In Focus...Spiritual Response Therapy

How does it work?

Spiritual Response Therapy is for those that want to look for the deeper meaning of their negative patterns and who wish to be free of their "emotional baggage". It is a very powerful psychic-spiritual system of counselling which researches the subconscious mind and soul records (Akashic) to find and release discordant, limiting ideas, beliefs and programmes we can carry from past lives that impact us in our present. This is done through working with High Self using a specific set of charts and a pendulum.

The principles of SRT are based on the belief that we are spiritual beings in a physical body through which we learn our lessons allowing our soul to develop and grow. There is no such thing as co-incidence, so everyone we meet, every situation we find ourselves in, we and they are there for a reason. The opportunities and gifts to learn our lessons are presented to us through our relationships, friendships, our work situation, money, our ethics and morals and many more. When we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again, we often feel powerless to help ourselves and do anything about it.

Often, this is carry over negative energy from a past life, that for some reason, we were unable to learn the lesson. At a soul level, that lesson still remains outstanding, so it has been presented to us again in this lifetime to deal with. Over time and many incarnations, our soul and physical body is full of stuff we would rather be without. We may tell ourselves and others that is the way we are, but it is not. It is a response to the negative programming we have picked up and we have been carrying these emotions and blocking our highest good for a long while.

Negative programmes such as "Self Punishment", "Blocks to Prosperity", "Imprints", "Experience/Trauma", "Identification", and "Conflict" can be researched and cleared. Spiritual Response Therapy or SRT as it is known,is an accurate way of changing hidden subconscious blocks and negative programming that prevent us from moving forward and expressing ourselves to our highest potential in this lifetime. A clearing can have a profound effect on people as they start to understand the mental and emotional blocks which may be seriously affecting and restricting their expression of life. Guilt, low self esteem, fear, unworthiness, self punishment, addictions, self limitation, abandonment, betrayal, failure and many more can be released enabling healing to take place at all levels.

Through an SRT clearing you can learn about significant past lives and beliefs. When High Self clears a programme or block, the negative energy pattern from your subconscious and soul records (Akashic) is erased. Instead of being driven by these subconscious beliefs, you become free to live your greatest potential - the person you were meant to be.

Experiences

Prepare to have your life changed in amazing ways!
Feelings of freedom and lightness
For some a clearing can be very emotional
Releasing of pain and hurt is replaced with feelings of love and harmony
Inner peace
Release of mental anguish and emotional turmoil
Feelings of empowerment as you become free to take back control of your life
Side effects
If only specific symptoms are worked on without doing a full clearing first, the root or core issue of the problem may not be cleared and in time you could see the symptom return.

Duration and number of sessions

One full session is usually enough and takes approximately two hours.
Single issues can be addressed usually in one hour depending on the nature of the issue but see side effects above.
Clearings can be done face to face, on the telephone, or remotely.
Spiritual Response Therapy is not regression and you will not be hypnotised. SRT is only concerned with eliminating negative patterns of behaviour and releasing negative emotions. You remain fully clothed, sitting in a friendly, safe and relaxed environment.

Safety issues

Safe for every age group
Safe for every level of health
You must inform the Practitioner of any medical condition

For more information visit spiritualresponsetherapy.org.uk

This article was first published on bssk.co.uk

In Focus...Reflexology

Reflexology is a complementary therapy that involves applying pressure to the feet, hands, or ears with specific hand techniques.

Areas on the foot correspond to areas of the body.  Manipulating these areas can improve health through a persons energy or Qi.

The theory is that blockages in a persons energy field can prevent healing.  Using a therapy like Reflexology can help to clear these blockages and promote healing.

It works alongside conventional medicine and as well as promote healing it can improve wellbeing and vitality.

Reflexology practices have been documented in ancient China and Egypt but was introduced in the West by William H Fitzgerald in 1913.  Fitzgerald claimed  that applying pressure had anesthetic effects on other areas of the body.

His work was modified in the 1930's and 1940's by Eunice D Ingham a nurse and physiotherapist. She mapped the body and developed the system that is used today.


A Reflexology session usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes and the therapist will focus on the soles of your feet - or hands if you are ticklish!  Pressure is applied to to your feet to work out which areas of your body aren't functioning well.  Your therapist will also ask about your medical history, health issues, lifestyle and diet.  All of which play a big part in your bodys energy field.

Specific health issues will need several sessions.

For more information about reflexology, therapist, and training visit  britreflex.co.uk   or keep an eye out for a practitioner at one of our events!

Featured Exhibitor - New World Creations

"Our beautiful sculptures were inspired during a profound visitation where Angels shared a heartfelt message of peace, love and unity..."

That quote from New World Creations sums up exactly how you feel about their pieces when you see them.

Marco and Catherine have created something very special with their sculptures.  The idea behind them is very simple.  It's something precious to wear, look at or hold to inspire a feeling of peace or healing.  

Everything is designed and made by them.  Their website is not simply a platform to sell but also has some lovely sections on meditation, healing, and the symbolism in their Angel Bowls.  The website also has a section called "Inspirational Message" which I found to be very uplifting and indeed inspirational.  It also shows that this is not just a business for them, but a vocation. 

Even if you see them at a show still have a look at the website www.newworldcreations.co.uk 

A percentage of their profits go to SOS Childrens Villages

They are going to be at Manchester in April and are offering a free angel message with every purchase.  The perfect addition to your new Angel Bowl...

In Focus...Bach Flower Remedies

Bach flower remedies are dilutions of flower material developed by Dr Edward Bach, an English homeopath, in the 1930s.

Dr Bach believed that dew found on flower petals can retain the healing properties of that plant. The remedies are intended for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress and, physical symptoms of emotional conditions.

The remedies contain a very small amount of flower material in a 50:50 solution of brandy and water. The remedies contain "energetic" or "vibrational" nature of the flower and that this can be transmitted to the user.  Bach flower remedies are considered vibrational medicines.


Dr Bach believed there was a strong relationship between the mental outlook of a person and their physical state. He taught that negative emotions can show up physically as pain, stress and illness, and that the flower remedies heal the mind in a gentle natural way.

The remedies can be purchased and used yourself but can also be used by a practitioner together with another complementary therapy.  One that most people will have heard of is Rescue Remedy, which is a combination of the remedies which can help in moments when you feel a bit shaky and need a more positive outlook.  On the Holland and Barrett website it uses driving tests, exams, and flying as times when it could be effective.

The 38 remedies are:

Agrimony - mental torture behind a cheerful face

Aspen - fear of unknown things

Beech - intolerance

Centaury - the inability to say 'no'

Cerato - lack of trust in one's own decisions

Cherry Plum - fear of the mind giving way

Chestnut Bud - failure to learn from mistakes

ChicoryChicory - selfish, possessive love

Clematis - dreaming of the future without working in the present

Crab Apple - the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred

Elm - overwhelmed by responsibility

Gentian - discouragement after a setback

Gorse - hopelessness and despair

Heather - self-centredness and self-concern

HollyHolly - hatred, envy and jealousy

Honeysuckle - living in the past

Hornbeam - tiredness at the thought of doing something

Impatiens - impatience

Larch - lack of confidence

Mimulus - fear of known things

Mustard - deep gloom for no reason

OakOak - the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion

Olive - exhaustion following mental or physical effort

Pine - guilt

Red Chestnut - over-concern for the welfare of loved ones

Rock Rose - terror and fright

Rock Water - self-denial, rigidity and self-repression

Scleranthus - inability to choose between alternatives

Star of BethlehemStar of Bethlehem - shock

Sweet Chestnut - Extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left

Vervain - over-enthusiasm

Vine - dominance and inflexibility

Walnut - protection from change and unwanted influences

Water Violet - pride and aloofness

White Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments

Wild OatWild Oat - uncertainty over one's direction in life

Wild Rose - drifting, resignation, apathy

Willow - self-pity and resentment

The remedies are split in several groups which can then be combine and turned into a solution tailored to your individual needs.

Bach remedies are sold in a concentrated form that should be diluted with fruit juice or mineral water and rubbed on the lips/behind the ear or dropped directly on the tongue.

For more about Dr Bach and his work and for information on courses and practitioners visit www.bachcentre.com

Interview with Sally Harding

We are all starting to get into the swing of 2014 now!  We're really excited about our first show in Grimsby on 1st and 2nd of February - can't wait to get this years shows underway.

In the meantime, we have an interview with Sally Harding who is healer and counsellor and an Emotion Code practitioner.  Many thanks to Sally for answering our questions and we look forward to seeing her again at some of the shows this year.


Can you tell us a little bit about yourself please?


After the initial young girls dream of working in the equestrian industry I then spent the early part of my career working with UK health charities whilst also competing my beautiful Hanoverian regularly in Dressage competitions in my spare time. Healthy living and natural products has always been an interest of mine (I come from a very sensitive skinned family) and in my mid 30’s I began to work with energy healing at the same time as I was completing a degree in Person Centred Counselling. Thus began my gradual shift into the holistic field with further training as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, an Advanced PSYCH-K practitioner and more recently I have achieved my Certification as an Emotion Code Practitioner. I am currently working towards my Body Code Practitioner qualification. Whilst building my own practice I was also lucky enough to be involved in delivering obesity workshops for the NHS providing information to allow people to make informed lifestyle choices to enable them to achieve improved health. My personal passion lies in working with people to assist them to move forward with health and emotional issues and so my practice, Happiness and Health Solutions, was born. I always refer to my work as working with my clients as I consider it is my role to help each individual to access their own personal wisdom, with myself being the facilitator who is privileged enough to be able to assist with this process. I believe that we all have the innate ability to heal ourselves when guided towards what is needed in the moment. I consider myself to have been very fortunate to have been guided towards some of the most up to date and effective approaches in energy medicine.
What can you expect from me at the show:
Well we are all carrying some level of emotional baggage from the past due to our many experiences in our lives such as relationship breakups, death of a loved one, personal traumas to name but a few and the strong emotions we feel during these emotionally charged life events are unseen energies which can get trapped in our bodies. I have personally experienced the many dramatic shifts that can come about through the release of these energies, which can then release long held pain, physical symptoms and emotional issues and I am very excited at this opportunity to share this wonderful healing modality. I will also be offering some interesting additional items linked to the work I do.


Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most?


This has to be the great Dr Bruce Lipton and particularly his book The Biology of Belief. It can really open our eyes and change the way we think about the connection between mind and matter. Many of my clients find me after reading this book. And of course The Emotion Code book written by Dr Bradley Nelson, which is a self healing classic.


What is the best piece of advice you've been given?


This is not necessarily advice that I have received but comes more from my learning from my life experience and this is the understanding and recognition of how vitally important it is to be 100% responsible for my own physical and emotional health.


Could you name your Desert Island Discs/books?


A book called The Key to Self Liberation is one of my bible books alongside the Bruce Lipton books. I also love The Ringing Cedars of Russia series. As for films well Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an all time favourite classic and Good Will Hunting comes high on my list. I love music and have been known to sing a bit with a local band. The late great Kirstie McColl is a favourite along with anything by Eva Cassidy and too many others to mention.

Interview with Teresa Sequeira

We have an interview this evening with Teresa Sequira, who along with Wayne Morgan, has designed and produces Dreamlits.  Dreamlits are crystal bracelets designed to wear while you sleep and during stressful times.

It works with your unconscious mind to take you to a higher level during REM sleep, helping you to work through your days problems via your dreams.

If you look at their website at Dreamlits you can see some of the amazing effects and testimonials that they have had.  Many thanks to Teresa for answering our questions and we are really looking forward to seeing her again soon.

To start could you tell us a little about yourself please.


My name is Teresa Sequeira. Born in Yorkshire to an Italian mother and Indian father, but now live in Grantham. I joined the RAF in 1990 as an aircraft engineer. After 22 years of service, voluntary redundancy was offered 2 years ago so I took it and left in Feb 12. Before leaving I did a Swedish Massage, Diet and Nutrition, Anatomy and Physiology, and Colonic Course and Master NLP Practitioner Course.


Can you explain a little bit about the benefits of the bracelets?


I met Wayne Morgan who came up with the combination of 8 crystals to make up the Dreamlit and is now my NZ business partner in 2012. Dreamlits are bracelets you wear when you sleep, it works best when your conscious mind has been left out(this happens when sleeping). They are put through a special process to set them to 21Mhz so once your mind switches off, the unconscious mind will try to get to 21Mhz, allowing for a deeper quality of sleep or helping to eliminate nightmares.


What is the difference between the bracelets for men and the ones for women and children?


The Dreamlits come in different sizes but the bigger sizes have darker crystals to make them manlier, they have the same properties as the other sizes though.


Do they ever need re-charging or cleansing?


The Dreamlit does not need cleansing or re-charging because it has been put through the special process. Sometimes crystals don’t always work together but the process also makes them work together. You might want to wash them to clean them but they do not need cleansing.


Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.


Eckhart Tolle is an inspirational thinker and writer.


What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.


The best advice is: always keep an open mind, no matter how life experience has affected you.


Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)


My first spiritual book was The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield but there have been many authors who have helped me on my spiritual journey. The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach, Eastern Body, and Western Mind by Anodea Judith, Conversations with God by Donald Walsh, ask and it is given by Abraham/Hicks and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.

Interview with Judith Watson

Judith Watson is a complementary therapist and our interviewee for this evening.  Judith is a Reflexologist and practitioner of the Bowen Technique as well as developing and providing Naturally Smart Skincare.  Judith can be found online at Smart Therapies

Many thanks to Judith for answering our questions and we look forward to seeing her at the shows next year.


To start could you tell us a little bit about yourself.


I was a primary school teacher for over 25 years until i was involved in a serious car accident in 1999. I've always been interested in Complementary therapies, and whilst convalescing I signed up for a reflexology course, thinking I could aim to going part time teaching and part time therapist. I didn't actually get back to work, as I was awarded medical retirement due to a brain injury. Not the most auspicious start to the new millennium but it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me!

I decided to do a 'proper' reflexology training, followed by Daoyin Tao face, neck and shoulder massage. A couple of years later I was drawn to Bowen, and that soon became the therapy I did most of the time. A close friend of many years, Norman, also decided to retrain at the same time, and we completed the Bowen training together in 2004.

I then went off on a bit of a tangent and started making natural Skincare products! This came about when I decided to learn how to do facials as an extension to face massage, and wanted a natural range of products I was happy to use, on myself as well. When I started to research ingredients I was horrified at what was in many so-called natural products! I read a little bit about making my own and had a dabble, then I discovered that my raw ingredient suppliers in Scotland ran courses on product-making - I signed up to the first available dates, and haven't stopped inventing recipes for new products ever since! Norman decided to help in this venture, and we now both make our products, I make up new recipes and Norman does the boring but necessary paperwork and legalities.


Can you explain to us a bit more about the Bowen Technique?


Bowen Technique is amazing! I never tire of seeing people come into the clinic in pain, and either walk out feeling a lot easier, or phone me a couple of days later to tell me the pain has almost miraculously gone. Even better is when I feel that they are expecting no improvement at all, as in their eyes I have done practically nothing, yet they notice a huge improvement very quickly.

It is a gentle technique that originated in Australia in the 1950s, and has been slowly spreading around the world since its originator Tom Bowen's death. It reached the UK in the early 1990s. It works on soft tissue - muscles, tendons and fascia; most people come for things like a bad back, or a bad knee, but it is also very effective for emotional and organic problems. Many people just tell me how good they feel in general, and have often had improvements in conditions they haven't told me about as well as the condition they came to have treated.


What can we expect from you at the shows?


This year we are concentrating on our Skincare range, rather than therapies. We have spent a lot of time (and money!) developing our recipes and ensuring that they comply with new European legislation that came into effect in July 2013. They are now fully compliant, and we have the possibility of creating an almost infinite selection of products from a wide range of ingredients - I can't wait to get started, just need a bit of time between shows and treating clients! So any products that you have been looking for, just ask ..... We will be developing our range of shampoos and face washes to include shower gels, scrubs and hand washes, and I've been working on sun protection and after sun oils that I'm currently testing on holidays. Norman keeps threatening a men's range, so watch this space!
We are also in the midst of repackaging with a new label, which is very exciting.


Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most?


There are two people, one of whom is not really a writer, both related to my current passions - Tom Bowen, the originator of the Bowen Technique (although he didn't realise it at the time, it was just the successful work that he used!) and Kolbjorn Borseth, who was passionate in pioneering the concept of being able to make excellent quality plant based Skincare products in your own home.
Actually, there are three - Zoe Harcombe has completely changed the way I think about food, and has led me to read many books about food, health and dieting that I now tell everyone I meet to read!


What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?


Be confident in yourself - and just Follow the Moon! (private joke that will be understood by Happy Cats fans!)


Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)


Books - A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving; the Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pulman, One Day by David Nichols and How to Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight by Zoe Harcombe.

Films are more difficult as I don't watch many - Love Actually and Tin Tin are a couple of recent ones I've enjoyed.

Interview with Kristy Hodges

Welcome to Monday!  Today we have a wonderful interview with Kristy Hodges of Serendipity Crystals

Kristy runs her own business selling crystals, jewellery and her own artwork.  Her website is an amazing source of inspiration, information and all things spiritual.

Many thanks to Kristy for being interviewed and make sure you check out her website before the shows start again next year.




To start could you tell us a little about yourself.


My name is Kristy Hodges. I was born in California in 1972, but spent a lifetime growing up in overseas countries and travelling the world. I first ‘felt’ the energetic impact of a crystal in 1990. It was Moldavite and the flush sent me out of my mind! It took a further 20 extensive years to learn how to work with crystals & energy.
Since then, my spiritual journey has spanned many countries & cultures from the Middle East to Asia and Europe to America. I have studied in depth: indigenous cultures, animal medicine, astrology, tarot, mediumship, psychic skills, shamanism, paganism, counselling, psychology, archetypes, relationships & parenting to name but a few subjects and have been blessed enough to experience many wonderful adults, children, angels and spirits along the way.
I now live in Yorkshire, UK, with my beautiful teenage son. I’m in a wonderful, adventurous, healthy relationship with the love of my life and supported by the most amazing family & friends. To top it off, I have the joy of running Serendipity Crystals, travelling the country as a crystal retailer, therapist, counsellor, spiritual development guide and empowerment coach. In my spare time I volunteer as a Childline School Services Volunteer for the NSPCC and co-own a Harley Davidson motorcycle.


Sounds as though you have a very busy business, which aspect of it is your favourite - coaching, retailing or art?


I absolutely love helping people to spiritually develop their gifts. Each of us is so different - someone may be a healer or psychic, but their gift could be very specific and its fascinating to spend that in depth, one on one time with someone. To witness a person realise how unique they are and how they can develop and utilise their particular gift in different areas of life, or even turn it into a career gives me an amazing boost! Its so exciting! I believe in helping others to help themselves rather than my doing it for them. Am honoured to have the ability to show people the beauty and amazing light within themselves and to guide them on the next part of their journey. Crystals are an easy way for me to access a person's past experiences and energy - they are a fantastic tool to use so crystals are always part of the spiritual development process for me.


Been all over the world and studied many cultures, do you have a favourite part of the world from a spiritual point of view?


I think Sri Lanka is a stunning part of the world - the people have so little in comparison to the Western world. Considering many of the families I met live in small wooden shacks in the jungle, they touched me with their generosity and positive, easy approach to life. It wasn't just the people, it was the energy of the country with its ruins, temples and unspoilt beauty that wove itself through the fabric of my being and captured my heart. It is a very under developed country, so the energy of the place is raw and vibrant, full of exotic places where the connection to Earth was unreal and, of course, absolutely stunning beaches! The desert where I grew up will always hold a special place in my heart too. There is something indescribable about lying on the sand dunes at night, with no light pollution for miles and starting up at the stars - to feel the heat of the Earth underneath you and be staring at an entire sky full of galaxies and stars - its simply amazing and I've never been able to find that particular sense of peacefulness, quiet and connection anywhere else in the world. I still miss it now.


How do feel you've evolved creatively?


Until I was pushed and jostled by Spirit aged 35, I hadn't picked up a paintbrush since attending at school. Painting made me feel wonderful, but I've always felt very amateur and self conscious about my artwork as I have no formal training and no idea how to use half of the tools and materials am drawn to. Its definitely an ongoing personal journey for me as I create in fits and starts - when its flowing, its wonderful and I love what is created and working with energies that seem to come from some place outside of myself. When I hit a wall and stop for awhile, the old insecurities come back and I feel very vulnerable and unsure about putting myself out there on an artistic level. Then the next creative burst hits and even though I feel scared and unsure, its not possible to ignore it. Something either inside or outside of myself won't allow me to put the paint brush down - the images and colours come in dreams or someone will turn up out've the blue and ask for a commission (usually one I'll have no idea how to accomplish) and I'll be off on the next part of my creative journey.


Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.


Arrgghhh - this one is SO difficult as there have been three authors that have changed my life completely. Eckhart Tolle is one. I'd read some of his more 'zen' like books and thought they were OK, but nothing ground breaking until I read A New Earth. Mr Tolle starts that book off with the lofty claim of 'this book will change your life' and at the time I thought 'wow, thats a bit arrogant'. Within 100 pages, I realised he was right, that book takes your mind and energy system into a new stage of development completely, but only when you're ready for it. Whats rather strange about that particular book, is I've gone back to read it again and its done it again - even though I know whats coming. Its quite extraordinary. Anthony Robbins is also amazing - so motivational, positive and simple - I adore his books and positive ways of developing ourselves. The third author is Caroline Myss - an amazing energy healer and woman whom I have followed for years, as well as seeing in person in London. I love her down to earth, no holds barred approach to life and the information she provides as a healer and energy intuitive is absolutely spot on. As someone who is fascinated by the human brain, Caroline's work on Sacred Contracts and Archetypes is a must read! As a healer, her books Anatomy of Spirit and Invisible Acts of Power WILL change your life.


What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.


Several pieces that have woven into one over the years. We create our own reality, everything happens for a reason and to always, always be yourself.


Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)


It would have to be music for me all the way - I can live without books or films, but to be stranded on an island with no music would drive me insane! I'd mix a load of CDs as am an avid listener of all kinds of music - or even better, just take a radio!

If I had to choose books it would be anything by Laurell K Hamilton. Having had to read so many non-fiction books as part of my career path, it completely rests my brain to get lost in fantastic, naughty, exciting urban fantasy fiction books - I love em!

Interview with Debbie & Peter Thorpe - Aurora Crystals

Today we have an interview with Debbie and Peter Thorpe of Aurora Crystals.  Debbie and Peter attend the BSSK shows with their wonderful selection of crystals, jewellery and examples of Debbies' artwork.  Many thanks to them for taking the time to do this for us and we look forward to seeing them at the shows next year.



To start with, could you tell us a bit more about yourselves?



Peter is a semi-retired Chartered Accountant, formerly Finance Head of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, now consultant on a further Wildlife project "The Coastal Grazing Marshes in Lincolnshire".  Having worked for conservation for the last 20 years of his life, his main passions are watching wildlife, especially in the wild places of Scotland, walking and working with crystals on our stall.



Debbie has been an artist since she was old enough to hold a pencil, has always drawn from imagination from being very young, was destined for art school but had to choose a "sensible" career of becoming a secretary and working in a well-known High Street bank, but then raising a family of 3 amongst a menagerie of animals, from domestic dogs and cats, to goats, chickens, sheep and horses and then moving on to her true spiritual path of being a healer and spiritual artist.  For many years painted as a professional Wildlife artist whilst still working with horses, but then hung up her grooms boots to become a Crystal Healer and work at the MBS shows.  Trained in the Crystal Diploma by the SVA, she is also a Reiki practitioner, has studied Aura Soma,  Master  Colour Healing and Quantum Touch.  In the 45 years we have spent together, Peter has been the one who has enabled all these passions to come to fruition.



What treasures can we find on your stalls?



Everything, from natural specimens and clusters to beautiful Hekimer Diamonds, Master Crystals, working crystals for healers, beautiful carvings of animals and crystal skulls, polished specimen peices, spheres and a wide range of tumblestones to suit all tastes and purposes with written explanations prepared by Debbie from her long experience of working with them.  Crystal jewellery from pendants to bracelets and original artwork as examples of what Debbie produces on a commission basis.



How do you source your crystals?



Crystals are sourced from a very wide range of suppliers in the UK, many specialists in their own fields and are all personally chosen by ourselves.  We aim to carry a wide range of different crystals so that customers can choose something that is very personally pleasing , whether to work with or to place in their environment, to wear or just carry if they feel it will help empower their well being.  If advise is sought then Debbie has prepared many explanations customers may take free of charge so that they may make a choice based on their own intuition.



What inspires your artwork and how do you feel you have evolved creatively?



My artwork is inspired intuitively on a spiritual level for each individual client and is drawn from my love of portraiture and animals.  It has evolved from working as a professional Wildlife artist for many years to a deep intuitive/spiritual level.  I owe much to my early training in "A" level art to my wonderful teacher Miss Oyler, who insisted on many hours spent life drawing and sitting outside drawing scenes around Lincoln Cathedral  (the school being very close by)  I feel honoured and privileged to work on commissions for customers and hope that what I bring forward both makes them happy and empowered in their own spirituality.



Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most?


Debbie:  As an avid reader from childhood, the list would be too long, but it ranges from Tolkiens' Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit read many, many years ago, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Keats, Tennyson, W.B. Yeats, R.D.  Blackmores Lorna Doone, Bomber by Len Deighton, to Kenneth Grahames  Wind in the Willows.

 Later on my spiritual path it would be Lao Tzu (Chinese mystic) Sue and Simon Lilley on the Crystals, the life of Frank Fools Crow by Thomas E Mails, Caroline Myss, Harry Edwards and Melody - Love is in the Earth.



What is the best advice you've been given?



First crystal teacher,  Cassie  "Many answer, few are called."  From that I tried to learn to listen so that I may perhaps help someone find, through their own intuition, the path their inner teacher is trying to tell them to follow.



Lao Tzu "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."



W B Yeats from Cloths of Heaven  "...tread softly because you tread on my dreams."



Can you name your Desert Island books/films?



Debbie:

Moulin Rouge
Dark Crystal
Anya Seton Katherine
Standing with Stones DVD - a Journey Through Megalithic Britain Rupert Soskin
Lord of the Rings Trilogy Tolkien
Portrait of  the Master (St Francis of Assisi)  James Twyman.

Psychic Fair, Scunthorpe Saturday 9th November

We're very excited to be putting on a Psychic Fair in Scunthorpe this weekend.  It will be held at the Wortley House Hotel

As many of you know, we used to have an event in Scunthorpe up until a few years ago. This fair is going to be a little tester, to see if Scunthorpe wants a Psychic Fair back on a more regular basis.  If it works we intend to bring a full sized show to the town in the future.

The Fair opens between 10am and 5pm on Saturday 9th November. This is just a one day event. While there will not be the usual Feather Hunt, there are 25 stands, free parking, talks and under 15's get in for free.  Entry cost is £2.

We will have readers, therapists and exhibitors with crystals, books, jewellery, tarot cards, Pagan and Wiccan items and Angel readers and items.

As well as all this the Hotel is offering a "Show Menu" of refreshments at a reduced price.

It's going to be a great show and we hope to see you there!

Interview - Bronze Age Nutrition

With Lincoln fast approaching with have an interview with one of the exhibitors who will be at the show.  Simon and Gill are the forces behind Bronze Nutrition.  We have asked them a couple of questions to introduce themselves and their products.  I've loved this interview and would like to say thank you to Simon and Gill for taking the time to indulge us! They are going to be at Lincoln this weekend and you can find them online at www.bronzeagenutrition.com


To start with could you tell us a little bit about yourselves.


Bronze Nutrition grew out of the ashes of a dying business we ran in the late 80’s and 90’s called Bronze Age Sunbed Hire. In 1982 home hire of sunbeds was unheard of and we began in uncharted waters with a novelty business. When I say we, that is myself Simon and my wife and long-term partner Gill. We date back to before Rod Stewart’s first album in the early 70’s.

In those days it was home television hire that was in vogue. By the mid-90’s, home sunbed hire had come into and gone out of fashion, seen the cowboys come and go, and the loss of all of our parents to major illnesses, which sadly today, are more common than ever. Gill’s chronic asthma had worsened over 10 years or more despite the best medication available to the point that she was admitted to a Spanish hospital during our holiday there in 1996, with a life threatening acute attack which she survived but it was a close call.

As we arrived home, synchronicity stepped in , in the form of a Sunday newspaper article from a friend about a supplement called ‘MSM’(A.K.A organic sulphur ) derived from wood-pulp in the paper-making process which was supposed to reduce inflammation throughout the body and had been found to reduce lung inflammation in some cases of asthma. Of course we had to try it and so predictably called into Holland & Barrett for some tablets.

Five weeks later and Gill was no better, or so she thought until she ran out of tablets and it suddenly flared up again. The contrast was so obvious that within a couple of years we were sourcing the purest MSM we could find from America for several friends and family members with arthritis and other joint problems. Lame old dogs were taking their owners for a fast walk and creating mayhem with their antics dashing up and down stairs!! It was the convincer for me . . . and I went madly into researching other supplements. Increasing warnings in the media about sun causing skin cancer put paid to the dying remnants of the old sunbed business and we seemed forced to let go and move on into the unknown once again.

We have arrived at a place today, some 15 years later, with a self-sustaining business in ‘natural health’, two online shops and a phone that rings at all times of the day or night. The name Bronze Age Nutrition confuses many people but we have stuck with it. In 2007 we moved on from standing at village halls and one-day mind/body/ spirit events to the two-day weekend-format exhibitions with BSSK and some other show organisers.

This was the start of a very steep learning curve and they have transformed our life and views in a very big way. Regrettably, I have been a less-than-perfect advertisement for our products and our credibility, suffering chronically with a heart problem (atrial fibrillation (AF)and more recently with a stroke. It took me about 4 years of endless trouble with the AF and little in the way of a remedy from traditional medicine, before I finally bumped into the real cause of this problem and where lay the likely road to recovery. It was only when I had finally beaten this problem into the past and regained my previous fitness that I was struck down with quite a bad stroke at the same time that BBC journalist Andrew Mar also fell victim to one. He was also very fit at the time, but has come back to work in recent weeks and is looking better than I am although the doctors say I have recovered well from what could well have proved fatal for someone else. And as for ‘maybe never walking again’ well red rags and bulls*** to that!

We are very careful to point out to customers that we are merely self-taught and do not have qualifications as such. I myself failed to gain the necessary 3 A’s at A- level in chemistry, physics and biology which I needed back in the 70’s to study medicine at St. Andrews and several other Universities. This was a big disappointment to my parents and to my school after getting 9 good O-level grades without (apparent) effort. Gill trained as a teacher (infant-junior) and from my perspective is qualified with honours in the University of life, having dealt with serious illness and personal trauma in heroic fashion for the last 40-odd years. Her asthma has now gone and she is out running every morning.

We make no claims of being able to cure, treat or diagnose illness; indeed, it is illegal for anyone other than a trained doctor to treat any illness of a medical nature. What we do is to research the very latest naturopathic and clinical work of the worlds most innovative natural doctors, mostly Americans. We try to bring this knowledge into perspective for other people. We encourage people to be pro-active with their health and do their own research with some scepticism. It is very often that individual lifestyle choices can impinge significantly on our health, something we don’t appreciate until later in life.

We find that most people are very hungry for information that they can relate to easily and in an instinctive way. For me there is nothing more fulfilling than seeing that spark of recognition in someone’s eyes as they make an intuitive connection between their life and something I have said.


From the point of view of being a complete novice about your products, what products would you recommend as a good place to start.


Our two most popular products are indeed the MSM organic sulphur, a simple twice-daily fruit drink, great for arthritis. And a very mild oral iodine supplement which is much loved by women who are no longer teenagers and know it – great for improved mental acuity, energy and digestion. We have a magnesium product for the feet which helps with sleep quality and/or night cramps.

The first port of call with any health problem should always be your doctor, although many people are reluctant to do this nowadays, citing long appointment waits or negative past experiences as reasons.
The best place to start as always is at home and this applies to any illness as well as those without specific health issues. Your body evolved through nature and is programmed to use natural foods rather than our modern-day nutritionally hollow processed foods. You probably know that an apple is better for you than an apple pie and that to much sugar or sweet stuff is not good. Similarly, too much carbohydrate can cause problems, and also alcohol, and smoking. Stress takes its toll, too but many people adapt to stress to the extent that they become unaware of it. The best natural health practitioners are now focusing on the digestive tract as a place to begin healing because, as Hippocrates said nearly two and a half millenia back “...all disease begins in the gut....” Most likely he did not understand why this was, but recent scientific work has uncovered a myriad of important health functions pereformed by our individual ‘microbiome’ in the gut. Microbiome refers to the incredibly complex and diverse community of good and bad bacteria which live in the digestive tract and perform an astoundingly diverse range of functions which keep us feeling great and protecting us from all kinds of baddies in the environment. Generations of cumulative damage to this community, which is passed on at birth, most likely accounts for the ever increasing incidence of chronic physical illness and mental problems too. Thankfully, this trend is reversible and this is the leading edge of naturopathic efforts today – a quiet revolution is under way and it is a very long game, looking forward to maybe 3 or 4 generations away when our bodies can follow the blueprint of health that we were all born with and live into old age in vibrant health. “Dream on”, I hear you mutter, but it’s good to be sceptical – how else do we get out of this mess of ill-health, certainly not by being conservative. The tide has to change.

The best place for a novice to start is by going to an MBS fair and asking as many stand-holders as possible if they can tell you anything about ‘such-and-such an ailment’. This will get you a range of opinion all the way from traditional to Chinese and then you must learn to separate the wheat from chaff. Try to be aware of any commercial motive in the reply, instead, feel for the person’s connection with you and their energy pattern. Do you feel comfortable?


On your website there is a lot of information on the benefits for certain ailments, are they beneficial for general health, (without having any health problems).


If you are not getting what your body wants in food, then supplements may not be the answer. Talking to as many people as possible will allow you to develop your own philosophy to follow rather than adhering to another person’s dogma; it must feel right for you. It is interesting that the USA is seeing big sales of specialist therapeutic UVB sunbeds as news spreads that Vitamin D your body makes while using them is now seen as being good for you, especially for your bones and immune system. Or just get enough sun to redden the skin!!It feels like a huge U-turn on the subject. . . . .

Supplements are not meant to be substitutes for food. As the saying goes – let your food be your medicine and vice-versa.

Drink enough water to make you go to the bathroom regularly and get your beauty sleep. surround your self with good friends and young and be the bearer of good news.

Everthing in moderation except fun!

Interview with Ray Jenkinson

As part of our build up to the shows, we have been posting interviews with some of our exhibitors. Today we're posting an interview with Ray Jenkinson.  Ray is one of the tutors at the Northern College of Creative Hypnotherapy in Manchester.  He has been practising and teaching for over twenty years. Often at the events at the Monastery, but the college can be found online at www.ncoch.co.uk until the next time we see them at an event!


To start with can you tell us a bit about yourself.


Hypnotherapy is my life and I am dedicated to helping others discover their dreams and bring them to fruition.

I began my Foundation Course in 1989 with the Academy of Curative Hypnotherapy at The Tameside General Hospital Post Graduate Centre. At first I trained in two widely different hypnotherapy disciplines. However, I quickly developed my preference for a more naturalistic approach. After successfully completing the Foundation course with Sally Hamilton and Gail Gifford, I went on to complete the Advanced Course under the tutorship of Norman Vaughton, one of the most respected names in hypnotherapy.
During the many years I have been practising hypnotherapy I have had the pleasure and privilege to study with and learn from some of the many greats in the hypnotherapy world: Dr Ernest Rossi, David Grove, Michael Yapko and of course Norman Vaughton.

I was guided to meditate and joined a development group training to be a platform medium and have had many wonderful and inspiring experiences, one of which was channelling. Over the many years since, I have been able to help many others connect to that very powerful, very loving energy that resides within and around us. My clients realize that they are part of the oneness, and as they become more aware of the true energy of themselves, change happens more easily and more beneficially.

For over 10 years I have been training others to become successful hypnotherapists. The course at The Northern College of Creative Hypnotherapy offers the opportunity to make a difference, taking a more dynamic approach. Our aim is to take hypnotherapy to the next level, letting go of the “old school” and taking hypnotherapy into the future as the most successful of therapies. There has never been a greater need.


What initially drew you to hypnotherapy?


About 30 years ago I went to see a hypnotherapist. I was a mess, with many issues. Not only did I come away from that experience with a new sense of my own power, I also realized that I had discovered a method of helping others to make positive changes in their lives. My love for hypnotherapy was born. I believe that if the power of the mind was taught at an early age in schools, then in the future hospitals and prisons would begin to empty. This is my purpose and the reason I am training others.

Do you have a particular aspect of hypnotherapy that you prefer studying?


We train creative hypnotherapists, Creative because we appreciate that when a client seeks help they are the creator of the issue. We will encourage them to go within and discover just how powerful they are and how simple it is to let go of that which is now longer serving a useful purpose. The most inspiring work is when we introduce the client to their higher self and they discover the reason for their issue and also the solution. This work is so very beautiful, and over the last 25 years I have been privileged to share in so very many magical moments.

Can you tell us more about false memory syndrome, is it really possible to do that?


We do not import. We help our clients export. We teach clean language, which means all information comes from the client. Under no circumstances do we pollute the landscape of the client’s mind. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The client will only share what needs to be shared. We dance to the client’s tune, we do not ask them to dance to ours.

Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.


Milton Erickson, the father of modern hypnotherapy has always stimulated me, although now his methods seem, although brilliant, a little long winded. We train in a similar way including many of his techniques, but we have made them simpler and easier, so what in the past took weeks of therapy is now achieved more rapidly.


What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.


Go Within or Go Without. This saying came to me and indeed is as simple as it needs to be.


Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like 
if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about 
Desert Island discs!)


I love the work I do and I am not sure I would do well without company, without the opportunity to share my insights and experiences.
The Shawshank Redemption is a film that shows how we can become institutionalized.
Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch is really a conversation with truth, a book that encourages the reader to accept that they are indeed the creator of their own reality.

Interview with Hilary Cooper

Tonight we are posting a great interview with kinesiologist and intuitive healer Hilary Cooper.  As well as being at the shows, she offers treatments, well being events and is an awesome blogger.  As always we want to say a big thank you to Hilary for taking the time to answer our questions.  She can be found online at www.simplyh.co.uk

To start with can you tell us a little bit about yourself.


Like a lot of people, I started out doing something completely different: I’ve been an English teacher for 20 years, but I always felt I was looking for something more – a deeper sense of purpose and fulfilment, perhaps. Then, a few years ago, I met a friend of a friend at a party, and she ended up treating me there and then! I had a huge reaction, and went home feeling fantastic. When I walked in the front door, my husband said, ‘What happened to you? You look different.’
Soon after, I started training doing a Touch for Health (Applied Kinesiology) course, and I’ve just kept on following my nose, taking courses and gaining experience as my journey has unfolded. They say, the more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know. That’s definitely true!


Tell us a bit more about kinesiology – is it more than muscle testing?


To be honest, muscle testing is just a tangible way of tapping into a person’s deeper consciousness. Our conscious minds really like to be in control, and sometimes they tell us stories that aren’t strictly true, which stops us getting to the bottom of the problem.
I am convinced that the body is our barometer of truth. We might think one particular thing is the issue, but sometimes our body can tell us a deeper truth - something our conscious mind doesn’t yet know. Muscle testing is one way that the body can lead us into a deeper understanding of the causes of our pain.
No two sessions are ever the same and I never know for sure what will happen until we get started. Sometimes I do a lot of physical work, rubbing points, rebalancing muscles. Other times I work in a more intuitive way, perhaps working with energy. I am always guided by what the client’s body wants; I really try not to impose my own ideas. In the deepest level of our being, each of us knows what we really need to get well, we just can’t always tune in to that information. That’s where I come in.


What’s involved in one of your Wellbeing events?


As women, we give so much: to our partners, our families, our work, and sometimes it’s hard to find time to nurture ourselves.
My friend and I just kept meeting all theses lovely women who were saying exactly that. We thought, “Why not create space for like-minded women to connect and spend a day boosting our own health and happiness?”
We focus on different things, from relaxation, to dealing with anxiety, to the power of laughter, but our aim is always to provide busy, selfless women with a bit of deep ‘soul-pampering’.


Which writer or thinker has influenced you the most?


Just one?? That’s a challenge!
The one writer who had the most obvious impact on me is John Barnes (the myofascial release expert, rather than the footballer!) His book Healing Ancient Wounds: The Renegade’s Wisdom’ utterly convinced me that our bodies store trauma, pain and stress which has to be released on a bodily level for us to heal. We can’t just ‘think ourselves better’.


What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given.


There are two, I’m afraid!
i. “You’re just one messed up human being trying to help another messed up human being feel a little better.” (A paraphrase of Eugene Gendlin) I tell myself that daily, because it’s all too easy to feel like you’re supposed to be all sorted if you want to help someone else.
ii. “Stay in your body!” I’ve learnt through bitter experience that healing will not work if we deal with our pain by escaping off into the universe. Being human means we are intended to embody all our spiritual truth and power here, in this flesh and blood body. That’s how we become agents for real change- even though it hurts more!


Six desert island books or films:


The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle: I’d need to remind myself to revel in what is, rather than regrets and what-might-have-beens.
Hands of Light, by Barbara Brennan: I might manage to absorb all that powerful wisdom and emerge a fully-fledged healer if I ever got off the island.
Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene (and the film): I love Maggie Smith’s portrayal of the ageing woman of the world who grabs life with both hands.
Life is Beautiful: a film that makes me laugh and cry, and reminds me that there can be light in the middle of the bleakest darkness.
My Anatomy and Physiology text book: If I was on a desert island I might find it easier to knuckle down to some serious study for my exam in the spring!

Interview with Ian Wallace

Another great interview in the run up to the BSSK show at the Monastery this weekend!  Today our interview is with Ian Wallace, many thanks to him for answering our questions.  The subject of mental health is too complex to tackle in this little interview but Ian has given us some remarkable and succinct answers.  He can be found online at www.intuitivetherapy.co.uk

To start with you could you tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have been working with people all my life and have been fascinated by how people communicate or not as the case may be. I have honed my intuitive sense of this over the years to appreciate how people can alter their communication to get a better result. “It’s not what you say it’s how you say it that matters” I always tell my Client’s. I have been through most of life’s issues over the 57 years of being on this earth and I use this experience to help other people who need to understand life and all its complexities. I never tell people what to do, just help them to explore their options and ways to do things differently. I create clarity and positive options for people in helping them move forward. People say I have a unique intuitive way of explaining things, in a straightforward and non-confusing way, explaining it in their language, which helps them see things more clearly and make better choices.

Do you think as a society we are still too scared to talk about mental health?

There is still a lot of Stigma around mental health issues and fear of what that might mean having a mental health problem. I see things as being in two camps.
The people who have a physical mental condition which makes it hard for them to interact with the world in a way other people understand I called this group differently abled. As even in this group they have heightened skills in other areas which can be used to help them and others. An example of this would be a person with Asperger’s, a condition which limits their emotional understanding and interaction in their world. They find it very hard to be in relationships but have an exceptional skills in making practical choices without being restricted by emotional impact. I would rather have a surgeon operating on me who had Asperger’s than one who was emotionally unable to cope with the medical decisions to be made.
I see others who go through life’s hardships and don’t have the capacity to deal with it, these I would put into the category of depressed, a term which others see as a mental health issue, and I see this generally as a state of mind which we all go through at some time in our life. These people can alter their mind and alter their life with help in understanding that life, which has taken control of them, Depression is usually linked to an out of control situation and that by being depressed the person withdraws from the people and things around them, so just controlling themselves not being responsible for anyone or anything, this is why it can be so deliberating. Understanding why it has happened, that it’s normal for all humans to experience this and that they are not the problem, helps them to shake off this state of mind and start to move forward.

Can people who think they are mentally healthy still benefit from counselling from time to time - like a health MOT almost?

Absolutely talking therapies, as we call them, are in my opinion an essential part of any process in unravelling things and making sense of the world. We cannot be objective in our worlds, even Counsellors, as we are emotionally involved in the process and we cannot separate that from the issues which we are experiencing.
I have lots of Clients who contact me periodically to have that MOT just to check that they are going in the right direction and to clear the clutter as I call it.

How did you get into counselling, was it a sudden "calling" or a gradual move?

I think I have always been a Counsellor, even though that was not my job description. I have always been the person who people talked to, shared things with. I am an exceptional listener and I feel the words, which might sound strange let me explain. I feel peoples interactions someone might be talking about something light hearted; they might be saying the words that express that but underneath the words they are feeling differently. I can pick up on these subtle differences and ask the real questions that need to be asked to take the conversation to a deeper level. This helps them to engage with the real issues they wanted to talk about but were scared to say. I call this an Intuitive Encounter, using my empathic sense to make a deeper connection of the interaction of listening with all my senses not just my ears. This is more explored on my web site www.intuitivetherapy.co.uk

I came through a difficult time in my life which basically took me from the comfort and security I thought I had in my life and threw me into a place I never expected to be. This total confusion state and negative process, which I thought it was at the time, blew my world apart, literally. This made me question everything I had held dear in my world and I started to ask, what was this all about, why me, the poor me syndrome, the victim. After the pain and anger had died away I saw that it had been my fault as well and that if I had been able to see the writing on the wall earlier it would have helped to change the outcome. This transition helped me to understand the process of loss and depression in a very real way. I believed that the experience I had gone through, and the fact I had come through it still alive, would be something that could be helpful to other people, so then I asked the universe to show me what my life was about and where I was going and then the universe, as it does, did a whirlwind process picked me up and dropped me at the start of the journey into counselling and beyond, the next part of my life, and one I fully enjoy and feel privileged to be doing.

Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

This may sound odd but actually no writers or thinkers have influenced me at all, as far as I know, as I have had to read an awful lot over the last 17 years, which was feat in itself, and some of it may have assimilated into my thoughts. My greatest influence has been all the Clients and people I have interacted with over my life. Because of my differently abled way of interacting in the world, I am dyslexic and find reading hard to do. I learn by experience and that gives me the real aspects of life in all its many forms, not the theory of it. This way of learning and growing has always been a part of my life but I did not fully understand that until I started to become more aware and questioned why I do what I do. This helped me to see that I was not thick, as had been expressed in my formative years, just that I did not take information in the way academia wanted me to, I learnt differently.





What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.

Wow well many things have been said which have been profound over the years, most it by my Client’s to be fair, but I suppose if I had to find one thing that I hold on to it would be something that was said to me by a Supervisor called Pam, who unfortunately is no longer with us, her words were:

“It’s not wrong to think you are good at what you do, it’s only wrong to compare yourself to others and say you are better than them. Ego is in the comparison not the self-belief”

Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)

In no particular order of importance:

There is something about Mary, it always lifts me and makes me laugh.
Danny Boy: it was my Grans favourite and we used to sing it together and I always cry when I hear it
Angel by Robbie Williams: This makes me see sense of the world and is the song which helped me to feel again.
Bat out of hell by Meatloaf: Energises me and makes me dance like a mad man.
Your so vain by Carley Simon: Makes me remember that I am not the Guru just a guy who does things because he believes they help.
Imagine by John Lennon: Makes me believe that the world can be different and there is hope as, long as we loose the dynamics of power, control and the greed of humans.

Interview with Alison Forge

Today we've got an interview with Alison Forge, author, speaker and mentor.  An "Agent for Positive Change"  Her book "Pocket Positivity" has been described as "Self-help without the woo woo" and "Tea and toast for the soul!"

Alison will be talking at the Monastery this sunday, her talk "One Leap...to Health, Happiness and Success" will help show you how you can grow in every aspect of your life.  Alison can be found online at www.alisonforge.com


To start, could you tell us a little bit about yourself please.

For over 30 years, I suffered serious health problems which included Cancer and Crohns Disease, through fear I embarked on a journey to find a solution to change my life. I had to find out why my body was no longer responding to conventional medicine and why my relationships were failing. It is through that journey that I have become a successful mentor, inspirational speaker, author of ‘Pocket Positivity’ and creator of ‘One Leap’ & ‘Forging Ahead’. I have a passion to share with others how easily they too can transform their lives with the use of structured and proven techniques. I am told I have faced what most people hold in their hearts and minds as fear and that I am an example of what is achievable.

I'm fascinated by the idea of non-dominant hand drawing. Could you explain a little bit about the therapeutic implications?

We cannot make change happen on just a conscious level, we need to tap into the subconscious and with the use of non-dominant hand drawing negative’s that are being held can be uncovered and a clearer understanding gained as to why certain patterns have been put in place, then released. For many years both writers and artists have used non-dominant hand drawing and writing techniques to shift creative blocks and stimulate creativity. It is only when we can connect on a subconscious level and release what is sabotaging our health, happiness and success, that new patterns are able to form and more importantly stay in place. These readings prove invaluable in tapping into the subconscious and releasing those patterns that lead to stress and anxiety, as we know when stress and negativity is held long term in the body it can be damaging to both mental and physical health.

In your blog you mentioned that things didn't feel right for a while before hiring your assistant, do you think it's important for people to see their mentors still having issues, does it show we are all still "works in progress"?

Of course, we are learning everyday more about ourselves and evolving on many levels, we never stop learning new things with change inevitable. I like to share in my newsletter that I too am human and although healed on many levels and help many others to do the same challenge and change is inevitable in life. People can relate to me I believe because of this and become inspired, after all if I can turn those challenges into positives and manifest what I need to make my life as I desire it to be so can they. I strongly believe that the best teachers are those that have lived what they are teaching.

You were invited to the "Venture World Summit" can you tell us a little bit more about that, it seems different to the MBS shows.


This event attracts business leaders and investors with international prestige, with years of experience and success. The event in September boasts a range of speakers from various backgrounds including inspirational ones. The Summit Event offers both management solutions and business opportunities. The event will address and promote an extraordinary range of topics including Funding; Asset Management; Businesses for Sale; Mergers and Acquisitions; and Inspiration and Personal Development. The Summit Event will focus on helping existent businesses grow in an inspirational and innovative setting. The talks will offer informative insights for business development and sustainability. The mission of the event is to promote, discuss and help economic prospects grow in the best way possible.

Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

I have many .. too numerous to list, but I believe there is only one truth that holds with every self-help book I have ever read. Release old hurts and find true love for yourself and the world we live in.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.

‘Don’t hold your breath ... breathe’!


Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)

A Star is Born – Film
Saving Grace- Film
High Society - Film
Many Masters, Many Lives - Dr Brian Weiss - Book
Heal Your Life – Louise L Hay - Book
Healing Inside and Out –Gillian Bowles – Book
.. and of course my own book ‘Pocket Positivity’!

Interview with Michael James

Michael James is the co-creator of the Law of Attraction Centre  Founded in 2003 the centre provides workshops, retreats and coaching on the practicalities of the Law of Attraction.  He is also an author, speaker and life coach.  His talk at the Monastery this weekend is a great opportunity to see this highly in demand author and experience the Real Life application of the Law of Attraction.  Many thanks to Michael for answering our questions.  He can be found online at www.emergingjourneys.com

Real Life Law of Attraction - can you tell us a little bit about this talk?

This talk is about how to put the Law of Attraction teachings so many people have read about (through The Secret, for example) into practice in everyday life. It is one thing to know the theory- but to get practical results requires a different approach. So my talk will explain, from real-life experience of seeing hundreds of people successfully change their lives- how to get genuine transformation in the areas that interest us all- relationships, body image, health, life purpose.

Do some people apply the Law of Attraction without even realising it, are these the people we consider to be naturally lucky/happy?

Yes- many people apply the Law of Attraction naturally. It is a very simple teaching and sometimes too much study can be counterproductive... I believe it is something we all naturally know when we arrive on this planet; in fact children often apply it effortlessly- many of us lose that as we take on false beliefs of the world.

Can you tell us a little bit about Jin Shin Jyutsu? (Must admit to never having heard of that before )

Jin shin Jyutsu is an accupressure-like treatment. It is very relaxing and allows the person to open up to knowing what they and the body needs to come into alignment. It's all about letting go and stepping back and allowing the Universe to do its thing- which is the essence of my teaching in many ways.

Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

Esther Hicks, Louise Hay have been powerful teachers of mine- and there have been many others

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.

A good piece of advice- I don't know about the best- is simply to 'Relax'. But of course that's sometimes more easily said than done. My work is about the 'how to relax' which is so important in applying spiritual teachings.

Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)

Apart from my own forthcoming book, which I'm very excited about- I've learnt that keeping things simple is the best approach- so I would take simple books. A book by Louise Hay- possibly her latest You Can Create an Exceptional Life as it's an easy read and the Tao te Ching... Then I'd take something totally light and non-mind body spirit like some kind of art/photography book or perhaps a workout book. The final things would be recordings- I'd take an Abraham CD and a chant CD or meditation (Soundscape) by Nikki Slade. I would also take my own CD Relax, Release and Let Go. This is something I designed for creating calm no matter what is going on- so it would be a great thing to take with me.

Interview with Simon Goodfellow

Today we have a great interview with Simon Goodfellow.  A wonderful insight into how he got started and what influences him and his life.  Many thanks to Simon for taking the time to answer our questions especially as he gets busier every year.  Simon will be at many BSSK shows but his next one is at the Monastery this weekend.  You can find him online at simongoodfellow.com




To start with could you tell us a bit about yourself (a quick intro, most people know you!)

Simon has been working professionally now for coming up to 14 years.
The Spiritual journey stated when Simon lived in Spain, at the time he was the owner of a very busy and successful bar.
But Simon felt very drawn to crystal healing.
Simon flew back to the UK and went on crystal healing course he sole intention was to work in hospitals and clinics.
However when Simon was healing people he would start to pick up messages for people.
After a while Simon stated to ask the people he was healing about the information he was picking up.
To his surprise the information was spot on.
This then lead Simon to have a reading, Simon was told he needed to develop is abilities.
This Simon did by attending the Arthur Finley college of Mediumship.
Soon after his return to Spain Simon started hosting small Mediumship evenings in his bar, these became very popular and Simon increased these to once a week.
Simon also started one to one readings for customers in the bar.

"The Spiritual work did take over the bar in Spain and because I was flying back to the UK 3 and 4 times a month it was time to leave Spain behind and return to the UK.
I still travel back to Spain to work as I have many clients over there."

You do a lot of different type of work, which do you find most rewarding - readings or developing other peoples skills?

Simon gets great satisfaction from all the aspects of his work but if he had to just pick one it would be developing other people's skills.
Simon does run three levels of Development workshops which are very popular.


What advice would you give to someone who has had some psychic experiences but is a bit scared of it?

The advise would be there is nothing to be scared of, Spirit want to work with you and to develop your abilities, but please don't confuse your self stick to one way of teaching.
There are many mediums and clairvoyants and we all work very differently.
When you want to start developing always go to the person you are drawn too, much like when you want to book a reading.


Do you have any plans to write a book? 

Yes, a book is very much in the horizon but sadly this as not been done as yet.
Dave my partner set the wheels in motion and we will be getting the book done soon.


Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

 I love many different books about a very diverse subject range, but I must admit I do love books by Doris Stokes she was an amazing lady.


What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.

To develop my Mediumistic abilities. The satisfaction I get from bring closure to people is truly rewarding.


Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)

Again my Cd collection combined with Dave's is truly diverse and sometimes a little camp and cheesy but I'm a very big follower of the Eurovision Song Contest.
When I first met Dave he made me a compilation CD for every Eurovision winner since the contest first started.
So the Cd's would be that one plus a little of Susan Boyle, Jane McDonald, Michael Buble.

Interview with Helena Hawley

With less than a week to go until the Monastery, we've got several interviews to post this week!  Our first one is with Helena Hawley, sound healer and authoress.

Many thanks to Helena for taking part in our interviews and for giving us some wonderful answers and a great insight into her work.

Helena will be giving a talk on saturday called "Intuitive Vocal Sound Healing and Animals" and can be found online at www.healenahawley.co.uk


1 - To start with could you tell us a little bit about yourself?


Living on the edge of Chester, I am currently busy doing things to help promote my books, as I have always believed that they only help people, if they are read. In them I share the teachings that life has blessed me with to help encourage others on their pathway. It all began with communications from discarnate animals. I understood that their messages were for sharing with others, so encouraged by Linda Tellington-Jones (International healer and trainer of animals and people) I set about writing my first book, one of a trilogy as it turned out. (The other Kingdoms speak series).
Then things took another unexpected turn. The discarnate Maria Callas came into my life and led me down the pathway of intuitive vocal sound healing, which I currently practice, often combining it with other forms of therapy I have learnt. Consequently the next two books were about how I became friends with Maria, learnt to love her greatly and where this led me, which is something of interest for potential sound healers and others.
I trained as a spiritual healer with the spiritualist churches at the beginning of the 1980s, going on to train with Rhea Powers from the USA, who was then teaching in Germany, as a Light Worker. This included the art of channelling, past life regression and clearings. The latter means helping lost souls go to the Light and clearing dark energies from people and places.
I laid these trainings aside for many years, whilst furthering my spiritual education with various teachers, until the time was right to become more actively involved helping others through my attendance at MBS festivals to sell books and give lecture/demos, as well as starting a healing practice for individuals when required in my home. To further my knowledge of sound healing, I have attended training seminars with Milagros Phillips, Karl Brunnick, and Jill Purce.
I have a comprehensive website, www.helenahawley.co.uk with full details and pictures of various things I have to offer, including my books, the latest of which is titled, “Helena’s Book of Healing, Fairies and Sasquatch”.


2 - Can you tell us about your up coming talks?


Most of them include true stories from life, which ones depending on the subject matter of the day. Then, the highlight is the sound, both the demonstration I give of intuitive vocal sound healing and then the toning for healing we do as a group. The singing for the audience is voluntary of course, but it is always exciting to see how it changes the energies in the room and to hear the feedback from the audience after they have sung. Questions at these events are welcomed.


3 - A lot of healers started working with horses; do you think they are more spiritually aware than other domesticated animals?


One cannot generalise. Like people, they vary, as do cats and dogs etc. Most of them are really good at telepathy unlike most of us, but how open they are to using this gift with us seems to depend on how they feel about us. When there is fear, that kind of thing tends to shut down. They are very deserving of any healing they receive, for even the so called difficult ones teach us so much. The more spiritually evolved ones usually are attracted to people of like ilk, and often come with a special mission. I feel sure that “owners” and animals choose each other on a soul level. The healing that takes place goes both ways.
If one allows it to, working with horses can assist enormously with opening one’s heart chakra. Love is the key word. Always choose love.


4 - Why do you think people are more in need of healing and spiritual guidance these days?


I do not know if they are more in need than previously or not. I would go as far as saying that the urgency for it is greater.
I do know that the energies on this planet are changing fast, relatively speaking. Therefore the opportunities for spiritual growth are increasing proportionately. This is where the healing comes in. It helps enormously, because the energy required for healing is LOVE, which also aids spiritual growth. Both giving and receiving healing increase love, gratitude, compassion and spiritual insights. It is very healthy in every way! It was this knowledge about the planetary changes that led me to write the sixth book, “Helena’s Book of Healing, fairies and Sasquatch”. It is part of my contribution to the present times.


5 -Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most?


No one in particular, but many have helped me greatly.
To list a few: My life and everyone in it teach me something, every encounter with anyone is of value, even if one is left with thoughts like “That was not a good idea!”, because one can learn something, if only what one does not want. Everything has a positive side. Then, in no particular order, Rhea Powers, Chris Griscom, Linda Tellington-Jones, Michael Roads, Samarpan, Eckhart Tolle and the late Maria Callas from her home in the spirit world. Without her, I would not be doing or teaching sound healing.


6 - What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?


To love myself, follow my heart, listen to my inner guidance and to choose love. This also means letting go of all judgement, as judgement blocks the flow of love.
“Who is to say what is right and what is wrong” is an old Taoist saying I was once told. I have not always managed to remember it, or the rest of this advice I am giving, but I know of none better. When these things are in place, loving everyone as oneself becomes natural and normal. In my better moments I have felt this. There is always further to go on this spiritual pathway.
Loving myself wholeheartedly involves not judging my own actions. So there is nothing to beat myself up about and no self blame. As other people are a part of me, and I a part of them, it becomes automatic not to blame others for things. There is therefore nothing to forgive myself for or anyone else, no matter how much it may appear that they have “wronged” me or others. Everyone acts according to their own level of consciousness at the time.
Many of these things are so contrary to what most of us have been brought up to believe and accept, that it becomes clear that we have work to do on ourselves, which always benefits everyone else and all that is as well for the simple reason that we are all part of the whole. Always choose love!