People's Profile with Greg Walsh

The very words Temple Bar are likely to provoke images of the hustle and bustle of the epicentre of the boisterous crowds of tourists and Dubliners alike; an unlikely location for a space for relaxation and calm you might think.

But tucked away on the residential periphery is Samadhi yoga studios, which, facing out to its own tranquil courtyard are about to celebrate its first year on Cow’s Lane. Greg Walsh, owner/director, teacher and student discusses his forays into yoga and its unremitting popularity in Dublin.

Why did you call the studios Samadhi, what does it mean?
Classical Indian yoga is split into eight ‘limbs’, from ethics to postures to breath work to meditation. Samadhi is the eighth and last limb, the final goal in yoga. It is an all-encompassing state of bliss and ecstasy. It is also in a way a statement of intent; I decided that it was a powerful name to aspire to. I run a colourful studio and it needed a colourful name!

What are the class sizes and atmosphere like at Samadhi?
We take up to 12 in a class. As we have small classes with a very regular student body everyone gets to know each other and so it feels like a real yoga community. The atmosphere is fantastic here in Samadhi. It is exceptionally friendly for a yoga studio. We organise occasional community orientated events with demos, discussions, free classes, or wine and nibbles. As a thank you to our loyal students we have started a loyalty card system, like you get for your coffee.

With so many styles of yoga out there, how does a beginner even know where to begin?
It really depends on what the beginner wants to get from yoga. Many people want relaxation, many others want flexibility, strength or a flat tummy. A beginner should ask around, chances are they know some people doing yoga already, and you cannot beat a recommendation of a teacher. We run beginners classes most days in Temple Bar and in our other studio in Drogheda.

How did you get into Yoga yourself?
I was in Nepal for a few months many years ago and I was dragged to a yoga class, kicking and screaming to be honest. I came away transformed, and look where that journey took me.

Considering the economic downturn, do you think people are likely to turn their attentions to more spiritual matters?
I think it’s a lovely idea that now as we have gorged ourselves on consumerism and found it wanting that we will all open our hearts and become spiritual. But to be honest I think that spiritual questing is a niche activity. Not everyone feels the need to ask the big questions I think. Having said that I think that living through the excess of the Celtic Tiger years made many of us realize that we needed more than an Ikea kitchen to make us happy.

Do you think the recession will have any effect on more formal yoga classes?
Yoga is a lifestyle not a luxury, and as such will maintain its popularity. In times of recession it’s the luxuries that go first, but if you do yoga you know it is not a luxury, it’s an important part of your life. Yoga makes you feel more alive and awake, clearing your mind and freeing up your body. In more trying times like recession that is just what we all need.

Samadhi Studios offer Iyengar, Ashtanga, Shadow and Hatha yoga.

Published in Temple Bar Magazine, October 2008

People's Profile with Judith Wolff

In the Viking age, Temple Bar developed as a centre of mercantile trade, a tradition which still lingers on in the 21st Century. Temple Bar currently hosts three outdoor markets every weekend − among these is The Temple Bar Food Market, which has become a sort of Mecca for Dublin foodies since its inception in 1997.

Centered in Meeting House Square, food lovers and traders gather every Saturday over seasonal and organic produce with low food miles. But amongst the chaos of the culinary sights and smells is Judith's Wild Flowers stall. Currently the only non-food retailer, Judith speaks with Temple Bar magazine about her stall, and her experiences in the artisan food market.

How long have you been involved in the Temple Bar Food Market?

Since the beginning. At first I was trading organic vegetables. It was a lot of fun then and we all used to go for a drink after the market. Everybody was delighted that finally a proper market had been started in Dublin. In 2000 I was offered the run of a farm in Co. Meath producing organic vegetables and decided to switch to producing organic flowers. I was still a seasonal trader then, but in 2004 I became an all-year round stall holder.

Are any of your flowers edible?

Yes, but make sure you get the right ones! I include aromatic plants and herbs in my bouquets and arrangements which can be eaten as they are grown naturally. I also sell herbs and fruit plants.

Where do you source your flowers?

I locally produce my own plants in a few different gardens in the greater Dublin area. I don't actually own any land myself which has made my operation quite a challenge considering how precious green space has become here. I also work in a close partnership with a local nursery where we grow healthy hardy perennials, grasses and ferns, shrubs and trees, not to forget spring flowers and herbs. Cut-flower production is very labour-intensive and I am really glad to have a local small-scale flower grower on my team. In the cold season I source some flowers elsewhere, with an Irish emphasis of course.

In what sense are they ethically grown?

My emphasis is on local production using natural cultivation methods which do not have any harmful effects on the environment. I like working with unusual, challenging and wild plant species which are usually not commercially available. The whole approach is low-energy production. This leaves me with less material in the cold season because I do not add heat or artificial lighting.

You're also a qualified Botantist and Horticulturalist, do you still practice in these areas, or are you primarily a florist?

Although I started flower arranging when I was a child but I have carefully avoided official training as a florist which I believe preserved my natural sense of beauty. For me all three aspects are intricately interwoven with knowledge, methodology and a sense of beauty. That's why I love what I do.

You cultivate heirloom species, what does that mean?
Heirloom species are old species of flowers which produce plants like their parents from seed. They can generally adapt better to climatic and soil conditions than modern bred plants and are more disease resistant. Heirloom species are generally not commercially available because of lower productivity but they are a much more special and interesting and it is well worth waiting for a treasure.

Flowers are often used as metaphors. What's your favourite song that mentions flowers?
It has to be 'Build me up, Buttercup' by The Foundations. It's such a happy and friendly song that brings me right back to the seventies.

Judith's Wild Flowers are available from Temple Bar Food Market from 10am-4.30pm or for a personal consultant for private events, email judithswildflowers@eircom.net

Published in Temple Bar Magazine, November 2008