Online events for you at home from dlr Libraries this May

 

 

Join Sally on dlr Libraries Facebook page for a 4 week online course of gentle, mindful Yoga, seated in a chair. The emphasis is on movement done in an attentive, mindful way. The poses in Yoga are easily adapted to being seated, giving the student confidence to bring the body through its full range of movements in a comfortable and safe way. Breathing practices and mindful attention will be used to encourage a letting go of physical and mental tension. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. Suitable for beginners and for those people returning to exercise after illness or injury. Each week the videos will be added to dlr Libraries website and dlrcoco you tube channel. Please see Sally’s website here.

 

 

 

Artist Patricia Fitzgerald of Healing Creations will lead you through an online session (via Zoom) on the history and philosophy of the ancient, healing art form of mandala. Mandalas can be extremely calming to create and to engage with, soothing anxiety and centring oneself, just what we need in these challenging times.

The group will do a short live meditation together, Patricia will then show you how to draw a very basic free hand mandala which you can elaborate on as much as you like! You will can download the free printable mandala PDF on this page if you would like to work from one of Patricia's pre-drawn mandalas or make your own mandala from scratch.

 

What to bring to the session:

If you can get yourself into a quiet space in which to do this work, so much the better, but no worries if not! If you have a candle, do bring it along to the session along with something to light it with, and we will light them together to connect to each other and to set intentions for the session.

You can use any materials to create a mandala from a simple pencil or biro to felt tip pens or gel pens right up to paint and more. In the current times, you might not have much materials about, and please don't go out specifically to buy any! However, you might be able to pick up markers, gel pens or coloured pencils on your next grocery shopping outing.

 

After this course, you can continue to work with Patricia by subscribing to her free online course "Path to Centre" which comprises five online sessions that include prompts, tutorial videos, mandala colouring pages, guided meditations and wisdom. You can work through this content at your own pace, and if you are on Facebook, you can join her free private group in which you can share your creations and experiences in a safe and nurturing environment. See Patricia’s website here.

 

Please email libraryculture@dlrcoco.ie to secure your place. Places are limited. The first 35 names will be sent the link and password 24 hrs before the event.

 

 

 

 

The book club choice for this year's Bealtaine Festival is Staring at lakes: a memoir of love, melancholy and magical thinking by Michael Harding. This very accessible read is available via dlr Libraries (please email for a copy: libraryculture@dlrcoco.ie) or listen to some live online readings with author Michael Harding himself reading his own words. For more info on Michael's readings please click here.  Join us to discuss Staring at lakes on Wednesday 27 May at 7.30pm.

 

To access your Zoom code and password please email: maryfcburnham@gmail.com

Read Mary’s blog about books here.

 

 

Thursday 28 May at 8.00pm via Zoom

Storyteller and musician Helena Byrne has brought her stories and songs to numerous venues across the world. Now dlr Libraries can bring them straight to your living room! Helena’s storytelling will celebrate the magical festival of Bealtaine with tales of the Other World, the mysterious Fairy Folk, and Irish ghost stories, followed by toe-tapping traditional Irish folk songs that everyone is encouraged to sing along to. This experience is sure to carry you back to the fireside in an Ireland of times past.
 

Please contact Helena directly at helena.fairy@ymail.com for Zoom log-in details and further info.

See Helena’s website here: http://helenabyrne.com/