Fabulous February: Hello, Positive Lifers! As spring begins to dawn on the horizon, it’s that time of the month again: time to sit back and enjoy this collection of inspirational events, products and holistic news we have put together for you.
We are excited to announce that Níall Ó Murchú – one of the foremost practitioners and teachers of the Wim Hof Method of breathwork here in Ireland – will be joining us at Positive Nights on Thursday January 31st from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in Bewley’s Café, 78/79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2.
The Wim Hof Method is an internationally renowned way of working with the breath and the body’s natural rhythms in order to ease tension and stress, thereby leading to improved health and vitality. You can transform how you feel and how you think by learning the Wim Hof Method here in Ireland. Níall frequently offers in-depth workshops, retreats and one-on-one sessions will give you the skills you need to live a healthier, happier and stronger life.
Níall describes his journey with the Wim Hof Method thus:
“It was late and dark. I was sitting on the floor waiting for the printer to finish printing my Wim Hof Method 10-week course manual. ‘I’ll give this a go when I’m waiting,’ I thought, clicking the play button. ‘What’s he saying? Breathe fully in, and what? Let go.’ Josie. my wife, was looking over my shoulder. She saw: reduce stress, deal better with grief and trauma. ‘Right, we’re trying this Wim Hof Method.’”
“Within a few days things had changed. We both woke up bright, alive and laughing. We were enjoying ourselves again. The constant grind of nappies, bottles, crying, work (and doing it all again) didn’t disappear. But, our old tired selves did. Instead, they were replaced with two people who felt full of oxygen, energy and love. Some days, I felt so full of energy I thought: “If I jumped up now, I think I could fly through the roof.”
“This was because we learnt to unlock our body’s potential simply and effectively. We learnt to breathe deeply and profoundly. We learnt to use the cold to awaken our inner energy. We learnt to be focused and relaxed.”
If you are interested in learning more about the amazing benefits of the Wim Hof Method – and giving it a try for yourself – come along to Bewley’s Café, 78/79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. on Thursday January 31st. Click here to book your tickets.
We are excited to announce that Níall Ó Murchú – one of the foremost practitioners and teachers of the Wim Hof Method of breathwork here in Ireland – will be joining us at Positive Nights on Thursday January 31st from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in Bewley’s Café, 78/79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2.
Acclaimed Irish author Andrea Hayes is holding a launch event for her new book, Mind Body Soul Journal, in Lillies’ bordello on Thursday January 17th at 6.30 p.m.
We are delighted to share the full text of our exclusive interview with Marianne Williamson, taken from our new Autumn 2018 issue. Marianne will be visiting Dublin on Wednesday October 10th 2018, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Co. Dublin. For more information and tickets, go to seminars.ie. To learn more about Marianne and her work, go to marianne.com.
by Aisling Cronin
Marianne Williamson is one of the world’s most renowned spiritual teachers, authors and speakers. Seven out of her twelve published books have been New York Times bestsellers. One of her powerful statements in the classic A Return to Love – “Our deepest 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” – has become a guiding light for spiritual seekers around the globe.
When we asked her to summarise her extraordinary career, Marianne simply said, “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that life isn’t about the big dramatic moments that stand out, so much as it is about the consistent effort to live a better life. It’s up to us to make any one moment stand out, by standing tall within it.”
Marianne will be speaking in Ireland on Wednesday October 10th 2018, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Co. Dublin. Ahead of what is sure to be an inspirational talk, we spoke to Marianne about her thoughts on Ireland, world politics, Aretha Franklin, and how the famed A Course in Miracles – a remarkable 1976 book written by Helen Schucman, who said that she channeled the words directly from Jesus – has touched her life.
During your seminar in Dublin, you’re planning to talk about how we can learn how to transform our lives for the better, based on the insights you have gained from A Course in Miracles. We would love to know more about that subject. Have you had the opportunity to travel to many places in Ireland before, or are there any particular locations in the country that are special to you?
One trip I took that remains with me is when I went to Knowth and Dowth. Extraordinary. What amazes me about Ireland is that, unlike most civilisations, it was as amazing in ancient times as in contemporary times. That’s not all that common, you know. Newgrange and James Joyce? Seriously. Not many countries can claim that kind of thing.
The world has heard a lot about Ireland recently, and I’m curious about your own transition from external emphasis on religious dogma to the internals of spiritual growth. Obviously there have been some tragic lessons learned, and hopefully the principles of A Course in Miracles can help to shed some light on your path ahead. People studying and teaching the Course in Ireland are doing tremendous work, and I just hope I can add to the conversation with whatever insight I’ve gleaned.
The teachings within A Course in Miracles have been central to your life and work over the years. When did you first encounter this book, and what is the greatest gift that its teachings have given you?
I first saw A Course in Miracles when I was in my mid-twenties. The greatest thing it has taught me is that the lesson to be learned is always my own: my own need to forgive, to rise to the occasion, to be kinder, to be more generous, to accept people as they are, to be less judgmental. There’s always a temptation to make the problem about other people, but the Course is adamant that the work is always on ourselves.
‘Only a politics of love overrides a politics of fear.’ This is a truly beautiful quote from your book Healing the Soul of America, and as the book celebrates its twentieth anniversary, that quote has never been more timely. What do you envisage when you speak of a ‘politics of love’? We all know what a politics of fear looks like – all we have to do is switch on our television or read the news online – but how do you envisage politicians, or indeed, ordinary people relating to each other when they come from a place of pure love?
The same principles that guide us in our individual lives should guide our politics. If the point is to be a good person, then the point should be to be a good society. A good economy. And so forth. I think the economic principles that now organise our societies should be replaced by humanitarian ones. We’ve allowed money to become a false god, seen as the source of human happiness; but in fact, it’s the other way around. Money doesn’t create happiness so much as happiness creates money. When people are happy we’re naturally creative. We naturally manifest. A politics of love is one in which we see love as the bottom line, politically and economically as much as in our personal interactions. Politics is the work of our collective journey, and the effort to increase our compassion should be a political as well as a personal goal.
Are you optimistic about the future of our world? Do you have hope that humanity, as a whole, can move away from its old, self-centred ways and learn how to live from a love-centred perspective?
Hope is a moral imperative, so yes I have hope. But I also understand how evolution works. When a species’ behaviour becomes maladaptive for its survival, it will evolve or it will go extinct. And humanity’s collective behavioural patterns today are definitely maladaptive; the survival of our civilisation as we know it is not guaranteed. As it says in A Course in Miracles, “There is a limit beyond which the Son of God cannot miscreate.” So these are sober and sobering times, but yes, I have hope. I believe in my gut we’re going to turn things around.
Your recent tribute to Aretha Franklin was deeply moving – you said that her music ‘was more than the music of my soul: she was in many ways the opener of my soul, a light on my path, a goddess who chanted what I could not chant and cooed what I could not coo and howled from the depths that I had not yet reached.’
It’s not an accident that Aretha began singing in her church as a child. That connection between her spiritual roots and her musical expression is part of an age-old pattern, seen among all peoples at all times, that dates back to the earliest temple experiences. This is not just sociological data; it is a spiritual fact. God and sex came together in that woman like nothing before and nothing since. Even in her early 20s, she sang with the soulful wisdom of an ancient. She cried out from her amazing depths, and in so doing, delivered us to ours. She did for us what all great artists do: she reminded us of what is truly true, she viscerally realigned us with our deepest selves. We were incredibly blessed to have her among us in our lifetime.
I have long believed that while many gifted artists, singers, musicians, or writers may not overtly describe themselves as ‘spiritual teachers’, their work nevertheless touches our souls in a way that is hard to explain.
All great artists affect me that way. Art is spiritual and spirituality is an art. What great artist isn’t “channeling”, and what spiritual teacher isn’t creating something beautiful?
What is your advice to those who have just started to get in touch with the spiritual side of their being – people who could be described as ‘newly awakened’, or who have just begun to understand that there is more to life than materialism?
Just know that forgiveness is the key to happiness. Whomever you haven’t forgiven, there’s your work. Once you know that, it becomes a full time job just monitoring all the crazy ways we judge and attack each other in our minds.
What are your plans for the future? I know you are planning to release an online video course with Hay House, based on A Return to Love and your experiences with A Course in Miracles. Are there any further new books or other projects in the pipeline?
I have an online class that will be coming out soon called Teaching The Teachers, specifically geared towards those are healers, therapists, teachers or coaches. It’s time for me to start passing on some of the things that, as a teacher, I’ve learned along the way. I hope it’s helpful. The universe is asking all of us to step it up now. Anything any of us can do to help each other do that, feels to me like the thing that matters most.
Marianne’s upcoming Irish seminar will take place on Wednesday October 10th 2018, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Co. Dublin. For more information and tickets, go to seminars.ie. To learn more about Marianne and her work, go to marianne.com.
Summer is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate than by getting out and about to enjoy some exciting events or sample some of the best holistic products on the market? Read on to learn more about the highlights we’ve picked out for you for this month. If you haven’t picked up our Summer 2018 issue yet, make sure you call into one of our stockists throughout the country soon. You can also subscribe here to get a copy delivered right to your door.
Veginity has long been a go-to spot for vegan foodies … and if you are a fan of this innovative food truck business, you’ll be glad to hear that they have found a new, permanent venue at 101 Upper Dorset Street, Dublin 1. Whilst adjusting to the joy of being in their new home, Veginity is continuing to supply the scrumptious plant-based fare that has won them legions of fans over the past few years, ever since Australian chef Mark Senn originally founded the business as a food truck. We love their imaginative approach to food preparation … not to mention their mouth watering desserts. Make sure you check them out!
We have two exciting events on the Positive Nights calendar this month! Tonight – Thursday July 12th – we will be playing host to parenting expert and educator, Genevieve Simperingham. Genevieve will be discussing the peaceful parenting philosophy she teaches, which equips parents with the tools to transition to a non-punitive, connection-based parenting approach. This will take place from 7.00 to 9.00 p.m. in the Bewley’s Café Theatre, 78/79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. For further information and booking, just click here.
Judith McAdam is a theologian, holistic life coach and the bestselling author of The Source. Throughout her career, she 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. Judith weaves together the ancient and the new drawing on mystical theological traditions and connecting this information to contemporary psychology and science in an accessible and impactful way. We are thrilled to welcome her to Positive Nights on Thursday July 19th, from 7.00 to 9.00 p.m. at the Bewley’s Café Theatre, 78/79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Click here for further information and booking details.
Marianne Williamson is one of the world’s most respected spiritual teachers. She is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Seven of her twelve published books have been New York Times Best Sellers. A paragraph from her mega best seller A Return to Love, beginning “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” is considered an anthem for a contemporary generation of seekers. Marianne is visiting Dublin on Wednesday October 10th 2018, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dublin. Drawing on her insights from A Course in Miracles, Marianne will speak about how we may transform our own lives and what we can do to change the world. Click here to view the event page, buy tickets, and learn more.
Linda Culleton is a holistic therapist with a great passion for assisting people who suffer from adverse mental health conditions. “While working as an accountant, I pushed my body and mind to the limit, and due to this, I began to suffer with severe anxiety,” she explains. “I later developed a condition called Obsessive Compulsive disorder, of which the OCD symptoms were intrusive thoughts of harming myself and others.These OCD symptoms were devastating to live with.” She explored many different avenues that could assist with her healing process, including Kundalini yoga and meditation classes. During this time, she discovered a specific breath exercise called the OCD Breath in Kundalini Yoga Meditation. She credits this technique with transforming her life. She now offers one-to-one consultations, group programs, yoga and meditation classes, and Skype consultations. She is passionate about helping people to cope with mental health challenges.
On September the 8th and 9th, 2018, Dublin’s RDS will play host to the amazing Vitality Expo 2018, brought to you by Health Stores Ireland. The Expo will be dedicated to all things health-related, with a diverse array of wellness, lifestyle, fitness and nutrition talks being delivered by Irish and international speakers and natural health brands. Confirmed exhibitors include Abundance and Health, Altrient C, Hifas Da Terra, Dr. Mahers skincare, Genovese Pestos, Macánta, NaturaLife, Optimal Brain and Sun Chlorella. The Expo will will also feature a Food and Cookery Stage, and Outdoor Entertainment Area (offering live music, yoga and pilates sessions, as well as a kids’ area) and The Village, where you can sample tasty delights from over 100 artisan and local health food producers in the Irish marketplace. We recently interviewed Patrick Holford – who will be present at the show – for our Summer 2018 magazine. You can read the interview here.
Our Summer 2018 issue has officially hit the shelves, and we couldn’t be more excited! We wanted to share an exclusive sneak peek of our interview with the world-renowned spiritual teacher Adyashanti (this issue’s cover star). He spoke to us about awakening on different levels of our being, the student-teacher relationship, and what Ireland means to him. Adyashanti and his wife Mukti will be visiting Dublin this August. To read the full interview, pick up a copy of the Summer issue in your local stockist, or subscribe online today.
by Aisling Cronin
Interviewers: Daizan Kaarlenkaski and Paul Congdon
Adyashanti is an American-born spiritual teacher who is devoted to serving the awakening of all beings. He promotes non-dual teachings, based on recognising both the infinite spiritual possibilities and the everyday simplicity of our lives. He is the author of a number of successful spiritual titles, including The Way of Liberation, Resurrecting Jesus and Falling into Grace. We were thrilled to interview him recently and hear about his thoughts on the student-teacher relationship, his relationship with his wife Mukti, working with his father, and what Ireland means to him.
Could you tell us about the way you share your dharma teachings? For example, you never answer questions directly, but instead offer questions for people to ask themselves.
When I am dialoguing with somebody, my goal is to help them discover an answer or a resolution inside themselves, for themselves. All true realisations come from within the individual. In my style of teaching, I put a lot of responsibility on the students because I think that in the spiritual community, the students are far too often infantilised and treated like children. It is often encouraged for students to relate to the teacher as a child would, rather than interacting as two adults in a state of mutual trust. Grown-ups make their own decisions.
Do you think there can come a point when the student-teacher relationship needs to evolve for the student to gain true autonomy?
Yes, I think if a student has too much projection around the teacher – if they’re projecting all of their own holiness and light onto them – then the teacher does become a barrier. People put these projections onto the teacher because they hope that the teacher is going to be able to ‘save’ them. To the extent that we allow ourselves to become involved in that projection, the projection is what becomes a barrier. I was with my teacher for about fourteen years before she asked me to teach, and I noticed then that our relationship changed. I was still open to what she had to say, and open to her direction and guidance, but I related to her as an adult and not as a child. Teachers are best regarded as mentors, rather than as ‘gods.’
How do your teachings translate into your day-to-day life, in terms of your relationships?
Mukti and I have one of the most harmonious relationships that I know. I’m not saying it’s the most harmonious relationship in the world or anything, but it’s always been something that comes relatively naturally to both of us, which is really lucky. It has felt so natural for us to be together and part of that may be because we never imagined that it was the other person’s responsibility to ‘make me happy’. It has certainly matured over time. It had a lot of those effortless qualities from the very beginning, but nothing stays static – you are either maturing or regressing, one or the other. For twenty-two years, I have kept thinking to myself, ‘it can’t get any more profound than this’ and the next year, I find myself thinking, ‘wow, it did!’ Relationships can be one of the greatest areas of growth there is. To have a successful relationship, you’ve got to be a clear, adult, mature human being. That applies to relationships of all kinds: lovers, friends, family, even strangers.
Adyashanti and Mukti will be visiting Dublin this August for a Special Intensive teaching event. This will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday August 19th, in the Gibson Hotel, Point Square, North Dock, Dublin 1. For details, go to: www.adyashanti.org
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