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A recent news feature has drawn my attention to the program of ' Wellbeing Hubs' in the NHS in the UK. The obvious question is why do we not have the same in the HSE structure. Over 100,000 people work as healthcare professionals in Ireland who need this type of support from the HSE. Over 75% of NHS healthcare staff have considered resigning such is the corporate structure that induces burnout and compassion fatigue and moral distress to boot. Add a good dose of bullying and you get logarithmic resignations. More and more medical doctors are leaving the system. There urgently needs to be a movement in Ireland and the UK of ' Spirituality & Medicine'. This is a movement of training that is now run in most medical schools in the USA. Having delivered the Learning to Exhale Mindfulness program in 10 Irish hospitals to 3,500 we have seen the need for training in self-care and building resilience. However no program can be ethically designed to train staff to tolerate an unhealthy working environment and to tolerate bullying. The structure and workplace also needs to be transformed.  Burnout in NursingDr Chiara Dall’Ora, Dr Zoe Ejebu, Professor Jane Ball and Professor Peter Griffiths examined responses from 870 nurses in the UK, looking at the factors affecting their work life. The evidence found working shifts between eight and 12 hours, low staffing levels and having no choice over shift length were associated with an increased risk of burnout in nursing staff. These factors, coupled with rarely or not taking breaks, were also associated with exhaustion. Conversely, the researchers concluded that staff who have a complete choice over shift patterns were less likely to experience burnout and exhaustion.  Photo by Emily Underworld on Unsplash NHS Wellbeing Hubs - Why not HSE too?The staff mental health and wellbeing hubs were set up by the NHS to provide health and social care colleagues rapid access to assessment and local evidence-based mental health services and support where needed. The hub offer is confidential and free of charge for all health and social care staff. The hubs can offer a clinical assessment and referral to local services enabling access to support where needed, such as talking therapy or counselling. This is a separate and confidential from a staff members organisation. The Wellbeing Hub is open to health and social care staff, from all services and settings. You can self-refer or refer a colleague (with their consent). The NHS run a number of health and wellbeing programs for staff. Mindful Beauty Nurses' Gift Box
€39.99
For the very deserving nurse in your life, give her/him the gift of self-care and relaxation. Our Nurses' Gift Box contains the following:
IMPORTANT: Kindly indicate your Eircode/postcode and mobile number to ensure correct delivery. Wellbeing Apps for NHS StaffApps can be a great way to get fit, find recipes and just make life at times easier. There is a great CBT app that I have been suggesting to people lately. By clicking on this text you will be directed to the source page of what wellbeing apps the NHS is currently offering. When you go to the site you can see there is a selection of six to choose from.  Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash Learning to Exhale AgainThe Learning to Exhale eight week mindfulness program has now been delivered to 3500 people, in 10 HSE hospitals and to rave reviews. If you would like to have the training delivered to your staff, colleagues and organisation contact Ralph by email rqf@learningtoexhale.ie
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Five Stars - Excellent Many of us are aware that there is a drugs crisis in Ireland. Drugs are available everywhere from the local GAA to the pub. Treatment centres in the past used to mostly deal with cases of alcoholism they are now seeing more and more 'cross addicted' cases. Alcohol and drugs. You could actually say it is a silent pandemic - one of addiction. So this movie County Lines that was released in Dec 2020 is a very important and realistic depiction of what it is like to live or even better, fall into the drugs world as a minor. I saw it this week on BBC 2 quite late. Quite late because I don't think the BBC wanted too many people to see it. Not to understand what is taking place. This is also a problem now in Ireland, rarely reported on, along with knife crime and child prostitution. Kids in Ireland are now being targeted in children's homes by pimps in much the same way they were in Manchester. The UK National Crime Agency estimates over 10,000 children are involved. We could have a similar figure here soon. Nonetheless the culture is here. County lines is a form of criminal exploitation. It is when criminals befriend children, either online of offline, and then manipulate them into drug dealing. The 'lines' refer to mobile phones that are used to control a young person who is delivering drugs, often to towns outside their home county. Knock Knock You Owe Us 5K?Some parents get to suddenly discover two things some night up and down the country. The first is John or Jilly have a sudden debt of 5,000 Euros and secondly that they are a drug addict. The debt will be enforced and is for immediate payment to the drug dealers who will use all sorts of tactics including harassment and violence. So this is why RTE should broadcast this movie to help people understand what is taking place. Conrad Khan Shines in Movie |
| Professor Mel Mercier leads the Irish Gamelan Orchestra (IGO) and established the Irish Gamelan Orchestra in 2013, with the aim of developing a collaborative approach to the composition and performance of new music for gamelan. In addition to creating music for theatre, the 14-member ensemble performs a repertoire of original music, which is co-created with a host of musicians, actors, poets and dancers, including most notably; Fiona Shaw, Martin Hayes, Brooklyn Rider, Joseph O’ Connor, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Julie Feeney and Colin Dunne. |  |
Gamelan is the classical music of Indonesia stretching back almost a thousand years. The orchestra is made up of tuned gongs and other bronze percussion instruments, with a handful of softer instruments such as the bamboo flute, the two-stringed fiddle (rebab) and drums (kendhang).
Each gamelan orchestra is individually built and no two are tuned exactly alike.
This gives each gamelan its own distinct character or timbre. Each new gamelan is given a name of recognition on its birthday and premier performance.
The one in University of Limerick, which was made in Indonesia forged traditionally in brass, was fittingly named 'fragrant flower'.
Each gamelan orchestra is individually built and no two are tuned exactly alike.
This gives each gamelan its own distinct character or timbre. Each new gamelan is given a name of recognition on its birthday and premier performance.
The one in University of Limerick, which was made in Indonesia forged traditionally in brass, was fittingly named 'fragrant flower'.
Every Moment is Divine
The night opened with the students followed by various artists and my favourite was Kathleen Turner who is a singer, songwriter, community musician and vocal tutor at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, where she is Course Director for the Masters Degree in Community Music and teaches on a number of programmes including MA Songwriting and BA Performing Arts.
I thought the song was a work of art she sang, only to find out later she wrote it too. Apart from the song being lovely I thought the structure perfect, its poetry inspiring and rhythm intriguing when fixed with the gamelan. So true Turner - every moment is divine. Her voice had a lovely 'folkysy' timbre to it.
The dulcet tones of Iarla O' Lionard were in super form for the evening. He chose a poem in Irish from the time of old Irish and it was magnificent. This dovetailed into an article that I was reading earlier in the week about the tradition of 'ollamh' in Ireland before the colonialists took 40,000 Irish off to Jamaica as slaves and dispersed everyone else across the globe. The 'Ollamh' was a healing medical tradition of Ireland connected to medical schools even ones in Persia at the time.
No wonder we like reggae music and cannabis in Ireland.
Something we are still healing from with deportation, exportation, exile self exile being major ways families cope.
The song, as Sean Nos, just reverberated across the theatre in only a way Sean Nos can do and whose singers take as normal when it is, in fact, magical. One of the reasons the singing tradition goes well with the gamelan.
I was not a huge fan of the wedding piece but was of everything else. There was one soft musical piece that reminded me of some of Brian Eno's work.
At one point I could absolutely see this all being performed in Indonesia, Bali, and a number of European theatres. Or for some movie company to commission the orchestra to write a number of musical pieces to be the musical accompaniment for a movie highlighting the effects of climate change and its imminent dangers. With scenes from a changing Mother Earth on screen above the orchestra.
The evening created a lot of nostalgia in me for Bali where I spent time twice.
Their shamans are quite powerful and they have a lovely beautiful spiritual practice of Hinduism. However its special and colourful.
There is something more to it, something regal in comparison to the Hinduism practiced in India.
I thought the song was a work of art she sang, only to find out later she wrote it too. Apart from the song being lovely I thought the structure perfect, its poetry inspiring and rhythm intriguing when fixed with the gamelan. So true Turner - every moment is divine. Her voice had a lovely 'folkysy' timbre to it.
The dulcet tones of Iarla O' Lionard were in super form for the evening. He chose a poem in Irish from the time of old Irish and it was magnificent. This dovetailed into an article that I was reading earlier in the week about the tradition of 'ollamh' in Ireland before the colonialists took 40,000 Irish off to Jamaica as slaves and dispersed everyone else across the globe. The 'Ollamh' was a healing medical tradition of Ireland connected to medical schools even ones in Persia at the time.
No wonder we like reggae music and cannabis in Ireland.
Something we are still healing from with deportation, exportation, exile self exile being major ways families cope.
The song, as Sean Nos, just reverberated across the theatre in only a way Sean Nos can do and whose singers take as normal when it is, in fact, magical. One of the reasons the singing tradition goes well with the gamelan.
I was not a huge fan of the wedding piece but was of everything else. There was one soft musical piece that reminded me of some of Brian Eno's work.
At one point I could absolutely see this all being performed in Indonesia, Bali, and a number of European theatres. Or for some movie company to commission the orchestra to write a number of musical pieces to be the musical accompaniment for a movie highlighting the effects of climate change and its imminent dangers. With scenes from a changing Mother Earth on screen above the orchestra.
The evening created a lot of nostalgia in me for Bali where I spent time twice.
Their shamans are quite powerful and they have a lovely beautiful spiritual practice of Hinduism. However its special and colourful.
There is something more to it, something regal in comparison to the Hinduism practiced in India.
The World Belongs to Lovers
So with the haunting melody of the gamelan that you hear a lot of in Bali, the sudden urge to smoke a clove scented cigarette, different temples appearing in my mind, an old teacher who taught me Kama Sutra Kama Mudra amongst other things, I was being reminded that the world belongs to lovers.
These teachings transform the world kaleidoscopically to such a beautiful place.
This was further enhanced by a lovely couple - 'lockdown' newly weds - sitting to my right who started chatting to me. She an MA student of Mercier's who now works with gold. She gorgeous to his handsome. With the whole world in front of them. Much easier to live in love than out of. The four boundless qualities, love, compassion, joy and equanimity came flowing in. I was grateful that somehow the forces in the heavens sat them next to me. I suggested Irish gold and a trip to Bali for them.
For me they and the gamelan go hand in hand - beloveds. Meeting them that evening with the gamelan and all what was flowing through my mind remembering the teachings of the kama sutra kama mudra put a beautiful Balinese bow on the evening.
Finally, Professor Helen Phelan reminded everyone of what Shaw said when it came to soul's which was very fitting. 'To see your face you look in a mirror but to see your soul you look at a work of art'.
This reminded me of Maya Angelou's, ' The ample soul needs constant reminders and refreshments daily of its right to be and to be wherever it finds itself'.
You could tell on the evening that this Academy and academic department was also a community in the way the musicians spoke to and of each other. Very classy indeed and the luckier we are for this locus of creativity - locally, nationally and internationally.
When you hear of the next performance of the Irish Gamelan Orchestra make sure you go.
Eau de Cologne - 10ml Rollerball (box of 2)
€20.00
Box of 2 Rollerballs
100% NATURAL, VEGAN and CRUELTY-FREE
Our Eau de Cologne is made with 100% pure essential oils from herbs & spices. We developed this unisex Cologne with spring in mind & wanted to return to the use of high quality natural ingredients which is what our brand is known for. Many perfume houses in France only used essential oils to create colognes & perfume up to the 1930’s.
Like any work of art our formula is secret but nourishes the body, mind & soul. With top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit & Orange; heart notes of Ylang ylang, Neroli & French Lavender & with base notes of Cedarwood, Vetivert & Frankincense.
Ralph Quinlan Forde the founder of Mindful Beauty has formulated this Cologne with his knowledge of perfumery he gained from studying in Grasse, France - the epicentre of international perfume craft.
In 1708, Giovanni Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils & orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honour of his new hometown in Germany as he was missing Italy. The Mindful Beauty Eau de Cologne is just that: citrus floral spring mornings - crisp, fresh & awakening.
IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: Put in your mobile number and Eircode/postcode to ensure correct delivery.
From the sales success of the 10ml Eau de Cologne at both Gifted RDS and Showcase we want everyone to experience this.
With Spring only around the corner this is the natural fragrance of the season. Really lifts your spirits this one.
Eau de Cologne - 10ml Rollerball (box of 2)
€20.00
Box of 2 Rollerballs
100% NATURAL, VEGAN and CRUELTY-FREE
Our Eau de Cologne is made with 100% pure essential oils from herbs & spices. We developed this unisex Cologne with spring in mind & wanted to return to the use of high quality natural ingredients which is what our brand is known for. Many perfume houses in France only used essential oils to create colognes & perfume up to the 1930’s.
Like any work of art our formula is secret but nourishes the body, mind & soul. With top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit & Orange; heart notes of Ylang ylang, Neroli & French Lavender & with base notes of Cedarwood, Vetivert & Frankincense.
Ralph Quinlan Forde the founder of Mindful Beauty has formulated this Cologne with his knowledge of perfumery he gained from studying in Grasse, France - the epicentre of international perfume craft.
In 1708, Giovanni Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils & orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honour of his new hometown in Germany as he was missing Italy. The Mindful Beauty Eau de Cologne is just that: citrus floral spring mornings - crisp, fresh & awakening.
IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: Put in your mobile number and Eircode/postcode to ensure correct delivery.
Our Mindful Beauty Eau de Cologne is made with 100% pure essential oils from herbs & spices.
We developed this unisex Cologne with spring in mind & wanted to return to the use of high quality natural ingredients which is what our brand is known for.
Many perfume houses in France only used essential oils to create colognes & perfume up to the 1930’s
Like any work of art our formula is secret but nourishes the body, mind & soul.
With top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit & Orange; heart notes of Ylang ylang, Neroli & French Lavender & with base notes of Cedarwood, Vetivert & Frankincense.
Ralph Quinlan Forde the founder of Mindful Beauty has formulated this Cologne with his knowledge of perfumery he gained from studying in Grasse, France - the epicentre of international perfume craft.
The time of SHOWCASE came again this year and we did really well.
Lovely to see more of our product fans in addition to Gifted at the RDS too.
We are now in over 650 stores in Ireland and increasing all the time. Gift stores are now also stocking the ranges as the products are a hit with the 11 million tourists coming to Ireland each year. The naturalness of our products appeals to them.
Our counter unit display packs are selling very well in stores and also this year we had a new product. We are the bestselling Pillow Mist in Ireland soon to be European too.
Our Mindful Beauty Eau de Cologne in a 10ml roller ball applicator is selling very well. As it is all natural made with only essential oils there is a large demand for this product in particular.
There are lots of fantastic goods on show at SHOWCASE but there could have been more buyers if I am to be honest for a trade show. In particular from all the EU countries.
Even though we Irish are in the European Union I often think we try and put more effort to trade in the USA market without considering Europe where there is less paperwork to contend with and 400 million consumers ready to buy our products.
We are now trying to get to these European's with our ECOHOMME range this year.
Showcase Champion 2023 - Tom King
The Winner of the Overall Best Product Award was the Iron St. Brigid’s Cross by Tom King of An Gobha Iron Works and Experience.
An Gobha offers immersive and interactive experiences of traditional iron age metal forging delivered with theatre, stories, myths, and legends in Bohermeen, Co Meath. An Gobha also manufactures and sells handcrafted metal decorative objects based on ancient Celtic symbols and artefacts of the Boyne Valley, Ancient East.
Tom was very surprised and delighted to be chosen. All the traders at the show were delighted to congratulate him.
Well done to Showcase for chosing a true crafts man for the award.
With a national shortage of cough syrups and sore throat sprays Mindful Beauty has a solution with our CHESTY STUFFY Massage oil rub. Click on the image to purchase.
Irish Medicines Supply Crisis
With the current supply crisis of medicines in Ireland why not try a product made in Ireland?
Pharmacies are running out of cough syrups and throat sprays. Over 15% of medicines have now become unavailable with cough syrups and throat sprays are widely low in quantity or impossible to find.
Our Mindful Beauty CHESTY STUFFY is made with three essential oils known to help with coughs and colds eucalyptus, tea tree oil and lemon.
Pharmacies are running out of cough syrups and throat sprays. Over 15% of medicines have now become unavailable with cough syrups and throat sprays are widely low in quantity or impossible to find.
Our Mindful Beauty CHESTY STUFFY is made with three essential oils known to help with coughs and colds eucalyptus, tea tree oil and lemon.
Cough Essential Oils
Eucalyptus oil can reduce cough symtoms and get t he mucous out of the lungs. When I has a chest infection from Omnicron last year I was very happy with this blend I formulated. The CHESTY STUFFY blend of aromatherapy essential oils brought the mucous to the surface clearing my chest.
Inhaling vapor made with the essential oil can loosen mucus so that when you do cough, it's expelled. After putting the oil on your chest you can stick your nose under the neck of your t shirt and it will be soothing vapours to inhale.
Using a rub containing eucalyptus oil will produce the same effect. Our CHESTY STUFF massage oil.
This essential oil of EUCALYPTUS has wide-ranging health benefits, including decongestant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiseptic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.
In fact, a study from 2004 showed that patients who had non-bacterial sinusitis recovered faster when they took eucalyptus oil with their medication.
Inhaling vapor made with the essential oil can loosen mucus so that when you do cough, it's expelled. After putting the oil on your chest you can stick your nose under the neck of your t shirt and it will be soothing vapours to inhale.
Using a rub containing eucalyptus oil will produce the same effect. Our CHESTY STUFF massage oil.
This essential oil of EUCALYPTUS has wide-ranging health benefits, including decongestant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiseptic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.
In fact, a study from 2004 showed that patients who had non-bacterial sinusitis recovered faster when they took eucalyptus oil with their medication.
Sore Throat Aromatherapy
Tea Tree oil is the only essential oil that is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. This can work with your immune system as a boost against any infection such as a cold or flu and sore throat. Tea tree is known to loosen chest congestion.
Many throat medicines, including sore throat lozenges, are flavored with lemon. This is why I added lemon to the blend.
A 2017 study Trusted Source found that lemon essential oils have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which may help treat a sore throat and prevent infection.
Meantime also stay warm and if you feel any chest pain or lung pain head straight to your GP.
This product is not for asthmatics as it contains menthol.
Many throat medicines, including sore throat lozenges, are flavored with lemon. This is why I added lemon to the blend.
A 2017 study Trusted Source found that lemon essential oils have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which may help treat a sore throat and prevent infection.
Meantime also stay warm and if you feel any chest pain or lung pain head straight to your GP.
This product is not for asthmatics as it contains menthol.
Available nationally from all good pharamcies and healthstores.
Author
Bestselling author Ralph Quinlan Forde BSc (Hons) MA is the writer and editor of the Mindful Beauty blog. His first book The Book of Tibetan Medicine went into 11 languages. His second Nutriwine has
also been well received. He is the founder of Learning to Exhale which has now trained
over 3,500 people and in ten hospitals Mindfulness Meditation to rave reviews. He is also a Member of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists.
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