Editorial
Volume 15 Issue 1 — May/June 2009
by Melva Armstrong

Welcome to the 14th anniversary issue of WHOLifE Journal! This is the longest I have worked at any one job in my life, which is amazing for a free spirit like me. Even as a youngster my family moved quite a lot within Saskatchewan and then when I left the nest at 22 I travelled, worked, and lived in numerous locations in Canada and overseas and never stayed long in any place or at any job. It was freedom to be able to pack up and move on whenever the spirit moved me, which was often. Now I feel content to be more stationary. I no longer have strong urges to move on to one new adventure after another. I like where I am and I also appreciate the past experiences that have made me who I am today.

It is fascinating to look back on my years and see how often I have changed, grown, and evolved. As well, it is equally fascinating to see how WHOLifE, which I was inspired to create in 1995, has had the same kind of growth and evolution. We have done it together and it has been fun.

Speaking of fun, there is a popular exercise called Laughter Yoga that was started in India in 1995 and is now well-known and practiced throughout the world. In this issue, Helen Bzdel tells us in her To Laugh or Not to Laugh? That is the Question article (p. 18) how she came to be involved with Laughter Yoga and how it has positively affected her life. She says the Laughter Clubs are where simulated laughter becomes stimulated laughter and that absolutely everyone can benefit from the programs. I can’t think of a better way to practice self-healing than using laughter. They say it is the best medicine, so go on and laugh until you cry, or cry until you laugh, to feel fulfilled and satisfied.

I believe it is important in these rapidly changing and uncertain times to have plenty of healthy outlets from our extremely busy work lives that can help replenish and honour our precious selves. We are all lights in the world and in order to continue shining we need to keep our spirits bright and happy, so be sure to find lots of fun and playful ways to bring yourselves peace and joy, love and happiness, fun and pleasure, and plenty of kindness and gentleness.

There are many interesting articles in this issue that provide inspiration and ideas for how to genuinely look after yourself. Paulette Millis’s Spinach! Spring! (p. 12) article has the scoop on this nutrient-packed green leafy vegetable and how it can be prepared and eaten in a variety of tasty ways. Joe Smulevitz provides the inside track on The Ultimate Vitamin (p. 14), also known as the “sunshine vitamin” or vitamin D. There is evidence now that many of us have low levels of it, so you may want to check this out with your health care provider.

Carmen Dyck is excited to write about Community Supported Agriculture: Food Less Travelled (p. 20). It is a passion she and her husband have had for years and they are now making their dreams come true and sharing with others in a mutually-supportive food-growing community. I feel it is important to support our local food producers whenever we can and encourage others to do the same, so it is a win-win situation for all. This way we know where our food comes from and how it has been grown and handled, which is not the case with food from far away. It is also about having more control over our food supply which is increasingly more important in a time when, in my opinion, there is far too much food manipulation and contamination going on.

Take Time to Heal (p. 24) by Karin Whitney Cooke is her own intensely personal story of healing from cancer and one that she now feels called to share with others. She went from helping heal others, as a nurse, to having to heal herself. Similarly Darlene Gray’s A Woman’s Story of Healing (p. 16) is a testament to how she found a way to join the healing forces of Western and Complementary Medicine for her treatment of cancer and how she has since created an ovarian-cancer support group.

There are many more articles inside, along with a wealth of information on products and services that are available to support you on your journey to wholeness and wellness. Be sure to check them all!

May the light of the longer days lift your spirit and bring joy to your heart!

Namaste
(The Spirit in me honours the Spirit in you)