Inspired Times Issue 15

Issue No. 15 Winter 2012/13www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com

Relationships: the Ideal & the Real Love is in the air! Frank Vilaasa reveals

how relationships offer the perfect chance for spiritual growth

Winter Blues A path of personal nourishment and deep rest can lift our spirits

during these darker months

Zen Cooking Florencia Clifford uses intuition to guide how she cooks; tantalising

our taste buds the Zen way...

Green Heat Just how do low-impact woodland homes keep green flames burning

throughout the winter freeze?

CONTENTSFEATURES

REGULARS

4 Winter Blues Sharon Henshall looks at how some personal nourishment and deep rest can lift our spirits during these darker months.

6 Devotional Chanting Three devotees tell us of the riches brought to their lives, through devotional chanting.

10 Relationships: the Ideal and the Real Frank Vilaasa reveals the perfect chance for spiritual growth and deeper connections.

14 Zen Cooking Florencia Clifford tantalises our taste buds the Zen way with her ‘Sweet Potato Tagine’.

16 Turning Young Lives Around Miguel Dean discusses how unlocking the potential of our troubled young, can change their lives forever.

22 Green Heat Just how do low-impact woodland homes keep the green flames burning throughout the winter freeze? Rebecca Day reports.

inspired times issue 15 winter 2012/13 1

2 Welcome Editor, Sharon Henshall welcomes you to our autumn edition of Inspired Times.

8 Meeting Mooji A continuation of Sharon Henshall’s interview from our spring issue with the inspirational spiritual teacher, Mooji.

12 Inspiring Tales Discover how the healing powers of music changed one man’s path, and follow one young girl on her mission to help the homeless...

13 Have Your Say From spiritual bonding to the scent of books, readers send in their stories...

15 Creativity Trina Dalziel expresses herself through illustration, whilst Rebecca Day shares her re-discovered love for writing.

17 Communities A project creates a tidal wave of positivity, whilst one charity leaves a legacy amongst our communities.

18 Inspiring Getaways Benjamin Salt reports on the positive alternatives to overseas breaks, and how ‘stay-cations’ are the way to go.

20 Exciting Events 2012 From Brighton’s Vegfest to Bali Spirit, 2013 boasts an array of festivals and events that will be sure to put a spring in your step after the winter chill.

21 Eco-news Abby Pickles keeps us in the know with the latest eco-news. Fairtrade Fortnight is around the corner and pledges to change buying habits nationwide.

26 Green Valentine’s Gift Guide Stuck for what to buy your loved ones this Valentine’s Day? Look no further than our selection of eco & holistic treats.

28 Inspiring Individuals To celebrate International Women’s Day, Alex Saunders looks at the powerful and influential work of Franny Armstrong, a documentary film director whose passion and dedication has united nations in a fight against climate change.

Unit 19, The Coach House2 Upper York StreetBristol BS2 8QN0117 924 0901www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com

Magazine Coordinator/Editor:Sharon Henshall Sub-Editor: Rebecca DayProduction Editor:Sharon HenshallCover Image: Becky CookeArtworker: Heather Murphy

Contributors:Rebecca Day/Lila ConwayJahnavi Harrison/Tim ChaliceFrank Vilaasa/Miguel DeanFlorencia Clifford/Trina Dalziel Alex Saunders/Benjamin SaltAbby Pickles/Emma FoleyChris Hughes/Toby CryneAnna Jones/Kevin Schofield

Advertising: Sharon Henshall [email protected]

No part of this magazine can be reproduced without consent. All rights reserved. No responsibility will be accepted for errors or omissions, or comments made by writers or interviewees.

ISSN 2041-0786

© Inspired Times

Pg 14Zen Cooking – Sweet Potato Tagine...

welcome...

Florencia Clifford

Each arrival of a new year ushers in a clean slate offering fresh opportunities. As we step into 2013 may we feel love and support as we continue our journey into the unknown.

This winter issue has brought together yet another wonderful team of dedicated individuals, working hard to keep the Inspired spirit alive. Becky’s beautiful front cover celebrates her theme of geometric shapes – fitting perfectly with this season of snow-flakes. Simplistic in construction, each additional delicate layer offers a beauty and depth, symbolic of the wonders of life.

Delve inside and discover articles covering a myriad of topics. ‘Winter Blues’ (Pg 4-5) looks at the deeper significance of feeling low-spirited, whilst our ‘Devotional Chanting’ article (Pg 6-7) can lift our spirits as we discover the joy it brings to devotees. The human heart has such an astounding ability to love and with Valentine’s Day approaching, Frank Vilaasa’s article ‘Relationships: the Ideal and the Real’ gives us food for thought. Nourishing our bodies with wholesome cuisine brings us to Florencia Clifford’s ‘Zen Cooking’ recipe (Pg 14). Her Sweet Potato Tagine will warm your heart as well as your belly! Rebecca Day steps out of the city to discover

how residents of low-impact woodland homes keep toasty during the depths of freezing winters. You can learn more about Rebecca’s findings in her ‘Green Heat’ article (Pg 22-24).

We hope you enjoy the read and please do keep supporting us as an online publication in the year ahead. A handful are now printed as reference copies and placed nationwide within eco-centres and holistic retreats. If you know of such places where many like-minded people gather, do let us know. Keep your stories coming our way too, because sharing uplifting and poignant stories is our passion. Strengthening our online community is now vital, so please pass on our weblink far and wide. We’d love to continue the Inspired Times journey and hope the coming year brings an abundance of good will, joy and positive change for us all.

Sharon Henshall (Magazine Coordinator/Editor)[email protected]

Frank Vilaasa is a life and relationship coach, healer and meditation teacher. For this Valentine issue, he has written an article for us about relationships. Frank has a Graduate Diploma in Humanistic Psychology from the University of South Australia, and trained in Biodynamic Psychotherapy at the Centre for Bioenergy in London, and Gestalt Therapy with Quaesitor in London.

For the past 25 years, he has practiced healing, psychotherapy and relationship counselling in the UK, Australia and various parts of SE Asia. He has received teachings on awakening the heart as a spiritual practice from teachers in India, Bhutan, SE Asia and Australia. He received the Kalachakra Initiation into the practice of Highest Yoga Tantra

from The Dalai Lama.

He is the founder of the Anahata Mystery School in northern Thailand, where he is currently based. He has published many articles on relationships and spiritual development in a variety of magazines and journals, and is the author of the recently published book ‘What is Love? – The Spiritual Purpose of Relationships’ .

www.awaken-love.com

Born in Argentina to European grandparents, Florencia Clifford grew up with a fascination with Britain and all things British. Unsurprisingly, she fell in love with and married an Englishman, settling in York – where she has now lived for 18 years. It was her husband, Simon who booked her place on her first Buddhist retreat. Initially skeptical, her work duties in the Zen kitchen set Florencia on the path to self-acceptance and a mindful

understanding of the value of food as spiritual sustenance.

Clearing the daily food offerings, she often found slugs drowning in the soup. As a gesture of compassion to these mundane creatures she started to leave delicate orchids for them to feast on instead. Inspiring the title of her book, Feeding Orchids to the Slugs, this practice helped Florencia learn to embrace the aspects of herself and others that seemed at first, like the slugs, unlovable.

Food has been the fuelling fire for her journey of self-discovery and she has worked as a Zen Cook for the past seven years. In this issue of Inspired Times Florencia shares a nourishing winter recipe from her newly released book.

www.valapublishers.coop

spreading the spirit of inspired times

Frank Vilaasa

2 inspired times issue 15 winter 2012/13

www.balispiritfestival.com

www.vegfest.co.ukwww.aromantic.co.uk

With a lack of light triggering seasonal blues, Sharon Henshall explores how feeling low could be the perfect time for nourishment and rest. Connecting with the stillness of winter to create inner space can ignite deep awakenings and open ourselves to a life more reflective of our true selves.

WinterWith short days and long nights, our gritty

British existence is seeing the number of people experiencing ‘winter blues’ soar. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is now

thought to affect around two million people in the UK, as this cold and dark period has been proven to instigate a seasonal low mood. Depression – whatever the weather – has also hit an all time low... it now affects over six million nationwide. These numbers are concerning and whilst nature settles into hibernation, it is an interesting observation by Jeff Foster, an author and spiritual speaker, that the verb ‘depressed’ has a similar phonetic sound to ‘deep rest’. Scientists link SAD with a lack of sunshine and similarly, could it be that some forms of depression stem from a lack of light reaching our souls? This isn’t to go against medical diagnoses of chemical imbalance in the brain, it is simply an idea put forward as something to explore.

at a loss Life during these times is undoubtedly challenging. With so much to juggle in our busy lifestyles, the financial crisis and an uncertain future, we can feel at a loss when trying to make sense of our existence. Whilst striving to keep control of our lives, we can often wear ourselves out in the process. Once exhaustion

kicks in, periods of feeling overwhelmed and low often follow. Rather than seeking a quick

fix for this, there is a suggestion by some spiritual teachers, such as Jeff, to see it as an invitation to “rest deeply, in the core of who you are”. He himself experienced depression in his younger years and can relate to that feeling of debilitating

heaviness, among other overwhelming sensations and thoughts which can occur. He believes that some of that heaviness comes from the burden of holding up your self image. The image we give to people of who we are, or who we think they see us as. The weight can leave us feeling crushed and pressed down – depressed. Maybe we are recognising something in the way we live has parted from our deeper truth. “It is an unconscious loss of interest in the second-hand – a longing to ‘die’ to the false,” says Jeff.

keeping up appearances We can all, on some level, feel the weight of keeping up appearances, whether it is our roles in life as mother,

father, partner, employer or employee. Some days it flows naturally, other days we can

feel inside that we just don’t want to play. The winter can increase

the blues at varying icy degrees and most of us would agree that we respond differently to the onset of dampened emotions. With the darker days, it can be a good reminder

to nourish ourselves and allow space for an internal light to

flicker. Even sitting quietly, as nature does during this period, we

can increase our sense of well-being. Allow ourselves the space of being in the

moment – not considering the next – by leaving anxieties about money, family, friends, jobs, futures and the like to one side. It’s not denial... it is simply space. If we are constantly allowing daily pressures to absorb us, when do we get to rest deeply? Just ‘being’ rather than thinking or doing, for even five minutes – whatever we have time for – can really help.

“It is an

unconscious loss of interest in

the second-hand – a longing to ‘die’ to

the false”Jeff Foster



WinterWhen there is daylight, maybe find some time to be in nature. Go for a walk and feel the stillness of this season. Soak in the silence and try not to engage in too many conversations. Sink into a deeper place of relaxation. After dusk, light candles for an evening rather than turning on the lights. Play relaxing music or listen to a guided meditation. Light incense or burn scented oils. All of this nourishment isn’t just about making us feel better; it’s also about re-connecting with ourselves and creating space within.

judgement free When dissatisfactions are running around in our head, finding someone who will listen to us without offering their opinions and advice can give us the sounding board for shifting any stuck thoughts. Also listen to yourself as you talk, with that same principle, and see if the messages within the centre of those blue emotions can step forward. Maybe we have an idea of how our life should be and feel a frustration at its disparity with our dreams; see this just as a thought, not as a reality. The lack of judgement frees you to respond to life as it is, which isn’t always as we want to be.

It is usually our mind which holds us hostage at these emotional low points. Holding onto any self image is exhausting. Many teachings point us to the imagery of the ocean to help us understand the bigger picture. We are more than the waves; we are the ocean – a vast space where all movements can occur: happiness and sadness, contentment and frustration, peace and anger. The ocean doesn’t pick and choose which wave it wants – accepting some and rejecting others. Waves come and go but the ocean remains. When we think we are the waves we feel worn out by the activity – by remembering we are the ocean, a sense of relief can wash over us. However, many people, even when they are exhausted, keep fighting that exhaustion, almost afraid to give in. We often don’t know how to rest and if we believe we are our thoughts,

we never will. By watching those thoughts, we can see they constantly morph

to keep us a prisoner of the mind. “I need to rest”...

“No, I must keep

going as I don’t know what will happen if I rest”... “I can’t keep going”... “I have no time to rest”... If we invest in this process, it is endless and exhausting. Instead we can simply witness these dialogues without getting involved, without giving them energy. Then we can experience true rest. sign-post moments If things start feeling too full or complicated, it is simply a reminder to take a deep breath and see how to simplify life. Often a phone call to cancel a meeting or a request for help can change the path of your day. Life usually has sign-post moments to guide us back to our true selves. Society keeps us on full alert most of the time; bills come in thicker and faster during the winter and our ‘to-do’ lists seem to be endless. This on-going ‘state of alert’ can take its toll on our body, and as the weather gets colder it can feel even more depleted. Our immunity drops and we become more susceptible to falling ill. We can boost our immune systems with vitamin supplements – vitamin D is good for warding off SAD, whilst zinc helps immunity. Turning off our phones and computers earlier each evening gives our eyes and minds a rest. Rubbing warm oils on our body before soaking in a bath opens our pores, allowing our skin to breath.

By nourishing ourselves regularly we create an inner space in which our spirits may begin to lift. Or, at least we allow ourselves to be in whatever state naturally occurs, allowing them to pass through, without judgement or fear. From this place of ‘deep rest’, inner messages can rise, guiding us gently back to the light – regardless of how dark the day may feel.

Blues

6 inspired times issue 6 autumn 2010

om namah sivaya om namah sivaya om namah sivaya sivaya namah om govinda jaya jaya gopala jaya jaya radha ramana hari govinda jaya jaya hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

I am so grateful for the simple practice of kirtan (devotional chanting). While other practices have come and gone in my

life like clouds drifting across the sky, chanting is so effortless, joyful, peaceful and nourishing that it never feels like work, a discipline or any of those terms that make a spiritual practice seem unappealing! Instead as soon as the drone of the harmonium begins there is an instant feeling of relaxation, of letting go, a deepening of the breath and a feeling of coming home. In an instant there is permission to let go of the doer-ship and simply be in the present, leaving all anxieties and thoughts to one side. What grace this must be that kirtan takes us so quickly into silence, the ‘peace of God that surpasses all understanding’. I still wonder sometimes how I ended up leading kirtan. In fact, before a spiritual awakening towards the end of the last century I was about as far from singing the praises of God

Tim Chalice www.timchalice.com Music has always played a strong part in Tim’s life. He currently runs chanting groups in the South West and, since becoming a parent, has been inspired to offer parent & baby chanting sessions. His CD ‘Devotional Heart’ is now out.

devotional chanting

Imagine hundreds of people singing and dancing together in ecstasy, getting completely lost in the music and joy of the moment… not a trace of alcohol or drugs in sight, the only high coming from a loving celebration of the Divine. A new wave of devotional music is swiftly sweeping the globe and the fever is infectious! Devotional singing is an expression of love for the Divine, the Supreme, the Eternal Beloved or God. It is an ancient practice found within most forms of spiritual traditions including Hinduism, Vaisnavism, Sikhism, Sufism, Christianity and more. In Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion), devotional chanting is known as kirtan, a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to glorify’ or ‘to praise’. Kirtan can be practiced individually, however, collective group chanting is encouraged. There is usually a person leading the kirtan in a call and response style of chanting Sanskrit mantras, hymns, poetry, all in praise of the holy names of God. Traditionally only cartals (cymbals) and mrdanga (a double ended drum) were used to keep the beat and rhythm… the sound of the drum is said to be the heartbeat of the Divine.

Whilst many kirtan leaders have a musical background, it is not essential; the only key ingredients are love and devotion. As the kirtan leader begins to sing, the mood is set and usually begins in a slow and sweet melody enabling the congregation to firstly follow the melody and secondly meditate on the holy names. Those new to kirtan may not fully understand the meanings but the holy names themselves will reveal their own beauty and grace. It is a process of stepping out of the head and into the heart. As you begin chanting, all worries and concerns slowly fall away… your mind has only one thought, the divine holy name which is the same as God him/herself. As you meditate on the beauty and wonders of the Supreme, it is not uncommon to become lost in the sea of people collectively chanting, but individually feeling that nothing exists aside from you and the holy name. A devotee, singing with feeling from their heart enchants the Divine… there is nothing more pleasing to God. As the pace quickens, voices and clapping get louder; the sacred sound vibration permeates every cell of your being and you simply have to dance! Kirtan is the highest nectar, it brings an ocean of happiness to the heart, nourishes the inner being on every level and brings so much joy in daily life.

Lila Conway www.yogaprema.orgInspired Times’ yogini, Lila, has a deep connection with India, works worldwide as a yoga instructor and has written regularly for our publication since its inception. Lila’s love of chanting is infectious and a strong aspect of her life. Here she gives us an insight into the joy it can bring...


inspired times issue 6 autumn 2010 7

om namah sivaya om namah sivaya om namah sivaya sivaya namah om govinda jaya jaya gopala jaya jaya radha ramana hari govinda jaya jaya hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

as you could get, but with hindsight there does seem to have been a Divine

hand steering me to this place. Music and singing have been with me since an early age and years

later I pursued an interest in healing and sound healing. This searching culminated in 2005 when I began exploring The Naked Voice practices with Chloe Goodchild which included a great deal of devotional chanting. There was something in this communal, participatory experience that ignited me. There was no need to impress or perform or even sing ‘well’, none of these things mattered. Rather it was a chance to connect the power of the voice with the beauty of the heart, true soul music. Since then many things in my life have changed but chanting has been my constant companion and refuge.

Kirtan is a very forgiving practice. It doesn’t chide me if I have been away too long and still lets me dive straight into its oceanic heart. With repetition of these Divine names I can quickly let go of all thoughts and conditioning and rest there for a while.

According to the Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures) there are four great ages. We are currently believed to be in the Kali Yuga or Dark Age. Whereas in previous ages those seeking spiritual perfection had to perform long austerities, the prescribed method now for attaining the Supreme is kirtan, chanting the names of God. As we try to negotiate these turbulent times, bombarded with external noise, the chatter of the mind and endless distractions, the simplest, most effective thing we can do is keep chanting. Ram Ram.

Sacred call and response chanting (kirtan) has been the soundtrack to my life since birth. I grew up at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, a spiritual community of Bhakti yoga practitioners - more

commonly known as Hare Krishnas, or the guys that wear bed sheets! The Manor estate also included

a primary school which aimed to give as much spiritual input as academic. Singing and

studying sacred texts was an important part of our daily routine.

Though I grew up seeing people from diverse backgrounds coming to the community, I never could have imagined the incredible growth of interest in the lifestyle and practices of yoga as it became more popular throughout the mainstream. Through my teens it was something I was embarrassed about - something that

alienated me from others. I was terribly shy and would never have imagined that my life calling would grow to become sharing these practices with others. After graduating from university, I joined a group of friends and we formed a US-based band called As Kindred Spirits. We toured the world for five years, bringing the rich and dynamic culture of Bhakti yoga to contemporary audiences through song, storytelling, poetry, dance and drama. In the past year I’ve returned to the UK and have started a project called Kirtan London that aims to make the kirtan experience accessible and relevant to all different groups of people. We have been holding regular events in the city, including six hour kirtans; special extended stints of chanting for an in-depth experience like no other.

Chanting is the thread that binds and runs through every moment of my life. For a Bhakti yoga practitioner, the communal experience of kirtan is just as important as the quiet, private practise of japa - chanting the sacred names on a mala (rosary). I chant every morning for two hours. It definitely sets the day up. The effect of chanting is tangible and real, to the degree that I give it focus, time and attention. Just as watering a tree’s root automatically feeds every branch and leaf, I can really perceive how the practice of devotional chanting nourishes my relationships, my life outlook and daily activities. It offers a genuine, portable, fun and profound way to connect with the divine person. I always think of the famous line from the Nat King Cole song - ‘the greatest thing, you’ll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return.’ For me that sums it up, kirtan is a constant learning experience in loving reciprocation.

Jahnavi Harrison www.jahnavi.wordpress.comBorn and raised in a family of English Bhakti yogis, Jahnavi is a multi-disciplinary artist, trained in Western classical violin, South Indian dance and Carnatic music. Her latest project, Kirtan London, aims to make devotional chanting accessible to a diverse audience.



Last year Mooji welcomed Sharon Henshall into his home to drink tea and share his wisdom. The first part of this interview appeared in the Spring ‘12 edition. As the interview continued, Mooji’s dialogue deepened, pointing to something far beyond words.

meeting

Back in March 2012 I had been invited to interview Mooji, a man whom had caught my attention following watching him speak on YouTube. His wisdom had made me stop in my tracks. It was a week before print and so editorial space was tight. I’d managed to include some of the interview and hoped to write up the rest for posting online. Time disappeared and it just never happened. Since then I’ve attended a silent retreat with Mooji, watched countless more YouTube offerings and felt his words resonate in a more profound way. As space became available in this winter issue, I felt compelled to return to that time spent in Mooji’s company. His words, which even if beyond instant comprehension, reach out to the very depths of our soul.

Q. Why do many of us find life so challenging? Much energy is being wasted because we are in the wrong identification. We seem to be functioning a foot away from our actual place, at a place where we are living in a kind of a mental construction of who we are. That is where our attention has been living – as soon as we recognise that this place itself is phenomenal and is being watched from a deeper place, a truer place. As that begins to really sink in, the whole game of experience and life changes.

Q. Why do we find doing ‘nothing’ harder than doing ‘something’? We have to drop the notion of doing nothing, because the mind likes these kind of notions. Sometimes we put a lot of energy to try to do nothing, to try and be nothing, but it’s not the ‘nothing’ which is the outcome of an action, it is the ‘nothing’ that is the outcome of a recognition. There is so much affection for our identity and so much fear around what will ‘I’ be beyond my identity. We are so preoccupied with the mental gymnastics about it and sometimes I think it’s fear also, that something within feels that even if I am ego, at least I have kind of learnt the game of playing like this.

I feel there are always a numbers of people who have come to a place of reckoning inside of themselves, brought there by bitter experiences or whatever. Sometimes we don’t know how we have come here. Even a very young person can have such a strong pull for truth. It’s not always the more mature person – we’re seeing more and more young who are making

really authentic explorations into the truth. This is very encouraging.

Q. You often say “Can you see the seer?”. What do you mean by this? Whenever we hear a profound question, we will need a few times of hearing it because we are so conditioned in the way we perceive something new. First come to the place where you recognise that everything that you call your life is only what has appeared in front of you in some way – you have chosen something, identified with something. All these experiences have reported to you and you have acknowledged this is true: I like this, I don’t like that... whatever it may be. You are essential to the life you call existence, but you, who are you, itself? The one who witnesses life?

For those who have the urge to look, something begins to take place because the mind expects to find something tangible. I say the mind is an instrument for measuring and interpreting change and variety. It always has to look for something phenomenal so that it can find a measurement of. At first people may say yes I can see it’s my idea of who I am, that is seeing life. But what is seeing that? And then, oh, yes, you can’t argue with the fact that this is also seen. But by what is it seen? And then you have to stop and take some breaths for a bit, because possibly we have never really allowed this kind of question to happen inside of us. It can even create some nausea or some strange feelings inside of us, but I say keep on asking this question. It gradually comes into focus what you are asking. It is clear that all these things, including the idea I have of who I am, is also perceived. Who is the perceiver, can it be other than the one I call ‘I’?

Before ‘I’ was occupying the role of the person but now ‘I’ has slipped into a more subtle and wider space where even the ‘I-person’ is seen. That which remains, can that also be seen? We have to call on a deep powers within ourself to really to address this question – which I always say I am not in a hurry to have just a verbal or mental or conceptual answer. It’s an opportunity

“Best of all, don’t try to be anything at all. This is a secret few recognise.” Mooji


mooji...(continued)

to really introspect and explore. The answer to this question is maybe an experience, a revelation or something. Take a look and find out.

People have to run away into the bush and sit with that. But even to invite this question in, is also a kind of revolution inside our Being – because it is driving your attention into places where perhaps in ordinary life you will not encounter this type of challenge into yourself. The outcome is something which is wordless, but once you begin to taste this, hopefully a deep appetite comes for that which you cannot describe.

Q. People often tell you they taste this experience, but it then disappears and they want to find it again... It is a little bit like looking in a mirror and imagining the real you is the one in the reflection. The one who is searching, that one is the energy of the Self, plus the identification with the body/mind. That cocktail, that is the seeker. The seeker turns away from the objects of perception where it has been shopping through the senses and interpreting all the messages as being relevant – and looks more towards the source. But all of that, including the one who is seeking, is phenomenal because there is an awareness of the seeking ‘I’. It takes a while to steady... who am ‘I’? The one being seen or the one who is seeing? Gradually that settles down and seems to plunge into the ocean of its own Being. In that moment there is the absence of the seeker, because the finding has discovered itself somehow. And in the absence of the seeker, there’s a kind of completeness.

But what has actually happened is that there is a rope around the waist of the seeker, and the seeker gets pulled back out again into an identity. Its been dipped into the ocean of existence and then something pulls it out – I don’t know if you want to call it karma... destiny... tendencies. This seeker who has been pulled out is not your definitive Being, it is not your essential Being, it is still the idea of who you are. But when it is plunged into itself, in that instant, it knows it is the Self.

When it came out it goes into goes into a state of amnesia about its real self and it starts to remember this as an experience. It’s like we’re living as our projection and it is the projected ‘I’ who is searching for the real self which is our Self – this is the greatest scam in the universe. That consciousness could concoct such an amazing game.

Q. Why is it so many of us can’t grasp this? I see how the mistake is made and somehow ‘why’ it is being made. It is like there is a reflex inside the seeking consciousness

to return to familiar states because it feels grounded – it feels a context of Being. When it’s really known in the heart you are never going to fall for it again, not completely – you can enjoy the game but being awake to the reality that it is all the Self. When you are in the identity of being a person, good will feel good, bad will feel bad, opposites will seem very different and real, and each thing seems to have its own unique existence. Whereas from the place of the ‘real’, all of them are images or forms of the one reality and you’ll know this in your heart, not just the mind.

How you find this out is by seeing that all the things you were looking at were not IT – they amount to clues and distractions. Then in the real place of seeing, it’s almost as if your Being exhales... nobody lets go, but the letting go happens. It is quite something and when the seeing actually settles into itself, I feel that all the Beings in the universe, the unseen ones, are rejoicing, all the cells in your body are rejoicing with this. Maybe its a very poetic way to say something like that, but I know in my case that something feels true in saying this. In that moment you are praising how the magnificent game is just right the way it is – even with those who have not yet seen, there is still something perfect. Our mind is in resistance to it for a while, because in a way it seems we make a choice, that we must try to discover ourself as and through the mind or through the ‘Being-ness’. It takes a time, a wisdom, a grace, to bring that slow cooking to where it is ready to be prasad for God’s mouth. If we try by holding onto identity we will struggle. But once the humility comes to really slow you down, you begin to see in a true and authentic way – you will come to see forces are there to help you, to guide you. They become the midwife to your own rebirth.

Read the first part of the interview on the articles page of our website: www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com. Details about Mooji’s satsangs & retreats can be found at: www.mooji.org

“Best of all, don’t try to be anything at all. This is a secret few recognise.” Mooji

With Valentine’s Day in our midst, love is in the air! However, relationships can challenge us, often due to pre-conceived expectations and dreams. Frank Vilaasa reminds us of the spiritual opportunity they offer... guiding us towards a deeper, more real love.


The heart is the doorway to the Divine, and

relationships provide us with an opportunity to

remove the rust that has gathered at its hinges.

Relationships...

The song ‘People’ is playing in the back of my mind as I write this. The Barbra Streisand version – “people who neeeed people…”. My partner hates this song – she thinks it’s too schmaltzy and the lyrics don’t make sense

– but I love it, I don’t care about the lyrics. I am more romantically inclined than she is, and I can recall as a young man empathising with Barbra’s almost desperate yearning for love.

the dream There is a longing in every human heart to share love. When we are young, this longing triggers off all kinds of hopes and dreams. Then when we actually enter a relationship, we come up against a reality that is very different from the dream. In the dream, we idealise love. We listen only to the highest aspirations of our hearts, and ignore the barriers we have placed around them. In a relationship, these barriers sooner or later come up, and if we are not alert to what is going on, we can easily become disenchanted or cynical about love.

Men and women react to this disillusionment in different ways. Men tend to give up on their romantic dreams, and chase after sexual experiences instead. Women may follow suit, or react to men’s sexual advances by withdrawing altogether. This is not a pretty state of affairs, and in this Valentine’s month, it is worthwhile stepping back a little and reflecting on what happens when our dreams meet reality – or when the rubber hits the road, as Barbra might say.

Recent research has shown that when we fall in love, biochemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine are released in the brain. Dopamine has the effect of raising our focus and energy levels, so that we think almost obsessively about our beloved in a highly energised way. It puts a rose-

coloured glow around the other person, reinforcing our belief in how wonderful they are, and fuelling our anticipation of romantic bliss.

These are real feelings, but they stem from sexual excitement and dopamine-fuelled romantic fantasies. Once the excitement and dopamine wear off, a different reality sets in. The rose-coloured glasses come off, and we find ourselves looking at a very different person. Someone who is – shock, horror! – human, with shortcomings and blind spots, as well as a few remnants of their former wonderful self.

Even more horrifying is the fact that they start to see us in the same way. Those intoxicating words of admiration are replaced by a tone of voice from which the fervour is noticeably fading. This is, of course, very disheartening for those ill-prepared to deal with the rough and tumble that follows post-coital bliss.

What is one to make of all this? Is there no happily ever after? Why do our dreams turn to dust?

the opportunity We can approach our relationships in one of two ways. We can see them as a way of fulfilling our ideals and expectations, or we can see them as an opportunity to learn and grow. In the first case, it is almost inevitable that reality will at some stage bite us on the backside and create shooting pains all the way up to the heart. In the second case, reality becomes our friend and guide. The idea of learning ‘lessons’ in relationships points to the fact that we are all works-in-progress. Our connections with others become an opportunity to clear up any blind spots we may have around giving and receiving love.


the ideal and the real

spiritual purpose Besides being a source of support and companionship, relationships have a spiritual purpose as well. Nobody is perfectly loving, we all carry certain obstacles in us that prevent the heart from opening freely. What happens in a relationship is that we get to see these obstacles in a rather rude and unflattering way. Our possessiveness, judgments, efforts to control the other person, and so on, all start to emerge shortly after the honeymoon is over.

We may try to brush them aside and blame the other person - as so often happens – or we can choose to take the opportunity that this relationship presents, and do some real spiritual practice. If we are willing to take responsibility for our shortcomings, and roll up our sleeves to make some attitudinal and behavioural change, we can free ourselves of many of the subconscious and karmic blocks that we have to sharing love.

The simplest way to do this is through a three step process I call the 3 A’s – awareness, acceptance and affirmation. Firstly, we need to give up any denial we have about our shortcomings, and become aware of the particular block we have. Then we simply accept it as it is, without judgment or wishing it was different. This second step of acceptance is an important one. It sounds simple, but it is not easy to do. Usually when we discover something unpleasant about ourselves, we react by feeling embarrassed, guilty or inadequate in some way. Rather than accepting it, we immediately start trying to fix it up, or wish it was different. This creates an internal conflict that makes us feel bad and unloving towards ourselves.

Accepting ourselves as we are is the first step towards real self-love, and clears the way for the third step of transformation. Finally, we make a series of targeted affirmations, to bring in new qualities and attitudes that will counteract that particular block. For example, if we find ourselves being overly possessive and controlling, we repeat to ourselves statements such as ‘I now recognise and respect the other person’s freedom to be themselves’.

As our blocks clear up over time, we find our heart connection with those close to us deepening more and more. We discover that, beyond our grievances and insecurities, there is an abundance of love and compassion that wants to be shared.

all relationships This process of learning and growing can apply, not just to intimate partners, but to other connections as well. Relationships with family members, friends and colleagues – if we approach them with the same spirit of wishing to learn about ourselves – can also make us aware of when we are being judgmental or intolerant. Once again we can transform our blind spots by applying the 3 A’s.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me on this journey of awakening is just how many layers there are to the heart. Just when you think you have known all there is to know about the heart, it surprises you by revealing something more. We can always be more unconditional, less judgmental and more abundant in our loving.

One of the most dynamic ways of growing spiritually is through awakening the heart. The heart is the doorway to the Divine, and relationships provide us with an opportunity to remove the rust that has gathered at its hinges. As we continue to do this, the door eventually swings open, and reveals the dazzling radiance of the reality of love.

Frank Vilaasa is a life and relationship coach, healer and meditation teacher. He is the author of the recently published book ‘What is Love? – the spiritual purpose of relationships’, which is available both on Amazon and at Frank’s website: www.awaken-love.com


A child’s curiosity is a wonderful thing, absent of any pretence or judgement. Simply asking “Why?” can often be the most powerful question of all.

At the age of five, Hannah Taylor witnessed a man foraging for food in a bin amidst the freezing winds of winter in her native Winnipeg, Canada. This one fleeting moment touched Hannah’s young heart, and for the next year she tried to understand why anyone would have to resort to such measures. “Maybe if you do something about it you won’t feel so sad,” suggested Hannah’s mother.

A school fundraising event, supported by her teacher, was Hannah’s way of doing something to help. To collect donations, Hannah used her younger sister’s babyfood jars, painting them to resemble ladybugs. “Ladybugs bring luck and homeless people need good luck,” remarks Hannah; a sentiment that become key to her mission in helping the impoverished. This simple day event led to the inception of the Ladybug Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to raising financial support and awareness of hunger, poverty and the plight of the homeless. www.ladybugfoundation.ca

“The biggest obstacle that the Ladybug Foundation and I have met has been the fact that far too many don’t see those who are homeless as people,” explains Hannah. Only eight years old at the time, she proved that the human heart always has the capacity to amaze, to do so much good. “Many

people just go by and ignore what’s going on,” explains Rick Adams, a former homeless man who has benefitted first hand from the foundation. “You show us a little love and that goes a long way.” By promoting kindness, Hannah hopes to restore a humanity to the issue, advocating tirelessly to dispel the stigma associated with homelessness. “It’s not a challenge, but an opportunity,” remarks Hannah. “An opportunity to make change, to make things better.”

She also leads events such as ‘Walk a Mile in Their Shoes’, held each National Red Scarf Day (31st January), and credits the “amazing and generous hearts from all parts of the world” to the successes of the foundation. Hannah has also established the Ladybug Foundation Education Program (makeChange); a curricular resource used in schools to inspire the younger generation to get involved and make a difference. “One person can make a difference,” says Hannah, “but together we can make an even bigger difference.”

Music can evoke a myriad of emotions, connecting us to some of the most sentimental moments of our life. For some it offers salvation; an escape from everyday tumult, for others it seems to be a language of its own, vividly conveying our innermost feelings and thoughts. For TR Clemmett, it offered both, revealing a profound story of discovering self-worth and rescuing him from the implacable grasp of crime and addiction.

TR Clemmett, now a Bristol based musician, has risen above a life of habitual drug addiction and dangerous crime that engulfed him as a youth in south London. A wrongful conviction and lack of support from a system that had failed him, only fuelled his anger and frustration; leading to yet another term behind bars. This disillusion often breeds contamination, compounding the cyclic avenue of crime that many repeat offenders find themselves in. TR however, finally broke free from the cycle of relapse and re-imprisonment that overshadowed

his past. It has been a long journey, never easy, not without resolve and certainly not a solitary one; music has supported his recovery every step of the way – note by note, song by song. “There was always something in the music for me which was healing, a medicine,” recalls TR. “It was like an alternative world where I could be safe.”

We often use creative outlets as a cathartic process – to heal parts of our past that we are not at peace with. “Music is so beautiful for that reason,” expresses TR. “You become more! You transcend yourself and connect with a higher-self within you.” Each song of TR’s urban street music unfolds a chapter in his story, crying out with personal expression, evoking his struggles with drugs, crime, imprisonment and finally recovery. It was when he relocated to the South West, that TR enrolled in a drug rehabilitation programme, accepting he couldn’t change what he didn’t acknowledge. He credits music as the key catalyst to his recovery,

recalling many people and transformative moments along the way that inspired him to continue on his musical path.

Once clean, TR established a recovery show on Bristol’s community radio station (BCfm), determined to reach out and raise awareness about the illness of addiction and substance abuse. He endeavored to give back to a community that helped him to recover, feeling strongly that we often create our own “psychological prison” from which we must break free. Empathising with their plight, he hoped his experiences could help others move forward.

TR Clemmett’s own self-actualisation of his powerful journey can be measured by the obstacles he has overcome to get where he is. Now eight years clean, and counting, TR continues his personal path documenting his life through each one of his captivating musical offerings. www.trclemmett.co.uk

one young girl changes lives with her mission to help the homeless

the healing powers of music...

inspiring talesby Chris Hughes


spiritual bondingI recently went on a meditation retreat in York where we stayed at a five star lodge surrounded by beautiful countryside. We were nine strangers before the weekend began; coming from all over the UK. I had no idea what to expect, but upon my arrival at the lodge I immediately felt relaxed and began to ‘get into the zone’.

The lodge was amazing and had a spiritual vibe to it; no surprise given that York is a place steeped in history and folklore. While the first night was just spent lounging about, drinking wine and having a laugh in the hot tub, the main goal over the next two days was to learn how to relax and get back in touch with our spiritual side.

The lady who organised the Silver Daisies retreat – www.silverdaisychain.co.uk – runs meditation classes and so we were treated to two days of meditation, manifestation and crystal healing workshops. At first I felt uncertain, but after the first meditation I began to open my mind and realise the importance of releasing my worries and just accepting the greatness of ‘I AM’. This means realising your inner potential and visualising positive thoughts as though they are already happening. This is one of the main things I took away from the series of meditations along with the understanding that our way of thinking really does control how we live our lives. If we think negatively for example, then we bring this energy into our lives. I can’t believe how simple this revelation really is!

By the end of the weekend, everyone had become good friends. When we left, we each felt revitalised and ready to spread the message of inner peace to everyone we now meet, as we continue on with our spiritual journeys.

Anna Jones, Cheshire

the scent of booksBooks can be very seductive. I’ve picked up books that feel really good and smell good. In fact, the scent of the pages can sometimes be quite intoxicating. And some old books seem to have the power to invoke a special magic; a sort of sensory essence distilled from the people and lives that have touched them down the years.

For example, I know that other eyes than mine have read my 1848 copy of Pilgrim’s Progress. Inside the front cover the first owner has recorded the momentous times in her life in beautiful copperplate handwriting. She has recorded her marriage in 1849 and the deaths of her five infant children. Each child is commended to God with her prayers and blessings. There are flowers pressed between the leaves, and annotations (in a different hand) in the margins. The book is like an emotional time capsule, and I love to open the pages and breathe in the scent of so many past times and dreams. The potency of words can also have a profound personal impact. There the words lie, inert and unread between the covers of shelf-bound volumes, until some incautious person plucks a book from the shelf and begins to read. He reads and becomes entranced, and in some strange way the book begins to sense the reader’s scent – it smells his flesh and spirit, and his fears. One such book powerfully changed my life when I was twelve. The book was George Orwell’s famous political satire 1984. It was the first time I’d read a truly adult novel, and 1984 shocked me deeply. I realised when I read the words “Do it to Julia” that I would probably have done as Winston did, and condemned a loved-one to unspeakable agony in order to escape torture. The moral dimension of my self-concept, built on my parents’ moral teaching and the ethical injunctions of priests and teachers, withered inside me, and I knew myself as sham and insincere. Nowadays, I have a clearer appreciation of Orwell’s condemnation of state terrorism, and I’m not so self-punishing and absolutist in my self-judgments. But the words “Do it to Julia” still haunt my mind. Perhaps the next time you go into a junk shop or second hand book shop you might be attracted to a particular volume. Please pick it up. It has a tale to tell, not only in the words it contains but in the people who have read it in the past. Smell it, touch it, breathe in the dreams and ghosts it contains. But beware! It just might pick up your scent!

Kevin Schofield, Lancashire

“The mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is open.”

Dalai Lama

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the zen flow Florencia Clifford uses intuition to guide how she cooks, tantalising our taste buds the zen way...

Zen cooking is as much a state of being as of doing. It is intuitive. The cook’s practice is entirely

aligned to the needs of others. The cook works towards losing the small self within the flow of the moment, towards becoming one with the space and the ingredients, the elements and the environment.

One day, I was cooking for a retreat at Bala Brook on Dartmoor. There were no interruptions, just me and a line of bowls full of beautiful vegetables, mindfully chopped by the kitchen assistants during the work period. I had decided to make a sweet potato tagine which I usually cook with tomatoes, but as I had forgotten to buy them, I had to improvise. Instead it featured copious amounts of a Turkish sweet red pepper paste, good ras-el-hanout spice mix, and fresh rose petals that I had picked in the afternoon and dried on the colander above the Aga. For the adventurous I put little bowls of harissa on the table with tiny teaspoons. Adding extra heat is always optional. It all worked out, it always does.

Please use this recipe as a guideline. There is always room in a recipe to make it yours. Chop the vegetables in the shape you’d like them to be, think of colours and presentation. Get to know your ingredients: from the moment you source them, to the preparation, to the cooking, to the offering, to the eating.

Sweet Potato Tagine (Serves 4) For the honeyed sweet potato: 500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into slices 2.5cm thick 50 g unsalted butter 4 tbsp honey½ tsp salt For the sauce:2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 onion, finely chopped1 tsp coriander seeds, whole1 tbsp tomato puree400 g Italian chopped tinned tomatoes100 g baby spinach leavesCoriander leaves to garnishSalt and black pepper

If, after slicing, you are not going to cook the potatoes straight away, place them in a bowl and cover them with water with a drop of lemon juice to ensure they do not discolour.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put the sweet potatoes in a roasting tin with the butter, honey and salt and place in the oven. Turn them over halfway through the cooking (after about 10

minutes) to colour evenly. Take care not to overcook, they should still hold their shape and have bite.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onion and coriander seeds. Fry the onions until golden brown. Add the tomato puree, cook for a minute, still stirring, and then add the tomatoes. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes over a medium heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes and all the juices from the pan to the sauce and stir.

Just before serving, stir the spinach into the tomato sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste again and adjust the seasoning.

To serve, arrange the sweet potato slices and sauce and garnish with the coriander leaves.

Florencia Clifford has recently released her book ‘Feeding Orchids to the Slugs: Tales from a Zen Kitchen’ www.valapublishers.coop

an illustrator’s dream by Trina Dalziel I first remember being aware that the term ‘illustrator’ was a job when just six years old, and read the words “Illustrator: Margaret Tempest” under author Alison Uttley’s name in the “Little Grey Rabbit” books. I remember saying that when I grew up I wanted to be an illustrator.

Though I also considered becoming a textile designer, nun and secret agent, I did end up studying illustration and have been fortunate enough to work as a freelance illustrator for the last sixteen years. My work mainly consists of work for book publishers and magazines, but I also create artwork for design companies and products including stationery, rugs, bags, swimwear and children’s clothing. Coming up with ideas and visual solutions for a brief and providing artwork to a deadline on a regular basis can be challenging – though it is this very challenge that I love and which keeps me doing what I do.

However, it really important to feed my creativity so as not to become stale or repetitive within my work. In 2012 I undertook several courses and classes that weren’t directly related to illustration. One was a Japanese brush work class where I made marks with a brush which was so big that I had to stand up to use it. One brush was made of wolf hair and I also drew with ink and twigs. A collagraph class also caught my interest, which include exploring texture and rekindled my enthusiasm for printmaking. Last summer, in place of a holiday, I took a couple of courses at V&A (Victoria & Albert): a scarf painting course and one in using gouache, both taught by a wonderful teacher-textile designer, Sarah Campbell. Also, after seventeen years of being uninterested in learning the program, I went to a Photoshop evening class, and now use it along with Adobe Illustrator to collage and adapt my scanned hand drawings. All these new techniques have fed into my work.

In striving for professional longevity this sort of ‘creative fertilizer’ has proved to be of huge importance. Taking the time to try new things – to step away from my safety net – has really helped me ‘feed’ my work and style, and also kept me enthusiastic about producing more work, both professional and personal.www.trinadalziel.com

a world of wordsby Rebecca Day When I think of creativity, my thoughts commonly drift towards artistic expression; the way in which someone produces thought-provoking masterpieces through the use of various techniques and an extraordinary imagination. Then I think again, and many other forms of creative expression spring to mind; the way someone performs, writes poetry, speaks and lives.

Throughout our life we often encounter spouts of creativeness – I once thoroughly enjoyed art and playing piano – however, as time goes on we may depart from those interests, becoming absorbed in everyday activities that begin to take priority. Creativity exists in everyone, but understanding our potential can take time. It’s about tapping into our creative soul.

I have always had a zest for writing, but it took a back seat for most of my teenage years. At university I rekindled a love for expressing myself through the written word. Telling stories is my passion; not in the form of a novel or a book, but through writing articles that reveal truths, achievements and aspirations. For me, writing is an escapism. When I begin to put pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard should I say – I become absorbed in a world of words and creative thinking. By delving deep into my creative soul, I have rediscovered a passion that I developed as a child. My love for writing has re-emerged and I am so pleased it has.

iconic comic artIf you’re dotty about Roy Lichtenstein, Tate Modern are hosting an art exhibition that celebrates the American painter, lithographer and sculptor. Renowned for his iconic comic strip images, advertising imagery and explosive yellow, blue and red paintings, the late Lichtenstein’s name is synonymous with the Pop Art movement of the 1950s and 60s. Lichtenstein: A Retrospective – 21st February til 27th May – is co-organised by the Art Institute of Chicago and will be the first full-scale retrospective of Lichtenstein in over 20 years. Bringing together 125 pieces of his most well-defined paintings and sculptures, Tate Modern will be shedding light on Lichtenstein’s timeless legacy. Lichtenstein’s techniques – such as his hand-painted Benday dots – give his artwork an extraordinary visual appeal, creating a significant impact on those who set eyes upon his work. If you fancy your very own piece of Lichtenstein on your wall, without it costing you the earth, www.art.co.uk are making Whaam! eco-friendly by printing the popular piece of Pop Art on sustainably sourced paper.


Many years ago I spent some time on Lismore, an island off the West Coast of Scotland. My friend had bought a croft (a small one storey stone cottage) which had been built without any foundations and he wanted me to do some work on it. My task was to dig out four foot square sections of earth from under the walls, at intervals all around the croft. The removed earth was replaced with concrete and in this way the croft was given foundations. The whole building became more stable and risk of subsidence was greatly reduced.

My moaching (combination of coaching and mentoring) with young people can be likened to the analogy of the croft. My task is often steadying their foundations which in an ideal world would have been laid solidly during their early developmental stages. John Bowlby’s attachment theory highlights how relationships with our early care givers have a massive impact on how we develop relationships in the future. In turn, the quality of our relationships (with ourselves and others) is the one most important factor that will determine quality of life. I work with teachers, foster carers, support workers and directly with young people showing them how to unlock learning potential. Fifteen years of experience has shown me that building significant relationships enables young people to be in the right state for learning.

Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience support this theory. Brain scan images have shown how the blood flow of scared, insecure people goes mainly to the primitive brain – the centre for fight and flight response. This results in a poor ability to learn and challenging behaviour. However, when people feel safe and relaxed the majority of the blood flows to the frontal lobes – the centre for high order thinking and learning.

emotional needs So the question arises: how do we build significant relationships with young people so that they are open and

receptive to learning, development and change? Ultimately, we must meet their emotional needs that were often not fully met when they were young. This is what I call the key to unlocking their learning potential. Fundamental emotional requirements include the need for security, attention, support, acceptance and respect. If these were not met in early childhood then the young person is built on wobbly foundations. The result of this is fear, and fear creates antisocial and challenging behaviour which is an unconscious cry from the young person to have their needs met. In effect, through their behaviour they are communicating: ‘meet my needs now that should have been met when I was young’. Because of their stunted emotional development, it is as if they are little children in young adult bodies.

tough world The current education system is not well equipped to meet the demands of such young people. With large class sizes, rigid curriculums, ever-changing government initiatives and challenging pupils, teachers are stretched to the full. And when we look around at the world in which young people find themselves, it is not surprising that they often feel angry, confused or scared. The news on TV is hardly inspiring: wars, corruption, environmental issues, growing unemployment and recession. There is little certainty of a positive future. Added to this, is the constant pressure from the media to consume and purchase the latest clothes or phones in order to hold your own amongst peers. And with both parents increasingly out at work, a generation of latch-key kids has occurred, entertaining themselves for hours in front of digital screens, watching emotionally deficient characters in soap operas or killing and destroying on the latest Xbox game! In that place between child and adult, there is a fragile sense of identity, with hormones whizzing around resulting in mood swings and emotional roller coaster rides.

positive change So what is the solution? Communication is the bridge which connects one human being to another. When training those who work with youth, I focus on the importance of developing positive communication. When we listen deeply to what a young person tells us we can meet many of their needs. Learning to ask the right questions, giving supportive feedback and helping young people decide on, and pursue, their own goals makes a huge difference. But, this can only be done if we truly believe in them; if we see the best in them and look beyond the behaviour that presses our buttons. Our communication is heavily influenced by our own beliefs and young people are experts at detecting adults who don’t really believe in them. To help young people we must understand what they are trying to tell us and what it is that they need from us. We must also begin to change ourselves by developing our empathy, our own emotional awareness and our ability to communicate openly and clearly. Gandhi said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. It is never too late to strengthen our own foundations by ensuring our own needs are met; loving and accepting ourselves. Once we have a good relationship with ourselves we are better able to build significant relationships with young people.

Young people are the future and so we need to invest in them emotionally as well as financially. You don’t have to ‘hug a hoody’, but perhaps we can begin by understanding young people a little more and let’s see where that takes us.

Miguel Dean is living proof that the foundations

can be built later in life! His autobiography is

called ‘Stepping Stones In The Mist - Life Lessons for

Overcoming Adversity’. www.migueldean.co.uk

Connecting with troublesome teens is a huge challenge, but Miguel Dean believes that building positive relationships is vital to unlock their potential and change their lives forever.

communitiesturning young lives around


communitiesby Toby Cryne

With a swashbuckling team of surf mad instructors and volunteers alongside a shoal of participants larger than a humpback whale, ‘The Wave Project’ has been riding the crest of the South West’s surf scene since 2010. Based in Cornwall, the project aims to engage with both disadvantaged children and young adults around the coast, thrusting its fins in the direction of mental health through a number of surfing based projects.

At the helm of the water bound crusade is Joe Taylor, a lifelong campaigner who, alongside a small team of wave-riding instructors, health workers and volunteers, encourages active participation in surfing for the means of personal, behavioural and social development. Anchored initially within a variety of offshore projects, the scheme has utilised Joe’s knowledge of the campaigning sector from the outset. Following a qualitative six-week pilot scheme with assistance from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly NHS Trust, The Wave Project set out to examine the psychological and emotional effects of surfing on 20 young people before swelling into the charitable organisation that is seen today. “The Wave Project is not just about getting people into the water,” states Joe. “It’s about actually trying to get some outcomes and using surfing as a way of improving mental health.” Clearly passionate about the project, Joe combines a number of approaches to bring out the best in those involved. “Though the one-to-one aspect

is important in developing confidence and self esteem, the group setting is also essential,” confirms Joe. “Obviously it’s good for well-being as it’s a positive to be around other people.”

Once referred onto the project through mental health charities, social services and medical professionals, the young people involved are assessed utilising data collected either from themselves or through parents or teachers at varying stages throughout the project. Funded by charitable endowment, active donation and endowment from such organisations as the Big Lottery Fund, BBC Children in Need and the continued support of the Cornwall Council, the not-for-profit community project has, from the outset, embedded itself in the positive psychological effects of exercise. “There is no actual scientific evidence to prove surfing directly benefits people that have mental health concerns,” admits Joe. “But if you suffer from depression, doing just about anything active is a positive thing, and there is something special about being in the water.”

As she stood on her surf board, 11-year-old sufferer of Asperger’s Syndrome, Olivia Brand’s parents described their daughter’s achievement as “miraculous”. Yet to successfully ride a bicycle, Olivia managed to manoeuvre the waves, a real boost to her confidence! Such success stories have inspired Joe to remain local, rather than spreading the project further afield at this

leaving an Olympic legacy...


point. “We would rather work with the same young people over a longer period of time if we can,” says Joe. “We’re focused on good quality outcomes.” The programme which currently involves six weeks of intensive wave riding has also spawned the creation of the surf club which aims to develop the young people that Joe and his team work with over time. “The great thing about the surf club is that it can go on indefinitely,” says Joe, determined to continually offer more.

It is evident that the project targets the ongoing well-being of those it serves and is creating an ocean of positive waves for all those involved. www.waveproject.co.uk

With the London Olympics still fresh in our minds, Legacy Trust UK – www.legacytrustuk.org – is one charity that refuses to take silver in its quest to leave a lasting legacy amongst our communities.

Set up in 2007, the independent charity has proudly ridden the crest of the ‘can do’ mind-set thrust upon the nation since winning the Olympic bid in 2005. With programmes established both before and after the Games, the charity has funded more than 100 arts, sports and educational

projects across Blighty. Speaking about one of the scheme’s previous beneficiaries, former Olympic Gold Medallist Darren Campbell stated: “The UK School Games is the closest experience these youngsters are going to get to what it would be like to take part in major competitions.” Now operating as the Sainsbury’s School Games, such programmes continue to inspire the next generation of Olympic winners, ensuring that no-one is left out. Working along a more creative line, uScreen is a project which offers teenagers with disabilities such

as autism, the rewarding experience of film making and editing.

Focusing on enterprise often overlooked, the opportunities bestowed from projects funded by Legacy Trust UK crowns all those involved, winners in their own right.

an ocean of positive waves


getawaysthe evolving world of eco-escapes

As we move towards springtime with its abundance of new life and opportunities, many of you may have already begun to plan your sunny summer escape. Whether this is a sleepy few days away with a good book, an adrenaline-fuelled thrill ride or absorbing a new culture in a bygone place, escaping the hustle and bustle of daily life can set the vibe for months to come.

However, with the current world ecological crisis still at the forefront of focus and as recession continues to rumble and grumble on in the background, there is more to immerse the green-minded traveller than location. A break that is both

economically viable and yet environmentally sustainable is the ideal, opening doors to a trip closer to home. But what are the options for those looking to holiday green, right here in dear old Blighty?

star gazing Sleeping under the stars in a Yurt or Tipi may be just the ticket. Originating in the mountains of Mongolia and the desolate dust bowls of the American Mid-West respectively, they have seen a boom in popularity nationwide. “The level of comfort and design of Yurts and Tipis have all moved on quite a lot in recent years,” says Tom Dixon, Managing Director of Canopy & Stars, a website that promotes such eco-breaks – www.canopyandstars.co.uk. He feels these types of British getaways are not necessarily educational, but more of a gentle introduction to green escapes. “They show people we can live in a different way and make them think about their energy use,” adds Tom. By exposing families and independent holidaymakers to the eco-ethics behind the multitude of quirky options, from treehouses to a horse-drawn

gypsy caravan, Canopy & Stars ties together the weird and wonderful with strong green credentials.

organic skills A more hands on option is the long established practice of WWOOFing – www.wwoof.org.uk. An acronym for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, the organisation unites enthusiastic volunteers with a host farm. The participants work alongside the farmers, gaining an agricultural education as well

as life-long memories. From current growing methods through to the practices of irrigation, taking your eco-holiday here is food for mind, body and soul. One such volunteer, Fraser Lapthorn, worked on several UK farms. “It felt as if my eyes had been part closed for most of

my previous life,” he says. “Suddenly they were opened to new concepts; living with nature rather than against it. I felt more alive and attuned to the natural rhythms of the earth. It was beautiful, even the aches and blisters.” With the sinister shadow of recession still looming large over people’s wallets, the WWOOFing experience allows the freedom to reconnect with the natural world on a shoestring budget.

going wild For anyone wanting to channel their inner Bear Grylls, become one with nature and take a trip into the unknown, join the WildWise team in the breathtaking beauty of the Devon countryside – www.wildwise.co.uk. In what can only be described as a deep green break, the company caters to

Over the past decade, eco-tourism has strengthened its position in the ‘stay-cation’ holiday market. Due to financial instability and the ongoing fight against climate change, it’s become imperative to offer positive alternatives to overseas breaks. Benjamin Salt reports.

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families needs as well as individuals, offering a programme of events guaranteed to bring out the eco-warrior in us all. “Our venues have no ecological footprint,” states WildWise Director Chris Salisbury. “Food and materials are all sourced carefully and locally, all rubbish is recycled and water conservation is religiously practiced.” With activities ranging from wild food foraging to canoeing, camping to sea kayaking and everything else in between, this is the ultimate eco-adventure in a series of spectacular and sustainable settings.

the plus side These green holidays exemplify some positives emerging from the muddy waters of our current social and economic climate.

New eco-ventures are finally capturing and captivating the imagination of British holidaymakers. With a rich, diverse and constantly expanding eco-holiday market, right here in our own backyard, people are recognising that setting sail from our shores is no longer required. ‘‘The chance to slow down and really get away from it all, feeling far removed from your normal day-to-day life, is an incredibly positive thing,” summarises Tom Dixon. And if we can do that in an environmentally stable and financially viable way, our future holidays will lie further from ecological crisis and a lot closer to home.

Visit the Inspired Times’ online directory for more eco-escape ideas - www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com/ecoescapes.html

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JanuaryIs Your Life Mapped Out? Talk by David Hamilton, 28th. St James’s Church, London. Scientists have been studying the phenomenon of whether we can sense the future – the conclusion is we can! David Hamilton explores our possible futures and how our choices of today affect them. www.alternatives.org.uk

MarchEcoBuild, 5th – 7th. ExCel, London. Seminars, exhibitors and expert-led talks on all things eco in the building industry. The place to go to learn more!www.ecobuild.co.uk

Vegfest UK Brighton, 16th – 17th. Hove Centre, Brighton. A fantastic, free vegan celebration. www.brighton.vegfest.co.uk

BaliSpirit Festival, 20th – 24th. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. A warm, vibrant and colourful celebration of yoga, dance, and music in a harmonious, spiritual setting. www.balispiritfestival.com

MayWild Heart Gathering, 24th – 27th. Location TBC. Get back to nature with a weekend of music, dancing, foraging and bushcraft workshops. www.wildheartgathering.com

VegfestUK Bristol, 24th – 26th. Bristol. Officially the world’s biggest veggie event, come along to help celebrate its 10th birthday. www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk

Mind Body Spirit, 24th – 27th. Earls Court, London. With a programme

that includes eco-living, spirituality, natural health,

alternative technology and complementary medicine, this weekend will inspire and uplift. Don’t miss it! www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk

Surya Yoga Camp, 29th May – 2nd June. Cornwall.

Small and family-friendly, offering a programme of yoga

classes in a beautiful, peaceful woodland. www.surya.org.uk

16th – 17th March: VegfestUK Brighton

festivals & events2013: bring it on!

20th – 24th March: BaliSpirit Festival Nicknamed the ‘Island of Peace’, Bali in Indonesia evokes images of deep green paddy terraces and sparklingly white coral beaches. The BaliSpirit Festival – www.balispiritfestival.com – is spreading the peaceful vibe once more this spring,

warming heart and soul with an abundance of sun-drenched spiritual nourishment.

Set amidst the lush surroundings of Ubud, the festival bursts into a riot of colour when instructors of yoga, dance and healing, flock to this small, verdant island. Capoeira, hip hop, yoga, crystal bowl healing and meditation unite like-minded festie folk over the five blissful days. Positive change is the heartbeat of this small festival, pulsing through the workshops and its community support programme. Alongside the fusion of world music and dance, Indonesian and Balinese culture is also celebrated through traditional arts. With Sunday designated a community inclusion day, the festival maintains an international flavour whilst remaining rooted in a sense of the local culture.

As the sun sets and darkness descends over the vivid green paddy fields, musical rhythms swell over this beautiful outdoor venue. Embrace the spirit of Bali and let it cocoon you in a wealth of colour and warmth. Vivid and heartfelt, this festival will leave you feeling invigorated and refreshed in body, mind and soul.

The UK’s favourite vegan event, VegfestUK, will push its green shoots through the soil once more this spring. For the 5th year running, Tim Barford and his team will serve up a delectable celebration of all things vegan at Brighton’s Hove Centre. With Janey Lee Grace, presenter, author and pop star, opening the show, this year promises another FREE fiesta, fit to burst with vegan producers, campaigners and entertainers.

Exciting times beckon for vegetarian and vegan food as embracing the benefits of a greener diet becomes increasingly popular. Spurred on by rising prices, concern for the environment and a desire for healthy eating, the last few years have seen the emergence of the ‘meat reducers’: confirmed meat-lovers who recognise the positive impact that just cutting down on their meat intake can have. Newbies and seasoned veg-heads alike will find a treasure trove of veggie inspiration at VegfestUK. Expand your veg-based recipe repertoire at the cookery classes and demonstrations hosted by the fabulous Sutra Kitchen. And, with special offers aplenty, remember to bring a generously proportioned shopping bag (fair-trade organic cotton, of course!).

Great food is not the only entertainment on the menu: the music lineup promises exciting homegrown talent. This year also sees a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ cinema and if you’re looking for love, sample the Veggie Vision speed-dating session. Meet like-minded people with similar taste(buds) to your own! Adding a certain spice to the event, the vegan bodybuilding competition dishes up physical evidence that it is possible to be both beefy and meat-free! Planting seeds of inspiration

for the next generation, Sunday will be a specially designated Family Day in Brighton. Get little hands and

minds working with a programme of kids’ cookery classes, smoothie bikes and creative craft making.

Need another fix of ‘banging the gong’ for the humble vegetable? Don’t miss Vegfest Bristol in May. So, shake off your winter hibernation, get your tasting hat on, and try a different kind of vegging out at VegfestUK this year. www.brighton.vegfest.co.uk

by Emma Feloy

eco-news by Abby Pickles

fly the fair flagHow far will you go for Fairtrade? From 25th February until 10th March, the Fairtrade Fortnight has pledged to take the UK by storm for the 15th year running, changing buying habits of consumers nationwide.

It’s a strategy for sustainable development, with the power to transform our typical shopping tendencies whilst positively impacting the lives of people in the poorest communities. This year’s focus on Fairtrade cosmetics means 2013 is the era for girl power. In underdeveloped countries women work hard in backbreaking conditions every day, in a hope to enrich their communities and provide a sense of security. Shea butter sourced at the Akoma Cooperative Multipurpose Society in Ghana - known locally as ‘women’s gold’ – is the base of abounding cosmetic goods. This ingredient can be identified in many everyday beauty products used by women all over the globe, including moisturisers and anti-aging creams, in a market worth over £15 billion.

The Fairtrade Fortnight can showcase the work of such workers, ensuring they’ll receive a fair price and long-term stability from having a better quality relationship with their buying partners. On a mission to promote fairer trading conditions, and empower producers to combat poverty, Fairtrade fight to strengthen their market positions, thus helping them take more control over their outcomes in life. By flying the ‘Fairtrade’ flag, we’ll be part of a UK-wide movement defending producers in poorer countries, whilst appreciating their constant struggles to make ends meet.

When products bear the Fairtrade mark, shoppers can be sure that the ingredients come from a process providing producers with an honourable deal. Fairtrade products also have a set minimum price, ensuring the cash flow required to run these businesses day-to-day. The campaign encourages people to ‘go further’ than we are at present. This can be as simple as swapping to Fairtrade bananas from common supermarket brands, or even to Fairtrade beauty products from habitual lotions and make-up. Join the campaign, jump onto the bandwagon, and see if 2013 could be the year that Fairtrade purchases escalate to all time highs.

silver for UK at the green awards... At the end of 2012, the International Green Awards – www.greenawards.com – hit the green gong once more. GreenBottle proudly took home a silver award for ‘most sustainable small business’. This UK company caught the eagle eye of the judges by developing a bottle that uses much less plastic than any other of its kind; card was a majority replacement. The International Green Awards shine the light on eco-ideas of global experts, professionals and citizens who are fighting in all corners of the planet for a better quality environment. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present, without compromising the needs of the future. The Awards team work to reward those who do just that, bringing them forward to inspire others.

the cardboard bicycleWe’ve seen bikes with metal frames, even bikes with wooden ones, but inventor Izhar Gafni has designed and constructed a bicycle made almost entirely of cardboard. Costing less than £5 to build (when mass-produced), Gafni’s design, the ‘Alfa’, could potentially change the quality of life for people in the poorest countries. At around £17 RRP, government grants for the ‘green’ aspects of this economical invention can ensure production costs are kept low, enabling the bicycle to be shipped – free of charge – to countries that need it most. Using an unpublished combination of reused and recycled materials, the bicycle is also waterproof, fireproof and as indestructible as a metal framed pushbike, built to hold 485lbs. The Alfa’s release is sure to change transportation in underdeveloped countries all over the world.

living in the future On the 21st January, Eco-DVD ‘Living in the Future’ will hit its online store. Living in the Future focuses on nine families from the Lammas eco-village and how each of their accounts establish a need for a better relationship with the land. Order a copy, and discover how they try to prevent the exploitation of our planet’s resources by living in low-impact homes. Some are setting up a public viewing. Check where it will be shown, or buy the DVD and organise a screening for your local community. www.livinginthefuture.org.


“Live simply so that others may simply live”Mohandas K. Gandhi

The thought of living in a woodland home during the winter is enough to give anyone cold feet. Without the convenience of central heating, it’s difficult to imagine how a self-built home in the woods can generate, and preserve, enough heat to make it liveable. When I first

discovered low-impact woodland homes, I was intrigued to find out how those living in these eco-friendly abodes keep toasty once bitterly cold nights draw in. Furthermore, what materials are their homes actually made from, which enable them to withstand the cold and extreme weather conditions?

According to the UK’s woodland home dwellers, it would appear this method of living doesn’t inflict frost bite and blue lips at all. In fact it sounds positively warming – both physically and of the heart. With most woodland homes costing between £2000 to £3000 to build, the actual daily costs of living are even cheaper. Simon Dale and his family built their first low-impact home – the ‘Hobbit House’ – around five years ago. Along with his father-in-law, the aesthetically pleasing woodland habitat was constructed in less than four months, during which Simon, his wife Jasmine, and their two children, Cosmo and Elsie, lived under a home-made tent on site. “I certainly wouldn’t recommend it during the winter,” laughs Simon. Having never owned a house before, this was a huge stepping stone for Simon and Jasmine. Before they had children, the couple were avid travellers – Jasmine, a travel writer and Simon, a photographer. “Having children is a major motivation for buying a house,” Jasmine says. She feels that the rigours of looking after young children, combined with a demanding mortgage is a recipe for stress. For Jasmine, exposing children to the toxic materials inherent in most houses was enough motivation for them to “take the plunge and go off the beaten track”.

green communities unite After residing in the Hobbit House for a few years, Simon and his family decided to leave it to the woodland workers and became part of an eco-village project called Lammas, located in Pembrokeshire. On the seven acre plot of land they purchased, the Dale family have built a quaint woodland shelter named the ‘Undercroft’, a workshop and a barn. “I wanted to work on this project to bring it into the mainstream,” recalls Simon, “encouraging others to take a more sustainable approach to the future.” Surrounding their new home are planted trees; a pond creation; a vegetable patch; compost heaps and animals. Simon tells me that he and Jasmine try to provide as much of their own food as they can. “It generally takes three years to establish a good working garden,” he says. “Potatoes and greens grow until the cows come home, so there’s never a problem over the winter when

How do low-impact woodland homes keep the green flames burning throughout the winter freeze? Rebecca Day escapes the city to unearth the answer.

greenwww.simondale.net


it comes to producing vegetables. We also tend to bulk buy, bake our bread, and make our own cheese. The big larder around the back of the house keeps all the pickles and jams that we made from the summer.”

The materials which have been used to construct their homes have been gathered from the sites’ woodland surroundings. The resources include: earth, which is used for the floor and plastering; straw bales for insulation; lime for cement; timber to strengthen the build; and stones. Building with lime has some excellent benefits, which hugely profit the environment as well as the infrastructure of the home itself. Modern understanding has revealed that natural lime has more benefits than modern cements that are largely used within the construction industry today. Natural lime was traditionally used as a binder in mortars – a workable paste that is used to bind construction blocks together, and to fill the gaps in between them. When mortar sets, it results in an extremely rigid aggregate structure. During its production, it produces less carbon dioxide than any other cement, and furthermore, it re-absorbs carbon dioxide, which reduces its carbon footprint. Lime also helps protect the stonework, resulting in less risk of frost and salt damage.

the chill factor Simon built each home to suit the needs of his family and I wondered whether it would be difficult to keep the home warm in the winter. “Not particularly,” says Simon. “The home is fantastically insulated, which makes it easy for us to keep warm. The straw bales, which we used when building are essential for insulation. They’re great to build with, and they’re natural and non-toxic. Straw also provides excellent insulation.” To heat up the Undercroft, Simon uses a wood burner and stove, and he has also recently started using electric from a hydro-electric turbine, which is generated by the river that runs alongside the building. “It’s a zero-carbon way of doing things, and it’s more sustainable,” confirms Simon.

Due to the home being semi-sheltered by earth, it is not greatly affected by extreme weather conditions. Whilst the benefits of living in a woodland home are hugely positive, I questioned Simon on whether there are any negatives behind embarking on this particular lifestyle. “I find that I hardly ever want to go out,” he replies ironically. “I just enjoy staying at home so much!” It has also been hard work at times, and physically demanding – especially in the preliminary stages of building the home. “But it’s all really

rewarding,” says Simon cheerily. “It certainly nourishes the soul being able to live our lives the way we want to, and to know that how we live minimises our impact on the planet.”

getting it right Simon explains that it has been challenging

to get these unusual ways of living and building, accepted by the planning and

building control systems. The authorities are slowly responding, most noticeably with the Welsh Assembly’s new

‘One Planet Development’

he tgreen awww.thatroundhouse.info


Due to the home being semi-sheltered by earth, it is

not greatly affected by extreme weather conditions.


policy, offering planning permission to these type of projects. Tony Wrench – who currently resides in a low impact woodland home called the ‘Roundhouse’ – has encountered several issues in regards to acquiring planning permission. Thankfully, due to huge public support in defence of the home, and the local authority’s new Low Impact policy, Tony has eventually acquired the permission to keep his home – a home which he describes as “a direct result of a 25 year search for a means of living in an earth-right way”.

The Roundhouse was built by Tony and Jane Faith during the winter of 1997, along with considerable help from their friends. “It’s an original permaculture design incorporating a round wood frame of hand-cut Douglas fir forest thinnings,” says Tony. Similar to the Dale family’s home, the roof is made from bales of straw, which have been covered by rubber pond liner, and turfed. He also uses a woodburning stove for heating and his electricity is generated through solar power. The material Tony and Jane have used for the walls is cob wood with recycled double glazed windows. No cement was used; neither was there any building waste produced in the construction. Similar to the Undercroft, the structure of the Roundhouse is partly earth sheltered. Tony explains that the water they receive comes from top quality spring water from the Carningli Mountains. “I have fitted a header tank up the bank outside our house to feed a hot water tank, which is heated from a back boiler in our ‘villager’ wood stove.” The hot water tank is an old oak brandy barrel – oak is easy to plumb new plastic or copper piping into, and serves well as a slow radiator. “Our bath is close to the barrel, so we can have a good hot spring water bath anytime after the fire has been on well during the day,” says Tony. The fire also acts as the only space heater in the house – it has clear glass doors, so they can have the pleasure of watching the flickering flames inside.

electric lows The challenge for Tony due to living in the woodland home during the winter time is that generating electricity is not easy. He explains that electricity comes from three photovoltaic panels on the roof and a 200 watt wind turbine located about 70 yards away in the field. “Only in the high summer we have a surplus of electricity, and often in the deep winter of December or January we are plunged into darkness if I use the laptop too much. So, we often eat and read in the winter by candle-light.” But, looking at the positive, there are no bills to pay. “Our electricity is free and off grid. This is a very beautiful area and so I wouldn’t be allowed to install a big tall wind turbine.” Tony is truly passionate about eco-living and feels there is a real need for radical change in the way we plan, design and build homes, rendering them affordable and environmentally sustainable. “I consider these problems

to be critical and fundamental,” he says. Building their own eco-home on a farm, using the principles of permaculture, has given them a home with a positive ecological footprint.

following dreams While others gradually begin to follow in the footsteps of Simon and Tony, there are still vast amounts of people unaware of this sustainable and nourishing way of life. ‘Living in the Future’ is a new documentary which reveals the inside story of people who reside on the Lammas eco-village. Amidst legal battles with local authorities, their ongoing struggle to create a new way of living coincides with the pressures to make a successful community. However, as Simon and Tony have shown, these

struggles have not prevented them from wanting to continue with their dream. “For people thinking about doing this,” says Paul Wimbush, the founder of the Lammas eco-village, “do it!”

Embarking on this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but there

is something truly inspiring about this low-impact way of living. Each woodland home – creatively and ethically constructed – is symbolic of the hard work and determination put into every build. They can provoke us to consider the way we currently live and how we can make our homes more sustainable. Adrian Hateley, technical expert from the National Self Build and Renovation Centre, advises that making a property airtight and adding ventilation can make a property more efficient. “External insulation is probably the best way people can achieve a well insulated property,” explains Adrian. “It will protect the existing structure and there will be less chance of condensation. There are a number of external insulation products available that are eco-friendly, which allow solid walls to breath and prevent moisture from being trapped.” Adrian advises that internal insulation can be very costly and dramatically reduce room sizes. “Cavity and loft insulation is the cheapest and easiest – there are also a lot of eco-friendly products available for this too. But care needs to be taken when deciding if cavity insulation is suitable.”

By ensuring conscious decisions are made when making improvements and renovations to our homes – whether it be building a woodland shelter or decorating a bedroom – we can each reduce our carbon footprint, and follow the green path to a more sustainable and rewarding lifestyle... whatever the weather.

www.simondale.net

ecoYoga Retreat Centre

www.ecoYoga.org


ValentineValentine Cards – £2.95

Created by women living in Nicaragua, these beautifully hand-crafted cards are changing lives. With all of the proceeds going straight back into their creative hands, one of these

radiant cards will not only put a smile on your loved one’s face, but the money raised will provide a brighter future for these inspiring women. www.eartheducationproject.org.

Lahloo Pink Rosebud Tea – £5.00 Break up with those bland mass-produced factory teas, and fall in love with the Lahloo

loose leaf collection. With so many unique flavours to choose from you can relax with your loved one whilst sipping this sophisticated brew. The ‘Rosebud Tea’ caught our

attention as the perfect cup of romance. www.lahlootea.co.uk

Grobox: Children’s Flower Garden – £6.25 Love your kids and our planet this Valentine’s Day with an innovative and environmentally

friendly flower garden. Perfect for teaching biodiversity to your little one – they just plant the GroBox, add water and let nature do the rest. Designed for children, by

children, this garden-in-a-box will be the light of your family’s life as new buds blossom into glorious colour. www.groboxgardens.co.uk

Love in a Bag – £9.95 Why send a bunch of flowers when you can send a whole garden of romantic wild blooms? ‘Love in a Bag’ wraps up vibrant red seeds ready to sow in your

own Garden of Eden. Your new scent-filled haven will guarantee to evoke passion this spring. www.nigelsecostore.com

Pants to Povety – £15.00 - £19.00 Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s famous “Make Poverty History” speech, ‘Pants to Poverty’

is a quintessentially English creation. Produced using environmentally friendly methods, these peachy pants are supporting over 5000 Indian farmers as well as your prized possessions! Pull

on a pair this Valentine’s Day and say “Pants to Poverty!” www.pantstopoverty.com


Gift GuideValentineKOLBJØRN BORSETH

THE AROMANTIC GUIDEto making your own natural skin, hair and

body care products

Secrets of the cosmetic industry revealed…

4th EditioneBook

The Aromantic Guide to making your own natural products – £18.50 Us ladies do love lotions and potions, so why not pick an inventive gift for the creative woman in your life? Full to the brim with magical recipes, this guidebook teaches how to make beauty products, which will leave your loved one feeling as natural as the products themelves. For extra brownie points, why not throw in a couple of ingredients too? www.aromantic.co.uk

Decorative Heart Pendant: Slate – £20.00 This handmade necklace, with its slate pendant, beats unethically mined jewels anyday. The eye-catching heart centerpiece on a drop of black satin ribbon will ensure the lucky recipient stands out from the crowd. The perfect gift for someone with a big heart! www.the-green-apple.co.uk

Wild Cherry Tree ‘Love Tree’ – £24.50 The author Louis de Bernieres once said, “Love is a temporary madness. When it subsides you have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined that it is inconceivable you should ever part”. Let love blossom with this ‘Love Tree’, as roots deepen over years to come. www.tree2mydoor.com

Eco T-shirts – £24.95 Feel good on the inside and out with these funky eco t-shirts from Rapanui. The ‘his and her’ designs show love for marine life and 50% of the garment’s profits will be used to help protect the world’s oceans. Save our seas in style while showing that special someone how much you care. www.rapanuiclothing.com

Mr & Mrs Birdee Nest Boxes – £39.50 This quirky home for our feathered friends is sure to welcome the birds (and maybe the bees) to your special little love nest. Designed specifically for robins, wrens and tits in particular, settle down and watch nature take shelter once wildlife reawakens in the spring. www.desinature.com

inspiring individuals


In these modern times of rampant consumerism, planet earth is paying a heavy price for all our wants and needs, leading many people to ask the question, “What can I do about climate change?” Ever since the Rio Earth summit in 1992 and the subsequent Kyoto protocol of 1997, the debate over cutting carbon emissions has been plunged into a state of gridlock by international leaders. Within all the bureaucracy of bickering politicians, a fresh perspective was needed to counter stale arguments. Meet Franny Armstrong, the fearlessly insatiable, outspoken, and revolutionary filmmaker who has inspired a generation to stand up and fight for our planet.

Franny had caused quite a stir with her first documentary film, ‘McLibel’ – originally released in 1997, and then extended with new footage in 2005 – which famously documented the ten-year court case that saw international mega-corporation McDonalds defeated by penniless environmental activists Helen Steel and David Morris. Covering the decade long ‘David and Goliath’ battle required endless degrees of diligence and dedication, but Franny’s unrelenting work ethic led to a critically acclaimed debut that has now been seen by over 25 million people worldwide.

It wasn’t until 2009 that Franny really hit the headlines with her film, ‘The Age of Stupid’. This hard-hitting production served as a prophetic warning of the calamitous consequences that are arising from mankind’s ignorance over global warming. Pete Postlethwaite stars as an unknown archivist living in an apocalyptic future that has been ravaged by catastrophic climate change. As the film progresses, his character reviews footage from the beginning of the 21st century, wondering where it all went wrong. His frank conclusion surmises that ignorance and inaction caused our demise. Powerful and engaging, the narrative was immersive in its content and painted an uncompromising vision of the future that was impossible to ignore. Where Al Gore’s ‘The Inconvenient Truth’ provided scientific evidence that climate change was becoming a real issue, ‘The Age of Stupid’, as Franny puts it, “focuses on the big moral human stuff”.

The film itself was unique in its production as an innovative ‘crowd funding’ model financed it; a concept formulated by Franny, the film’s producer, Lizzie Gillett and three others. By selling off shares in the movie, Franny and her team raised nearly £900,000 from 600 investors to fund the production. This was an incredible achievement and serves as a testament of Franny’s ability to inspire belief in others. In March 2009, the UK premiere stayed true to the film’s green message by being held in a solar-powered cinema tent in Leicester Square and the event’s carbon emissions were found to be just 1% of those produced by a regular Hollywood premiere. Not content with these achievements, Franny kept the momentum going by setting out an ambitious plan for the Global premiere. Six months on, ‘The Age of Stupid’ attracted the world’s attention during its green carpet screening in New York. Linked

by satellite to 442 cinemas around the USA and to more than 200 cinemas in 30 other countries, the event received worldwide coverage. A further 33 countries that were not linked by satellite also hosted their own independent screenings.

As an independent filmmaker of uncompromising integrity, Franny overcame financial and geographical barriers to produce a film whose message reached far and wide. Pete Postlethwaite could see this quality in Franny and observed that she wasn’t the type of person looking for fame and notoriety. “Her tenacity and integrity went together,” he commented following completion of the film. “She has a real desire to get her message across.”

It was this desire that paved the way for Franny’s next project, the hugely ambitious yet remarkably simple concept: 10:10. The campaign, which was launched in September 2009, asked everyone from individuals to businesses to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% by 2010. Within 48 hours, sign-ups included 10,000 individuals, 700 businesses, 50 schools, all the leaders of the main political parties, all the cabinet and the Prime Minister. By October 2011, the campaign had spread to 46 countries and everyone from Colin Firth, London Zoo and Sony to the cities of Mexico, Paris and Marseille had been busy cutting their 10%. As Franny told Stuart Jeffries of the Guardian, “I just think about climate change all the time. When I take a day off, I think what a waste of time.” Franny Armstrong does not mince her words and throws everything behind what she believes in. Where others see obstacles, Franny sees new possibilities and it is this resolve that allows her to fixate on a task, often bulldozing her way through barriers that would derail less focused individuals. It is obvious, however, that people have always been at the centre of her work and she regularly champions those around her. As a result, Franny inspired tireless support from a team who were willing to work long hours alongside their assiduous leader.

2012 was a tough year for Franny due to an eleven-week hospitalisation of her baby daughter Eva - who has thankfully now made a full recovery – and tragically, only a few months on, Franny’s younger sister Boo lost her battle with cancer. She also stepped down from the 10:10 campaign to allow the project to head in a new direction, one that differed from her initial idea. For 2013, we can only wish her a bright year ahead and with March’s upcoming ‘International Women’s Day’, Franny undoubtedly will serve as an inspiration for women around the world. Her films have motivated a generation to be the change they want to see in the world. “Lay out a well-reasoned argument in front of a thinking person and you might change their mind,” says Franny. “Change enough people’s minds and you might change the world.”

With International Women’s Day on the horizon, Alex Saunders highlights the powerful work of Franny Armstrong, a documentary film director whose passion, dedication and integrity has nations uniting in the fight against climate change.

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