Our publisher Paul Congdon was thrilled to enjoy a beautiful retreat in Kerry recently, courtesy of the amazing folks at Stay YNA. He shared the whole story in our Autumn 2019 issue – to hear all about it, just read on. The full magazine is available through your local stockist, or you can subscribe online here.
One of our favourite sections of the magazine is our Positive Vibes section, which features some of the products, events, and foodie treats we’re loving this season! Check out our Autumn Vibes article below, as featured in our Autumn 2019 issue. If you haven’t picked up a copy of the magazine yet, check your local stockist here, or subscribe here to get it delivered right to your door.
Join us for an exploration of psychedelics’ potential with the founders of InwardBound, Ireland’s first psychedelic retreats business. This event will take place on Thursday September 12th from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in Central Hotel, 1-5 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.
Looking for a real treat to lift the January blues, Positive Lifers? If so, check out Soul Centred Retreats’ ‘New Year, New You’ retreat, taking place in Aherlow House Hotel, Co. Tipperary, from January 14th to the 17th.
As this year draws to a close, many people’s thoughts are turning towards warmer days ahead … and if you’re looking for a getaway with a difference in 2019, we have a great suggestion for you. Learn all about the magic of the Earthsong camps in this beautiful article by Ruth Pinson, which appears in our Winter 2018/19 issue.
This beautiful reflection on the famed Spanish Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route by Brendan McManus gave us some food for thought. This account of his incredible journey appears in our Winter 2018/19 issue, and it’s got us feeling inspired … have any of you ever walked the Camino or a similar pilgrimage route, Positive Lifers?
It’s time for our Winter Vibes roundup! This selection of amazing holistic products, services, events and news appeared in our Winter 2018/19 issue. If you haven’t yet seen the magazine, click here to find your nearest stockist, or here to subscribe and receive a copy direct to your door.
Looking for a restorative and deeply healing retreat experience this winter? If so, look no further than the amazing Nourish women’s retreat led by Judith McAdam and Kathy Scott. It takes place in the The Elbow Room Escape, Donard, Co. Wicklow, from 4.00 p.m. on Friday November 30th to 2.00 p.m. on Sunday December 2nd. Read on to learn all about it!
Nourish is a special weekend retreat inviting you to experience a heartwarming winter break in the Wicklow mountains, so you can acknowledge and celebrate all that is sacred at this time of year.
This retreat is designed for women who feel drawn to unplug, unwind and unravel before the intensity of the Christmas season kicks in. This will be a deeply nurturing journey that will enable you to reconnect, restore and rejuvenate from the inside out. We promise warm fires, delicious food, wild landscape, hot tubs and great company. All are welcome and no experience is necessary.
Join Judith McAdam (author of The Source) and Kathy Scott (creative director of The Trailblazery) for an alchemical weekend of yoga, mindfulness, energy alignment, visualisation techniques, kundalini kriyas, ritual, creative practices and other gifts from the wisdom traditions.
This will be a deep healing experience where you will:
• Move in tune with the natural rhythms of the season
• Explore what makes you feel really alive inside and out
• Tune into your intuition and psychic abilities
• Release habits and patterns that are holding you back
• Embody the power of intention and start to deliberately create your own reality.
• Welcome the gifts in store for the year ahead
Judith McAdam, author of The Source, is a mother, theologian, kinesiologist, life coach, course facilitator and inspirational speaker. Throughout her career Judith has been inspiring women and men to tap into their unique creative intelligence and step into their true potential realising their personal and higher purpose in this life.
Kathy Scott is a creative producer, curator and strategist in the cultural arena. She is the Creative Director of The Trailblazery, ‘The Ireland: Iceland Project’ and Wonderlust at Body & Soul Festival. She is currently artist-in-residence at Trinity College Dublin. Kathy is trained in the Sivananda, Anusara and Kundalini yoga methods.
Retreat Date: 30th November to 2nd December 2018 Time: 4pm Friday to 2pm Sunday
Venue: The Elbow Room Escape, Donard, Co. Wicklow https://www.the-elbowroomescape.com/
Investment: €395 each for Shared Room or €425 each for Twin Room
Click here for more information and a full programme of events. For Booking & Enquiries: Contact Anna at judithmcadam.ie@gmail.com.
We’re still on a high after attending the wonderful Vitality Expo in the RDS last weekend. For an in-depth tour of the atmosphere on the day, and a behind-the-scenes insight into the people who made the event so great, make sure you watch the live video we recorded over the weekend, showcasing the presenting skills of our very own Paul Congdon! Catch it here.
We wanted to put together this list of our best picks from the show. If you didn’t get the chance to go, consider this a recap of the best and brightest offerings!
Eskimo 3 Fish Oil
Eskimo-3 aims to differentiate themselves from many other fish oil brands through an unwavering commitment to high quality. They are proud to be one of the purest, safest and most environmentally friendly fish oils on the market.
Rossmore Health
Rossmore Health, located in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, is a family owned business founded in 1997. They stock a huge range of natural products, covering areas such as weight loss, energy boosters, immune enhancers, detox, skin care, joint care, sugar free candies and snacks (diabetic friendly), and food supplements.
Macánta Nutrition
Macánta Nutrition Ltd. is an Irish company based in Galway producing high quality nutritional supplements that are available exclusively within Irish Health Stores. The word Macánta itself means honest/sincere, and to the company, it represents the standard for everything they do. In the design and development of their products, product integrity and quality are number one priorities.
Wild Nutrition
Wild Nutrition was formulated by the best-selling nutritional author, practitioner and speaker, Henrietta Norton BSc DipNT. The company’s Food-Grown® supplements provide superior nutritional support throughout the key stages and events in life. In 2018, Wild Nutrition won the Best Natural Supplements honour at the Beauty & Wellbeing Awards.
Pravera
Pravera is dedicated to helping people lead a healthier life. The company specialises in offering its customers the best possible product options in the fields of cosmetics, skin care, natural household cleaning and more. Some of its brands include Lavera, Primavera, SoulTree, Khadi, Organyc, Organii, and EcoCosmetics.
Nature’s Plus
Nature’s Plus has worked hard to earn the loyalty of millions of satisfied consumers and health food retailers worldwide with their emphasis on high quality at every stage, from manufacturing to on-time delivery to their work with retailers. Nature’s Plus is committed to supplying superior quality natural vitamins and nutritional supplements.
April Danann’s Shroom Coffee
Holistic coach April Danann takes great care when producing her amazing Shroom Coffee. The coffee is blended with medicinal mushrooms: reishi, shiitake, cordceps and lions mane. It also contains organic cocoa powder, cinnamon, roasted dandelion root and chicory root. Delicious! Click here to read all about it.
Abundance and Health
We were very impressed by Altrient C, Abundance and Health’s innovative vitamin C sachets which promise up to 98% absorption, thanks to liposomal technology. Liposomal Encapsulation Technology consists of microscopic healthy fat particles which are made up of phospholipids, along with water soluble vitamins and minerals. This technology has been used for many years as a way of delivering small amounts of therapeutic substances to the specific tissues of the body, without affecting any other part of the body.
TurmeriX
Turmerix is a new company that specialises in producing high-quality, fast-acting turmeric powder. This powder also contains an “X-blend” of supporting spices and herbs: cinnamon, coconut powder, green tea, liquorice, kelp, fennel, vanilla, aniseed, caraway, ginger, clove, cardamon and more.
Ooom Snacks
Many of us are on the lookout for something that can reduce stress and help us achieve a sense of balance. Stefan and Lorenzo – the dynamic duo behind a brand-new food company called Ooom Snacks – have come up with a nutritious solution. Ooom products have a measurable anti-stress effect, due to the presence of adaptogen plants. These plants can increase our body’s ability to resist the detrimental effects of stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol.
Hifas Da Terra
Hifas Da Terra is a Spanish biotechnology company founded in 1999. The company is committed to improving people’s quality of life using the previously untapped medicinal properties of mushrooms. This emerging science is called mycology. Hifas Da Terra’s range includes medicinal products, food, skincare goods and supplements.
Creacon Wellness Retreat
Creacon Wellness Retreat in New Ross, Co. Wexford, is dedicated to giving guests the most relaxing retreat experience possible when they visit, offering comforting and nutritious food, spacious rooms, and a range of interesting activities through a daily opt in/out schedule that includes Five Tibetan yoga, Gentle Hatha Yoga, Japa Meditation Class, Mandala Class and more. Tara Congdon wrote about her experience with them in our most recent Autumn 2018 issue. You can read Tara’s full article here.
Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honouring the vision of their founder Dr. E.H. Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating their profits to help make a better world. These fantastic products are available in Ireland through their wholesaler, Life’s Great.
Genovese Foods
Genovese Foods is an award-winning producer of pestos, tapenades and mayonnaise, with a passionate clean food ethos. Their ranges include: Genovese, Oh Mayo and the brand-new Veggie Earth, which was launched at the Vitality Expo. It contains delicious pestos, tapenade and veganaise (a type of mayonnaise produced without eggs).
Mag365
Mag 365 produces high-quality dietary supplements to assist individuals in achieving optimum health, while simultaneously providing education on how a healthy lifestyle and supplementation can increase quality of life. Their powdered magnesium supplements contain a highly bioavailable active ingredient called magnesium citrate. All natural ingredients and no fillers.
Alison Canavan
The acclaimed wellness coach Alison Canavan gave a great talk at the Expo – and Paul caught up with her for a quick chat which you can watch here. Alison runs a highly successful series of health and wellness shows around the country called the Full 360 Tour. Check her website for full details! You can also read her most recent article for us here.
Monmore Organic Male Grooming
We were intrigued by the products of men’s skin care brand, Monmore Organic Male Grooming. The company describes themselves as “an Irish brand with Italian quality”. They create unique combinations of ingredients which are carefully blended to ensure the collective works as one, smell subtle, feel good and leave skin and hair in prime condition.
Grown Clothing
Grown Clothing is an Irish ethical clothing company inspired by the sea, coast and wildlife of Ireland. They use only organic, post-consumer and earth friendly materials to make their garments … and the clothes themselves are of an amazing quality!
Kama Hemp Juice
This juice packs a powerful punch! Kama Hemp Juice is high in calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, provitamin A, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and iron. The company grows their hemp organically, under the sun, wind and rain, on our family farm in Co. Monaghan, Ireland. They harvest and juice the crop at the very peak of its growing season to ensure that its nutrition is preserved at its best.
Creacon Wellness Retreat in New Ross, Co. Wexford, served as the perfect getaway location for Tara Congdon, who described it as “a blissful place.” Learn more about it below!
by Tara Congdon
I recently had the enormous pleasure of taking a trip to Creacon Wellness Retreat. Creacon is cosily nestled a stone’s throw from New Ross in Co. Wexford. On entering the little driveway, a cute Buddha welcomed me with a smile from the garden, and as I parked, my eye was drawn to a sign that said, ‘it’s a wonderful life.’ My usual frantic adrenalin immediately began to settle itself.
I tumbled out of my car and into reception, passing sweet chimes on my way, setting the tone for my adventure. An aside – bags hanging out of me and arriving late, just a few minutes before dinner, I was distracted from the fact that my top had pretty much come undone and so I stood in front of Veronica, the receptionist (decorated receptionist, I might add: Veronica won the 2017 Receptionist of the year award) in my bra – I have to say I would highly recommend it as an icebreaker because it gave us a great belly laugh and we were solid buds from then on.
From the minute I saw my beautiful bedroom, named Hawthorn, and my big cosy double bed, all of my busy world faded away and I was completely enchanted by the place. There is Anespa Alkaline mineral ion water in the bathrooms – it helps relax the entire body, helps improve dry skin, poor circulation, eczema, insomnia, stiffness, fatigue, rheumatism and much more.
Creacon serves Kangen water, which is alkaline water. Some of its benefits include: relief of IBS and Acid Reflux, lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, and alleviating stress and anxiety!
At dinner, I was served up the most delicious menu of nutritious, wholesome and healthy plate of food – homemade marinated salmon served with basil mousse and garlic crostini, followed by a vegetarian ragu and polenta. Later, I had some chamomile tea with cookies in the heart room.
The café has recently opened up daily to the public too. The chef is Gaetano Pernagallo, who believes ‘food is medicine.’ The benefits of each dish are listed on the menus. Something I really liked is how everyone seems to gravitate together for meal times – including the staff – and it’s like chowing down with your family. It’s warm, with lots of storytelling and great craic too.
Some of the other lovely treats I discovered during my stay at Creacon were the bijou conservatory area for quiet time and meditative colouring, the yoga/meditation room equipped with cushions and cosy mats, the relaxing heart room, sometimes showing an inspirational film, and the upstairs yellow room with the most snug couches.
There is a daily opt in/out schedule, including things like Five Tibetan yoga, Gentle Hatha Yoga, Japa Meditation Class, Mandala Class … there really is something for everyone! If you wish, you can book a consultation or private session. Everything is put together so carefully to nurture and love its guests. Nothing is missed.
I am blessed to have had this experience. If I was to put my finger on one stand-out from my stay, it was, without a doubt, the people: staff and guests. Funny, witty, warm, honest, down to earth people – I immediately felt like part of the family … and I just felt completely at home. Creacon is a blissful place!
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