Editorial
Volume 10 Issue 1— July/August 2004
by Melva Armstrong

This is the ninth anniversary issue of WHOLifE Journal and I am grateful to be celebrating this milestone. When I started the journal in 1995 I had no idea how long I would be in this business. Many changes have happened in nine years—personally, locally, and globally. What was initially often called the “New Age” movement has now grown to incorporate many new and different modalities, services, practices, and healing techniques. Thus the term “new age” is used less frequently these days and other current names such as integrative medicine, complementary/natural health, wholistic health and wellness, body-mind-spirit, healing arts, body and soul, and so on, have replaced it. It has been exciting noticing the many changes and developments in this dynamic and growing field of natural health and wellness.

I see an ever-increasing number of people waking up to the need to take responsibility for their health and wellness and therefore, there is more of a demand for healers and practitioners to help those folks who are looking to alternative/natural ways of healing themselves. Many folks have changed careers and left traditional occupations and become massage therapists, naturopaths, acupuncturists, homeopaths, nutritionists, natural health care professionals, and more. In 1995 there were only five or six naturopaths in Saskatchewan and now there are twelve and they are celebrating Naturopathic Medicine week May 1st to 8th. Complementary health schools, colleges, training centres, and courses in Saskatchewan, and across Canada, are far more prolific now than nine years ago. Practitioners are often trained in multi-disciplinary practices so they can offer a wider variety of help to their clients. Many practitioners are also required to keep upgrading themselves each year so they continue to have the most advanced knowledge in the work they do.

Ten years ago folks in Saskatchewan often had to leave the province to get natural forms of health care and now we have most of it right here in our own cities, towns, and villages. I am also very impressed that so many rural communities have natural health care services such as massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritional consultants, and health food stores. Natural health care is definitely a growing field and becoming more popular with each new day. It thrills me to know there are so many more folks in our province who are wanting to find healthier ways to live and that they now have so many more options from which to choose. I can only see this trend getting better.

In this anniversary issue I want to whole-heartedly thank all the advertisers who have supported WHOLifE Journal throughout the years, and there have been many who have been with us from the very first issue. It is the continuous support from all our advertisers that makes it possible for this publication to be produced every two months so everyone in our community can enjoy it. As well, I wish to thank all those who have contributed articles and other editorial material, which forms the very important educational part of our work. Folks everywhere are craving information that can help them be better informed so they can take those preventative steps to ensure they keep their good health, and in other cases, so they can recover their health and remain well. And also I send my hearty thanks to: the incredibly talented and generous folks who design our print journal and our WHOLifE website; the flexible and skillfull proofreader; the kind and helpful folks at the printers; the steadfast folks who deliver it; and the joyful accountant who keeps our records in order. Finally, a big thankyou to all our readers!

We have another packed house of valuable editorial and advertising information in this issue including: Dianna Medea’s unique, touching, and educational feature story of healing a stray cat’s neck wound using homeopathy; Paulette Millis’s, The Dangers of Sugar, which gives us the scientific facts so we can adjust our diets, if need be, to maintain good health; Marvin Swartz’s insight into the unique therapeutic effects of Lotus Palm Thai Yoga Massage; Kahlee Keane’s description of the benefits of hypnotherapy in All Hypnosis is Self Hypnosis; and Naturopathic Doctor Alana Barmby’s explanation of how Body Composition Analysis is a tool to help prevent health risks. All this and much more inside these pages, so do read on!

May this find you in good health and good spirits. May you bask in the beauty of May and June and join us again in July! Blessed be!

Namaste!
(I honour the Spirit in you!)