Nine ConsciousCafe leaders met for a ConsciousCafe leadership retreat in Kent last weekend, generously hosted at the home of Cora Kemball-Cook and her husband Richard. Cora leads the local group in Canterbury which has offered some amazing events this year.

Leaders had come from as far afield as Singapore and Geneva to spend time together. ConsciousCafe is a unique organisation and it was a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk and to learn from each other’s experiences of leading our different groups.

In the chaotic times in which we are living, ConsciousCafe provides an oasis of calm where we can explore difficult and fraught issues in a non-judgmental atmosphere of safety and tolerance and respect. Some groups offer regular deep discussions, some offer interactive events with speakers and presenters and other groups offer a mixture of both. It was lovely to get to know one another better as we hold the space for exciting things to happen as each of our groups meets in different parts of the world.

All the leaders agreed how rewarding it is to run a group. Every one of us is a volunteer and gives generously of our time. ConsciousCafe is a not-for-profit organisation and relies on the skills and the kindness of all the leaders to make things happen.

If you would like to find out more about us please go to www.consciouscafe.org and sign up to be on our mailing list.

If you are a regular attendee and would like to express your gratitude for the existence of ConsciousCafe in your life - especially at this time of the year - please donate on our website Support page.

Every penny we receive goes toward our admin expenses which make it possible to run ConsciousCafe for your pleasure and enjoyment

Thank you so very much.

We will be launching more new groups – the next one will be in Somerset in 2020 – and we welcome conversations with all potential leaders both in the UK and abroad.  For more information please contact info@consciouscafe.org     

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EVENT SOLD OUT

We will be hosting an exciting discussion on “Inspired Leadership” with our special guest and friend to ConsciousCafe, the amazing Nick Williams. Nick is a leadership guide with twenty years experience of coaching leaders and offering his own leadership. He is the author of 16 books, several best sellers, been part of hundreds of media features and has given inspirational talks worldwide. The title of his latest book is “Be Inspired. Be Inspiring. Be Yourself - Your power to enable the best in yourself and others.”
True inspired leadership is your desire to draw the best from yourself and those around you, so we can all blossom into our full potential. Every act of inspiration, creativity, kindness, love and beauty is an act of leadership. So we are all capable of offering leadership in any moment, regardless of whether we have a formal position of leadership or not.

Nick will lead a conversation and discussion about inspired leadership and self-leadership, and how you can start to unwrap your next chapter of leadership. To support you to continue your inspired leadership adventure, Nick will be gifting you a copy of his latest book. Join us this December for a brilliant evening - with tea and cakes, too!

Please book below or contact Cora on corakc@hotmail.com for more information.
Venue: The Yoga Studio, Highfield House, Summer Hill, Harbledown, CT2 8NH
www.canterburyyoga.co.uk

We are delighted to invite you to an interactive evening with Jan Cisek, one of the first, government-approved Spiritual Health Mentors in the UK. He will explore with us the key aspects of Spiritual Health such as connection, peace of mind and care and compassion. Jan will also cover what to do to connect and maintain your spiritual and conscious life; how to manage yourself to find peace of mind; and how to be of service in the world.

You will learn how to:
• develop further your spiritual intelligence/spirituality/consciousness
• boost your emotional wellbeing
• improve your physical and mental health
• enhance your meditation/mindfulness
• and, connect more to the good things in life

The mini-workshop will touch on:
• Multiple intelligences
• Research on spirituality
• What is spirituality?
• Spiritual development vs personal development
• States of consciousness and stages of personal development
• The function of spiritual development
• Experience / a taste of spiritual health programme
• How to create a sacred space in your home/workplace
• What next? Consciousness studies…

IMPORTANT Please book early as everyone will receive a copy of the Spiritual Health Programme workbook.

Jan Cisek (MSc) is a spiritual health mentor, spiritual companion and meditation instructor with over 30 years of experience in spirituality and wellness and works in London and remotely. Jan has a diploma in Practical Spirituality & Wellness, the first UK, Ofqual accredited vocational diploma course in this evidence-based discipline. Jan is also an environmental psychologist (MSc) specialising in creating sacred spaces for working and living. He is an author and has a background in interior design, design and branding.

Networking

We are enhancing this event with a networking opportunity in a café nearby. We will meet at 4.30 pm and you will have the chance for a networking conversation with Conscious Cafe people. We will also go out together after the event for a drink or a snack so that we can continue the conversation afterwards. Please email judy@consciouscafe.org if you would like to come to the early networking event and/or the supper afterwards, and we will let you know where we are meeting.

ConsciousCafe Canterbury hosted a brilliant evening this week on the theme on "Altered States of Consciousness". Host Cora shares her thoughts:

 

"Afternoon meetings do have a different energy and this one felt particularly bright and lively as the sun flooded into the studio and I was delighted to have a brilliant turnout of people, there were 18 of us in all. This was a lovely surprise especially after so many people had said they couldn’t come because it was an afternoon session!

 

It was difficult to give a clear definition of what an altered state of consciousness was. It implies a different way of seeing and feeling reality. Andy Wood described it as dreaming while still awake which is the level that the Shamans work at. Helen felt that we needed to shed layers of trauma and stress to find our true state of consciousness which was a state of peace and stillness. Everyday living created a less desirable altered state when there was too much stimulation.

 

One of our participants recounted how she had reached an altered state of consciousness through holotropic breath work which had been developed by Stanislav Grof. This work sounds fascinating and well worth looking into in more detail.

 

We can reach altered states through drumming, breath work, chanting, yoga, meditation, hypnosis, dreaming and with drugs like ayahuasca. Andy gave us an experience of drumming as we relaxed with the intention of finding our power animal. Julie recounted how she can go spontaneously into an altered state and within this state she can access other people’s reality which she can describe to them with stories, symbols and archetypal characters. She can use these visions to help a person to gain more self understanding and healing.

 

In our summing up of the afternoon we concluded that altered states can help people to heal, to gain self knowledge, to deal with traumas, to access their creativity and to become generally more complete and whole as a human being.

 

Thank you so much to Andy Wood, Helen Porter and Julie Stocker for sharing with us the healing work they are all doing.

 

Someone said as she was leaving that it was the best ConsciousCafe meeting she had been to so far!"

 

ConsciousCafe Canterbury is hosted by Cora Kemball-Cook and meets once a month on a new topic. You can follow the Canterbury page for updates all the latest events.

"A SKIPTON-based group which sees members travel from all over the north to discuss life issues and share opinions has gone from strength to strength, say organisers."

ConsciousCafe Skipton has been featured in The Craven Herald, the local newspaper for of Skipton and the Dales. Our wonderful Skipton host Gina Lazenby was interviewed for the article - she had a lot of high praise for her growing and thriving group.

"A really vibrant discussion group attracting people willing to reflect and share on issues that are important to all of us, like relationships, making a new start, finding work you love, and creating connection. It’s very participatory and people say they appreciate the warm atmosphere we have created. People are craving the opportunity for thoughtful dialogue and to have their opinions and feelings shared and heard by others."

Read the original article here.

ConsciousCafe founder Judy Piatkis with Singapore group leader Hanna Krasnodebska, earlier this year.

Conscious Café Singapore met recently for another interesting discussion, this time on the theme of Compassion, with special speaker Anita Kapoor who introduced the topic and led the discussion.

Compassion is at the root of human contacts and relationships, but is it really evident in the way we are currently interacting with each other, or with nature? What are our personal experiences of compassion? Is compassion a clearly defined state of being or does it have a spectrum? Is compassion a dominant modus operandi currently? What can we do to bring back the compassion into our interactions and stop being a cutthroat?

Compassion is a virtue of our humanness. It is wired into our biology via the vagus nerve that transmits information to and from lungs, heart and organs of digestion and additionally serves the parasympathetic nervous system that is calming in opposition to the fight-flight response. It is our “nerve of compassion” that promotes altruism, gratitude according to Professor Porges’ Polyvagal Theory. There is also the “love hormone” oxytocin that is responsible for the social bonding.

The dominating concept of “survival of the fittest” that originated from Darwin’s evolutionary theory have been influencing societies and cultures for the past 150 years.  There is a need in the contemporary chaotic, fragmented, competition-dominated world to shift into a kind and compassionate co-existence. Participants shared their experiences of how the education system ingrains and reinforces competitiveness, how workplaces value and reward it, and how at the level of individual interactions this can be a dominant characteristic. In the presence and pressure of constant comparison we either strive to fit in or isolate ourselves into our own personal world - a private reality, we get depressed, feel anxious. If we do not get that top prize we are no longer “unfortunate” - that term has at least a smudge of compassion. No, we become "losers".

That disconnection has been spreading. The rise of individualism, the emancipation of the individual in modernity from many societal structures has been, on one hand, a positive development, but on the other it's increasingly producing its own antithesis – tribalism, conformism. Yet so many of us are craving a true community to belong to.

Our group discussed the aspects of compassion as a spectrum of engagement. Often a compassion is mistaken with pity, the feeling of sharing the suffering of another human being, while compassion is the feeling of empathy and a desire to help, to alleviate the suffering. It is very powerful to hear a personal story and participants were generously sharing.

We touched on the importance of the self-compassion: that special kindness towards oneself that is interlinked with forgiveness towards our own errors, mistakes and failures. Various examples from personal practices on how to cultivate it were shared: looking after oneself, seeking physical comfort, letting go of perfectionism, practising mindfulness, being aware of emotions and shame arising, allowing oneself to seek help.

We concluded that there is rising awareness of the importance of cultivating compassion in children as well as in adults, and that we all as individuals can contribute by being aware of our daily interactions and response choices. Compassion in action.

 

This blog post is written by Hanna Krasnodebska, leader of ConsciousCafe Singapore. Follow the Singapore group page to keep up to date with upcoming meetings!

Join ConsciousCafe Canterbury for a discussion and exploration of different states of consciousness and how we might discover them. We will look at aspects of Shamanism, dreams, visions and other altered states.

£7.00 in advance (ticket purchase at the bottom of this page), £10 on the door

Refreshments provided. 

Venue: Highfield House Yoga Studio, Summer Hill, Harbledown, CT 2 8NH

 Further info: Cora Kemball-Cook – corakc@hotmail.com Tel  07711 830275

 

 

We invite you to join us in a very special evening.  Come and ask a question, any question, and Judith will provide answers.  This may sound absurdly simplistic yet using this format, Judith's ability to offer hugely valuable and sage answers to questioners has time and time again shifted perspective, altering familiar landscapes and revealing hidden wisdom and much greater depth of understanding in answer to the question.

Judy Piatkus says "I was privileged to share a similar experience with Judith.  It felt so special and so profound that I asked Judith if she would come and offer it to ConsciousCafe members.  I was so thrilled when she said yes! "

Date: Wednesday 22 May 2019

Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm

Location: Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT (1 minute from Baker Street station)

 

 

Networking

We are enhancing this event with a networking opportunity in a café nearby. We will meet at 4.30 pm and you will have the chance for a networking conversation with Conscious Cafe people. We will also go out together after the event for a drink or a snack so that we can continue the conversation afterwards. Please email judy@consciouscafe.org if you would like to come to the early networking event and/or the supper afterwards, and we will let you know where we are meeting. 

 

About Judith Seelig

Thirty years ago Judith’s career as a journalist, editor and travel writer halted after a series of unexpected consciousness-altering events.  She now teaches self-realisation on retreat, in private sessions and in small yoga classes, the body being fundamental to complete transformation. Judith enjoys surfing, sailing, laughing, climbing and running. She regularly retreats into solitude in the wilds of Cornwall.

 

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Cancellation Policy Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (Wednesday 15th May) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

Hanna Krasnodebska with some of the members of the recently launched Conscious Cafe Singapore group

On Tuesday 26^th February 2019, Conscious Cafe's Singapore Group met at the cosy Reading Room to discuss the theme of “Love and Loving practices”, fitting with February’s holiday sentiments.

Hanna Krasnodebska, the group’s leader, started with the notion that love is an energy, and the highest frequency which connects us with the deepest part of ourselves; how love influences human biology, creating an internal environment for nourishment, connection and well-being.

The group discussed aspects of love in the context of forgiveness and gratitude, the giving and receiving. We talked about unconditional love, parental love as experienced from both familiar perspectives, that of a child in a family, and that of a mother who created and raised a family. One of our participants offered an insight: "a woman who experiences a rhythm of cycles has unique path marked with milestones of puberty, potential motherhood, life creating and nurturing family, menopause and becoming of a wise woman, a guiding elder.”

We explored self-love and how we find it challenging to accept ourselves as we are; how the family, community and wider environment influences us in our “quest for love and its expression”. 

The gathering comprised of women and we observed that it would be very interesting and complementing to have a male perspective.

Since it's humble beginnings, Conscious Cafe Geneva's meetings have taken place at the MLC Café-Littéraire, a charming coffee-cum-bookshop in the heart of Carouge, run by the lovely Francis. Due to ongoing renovations, the café is set to close for while, which set group leader Debbie King the task of finding a new space.

"I thought it would be REALLY difficult," says Debbie. "So I set aside a day to go hunting for one in Geneva, thinking it would be the first of several expeditions. And guess what - I found three! Not a single person refused me. At the venue I liked the most, the patron simply opened his arms and said 'of course! Walk this way and look at this little room beside the bar which you can have all to yourselves FREE, whenever you want.' AMAZING."

Debbie left town feeling on top of the world, with the most powerful thought: the universe truly provides for a well-intentioned deed.

ConsciousCafe Canterbury held a wonderful, deep and honest conversation on the topic of uncertainty at The Conservatory, which is the perfect place with an intimate feel. Perfect to hold a thoughtful and mindful discussion.

Our conversation ranged far and wide from talking to the moon, and finding solace from the moon and nature. We realised that we need to accept uncertainty as part of life. We felt that religion may help some people deal with uncertainty by giving them something they could trust in and a feeling of something greater than themselves. One participant, Vicky, said it is best to “go with the flow and accept that we are just a little wave on the ocean”.

Each of our group looked back to a time many years ago when they faced uncertainty and dealt with it and looked at what they had learnt. Richard remembered that at a difficult time of uncertainty in his career, keeping a dialogue with everyone really helped him. Another participant said that she had learnt that uncertainty “bears a gift”, and “we can learn to thrive on uncertainty. Feel it, allow it and surrender. See what your gut feels”.

Everyone is different in their reactions to uncertainty. For some, it may trigger fear and stop them progressing whilst others feel the fear and uncertainty but don’t let it hold them back. What are your experiences with uncertainty?

This post is written by Cora Kemball-Cook, leader of ConsciousCafe Canterbury. Follow the Canterbury group page to keep up to date with upcoming meetings!

Thank you to all those who braved the snow to come to ConsciousCafe Geneva last night. We broke a record – one person had to get the train home to Bern afterwards! Our discussions on “2019 and Beyond – How can I be my best self?” were all about our values. It was fascinating that people prioritised very different values, and it helped with my life lessons on judgement to realise why people might not act according to MY expectations sometimes! Why are our values so important, we asked? Because they are our life guide and compass. They show us the way. They make us who we are. They are so important than when we live or work in conflict with them we can become ill, physically and mentally. Do we all live to our values? Even when challenged? We wondered, if asked, would your family and closest friends be able to say what your main values are? After very engaging discussions we ended by examining just ONE value we would like to strengthen in ourselves and a brief closing meditation focused on feeling, being and exuding that value as we went out into the world. Conversation at ConsciousCafe Geneva takes place at small tables, which we mix up several times, so the conversations constantly change and you meet new, like-minded people. For many reasons there always seems to be a very warm atmosphere and we all leave uplifted. It’s about the people contact I think, connecting on a deeper level than usual. And it’s really very beautiful! Join us sometime.

ConsciousCafe London met for their first 2019 gathering to enjoy a discussion on the topic of Expectations versus Reality.As soon as we began to explore the subject, it became obvious that expectations versus reality touches every aspect of our lives several times throughout each day.

We have expectations of others and expectations of ourselves. Sometimes we are much harder on ourselves if we fail to achieve our own expectations than we are on others who we feel have let us down.

We have expectations of how people will treat us - at home and at work - and few people are able to live up to our ideals. We have expectations of organisations, expectations of systems and expectations of technology. In our Western society we expect things to work. When systems fail us - as happens frequently - we often struggle with disappointment and frustration.

In Western society we have little tolerance for systems not working. If we lived in a more fragile society, we would not know what to expect on a daily basis. We also don't know what our expectations of the future of the planet might or should be. Our expectations are infinite and our knowledge very limited.

Our solutions to the problem of expectations versus reality included expressing gratitude for everything we have, focusing on what we receive from others that makes us happy rather than what makes us unhappy and doing our best to live in the present moment so that we are not constantly focusing on our expectations of what will happen in the future.

The topic was very enriching and people shared generously of their feelings - both expectations, disappointments and positive outcomes.

Thank you Gita Shri Kumari for a beautiful and inspiring meditation to start the event. Thank you everyone who took part. I hope I have expressed your experience of the event but do please add comments if I missed anything out.

We look forward to seeing you again soon.

** If you haven't been to a ConsciousCafe discussion before, come and join us. Everyone present took part in the above discussion. We explored the topic in small groups and then came together to share. Our combined exploration resulted in much personal discovery. It was a great afternoon.

Dear Friend,

ConsciousCafe has experienced a lovely 2018, full of expansion and innovation. We started the year with thriving groups in London, Bath, Bristol, Canterbury, SW Dorset (Dorchester), New Forest, Oundle, Skipton, Plymouth and Geneva. In March Nicola Foster facilitated her first discussion for ConsciousCafe in St Albans and in September John Sackett and Joy Sackett launched their new Bournemouth group. We have had several requests from people who would also like to launch groups. Viv Garbe will launch East Herts (Stevenage) in 2019 and Hanna Krasnodevska will create our second international group in Singapore early next year too.

Another first was receiving the special Editor’s Pick Award for 2018 from Kindred Spirit.  For seven years now we have created the space for people to come together and explore a wide range of topics in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and non-judgment. During that time we have shared many deep and intimate conversations and have seen beautiful friendships being formed.  We are all proud of what we have created and so it was a lovely gift to have our work recognised by Kindred Spirit who really ‘get’ what we offer.

Every group has a varied range of activities. Some groups have monthly discussions while other groups offer keynote speakers and events.

In London we have had a range of experiences.  Isabel Losada’s talk about Sensational Sex in March was hugely popular and has also been very warmly received at our ConsciousCafe Plymouth and Canterbury groups.

Jane Bailey Bain talked about How to Create Your Future Story to packed houses in both Geneva and London. Christa Mackinnon’s talk to our group in Plymouth was sold out and she will be sharing her presentation with Q&A in London early next year. Our groups in Skipton and New Forest also offer a wide range of activities as well as discussions.

Meanwhile ConsciousCafe conversations have taken place on a huge variety of subjects. There is so much innovation and creativity among all our members and our Group Leaders have been taking full advantage of that.

In London we have explored Self-Love, Overload Anxiety, Courage (an idea which originated from our St Albans group), Creativity, and Self-Care. Mikkel Juel Iversen facilitated a truly memorable conversation about Homelessness and Dina Glouberman, known to many of you as the co-founder of Skyros, spoke about the themes of her newly published memoir. In the autumn patisserie chain Konditor and Cook offered us gorgeous space for Colin Smith who gave us an excellent workshop on Improving our Listening Skills. This turned out to be a particularly fun evening as we held a networking event beforehand followed by supper at Pizza Express afterwards. We have also enjoyed a Summer Tea and a Winter Festive Tea, having the opportunity to spend time together in a relaxed atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon with no one needing to rush to catch their train home.

When we first launched ConsciousCafe the world was not in so much turmoil as it is now.  But as we approach 2019, after a challenging and difficult year for so many people globally, it is becoming increasingly important that we make the time to talk to one another about the things that really matter to each one of us. It is often only by speaking about them that we can truly explore what our thoughts and feelings and ideas are. And it is only by listening to one another in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, that we can hope to be able to understand each other’s differences. ConsciousCafe offers that space and the opportunity to connect with likeminded conscious people who we might not otherwise meet.

We thank you for joining the conversation during 2018 and hope to see you in 2019. Please feel free to invite your friends to ConsciousCafe. So many people tell us that their lives have been deeply enriched by having the opportunity to join this community.

Every ConsciousCafe leader gives their time generously and freely.  Huge thanks go out from all of us to Britt, Jo, Peter, Anne, Charlie, Cora, Helena, Gina, Nicola, Debbie, Grace, Alan, John, Joy, Viv, Hanna and all of you who are supporting them. All our leaders come from their hearts.

We offer a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us financially this year and especially our generous supporters. I work 2 – 3 days a week for ConsciousCafe and everything we do is funded by all of you who support our vision and our events.  We always try to keep the price as low as we can so that everyone can take part.

As always, we are very grateful to Joyce Deen for her care in admin and book-keeping and to Kate Cowan who is responsible and thoughtful about all our marketing. We welcome Tess Burton who has just joined us to develop our social media profile.

If ConsciousCafe has nurtured your soul this year and if you would like to help us launch more groups next year so that more people can benefit from what we offer, please become a ConsciousCafe supporter for 2019 (£50 or £40 (concessions)). 

You can find out more here.

Or if you simply feel moved to honour what we do in aiming to raise consciousness in the world through conversation and connection, please donate on our ‘From the Heart’ button on our website supporters page. Every small amount you are able to give us helps us to continue the work we are here to do which is to raise consciousness through conversation and connection so that, by developing mutual understanding, we help to make the world a better place to live in for each one of us.

We wish you all a very restful holiday and hope that 2019 will be a happy, healthy and abundant year for all of you and your loved ones.

With love,

Judy and the ConsciousCafe team 

As ConsciousCafe Geneva ended 2018 with a Festive Finale last night I take a moment to reflect on the past year. We have had cafes on diverse themes such as Love; Wisdom; Time; Identity, Nationality and Nationalism; and yesterday Gratitude. We have been guided by inspirational speakers : Bonnie Fatio and “The Gifts I Give to the World”; Diana Ritchie on “Conscious Living through Sophrology”; Jane Bailey Bain on “Creating Your Own Life Story”; and Chris Burton on “Pivotal Moments that Shape Us”.  We also had the great pleasure of having our Founder, Judy Piatkus, join us for a very special evening with “Two Inspirational Women". On each occasion our ConsciousCafes have lived up to their purpose, bringing people together to connect through conscious conversation and the profound interaction between strangers has been heart-warming and uplifting.  It reveals the beautiful best of humanity.  Each cafe has helped me to expand my ideas about the world and learn from the wisdom of others.  I now count our regulars as good friends.  All of these things I appreciate.

So how appropriate that we closed the year talking about gratitude before we partied a little.  I shared some of the research that suggests that gratitude can affect us emotionally by lowering depression, stress and other toxic feelings, and by increasing self-esteem and fostering mental strength. It seems that being thankful can also have a positive impact on us physically with studies showing links to improved sleep, lower blood pressure, better immunity and healthier hearts. So our first conversation revolved around our reaction to this research and sharing whether and how we experience gratitude in our own lives.   One woman’s words helped me to realise that when I say thanks for a glorious day/sky/event/friend it anchors me more fully in the present moment.   

Debbie King, Bonnie Fatio & Judy Piatkus

We then looked at ways to experience more gratitude, in particular we tried out an exercise called “Three Good Things” where you write down three good experiences you had that day, even quite ‘simple’ ones, and how they made you feel.  As I watched people share their notes I saw their faces illuminate as they remembered, relived and felt again the magic moments they had experienced that day.  Things as simple as waking to snow, remembering a special hug, lunch with friends, the uplifting feelings that came from an exercise class.   We realised that by taking this moment to reflect back on the day we appreciated events more fully.  Incidents in time that would otherwise have passed by and perhaps not been long remembered.  Some people write these daily memories on a slip of paper, pop them in a jar then give themselves the New Year gift of reading them at the end of the year.  Forgotten moments are reawakened.   Some years ago my husband gave me a ’gratitude rock’ which I still have, clasp when I pass it, and give brief silent thanks for my blessings.  I shared this idea by giving everyone their own rock to keep, and we had our closing meditation holding them.  Everyone chose their stone carefully – it’s important they feel just right in the palm of your hand!! 

Studies state that cultivating gratitude does not necessarily reduce seeing the negative features of life – “people have no trouble seeing the bad stuff” – but it encourages us to acknowledge the good things and thereby open ourselves to the potential boost that saying thanks can give to our mind and body health. 

What were you grateful for today? 

References :

9 Powerful Ways Gratitude can Change your Life :  Amy Morin

Can Gratitude be Good for your Heart? Paul J Mills & Laura Redwine

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Our discussion group in Geneva is led by Debbie King, former Chief Probation Officer and Counsellor.

Click on our ConsciousCafe Geneva Meet Up page or Facebook page to message Debbie directly or for further information.

An Evening with Christa Mackinnon

The Power of Altered States of Consciousness

Expanding our consciousness is key to evolution; humans possess the capacity to expand their perception through altering their mental states, accessing deeper and wider realities. Artists create their best paintings or music in altered states, writers access them to create fiction and poetry, spiritual masters receive their teachings and even scientists utilise these powers.

Christa Mackinnon is joining ConsciousCafe for an interactive talk on these alternative mental states. You will discover:

* how they naturally occur,

* how we can create them intentionally

* how you can use them to tap into your vast creative potential and connect to wider fields.

Christa is a psychologist, family counsellor, hypnotherapist, shamanic teacher and best-selling author. Working internationally as a psychologist, trainer and university lecturer, she specialised in complex trauma, which formed the basis for her expertise in the functioning of the human mind. Her fascination with the capacities of the human mind and consciousness led her to explore spiritual teachings, living in Ashrams in Asia and apprenticing to Shamans in the Americas. Christa now combines her knowledge of the contemporary psychological with ancient shamanic teachings, a subject she speaks, writes, trains and lectures widely about. Christa is the author of  ‘Shamanism: Awaken and Develop the Shamanic Force Within’ (Hay House) and the ground breaking book ‘Shamanism and Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice’ (Jessica Kingsley Publishers). She is also the founder of ‘Bridging the Worlds’ and the co-founder of Women Weaving Change’.

Date: Monday 25 February

Time: 18:30 GMT

Location: Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT (1 minute from Baker Street station)

Networking

Following our successful November event, we are enhancing this event with a networking opportunity in a café nearby.  We will meet at 4.30 pm and you will have the chance for a networking conversation with ConsciousCafe people. We will also go out together after Christa’s event for a drink or a snack so that we can continue the conversation afterwards. Please email judy@consciouscafe.org if you would like to come to the early networking event and we will let you know where we are meeting.

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Cancellation Policy Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (Monday 18th Feb) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

What Will You do with Your One Wild and Precious Life?*

All of us are creative. At every moment we are creating the lives we want to live, the space we inhabit, the way we accomplish our work, how we relate to others. 

These are some of the conclusions reached at our wonderful discussion on the topic of creativity at ConsciousCafe London this week.  It was very special because when we came together and shared our thoughts we were able to access a deeper than usual part of ourselves and share it with others in what turned out to be a very rich and inspiring conscious dialogue.

Creativity

For some people their passion for creativity is enjoyment of the actual process of creating, whether they do it collaboratively or alone.  Some of us need people to witness our creativity for it to exist.  Others are happy simply to create for their own pleasure.  We may create material objects - art, sculpture, batik, rune stones – for the sheer joy of the experience and for others to enjoy.  Or we might write our journals for our pleasure alone. Some people create conceptually - planning lessons, growing businesses, developing relationships. Not all creativity results in anything tangible.

Blocks

All kinds of things may block our creativity – time for ourselves, space in which to create, willpower, responsibilities. Yet everything we do is an act of creativity – whether we think we are channelling our inspiration and ideas from some higher source or simply using the talents and skills that we were born with.

Our conversation seemed to leave all of us on a high. We had probed so deeply and shared from our hearts. The event had turned out to be one of the most exciting of ConsciousCafe conversations (and there have been hundreds of very good ones).

Thank you everyone for taking part. See you again soon.

JP

 

*The title of this piece is inspired by a line from the poem One Summer Day by Mary Oliver

What a fascinating evening we had at ConsciousCafe Canterbury - and it also generated a lot of discussion both immediately afterwards and in the proceeding days.

Our panel

Our three speakers all came from very varied and interesting backgrounds. Louise Cox Chester came from a career in investment analysis and fund management but decided to leave this high flying world to set up Mindfulness at work ten years ago. Her organisation supports global corporations through designing and delivering mindfulness based training that brings focus, clarity and calm to people. Mindfulness at work has worked with over 250 organisations ranging from Cisco and Savills to Unilever and UBS. They also deliver mindful self compassion programmes in the NHS, teach in schools and run a not for profit organic retreat centre in Wingham.
Viv Moore is a Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) teacher with a background in nursing and psychology, she has been a University lecturer with a PhD in Psychology. She runs 8 week MBSR courses and she has specialized particularly in helping clients with severe chronic pain. Emma Slade or Ani Pema Deki  came from the banking world and the story of her transformation from high flying banker to Buddhist nun is told in her popular book Set Free which she sells in aid of the charity she set up Opening your Heart to Bhutan. As a practicing Tibetan Buddhist she says that in Tibetan there is no word for “Mindfulness” which seems curious as the practice has come out of Buddhism!

Definition of mindfulness

It was surprising to hear that it is not easy to even define exactly what mindfulness is despite the word being in such common parlance these days.
Louise felt that mindfulness could be defined as loving connected presence either towards self or others or towards an object; it is about being present. Viv felt that the practice dealt with the fact of life being suffering and is about addressing pain in our lives. Louise felt that mindfulness helped people make better choices in their lives, it would enable them to have a pause between stimulus and response, it would help them to communicate more effectively and to give their full attention to colleagues in meetings.

Mindfulness may not be suitable for everyone

We discussed the fact that the practice may not be suitable for everyone, if someone was recently bereaved then a mindfulness meditation would make them more acutely aware of their grief, also people with mental health problems might find it painful or difficult to practice mindfulness. Everyone agreed that yoga practice can be extremely beneficial for everyone as it was mindful practice that made people aware of their bodies.

It was felt that some people got benefits similar to meditation from running or other sports or even from playing a musical instrument. We were able to experience two short meditations and in the feedback one person who had never meditated before and was surprised that in a guided short meditation they were able to clear their mind.

This is just an overview of what we talked about and I am sure that many of you found other nuggets of interest which I have failed to mention. Do let me know your thoughts on the evening.

Cora

ConsciousCafe Canterbury Leader

Listening is one of your most important life skills. You become a good listener when you take the time to truly hear and understand what people are saying to you. 

When you do that, your relationship with everyone improves instantly. Being a good listener enables you to deepen the connection you have with everyone in your life - family, friends, work colleagues or strangers in the street.

All of us are capable of listening but very few of us do it well enough.  Yet deep listening is the essential ingredient for building trust, developing better relationships and improving communications in all of our relationships. 

 

 

During this interactive session, you will

• experience the difference between hearing and listening
• learn how to listen at a very deep level
• discover what it feels like when you are truly heard
• and much much more. 

About Colin

Colin is ‘The Listener’, a listening skills specialist with a passion for changing the way the world listens.  His listening presence enables individuals to feel heard, to think smarter, and to transform their business and personal relationships by learning how to listen more effectively.

Colin has an innate ability to deeply listen, hold space and develop trust with people. He works privately with individuals, enabling them to express their feelings more easily, address their personal concerns, and to articulate their creative ideas.

He works with business teams, facilitating the development of listening and thinking skills to improve business relationships, be more creative and increase the level of trust.

 

NEW VENUE

To enhance the event, we are also offering the opportunity to meet nearby at 4:30 pm for a networking conversation.  After the event, we will go to a nearby cafe to continue connecting.

We would like to thank our generous host, Konditor & Cook who have offered us their fabulous cafe which is situated at the bottom of the Gherkin building.  You will be able to purchase their delicious patisserie (including vegan and gluten-free items), hot and cold drinks and prosecco.

Please book early as places are limited.

Please email judy@consciouscafe.org if you would like to come to the networking session at 4:30pm.

 

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (November 6th) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

ConsciousCafe invites you to an evening with Jane Bailey Bain where you will be able to explore the power of stories in an interactive experience.

You are constantly working on your own life story.  In our time together we will look at how you construct this – using archetypal figures, universal themes and classic storylines. You will have an opportunity to reflect on the stories that influenced you and we will discuss how you can consciously craft your future life. You will discover:

• how your early life experiences link to later ones
• what is really important to you
• how your life is influenced by stories
• how to use the power of narrative to create the life you want to live.

 

The stories you heard as a child have a profound influence on your life. Jane will be talking about how you still relate to those tales today and about the importance of storytelling in creating what you want to achieve.

Your life has a thread. It tells you where you have been and what you have done. It shows how one incident led to another and explains why things turned out the way they have.

But your life also has a deeper pattern. This one links the people, places and events that matter to you. It shows themes and motifs in your experience. It relates your actions to your inner values.

Jane’s event for ConsciousCafe in Geneva was a sell-out and we look forward to welcoming her in London.

Jane Bailey Bain is an author and creative coach, now based in London. She trained as a social systems advisor and worked for many years on development projects in Asia and Africa. During this time she became interested in stories and how people use them in everyday life. Jane now runs workshops on how to create your own life story and has written three books, Life Works, Story Works and Soul Works.

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (10^th September) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

Congratulations to Judy Piatkus, our founder, on being the winner of Kindred Spirit magazine's Editor's Pick Award 2018.

This is a relatively new category in which Claire Gillman, the editor, chose someone whom she believes to be worthy of recognition for the important and meaningful work that they are doing.

Judy is absolutely delighted to have been chosen and wishes to share the award with all the ConsciousCafe Group Leaders and Supporters who work with her to raise global consciousness and connection through conversation.

Click here to see Judy saying 'Thank you'. Judy video

 

Living in this day and age I’m finding myself increasingly interested in ways of becoming more self aware and of experiencing life in greater technicolour. In Conscious Cafe I have found a community with similar interests and get to reap the benefits of learning and growing with likeminded people from all walks of life. It’s quite insightful to learn how the qualities of a mindful approach can play out in publishing, luxury hotels, supermarkets, branding, coaching…The list is endless.

John Danias

May we thank John for permission to share his recent article, posted on LinkedIn here.

Over the last 7 years, through ups, down, fears and joys, through the rollercoaster called "Life", I’ve been really drawn to mindfulness.

"Mindfulness", "meditation", "self-awareness": these are relatively unusual terms and consequently can have different meanings and associations for each person.

For me mindfulness simply means intentionally bringing some curiosity to the experience in hand.  This can be a work meeting, family banter, a boxing fight or a walk in the park. By attending more clearly to what is happening, bringing some awareness to the thoughts, emotions and body sensations playing out moment by moment, it is possible to gain a better understanding of how this "John Danias" experiences life and consequently take wiser actions.

 So, it’s about improving my confidence at work, interaction with my kid, reflexes when sparring, in fact anything that I am working on.

At work

During meetings I notice the acute desire to get my point across generates some anxiety and clouds the mind.  And I have no doubt that my nervousness, however subtle, gets communicated to some degree.  Using some specific observation-based techniques I can notice the process playing about (‘metacognition’ in scientific terms): mild tension on my shoulders just by the neck, slight straining in the eyes, shallow breathing and a charged internal dialogue questioning if it’s the right time to interject.  Recognising these signs, I initiate a subtle breathing exercise whilst continuing to attend to the meeting.  And gradually the possibility opens up for the tension to dissipate, the meeting being experienced with greater clarity, the point being put across with greater refinement and when not speaking, to just sit back and watch the show.

Clear, assertive communication, free from overthinking and second-guessing, is something I need to cultivate.  The science of neuroplasticity adheres to the ability of training the mind through repetition. Consequently, every skilful communication, irrespective of the context, can improve my communication at work.  Then why not practice at the grocer’s too? Why not with my family?

With family

I’m going back home feeling a bit down. When I tell my wife how I feel my instinctive reaction will be to highlight that it’s not a problem and reassure her. This time I will try an experiment. I will put aside my overthinking and will simply state it clearly and with presence. I will not quantify the ‘low’, and I will not add the habitual “but it will be okay”. Let’s see.

“I’m feeling low”.

The response is amazing: acceptance and support.  So nice to feel supported, so reassuring.  We’ve empowered each other through vulnerability – I will remember this lesson.

Why am I writing this article?

There is an incredible wealth of interesting techniques to cultivate a more mindful state.  Whilst I have explored a multitude, I have only touched the surface. They are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can be tailored to our aims, lifestyle and personalities.  Surgically precise meditation exercises can improve our faculty of attention and response. A technique called 'Wim Hof Method*' can enable us to voluntarily activate the autonomic nervous system.

Each one of us will embrace 'mind training**' at some point.  Now, in a year, in ten? I wonder...

I love talking about mindfulness. I love communicating what I’m learning from this practice and exchanging ideas. Every communication is my nourishment.  When you’re interested, when you’re ready, please get in touch.  Let’s help each other to grow.

* Link to scientific article here.

** Mind is defined as ‘the faculty of consciousness and thought’.

ConsciousCafe invites you to an evening with Dina Glouberman at Central London social club,The Lib-rary in St Martin's Lane, WC2. 

Dina has just published her new book, Into the Woods and Out Again: A Memoir of Love Madness and Transformation and she will be sharing her wisdom with you in an interactive session.

She will compare her experiences of a mental health breakdown with her experience of a spiritual breakthrough and will explore the question: how can you tell the difference between madness and miracles? She will also talk about and demonstrate the use of imagery to reach the 'genius imagination', our deep level of wisdom, and yet stay well grounded at the same time. There will be an opportunity to do an imaginative exercise to bring new insights into your life and a Q and A session.

Dr Dina Glouberman is one of the best-known and most respected pioneers in the UK human potential movement. We look forward to experiencing what is going to be a very special evening with her.

The price of your ticket includes a complimentary drink.

Dr Dina Glouberman is well known as a psychotherapist and author of several books including the bestseller, The Joy of Burnout. She is the creator of ImageWork Therapy and co-founder of the world-famous Skyros Holidays. Find out more on her website www.dinaglouberman.com 

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (7th June) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

A discussion facilitated by Caroline Shola Arewa

We are living in extraordinary times. We are constantly pulled in different directions, balancing the daily requirements of our private lives with those of our demanding work-places. We long to switch off but find it hard to detach from our increasingly complex 21^st century busy schedules.

It is both exciting and thrilling to live during these times. But the fast pace of change can also generate fear, anxiety and stress not just for us but for the people we love. 

Caroline Shola Arewa is a Psychologist and Wellness Expert. She will facilitate an interactive discussion during which we will have the opportunity to explore our increasing need to take better care of ourselves.  We will share some of the forms self-care can take and we will learn from one another’s experiences.  We will leave with new techniques and tools for reducing stress and instantly raising our energy.

After the discussion we will go to a nearby café and continue talking and networking over a drink or snack (everyone pays for themselves).

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (9th May) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

Mikkel Juel Iversen runs Under One Sky, an organisation which raises awareness of what life on the streets is really like and supports the homeless with life support packages and simple offers of help which may enable them to leave the streets and live independently.

Mikkel will facilitate an interactive discussion which will expand our understanding of what it means to be homeless in our wealthy and materialistic society and we will have the opportunity to explore this most basic of human needs and emotions for ourselves.

After the discussion we will go to a nearby cafe and continue talking and networking over a drink or snack (everyone pays for themselves).

Danish-born London based Mikkel Juel Iversen has one foot in social consciousness and change and one foot in the film world.  In 2012 he set up the collective Under One Sky to support the homeless and bring attention to the issue of homelessness. The ethos of Under One Sky is to offer genuine personal connection with those living on the streets.  Since its inception Under One Sky has supported 2,500 homeless people and the collective has grown to 400 volunteers.

A small percentage of the cost of your ticket tonight will be donated to Mikkel's organisation Under One Sky

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% (admin costs) up to midnight on Sunday 22 April after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

An evening about Sensation - in the body.

Isabel Losada would like to talk to you about sex.  In an informative, funny, sometimes shocking, sometimes vulnerable entertainment - Isabel will dispel many myths.  She will tell us about a year where she decided to learn everything that she could about how to make sex into better sex in the contest of a long term and monogamous relationship.  An evening for both men and women - whether you have been married for 40 years or are happily single - brush off your inhibitions and be prepared for honestly and laughter.  Bring questions  - everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.   

No clothes will be removed during this evening’s talk. 

A better sex life?  As The Guardian said of ’Sensation’ -  ‘What better investment could there be in a relationship?'

This event will be held at the Library Club in Central London and is also open to some of their members. 

Book early to reserve your place.

ISABEL LOSADA

Isabel Losada has most recently discussed her new book ‘Sensation: Adventures in Sex, Love and Laughter’ on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’ and at the Hay International book festival.  More information about Isabel and her other books can be found at www.isabellosada.com

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 7 days beforehand (5th March) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

In our fast-moving technological Age we are all bombarded with so much input that many of us regularly feel stressed and out of control as we try to process it all. What do we need to do in order to manage information overload effectively and enjoy a better quality of life?

In this thoughtful discussion we will be sharing our joint wisdom as we explore the topic together. Discover

• How to live more consciously and with greater awareness
• How to quiet your mind and centre yourself in the midst of chaos
• How to achieve more balance in your life
• Techniques that others are using to overcome overload

Please note that we are experimenting with a new format for this event.  We have reduced the price for the discussion which will now be from 6.30 to 8.30 and that will allow more time to go out together afterwards and continue the conversation in a café nearby.

We look forward to seeing you at this first ConsciousCafe event of 2018. Book your ticket now!

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 72 hours beforehand (7th January) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

For nearly forty years Tamara has taken great pleasure in facilitating workshops and retreats, addressing a wide range of topics including: Symptoms,  Conflict Clarification, Council of All Beings, Co-Counselling Training, Group Dynamics, Dream Groups, Well-Being, Body, Relationships, Despair and Empowerment, Food, Money, Inner Child, Fear and Freedom, Creativity, Parenting, Aging and Illness, including some new and exciting themes coming up.  Participants on Tamara’s events often experience a deeper sense of connection, purpose, and peace, as well as coming out lighter and more connected in relationship to self, other, and the world.  Times of intensive work relieved with periods for solitude and silence. A supportive, challenging, and transformative process!

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 72 hours beforehand (14th October) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

Led by Sarah Alexander

Labour MP Jo Cox left us with a pertinent message: “We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than the things that divide us.” But at this time of polarisation, fragmentation and division in society, this message seems a far cry from reality.
 
In our personal journey from emotional intelligence to spiritual intelligence, we come to the realisation that we share the same core essence. We recognise that we all have different bodies and personalities with a host of varied beliefs. And yet it is this commonality within that ultimately unites us.
 
In our discussion, we will be considering how we live this practically day-to-day and bring this shared unity into every aspect of our life experience.

After the discussion ends, join us for coffee, wine,snacks and great networking at a nearby cafe. Everyone pays for themselves.
 
……………………………..
 

Sarah Alexander

Sarah Alexander offers coaching and training for coaches, consultants and business professionals based on the principles set out in her book Spiritual Intelligence in Leadership. Sarah combines this mental tool kit with the latest neuroscience and practical strategies for success. She acts as a GPS for her clients: ensuring they remain on track to their chosen destination.
 
Sarah Alexander has had 16 years’ experience as a coach and trainer. Over that time, she has worked with entrepreneurs, sports professionals and performers on the international stage and leaders in multinational organisations in the UK, Europe and the Far East.
 
Sarah has written many articles for magazines and national newspapers including The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and Huffington Post. She has also spoken regularly on the radio. In The Daily Express she has been described as “the elegant, calm and collected guru of all things inner gleaming”. Sarah is the author of Spiritual Intelligence in Leadership and Spiritual Intelligence in Business.

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 72 hours beforehand (16th September) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

Our 6th Birthday Party was a great success - scroll down to see some photos.

Our 6th Birthday Party will focus on the theme of Living and Working with Uncertainty.

Join us with our guest speaker, Jude Jennison, for an evening of fun, laughter and thought-provoking ideas and a discussion on the topic of Living and Working with Uncertainty

Living and Working with Uncertainty

The rapid advancement of technology has fuelled fast-paced change in business, creating a high performance culture that requires leaders to be resilient, agile and results-focused. The increased level of uncertainty and an ever-expanding workload create stress, overwhelm, fear and polarization, leading to disconnection. The world never stops and when people get caught in the same trap, they risk burning out.
 
We will discuss the challenges we face in the workplace and how we can create business results through the natural human characteristics of communication, connection, compassion and community.

Jude Jennison is a thought leader, international speaker, Horse Assisted Educator and author of the book Leadership Beyond Measure. She is co-founder of The Leadership Whisperers, a company inspiring people within some of the world’s leading organisations to create more human connection in a high-performance culture. She works with executive boards and senior leadership teams to develop embodied leadership skills to lead through uncertainty. Jude partners with horses who provide non-judgmental feedback, enabling clients to identify their leadership behaviours and transform themselves into courageous and hugely influential, non-verbal communicators.

Ticket price includes wine or soft drinks and food

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 72 hours beforehand (30th June) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

Join us for an enjoyable ‘Walk and Talk’ with ConsciousCafe across Hampstead Heath to visit Kenwood House

Hampstead Heath is a wild untamed 800 acres of natural wilderness in North London. We invite you to ‘walk and talk’ across the heath and enjoy its wild beauty. We will stop at Kenwood House, a famous stately home with spectacular grounds, for a cup of tea. Many famous films have had scenes filmed at Kenwood including Notting Hill and Belle. We will return to our starting point via a different route.

2.00pm: Meet at Hampstead tube (Northern line). We will walk to Kenwood which will take about an hour. We will stop for tea and there will be time for a quick visit to the house for anyone who wants to. We will then make our way back to Hampstead via the famous Whitestone Pond which some guidebooks say is the highest point in London.

Important note. The terrain is uneven and hilly in parts. You will need strong trainers or walking shoes and a bottle of water.

In the event of heavy rainfall anyone who wants to can meet at Hampstead tube at 2.30 and we will enjoy coffee and a discussion in one of Hampstead’s many attractive cafes.

This event is free, but please book to confirm you are coming so we know whether to wait for you.  

Be the Change You want to See in the World:  Changing the World or Changing Ourselves

A Discussion to be facilitated by Caroline Shola Arewa

We live on a beautiful planet. But as populations have grown and in our thirst for material growth, we have created many serious problems which urgently need resolution.  

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.

We but mirror the world.  All the tendencies present in the world are to be found in the world of our body.  If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.

Gandhi

How should each of us live in order to feel we are making a difference?  What do we need to do? These and many other interesting ideas will all be part of the evening's discussion.

Come and join this discussion as we explore the challenge of change.

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 72 hours beforehand (7th May) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

There were cheers and applause at the ConsciousCafe Geneva launch last night when I announced that the evening marked the first International ConsciousCafe.   What followed was a great night in the spirit of ConsciousCafe’s everywhere in the UK …  twenty-two likeminded people coming together to enjoy thoughtful discussion; deep connection with other people; and, from the happy atmosphere and immediate feedback, leaving energized and positive.  

We took as our theme ConsciousCafe’s aim to raise global consciousness one conversation at a time asking the question “what does this mean and how can conversation achieve it?”  It was apparently a good starter question and from the beginning everyone engaged in animated discussions.  We talked and shared at tables of four or five with people moving around after 20 minutes to make new connections and conversations.   We have a beautiful collection of illustrated table mats which reveal how broad and deep the discussions roamed.

This was an uplifting start to ConsciousCafe Geneva, proving that one can have profound discussions with new acquaintances in a very enjoyable and heartening way.  I particularly relished the fact that we were from a wide range of age groups and life experience.

The next ConsciousCafe Geneva will be Wednesday 26th April and personally, I can’t wait.

Debbie King, Geneva Organiser.

To be facilitated by Caroline Shola Arewa  

What does the word ‘truth’ mean to you? 

Can different people experience the same event with the same truth and if not, why not?
 
How can we verify historical truth?
 
How do we all manipulate the truth at different times and in different ways?  Why does it matter?
 
We will be considering these questions and many more.  Join us for a discussion of this topic which has never been more important than now.

Caroline Shola Arewa

Wellness Coach, humanistic psychologist and author Caroline Shola Arewa, has inspired people worldwide for thirty years with her pioneering and awarding winning work. She is the founder of Energy 4 Life Wellness Coaching  www.energy4lifecoach.com Where she Trains Wellness Coaches and offers people the opportunity to “get your Energy back and your Life on track’ using high energy and conscious living techniques.   

The price of the event includes a complimentary soft drink or coffee and light refreshments

After the discussion at 9.30 you are welcome to join us at nearby Carluccio in the Marriott Hotel Swiss Cottage, 5 mins walk away from the venue, to continue the conversation (everyone pays for themselves). Please email to let us know if you would like us to book a place for you on  info@consciouscafe.org 

To find out how to receive our Supporter Discount to this and all our events and what it means to be a ConsciousCafe Supporter, click here.

Cancellation Policy

Full refund minus 10% up to 72 hours beforehand (2nd April) after which we apologise, but cannot offer any refund due to room hire and administration costs.

IGNITE YOUR SPARK

How to Inspire with Integrity

To be facilitated by Deborah Henley

Here is a unique opportunity to take part in a short interactive workshop for conscious leaders, facilitators, coaches, and everyone who wants to inspire others and make a difference in the world.

Leadership Inspiration is as much an art and a skill as it is a conscious practice. As leaders, the practice involves knowing ourselves and how we influence and impact others. 

Following our very powerful September event facilitated by Claudia Roth of Soul Luxury, when we explored the new way of doing business which is learning to ‘allow’, Claudia has shared this blog with us:

My reality was shaken when I was in Auroville in the south of India last November! For many years (even decades) I created this special self-image called Claudia Roth, a successful global business leader who much enjoyed a career in luxury hospitality. I was very proud of my self-image which I curated with passion and careful attention.

Something profound happened!

No doubt you’ve heard people saying, ‘This is who I am and I won’t change!’ Leaders who maintain this position are unconsciously admitting they can’t see beyond their self-image.

To be fixated by self-image means to be non-creative and, in essence, limited to a defined set of often rigid thought processes and beliefs; this has consequences for all aspects of life.

Without realising it, many of us have created identities – or self-images – of ourselves.

Perhaps you have an image of yourself as important, as a successful businessperson, as ambitious and competent, or as someone who has all the answers. This sort of identity, built up over years, governs your view of the world more than you realise.

Jim Morrison – lead singer of The Doors – said: “We're locked in an image, an act - and the sad thing is, people get so used to their image, they grow attached to their masks. They love their chains.”

Holding onto this adopted identity is like wearing a professional mask; with it in place, either in business or in life, you are not allowing yourself to be truly authentic and importantly, you are limiting yourself to new awareness so as to evolve as a business leader and individual.

Is it possible to maintain a professional identity or self-image for years and not even be aware of it? Trust me, I speak from experience – I only realised that ‘the other’ persons were there (yes ... you read correctly .... we have not only one self image but several!) when I began to question why I thought and reacted in the ways that I did.

Indeed, it is only when we start exploring our genuine thoughts, reactions, emotions and ways of living that we can begin to live in the truest sense of ourselves. And if you have reaffirmed and energised a mask successfully for many years, it can be a painstaking process to dismantle it to discover who you really are!

So, why would you want to move beyond this learned identity – your cherished self-image – especially if it has been serving you well for many years as in my instance?

The more authentic you become, the more you step into your ‘space of greatness’. You no longer pretend to be somebody else, running on ‘patterns’ or be guided to uphold your self-images. Instead you connect to your inner wisdom, which then guides you throughout your life.

As you explore your self-image, you will start challenging certain beliefs and removing others that may be limiting you. You will find yourself wanting to know the world for what it actually is, rather than what you believe it to be. You will become curious again. Creativity and inspiration will flourish as a result, becoming assets both in your life and your business. Unimaginable opportunities are unfolding!

Embarking on this process isn’t easy. It won’t provide a quick fix to all of life’s challenges. But it is a powerful experience that will connect you to your truth and inner wisdom, where you will find contentment, joy and guidance, and your next level of personal and business success.

I will be returning to Auroville soon again .... The story continues.

Self-Image Assessment Exercises:

1.    Start off by naming the labels you give to yourself. For example, “I am a successful, highly in demand, creative and outspoken manager.” Write down your labels.

2.    Identify the labels you wish to dissolve and make a commitment to move closer to your ideal life situation.

3.    Create some time for reflection, to explore what lies behind the labels you identify.

4.    Pay attention to the story you create when you look in the mirror: do you create a negative or a positive self-image, or an over-inflated self-image guided by ego?

5.    Observe your opinions: what you say, how you say it, the likes and dislikes you use to reinforce your self-image. Do you judge fairly or based on pre-conceived ideas?

6.    Explore how tied you are to your memories: whether good or bad, acting in response to memories can lead to inauthentic results, from irrational fears to rose-tinted actions.

7.    Take time to assess how your story, opinions, actions and reactions would be if you created them anew based on what you actually see, think and feel.

Enjoy discovering yourself! Awareness creates choice.

A little about me: I am grateful to look back at a successful, global and hugely rewarding international career in the luxury hospitality & travel industry. I have learned what luxury is and what it is not. I understand service excellence, and I know what it is not! I have travelled the world in style and had many enjoyable moments of living a corporate career. 

Having now moved on from corporate life, my network describes me as a global pioneer in luxury and consciousness. People are seeking increased meaning and connection – in their lives and the brands they align with. But whether an individual or a company, true connection can only come from within: from an exploration of awareness and an unwavering commitment to authenticity and integrity.

I am the founder and Managing Director of Soul Luxury, a company operating globally that helps businesses understand these evolutionary shifts and create their own new currency of connection within themselves and with their clients. 

I write articles from time to time. There is no right or wrong, it is only a view. Up to now largely my silent view.

Claudia Roth

 Copyright © 2016 Soul Luxury.

The US election is nearing its conclusion. Whatever happens now, November 2016 will be a landmark date in history. For the ugliness of this election has exposed the failure of the US democratic process in that two highly unsuitable and unpopular candidates have polarised views and torn the American nation apart.

During the next week many unprecedented events may happen and each time the whole world will be shaken up. The leadership of the American nation affects every single one of us.

HOW AUTHENTIC ARE YOU?

• What does it mean to be authentic?
• How does the modern-day workplace disconnect us from knowing our authentic self?
• How can we live authentically in a world where we often need to conform in order to belong?

We'll be discussing these questions and other aspects of authenticity.  Come and join in the discussion.

On behalf of ConsciousCafe Judy facilitated a discussion group on the topic of Beyond Mindfulness at Editorial Intelligence’s NNN Festival in London in June.  Here is the story of how Judy became interested in mindfulness:

I have been re-visiting my ideas about mindfulness in the last few days in preparation for an event which I am facilitating.

 I first came across the term ‘mindfulness’ many years ago when I was sent an early copy of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book, Wherever You go, There You Are, with a view to my being the UK publisher for it.  Jon Kabat-Zinn had taken ideas from ancient Buddhist practices and explored how to make them accessible to the mainstream.  He believed that Western society had lost touch with the universal human qualities of paying attention and living with awareness.

This was 1994 and the thinking behind the book was all completely new to us at Piatkus. We had published books on meditation but this was so much more.

In the introduction the author explains that ‘wherever you go, there you are.  Whatever you are thinking right now, that’s what’s on your mind.’  It looks at first like a simple observation but in fact it requires much practice and self-awareness to observe your thoughts in this way. The important question we must each ask ourselves is how best to respond to any given situation in which we find ourselves and the answer to that question lies in responding with your full awareness to whatever is going on for you right there in that moment.

Whatever has happened has already happened. The future is unknown.  When we can truly learn to live in the present, to ‘be in touch with where we already are’, then we are in a situation where we have the most to gain for we can understand more of ‘the truth’ of what we are really experiencing and ideally respond with wisdom and heartfelt understanding.

I took the book to the editorial meeting and we were all keen to go ahead. But the ideas were so new at the time, that we thought we would need to change the title of the book or we would have difficulty in selling it into the bookshops (this was long before the days of amazon).   Accordingly we retitled it Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life.  We printed an initial edition of 3000 copies. The Daily Mail wrote a piece about it which resonated so profoundly that the book sold out within a week.  It nevertheless took many years before it was taken up by psychotherapists as a tool to help their patients and subsequently the concept of mindfulness found its way into the NHS and after that became mainstream.

Now mindfulness has become an industry.   People know that practising mindfulness is good for them but they are not sure why.  It takes time to become mindful of who we are as individuals, how we respond to different situations in the way that we do, whether we are truly living our lives the way we want to, whether we are living from our hearts.

Mindfulness has been an extraordinary gift to the world. and the gifts it offers are available to each and every one one of us every day of our lives – as long as we are aware when we are truly ‘there’.

For those interested you can click here to purchase or review Jon Kabat - Zinn's book: Wherever You Go, There You Are.

ConsciousCafe invites you to our special one day conference

ConsciousCafe is offering you one special and unique day to come from your heart and join together to help raise the vibration of love. To view the full programme, click here.

'Love is the strongest force the world possesses'

Gandhi

We are living through a massive period of awakening. This extraordinary transformation is generating huge challenges and amazing opportunities for everyone across the planet. ConsciousCafe believes it is time for each one of us to be pioneers. To work together to raise the vibration of love in ourselves so that we can share it in our world.  In our own small way, each of us is able to contribute to increasing peace, love and harmony on the planet.

How you will help to raise the vibration of love: (click here for the full programme)

• Listen to our dynamic speaker, Elif Shafak, Global TED speaker and Turkey’s foremost female novelist, who will share from the heart her thoughts on love and life
• Our panel of business experts, Oonagh Harpur, Francis Briers and Norman PIckavance, led by Judith Clegg - founder of LiveKind - will lead us in a Q and A session, as we share ideas about how we can raise the vibration of love in the workplace
• A choice of 3 short break-out groups. led by Francis Briers, Louis Parsons and Dina Glouberman, will give each of us the opportunity to be centred and present and explore how to cultivate a loving state through art, movement or relationships
• World Cafe, led by Caroline Pakel - creative facilitator, consultant and coach - will enable us to raise our group energy, enjoy collective, conscious conversations and explore thought-provoking questions about Love
• Our closing celebration of music and song with Tom Fortes Mayer and Virginia Thorn, will bring us altogether, as one group, in a joyful, uplifting experience
• Our co-comperes, Nick Williams and our own, Judy Piatkus, will be there throughout the day, introducing everyone and sharing their insights and any feedback they receive from you.

To view the programme in detail, click here

Introducing our inspirational experts and facilitators. 

Click on each photo for their biography or click here to read about them all.

Click on each photo to read more about each individual or

visit our Experts page to read about them all.

ConsciousCafe offers you the opportunity to spend one special day, with like-minded individuals, opening your heart and making our world a better place.

Details 

Registration and networking from 9am for 9.45 start. Close at 5.15

Your ticket includes refreshments and a light vegetarian lunch.

For further information or to specify dietary requirements please contact info@consciouscafe.org 

Limited number of concessions available.  Please contact judy@consciouscafe.org

Click here to book

To find out how to become a ConsciousCafe Supporter and receive our discounted rate at this event and all our other events click here

 Cancellation policy

Cancellation up to 20 November will receive a full refund less 10% admin costs or a full credit towards future ConsciousCafe events.  We regret we cannot offer a refund after that date but we will offer a credit of £50 towards future ConsciousCafe events from 21- 24 November.  From 25 – 27 November we regret we cannot offer a credit or a refund.

ConsciousCafe celebrated its 5th birthday at the beginning of July with a lively party for 50 people. 6 of them had been at the original ConsciousCafe group launch in 2011. 

Kenny and Judy jointly compered and introduced Viv Garbe who opened the party with a beautifully delivered meditation to bring peace to the world.

We then took 2 minutes to introduce ourselves to someone in the room whom we had never met before to ask the question ‘How did you become spiritual?’ This led to some beautiful stories and sharing moments.

In typical ConsciousCafe style everyone was then offered discussion options.  Choices included ‘Where does Happiness come from?’ or ‘Who are you?’ and for those who felt like something more lighthearted, you could choose a miscellaneous card with a provocative question on it and explore that in groups.  

It was a bright summers evening and light seemed to stream through the windows and fill the room.  We shared another short meditation and a moving closing circle, taking time to celebrate everyone connecting for this lovely anniversary.  The moment was captured with a group photo and we all sang 'Happy Birthday'. 

By then we were all starving and enjoyed supper, more conversation and birthday cake. 

It was truly a special evening, beautifully captured with many excellent photos by Jon, which you can find on our Facebook page, here.

AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP FACILITATED by CLAUDIA ROTH

 For many years we have all been used to working in a certain way. But now the fast-changing world in which we live combined with a myriad of new technology is changing all that.

New rules for the way to work best are constantly being created and it is only the limitations of our mind-set that prevent us from moving as fast and as effectively as we would like.

Technology combined with rising consciousness offers modern different ways of thinking and being. One of the most important skills is to learn to create by having a sense of who we are in the world and what we want to achieve.  With clear focus and the ability to ‘allow’ for things to happen, we attract situations and circumstances which are more aligned to our purpose and who we are. 

Claudia Roth will share her experience of moving from a state of constantly ‘doing’ (a sign of success in the corporate world) to a new place of ‘allowing’ in the process, transforming her life professionally and personally to a new level of inner connectedness. During the evening you will learn, discuss and explore how to unlearn some of the habits you are so familiar with i.e. your success patterns and discover how to start creating a more smooth-flowing lifestyle in alignment with your purpose. You will gain awareness of how to become much more effective in allowing life to flow the way you want it to. Be warned … it is a journey of unlearning!

Claudia Roth Biography

An experienced, global senior corporate executive and former Vice President Europe, Middle East & Africa of The Leading Hotels of the World (the world’s largest hospitality organisation, representing over 375 of the finest hotels, resorts and spas such as The Ritz London, the Sandy Lane in Barbados … the best of the best), her sweet spot is using her mastery of business and awareness to inspire others to see the business world differently. Claudia enjoys a strong track record in managing and leading multi-cultural organizations and teams through growth and change.

Described as “a pioneer in luxury and consciousness” and a global citizen, she helps decision makers reach beyond their own boundaries and limitations to create a new paradigm of success. She believes in reconnecting employees to the business, to the brand and customers – by opening the door to greater awareness, expanding beyond perceived limitations, and exploring the possibilities and depths of success.

Smart companies have woken up to the fact that change has to come from within – and that nothing less than genuine awareness, personal integrity and emotional engagement will do in such a fast changing and transparent environment. She is the founder and Managing Director of Soul Luxury, an innovative client-experience company that unites the worlds of business and awareness.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel up to 72 hours before the event we can either refund your money, less 10% admin costs, or you can have a full credit for a future ConsciousCafe event to be used within two years.

Secrets to Becoming a Published Author

A ConsciousCafe workshop for prospective published authors

Are you an author? Would you like to become a published author? Should you offer your book to a traditional publisher or should you become a self-publisher? How do you promote and market your work?  What do you need to know about publishing and publicity?

All these and many other questions will be answered in our publishing workshop which will include:

• How to find the right publisher for your work
• How to build your marketing platform
• How to present your work to a publisher
• How to self-publish successfully
• How to promote your book
• And much, much more

Our speakers have a huge amount of knowledge and experience and they will be sharing the secrets behind their publishing success with you.

Free download of The Book You Were Born to Write by Nick Williams for every participant who attends the workshop

Nick Williams is an internationally renowned speaker, mentor and best-selling author of thirteen books including The Work We Were Born To Do. Four books have been with major publishers and nine have been a combination of self-publishing and working with small publishers. His books have been translated into seven languages. 

He has been invited to work with such diverse household names such as IKEA, BT, BBC, Merrill Lynch, The Met Police, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and a number of NHS trusts, as well as leadership organisations like The Institute of Leadership. He is regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences, and has been involved in around 2,000 media features.

He has spent over 20 years as a coach, adviser, friend, mentor, spiritual advisor and encourager to leaders and emergent leaders in the areas of business, the media and entertainment, the law, personal and spiritual growth, academia and retail. 

www.iamnickwilliams.com

Chantal Cooke is an award winning journalist and broadcaster – turned PR guru.

Chantal worked as a journalist / presenter for over 25 years, reporting from all over the world including Bosnia and Northern Ireland and has written many travel articles.

In 2002 she set up the UK’s first ethical radio station; PASSION for the PLANET and attracted an audience of over 100k. In 2010 Chantal founded a boutique PR agency specialising in small businesses (Panpathic) and authors (The Book Booster). Chantal’s focus is helping authors attract the attention of journalists and new readers.

Chantal is author of “The Authority Guide to Marketing Your Business Book” and “PR Demystified – how to get free publicity by giving journalists what they really need”

Chantal is an experienced presenter and regularly delivers training at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Council.

Twitter: @ChantalCooke / @TheBookBooster

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantalcooke

Judy Piatkus, entrepreneur and publishing expert,  founded Piatkus Books from her bedroom and grew it to become one of the most successful independent UK publishing companies.  She has published every kind of general non-fiction including biography, memoir, history, food and drink (including 14 titles by Mary Berry) and humour.  Piatkus Books was especially credited for being a pioneer in the areas of business, self-help, personal development and mind, body and spirit. Judy is also an expert in publishing commercial fiction and brought many novels by internationally renowned authors to the UK.  Judy successfully sold the company to Little Brown who continue to publish under the Piatkus imprint. She continues to be a publishing consultant. 

Cancellation policy

If you cancel up to 72 hours before the event we can either refund your money, less 10% admin costs, or you can have a full credit for a future ConsciousCafe event to be used within two years.

Illuminating the Shadow

Transmuting the Dark Side of the Psyche

by David Furlong (2016)

Read what others have said about the book

David Furlong’s latest book, Illuminating the Shadow, is a wonderful, erudite account of the human psyche, particularly in its wounded and hidden aspects. First we are introduced to the concept of the Shadow in films, literature, myth, metaphor and Fairy Tales, before learning how it manifests at a personal, public and collective level. Finally, we are taught how to learn from and integrate this aspect of ourselves, and of the human condition.Illuminating the Shadowis full of practical insights drawn from Furlong’s work as a therapist, with exercises to help the reader explore and make peace with him or herself. It is the sort of book that deserves more than one reading; that asks to be borrowed and lent so that the wisdom contained within can be shared as widely as possible.

Dr Fiona Bowie, King’s College London & the Afterlife Research Centre

author of the best selling Anthropology of Religion (Blackwell)

 ****

 Illuminating the Shadow explores a rich breadth of academic knowledge and everyday life experience with great depth and wisdom. Scholarly exposition of shadow through history, the arts and sciences provides far-reaching insights for human nature and global society. Story, myth and metaphor show how we express and try to understand our own complexity, divine mystery and the struggle between good and evil at personal and collective levels. And bringing dark psyche into the light shows shadow in relief, not to be eliminated but illuminated since, in its vital integrative function, it is both teacher and healer. Therapeutic examples and exercises in shadow work demonstrate the journey into light and compassionate love, with free will continuously informed by evolving consciousness, that points us towards full relationship with the living human God, and with our selves and each other. For the advancement of mental and spiritual health, this eminently practical book deserves a wide readership.  

 Dr David McDonald, Consultant Psychiatrist and Advisor in the Church of England’s Healing Ministry

 To purchase from Amazon, click below:

Illuminating the Shadow

Jude Jennison and Emma Taylor run The Leadership Whisperers. A training company working with CEOs and their top teams, to enable them to learn more about themselves and how they can positively develop their leadership and managerial skills, by working with the wisdom of horses. Their clients include several household names so we were especially thrilled when Jude and Emma generously offered ConsciousCafe a taste of how they work.

The indoors Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre was built as part of Anneka Rice’s Challenge programme in the ‘80s and does incredibly important work to improve the lives of disabled people. 40 of us arrived there on a warm light summer evening, excited as to what we might learn and some of us a little apprehensive having never worked alongside horses before.

How do we Lead in a time of Uncertainty

Jude explained that we can learn a lot about leadership from horses because they have no agenda. Working with horses is working with uncertainty and as all leaders must work with uncertainty, the horses mirror how each of us leads in situations and times of uncertainty.

Four volunteers chose to work with two beautiful horses and each of them took a turn leading one of the horses around the arena while the audience observed closely their leadership style. Leading a horse can be difficult for no one knows how the horses will respond. Each volunteer revealed how the experience had felt for them and what they had learned.

What Part do We Play in the Team?

Jude and Emma then invited all the participants into the arena with the horses and gave each of us the opportunity to explore how we lead – from the front, from the side or from behind. They presented new ways of thinking about our position in the team and gave us the opportunity to experience how this felt as we all took part in a simple group exercise.

In a final task, all those who particularly wanted to work with the horses stayed in the arena and completed an activity which involved working in teams and leading the horses through an obstacle course. As I watched this final exercise from the audience stand, I felt a lump come into my throat. People who had never met before had worked beautifully as a team with two very wise animals to move in seamless flow and harmony. I thought that the exercise also reflected the energy of people who come to ConsciousCafe, trusting, present, intuitive, thoughtful, caring.

At the end of the session everyone had the opportunity to be with the horses in the arena and to share in groups what they had experienced and what they had learned about their own leadership style and capabilities. Everyone departed the event with new knowledge about themselves, learned in the most memorable and unique way.

Huge thanks to Jude and Emma for giving their time and for sharing their expertise. If you want to learn more, you can read Jude’s book Leadership Beyond Measure, details of which are on the books page at ConsciousCafe. Emma told us the remarkable story of the Pony centre and if you would like to volunteer there, you can learn more here.

Judy
ConsciousCafe Founder

To be Human is to be Musical

… or more accurately, to be human is to BE music – the steady rhythm of our hearts, the melody of the rise and fall of our breath, the counterpoint of our many interactions…

Come and join us at ConsciousCafe Oundle and let Eleanor Gibson help you connect with the music inside.

Life Music

Lifemusic connects us to the life within us, to each other and to the flow of time. We have no choice but to be in the moment. Making, receiving and responding to sounds, embraced and supported by the flow of the music.

Lifemusic has four guiding principles:

• Everyone is musical
• Every sound is important
• There are no wrong notes
• Making music is an act of trust

No musical experience or training is needed. We use ‘instant access’ instruments that are easy and intuitive to play – or you can bring your own instrument along. Simple musical ideas act as a starting point for improvisation and the music has a life of its own.

In the words of one practitioner:

‘Just one of the many things I love about Lifemusic is its spontaneity, unpredictability, kaleidoscope of surprises, the way it moves me (emotionally and physically), thrills me and provides the brushes and paintpots which create pictures 'in and out of my imagination'.’

Eleanor Gibson

Eleanor has been facilitating music sessions with children and with adults in a variety of settings for nearly 30 years. Her approach is fundamentally person centred and always seeks to encourage and support each person’s ‘inner music’. She qualified as a Lifemusic practitioner in December 2014 and was delighted to find a method which validates and supports her approach and which makes music making accessible to absolutely everybody.

Find out more about Lifemusic here: http://lifemusicmethod.blogspot.co.uk/p/welcome-to-lifemusic.html

Last Saturday 19 of us met with three facilitators for our ConsciousCafe Street Wisdom experience.

Street Wisdom is the brainchild of David Pearl who believes that many of the answers to questions and problems that challenge us in our lives can be found in the streets around us, if we would only take the time to look.

We divided into three groups and each of us went to a different part of Camden Market. It was still fairly quiet, early in the morning and easy to absorb all the amazing sights and sounds as the many stallholders set out their wares and the food vendors prepared their meals. Each facilitator sent their group members on four ten-minute short walks with a specific issue to observe and think about during that time. These exercises put us in an altered state in that we all became very relaxed. Then we were left with time to wander round the market and observe what answers to our questions would come up for us.

After 50 minutes or so we all met in a nearby bar and again, in our groups, shared our experiences.

The answer to my own question had come very fast and kept being reinforced as I wandered round the market. One woman had a question regarding her relationship and she spotted a sign that made it very clear that the decision she wanted to make was the right one. Another participant was clarifying ideas about where to live and the Street Wisdom Experience opened her mind to new possibilities. Everyone in all the groups had gained from the wisdom of the streets.

Many years ago I read Living Magically by Gill Edwards, her first book, which introduced me to the concept of metaphysics and how helpful signs are all around us if we allow ourselves to be sufficiently aware to take the time to see. Street Wisdom also works in the same way reminding us that our knowingness operates on so many different levels. I like the idea that I could repeat my Street Wisdom experience any time I want to when I have another important question that needs an answer.

ConsciousCafe will be happy to offer another Street Wisdom experience in due course if anyone was unable to take part in this one. Just let us know at judy@consciouscafe.co.org and when we have enough people we will set it up.

Meanwhile, to find out more here is David Pearl, who founded Street Wisdom and was one of our facilitators, talking about it in a TED speech

JP

May 2016

An experiential evening to be facilitated by Kenny Mammarella D’Cruz

Emotional mastery is the key to leading a happy and successful life.

But how do you achieve emotional mastery? How do you learn to accept yourself, warts and all, understand what triggers different aspects of your behaviour and know what leads to certain outcomes which may not be the ones you want? How do you get to appreciate all the different parts of you?

In this interactive workshop, leading coach and behavioural expert Kenny Mammerella D’Cruz will help you get to know the different parts of your personality so that you can understand yourself better and know how to control the parts of you which may be leading you away from the future you really want.

Kenny will also focus on your Inner Critic. This is the part of you that often gives both you and other people who you come into contact with a hard time. Kenny will show you a simple exercise that will offer you great insights into your behaviour so that you can let go of habits you don’t want or need and focus on achieving your dreams and desires.

If you want an experiential workshop that offers you unexpected insights and the opportunity to discuss, explore and value your inner self, then this is the space for you.

Kenny Mammerella D’Cruz is a personal development consultant, a leading UK coach and a top facilitator of experiential groups, for both men and women. His varied career has taken him all over the world and his work has been featured in many media outlets including Newsweek magazine who called him ‘Man Whisperer’ and on Channel 4.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel up to 72 hours before the event we can either refund your money, less 10% admin costs, or you can have a full credit for a future ConsciousCafe event to be used within two years.

Mark Ballabon presented unique and thought-provoking ideas  at our ConsciousCafe event this week, Discover Your True Relationship with Yourself.

Mark has immersed himself in all aspects of self-development over many years and approaches life from the vantage point of a mystic. He left us all with 7 tips for leading a more conscious life. Here they are, as understood by myself:
(more…)

Our ConsciousCafe website marks a lovely milestone for all of us. It is five years since I sent out the first invitations inviting a group of friends and colleagues to come and join together for an evening of discussion on the topic of consciousness. 25 likeminded people – teachers, authors, healers, professional people, all of whom had been on a long journey of personal and spiritual development - gathered together, made new connections and expanded their own consciousness while exploring ideas with each other, creating wonderful new energy at the same time.

Since then ConsciousCafe has run more than 75 discussion groups and workshops and a retreat as well. A few hundred people have attended our events – all of them hearing about what ConsciousCafe offers by word-of-mouth as we have only begun to advertise our events publicly in the last few months.

Our passion is for community, connection and exploration – all in an atmosphere of lightheartedness. We have never taken ourselves too seriously. As a result, many wonderful friendships have been formed and fabulous connections made.

As one member has said ‘its so good to walk into a room and meet so many people who immediately understand where you are coming from and what you are saying’.

Now we are spreading our wings. We invite you to join us on this journey as all of us contribute what we can to creating a better world by raising consciousness about who we are and how we live, one conversation at a time.

We have some fabulous events lined up for the next few months and more will be added very soon. Book now and take advantage of our Earlybird discounts. Last year we had three events which sold out completely and while we usually have space at the last moment, some of the venues we use are strict about numbers.

Thank you to everyone who has been on the journey so far and especially to all our Supporters who come to our events and who have contributed financially to help us build this site and to the ConsciousCafe volunteer group who offer so much of their time to helping build the network. Last but not least massive thanks are due to Gary of Studio74 Creative Design for being so easy to work with, Kate Cowan of Fox Brand Marketing for her constant inspiration and to Joyce Deen who works tirelessly behind the scenes keeping the show on the road. We love all of you and we look forward to seeing you at ConsciousCafe soon.

Judy

ConsciousCafe Founder

Learn how to access the urban environment and find fresh answers to personal or work-related questions with Street Wisdom: a powerful, three-hour guided experience that uses the streets as an invisible university. This inspirational tool has been adopted by corporations, coaches and social groups across the globe - with profound results.

*This special event is held by ConsciousCafe and Streetwisdom and will be led by the inventor of Street Wisdom, David Pearl. A £5 donation will be collected on the day from attendees and will go towards the work of Street Wisdom and Conscious Cafe.*

What is it? At the centre of Street Wisdom lies the idea that every moment is extraordinary and every street is full of inspiration - that there’s no such thing as an ordinary street, just ordinary thinking. Few of us give ourselves time or permission to really focus on the world around us but the urban landscape is full of signs and signals that we normally ignore, rich stimulus that can help us learn something new.

Street Wisdom takes place in three parts. First, our street guides help you tune up your senses so you can pick up far richer information from the environment that you would normally. Then you’re off on a journey by yourself – your street quest – where you ask a question and see what answers present themselves. You don’t have to go far but it’s amazing what you can learn. In the final 60 minute session everyone gathers together to share what happened and, more often than not, their wonder at how magical an ordinary street can become when you’re really aware of those hidden messages, chance meetings and unexpected discoveries.

In just three hours of walking and wandering, participants have resolved problems that have dogged them for years, found new business ideas, changed careers, discovered new directions, and learned how to deal differently with life and love. 

Invented by creative maestro David Pearl in 2013 and developed with the help of business beatnik and fellow author Chris Baréz-Brown, Street Wisdom is an experimental idea that has rapidly grown into a global movement. Our mission is to make every street in every city a free source of inspiration for everyone, every single day.

Who is it for? It is relevant for anyone struggling with the day-to-day personal stuff, tackling a challenge in the workplace, figuring out what's next, or seeking a creative breakthrough. Once experienced, it can be easily replicated on a personal basis, or taken into the workplace and used to inspire teams and colleagues.

What do you bring? An open mind, good walking shoes and clothes for all weather. A question you'd like answered: not too big ('What is the meaning of life?'), not too small ('What shall I have for lunch?') but somewhere in the middle - a burning issue to which you'd like fresh answers.

Please watch this short film about Street Wisdom and reserve your place so we can keep you updated – if you are unable to come at the last minute, please contact us so we may give someone else the chance to take part.

Find out more at: www.streetwisdom.org

ConsciousCafe introduces Leadership with Horses, an opportunity to experience the value of embodied learning with horses.

 Why Horses?

 Research shows that in the presence of horses, we align the head, heart and gut. We become more authentic and gain more clarity. Horses mirror your non-verbal communication so you quickly identify the impact of your leadership, have chance to recalibrate in the moment and find new ways of working. Leadership with Horses harnesses this profound way of learning to create fast results that are repeatable back in work and life situations.

Personal Leadership

Experience how horses mirror your non-verbal communication and provide feedback on your strengths and areas to improve your leadership

3 positions of leadership

Learn a simple leadership model and work with the horses to identify how you lead naturally and where you can expand your range

Team dynamics

Discover how teams work effectively together, what causes them to be derailed and how to apply it to your own team. The learning is equally applicable to family and life situations as well as work

What you can expect

• 10-12 people will have the unique opportunity to work hands on with the horses
• A combination of personal leadership and teamwork in action
• An interactive evening where the audience also engage by providing feedback and learn through observation

The Leadership Whisperers help senior leaders develop embodied leadership skills that have a profound impact on teams. Through live events and workshops, we partner with horses who provide non-judgmental feedback, enabling clients to identify their leadership impact and transform themselves into courageous and hugely influential, non-verbal communicators.

We combine Jude’s 16 years senior leadership and business experience with Emma’s 16 years HR experience to map the learning back to practical work and life situations.

Book now to take advantage of our Earlybird price of £25.00, or £20.00 if you are a ConsciousCafe Supporter.

Click here to buy Jude's new book, Leadership Beyond Measure.

“Your relationships with others are all determined by the one you have developed with yourself. But what is the true state of that relationship? How accurate is your view of yourself?

For example, what relationship have you consciously developed between your spirit and your soul, your mind and your brain, your feelings and your body? And what impression does this make on others?”

Teacher, speaker and acclaimed author Mark Ballabon returns to ConsciousCafe with this powerful interactive event 'Discover your true relationship with yourself'. As always, he will offer us original insights and dynamic exercises to inspire a higher level of wisdom and freedom in this most important of our relationships… which influences every aspect of how we live our lives.

PRICE

£15.00  All bookings made online before 14/4/16
£20.00  On the door
£12.00  ConsciousCafe Supporters for all bookings made online before 14/4/16

Book Now on Eventbrite

Sara Troy of Positive Living interviews our own Judy Piatkus about ConsciousCafe, how it started and where it's going, Judy's worldview and also a segment on self-publishing versus traditional publishing towards the end.   (more…)

Does the word conscious make you switch on or turn off?

Last night I went to an interactive discussion around Conscious Leadership with a group of 30 other people who were invited through ConsciousCafe, a select group run by entrepreneur, motivational speaker and founder of publishing company Piatkus Books, Judy Piatkus.  For some time now, Judy has been keen to explore the group's thoughts, feelings and bias towards the use of the term 'conscious leader'.

What I particularly liked about the evening was that the facilitator Judy had (well) chosen, Charlie Efford, didn’t at any point seek to influence or tell us what he thought conscious leadership actually meant, which to me was a good example of conscious leadership in action.  (more…)

An interactive event to be facilitated by Andrew Isaac Thornton & Eudora Ralph Pascall of Heart in Business Limited  

Andrew Isaac Thornton and Eudora Ralph Pascall are the Founders of Heart in Business Limited, an organisation that inspires and supports companies to focus on people and the planet, trusting that profit will follow.  They will facilitate an interactive event where we will have the opportunity to hear about the ideas behind Heart in Business.  We will then explore how we might introduce these new ways of thinking into our own world of work, in order to achieve much greater success and all-round rewards for everyone involved.

Event includes food and drink.

Book now on Eventbrite

By Joseph Jaworski, with an introduction by Peter Senge. 

A review by Caroline Pakel

This is a book that has been mentioned to me, on many occasions, by close friends and colleagues. And for years, I believed that “I didn’t need to read it”. I was so wrong. A copy of it happened to be on one of my friend’s shelves during a brief visit to Holland this summer. I picked it up and browsed through it. A number of words immediately caught my eye – one of those was “dialogue”, as Jaworski had the immense privilege of meeting and chatting with the physicist, David Bohm, one afternoon in London and I am particularly interested in ‘dialogue’. Almost immediately I found myself reading large sections of it. I bought a copy on my return home and now consider it to be one of the best books I have ever read about surrendering to life and learning to respond to what it needs from us, rather than egoistically believing that we can plan, control and manipulate it to our advantage.

The charm of Jaworski’s story is that it is his own, personal story. He was a successful North American lawyer from a famous family of lawyers, and the promise of a successful life ahead of him - until the day his wife suddenly asked him for a divorce. He was in his early 40’s. His world crashed around him and he was faced with having to construct a new one. Within that process, he found himself again, and re-discovered ways to connect with his intuition and the natural flow of life.

Many good things happened to him personally and professionally from then on.

His life is particularly interesting if you are interested in the subject of leadership. As a result of a series of very interesting events and encounters – what some might describe as “coincidences” - , Jaworski found himself “called” to fund the American Leadership Forum. He was then headhunted to lead the now very famous scenario building team at Shell headquarters in the UK.

This book offers some great tips on how to be, learn, intuit and change, and work in partnership with life – not against it, or in spite of it... One tip that will remain with me is to nurture the courage to act on what we sense. In particular, to reach out to people we meet and immediately “know” from the moment we first see them – without knowing why or how. That is how Jaworski met his second wife – in an airport, of all places - and many other key figures on his journey. We often allow our mind to hold us back, out of fear, or out of respect to social norms. Jaworski’s life story shows that life can be more rewarding when we trust and follow our inner knowing and allow ourselves to connect with others, only because we sense we need to – not because we need something specific from them - ; thus, we are able to allow life to unfold according to its natural, benevolent flow.

The moral of the story? Good things happen when we listen to our inner voice or follow our intuition – when we are connected to it...

Review by Caroline Pakel, from to the heart, a creative problem solving agency facilitating understanding and change for groups and individuals. www.totheheart.com

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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?’

• Am I going to fall and hurt myself?
• Am I going to humiliate myself?
• Am I going to get in trouble?
• Am I going to die?
• Am I safe?

The moment I became secure was the moment I learned to say “I am!”

• I am safe.
• I am doing it ‘automatically‘.
• I am riding my bike!
• I am flying!!
• I am loving it…

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.

1. Abundance is about being rich, with or without money. —Suze Orman
2. Abundance is not a number or acquisition. It is the simple recognition of enoughness. —Alan Cohen
3. Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into. —Wayne Dyer
4. All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune. —Henry David Thoreau
5. All that is mine by Divine Right is now released and reaches me in great avalanches of abundance, under grace in miraculous ways. —Florence Scovel Shinn
6. Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well—being than any other single factor. —Paul Hawken
7. Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. —Lao Tzu
8. Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a state of mind. —Mike Todd
9. Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present——love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure——the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth. —Sarah Ban Breathnach
10. Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life. —Wayne Dyer
11. Do what you love and the money will follow. —Marsha Sinetar
12. Enthusiasm is the yeast that raises the dough. —Paul J. Meyer
13. Every person is a golden link in the chain of my good. —Florence Scovel Shinn
14. Expect your every need to be met, expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level, expect to grow spiritually. —Eileen Caddy
15. He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.—Elbert Hubbard
16. I am one with the Power that created me. I am totally open and receptive to the abundant flow of prosperity that the Universe offers. All my needs and desires are met before I even ask. I am Divinely guided and protected, and I make choices that are beneficial for me. I rejoice in other’s successes, knowing there is plenty for us all. —Louise Hay
17. I am wealth. I am abundance. I am joy. —David Cameron Gikandi
18. If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough. —Oprah Winfrey
19. If you want love and abundance in your life, give it away. —Mark Twain
20. If you want money, ask for advice; if you want advice, ask for money. —Peter Hero
21. I have the greatest of all riches: that of not desiring them. —Eleonora Duse
22. Infinite Spirit, open the way for my great abundance. I am an irresistible magnet for all that belongs to me by Divine Right. —Florence Scovel Shinn
23. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. —Henry Ward Beecher
24. Money is not the root of all evil…ignorance is the root of all evil. People do cruel and foolish things for money because they feel oppressed by a sense of lack. If people knew their power to generate wealth, they would never fight or hurt each other over money. —Alan Cohen
25. Money is power, freedom, a cushion, the root of all evil, the sum of blessings. —Carl Sandburg
26. Money will come when you are doing the right thing. —Mike Phillips
27. My good now flows to me in a steady, unbroken, ever—increasing stream of success, happiness and abundance. —Florence Scovel Shinn
28. Talent is always conscious of its own abundance and does not object to sharing. —Alexander Solzhenitsyn
29. The cause of poverty is not scarcity. It is fear and small thinking. —Alan Cohen
30. The finest gift you can give anyone is encouragement. Yet, almost no one gets the encouragement they need to grow into their full potential. If everyone received the encouragement they need to grow, the genius in most everyone would blossom and the world would produce abundance beyond our wildest dreams. —Sidney Madwed
31. The heart that gives, gathers. —Marianne Moor
32. The highest reward for one's toil is not what one gets for it, but what one becomes by it. —John Ruskin
33. The journey to financial freedom starts the MINUTE you decide you were destined for prosperity, not scarcity—— for abundance, not lack. Isn't there a part of you that has always known that? Can you see yourself living a bounteous life—— a life of more than enough? It only takes one minute to decide. Decide now. —Mark Victor Hansen
34. The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away. —Wayne Dyer
35. The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred…unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
36. The real source of wealth and capital in this new era is not material things…it is the human mind, the human spirit, the human imagination, and our faith in the future. —Steve Forbes
37. There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. ...But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well—being, and peace of mind.” —Deepak Chopra
38. The test of our progress is not whether we add to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough to those who have little. —Franklin D. Roosevelt
39. The universe will reward you for taking risks on its behalf. —Shakti Gawain
40. The world is full of abundance and opportunity, but far too many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car…a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel.
41. They expect little and as a result they get little. —Ben Sweetland
42. When people ask us how long does it take for something to manifest, we say, It takes as long as it takes you to release the resistance. Could be 30 years, could be 40 years, could be 50 years, could be a week. Could be tomorrow afternoon. —Abraham-Hicks
43. When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears. —Anthony Robbins
44. When you undervalue who you are, the world will undervalue what you do and vice versa. —Suze Orman
45. Why are you so enchanted by this world, when a mine of gold lies within you? —Rumi
46. You are, at this moment, standing right in the middle of your own 'acres of diamonds.' —Earl Nightingale
47. You do not need to be affected by the economy or man—made conditions. You can create your own personal economic environment of prosperity. If you are willing to listen to and take action on your inner guidance, you will do well no matter what the economy around you is doing. —Sanaya Roman
48. You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance. —Khalil Gibran
49. Your fortune is not something to find but to unfold.—Eric Butterworth
50. Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving. —W. Clement Stone

original article appears here: http://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/50-quotes-abundance