Seekers of good health and positive living are invited to the second Ballymaloe Good Living Day on Sunday 5 February. The day-long event devoted to wellness of mind, body, and spirit will feature hourly talks by wide-ranging and thought-provoking speakers in Ballymaloe Grainstore between 10am and 4pm.
The objective of the Ballymaloe Good Living Day is for visitors to come away with at least one new life-enhancing idea or thought to carry forward in 2017 and beyond.
The day begins with a talk by Christine Bagley from the Dzogchen Beara Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre on the Beara Peninsula on ‘Meditation and Loving Kindness – Their Potential to Unlock Change Within All of Us.’
She is followed by Darina Allen at 11am who will speak on ‘Change Your Food, Change Your Life’. Other subjects are ‘Communicating the Sugar Message,’ ‘Life Begins in the Garden: Food, Fermentation and Foraging,’ ‘Medical Management’ and ‘Mindfulness and Stress Management in Daily Life.’
Several distinct areas will be set up in the Grainstore including a Fitness Stage with demonstrations of BoxFit, Pilates and more; a Spa Zone with mini-reflexology, Reiki healing and facial sessions; and a Doctor On Call stand, offering free blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol testing.
An abundance of stalls for both learning and shopping will be on hand, while local kitchen heroes will serve up delicious, nutritious food throughout the day.
A €10 entry fee covers all talks and events.
Another feature of the Good Living Day is the Ballymaloe Relish 5k Lucky Run which celebrates and rewards the joys of movement. Relish a rewarding afternoon on the 5k trail winding around the beautiful grounds of Ballymaloe House and Farm. Prizes will be awarded, and not just to the fastest runners: all who complete the race will be in with a chance to win a total of €1000 in prize money. Even the last to cross the finish line has a chance to win! The fastest man and fastest woman will each receive a Ballymaloe Relish Hamper. Entry to all Good Living Day events are included in the €15 registration. Register from 12pm on the day in The Big Shed, or pre-register online at Ballymaloe Good Living Day. The race begins at 3pm from The Big Shed. Click here to pre-register.
BALLYMALOE GOOD LIVING DAY SCHEDULE
10am – Carrigaun Room
MEDITATION AND LOVING KINDNESS – THE POTENTIAL TO UNLOCK CHANGE WITHIN ALL OF US
A talk by Christine Bagley from the Dzogchen Beara Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre on the Beara Peninsula. Christine has been the Centre’s Spiritual Care Coordinator since 2010, and is a Rigpa meditation instructor. She was previously based in London.
11am – Carrigaun Room
DARINA ALLEN ON CHANGE YOUR FOOD, CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Darina Allen co-founded Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983. A multi-award winning author and TV presenter, her primary passion lies in educating the hundreds of students who pass through the doors of the Cookery School every year. As well as a tireless food activist and ambassador for Irish food internationally, Darina has been instrumental in setting up the now thriving Farmers’ Market movement in Ireland. She is the Councillor for Slow Food Ireland and the President of the East Cork Slow Food Convivium. Through the East Cork Slow Food Educational Fund, she runs a programme for local primary schools to help educate children at an early age about the provenance of food.
12 noon – Carrigaun Room
COMMUNICATING THE SUGAR MESSAGE
Dr. Anne Twomey, former president of the Irish Dental Association, speaks about hidden sugars, their effect on overall well-being, and how the impact oral health. She is principal dental surgeon at Church Hill Dental Practice Carrigaline where she specialises in gerodontology.
1pm – Carrigaun Room
LIFE BEGINS IN THE GARDEN: FOOD, FERMENTATION AND FORAGING
April Danann is a West Cork-based fermentation specialist, food scientist and naturopathic nutritionist with a passion for all things wild. Her areas of expertise include capturing wild SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast), producing apple cider vinegar and herbal kombucha. She grows medicinal herbs, teaches several courses including wild fermentation, healing herbs and medical intuition, and has a clinic near Skibbereen.
2pm – Carrigaun Room
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MEDICINE
Dermot Twomey, owner and pharmacist of Cloyne Pharmacy, will lead a panel discussion on managing your medicines for optimum and safety. Panelists to be announced.
3pm – Carrigaun Room
MINDFULNESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT IN DAILY LIFE
Mindfulness meditation is a way of life for Shirine Beausang. She has been fully committed to the process for more than ten years and has benefitted enormously in terms of personal well-being, acceptance, healing and peace as a result. She established Suaimhneas Mindfulness to benefit others who are embarking on their own journey in mindfulness. Shirine is a fully-qualified teacher in Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). She has trained with the Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches in Germany and is a member of the Mindfulness Teachers Network of Ireland.
For further race details and to register click here.