Impermanence in difficult times

Did you know that our history records reveal some interesting information about the oldest printed book in existence. It’s called The Diamond Sutra and apparently originated in China. The book includes Sanskrit text translated into Chinese and was found in a place called ‘The Cave of a Thousand Buddhas,’ a hidden space that was once…

Interview with crystal and reiki healer Pierluigi

In times of trouble I always look towards the wise and wonder what they would say or do. Then I remembered an encounter I had with a very young wise man whilst I was staying at a retreat centre in Penedes. When I met him he was in the kitchen soaking a handful of crystals…

The healing power of our animals

It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon when I took a seat in the garden of my friends house. I noticed the herbs and how radiant they were. Then just as I picked up a book to read, a ginger cat jumped up on the chair next to me. My immediate reaction was to…

Interview with Hernan, a chiro masseur

It was a Tuesday evening when I met Hernan. I went to meet him at a therapy space in Barcelona for a chiro massage and afterwards, to spend some time interviewing him. When he greeted me at the door I burst open with excitement. His eyes dazzled and he wore a light blue crystal around…

Drinking thyme and burning sage

Last week I made myself a fresh thyme tea. That particular day I was feeling a little low and heard this tea had great antioxidant benefits. In the end, the thyme was grounding and delicious and made me feel instantly better. The trouble was, it hadn’t only helped to cleanse my palate but it seemed…

Why we advocate aloe vera

If you’ve ever taken a walk around the countryside of Catalunya, the probability of an aloe vera plant appearing on the route is less than far fetched. In fact, the Mediterranean climate is so warm and dry that we usually benefit from a very happy harvest. Not only does the aloe vera plant tend to…

Interview with NLP coach, Mari

This week I had the pleasure of getting to know a very nice young lady from the suburbs of Barcelona. Her name was Mari and she was busy in her life with helping others to heal. In fact she was a Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) coach and Bach flower practitioner. “My God”. I thought out loud…

Reflections from the winter solstice

On the 22nd December I took a visit to the local hairdressers to celebrate the winter solstice. “How much hair do you think I’ve acquired since the summer solstice?” I asked the hairdresser. “Probably around four inches.” She said, smiling at me. “Ok. Then please cut it off.” I replied. As she went about cutting…

A sacred falcon messenger

It was New Year’s Day and I took the opportunity to walk. With a lifelong friend, we went to visit the mountains above Barcelona. After our two hour climb under the dazzling sun and our one hour meditation at the top, we stopped for a short tea break before we briskly walked back down the…

Wisdom, peace, love and mercy

“Wisdom, peace, love and mercy.” He said as he curled into his gold paisley armchair. He was an old man now. I knew him when he was young. He was always very forgiving then. “What do you mean?” I asked my uncle as I humbly rested into the navy sofa next to him. “Pass me…

Interview with Garraf plant healer, Silvia

Last week, as the waves emerged around the coastal village of Garraf, I found myself attending a very pleasant aloe vera plant medicine workshop. A lady called Silvia was hosting it and she introduced herself as a botanist. As keen as I was to learn more about the spirit of aloe vera, I was equally…

Uplift your spirit with an open fire

This month, I was astounded by the sheer volume of bypassers I saw on the route around my local mountain. But what I was more astounded by was the way we shared the route with the same intention. That was to collect vast amounts of pine cones for our open fires. I couldn’t help but…