In the Short and Sweet section of the magazine, we often feature companies that inspire us … and our recently-released Spring 2026 issue was no exception. In this piece, Niamh Ní Ghabhann & Karin Mueller share the benefits of daily rituals that incorporate the wonderful Solaris Tea. Keep reading to learn more!
We absolutely loved hearing about former supermodel Sophie Anderton’s healing journey and ongoing plans for her wellness sanctuary, Anam Kara Wellness, located at Glendalough House Estate. Read the full piece from our Spring 2026 issue below!
Our Spring 2026 Issue has hit the shelves, and this issue’s theme is Kindness! The magazine is now available at a health shop near you, or you can subscribe to have each issue delivered right to your door at https://www.positivelife.ie/subscribe/
The Kirtan Awakening
SOWING SEEDS OF LOVING SERVICE.
By Alison McEvoy
Krishna Das, devotee of the North Indian Saint, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji), is best known for his devotional singing and chanting in call and response style – known as the practice of Kirtan.
I first encountered Kirtan during my yoga teacher training course in an Ashram up in the Welsh Hills, in 2010. I
initially wondered what we were doing, how it related to the ‘yoga’ I’d experienced in parish halls and yoga studios in
Dublin. However, those wonderings fell away when I found myself drawn into an inner presence with myself by the sound vibrating within me.
THE TRADITION OF KIRTAN
Kirtan has been practised in India for thousands of years. It is tried and trusted, loved and revered as a practice of Bhakti Yoga – a yoga of awakening the loving devotion of the heart.
“When I’m chanting, the only thing I do is sing. I pay attention to the sound… anything that comes into my mind I
don’t focus on it, I just let it go and keep coming back to the sound of the music… the mantra. I move deeply into the loving presence that’s like our true nature… If I don’t sing, I sink. So, I keep singing.”
FINDING YOUR WAY TO ‘OKAY’
Krishna Das is refreshing in the way he speaks of what Kirtan does for him as a human being. Rather than transcending being human, ‘going beyond’ the mundane, or reaching a blissed-out state of being, he describes Kirtan as restoring him to a ground of being where he feels secure and grounded.
“When I’m chanting…becoming more aware of those feelings [loving presence], you get in touch with a basic
okayness in yourself, regardless of what is going on ‘out there’, which is a big thing… We’ve lost touch with this basic feeling that ‘inside I’m okay’…it’s covered up by our stuff, our anxiety, fear, shame and worry.”
Mantra carves a way through the thoughts carrying the shame, anxiety and worry and connects to the inner loving presence within that appreciates who we are, recognizes our ‘okayness’. We do not have to analyse the thoughts, reason with them or tend to them…there is a letting go and letting be. They may indeed remain with us but without taking centre stage, without blocking our access to being okay with who we are and “a basic good feeling” about ourselves.
“When I chant, the clouds part and I’m able to enter more deeply into that place inside. What it is, I don’t know, but it feels good.”
UNCOVER A LOVING GROUND WITHIN
After a while of living in India, recounts Krishna Das, he noticed the genuine love and affection among families. For many of us in the West and in more so called ‘developed’ countries, the focus of life shifts away from family and onto career, status and the individual’s journey through life, unfolding their personal potential.
Herein may lie the loss of loving presence in and among us. Where we do not encounter genuine “love and affection
and kindness” in our families of origin, we quickly lose sight of our true nature, lose out on the experience of receiving or giving these emotional and spiritual essentials. The resulting experience of lack within, neglect of our emotional and
spiritual needs for love, affection and kindness, can lead us down so many tracks as we search for contentment, hardly aware of what we are missing in the first place.
“The family life in the West is so lacking in real love and affection and kindness. People are so driven and so neurotic… In India, no one is going to throw you out of their hearts. And that gives you a feeling that’s much richer and realer and kinder to yourself in a way…In the West we are programmed to treat and judge ourselves so harshly.”
“It’s one of the reasons the world is in such bad shape because nobody loves themselves and everybody is looking for some substitute for self-love; power, fame, money, sex, love, stuff…”
“Chanting practice pulls you out of your stuff and moves you in the direction towards the place within that is just ok by itself, always has been, always will be.”
So many of our choices in life stem from not feeling ok with who we are, what we truly feel, and what we genuinely want. It can be hard to realize at some point in our lives, that what we have; the job, the relationship, the friendships, the roles and positions we play, may not be coming from our true, free and sovereign choice. Perhaps we chose these things out of an inner yearning that is deeply unfilled – a yearning for acceptance, belonging, love and affection. And sadly, the ‘stuff’ never fully satisfies these yearnings, such that the yearning and the search goes on….
It is so important to find something that connects us to an experience where we can access feelings of love, acceptance and belonging within who we are. Music, chanting, mantra is this medicine for so many around the world. Krishna Das acknowledges that when chants, he is sharing his medicine with the world.
“I share my practice that I do for myself with people…The chanting I do for myself, and people are part of the practice.”
SPIRITUALITY MADE SIMPLE
So where do we begin? How can we start restoring love to ourselves from a lifetime of seeking substitutes and not knowing what we were really missing in the first place? So often the world of spirituality is made out to be something complicated, mystical or out of reach. It is a breath of fresh air to realize that it need not be. It is perfectly within reach of hands and hearts, who want it to be so. We can all, as Krishna Das says, plant seeds in our own lives everyday, by choosing whatever brings us closer to love and kindness for self and others.
For KD, each chant is planting a seed.
“Every repetition is a seed we are planting in our own being, in our karma flow, in our own flow of life…And when
we plant a seed, it grows. You don’t stand around waiting for it to grow. You plant it, water it and then you go do the rest of your life.”
As well as planting seeds of love, kindness and affection for yourself and those close to you, it’s important to notice
where we are unconsciously sowing seeds which are not what we truly want in our lives.
“Unfortunately, every thought is a seed…twenty-four hours a day we’re planting seeds and most of those seeds
are just like weeds. At best they’re neutral but most likely they’re desire-driven, negativity planting those seeds. So, when we decide to plant some good seeds…some seeds of wholesomeness…love and caring and compassion and kindness, that’s a really big thing. Because only we can plant those seeds in our lives. Nobody can do that for us.”
THE ROOT OF SPIRITUALITY = SERVICE
Contrary to what we hear that spirituality is an individual journey, Krishna Das shares the perspective of his guru, that while “we thought the spiritual path is about me… it’s not.”
Oftentimes, the battles we face can be overcome by reaching a place of service to the world and others.
Our inner battles through fear, shame, anxiety and guilt cannot be fought alone, nor within the mind with thoughts.
It takes inspired action, action infused with heart, with love, with service to our higher selves and the higher selves of others.
“How do you find God? Serve people. How do your raise Kundalini? Feed people.”
Indeed, this strikes a chord. I’ve noticed, since becoming a mother and since having an older parent, that I am less occupied with myself. The devotion, the cooking, the feeding, the tending that I’m engaged with on a daily basis, has carved pathways in me that I could not explore before. No workshop, retreat or practice ever brought me this level of humility, self appreciation, courage, softness and grace. Just when I had to stop searching, I found what I had been seeking. Life gave it to me when I tended to myself and the people and circumstances around me.
THE PARADOX
We also need to remember that we are ‘people’. This is where the inner loving ground needs to be established. If we give from a place of not feeling good enough – giving to feel ok or giving to ‘be spiritual’ – then we are using spirituality as a substitute.
Krishna Das continuously includes ‘ourselves’ in the words of wisdom that flow from him. We are not to be forgotten in the giving. We are not to be martyred or sacrificed or our needs abandoned. We are as deserving of the service of our loving thoughts and actions, as every other human around us.
“If we allow our hearts to be completely destroyed by the amount of negativity we find in the outside world, then we are not good for anything. We can’t help anybody, we can’t help ourselves.”
“So, regardless of what’s going on out there, we have to find a way to meet each moment without fear, without shame
and without anxiety. We have to find a way to stay available to ourselves and others… That is our work and if we can do that, then we’ve done a lot.”
For Krishna Das, it is singing and chanting that lands him so deeply into himself, his inner core of loving presence, from wherein he can serve the world. For, you it might be spending time in nature, creating art, dancing, writing or any number of things that cut through the inner and outer noise of life and connect you to the feeling that you are okay just as you are. It is from this place where we are best positioned to show love and kindness to ourselves and to others. This is enough. This is already living a spiritual life. “It’s really not our world to run. It’s our world to live in and do the best we can.”
JOIN IN THE MAGIC OF MANTRA
Krishna Das will be in Dublin for a night of mantra magic on Saturday March 28th at the RDS, followed by an afternoon
gathering on Sunday March 29th, where he will share the stories, insights and teachings of the heart he has learned along the way. See positivelife.ie/events
We absolutely loved Alison Canavan’s article in our Spring 2026 issue, which pinpointed the energetic difference between true kindness and people-pleasing. Read the full piece below!
Tantra writer and educator Dawn Cartwright is one of our much-loved regular collaborators, and we greatly enjoyed her piece in our Spring 2026 issue, on ‘the language of kindness’. Check it out below!
Our spring 2026 Issue has hit the shelves! Guided by the theme of Kindness, each page is filled with love, care, and connection. Get your copy at a health store near you or have it delivered to your door each season at positivelife.ie/subscribe <3
Divine Remembrance
THE LANGUAGE OF THE ROSE.
by Alison McEvoy
I’m attending a restorative yoga and healing class with Celine Florence these Sundays. I felt the calling to restore in circle, to gather in rest. On the first night, I noticed roses adorning the centre of the room and the scent of rose. I felt it almost speaking to me.
That evening, I remember feeling like I’d been taken right into the tenderest part of the rose, in among the softest petals, and just rested there in the class. It was a truly beautiful experience.
The second week, during the relaxation, I had memories resurface…
The rose garden in my local park, a place I used to go every single week as a teenager and twenty something. I’d journal or lie on the grass and take in ‘beauty medicine’ as I used to call it. I’d go there for days on end if I was recovering
from heartbreak.
When I lived abroad, a lonely and struggling twenty something, I found a rose growing in some random garden that would ‘speak’ to me – that life is beautiful ultimately and that my inner resources are deep despite my ‘sweet and kind’ exterior.
When I eventually shared my experiences with Celine, we had a conversation where it felt like time stood still. She revealed she is the founder of the Rose Ray School of alchemy. She told me of the ancient stories and myths of the ‘Rose Lineage’; the rose was seen as a keeper of sacred wisdom, a conduit for divine teachings. I felt tears in my eyes. I felt like I had never been alone and I somehow knew that each time I would pass a rose I would feel something familiar, something that reminded me of truths that would keep me through the storms of life.
If a rose has ever ‘spoken’ to you and inspired compassion, kindness and self-care then I recommend you delve deeper. The rose is resurfacing through so many sisterhoods and schools and for good reason. She has been here all along, with our grandmothers, mothers and now, with us.
celineflorence.ie
True Colours
61-YEAR-OLD FATHER SEES COLOUR FOR THE FIRST TIME.
A 61-year-old father broke into tears when finally seeing colour in his world for the first time after receiving a special
Christmas gift.
Jim Gogan always had trouble seeing reds and greens. In fact, when he joined the Air Force, he wasn’t able to
become a pilot because he couldn’t read the radar screens.
For years, his family talked about gifting him a pair of special colourblind glasses, but in December, his son, Kyle, was finally able to make it a reality—thanks to a bonus from his employer.
A video shared by the family (pictured above) shows Jim in tears after seeing colours clearly for the first time.
“He’s never been able to tell colour,” said 39-year-old Kyle, from South Carolina. “He’ll say things like, ‘grab my blue
shirt,’ and it’s green.”
Before giving him the glasses, Kyle had printed out colourblind tests for the whole family to take—and Jim got almost every question wrong.
Then, Kyle handed him the glasses and the results were immediate.
As Jim placed them over his eyes, and looked at the coloured drawing of a Christmas tree, tears began to well up in his eyes.
“It was very emotional watching my dad react,” Kyle told SWNS news agency. After composing himself, Jim retook the test and, this time, got every answer correct. The colour red delighted him the most.
“He kept commenting on how beautiful the bricks on houses were.”
The next day, the family took Jim on a drive to enjoy the outdoors in all its colourful glory.
Caring Collaboration
“FREE STORE” PROVIDES FOR EVANSTON COMMUNITY.
by Persephone Kianka
Last December, the 611 Free Store, a pop-up in Evanston, Illinois, opened to allow people in need to “shop” for food,
household items, clothing, and other essential items for free.
Fuschia Winston, a community organiser with the grassroots nonprofit Evanston Community Cares (ECC),
founded this initiative to help meet the community’s growing needs. As the Evanston RoundTable explains, the ECC is a partner of the 611 Community Care Hub, which temporarily houses the 611 Free Store and Evanston Community Fridges.
Customers who visited the store could fill two bags if they were alone, or fill one bag per person if they came as a family. Eight people were permitted in the store at a time, which was divided into several small rooms, to give shoppers a dignified shopping experience.
“We want people [to] come in and feel comfortable [where] they get to shop for a certain amount of time and not really
feel the pressure of snatch and grab or get things before they’re gone,” Winston explained.
According to her, over 150 households visited the store in December. Currently, shopping is limited to one bag per person per month, with additional shopping time offered to mutual aid volunteers. Fortunately, high-demand items, such as toiletries and household supplies, do not count toward the bag limit.
The Daily Northwestern shared the inspiring words of ECC co-founder and organiser Valerie Kahan, regarding
the city’s recent mutual aid efforts: “Evanston Community Cares has been a facilitator and a connector for all of these different organizations,” which includes procuring and promoting spaces, as well as fundraising. “We’re all just connected and collaborating,” Kahan said.
Though the future of the 611 Free Store is uncertain, there are ways for the community to keep giving no matter what, like donating to Evanston Community Fridges, as Winston urges.
PLANT YOURSELF BESIDE SOULS WHO LONG TO GROW -ANGIE WEILAND-CROSBY
Our Positive Life Spring 2026 Issues is Out Now! The theme of this issue is Kindness, a simple but powerful practice that we often overlook. We dive into all things Spring Vibes to see what’s going on in the community! HEAD HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAG
let your health bloom
1. TRUST YOUR GUT
The self-proclaimed “fermentation nerds” at Cannumo have created a next-level fermented bacteria drink, Goodie, to help you restore your gut microbiome from the ground up. Every bottle is backed by a decade of microbiome research and third-party lab tests, giving you the confidence to invest in your gut health with Goodie. With just two shots of the stuff a day, its 96 strains of bacteria can get to work, balancing your microbiome and improving digestion, immunity, and overall well-being! cannumo.co.uk
3. HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS
We like the sound of ColonWell, a 100% organic, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, GMO-free dietary supplement suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Developed by Pharmacist Mantas Jakimavi?ius in collaboration with “the people he has had the honor of interacting with,” this product was designed for people looking to improve bowel function or lose weight—the healthy way. Mantas has also created three clear programs to ensure customers reach their personal goals while taking Colonwell. colonwell.net
3. KINESIOLOGY COMMUNITY
Systematic Kinesiology (SK) is a “holistic approach to health that combines muscle testing, energy balancing, and emotional release techniques to assess and restore balance in the body”. ASK Ireland, the home of SK in Ireland, has been building a strong, supportive community that promotes the benefits of this technique since 2000. On Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd March, you are invited to join them in celebrating 25 years of Systematic Kinesiology in Ireland and shaping the future of holistic health here. askireland.ie
4. FUEL YOUR HEALTH
Following a traumatic paragliding accident, Ryszard Porebski discovered the power of Liposomal Encapsulation Technology and used it to create a product for his own healing. That’s how POREBSKI Liposomes was born. With a range of powerful products registered and supervised by HSE (Health Service Executive) officers in Ireland, we invite our readers to try their Liposomal Milk Thistle with Vitamin C. Made with pure 80% plant extract, it improves liver function and promotes gastrointestinal health. porebskiliposomes.com
5. SUPPORTED SLEEP
We spend one third of our lives sleeping, and it’s no secret that the quality of our sleep has a huge impact on our physical and mental health. That’s where Irish wellness company Naze comes in. Providing high-quality nasal strips and mouth tape, they facilitate a smooth transition to nasal breathing, supporting deep sleep and improving asthma and oral hygiene. If you’re ready to lessen snoring, improve sleep quality and wake up feeling like you actually slept, check them out! nazestore.com
holistic healing
6. GENTLE CLEANSING
Adrienne, founder of Aria Healthcare, understands that a holistic approach to good health starts with good colon health. A healthy colon is key to a flatter tummy, better skin and quick detox, which can be achieved through her colonic treatments. We concur, and on our visit, we found Adrienne to be a top-class practitioner, as she made the experience flow so smoothly. We highly recommend her services to anyone looking to uplevel their health issues using the power of diet and natural cleansing methods. ariahealthcare.ie
7. HERBAL HELP
Medical herbalist and holistic practitioner Lola Lara is proud to offer an integrative approach to healthcare, using herbs, reflexology, nutrition and wellbeing advice. This unique combo works well to enhance the body’s natural healing, which clients can start to experience after a consultation session with her in Dublin. She even offers personalised natural herbal remedies, “a bespoke formula carefully blended to meet your individual needs”. lolalaraherbalist.ie
8. BLESSED REMEDIES
We picked up some amazing black seed oil at the recent Mind Body Experience and had to share it with you all. The brand is Sidr and Stone, whose oil is sourced by a chap based here and third-party lab-tested for purity. This trusted remedy can be used for everything from improving immunity and digestive health to hair growth and scalp care. With 10% of all profits going to charity, there are so many reasons to love this brand. sidrstone.com
9. SPIRITUAL SKINCARE
If you’re seeking a natural glow-up this spring, check out Aartha Organics. We love the sound of their skincare products, which blend “the wisdom of nature with the science of clean beauty” to nurture skin, mind and soul. Their best-sellers include Rolit & Lovit Eye Serum, Luxurious Plumeria Body Oil, and Glossy Mandarin Lip Balm, but whatever you choose, you can expect an experience of “conscious Luxury, rooted in nature”. aartha.ie
supportive spaces
10. ENERGETIC SUPPORT
Jennifer Dundon is “a highly sensitive intuitive empath, starseed and lightworker,” trained in Yoga, bodywork, coaching and various forms of Energy Healing. She also spent many years living in an ashram in India and touring the world with Amma (The Hugging Saint). Now she offers powerful one-on-one and group sessions supporting the realignment of body, mind and soul. These include workplace wellbeing workshops, which offer a much-needed space for employees to recharge, as well as improve team dynamics and creativity. jenniferdundon.co
11. SANCTUARY RETREAT
OsoHolistic Sanctuary, located outside Westport, will be hosting an exciting retreat from June 3rd to 7th. Corresponding with the beginning of summer, this five-day gathering offers “a structured pause as the season turns”. Through daily sound journeys, embodied movement, structured reflection, and time in nature, guests have the opportunity to “regulate the nervous system and restore clarity”. There will also be time for unstructured rest where they can freely enjoy the woodland, coastline and relaxing indoor space. osoholistic.com
12. POWERFUL CATHARSIS
If you’re seeking a safe yet powerful way to release pent-up emotions, consider joining a screaming workshop next time you’re in Germany! Facilitator Andrzej is a certified coach for somatic voice work and embodied transformation, passionate about creating spaces where people can use their voices to experiment, express and release in ways that aren’t always possible in daily life. We found the experience fun, cathartic, and very comfortable, even though it was our first time screaming our hearts out! screamyourheartout.com
expand your consciousness
13. ELEVATION IN ITALY
What sounds better than rewiring your mind and rising into mastery, all in the heart of Italy? NLP Trainer and Mindset Coach Danielle Serpico will facilitate this incredible transformation in a breathtaking villa over two weeks this June. The first week will be an NLP Practitioner Certification Training from June 13th-20th, and the second will be an NLP MASTER Practitioner Certification Training from June 20th-27th. Whether you’re new to NLP or ready to step into mastery, this is a “once-in-a-lifetime experience, designed to elevate every part of you”. theblackbeltmastermind.com/nlp-in-italy
14. POWERFUL PRANA
Discover Pranic Healing is proud to welcome Master Hector Ramos to Ireland this March. This humble and most wonderful Master Pranic Healer is here to do some amazing events, including The Archangels, Spiritual Helpers & Devas Workshop®, teaching how to work with the energies of the Archangels, and The Inner Teachings of Christianity Revealed®, a profound spiritual course uncovering the true meaning of key Christian symbols and parables. Don’t miss him, for he is truly a light in this world! discoverpranichealing.ie
15. POSITIVE NIGHTS
We have some very exciting Positive Nights coming up, including a Krishna Das concert on March 28th at the RDS. It’s nearly sold out, so get your ticket now to hear the “Rockstar of Kirtan” live! We will also welcome back Lorie Ladd in June for a powerful day workshop, “Accessing God Consciousness”. Look forward to another biggie in autumn with the author of Dying To Be Me, Anita Moorjani. Positive Life Editor Persephone recommends this book to anyone seeking the root cause of their health issues so they can finally heal them. positivelife.ie
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