A Women's Circle for Kilcullen, from Jade Keogh

A young Kilcullen woman's interest in self-development has led her to form a Women's Circle in the town, writes Brian Byrne, the first such group in the area as far as she knows.

Jade Keogh, a former student at Cross and Passion College, envisages the initiative as providing a safe space for like-minded women to focus on their personal growth and mental health through activities such as meditation, journalling, and discussion.

The group will meet on Tuesday evenings in the Carter Room in Kilcullen Community Centre, and the first session next Tuesday is already full. If there is enough interest to fill a second session Jade says she will consider it. "I think a smaller, more intimate group is the way to start out. We'll see how it goes then, and add on if needed."

With qualifications in childcare and working at a local childcare centre, Jade became interested in meditation and related activities when noticing the effects of the pandemic restrictions both on former student friends and on other people. She took a course in the techniques which will form the basis of the Women's Circle initiative, and achieved an instructor's qualification.

She says she has already seen the benefits in her own life of taking time out to 'love yourself', something that is especially difficult in these very busy times, and she believes there are many other women out there who could benefit from the process. "I think everyone has become conscious of their mental health during the lockdowns, and this will provide a space where they can focus on it. I know that I would have loved to have had a group like this locally when I started out to learn something about it. I've had a lot of encouragement already from people who would like to come to the Circle."

When she set out on the path to enhance her self-knowledge, mental health and personal development, Jade started by going to counselling, and read a lot about the process. "Then I did a meditation course, with a teaching emphasis, which I finished last November. Thinking about it since, I decided there was no point in leaving that teaching qualification on the shelf, and so I went for this."

Jade says what she has learned has given her a greater sense of focus, better moods, and ability to regulate her emotions. "It kind of gets you into a space where you can find out what you want in life. Meditation allows me to do a lot of visualisation, imagining my dream of life and what I want to do. Doing this gave me the idea that I'd like to help others achieve that too."

Constant social media, always being contactable by others, the pressures of jobs and family, have all created a lifestyle where people don't think they have the time to 'just' do something for themselves. "It's hard to just sit down and ask yourself 'what do I need right now?','how do I feel?', 'what's going on right now in my head?'. When all these other things are happening, you forget  about yourself."

Even though she is now well experienced in the techniques and the process, Jade says it is still an effort to take that time out, to meditate and journal. "But I make the effort, and see the benefits of doing it. At the end of the day you're not doing good for other people if you don't have yourself in a good place." She is cognisant that many people might feel things like meditation is taking time away from their busy lives. But actually it provides a range of benefits to those lives. "People need that time to just be with themselves."

Jade, now 20, has also come to the conclusion that young people aren't always well enough directed to consider life paths which will make them happy, as opposed to achieving high-powered educational and career targets. "Young people face a lot more pressures now when they leave school, and to know what they are going to do. It's a hard time —you're trying to maintain friendships, there's social media, you have expectations about what happens next ... and sometimes things are not what you expect them to be." The ever present danger then is that people start using drugs or alcohol to try and help them fit in with others, or dampen down feelings that they have.

"Ultimately, I think people just need to talk. I know some people might think stuff like meditation is kind of hippyish, but it's just sitting with yourself and reflecting, and finding out who you really are. You're not going to be able to get to know and love other people if you don't know and love yourself."

The Kilcullen Women's Circle meets at 7pm on Tuesdays. Further information from 087 3379807.

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