Dear ConsciousCafe Friends,
2025 has been a tumultuous year on the planet. It has been an emotionally exhausting time as each of you, no matter where you live in the world, has had to adjust to sweeping new changes affecting both your daily lives and the bigger picture.
At ConsciousCafe we have endeavoured to introduce you to many new ideas, tools and ways of thinking to help raise your consciousness and widen your horizons as all of us do our best to manage our way through this remarkable time on the planet. We would like to thank all the amazing speakers who we have worked with this year for their kindness and generosity.
In January Nick Haines revealed the major themes that were in store this year in his fascinating event, The Year of the Wood Snake. This was followed by Robert Holden giving you tools for greater self-awareness in his event titled Being More of Your True Self with the Wisdom of the Enneagram. Colin Smith in March taught us how to communicate and connect better using The Art of Listening.
Jane Gunn introduced new concepts of resilience in her April event, Barefoot Survival 101, while in May Steve Turner shared spiritual wisdom in Transformation through Turmoil. In the summer David Hamilton gave us wonderful insights about our health and our mindbody connection In How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body and expert global astrologer Jessica Adams revealed aspects of your future in Your Big Astrology Reset.
July introduced seers Carolin Rathbun and Trudy Marie Williams who shared powerful guidance on How to Access Your Soul Wisdom. In September spiritual teacher and astrologer Pam Gregory gave us up-to-date news in her event A Major Time of Transformation. Fiona Robertson took us back to the ancient past in October, enabling us to Explore the Magic and Mystery of the Stones while our final event of the year with Kirsty Allen demonstrated that Sensitivity is our Greatest Strength.
Huge, grateful thanks to Gina Lazenby who has hosted all of our inspiring speakers and presented all our online events. Huge thanks also to Tess Wilderspin and Karen Persad who support our admin activities with great competence and generosity.
Most of our past videos are available to view and enjoy and share on our website here so you don’t need to miss anything!
We want to thank all of you who have supported our ConsciousCafe Global Online events this year and it has been a great treat to meet some of you in person in breakout rooms.
Aside from our global events on Zoom, 2025 has also been an exciting year for new local community launches. We have been delighted to welcome John Hill leading his group in Great Yarmouth, Karen Blakeley whose existing group joined ConsciousCafe in Basingstoke and Davinder Chauhan who has launched a friendly new group in Milton Keynes. We were very sad to say goodbye to dynamic Jackie White who has stepped away from leading her local group in Totton but Jackie will stay connected with ConsciousCafe and we may offer occasional events together in the future.
We send our condolences to our lovely friend, Anne Jones in Burley, New Forest, as her very loving and supportive husband Tony passed this year. We hope to hear more from Anne in 2026.
We are very excited to be launching a new local group in North London in January 2026, and we hope to give you more news of other local groups launching early next year.
Meanwhile our popular UK existing groups have been flourishing. All our groups are run by volunteers who put huge time and effort and immense creativity into bringing people together to raise consciousness. We offer huge heartfelt thanks for Cora Kemball-Cook in Canterbury, Emma Loveheart in Newbury, Violet Dalton in Perth in Scotland, Gina Lazenby in Skipton in Yorkshire and Ruth Seodi, Dave Everett and Theresa Wassif in St Albans. We also enjoyed bringing people together for lunches and dinners in Central London this year.
Our local groups abroad have also flourished during 2025 and we offer huge thanks to Marianne Hartley in Basel who offers both online and live groups, Debbie King in Geneva, Katrina Evans in Johannesburg, Nurazida Daud in Kuala Lumpur and Sucheta Kohli Khanna in Singapore.
We are a not-for-profit organisation and we try to keep our prices as low as possible so that everyone can come to our events. With costs going up in the UK, it has recently become quite a challenge. We hope that our ConsciousCafe events have brought you great pleasure this year and we would be so grateful if you could support us via the donations page on our website because even the smallest amounts help contribute to our costs. The link is here and please do send us a note if any of our groups or our events have given you particular pleasure (or even changed your life!) this year as we always love to hear from you at info@consciouscafe.org.
Finally we would like to thank all of you who are reading this for contributing to our shared ConsciousCafe communities both online and in person. Your passion and energy fuel our mission to create a supportive and enriching environment so that we can continue with our mission which is ‘raising consciousness one conversation at a time’. In these remarkable times of growth and transformation, raising consciousness has become more important than ever for each one of us.
Please share details of ConsciousCafe with friends and family who you think would love to know about what we offer. Most of our recommendations come through word-of-mouth as we don’t have a marketing budget. Every recommendation is very much appreciated and we love it when people tell us how they heard about ConsciousCafe.
We wish you a joyful holiday season and a happy new year filled with love, growth, and connection.
With love,
Judy and all the ConsciousCafe leaders
www.consciouscafe.org
Earlier in the year Nick Haines of the Five Institute explained why the Chinese Year of the Rat would likely mean a return of the COVID-19 virus this autumn. With the headlines filled with news of a second wave, now is an opportune time to enjoy his ConsciousCafe Global video recording. Click the video below to watch this fascinating event.
This event, presented by ConsciousCafe Global featuring Nicholas Haines is designed to be a practical guide to understanding, navigating and rising up within these strange times; building a future we can be proud of.
We're currently sitting in a moment of time that is unprecedented in the history of humanity; six critical cycles have coincided to create the Perfect Storm and a Golden Opportunity for you and the world.
In this event, Nicholas unpacks and explores what has brought together this Perfect Storm and share why this is a massive opportunity for humanity.
The session will is practical, enlightening and will help you support yourself and those around you. What you learn will help you to navigate these challenging times. It is well documented how stress and fear can cause great harm. Nick will also share how you can support your immune system by reducing the stress and uncertainty you may be experiencing right now.
Nick says: “I believe you have been born into this time because you have a role to play in the future of humanity. But all that starts with a deeper understanding of what is really going on."
Nicholas Haines is the creator of The Vitality Test, as well as an international speaker, author, strategist and teacher in Chinese energetics. Through his work at the Five Institute, Nicholas has been engaged by a diverse range of companies, individuals and organisations from leadership teams at large corporations through to NHS hospitals, educational institutes and international governments to address issues around relationships, cultures, communication, diversity, empowerment and kindness.
You'll also find him passionately sharing the wisdom of the Five Energies and how they apply in our everyday life and relationships within various books, programs, courses, webinars and live events.
Do you remember learning to ride a bike?
I do. Mark Rogers from no. 25 taught me in our street, in front of all the neighbours. I remember the moment of panic as I suddenly realised that I was riding on my own, without stabilisers or Mark holding on to the back of my seat. I wobbled and nearly fell, not because I didn’t have the balance or skill, but because every thought in my panicked head began: ‘am I?’
The moment I became secure was the moment I learned to say “I am!”
Do you remember when you first learned to swim without water wings in the deep end of the swimming pool? Alan, my ex-flatmate / ex-business partner taught me. I remember swimming beyond the shallow end, realizing that the water below me was far deeper than the length of my legs. I could have felt panic. I could have felt terror. When I disengaged from it and thought about it, I felt fear. But when I engaged with my stroke, breathing into the present moment, I allowed it to carry me. I felt myself float and I swam with the calm and joy of a Buddhist dolphin.
This article is about two states which I call ‘am I?’ and “I am”. The two perspectives on life that we can take in our every moment, either consciously or unconsciously. I hope it will help you to recognise which state you are in at any given moment. I’d like to share a few tricks on how to change state from ‘am I?’ into one of “I am”. Here’s a run-down:
‘Am I?’ is driven by an external sense of self. The feeling that who we are is determined by others, as we hand our power over to them. Often it arises from our dated doubts and fears, paranoia and projected fantasy expectations. It leaves us in a constant state of doing – reacting, spinning plates and putting on a good show, troubleshooting life as we attract trouble to shoot.
‘Am I?’ attracts repetitive unhelpful patterns and same old unsatisfactory outcomes. It’s a life lived in survival mode. It’s a life lived in fear and panic, dodging judgement and abandonment. ‘Am I?’ has us shallow breathing, power-thinking, panic-reacting, second-guessing, uptight, on our guard, ready to fight, flight or freeze.
This self-preservation instinct has, no doubt, helped billions of people survive life-threatening situations, but how do we let our inner protectors know that the war is over – that it’s safe now? Once we progress beyond living in survival mode, our old protective shields can turn into tight little cages that restrict our lives from growing. Such control leaves little, if any room for who I am to take root and flower.
In my 25 years of work in this arena, the most frequent concern I have heard from men is a lack of control. I have met men who would rather kill themselves than be out of control. Men come to me running from the two big male fears: humiliation and abandonment. They all come in wanting something, and rather than getting that thing, they make their hero’s journey from‘am I?’ to “I am”, and along the way, they make authentic space for themselves.
If ‘am I?’ is external, “I am” comes from an internal sense of self. It is conscious. It is authentic. It brings out the best of who we are in the present moment. It’s aware of our baggage, but it doesn’t let it run the show. It attracts calm, certainty, safety and the right people. It allows things to flow efficiently, where meeting our own needs comes first, enabling us to extend ourselves to others. It is a very comfortable and powerful place of being.
I am is awash with endorphins, the substance our bodies create that produces a feeling of wellbeing. Similar to how we feel after exercise, in love, at orgasm, or a relief from pain. Safe and able to take part in life, sharing, receiving and growing.
If you are anything like me, you have probably felt moments of terror when asked to take the spotlight, a platform, on a stage. By coming from I am, I have found a way to take these opportunities and enjoy giving them my best shot, rather than fearing every step. I have learned to focus on an outcome beyond my edge. Then the journey brings me alive. Am I? would take me back to the troubled child who fluffed his lines and had the school laughing. I am takes care of that frightened child and brings him on stage with me, showing him how wonderful the view is from here as we unlearn the past together in a breath.
My trusty shields protected me from public humiliation for all those years, but also kept me from realising my potential as I blocked life’s opportunities. That shield is no longer running the show. My long-suppressed inner showman now relishes the endless possibilities of authentic, playful presentations that bring praise, celebration, self-acceptance, self-nurture and invitations for more. Beyond this, he’s up for fun, risks and even trusting Channel 4’s ‘Cutting Edge’ as my shadow is paraded for all and sundry! This is now my norm and the fear of criticism, humiliation, rejection, abandonment and abuse – from myself or others – can be the fuel that drives me forward. What a relief!
As soon as I catch myself lost in my headspace, I move from Am I? to I am in just one breath. As I inhale I fill my lungs with air and I fill my heart with the contentment ofbe~ing, thinking ‘thank you for reminding me who I used to be’. As I exhale, I let go of the stressful demands that my inner am I? is trying to foist upon me and with a quiet mind I engage with what’s in front of me. I take part in life.
I often had inner dialogues with my thoughts and emotions running constantly in the background. Times and places that I had not quite let go of, that I survived, but that I still carried around. I put those things to paper and disassociated from them, so I can look at them from the outside rather than believing that this was who I am. I am who I am right here and right now.
If the ‘am I?’ to “I am” breath doesn’t cut it, there may be a depressed ‘pause button’ that keeps you stuck somewhere in the past. As you breathe into the feeling, let yourself follow it to its source. It is likely to take you back to a specific scene, incident, or time in your life that will likely reveal itself, ready for acceptance and reconsolidation info a life beyond old limitations. Clearing up what’s in the shadow makes space for more in the light of daily life.
My wife once said to me “all this talk of alcoholism, drug addiction, sex and love addiction, workaholism, I don’t buy it! I think it’s all addiction to thoughts and emotions!” Spot on! She reminded me that I am not my thoughts. I am not my emotions. I am not my history. I am a free spirit, on an earthly adventure, creating my reality as I straddle my cycles of life, swimming high on the crest of a wave with quiet confidence, natural courage and on purpose. I am.
article first appeared here: http://www.kennydcruz.com/how-to-be-free/
Abundance is a very popular word right now. Sometimes it almost seems as though the word “abundance” is a socially acceptable way of saying "lots of money!" Although an increase in material wealth may be a goal for many, the true meaning of abundance goes beyond just simply having or acquiring more money. It's more all-encompassing and bigger than that. Abundance is a feeling. It's something that is already there that just needs to be tapped into. Abundance is gratitude and seeing the richness in every moment. Abundance is love. More and more, people are realizing that abundance is a choice. Take a look at some of these great quotes on abundance, to explore its true meaning and feel free to share what abundance means to you in the comments below.
original article appears here: http://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/50-quotes-abundance
ConsciousCafe is a not-for-profit organisation, a friendly and welcoming community, a place to live life consciously.