Recently I gave a presentation to the participants and staff of Sankalpa on the meaning of Sankalpa. I hope you will take the time to look at this short presentation as Sankalpa is a way of being that we can all learn and practice! By Dr. Tom O Brien, Manager, Sankalpa
Sankalpa is a holistic centre that works with people who are seeking support to detox off methadone.
Recent Entries
SIPTU calls on FAS to withdraw directive on Community Employment grants
January 1st, 2012
Suicide warning over some anti-depressants
December 24th, 2011
Letter to community employment participants
December 22nd, 2011
Revealed: the senior ministers in teacher pensions outrage
December 22nd, 2011
Fears for Northside CE schemes
December 20th, 2011
Archives
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
Meta
Archive for the ‘The Sankalpa program’ Category
The meaning of Sankalpa
Thursday, September 1st, 2011
Biodanza – The pedagogy of recovery
Tuesday, August 30th, 20117 STEPS TO RECOVERY THROUGH BIODANZA
______________________________________________________________
1. Musical Power
Music has been used since the beginning of time to celebrate and to communicate. Music facilitates emotional bonding and physical interaction connecting us at a deeper level than words. Music is a powerful way to release us from stress and move us to experience ourselves in new and positive ways.
2. Dance Power
The movement of biodanza provides an outlet for inner feelings and self-expression often restricted by verbal or cognitive reasoning. Biodanza seeks to integrate all the human senses through movement, sound, emotion, touch and freedom of expression without fear. Biodanza overcomes the split between mind and body and brings together the human being in one integrated subject. This integration brings deeper happiness and peace of mind.
3. The power of now
Biodanza brings the person into the present moment and induces a feeling of being alive making it easier for us to transcend the ego. When experience life beyond the ego, we find it easier to let go, to express who we really are, to create and to live life out of our imaginations rather than from fear.
4. The power of touch
Biodanza explores our fear of touch. Cognitive communication is not enough. We have evolved to communicate through touch. No man/woman is an island. We exist in relation to each other, in communities, in families and in groups. The verbal connection is not enough. Touch triggers the release of brain endorphins, more powerful than heroin.
5. The Power of transcendence
Biodanza gives us an experience of transcendence. The power of transcendence or spiritual power allows us to experience a state of consciousness that implies the decrease of ego.
6. The power of awareness
Biodanza increases consciousness and opens us up to new levels of awareness. In Biodanza we don’t use any drugs but prefer to activate the body’ natural neurotransmitter’s to increase a feeling of well-being and happiness.
7. The Power of the group
Biodanza brings people together through the experience of the group. We start as individuals full of fear and anxiety and we finish a session of biodanza with feelings of connectedness and communion. We overcome the isolation and loneliness that is at the heart of all human problems.
Mandy talks about making ‘The Pharm’
Monday, November 15th, 2010‘The Pharm’ is a short film made by local people from Finglas and Cabra who attend the Sankalpa addiction rehabilitation program. The film is about addiction to valium and alcohol and focuses on the plight on a mother who is struggling with life in Finglas. The central character Deborah (Amanda Doonan) is not only struggling with the stresses and strains of her own life, she also has a teenage daughter Laura (Lynne Murray) who has started to mirror her mother’s behaviour. Deborah turns to her Doctor (Ray Higgins) for support who in turn prescribes her valium without an adequate assessment of her needs and in the end the prescription reinforces her isolation and sense of despair. Laura eventually convinces her mother to go to FAST (Finglas Addiction Support Team) but Debora is reluctant to admit she needs support.
Damien talks about his detox
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010Damien talks to Anne Marie about his detox from methadone, valium and anti-depressants. He is very positive about his experience in Sankalpa. He recognizes that there is not enough support in the clinics for people who do want to detox and that there should be more funding for centres like Sankalpa to support people to detox at their own pace over time, with the support of a team of people delivering a range of services including key working, psychotherapy, employment support, educational and creative programs.
Sankalpa students progress to university at NUI Maynooth
Friday, November 5th, 2010David Moore talks to Kelly Anne about the “Return to Learning” course at NUI Maynooth which he started in September 2010.
This Certificate level course is designed as a stepping stone for those who wish to return to study, but have not studied in any formal way for a number of years. Participants will be given an opportunity to sample a number of academic subjects so that they will be able to make a more informed choice when selecting subjects later.
COURSE AIMS
The course aims to familiarise people with the structure and requirements of third level education; to equip them with some of the necessary skills required and help them identify the subjects or courses that they may later wish to undertake.
Sankalpa’s first short film highlights the problem of valium and alcohol addiction in Finglas
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
‘The Pharm’ is a short film made by local people from Finglas and Cabra who attend the Sankalpa addiction rehabilitation program. The film is about addiction to valium and alcohol and focuses on the plight on a mother who is struggling with life in Finglas. The central character Deborah (Amanda Doonan) is not only struggling with the stresses and strains of her own life, she also has a teenage daughter Laura (Lynne Murray) who has started to mirror her mother’s behaviour. Deborah turns to her Doctor (Ray Higgins) for support who in turn prescribes her valium without an adequate assessment of her needs and in the end the prescription reinforces her isolation and sense of despair. Laura eventually convinces her mother to go to FAST (Finglas Addiction Support Team) but Debora is reluctant to admit she needs support.
As a first film for Sankalpa ‘The Pharm’ provides a realistic portrait of the problems some women face when trying to deal with stress or depression. The film highlights the ease at which doctors prescribe valium and how prescription medication does not really deal with the underlying causes of the problem. There is clear evidence in the research literature that valium is widely used by heroin users. Valium is sold openly in the city centre. Some drug users secure a valium prescription from their doctors and then sell it on to supplement their income and to buy other drugs. Recent research in the Irish context indicated that the prescribing of valium and other benzodiazepines increased with increasing levels of material deprivation. There is also evidence indicating that prescribing of benzodiazepines is significantly higher among females than males. Valium is being prescribed as a social support drug in the absence of adequate community services. But the long term cost of this approach has yet to be calculated. Our reliance on drugs to solve social problems has become embedded in our culture and is being passed from one generation to the next. Then there the side effects such as liver damage especially when valium is combined with alcohol and other drugs. It is hoped that ‘The Pharm’ will help to highlight the issue and show that there are alternatives to the medical approach for anxiety and depression.
Sankalpa are running a competition in conjunction with the release of the film on the 8th of October. For further details see www.sankalpa.ie
The Pharm will premier at the Lighthouse Cinema on Friday the 8th of October and Minister Pat Carey will be in attendance.
Meditation at Sankalpa brings peace of mind
Monday, September 27th, 2010
I started off doing meditation at home, at first it was very hard for me to get into it, my mind would be racing, thinking of one hundred and one things, I couldn’t sit still, I would be thinking of all sorts of things, e.g (what’s for the dinner, collecting the kids etc) I would get frustrated and give up, I taught meditation wasn’t for me.
Then I learned meditation is a practice like anything it takes time and a little effort, I learned’ it’s more about being than actually doing’. So I decided to give it another go, Firstly I would take time out for myself, this was going to be my time then I would light a candle or two, and burn some incense it helps to get the setting right, I would get comfortable either lying down or sitting up, I would start by focusing on my breathing I’d take slow breaths in and out, if my mind wandered (in which it did at the start) I’d try bring my attention back to my breathing, and just count the breaths. Sometimes I’d listen to nice relaxing music other times I listen to guided imagery and go on a lovely journey in my mind, after awhile I’d notice I wasn’t thinking of anything I was in a content state of mind, it was a lovely place to be in, the more I practised it the easier it became to get into that state of mind, I noticed my mind had slowed down. It wasn’t racing I felt more grounded in myself, it’s a lovely state of being to be in, it is now gospel for me to start my day with meditation just 15mins in the morning starts my day off to a good start, and as a result I feel more grounded, the benefits are great, I have a much better day and so give it ago and reap the rewards.
Joeann
Biodanza comes to Sankalpa!
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Biodanza
Recently Amparo Michavila brought an extra bit of excitement to Sankalpa when she volunteered to facilitate a number of sessions in Biodanza for the female participants. It was such a success we will have to bring Amparo back to get the male participants dancing! The following is a brief summary of what is Biodanza and how it works.
Bio” in Greek means life and “danza,” in Spanish means movement with emotion, so Biodanza means movement with emotion that promotes life. We have been dancing from the beginning of time and continue to do so; it must be very important for us to express our soul freely and have pleasure of relating by dancing together.
It enables us to feel in harmony with life itself by helping us to dissolve blocks, fears and tensions in our body. Biodanza enables us to connect with the heartbeat/dance of nature itself and feel at one with All Life on our planet. There are no steps to learn.
The ‘Dance of Life’ is the dance of body, heart and soul that connects us with our potential for Freedom, Health and Wholeness.
What are the effects of Biodanza?
- A natural boosting of healthy self esteem, vital health and confidence
- Expression of deep femininity and masculinity
- Increased courage to live from the heart
- Developing an ecology of love
- Reinforcing of the immunological system
$88 Billion to stay looking young…..
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010A recent survey found that Americans spend $88 billion every year on products that claim to make them look younger, correct wrinkles, or preserve youthful skin. You can bet that Irish people spend their fair share on these kind of products too – many of which are full of synthetic chemicals that have not been tested or proven to work. Retinol, Retin A, AHAs and fruit acids, for example, work by stripping away a layer of skin – of course wrinkles look less deep if your skin is thinner!
If, like us, you prefer natural products, and if, like us, you prefer not to spend a fortune on products, but still want to look good, start thinking about making your own products. Look at our earlier video post on making your own moisturiser, or follow the recipe below.
Mix
1/3 cup of aloe vera gel €7.99 for 250ml (you will use about 100ml)
with
2/3 cup of water free!
Melt
1 tablespoon of beeswax €2.50 for 100gm
2/3 cup almond oil €2.85 for 200ml (you will use about 100ml)
1/3 cup coconut oil €3.95 for 50ml
Cool
the wax and oil mixture to room temperature
Blend
with a stick blender, gradually adding the water/aloe vera mixture until the mixture turns creamy and white.
Pour into containers and you’re done!
Keep containers in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. No preservatives, no chemicals, nothing. In fact, you could eat these ingredients! Isn’t that what we want for our skin?
P.S. I substitute a herbal infusion of calendula and neem for the water (just like a cup of herbal tea) and add some rose oil and some essential oils for a touch of luxury. My acne-prone skin with dry patches improved drastically within a week of using this moisturiser, way better and WAY cheaper than the €40 per bottle big brand moisturiser I was using before.
Total Cost: less than €10 for enough moisturiser to last at least 6 months!
Watch ‘The Pharm’ on youtube and win an iPod!
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010Would you like to win an iPod? Ok! On the 8th of October we will up load the full version of the ‘The Pharm’ to Youtube. All you have to do, is watch the film and answer a simple question and email your answer to hello@sankalpa.ie
You must be over 18 and from Ireland to enter. The competition opens on the 8th of October 2010. Full details of the competition will be published here before we up load the film to youtube.
Search
Categories
- Addiction (15)
- Addiction news (7)
- Global Calendar (7)
- Health (2)
- Herbal Medicine (8)
- Lists (3)
- Media (8)
- Mental health (4)
- Natural Healing (22)
- Nutrition (30)
- Progression routes (1)
- Recipes (10)
- Sankalpa News (14)
- Sankalpa participant stories (4)
- Testimonials (8)
- The Sankalpa program (20)
- Video (15)