Bealtaine – The Hill of Uisneach, Handfasting and the Hawthorn

Topics covered : Illness, grief, miscarriage, motherhood, divorce, diet culture, overcoming challenges, self-regulation, thriving.   This week I speak to author and midlife coach, Alana Kirk. Originally from Belfast, Alana lives in Dublin with her three teenage daughters, Daisy (18), Poppy (16) and Ruby (13), their 2 cats, Tiggy and Puka and their rescue dog Mojo. She works as a midlife coach and is in the process of writing her third book. And in this conversation she shares her own story with us which is really powerful. We also talk about how much our lives have changed in the 16 years since we first met, and throughout our conversation she shares nuggets of wisdom and practical tips to bring into our own lives. Alana is a gorgeous person, she’s compassionate and quick witted and I took so much from this chat. Her current book is ‘Midlife, redefined: Better, Bolder Brighter’, a self-guided exploration of you and your midlife, with exercises so the reader ends up with her own bespoke midlife (wo)manual. She can be found at www.themidlifecoach.org and on Instagram @midlifecoach and for Alana's next online workshop Revive & Thrive, which is focussing on overwhelm, click https://www.themidlifecoach.org/revive&thrive If you like this pod, you might appreciate previous episodes like the one I recorded with visibility coach Kate O’Dwyer from October 2023, and the Menopause episodes with Catherine O’Keeffe from April 2021. If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : the factors that impact our sleep, the benefits of good sleep and how to improve it. This week I speak to clinical hypnotherapist and bestselling author, Fiona Brennan. She lives in Dublin with her husband and business partner Ciarán, teenage son Luca and their dog Rosie. And in this conversation she explores some of the elements in her latest book ‘Sleep well - 8 habits to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed’, our individual chronotypes, the power of napping and what to do if we’re in a negative feedback loop when it comes to our sleep. For Fiona’s one day retreat on the 19th of May in Wicklow, click here… https://thepositivehabit.com/the-sleep-well-experience-one-day-retreat-wicklow/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please search previous sleep episodes with sleep coach Tom Coleman, from August 2020 along with a 7 minute sleep meditation I recorded also back in 2020. If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Palestinian heritage, injustice, speaking up, Zionism, artwashing. This week I speak to Irish Palestinian artist, Róisín El Cherif and it's a powerful conversation. She lives in Galway with her parents, her Mom is Irish and her father is from Gaza and she has lived in Ireland for 18 years now. She talks about growing up as an Irish-Palestinian and she shares her perspective on the past 6 months, in particular. This month Róisín will also be releasing a very special song with all the proceeds going to Palestinians causes, so keep an eye out for that. Book mention : Becoming Pro-Palestinian edited by Rosemary Sayigh The song that Róisín sings at the end of the conversation : Zahret El Madaen (Flower of cities ) Fairouz - 1967 ‎لأجلك يا مدينة الصلاة أصلي ‎لأجلك يا بهية المساكن يا زهرة المدائن ‎يا قدس يا قدس يا مدينة الصلاة ‎عيوننا إليك ترحل كل يوم ‎تدور في أروقة المعابد ‎تعانق الكنائس القديمة ‎و تمسح الحزن عن المساجد ‎يا ليلة الأسراء يا درب من مروا إلى السماء ‎عيوننا إليك ترحل كل يوم و انني أصل​ ​'It is for you O city of the prayer that I pray It is for you O splendid home, O flower of the cities O Jerusalem​, O Jerusalem​, O Jerusalem​, O city of the prayer Our eyes are set out to you everyday They walk through the porticos of the temples Embrace of the old churches And take the sadness away from the mosques O night of Al asra O path of those who left for the sky Our eyes are set out to you everyday and I pray​' If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : The power of play in building connection with kids, touch, secure attachment, body acceptance, positive modelling, rupture and repair, breaking negative behaviours, resilience building. This week I speak to child and adolescent psychotherapist Debbie Cullinane. She lives in Mayo with her husband James and their two kids, Elsie and Freddie.   And in this conversation, she talks about the power of play in building connection with our children and why positive modelling and apologising is so important. It’s an episode full of practical advice. I loved it and I hope you will too! To connect with Debbie… Home - Debbie Cullinane Debbie Cullinane Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist MA (@debbiecullinane_) • Instagram photos and videos Book mention : Colleen Hoover ‘It ends with us’ If you like this episode, check out previous conversations with Richard Hogan and Sarah Nicole Landry (The Birds Papaya). If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Perfectionism, people pleasing, the impact of the Covid pandemic, anxiety, loneliness, marriage breakdown, grief, guilt, therapy, change, freedom, same-sex relationship, rumours, finding joy, childfree by choice. This week I speak to Cat Lawlor, baker and owner of 'The Cake Cuppery' and it’s a gripping conversation. Originally from Dublin, Cat now lives in Wexford with her girlfriend Louise and their two cats. In this conversation we chat about listening to your gut instinct, overcoming challenges in life and ultimately finding joy. Cat speaks openly about the end of her marriage, obviously from her perspective, and out of respect for her ex-husband, he is not named during the conversation as we fully appreciate how difficult hearing a conversation like this, might be for him. To connect with Cat or Louise… Cat L. Walsh (@thecakecuppery) • Instagram photos and videos Email infothecakecuppery@gmail.com Louise O Brien | Online Coach (@louise_badasscoaching) • Instagram photos and videos Book mention : ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’ by Susan Jeffers If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.