, only suffer a fraction of the diseases that commonly kill people in other parts of the developed world, and enjoy full health late into their lives. This is no accident. Of course, it begins with inherited good genes, but it is maintenance of good habits more than good genes that make a centenarian. THESECRETS OF HEALTHY CENTENARIANS Of the groups mentioned above, it is the Seventh-day Adventists that have given re- searchers the best opportunity to answer fundamental ques- tions about human health and longevity, as other residents of California with the same ethnic background live shorter and ‘sicker’ lives when compared with their Seventh-day Adven- tist neighbours. Two major research program- mes conducted over the last 40 years by the Californian Loma Linda University on 24,000 and 34,000 Californian Seventh-day Adventists (funded by the US National Institute of Health) have given us detailed insight into the secrets of long and healthy life. This research indicates that Seventh-day Adventists live 5- 10 years longer than average and have a much lower rate of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arth- ritis and hypertension. What do they know that the rest of us do not? Essentially, for nearly 140 years, Seventh-day Adventists have been encouraged to follow an unreﬁned, plant-based diet, avoiding meat and consuming 5-9 servings of fruits, vegeta- bles and nuts in their diets on a daily basis. In addition, they take regular exercise and have a positive mental attitude. THESCIENCE BEHIND A PLANT-BASED DIET As the studies of the Seventh- day Adventists show, through a combination of healthy diet, regular exercise and positive mental attitude, we can actual- ly slow the metabolic ageing process. Looking at diet alone, how does an unreﬁned, plant- based diet work at increasing longevity? High Nutrient Density Fruit and vegetables contain not just vitamins and minerals but also phytochemicals (e.g. carotenoids and ﬂavonoids). Through their antioxidant and What is your Metabolic Age? LEARN THE SECRETS OF ANTI-AGEING FROM WITHIN ByGosiaDesmond

anti-inﬂammatory properties, they may provide the necessary protection to prevent a num- ber of ageing parameters. The antioxidants neutralise free ra- dicals, which are highly reactive substances that damage cells, contribute to ageing and en- courage many serious diseases, such as heart disease, dementia and cancer. Moreover, plant phytochemicals can boost our internal detoxiﬁcation system and plant phytonutrients can have direct effects on neuronal communication, boosting our mental power. Low Caloric Density Excess calories produce nume- rous metabolic disturbances within the body that can contri- bute to degenerative diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Additionally, excessive caloric intake is thought to be one of the most important factors in the ageing process. In unreﬁ- ned form, we can eat as much fruit and vegetables as we like without consuming excess ca- lories, and at the same time providing our bodies with all the valuable nutrients and an- tioxidants that slow down the ageing process. Fruit and vege- tables are the most important food components in a healthy weight loss. Low in Saturated Fat Excess saturated fat ages our ar- teries and our immune system. It can lead to increased insulin levels in the body and can also increase our levels of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End- products), which are powerful promoters of ageing, especially skin ageing. Lastly, high fat diets can age our brain, contri- buting to cognitive decline. High in Fibre Fibre helps to minimise the process of AGE (Advanced Gly- cation End-products) formation, decreases the levels of insulin, keeps our cholesterol down and helps to reduce inﬂammation! It is a truly powerful anti-ageing diet component. Following an unreﬁned, plant-based diet, taking regular physical exercise and encoura- ging a positive mental attitude can work miracles. This lifes- tyle does not only work for Se- venth-day Adventists – rather, it has been proven in nume- rous scientiﬁc experiments to reverse advanced coronary ar- tery disease, to control/reverse diabetes (type 2) and most re- cently at Harvard University to reverse the growth of prostate cancer by altering the genes responsible for tumour growth. The evidence for the efﬁ- cacy of a plant-based diet is increasing all the time. In fact, the American Institute for CancerResearch have laun- ched a campaign to challenge the current food pyramid and to convince Americans to adopt a more plant-based diet. Its anti-ageing properties are well-known to celebrities like Demi Moore, Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt and Clint Eastwood, all of whom follow this diet and lifestyle. FIVETOPTIPS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CENTENARIAN WAY OFEATING 1Increase your fruit and vege- table intake – remember 9 is the new 5! 2Minimise intake of red meat 3Minimise intake of processed meats 4Be careful with oils – even plant oils should only be ta- ken in moderation 5 Replace reﬁned grains in your diet with whole grains Gosia Desmond (M.Sc. BSc Nutritional med. M.IANT) is head of nutrition research at the College of Naturopathic Medi- cine (www.naturopathy.ie). She will be hosting a seminar on the evening of January 15th 2009 concerning the role of nutrition in combating ageing. For more information or to book a place, please contact dublininfo@natu- ropathy-ireland.com or phone 01-2353094 Cost 15 euros. 17

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE ‘ACTION’ OF YOUR OWN ‘SOUL’ IN THIS WORLD? Do you ever feel that by working with others and being part of a community you could begin to develop and grow, sharing more of your own natural talents and abilities in our society and with the earth. Often we become lonely and uninspired, trying to make things happen on our own. Being part of a like-minded group of people can really help us to create a space for our own individual hea- ling work in order to transform ourselves and our potential. In 2009, a group will be meeting at the An Sanctoir holistic centre in Ballydehob, West Cork. An Sanctoir is a beautiful octagonal dance spa- ce set in wild Irish countryside. One mile from Ballydehob village, it is very accessible to all amenities. Close to the sea and mountains, it enables a great opportunity to visit the rural Irish Countryside. See www.ansanctoir.ie There will be four sessions during the year for this group to meet and explore. It will be unusual as we shall be using some very traditional and ancient methods of shamanism to discover a deeper meaning to our spirituality and personal growth. You will discover ways to connect your heart and mind more fully with your moving body. We will use dance and various meditations and work in the beautiful grounds of An Sanctoir which is 30 acres of un- spoilt country side. The course will be part residential as there is a shared house on the land. I love the work of shama- nism when it is rooted and grounded in a down to earth and physical practice. There is nothing fantastical about it. It is ordinary and stron- gly connected to nature, to our lives and to all forces. We can expect in this work to discover more about our- selves, our histories and our connection to the planet, as well as the healing that needs to be done here. It is about taking responsibility for all things. In my own discoveries through my life, I have learnt the way of ‘seeing’ from the point of view of a fascina- ted, curious mind. When my imagination ran wild, I believed in it. When I dreamt, I took notice. These are all methods of learning and being taught to be directed by Spirit and by our own hearts and soul. As a child I danced, and as an adult I bring into my teachings my own journey work, poetry, dreams, inspirations and life experience. Recently, I spent time in Colombia, South America with a group of Kogi’ people, an indi- genous tribe from the Sierra Nevada. This work has inﬂuenced my own teachings hugely. 18 All of this work helps us to bring our lives and experiences into a healing art. It is a route to heal a difﬁcult childhood or any struggle along this life’s path. It is a route to grace, personal freedom, positive action, acceptance and a life long spiritual path. Caroline is the author of Ms’Guided Angel, soon to be published. a blessing for the elements, in honor of our ancestors as healing journeys for ourselves and as a gift for the children We will dance, heal, party and celebrate! Expanding into all we can be! If you would like the adventure of being part of this group please contact: www.alchemyinmovement.com info@carolinecarey.com 00353 (0) 86 053 1672 Soul Action With Caroline Carey

TheBritishInstituteof Homeopathy Ireland DistanceLearningCoursesinHomeopathy Workfromhomeatyourownpace Tutorsupportprovided •IntroductoryCourseinHomeopathy.Thiscourseteachesthebasicsof homeopathy,firstaidandtreatmentofcommonailments.Coursefee:150 •DiplomaCourseinHomeopathy.Thiscourseisthefirststagein becomingapractitioner.ItisfollowedbyaHomeopathicPractitionerStudy ProgrammeleadingtomembershipofTheAllianceofRegisteredHomeopaths orTheHomeopathicMedicalAssociation. Forafullprospectuscontact:TheBritishInstituteofHomeopathy(Ireland) DunkellinStreet,Loughrea,CoGalway Tel:(091)871456email:bihi@eircom.netweb:www.bihi.ie MYCHELLEDERMACEUTICALSMYCHELLEDERMACEUTICALS Skincare Mineral MakeupSkincare Mineral Makeup& ACNE ROSACEA SENSITIVE SKIN PREMATURE AGING? Are You Tired Of...Are You Tired Of... Because Healthy, Beautiful Skin is possible with MyChelle ÀQG0\&KHOOHDWZZZVNLQDVVXUHFRP 6WRFNLVWV &XVWRPHU6HUYLFH LQIR#VNLQDVVXUHFRP 1DWXUDO 1RQWR[LF Alchemy in Movement with Caroline Carey Soul Action The art of living life fully Shamanic Study, Ecstatic Dance, Ritual & Celebration. Venue; An Sanctoir, Ballydehob, West Cork. Residential Ongoing Group '09 We are visitors on this beautiful planet, for a short time. We can, if we choose, live this amazing gift to its fullest, using all of our potential to the highest good a blessing for the elements,in honor of our ancestorsas healing journeys for ourselvesand as a gift for the children We will dance, heal, party and celebrate! Expanding into all we can be! This work will include improvised movement and ecstatic dance, shamanic journey and traditional & 21st century shamanic study. Learning traditional shamanic techniques.Work in nature. Nightime ceremony. Simple ritual theatre. Dates '09 16th – 19th April. 11th - 14th June. 24th – 27th September. 17th – 20th December. To book for the ongoing study please contact Yvonne Byrne. email; yvonbyrn@yahoo.com.au T; 00353 (0) 87 285 2799. Confirmation, times and more details will be sent on receipt of booking. To secure your place please book well in advance. There is a 10% discountfor bookings made by 1st January ‘09.www.alchemyinmovement.com

YOUR heart is calling you! Your heart is your spirit’s essence. It is yearning to be in deep, loving, supportive relationship with you. Your heart wants, through this rela- tionship to bring your dreams into reality. Are you answering this call? In the best of times, it is all too easy to direct our attention and power on the external circumstances of life. And now, in this time of economic uncertainty it is even more tempting to let our fear prevail and to keep our focus on things outside of ourselves. So now, espe- cially, is the time to focus inward. For years, many of us have lived believing that success is an uphill battle to be waged by the sheer force of our will and effort. We have been convinced that we need to do the right thing and be the right kind of person. We have been caught in a perpetual cycle of obsessive thinking and compulsive doing. Perhaps our parents and teachers, with only good intentions, motivated us through criticism, judgment and blame. In an at- tempt to ensure our survival, they taught us to examine what seemed wrong with us and then challenged us to work hard to correct those faults. If something couldn’t be changed, we were then encouraged to blame other people or circumstances. If a substantial amount of our inner dialogue is harsh, critical or blaming, we have probably internalized this survival strategy. This strategy, when successful, typically results in feelings of achievement in one area of life, but is often offset by exhaustion and dissatisfaction or feelings of inadequacy in other areas. Often the success is difﬁcult to maintain because it requires us to work against our natural tendencies and qualities. We can feel like we are caught in a rip tide swimming against the current rather than relaxing into a natural ﬂow. What if it were possible to adopt a stra- tegy based on an inward appreciation for the gifts that you are? A strategy that focuses on what is right about you rather than one based on changing you. A strategy that en- courages you to rely on your inner wisdom, experience and knowledge. When people incorporate this strategy into their lives, hard work feels inspired and joyful not ex- hausting and strained. The journey to suc- cess feels balanced and rewarding. Goals achieved ﬁt into the puzzle of your life in ways that enhance it all. In my own life and in my coaching work I have found that when people answer the call of their heart they focus on cultivating a relationship with a wise mentor within; one who I call their Inner Conﬁdant. Life be- comes simpler and more graceful for them. Surviving transforms into thriving. In order to do this, imagine that you are always accompanied by a being that guides, comforts and protects you. Perhaps yours would appear as a beloved aunt, a best friend, a knight in shining armour, an angel, Jesus or another religious ﬁgure. You see the mentor in the form that appeals to you and brings you comfort. Your Inner Conﬁ- dant is the expression of your Highest Self. You’ll know you’re in touch with your Inner Conﬁdant when the messages you receive are kind, patient, accepting and loving. Any internal voice that leaves you feeling jud- ged, criticized or inadequate is not your In- ner Conﬁdant. Your wise Inner Conﬁdant knows that the shortest path to success is to encourage you to begin with focusing inward. Its wisdom allows you to express yourself authentically and to take inspired action so that you may bring your gifts into the world. By allowing your Inner Conﬁdant to lead you, you begin to quiet your mind and enlist it into the ser- vice of your highest good. There is a place in our lives for intellect, reason and action. When life is fuelled by the critical voice it becomes an effort but when it is energized by the heart it is pure joy. Your Inner Conﬁdant will partner with you to express your life in tangible ways. Perhaps you want to develop a healing prac- tice, start a business, mend a relationship, paint, exercise, or create work-life balance. Turn to your Inner Conﬁdant ﬁrst and of- ten. Allow the image of a kind and loving soul to come into your awareness. Imagine this Conﬁdant sitting with you with com- plete tenderness and acceptance in his/her eyes. This being is the perfect partner for you with endless amounts of patience, knowledge and unlimited access to infor- mation, people and resources. The Inner Conﬁdant’s entire purpose is to be in loving relationship with you and to experience the glory of who you are. Your Inner Conﬁdant responds to you with total acceptance and delight. Anything you want is okay, even the improbable goal or the one you think you don’t deserve. Your Inner Conﬁdant kindly embraces your desires, celebrating what you want and helps you bring it into existence. There are no “shoulds” in your rela- tionship with your Inner Conﬁdant. Just begin by extending an invitation – a wil- lingness to ﬁnd that voice of love and ten- derness inside of you. You can do this via prayer, mediation, journaling, or over a cup of tea. Breathe and just see that you are not alone but in the company of one who has always loved you. One who will always be there for you and will patiently wait until you are ready to work together. Your Inner Conﬁdant can help you know that the Universe is a loving force, that we are an essential part of this life energy and that through focusing inwardly we have ac- cess to all the wisdom, creativity and love we can receive. Living with this perspec- tive can help transform our lives. Cultivating a delightful, joyful and inti- mate relationship with your Inner Conﬁdant is an enriching and enlivening way to sup- port yourself and the world. You deserve it. So take heart, and transform surviving into thriving today. nIner&RQÀGDQW SALLY CARR LEADERSHIP COACHAND CONFIDANT SALLYWORKSWITHINDIVIDUALSAND BUSINESSESASSISTINGTHEM TO THRIVE THROUGH INNER FOCUSAND INSPIRED ACTION. SARAHWHITE.CARR@GMAIL.COM By Sally Carr

22 By Sarah Bird

:KHQ3DQLF$WWDFNVÀJKWEDFNZLWK7$7 Before dealing with treating panic attacks, why do some people panic and not others? It’s unlikely to be a matter of genetic makeup and, equally, it’s highly unlikely that any of us have been born with a phobia or a predisposition to panic already in place. Instead, most of our irrational fears stem from experiencing some event that has then become a negative, self- sabotaging belief. What makes these fears doubly harmful is that they are often concealed deep within our subconscious. And because we’re unaware of them, there’s little we can do to combat their harmful effects. Negative beliefs can stem from real or imagined remarks - usually from someone in authority. This could be anything from a parent or some other relative, a teacher, priest, or perhaps an employer who is looked up to. Beliefs have the power to create or destroy us as healthy, balanced individuals. If you were told as a child that you were “stupid”, “no good”, it can stick with you indeﬁnitely and you identify with this thought. It’s frozen into your energy system and is held ﬁrmly in place until it’s eventually resolved. Whatever thought was going through your mind at the time of a trauma is similarly locked into your energy system, along with the circumstances associated with it. It could be the screaming of brakes in a car accident, for example, which then causes you to panic whenever you hear that sound and which could potentially lead to a phobia of motor travel. When we have this experience, it causes a chemical reaction in the brain and creates a neuron pathway linked to that experience. Whenever we encounter that same situation, we immediately travel down this pathway, which then sends out the chemical response and we panic again. When this happens more than once, it is validated and can then become even more of a problem. The net effect can be an irrational fear (or phobia), brought about by the initial shock to your system and the resulting block in your energy ﬁeld. We do not have to consciously understand how this happened, but it is nevertheless ﬁled away in our subconscious mind, ready to surface as panic. Phobias become a really major problem when they start to restrict our lifestyle, our personal development or our sense of happiness. A fear of ﬂying, for example, could hold you back in your professional career, or stop you sharing those wonderful sun-ﬁlled foreign holidays with friends or loved ones. Thankfully, however, help is at hand for even the most deep-rooted and restrictive of phobias, in the form of a technique called TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique). TAT is based on the acupuncture techniques of traditional Chinese medicine and helps remove the blocks to our energy system that cause conditions such as phobia, post- traumatic stress, panic - and even allergies. Sarah Bird is a leading practitioner of TAT in Ireland and an International Trainer. She explained to Positive Life how this relatively new mind-body technique is fast emerging as one of the leaders within the so-called energy psychology ﬁeld. “TAT is one of the most important and signiﬁcant healing tools of our age, and it has rightly been described as a “portal of grace”, providing a doorway to the lives we truly want to lead.” Sarah explains that the technique involves holding areas around the brain’s vision centres and consciously focusing on your problem while you do so. The energy charge that has been held in place is removed from the past event, allowing integration of that thought, and creating harmony, peace, unity and connectedness. Using TAT, you can profoundly improve any aspect of your life, whether it’s attacking panic or phobias, dissolving stress, releasing past trauma, reducing pain or reversing the sort of negative beliefs that hold you back in life. By way of proving the effectiveness of the technique, Sarah points to her recent experience in the U.S., working with soldiers, veterans and their families who were suffering from the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Working in association with Tapas Fleming, the founder of TAT, in some cases forty years of combat trauma was cleared within a matter of days. Sarah has also worked in post-earthquake Pakistan, teaching the technique to medical personnel, teachers, psychologists and aid workers, to minimise the trauma they experienced as a result of daily exposure to pain, suffering and death. She also helped many hundreds of survivors - including children – to bring about release from the trauma of the earthquake. Sarah Bird is a leading practitioner of Energy Psychology and practices both in Ireland and internationally. She can be contacted either on 087-2193343 or at info@sarah121.com HOW TAPAS ACUPRESSURE TECHNIQUE IS MAKING HUGE STRIDES IN THE BATTLE AGAINST PANIC ATTACKS.

Life is beautiful. A few weeks ago I went to “The Funky Seomra“, a wonderful alcohol-free dance evening, where lots of my friends and I danced for hours in the huge room above Cultivate, the sustainable development centre in Temple Bar, Dublin. We drank herbal teas, home-made chai and bicycle-made smoothies, ate all sorts of cakes and heart-shaped cookies and rested on big comfy Budda Bags and meditation cushions. It was the perfect environment to ask my girlfriend Eveanne to marry me, so I presented the sapphire and white-gold engagement ring and she said “Yes”. (pictured) The fantastic organiser and DJ, David Mooney, made an announcement and played our song “Better Together” by Jack Johnson. We danced in the middle of everyone who gathered around and moved in to give us one huge group-hug. Now that’s positively newsworthy. PositivelyNewsworthy 24 ALEXANDRA’SLEMONADESTAND - CONTINUING TO MAKEADIFFERENCE It started 8 years ago. 4 year old Alexandra Scott pur- sued a “career” as the owner of a lemonade stand. But the stakes were a little higher for her. She was trying to raise money to help her doctors ﬁnd a cure for kids with cancer because she herself was stricken with it. Her brother Patrick joined in and for the next 4 years, regardless of Alex’s health, the team would hold an annual lemonade stand to raise money for childhood cancer research. As the story of their lemonade stand grew, so did business. Inspired by their example, thousands of lemonade stands sprung up across the nation, creating a formidable fund raising team. On August 1st, 2004, Alex Scott died peacefully at the age of only 8 years old. She had raised over $1 million for childhood cancer research in her short lifetime. But her spirit lives on…and so does her lemonade stand. As of July 2008, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foun- dation has raised over $20 million for childhood cancer research. That’s some positive news for children with cancer…and positive news for lemonade stands everywhere. ART E AMOR Arte E Amor, which translates as Art and Love, has found a second life for old or discarded glass products by turning them into beautiful, marketable jewellery. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 20 year old Leandro and Jucimeire, aged 23, wanted to improve the quality of life for young women considered impoverished and at risk. The aim was to generate an income, while at the same time to recycle, educate and help to clean-up the community. Now Leandro and Jucimeire employ dozens of young workers, who melt down hundreds of pounds of unwanted glass and turn it into fashionable necklaces, earrings, belts and rings. They sell the jewellery at local markets, using a share of the proﬁts to fund the upkeep of other invaluable community projects. In two years, they have sold thousands of items and created successful income-generating jobs for many young women in their neighbourhood. For more positive news stories, log onto www.positivenews.org.uk By Patrick Bridgeman

ON THE TRAIL OF THE URBAN SCOUT Peter Bauer started reading books on the structure, history and future of humankind. From there, he began a life-long journey to rewild – a process of ‘dismantling’ that he believes is vital for the continued development of ‘us’. “I decided to walk away from this culture and learn to hunt, gather and garden for all of my necessities,” he says, referring to his previous city-slic- ker lifestyle. “I have a duty to mythologize the process I’m going through and inspire others to join the rewilding renaissance,” Urban Scout explains. “So I write stuff, make videos, take pictures, design things, teach classes and maintain a blog that’s a public exhibition space.” Now 25, Scout has pioneered an internet community for fellow rewilders or for those who want to learn more worthy ‘living’ skills – an online ﬁeld-guide, gathering and providing valuable informa- tion on primitive or sustainable practices. “Our elders have long since disappeared,” he explains, “and the information they held and the skills they used, only exist now in pockets – a few books, a few schools and practiced by only a few... We need something else to stand in for our elders... This website attempts to do just that.” Visitors to the forum can learn, for example, how to organise their own rewilding camp, how to seek out water and test for heavy metals before consuming it or ﬁnd out which native plants are edible and, more importantly, which are not. They can search for courses on subjects such as foraging for wild fruits, nuts and vegetables or how to extract oil from plants. “Civilisation has been a process of making people perceive the world as dead,” Scout informed Marjorie Skinner for the Portland Mercury. “It’s time we create sto- ries that will inspire new cultures and bring the world back to life.” Contact: www.rewild.info and www.urbanscout.org

FROM January 2009 at the Irish School of Homoeopathy we are celebrating 20 years of homeopathic education at Milltown Park College, Dublin. We have found that during past economic downturns and pre-Celtic tiger Ireland applications increased to our school as self-employment became an attractive option for individuals interested in health care and a sustainable lifestyle. I asked DeclanReddy, a rehabilitation consultant and new student why he chose to commence study as a Homeopathic Practitioner this year, when the current recession affected him directly. “The pilot light for my remaining in further education was ignited when I sat in Trinity College, in a scene not unlike one from the movie Educating Rita. As a 30 year old mature student, my ﬁrst lesson focused on the notion that anyone can be trained. You can train a dog to fetch a stick, but he will never ask why he has to do it. I was a trained professional, but in many ways uneducated. The lecturer went on to say that ‘education was about asking why, how, when and for what purpose?’ A well trained dog can be very stupid. I decided that I would always ask questions, so that, even if I appeared stupid, I would not feel stupid. With this as a motivation, I completed my Diploma in Addiction Studies, Higher Diploma in Social & Vocational Rehabilitation and my Masters inRehabilitationManagement. I even started a PhD but deferred it. I rose to the top in my profession and wore a suit and later realised I was selling my soul for the sake of my job, compromising my value system for organisational political peace and using my new validated intelligence to outsmart people. At some point in this process I needed a homeopath and found a good one; I also crashed my car and needed physiotherapy. A new seed was sown. I left a high paying job and trained as a holistic healing massage therapist. I had trained as a counsellor and I set up a thriving consultancy business in both Ireland and Greece. My inspiration for returning to education was nurtured by the Irish School of Homoeopathy. They practice what they preach and are interested in a student’s holistic development. Being accepted on the course came at the same time as recessional cutbacks that affected my business, and a subsequent serious reduction in working hours. Ever the optimist, I have decided to use this decline in business as an opportunity to study a subject that fascinates me and which has potential to provide self- employment. At 46, it seems like life is just starting off again from a different angle and I am loving it.” Declan Reddy -Rehabilitation Consultant, Ph: 0879177868 History will record 2008 not only as the year America elected its ﬁrst black president but also when, overnight, the global economic situation changed immeasurably - and there may still be tough times ahead, but for those of us who are self- employed - we have a decided advantage and creative opportunity – so repeat after me – YES WE CAN. By Angie Murphy – Administrator – Irish School of Homoeopathy – www.homoeopathy.ie RECESSION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AND BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED 26 Educating Declan

EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF PANIC, PHOBIAS and STRESS If panic, phobias or stress are holding you back in your life, your career or your relationships, it’s now time to move on to the life you truly want to lead. Using the very latest energy psychology techniques, I can remove the blocks to your energy system that are causing these conditions. The techniques are quick and easy to use, and research shows them as having a 95% success rate, whether for improving corporate performance, in your sporting life or within your personal life. You can live the life you want, without fear, without panic and without debilitating levels of stress. Make a start towards it today by contacting me on 087 219 3343info@sarah121.com SARAH BIRD Personal Development Consultant and Energy Psychologist The Irish School of Homoeopathy Celebrating 20 years of Homeopathic Education at Milltown Pk College, Dublin since 1989 and at Cork City since 2000. We are fully accredited by the Irish Society of Homeopaths - regulating body of Homeopaths in Ireland- www.irishhomeopathy.ie Workshops for Acute Home Prescribing: •‘Get Started in Homeopathy’ 1 Day Introduction •‘The Power of Homeopathy’ 6 weekend course •‘Homeopathy & Nutrition – Every Spring 4 Year Professional Training Course: •Commences at Milltown Park - Dublin 6 every September •Commences at Brú Columbanus- every 2 year intervals Lecturers include Irish Homeopaths and visiting UK and International Homeopaths at the forefront of their profession. Clinic at Milltown and Brú Columbanus •Available to public as part of our student training programme \RXFDQDWWHQGRXUVWXGHQWFOLQLFDWUHGXFHGUDWHV±FRQWDFWRI¿FH “Congratulations to all at ISH on your 20th birthday. Teaching at ISH is always a pleasure for me. The dedication of the teachers, staff and students is impressive and I continue to recommend your school unreservedly. “ Miranda Castro - www.mirandacastro.com Contact Angie Murphy601-8682581%ishom@indigo.ie www.homoeopathy.ie

CHRISTMAS is a time for celebration, giving and spending time with family and friends. For most it is a positive time, but it can also be a time of stress and overspending in the lead up to the big day, searching for appropriate gifts for our loved ones. Persuaded by the thousands of TV ads each year, we buy more and more things to throw away and gobble up energy. Christmas has become vital to the economy. Shop sales increase dramatically during the season as we purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies for the annual binge. The commercialisation of the festive season fuels consumerism and has become a time of reckles- sly high fossil fuel consumption. Decorating homes with thousands of lights and plas- tic Santas to celebrate Christmas has become a high energy Christmas activity. Yet, any reminders of the festive season’s contribution to climate change and its impact on the planet are quite likely to be dismissed as the musings of the Christmas-hating Ebenezer Scroo- ge. ‘Bah humbug!’ However, scientists are now warning that we could soon be having a ‘green Christmas’ because of the dramatic effects of climate change. Trees that used to shed their leaves in autumn are now often still in leaf in mid-December. Experts say it is only a matter of time before foliage remains until the end of the month. Of course that is not the green Christmas we need. Your Christmas gift to the planet could be cutting energy use and reducing consumption. But how do we keep our Christmas carbon footprints small? Here are a few tips to have a greener Christmas: Part of the joy of Christmas is the light’s which bri- ghten our homes. The good news is there are plenty of ways to reduce the amount of energy you use and carbon dioxide generated while still decorating your home with Christmas lights. Switching from conventional Christmas lights to LED lights will reduce your energy consumption by 90%, and because they don’t generate as much heat you could also be safer. A ﬁbre optic decoration can light a whole tree from a single bulb, and is just as ef- fective as a whole string of Christmas tree lights. Turning one or more room light off when you switch on your Christmas lights will make them look more at- tractive - and save energy. Try to only use your Christ- mas lights at night and when you are at home. There are plenty of alternatives to plastic decorations and tinsel. Instead of using artiﬁcial Christmas deco- rations and lights, hang greenery from the garden or organic seasonal fruit that can be composted when the decorations come down. We dump millions of dead Christmas trees each year. Trees pump out oxygen and soak up CO2, so this isn’t such a good idea. As an alternative you could decorate houseplants or look around outdoors for fallen cones and branches to transform your home into a festive wonderland. If you can’t do without a tree consider a living one and plant it after the festive season. Christmas is an ideal opportunity to catch up with friends and people we haven’t had a chance to see for ages. If you know someone who may be on their own at Christmas, invite them along to enjoy your celebra- tions. Billions of Christmas presents are exchanged every year. Consider the impact on the environment the gifts you give. Think about what you are buying, where and how was it made, and is it really wanted? Gifts that help someone else live more sustainably, such as books or seedlings for a veggie patch are always a good idea. Keep the emphasis on presence not presents. The gift of time is always a great alternative; consider gif- ting tickets to a concert or a conference or vouchers for a massage. Many charities and environmental organisations offer gift services which not only solve the problem of the gift for the person who has everything, but also help others or the environment for years to come. You can buy a goat for a family in Bangladesh or organise for trees to be planted to offset the emissions from someo- ne’s car for a year. To cut down on waste, you could wrap your presents in recycled paper, children’s drawings and paintings, or even glossy magazine paper. You could also save and reuse wrapping paper from gifts you receive. Using ribbon or string to wrap presents makes it easier for the wrapping paper to be reused. When planning your Christmas dinner, think food miles and buy locally-grown, seasonal and organic pro- duce. Buying local produce helps the local economy and is better for the environment because the produce hasn’t needed to be transported long distances in pla- nes, ships or trucks to get to you. Also look for a ‘Fair Trade’ label on the produce you can’t source locally. www.cultivate.ie CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WHILE HELPING THE PLANET AND YOUR FINANCES!Green Christmas 28 By Davie Philip

Technically advanced wall paints in vibrant colours, varnishes, adhesives, cleaning & care and much more from certified carbon neutral manufacturing. Superior to “non-toxic” they are consistently natural with precious raw materials from organic cultivation. Pleasant to use and dermatologically tested... No wonder that product leftovers are certified for household composting! a Natural mattresses and bed systems composed of organic cotton, truly natural latex, merino sheepwool, silk and coconut fibre for a refreshing healthy sleep based on these essentials: 1. Lying in the proper orthopaedic position 2. Outstanding climate regulation during sleep 3. Purity of the matrials used; checked for 570 chemicals 4. Electro-biological neutrality of the mattress For a test of the many mattress solutions and materials, please ring us. Healthbuild/Sligo: 071-9150095 www.dormiente.com Honeystone House/Macroom: 087-9082435 www.honeystonehouse.com

AS the ﬁeld of complementary health conti- nues to grow, the Theragem has emerged as an exciting new therapy which uses natural wave frequency, colour, light and crystalline energy to help with a wide range of ailments. Since the late 1980’s, advocates of the science of combining crystalline energy, li- ght, colour and frequency have continued to develop this therapy. It successfully blends ancient wisdom with modern technology and a wealth of clinical research has been built up demonstrating its effectiveness in treating a wide range of physical and mental illnesses. It is beginning to gain popularity and recogni- tion among doctors and practitioners across Europe and the United States. One Dublin based therapist, Niamh O’Brien introduced the Theragem to her practice earlier this year. Changing from a background in computers, she knew her real passion was in complementary medicine. She embarked on a 4 year Diploma in Naturopathy and Acupunc- ture with the College of Naturopathic Medi- cine, Dublin. In 2007, she established her own clinic treating clients with Chinese Medicine. She has since acquired the Theragem and uses it in conjunction with Acupuncture. “As an Acupuncturist and Naturopath, I am always exploring different avenues of com- plementary health and the beneﬁts they can bring to my practice. I had read a lot about energy medicine before coming across the Theragem. It didn’t take much research for me to realise that this was a therapy I wished to train in and add to my ﬁeld”. Niamh is very enthusiastic about the The- ragem, citing some of the many successes she has already witnessed in her practice: “The results I am having with my clients are wonderful. One client, who was told her open sore would take approximately 3-4 months to close, came to me and in just 4 twenty minute sessions using the Theragem, the wound hea- led. A lady with osteoarthritis, who could not bend her knee, was able to walk up the stairs after 3 sessions. Just last week, a new client to the therapy found relief from chronic sinus problems after just one treatment! In par- ticular, I am getting great results with sports injuries – inﬂamed conditions, sprains, strains and tears”. Another practitioner inspired by the ef- fective results of the Theragem is Michael Morrison, based in Co. Wexford. His own personal illness led him on a journey to the ﬁeld of energy medicine. Leaving a teaching post in UCD, Michael started a family busi- ness – Tuan Health Sancutary, working with both the Theragem and the Viofor machines. Michael was “in the power of conventional medicine for 25 years” in an effort to deal with Cystic Fibrosis, “a robotic disciple bowing to every doctor and wonder drug”. After visiting the renowned healer Joao de Deus in Brazil, Michael “realized only I will help myself”. Michael’s experience with the Medica Health units, the Viofor as well as the The- ragem, has changed his life for the better. He has decreased his use of nebulisers from 5 to 2 a day, no longer needs inhalers and has reduced his intake of medications. Mi- chael who is now the Irish agent for Medica Health’s leading edge equipment employs the Theragem and Viofor in his clinic. “Both machines have greatly added to my practice and my clients have a powerful, non- invasive energy treatment. Medica Health’s equipment is truly ecological. It’s win-win for both the client and the therapist”. One important advantage of the Theragem is its ability to gently rebalance the human “Assemblage Point”. It is the point in our electro-magnetic body where life force energy enters the body, and it is usually located in the centre of the chest area. This little known, but critically important aspect to health, vita- lity and well being is often found to be off- centre in people who have physical or men- tal problems, or who just report feeling “not quite right”. Victor Siwek has worked with Holistic Mas- sage Therapies for almost 13 years and belie- ves the human Assemblage Point is the most important point in our electro-magnetic body responsible for our thoughts, feelings and health. “When I help my clients relocate their As- semblage Point to the optimal location, I can immediately see the person becoming com- plete on every level”. Victor was seeking a therapy to make his work more dynamic and beneﬁcial to clients. When he had the opportunity to experience the Theragem for himself, he quickly became aware of the effectiveness of this therapy. Ac- cording to Victor, the Theragem can synchro- nize the work of the two halves of the brain, recharge the immune system, rebalance the body and the electro-magnetic ﬁeld and ena- bles the client to initiate the self-healing pro- cess. “It is the ‘new way’ to offer non-invasive and drug free therapy to my clients”. 30 THERAPIST’S TELL US THEIR SUCCESS STORIES WITHTHERAGEM DETAILS: Niamh O’ Brien INSPIRIT – Mind and Body Health Ramleh Close, Milltown & Oscailt, 8 Pembroke Road, Dublin. Tel: 0860737115 Website: www.inspirit.ie Email: info@inspirit.ie DETAILS: Michael E Morrison, Medica Health Agent for Ireland. Tuan Health Sanctuary, Castle Hill, Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford. Tel: (053)9235712 DETAILS: Victor Siwek Tel: 0879373783 DETAILS: Medica Health Ltd, The Sanctuary of Healing, Dewhurst Road, Langho, Blackburn BB6 8AF, United Kingdom. Tel: +44(0)8706094583 Fax: +44(0)1245249154 www.medicahealth.org

COMPLETE COMPLETE www.theragem.com UK +44 (0)870 609 4583 Ireland +353 (0)53 923 5712 A relaxing, pain-free therapy to restore balance and health Using a combination of electronically stimulated crystals, light and colour therapy, the Theragem releases healing energy to the body’s energy ﬁeld to: • relieve pain and discomfort • boost localized healing and regeneration • shift negative mood • correct imbalances that have caused illness • Treatment sets off a cascade effect of positive healing which continues deep within the body at a cellular level after the treatment. • Light and portable • Easy to set up, maintain and use • Crystal light therapy (dielectric resonance) – • proven to be effective with many different disorders • • Suitable for home users and therapists • • Optional certiﬁed training available • Medica Health Ltd is a supplier of leading-edge healing equipment. Proﬁts go to its parent companyThe Sanctuary of Healing, which is a registered charity. Blending ancient wisdom with modern technology REF: MHPL006 For our FREE information pack, including ‘The Missing Link: The Human Assemblage Point’, contact us:THERAGEM Blending ancient wisdom with modern technology www.medicahealth.org

Unfortunately too many of us discover Yoga after we have experienced some form of suffering, either physical or mental. Stress and anxiety, pro- blems with posture and our weight all stem from bad habits and unsuita- ble surroundings. From minor discomforts grow more serious ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetesor or depression. Many of us feel the way we are living our lives needs to change, that we need to be able to overcome worries or unhappiness. Yoga can be the path to a better life. Yoga has moved on from its image of hippies in baggy pants drinking herbal tea. Yoga and Yoga classes are becoming more and more acces- sible to everyone with many schools and community centres running their own Yoga classes. Dedicated Yoga venues are opening up in many towns and every good gym now offers Yoga classes to their clients. Yoga is an ancient method for keeping the body and mind toned and it is perfectly compatible with modern life as we live it in the western world. It provides us with a tool to help us cope with stressful times and shows us a way to act in these moments with freedom and serenity. Yoga is not a miracle cure, but by combining physical, mental and spiritual aspects of ourselves it can change the way we think and act. Yoga can also teach us to understand and explore areas of tension and imbalances which allows us to counteract aches and pains and to relax. The whole body will be more toned and ﬂexible while your mind will be calmer and more at ease. Yoga teaches us how to hold the body whilst moving or still. It also reminds us of the importance of breath and guides us back towards our own lost ability of breathing freely. Yoga can be an eye opener, helping to reconnect the body, mind and soul. It is necessary that each Yoga teacher provides the support, knowledge and conﬁdence needed during the class. At times, Yoga can be difﬁcult, but with the right modiﬁcations for each student’s safety and wellbeing, it is possible for everyone to experience a wonderful Yoga practice. The Yoga Therapy and Training Centre - YTTC is an internationally recognised school of Yoga founded to meet the demands for profes- sional Yoga training in Ireland and abroad. The YTTC runs Yoga Tea- ching Diploma Courses for different levels of Yoga. These provide the training and experience which will deepen the trainee’s knowledge and make it possible for them to pursue a career as a professional Yoga teacher. For more information please visit us at www.yogaireland.com 32 What can Yoga do for you?

Give your loved ones a gift of peace, calm and vibrant health this Christmas from Heaven and Earth Day Spa. Our specialist face and body treatments, combined with de-stressing techniques and spaces to rest and be quiet, creating a total offering for Beauty, Body and Soul Care. To order your gift voucher, please phone 01 284 3333. Feel free to drop in and enjoy an organic juice or living food lunches, while browsing our treatment menu. Heaven and Earth Day Spa, 19 Georges Street Lower, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin T: +353 1 284 3333 F: +353 1 284 3153 E: dayspa@heavenandearth.ie W: www.heavenandearth.ie THE KEY TO WELLBEING IS IN YOUR HANDS! REGULATE YOUR BLOODStrengthen your immunesystem Fight stress, anxiety and depression QUIT SMOKING KEEP DIABETESANDCHRONIC DISEASES UNDER CONTROL Learn the technique of NEURAL STIMULATION MANOS SIN FRONTERAS TREATMENTS AND COURSES INNEURAL STIMULATION WHAT IS NEURAL STIMULATION Is a non-profit association committed to help improve the quality of life and to support the right to a healthy life. It is a bionatural self-treatment technique which is complementary to traditional medicine. Through the conscious use ofyour hands, neural stimulation assists inrestoring the body´s balance of energy. Learn to treat yourself and others in a six hour course. For the first timein Ireland, course to be held April 11th and 12th 2009at Oscailt Integrative Healthand Therapy Centre, 8 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Tel 01 6603872, www.oscailt.com Free treatments will be offered Thursday 9thfrom 6 pm to 9 pm. WWW.MANOSSINFRONTERAS.ORG

USING raw and living foods is an evolutio- nary shift in the way we approach creating food. It is a plant based diet, using fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, superfoods, seaweeds, cold-pressed oil, fermented soya and natural sweeteners. It is completely vegan and uses no ﬂours or reﬁned sugars, making it suitable for Coeliacs, type 2 dia- betics, allergy sufferers, children and people just into really tasty healthy food. All the vegetables and fruit are fresh, giving you an energy boost that won’t leave you feeling heavy, bloated or sleepy...in fact, quite the opposite...its food for life! SO HOW DO WE MAINTAIN ALL THAT LIFE FORCE? Well, it takes time and love. What’s wonder- ful about the process of creating living foods is that through sprouting normal organic seeds and beans we awaken them into their evolutionary purpose, simply by soaking them in water. It’s a cheap and very tasty food which is full of life. My kitchen has no cookers or microwave oven, just a food pro- cessor, blender, and dehydrator. Plants and seeds have wonderful proper- ties that can be used for making dishes. There are oils in seeds, that when blended make delicious creams. Avocado acts as a great buttery alternative. Slicing and mari- nating courgettes makes a great alternative to pasta, and that is just the beginning. Science has shown that cooking food with temperatures over 42°c causes impor- tant enzymes, valuable nutrients, minerals, amino acids and vitamins to die. Raw Food contains all the goodness that would othe- rwise be destroyed by the cooking process and maintains its plant life force, which aids digestion, giving your body a nutritional boost and heaps more energy. I use some of the nutritionally highest known food sources in the world as ingre- dients such as raw Cacao products, Maca, Lucama, Mesquite pod, Spirulina and Seaweeds. Our ingredients are sourced as locally as possible or from around the world through local producers that use traditional methods. We choose organic, fair-trade, cold-pressed, hand pressed, low temperature extraction and gently fermented techniques that keep ﬂavours, vital vitamins, minerals and anti- oxidants intact and ready to nourish your body, mind and soul. Food is our medicine in every way. I have found that living a raw food lifes- tyle helped me to move through many dark and heavy old emotional pains that I had carried all my life. Because of the physical lightness of the diet, there is really nothing that your body can hold onto for that comfort feeling. The heaviness that breads, potatoes and other foods give us can act to block up not only our physical bodies but our energy bodies too. They can hold in place old ener- getic conﬁgurations that don’t serve us any- more and are now just habit. Our habits create us everyday. The same repetitive actions ﬁx in place the old stories of self-denial, low self esteem, guilt, etc. as equally as they liberate us through positive action. The body does not lie and, through authentic movement and action, we can a effect a deep and lasting change. We each have such a deep force available within us to heal. The dichotomy is that fear can feel more powerful than freedom. Moving through the fear can be a challen- ge. Going raw can accelerate the process of healing and clearing by bringing unresolved emotions to the surface and by bringing so much light and freshness, love and power to places that we have felt might never change. Raw foods can also, in a subtle way, be a political statement. Choosing to buy local, and not at big supermarkets, has a power all of its own. By promoting a local economy, we build community. To me, food is life and is an expression of love for ourselves and others. We are not alone in these times of change, and community is so important. Supporting each other with our pockets and hearts makes a difference. Believe me. www.natashaslivingfood.ie Why are raw and living foods so good for us? By Natasha Czopor 34

%DFNLQZKHQ,VWDUWHG WUDLQLQJDVDKROLVWLFSUDFWLWLRQHU ,ZDVPRUHH[FLWHGDQGLQVSLUHG WRKHOSRWKHUVWKDQPDNLQJ PRQH\RUDOLYLQJ,WZDVQ·WWRR PXFKRIDFRQFHUQDV,ZDV ZRUNLQJIXOOWLPHLQP\´SURSHU MREµOLNHPDQ\RWKHUWKHUDSLVWV 2YHUWKH\HDUV,·YHDWWHQGHGORWV RIFRXUVHVDQGVWLOOJHWHQWKXVHG DERXWOHDUQLQJQHZZD\VWRKHOS P\IDPLO\IULHQGVDQGFOLHQWV $QGWKHUHZDVDWLPHZKHQLWZDV IUXVWUDWLQJMXVWJHWWLQJHQRXJK FOLHQWVWKURXJKWKHGRRU$UH \RXGUHDPLQJWKDWVRPHGD\\RX PLJKWEHDEOHWRPRYHLQWRIXOO WLPHSUDFWLFH²OLNH,GLG" ,I\RX·GOLNHWKHIUHHGRPWR GHFLGHZKHQ\RX·OOZRUNZKHQ \RX·OOWDNHWLPHRIIHQMR\WKH UHZDUGVRIFKDQJLQJSHRSOH·V OLYHVHYHU\GD\WKHQQRZLVWKH WLPHWRVWDUWSXWWLQJLQWRSODFH V\VWHPVWKDWZLOOHQVXUHDVWHDG\ IORZRIQHZFOLHQWVHYHU\ZHHN ůůůŝŝŝĞĞĞŶŶŶƚƚƚƚƚƚƚƚƚƌƌƌĂĂĂĐĐĐƚƚƚŝŝŝŶŶŶŐŐŐ^^^ĞĞĞĐĐĐƌƌƌĞĞĞƚƚƚƐƐƐ >zz͊͊ 1RZLVWKHWLPHWRVWDUWSODQQLQJKRZ\RXZDQW \RXUWKHUDS\SUDFWLFHWRSHUIRUPLQ *UDED)UHHFRS\RIRXU&' )UHHWRWKHILUVW3RVLWLYH/LIHUHDGHUVQRUPDOSULFH¼ ³7KHELJJHVWPLVWDNHVSUDFWLWLRQHUV PDNHZKHQ³SURPRWLQJ´WKHLUSUDFWLFH «DQGKRZ\RXFDQDYRLGWKHP´ 'LVFRYHUKRZ\RXWRRFDQEXLOG\RXUSUDFWLFHZLWKHDVH72'$

Visionary Intuitive Healer Inna Segal is an internationally recognized healer, professional speaker, author and television host. She is the creator of Visionary Intuitive Healing® and her book, “The Secret Language of Your Body: The Essential Guide to Healing”. She offers people of all ages simple, effective processes to heal the emotional, mental and energetic causes of dis-ease in each part of their physical body. We caught up with her when she arrived home from Paris, where she has just launched the French edition of her best-selling book. Patrick: So, Inna, tell us a bit about your healing, spiritual journey so far. Inna: I’ve always had a sense that I was here for a big reason, to make a difference on a global scale, but it wasn’t until I got sick and no one else could heal me that I discovered my real life’s work. I tuned in to my own Divine Healing Intelligence and healed my physical pain almost overnight. (For the full story of Inna’s amazing recovery from serious health problems, visit www. innasegal.com) Soon after, I discovered that I could also tune into other people and help them to heal. I believe that we’re all born with this intuitive ability and if people are guided, in the right way by the right person, they can also have these abilities open up and make a huge difference both in their own life and other people‘s lives. It’s exciting to be able to do it, to be able to change people’s lives like that, but I’m also extremely practical and extremely grounded. I can be very sceptical about big claims that people make and always remind people that deep transformation takes time and even though I healed the physical pain in my body, quickly the emotional, mental and energetic blockages took much longer to release. My intention is to teach people a process of healing which is full, complete, works on all levels, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and energetic and comes from the highest source of divine love. Patrick: There are a lot of books about healing out there already. Why write this book, and why now? Inna: I ﬁnd that a lot of people get stuck on things that they’ve learned in the past, but they don’t realise that, vibrationally, the world is changing very rapidly. In the same way that technology has changed from vinyl records to tape cassettes to CDs and now MP3s, spiritual, emotional and vibrational energy is changing, which means that things that have worked really well 10 or 15 years ago don’t work as well anymore and can actually, at times, be dangerous, because something has changed in the world. I believe that we have to be intuitive to give ourselves the opportunity to tune in and become aware of the changes and the new wisdom which is coming. This does not mean that we should reject the Ancient wisdom, just marry the two. Patrick: Have you any simple techniques to help people tune in to their bodies and their intuition? Inna: This is from my book The Secret Language of Your Body and is similar to what I originally used to heal myself. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Count backwards from 30 as you take deep breaths and allow your mind and body to relax. Focus on an area in your body that feels blocked or where you have pain. Breathe into the area for a few moments and then put your hands on that area. Ask your body, “Is there a message you want to give me?” Take a few deep breaths as you allow any messages to come to the surface. Write the messages down. Say: “I call on my Divine Healing Intelligence to help release all pain, blockages and density from this area.” Allow yourself to watch and feel, as dense energy leaves your body. Say: “I call on my Divine Healing Intelligence to infuse this area with healing energy. I command that all the immune mechanisms of my body be activated and my body now return to a state of perfect balance and health.” Breathe in continuously for a minute, allowing the energy to build. Imagine a gold light moving through your body and repairing it. When you feel lighter, gently bring your awareness back to usual and open your eyes, knowing that you have activated your own Divine Healing Intelligence. Patrick: How can you tell the difference between your intuition and a regular thought? Inna: Intuition is a much more physical experience inside the body. It’s not a mental experience. It’s not a thought. It’s more of an inspiration and it can often be unexpected. Also, when we are not sure, it can be repetitive. Patrick: How can you tell the difference between your intuition and an emotion, such as a fear based on some past experience? Inna: You can’t tell the difference until you release the fear or the emotion from the past because its going to cover up your intuition. For example, when people tune into their physical body they will often feel something but it may not be what they want to feel so they will say, “I’m not feeling anything.” Which is how they cut off their intuition and their communication. Instead, people can ask their body questions like, “Is this feeling mine? Where does it come from? Can I release it?”. Then once they’ve asked, they can wait and allow the answers to come. Intuition can come from many different sources in many ways. It can come from you just receiving a message, or it can come from your asking speciﬁc, clear questions. The answers can also come from the universal intelligence or other people but you have to be patient and open enough to listen and to recognise the answers when they come. Not to go, “Okay, I need it this second,” and if its not here then, think that it doesn‘t work. Patrick: What’s the beneﬁt of going to a practitioner such as yourself for help with a healing? Inna: It has to do with experience. If you’re connecting to a higher source, you need to be extremely clear about what it is because there are so many energies out there now. I can tune in and tell you what’s going on in your mental, emotional, physical, spiritual levels at any point, and I ask for information about a person from their Higher Soul because it is a clear and pure source of information. INNA SEGAL

Patrick: How does reading your book compare with attending your workshops? Inna: In my workshops, I teach a few things that are not in the book and afterwards when people use the book, they know exactly what to do and it means more to them on a deeper level. An experience is different than just reading a book. In order for us to heal completely, we have to look at every aspect of healing and we have to start from the beginning. In many workshops and teachings people have separated the different aspects of our being, the emotions, the mind, the physical body, energy and vibration. In fact, its all connected and its all one. So, what I wanted to do was to take all of these aspects and create something that works on every level. I think that what I teach is extremely practical. It’s easy to use and it works on many different levels. With most of the processes, you can do them anytime anywhere and nobody would know. Its basically a lifestyle change, with simple easy things that make such a huge difference that you go, “How did I live without it?” Your life becomes more intuitive. It’s not that you don’t have any challenges, but you know how to deal with them. Patrick: What are some of your best habits for maintaining health and happiness? Inna: In my book, I give 10 basic principles for healing. In order to heal, you need to commit to making your health a priority. Feel your emotions rather than keeping them buried. Breathe consciously. Eat healthily and consciously. Move your body. Listen to your body. Be creative. Add more colour to your life. Make gratitude your attitude. Make laughter a priority. These principles are explained much more thoroughly in Inna’s book, The Secret Language of Your Body, and the EXTENDED VERSION of this interview can be read online at www.positivelife.ie, along with a chance to win a copy of Inna’s breakthrough book. 37

EMMA SAYS… Despite being a regular gym user, I found myself putting on weight. I’d tried lots of diets but all they did were make me ill and pile on the pounds. The health aspect was something I had been seeing my doctor about because I’d not felt well for maybe eight years ever since I mo- ved to Dublin in 2000. My doctor put me on tablets and sent me for tests suggesting my condition was IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). At its worst, I suffered from bloating to the extent where people would give up their seat for me on the bus because they thought I was pregnant. The constipation was very unpleasant for me because I would go weeks, sometimes a month, before I could go, and you can imagine what was going through my mind as the pain increased. I was also becoming increasingly tired and my face was covered in terrible acne. The spots on my forehead were really sore to touch and none of the creams ever helped. It also did nothing for my self- conﬁdence and nights out were an ever-decreasing rarity. Nothing really worked until my mum put me on to a food intolerance test called foodSCAN 113. As the test I took was a blood test, I thought it would be more ac- curate because it sounded more scientiﬁc, so I gave it a go and what a decision that was. When the results came back, I had to cut out wheat, gluten, dairy, egg and yeast. It was tough. The difference though has been amazing. The acne and stomach pain have all cleared up, but most amazing is the weight: I have lost 4 stone and gone from a dress size 16 to an 8. The only problem I have now is my wardrobe. I had to buy a new dress recently when I went to Amsterdam and I measured a size 8. Finding the right ingredients hasn’t always been easy but once I knew what I could and couldn’t eat and found the right places to buy the food - life was much easier. I got some food over the internet. It’s tough but with the right recipe books and of course the right test, I can live a normal life again. I’m not sure about Christmas yet, but at least I know what foods trigger off the symptoms, so as long as I stay away from those, I should be ﬁne.” YorkTest Case Study Name: Emma Holland Lives: Dublin Age: 30 Occupation: Legal secretary Result: lost 4 stone (down from a dress size 16 to 8) Symptoms: acne, bloating, tiredness, extreme constipation Foods: wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, kidney beans & brazil nut38 EMMA’S PARTNER COLIN COX SAYS… “It is amazing the change in Emma and even I have been feeling the beneﬁt of a better diet. To go along with Emma’s new regime, I haven’t been drinking any milk and I’ve got loads more energy too.” Emma Holland took a Â30 ﬁrst step food intole- rance test from YORKTEST laboratories. The test offers a negative/positive result from a tiny amount of blood which the customer sends off to a laboratory in the UK. In Emma’s case, her results identiﬁed a positive so she then upgra- ded to the second step or a foodSCAN 113 (RRP Â350). Using the same blood sample, this test will identify the actual foods causing the food intolerance and the degree of severity. To take a food intolerance test please call york- test.ie on 01 2022701 or visit the website “MY DRESS SIZE DROPPED FROM A 16 TO AN 8 IN A MATTER OF MONTHS AND I WASN’T EVEN TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT – I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET BETTER.”--

‘THE MAGIK THREAD’ HAS 1000’S OF TITLES SELF HELP AND INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS IN STOCK, ORDER ONLINE WHERE YOU SAVE 25% OFF NORMAL HIGH STREET PRICES’ WITH LOW POSTAGE COSTS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ONLINE NEWSLETTER FOR EXTRA SAVINGS THROUGHOUTTHE YEAR, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND STILL HAVE CHANGE IN YOUR POCKET. www.themagikthread.co.uk We also offer wholesale discounts to shops and therapists for more information email info@themagikthread.co.uk order today and use the code PL and get an extra 5% off your order.

I am fascinated by the different ways people choose to manage their physical health. Some seem content to treat their bodies rather like a rent-a-wreck hire car, handing it over to the men and women in white coats once they run into difﬁculties—usually sometime in their ﬁfties. This dependency continues until the vehicle is ready to be recycled. Others can’t conceive of letting anything other than organic, macrobiotic raw foods pass their lips, whilst never indulging in common vices like alcohol. City streets are no-go zones given the fumes. Yet others choose to follow the path of one of the ancient non- European systems of healthcare, such as Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many of us sit somewhere in-between. HOW RELIANT ARE YOU ON YOUR GP? My fascination is such that I frequently ask my audiences how many have seen a GP in the last 12 months. Within natural health-aware circles, it’s unusual to get more than a very small show of hands. Often no one raises a hand. At a recent London trade show only one person responded—and that lady was wheelchair bound. Those of us who choose to self-manage our health—or, if the need arises, see a practitioner of one or other natural medicine modality— are effectively moving through uncharted waters. Governments and the medical profession have no studies to prove whether we are more, or less, healthy than our counterparts who’ve handed responsibility over to pill-pushing GPs and their medical colleagues. However, they might realize, from the copious anecdotal evidence available, that the majority of us who have chosen to use natural healthcare appear to enjoy a greater level of health than those reliant primarily on drugs or surgery. Most importantly, they know that, despite regular attacks mounted against natural medicine by the orthodoxy and sceptics alike (and fuelled by well-oiled PR machines and a receptive media), we are not altering the way we manage our health. In fact, natural health and complementary medicine continue to grow. The pharmaceutical industry, in stark contrast, is struggling in the wake of increasing public recognition of the limited effectiveness, high cost and unacceptable side effects of many drugs. TIGHTENING THE NOOSE ON NATURAL MEDICINE One of the greatest threats to natural medicine is the complex regulatory regime emerging from Brussels. It comes in the form of a clutch of EU Directives and Regulations targeted at natural health products, like food supplements and traditional herbal medicines. The regulations also aim to limit what can be said (literally!) or written on product labels, websites or any other commercial presentation to what is agreed by the highest ‘authority’ on food in Europe, the Parma-based European Food Safety Authority. One complication is that there are many pieces of legislation to keep your eye on, whilst the main chance to lobby on these is whilst the laws are in the proposal phase. It’s also hard to convince people of the real threats posed when the spin-machine working on the other side is so well funded. Worse than this, once a piece of law comes into force it generally has very little effect as there is a slow phase-in period. In fact, many of the laws have transitional phases in which some provisions are not brought in for 4, 7 or—as in the case of the ban on implied health claims on brand names in the EU’s Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation of 2007—more than 14 years. This delayed impact is actually quite insidious, particularly as any legal challenge by judicial review (such as that conducted by my organisation, the Alliance for Natural Health, between 2003 and 2005) must be initiated within 3 months of a given EU law coming into force. In political terms, the slow boil of European laws on natural health is called ‘gradualism’; it helps everyone to adjust to each new, incremental level of restriction. WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE? This article is no place to bore you with the details. You can look at our website at www.anhcampaign.org if you would like to educate yourself on this subject. But I think it’s worth pointing out a few of the many timelines, known or estimated, that we’re up against: January 2009: expected publication by the European Commission of its plans to limit maximum daily dosages of vitamins and minerals in food supplements. Early indications suggest these levels will be considerably lower than those typically present today in Ireland, the UK and other more liberal EU Member States. Germany, for example, is pushing for maximum daily levels of beta-carotene equivalent to that which you’d ﬁnd in just half a large carrot, whilst it wants selenium levels no higher than those found in one-third of a brazil nut. It might take another year or two for these proposals to make it into law and there is everything to play for right now. 1 January 2010: an EU-wide ban on any food supplement containing a vitamin or mineral, or form of vitamin or mineral, that is not on the European Commission’s ‘positive list’. Fortunately, we’ve already managed to secure natural sources of vitamins and minerals outside the scope of this Directive, they now being subject to the same General Food Law that governs the safety of a loaf of bread. 2010 (date yet to be set ﬁrmly): all health claims about foods or natural health products and supplements to be banned unless speciﬁcally approved by the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority. This includes using published scientiﬁc references to support claims, unless they have been approved—which is in itself an arduous and expensive process requiring unequivocal evidence from multiple human studies. 31 March 2011: the date that the transition phase of the YOUR HEALTHYOUR CHOICE By Robert Verkerk

Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) expires. Depending on what happens between now and this date, many EU Member States might use it as a time to ban many herbal products currently used in food supplements, on the basis that their only acceptable usage is as licensed herbal medicines under the simpliﬁed drug authorisation scheme offered by the THMPD. They seem relatively unconcerned that the provisions of the Directive, as they currently stand, simply exclude, from a technical standpoint, a huge array of products associated with great traditions such as Ayurveda, Unani, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tibetan and Amazonian herbal medicine, to name but a few. THE GLOBAL CODEX AGENDA The EU, with its population now exceeding half a billion people, is one of the key drivers in global guidelines and standards on food. This is partially because the heart of both the World Health Organization (WHO), in Geneva, and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), in Rome, are both in the ‘Euro zone’ (in the non-monetary sense). It’s also because Germany, with one of the most restrictive domestic legislatures on natural health and food supplements, has for decades headed up the key committee on nutrition in the inter-governmental organisation responsible for global guidelines and standards on food, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, itself a progeny of the WHO and FAO. So, where do we go from here? THE NEW PARADIGM: SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE No amount of legislation, I believe, will stop people from accessing nature to help support the countless self-healing systems that abound in our bodies. Even the politicians realise this. And that’s when you start to appreciate that the primary driver of the ever-increasing raft of legislation affecting natural health is much more about cornering trade than it is about protecting consumer health, the latter being the oft-repeated claim of over- zealous regulators. Internet sales and black markets may be the last-stop café, but as Roosevelt and others recognised during ‘the prohibition’ (of alcohol) in the 1920s in the USA, it’s very difﬁcult to stop people doing what they really want. When it comes to natural health, people feel very strongly. In fact, in 1994, more Americans demonstrated against the planned ‘medicalisation’ of dietary (food) supplements than on any other issue in US history. While the composition of our diets gradually deteriorates, no thanks to the efforts of Big Agri and Big Food, many people have a strong urge to make up for the losses by ingesting concentrated nutrients. My belief is that this unshakeable and increasing interest that humans as a species have in consuming concentrated sources of nutrients, in the form of food supplements, is actually an evolutionary adaptation to the dietary simpliﬁcation that abounds in both the industrialised and non-industrialised world. This dietary simpliﬁcation is the central plank to the ﬁve major chronic diseases, namely cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis, that now provide by far the largest burden on healthcare systems around the world. Drugs and surgery have done very little to offset these diseases. The World Health Organization, one of the most authoritative bodies in healthcare, in recognition of this, have established the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (see www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/en) which promotes diet, nutrition and physical activity as the key means of combating these chronic diseases. Ironically, these approaches are the primary domain of Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM), and tend to be ignored or viewed as peripheral in orthodox medicine. Industry, politicians and the general public have begun to understand that nature is central to any sustainable approach, be it in agriculture, forestry, energy or tourism. All we need to do now is help them to appreciate that the same goes for healthcare. To ﬁnd out more about the Alliance for Natural Health’s sustainable healthcare initiative, go to: www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/ sustainable-healthcare 41

IN today’s fast changing corporate and busi- ness world our bodies and our minds are being pushed to their limits at speeds we have never had to deal with before. This is why so many in the corporate world are having exhaustion breakdowns and stress related illness. When we allow our lives to reach this stage of total unba- lance we become un-centred. Yoga is one of the many ancient wisdoms and techniques of age-old Indian culture that compliment our modern times issues. Through my extensive travel of Asia, I began to understand the secrets and magic keys the Indian people naturally embraced, which gave them such grace and balance in living in what looks to a newcomer like an overcrowded, unor- ganized, chaotic environment, which held many extreme weather challenges. One of the magic key foundations which holds all of India together is its understanding that our corporate, cultural and spiritual lives are all inter- twined and are one. The essential principles of modern day Hinduism and Buddhism arose from ancient texts known as the Vedas. The Vedas explain that how we are with our bodies is how we are with all daily aspects of our lives. Every corporate, cultural, spiritual, personal belief in our daily lives is connected at all times. In India, all you see once you can see through the veils of chaos is pure grace and peace of mind in the peo- ple. The word Business means only Busy-ness. This too is done with grace. When we begin to balance and learn the tech- niques and keys of thriving with grace then we are in the ﬂow of balance. It is just like doing our daily yoga. Once we place our minds to that area of our body and balance our heart-beat with the rhythm of our breath, we have created thriving with grace through our yoga practice. We do not have to stop that ﬂow and grace once we have left the yoga mat. We can, like most Asians, continue the essence of thriving with grace into the rest of our daily lives. Like yoga, it is the practice of the one position for some time which brings us to the feeling of ease and effortlessness in that position. It is the same for our corporate environments. We can practice the new thriving with grace approach and watch how, once we move into the ease and effortlessness, we bring a new force with immense clarity others will slowly follow. We do not need to achieve or approach our goals in the business world with a “divide, conquer, grab, pillage and plunder” attitude. This is only short-term achievement. Once we decide, like in yoga when moving from one position to another, to transcend through and above to a further point of stret- ching and reaching, we can achieve our corporate business goals with grace. We receive the feeling of rejuvenation and regeneration, balanced with clarity through to the next part of our journey in the world of ﬁnancial freedom and respect through valuing our worth. Like in yoga, our body we respect as a temple. Our beliefs and views of the practice to thrive with grace in the corporate business world and become the pioneers to bring our yoga bodies and minds into every aspect and moment of our lives. This is the foundation of the secret and golden keys of India and its people. grace 42 “As does the dolphin with fun and grace out manoeuvre the shark so too we do this with Thriving with Grace in the corporate world with ease and effortlessness”. Bernice M Paolozzi –Inner Coach ©2008 Bernice Maria Paolozzi Let’s Get Moving Together!! info@bernicepaolozzi.eu THRIVING WITH

For further information phone 1890 876620 or visit www.watermanireland.ie info@watermanireland.ie Oursystems have a 24hr repair or replace GUARANTEE for up to 10YEARS Waterman have introduced one of the most advanced water filtration products available with a built in UV sterilisation system YOUR BODY IS 70% WATER Waterman Ireland Has The Solution Askyourself why should I invest in a Waterman Purification System The answer is simple our systems are more effective at removing contaminants than any other product in the market. There are more than 3,000 chemicals in daily use, many of which make their way into our drinking water. Less than half of these have been tested for toxic effects on humans OURWATER IS 100% PURE The Role of Pure Water in Detoxification HEALING & MEDITATION WITH MARK CLEARY Mark runs an Alternative Medical Clinic in Dublin specialising in body work. His work involves addressing pain throughout the body by using gentle non invasive techniques acquired through his studies in Active Balance, Amatsu, Cranial Sacral, Massage, Meditation and Tai Jutsu (Body Movement). He has travelled extensively to gain knowledge and enhance his own Spiritual growth. Mark is also a Certiﬁed Primordial Sound MeditationInstructor under the guidance of Dr.Deepak Chopra. The treatment covers problems like pain in these areas head, neck, shoulders,Lr. Back, joint problems Migraine, depression, anxiety, panic attacks. Workshops cover introduction to healing and meditation, understanding illness, opening your own natural ability to heal, working with energy, advanced energy techniques for therapists. Contact: markcleary@eircom.net LLL#7J99=676<#DG< :B6>A/7J99=676C<5A#8DB K:CJ:/DH86>AI!-E:B7GD@:GD69! I=JGH96N:K:C>CG>IJ6AB::I>CC<7:6C76:H! BJH>8!6C9C<

Traditionally in the 16th Century, Spas were communes where people gathered to partake in the mineral and sometimes ther- mal springs and baths. They were places of rest and renewal with a detox element to aid in the elimination of the excesses of a rich diet. These places often revolved around towns or resorts, which had thermal or mineral springs. The mineral springs often contained salts and trace minerals. The warm water bathing aided relaxa- tion and the high salt and sulphur content helped skin condi- tions. Drinking the water was believed to aid digestion and the elimination of toxic overload. To stay with the original meaning of the word, a Spa must offer hydro treatments. Ideally, it should also offer juices or specialized waters to aid in the elimination of heavy metals. Heat treatments were also part of their traditional offering. Bath in England was a traditional Spa town. In Germany many towns with the name Boll or Baden had an original Spa resort as part of their town services. Nowadays, the word Spa is attached to almost every hotel, plus many stand alone day retreats. There can be many treatments on offer, from chocolate body wraps to make-up lessons and deep- tissue massage. It can often be difﬁcult for regular punters to chose the best treatment or even understand what is on offer. The better Spa’s offer consultations prior to treatment choice. These consultations take into account what is happening for a person that needs rebalance and care. The therapist then advises on a program based on these needs. So, what should you expect from your Spa visit today? That you leave feeling rested, renewed and ready to embrace your life again. That your skin is glowing and you look great. That some of the nasty habits of having too much sugar, caffeine and reﬁ- ned foods have released their grip on you. Stiffness and tightness in your being and muscles has loosened and you feel softer and more ﬂexible both mentally and physically, with more openness to receive all that Life wants to offer. My favourite Spa is in Florida, the Oasis Therapy Spa, which is attached to a clinic where one can partake in juice fasts, an alkali- zing diet, and rest by the salt-water pools. The deep-tissue mas- sage and the natural facial treatments combined with the dietary cleanse leave me totally renewed and looking younger for my years. I try to get there once a year for two weeks Another place in Southern Colorado, with its natural outdoor thermal pools in the San Luis Valley, is slightly more rustic but again a place for renewal of body and soul. In Ireland my getaway in- 44 is Cloona Holistic Health Spa in Westport. It is not a pure Spa as such, but the closest I can get to that renews me in every way. A total pamper without the detox, if one wants to also indulge in rich food is Samas Spa in Kenmare. In a time where we are racing and under much pressure with little time to be and think, Spa’s are the new sanctuary and places where people experience the ‘Sabbath” in their busy week. They should be restful and quiet and allow one to be. It is better that there is an holistic element in the treatment menu, with treatments such as Rolﬁng Massage, Reﬂexology, Shiatsu and Deep Tissue Muscular Release, Mystic The- rapy, Light Therapy to name a few. Natural beauty treatments that aid lymph ﬂow and use totally natural cosmetics are also a must. You should go back to your home and work with less toxic overload ,mentally, spiritually and physically. Feeling refreshed and renewed in your mind to take on the challenges that life brings. A banker friend of mind in Chicago sees spa time as an investment in his business. He says he makes clearer business decisions as a result of those retreat days. That is what a good spa offers you in today’s climate. Enjoy. Take time. The rewards will be so worth it. Mary Berkery, Founder and CEO of Heaven and Earth Day Spa, is a Beauty, Massage and Reﬂexology therapist and tutor. Mary is also qualiﬁed in macrobiotic diet and living food nutrition. Her seminars and workshops on Body, Beauty and Soul care are an inspiration on living with beauty health and awareness in today’s world. www.heavenandearth.ie Positive Life also recommends: Temple Spa www.templespa.ie Brooklodge www.brooklodge.com Kilronan Castle www.kilronancastle.ie PSA-rational

Health Retreat TheSPAatKilronanCastleEstateisdedicatedtoofferingyoutheultimatein luxurypampering,treatmentsandpackagescreatedtotranscendyouintoa worldofescapism.Choosefromthenewlyintroducedtreatmentsandproduct housesincludingSPCandKimiaSkincare,Lyonwaxing,EssiefornailsandBare EscentualsMakeupandthePerfumeStudio. Ourhighlyqualifiedteamhaveyearsexperienceandexpertiseintheindustry, weareconfidentthatweareofferingyouthebest! Ourspaisdesignedwithbothmaleandfemaleclienteleinmind;ourinteriors have beenspeciallycreatedforyourtotalcomfortandwellbeing. Feelfreetoexploreourluxuriouscollectionofhalf-dayanddayretreats,aswell aspersonalisedindividualtreatmentsanddiscoverforyourselfwhyKilronan CastleEstateandSpaistheplacetobe. Please phone 0719618000 orwww.Kilronancastle.ie Kilronan Castle EstateandSpa Facials Anti-ageing eyeTreatments Body Massage Hot Stones Scrubs & Wraps rasul & ﬂotations Pregnancy Poultice Treatments Men’s

IF you’ve got the guts, you can really change your entire life, starting today. Here is what you need to know: We humans are creatures of habit. Habits are automatic behaviours that we do wi- thout thinking, and you’ll keep living the results of your habits, good and bad, until you change them. YOUR HABITS AREYOUR DESTINY. Think about your personal success like a game of snakes and ladders. Your good habits (those ways of thinking and behaving that propel you forwards and increase your well being) are the ladders. The more good habits you have, the more successful you’ll be! Your bad habits (those ways of thinking and acting that rob you of vitality and enthusiasm and interrupt your progress) are the snakes. Your bad habits are liabilities that will keep costing you and holding you back until you get rid of them. FAMILIARITY GRAVITY Most people are about as successful in getting rid of their bad habits as they are in sticking to their new year’s resolutions. This is because humans gravitate towards the familiar. Doing something new and different pushes us out of our comfort zones and creates healthy stress that we can grow from. Most people, unfortunately, have a habit of retreating to what is familiar when they encounter stress, even if what is fami- liar isn’t good for them. THE SILENT INVISIBLE EPIDEMIC Familiarity Gravity is reinforced in our modern society where our senses are constantly bombarded with text messages, advertisements, phone calls, instant messa- ges, emails and a vast amount of informa- tion and choices. This continuous sensory barrage leads to our feeling overwhelmed and at the same time, distracts most people too much from dealing with that overwhel- ment and resulting stress. LIFE CHANGINGSECRETS When you take care of the important things, the other things tend to solve them- selves. Here are seven practices you can use often (until they become good habits) to totally transform your life: 1) Eliminate distractions & disruptions Figure out which personal and professional activities will create the most value for you, and then switch off your cell phone, email software, web browser and screen out any other potential distractions for a few hours each day to totally focus, undistracted, on what’s most important for you. You’ll get more done and feel less overwhelmed. 2) Prioritize your rest & renewal To perform at your highest level; you need to get the best kind of rest. Make sure you get enough sleep and include in each day some activities that help you process stress and increase your well-being. Life goes in the right direction when there are more sources of well-being than stress. 3) Eat for energy (not for entertainment) When you are choosing what to eat or what food to buy, ask yourself “Am I choosing to eat this for entertainment (the taste) or for energy (the way the food leaves your body feeling)?” When you chose to eat for energy, you’ll get more joy and entertain- ment from your whole life. 4) Make the most of your morning. What you do for the ﬁrst hour after you wake up determines how well you feel for the whole day. Dedicate the ﬁrst hour of your day totally to your own well being by doing some light exercise, stretching, listening to inspiring music and eat the healthiest breakfast you can. 5) Improve gradually and continuously. Each day, focus on doing something sli- ghtly better than the day before and enjoy the process. If you can improve your life by 3% each day for a month, your life will be twice as good. 6) Hang out with positive successful people Their attitudes and wisdom will rub off on you and they’ll hold you to higher stan- dards for your own good. 7) Invest in life changing experiences Do whatever you need to so you get rid of your bad habits and build better ones. For example, take a course, read a book, ﬁnd a friend who can be your success partner, or if you need to, research the right Therapist, Hypnotist, NLP Practitioner or Coach to help you change what you can’t change by yourself. You’ll be glad you did. With the above, you can do a Saint Patrick on your life and get rid of all the snakes and create a life you love living. To your success! Thomas O’Duffy is a Life Coach & Advan- ced Master Practitioner of NLP. He offers personal sessions in Dublin. You can reach him on +353 85 110 1111 or visit his website www.lifechanging.ie for a free video based life coaching course. Secrets to Successful Living By Thomas O’Duffy 46

WWW.POSITIVELIFE.IE TOSUBSCRIBE GO TO WWW.POSITIVELIFE.IE ONLY `10 FOR THE YEAR ALUXURYWEEKENDFORTWOATTEMPLE COUNTRY RETREATANDSPA www.templespa.ie APLACEONA DEEPAK CHOPRA CERTIFIED MEDITATION COURSE www.innerbliss.ie A BEAUTIFULHISANDHERS MASSAGEATOSCAILTIN DUBLIN www.oscailt.com AND YOU CAN WIN