Personal Milestones

20/08/2019

We begin another year of work in Counselling, Personal Development and Mindfulness. Gerry has now qualified as a Life Coach and is available for work in this area. Life Coaching helps people identify their goals and reach their potential. Keep an eye on our page for more information and further developments.

31/12/2018

Happy New Year.

A good way to end the year is to look back with Gratitude. What are the three, five or ten things for which you feel most grateful as you look back on 2018? If you focus on gratefulness you can begin the New Year positively with hope and joy. All the best for 2019. Gerry and Mairin.

25/06/2018

I hope you are enjoying your garden or any garden this summer.
I found Monty Don's book "Down to Earth" really inspiring. He is a mindful gardener who writes poetically about gardening.
He notes the impact of the garden on our mental health and well-being:
"Life is short and run through with pain and sorrow. But even in the face of real suffering, gardening can make our days shine with joy.
Gardens heal. When you are sad, a garden comforts. When you are humiliated or defeated, a garden consoles. When you are lonely, it offers companionship that is true and lasting. When you are weary, your garden will soothe and refresh you."
The attached picture shows one of Ireland's most beautiful gardens in Killarney House, Co Kerry.

29/05/2018

Recently RTE 1 broadcast two programmes on STRESS. In addressing the many causes and effects of Stress we learned more about MINDFULNESS.
One stressed mother and carer found great benefit from a Mindfulness Course and took up the regular practice of Meditation. Another person took up the idea of a Gratitude Journal, each day she wrote down three things for which she felt grateful. This brought her into a positive space. The neuroscientist on the Programme Dr Ian Robertson proved scientifically that Mindfulness has a positive impact on the brain.
Through Mindfulness we learn to live in a world of “What is.” rather than “What if.”

09/05/2018

Over the past few years I have become fascinated by human behaviour, how and why we think but more than that how we can change our behaviour and thought patterns.

With that in mind I wanted to share something I took part in a few months back called “Complaint Restraint February”. Its an idea that two Swiss guys started with their friends that has grown in popularity over the years and now I want to share it with you. All it asks is that for a month, they usually do February, that you actively focus on reducing or stopping altogether your complaining about small niggly trivial things. Although this is something I have practiced over the years without knowing there was a movement behind it I joined in this year and stoped complaining for February. It was great! More than anything its a brilliant exercise to do to make you more aware of yourself and your thought patterns because when you are aware that you are trying to reduce your complaining you start catching yourself when you do and over time you notice the patterns.

If you are interested in joining in Complaint Restraint May give this photo a like or comment below and let that be your commitment to yourself.

They say where our attention goes our energy flows so how about for a month redirecting your energy to restrain your complaints and instead to focus more energy on the good things in your life. Instead of giving your energy and power away by complaining, become more aware and if you can do something to change the situation your complaining about do it, otherwise let it go. Interestingly, committing to reduce complaints actually shifts your focus towards solutions. Remember, its not really about restraining yourself but instead about redirecting your focus. I’d love to hear how it goes 🙂

16/04/2018

A Mindfulness Message
Start the day with Positive Thoughts.
End the day with Gratitude.

Nature helps at this time of year. Pictures of dawn on the Golden Vale and sunset on Killarney lake.

06/04/2018

POSITIVE AGEING THROUGH MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP

At the moment I'm making the connection between Mindfulness and Positive Ageing as I write a book on the topic. I am running a series of workshops on the subject. Details below

In The Studio, Ballinalacken, Ballylanders, Co Limerick.
On Friday April 27th Or Thursday May 10th Or Saturday May 19th
Each Workshop begins at 10.00 a.m. and ends at 4.00 p.m.

Cost €50. Numbers limited to 12 per Workshop.

Contact Gerry Raftery 087-9841821 e-mail [email protected]

04/12/2017

Four years ago Time magazine wrote a cover story on the benefits of Mindfulness. They have now published a 100 page special magazine on Mindfulness. The articles cover all of the main themes of Mindfulness in an easy to read way. It costs less than €7.00. I think it's worth it. Gerry

23/11/2017

Mindfulness at Christmas
We have a Christmas Mindfulness Session in Kilbehenney Community Centre on Saturday December 2nd 2017 from 10.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. An opportunity to prepare Mindfully for the coming season and eat mince pies.
Contact Gerry at 087-9841821.

09/11/2017

Our beloved niece Sarah Gleeson died last Friday. She was a grerat friend and a supporter of our work. We loved her and miss her very much. At her graveside I had the honour of reading the following piece that summed up our feelings on that very sad day:

ON THE DEATH OF THE BELOVED by JOHN O’DONOGHUE

Though we need to weep your loss, you dwell in that safe place in our hearts, where no storm or night or pain may reach you.

Your love was like the dawn brightening over our lives, awakening beneath the dark a further adventure of colour.
The sound of your voice found for us a new music that brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze quickened in the joy of its being; you placed smiles like flowers on the altar of the heart. Your mind always sparkled with wonder at things.
Though, your days here were brief, your spirit was alive, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer from the old distance of our names; Now you dwell within the rhythm of breath, as close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes, we know that our soul’s gaze is upon your face, smiling back at us from within everything to which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory, where we would grow lonely without you. You would want us to find you in presence, beside us when beauty brightens, when kindness glows and music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth, darkest winter has turned to spring; may this dark grief flower with hope in every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:
To enter each day with a generous heart. To serve the call of courage and love until we see your beautiful face again in that land where there is no more separation, where all tears will be wiped from our mind, and where we will never lose you again.

Read at Graveside Sarah Gleeson’s Funeral, Kilfinane, 6.11.2017 Gerry and Mairin.

15/10/2017

Very Interresting

Ministers to meditate with politicians from Israel, Sri Lanka and Sweden as part of event exploring benefits of mindfulness

04/09/2017

As a proud Galway person I was delighted with the winning of the All Ireland Minor and Senior Hurling finals 2017. A very impressive team of men who believed that they could do it. David Burke, the team Captain, was interviewed on RTE after the game. In his excitement he said "it's all up here in the top six inches" and he pointed to his head. Isn't he right, it's what goes on in our heads that makes us winners in any situation in life. Just a little lesson in Mindfulness after an All Ireland!