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!

Interview with Renee Maguire

Today we have a fascinating interview with Renee Maguire of Raw Chi Food and whose book "Raw Chi Chocolate" has been  released this month. Renee is giving a free talk "The Alchemy of Chocolate" at the Monastery on 5th October. We'd like to say thanks to Renee for answering our questions at this busy time in her career. You can find her online at www.rawchifood.com where you can find a wealth of information on the subject of raw food, delicious recipes and an array of detox and coaching programs suitable for everyone.  

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

I began my working career as a chef, ran my own outside catering company in London for many years and upon traveling to Asia for 6 months and removing wheat, dairy and most meat out of my diet I began to notice significant changes to how I felt. This coincided with my first cleansing detox fast and the experience left me with a new vocation. I wanted to teach people how to provide more nutrition in there diet through delicious natural foods. I came back from my travels in 2008, set to work on studying nutrition and set up Raw Chi Food, initially it was a wellness coaching, but has progressed to motivational speaking, workshops and the online superfoods store.

Reading your story on your website, I get the impression you are on a mission, do you feel this is a vocation, a destiny almost?

Losing Nicola was a huge turning point in my life and for many years I was lost in grief. Raw Chi Food is not a mission, I see it as a natural progression for everyone, seeing how by making subtle changes to a persons diet you can see the health benefits and physical changes in a matter of weeks feels like a wonderful gift to share.  Raw Chi is my vocation and definitely my passion, i feel incredibly fortunate that I get to work at something I am passionate about and see the results in the people around me, my friends, clients,  customers. The raw chi philosophy is changing lives, I feel incredibly privileged, excited and energised by this vision that is now my reality.

Is your Raw Chi Detox suitable for everyone?

All adults, absolutely, you can not give your body a better gift than cleansing a detoxification, 5-7 days of literally pouring in green smoothie nutritious goodness, while allowing your major organs a rest, giving the colon a much needed holiday. Not to mention, how amazing you feel ridding your body of heavy metals and toxins. This is what I call pressing the reset button. You get to start a fresh, after 1 week, you are considerably lights, often 7-10 lbs, you have glowing skin, shinny eyes and are busting with renewed energy. This is very often the starting block for clients to take the steps to make changes to their diet.

Could you tell us a bit about your new book?

The Alchemy of Chocolate is finally on sale next month, it is my first cook book and I am half way through my second, the inspiration for the Raw Chocolate cook book, was simple, I wanted to create a cook book filled with delicious dairy free, gluten free, raw and optimally healthy  treats, as an introduction into how being kind to your body, by eating to live a long and healthy life, does not need to be boring, it can offer you abundant nutrients, just for starters raw chocolate offers an abundance of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin that lift our mood, offering  the body feelings of calm and relaxation. Raw Chocolate can assist with regulation our metabolism, therefore aiding weight loss, not weight gain, offers the highest amount of immune boosting antioxidants, and important for all is the richest source of magnesium than any other food. The Cook book is the first hook into healing foods for most and just by adding a few of the recipes in the book to your daily diet, you will notice a huge difference.

Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

This will be the same answer by most keen raw foodies, David Wolfe, is by far my biggest inspiration, I travelled to LA this year to attend his Life and Longevity 3 day conference in Orange County, because he leads the way in food to heal our body, his passion, energy and shear knowledge influences my teaching, my way of living. Listening to a seminar of his back in October 2011, gave me the confidence to come at my Mum's breast cancer in a completely different approach. There are many more, I particularly enjoy reading John Robbins books, such as No Happy Cow, to also offer the other side of the food industry, he uncovers the uncomfortable truth of just what in the foods we eat and awakens peoples consciousness.

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

My sisters words, she gave me on my 16th birthday from a poem she read out have stay with me in everything I do, "Stay true to your dreams and they stay true to you!"

Interview with Peta Garnaut of Serene Spirit Jewellery

A wonderful interview today with Peta Garnaut who is giving a workshop on Singing Bowls and Tingsha at the Monastery on Sunday 6th.  Petas' website serenespiritjewellery.com is a source of beautiful jewellery and artwork and we'd like to thank Peta for taking the time to answer our questions. Although her extremely popular workshop is fully booked at Manchester in October she also has a stand at the event.  As ever, pop along and say hi!

1 - To start, could you tell us a little bit about yourself please. I was born in Australia and as Asia is such a close neighbour I have travelled many times to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and China. I have 2 cats and a dog. I also like to ride (horses) and hope to go on a trail ride in Yorkshire or Cumbria in October. 2 - Travelling all over the world to source your artefacts, which is your favourite place to visit and why? That is a difficult question to answer, so I will answer with 2 locations. Sri Lanka is my favourite shopping destination for textiles and paraphernalia. It is also so rich in culture and intriguing historic monuments. I visited the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy which was such a peaceful and reverant building where the sacred relic of the tooth of Gautama Buddha is housed. My other favourite is Indonesia, because of the diversity and high artistic integrity of the artisans. They are people whose requirements are simple but they love to do business and share their culture. The people of Ubud are especially the warmest hosts and I have friends and artists who I visit every year. 3 - You've been painting since childhood, how do you feel you've evolved as an artist? My interest in Buddhist goddessess and Angels has inspired much of my recent artworks. The Green Tara and White Tara are quite formal in posture but as they care for all beings I can picture them with animals and birds and have fun with the artwork. Angels are not so formal, but they are very insistent on how they are painted. I start with something in mind and over the hours and days the image will change and develop and then quite unexpectedly  it will be finished. I actually believe they Angels guide my hand.  4 - You're doing a workshop in Singing Bowls and Ting Sha at the Monastery, how did you first get into them and could you tell us a bit about the workshop. I visited Kathmandu many years ago and visited the village where singing bowls are made and bought my first. I used it before meditating. As Serene Spirit Jewellery grew into not just jewellery I saw that good quality Tibetan singing bowls would be an authentic addition. Children and adults love to feel the vibration of the bowls and the hypnotic sounds which are so helpful to focus, relax and empty the mind.  The workshop is not just a demonstration of how to play a singing bowl but there will be bowls available for visitors to try. There is a technique to getting it right and once you have it mastered it is very satisfying to then experiment with the different tones in one singing bowl. The Tingsha are an easy alternative and much more portable. The chimes are gently "clanged" together and the sweet sound lingers. They have some very practical uses too. When the family comes together for dinner use the Tingsha to "clear" the space and enjoy each others company. 5-Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most. The Dalai Lama is such a wise man, I read his book "Widening The Circle of Love" every day.  6- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given. Never, never, never give up 7- 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 -:  Trinity by Leon Uris  -  The Historian - Round Ireland with a Fridge Films -:  The Big Chill. -  The Usual Suspects. - Bridesmaids

Interview with Molly Ann Fairley

Newark was fantastic.  A great show all round.  We are now in the run up to the Monastery,  Manchester on 5th and 6th of October.

Although we've had some great interviews so far, we have even more on the way leading up to the Monastery.  Today we're featuring an interview with Molly Ann Fairley, who will be giving a talk on the sunday about the effects of past lives, karma and childhood programming on our lives.  Molly Ann is the founder of The School of Psychic Studies and the psychic teachings available are now being taught  around the world.  We'd like to thank Molly Ann for taking the time to answer our questions, as always it's been an incredible read.

Molly Ann can be found online at www.theschoolofpsychicstudies.co.uk

 Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

My name is Molly Ann Fairley and I have been working as a psychic, medium and healer for over 20 years. More recently I have been writing books and creating healing products.

People from all walks of life come to me for guidance and healing. Some work with me over the phone, others like personal contact and make the journey to my home. I have always been interested in others and feel truly blessed that I have been able to help so many. Many years ago I had a spontaneous ‘psychic opening’ after which I was able to perform psychic surgery and channel accurate information.

Each day I receive wonderful thanks and blessings from ladies who are happy with their readings - Ladies who tell me that the healings and the readings enable them to know how to bring about positive change.

Why do your think there is such a strong demand for spiritual and psychic work these days.  Is humanity a little bit lost or are we evolving?

I do see that there is a greater demand for psychic and spiritual work than there would have been years ago. Because I am 66 I can scan back a long way into time so I have some experience to back up these observations.

I believe that many souls have now incarnated to help the planet lift its vibration. I have read that we have been going through the darkest era now. There is less kindness and consideration than when I was younger and I think we are living in a ‘me’ time when many people are only concerned about money and themselves. People need more help and they need to be able to overcome their fears. More is demanded of an individual. For example, old people need to make sure they have enough money to live on because their off spring may not be there for them. Younger people are getting overburdened with their parents living longer and suffering disease. People died younger years ago so with the new medical innovations we are having greater problems now.

I see many Asian ladies breaking out of their old conditions. Some of them are going through divorce. They need support as this would have been unheard of before and it is very frightening for them.

Karmically (I talk here of our destiny the karma we have come to overcome. It is said that we bring our past negative personality traits to rise above them) we are meeting up with more souls with whom we have unfinished business. This will put a strain on marriages that are breaking down because that person has to be able to move on and work out his or her karma out with others. Double or triple marriages are no uncommon any more. Children also need to work out their outstanding karma and may need to have one or more mothers or fathers to do this. This all leads to greater insecurity. The crime rate is up and the courts are not taking strong steps to quell it. This means that people are feeling unsafe with the mounting violence that is occurring. They need spiritual guidance. They need to be able to find themselves in their inner world and make themselves stronger to deal with these external changes. They need to know that there is a greater power than them and that they can tap into this power deeply within themselves. I have been shown that the purpose of all life is to find self-love a deep love for self within. Each of us would behave very differently if we could find this.  

In England religion has broken down. The numbers attending church are lessening. The Catholic Church is also suffering from a backlash of the behaviour of their priests towards children. Other religions are fighting each other and so it goes on. It always helps to read history because I then get the measure of how it has always been this way.

Women need to become stronger to run their lives without fear and to influence our world. They come for psychic readings, healing and guidance to grow, overcome their karma and get stronger. I see this every day. It is a joy to watch. Only yesterday I saw a lady in an arranged marriage with a husband who is cheating on her go from someone who is scared to a woman determined to find work, learn the language and support her husband until his need to play away from home is healed.

Can you develop psychic ability on your own safely or do you need a guide?

Someone can develop psychically on their own and I have seen this happen to quite a number of people. I believe, however, it is safer and more fun to develop alongside others. The budding psychic will see how they are doing, learn to keep pace inside a group (which is how we learn at school) and realise how much they are helping another. They also have the advantage of seeing how an experienced teacher works and this will broaden their approach. When you give a reading, you place yourself in a position of responsibility. The more exposure and experience you get the better if you wish to become good at what you do.

Can you tell us more about your upcoming talk at Manchester?

I am going to give a short talk about the power of healing.

Because of the changing planetary energies the power of the healings is much greater than before. I like to make sure that those attending truly understand the extent to which they can use this new power to heal the issues in their lives. That way they will get the most value out of attending.

I will briefly talk about karma (the just return of all that goes out must come back – spiritual law) to enable people to understand why they have the issues that they do. I will also refer to their past lives and touch upon the types of lifetimes that can bring about issues into this one. I will very likely at this point ask someone if they would like me to channel information about one of their past lives so that everyone can see how it works. A lady yesterday who was at a talk of mine some months ago told me she saw angels in the room. She is not psychic and this had never happened to her before. She is delighted for she had been asking for proof and wants to develop psychically so that she can help others.

After my talk and when I know everyone has understood what I have been teaching, I will give a demonstration to get the ball rolling. When others have seen how it works I ask them to tell me what they wish to have healed. When people actually see something work it opens them up to experiencing the same for themselves. Spirit will descend at this point and many angels will be present.  I am assisted by lots of unseen guides and masters. People can often feel the amazing energy of these guides and are usually very surprised at the power and the strength of the healing they receive. I always receive letters and emails afterwards thanking me for the day. It is very wonderful work.

Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

Many writers and thinkers have influenced me. I have recently written a chapter in a book called ‘The Light’ with Neale Donald Walsch who wrote conversations with God.  Eckhart Tolle is contributing a great deal to the planet with his book ‘The Power of Now’. I read Sai Baba’s teachings about love and feel very connected when I do.  I recommend Paramahansa’ Yogananda’s Scientific Healing Affirmations for deep healings. The words are full of ancient wisdom and carry a wonderful vibration for healing.  It is a little book full of amazing knowledge about healing yourself. I also like Louise Hay and Diana Cooper. Doreen virtue’s books and cards inspired me greatly when I was creating my Psychic Weight Loss Oracle Cards for women. Cassandra Eason and Heidi Sawyer have been big influences on me for my book ‘You Can Be Psychic Too’

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

Don’t complain, find the weakness in you that have stopped you having the courage to change your situation. Heal the weakness and then make the changes necessary that will get you out of the problem. Be prepared to persevere with the changes until you are happier. Be open to the possibility that it may not pan out exactly the way that you want and if it doesn’t learn to accept that fact so that you can move on.

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!)

The Art of Happiness – The Dalai Lama

Be Your Own Life Coach – Fiona Harrold

Spiritual Growth – Sanaya Roman

Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers

The Winning Mind – Sebastian Coe

Colour Me Beautiful – Carole Jackson

Sue Hickman Interview

Today we've got an interview with Sue Hickman from Forever Living products.  Sue will be at the Newark show this weekend, indeed she is at many BSSK shows throughout the year.  We've asked her a little bit about herself and the products and would like to say thanks to her for taking the time to answer our questions.  Personally I'd heard of Forever Living but didn't know a huge amount about it, so it's been fascinating to learn about more.

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

For 30 years I was a Police Officer and if you had told me 6 years ago I was going to become an advocate of Natural Health products I would have looked behind you for the men in white coats.

However I had a health challenge in that I had arthritis and was taking pain killers on a daily basis. I bought a new puppy and this changed my life. I played with the puppies on the floor and had to use a chair to lever myself back to my feet and the women suggested I tried drinking aloe vera and it would help me. She told me it came with a 60 day money back guarantee and I thought what have I got to loose. I tried it and within 6 weeks I was off my painkillers and back doing the things which had become so difficult like climbing flights of stairs and playing golf. I would never be without it!

2 - Could you explain the benefits of Aloe Vera

I'd never heard of Aloe Vera but when I researched it I found that we have been using it for healing for thousands of years. Records of it being used for medicinal purposes go back to 2100 bc in Southern Iraq but the most famous is 1550 bc in the Papyrus Ebers  which details the ancient Egyptians use of it. There are many other references to it throughout history Christopher Columbus and Mhatma Ghandi both refer to it and it forms part of the Veterinary Coat of Arms.

So why is it so good. We have established that Aloe contains over 75 nutritional compounds including vitamins, minerals and amino acids but the synergy of them working together make it naturally anti inflammatory, it balances the immune system, its a natural antibiotic and is naturally both fungicidal and bactericidal. Most people know it is excellent with all kinds of burns (anti pyretic) but it is also anti itching (antipuretic). This means that it is excellent in helping the body to cope with a number of challenges like mine.

3 - How do you sell, is it just online and show or do you do parties as well?

I attend the BSSK Shows as a way of letting as many people as possible learn about the benefits Aloe has. I do have an online shop which repeat customers use but in the first instance I prefer to talk to people  and discuss the benefits which can be achieved. Once you actually feel the benefits of taking Aloe Vera you do find it difficult to stop talking about it. I occasionally will arrange a party at someones house if they want their friends to find out about the aloe they are using or will speak to Womens Institute or Church Groups but primarily I just talk to people wherever I go.

Forever Living are the Worlds biggest growers of Aloe Vera. It is all organically grown and has been since the beginning. We do not grow our Aloe for anyone else and only use the inner leaf gel in our products. The outer leaf is put back onto the fields for fertilisation. Aloe is like an apple once you cut into it it starts to oxidise so you have to stabilise it. We have a patented stabilisation process using fruit and vegetable juices not heat treating or carbon filtering it like the commercial process.

3 - Forever Living have a lot a bee products - is that a sustainable source, can more bee farming help to increase their numbers?

What is often unknown is that we are also the worlds largest bee keepers. Our bees are kept in the Sonoran Desert away from all pollutants. This keeps our bee colonies strong in a time when the world is becoming more and more worried about loosing bees. We have specially designed hives which allow the bee's to keep all the Royal Jelly, Pollen and Propolis they need and skim a little surplus off for our use.

4- which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

I have been most influenced by the American Motivational Speaker Jim Rohn. He shows us that we can all lead inspirational lives starting today and if we want something badly enough anything is possible. One of my favourite Jim Rohn quotes is:

Its not what happens which determines your lives future. Its what you do about what happens.

All of us are in like a little sailboat and its not the blowing of the wind which determines your destination its the set of the sail. The same wind blows on us all. The wind of disaster, the wind of opportunity, the wind of change….. the wind when its favourable and unfavourable.. The same wind blows on us all…….. the difference in arrival is not the blowing of the wind but the set of the sail.

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

The best advice I ever got was "if its to be its up to me". We waste time and energy looking for someone to blame if our life isn't exactly what we want it to be but we all have it in our gift to live the life of our dreams. We have to just stop wasting that energy, decide what we want and actively pursue what we want.

Forever Living Products is a Network Marketing Company and I use my experience with the Company over the last 6 years to show others not only what remarkable products the Company has but also how they can use the Company as a vehicle to get whatever they want in life.