Archives

To Laugh or Not to Laugh? That is the Question. Ha, ha ha!
by Helen Bzdel

Do you believe that you laugh enough? How do you know whether or not you laugh as much as you would like to? What is it that keeps you from laughing when, how, and where you want? When was the last time you laughed? Have you ever laughed until you cried? Cried until you laughed?When I ask these questions, most people answer that they do not laugh enough. Their reasons include stress, fatigue, aging, physical and mental illness or pain, self-consciousness about how they will be viewed by others, death of friends and family, having nothing to laugh about, and lack of time.

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Spinach! Spring!
by Paulette Millis

We know spring is here when voluntary spinach is popping up in our garden patch! Popeye swallowed spinach by the can-full, gave himself amazing strength, and performed Herculean feats, humourously leading us all to believe in the necessity of eating copious amounts of spinach. Thus it was, for years, forced down the throats of countless unwilling children. Spinach, Spinacia oleracea, was cultivated for many centuries before the creation of Popeye, originating in Persia and Iran. European immigrants brought it to the US and by 1806 commercial cultivation began.

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The Ultimate Vitamin
Copyright © 2009 by Joe Smulevitz, CH, MH

Imagine a powerful little pill to help significantly reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, auto-immune disorders, infectious diseases, chronic pain, and stroke. Suppose this same pill could strengthen your bones, help relieve depression, and yet be inexpensive and readily available at pharmacies and health food stores. If these statements sound incredible, you have not heard about the important health-promoting benefits of a simple vitamin we get from the sun. Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin”, plays a crucial role in the prevention of many deadly diseases.

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Community Supported Agriculture: Food Less Travelled
by Carmen Dyck

It is common knowledge that food produced locally and consumed locally is better for the environment, the health of individuals, and the whole of the community. Canadian food producers have embraced the idea of providing local food to local consumers, however the structure that exists to distribute food nationally and internationally does not support this initiative, making it difficult to break into national and international food distribution systems for small producers and farmers. It is easier to buy bananas from Mexico than apples from Saskatchewan. Why is that?

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Take Time to Heal
by Karin Whitney Cooke, RN, BS

“Okay, you had a cancer diagnosis, you underwent treatment, it’s over. Now it’s time to get on with your life." As if nothing else has changed. Yeah, right! I am a Registered Nurse, a Wellness Coach/Cancer Guide. The physician I worked with as a research coordinator had made the above statement to me. When I responded to him by stating I felt the need for more time in order to process the whole experience and look at some mind-body-spiritual issues that were coming up for me, he was less than understanding. He just didn’t have any sense of what I might be talking about. He just wanted me back to work. But, I refused to take any of that personally! He just wasn’t at a stage that would enable him to see the deeper meaning; that is, beyond the medical model. He didn’t understand the concept that "dis-ease" can stem from a spiritual disconnect; I knew I needed to feed my soul.

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Connecting with the Every Day Sacred through Ceremonies, Coaching, Spiritual Counselling, and Yoga Therapy
by Kelly Green

Personalized Ceremonies
There are increasing numbers of people who find themselves on the periphery of their faith or no longer identifying with a particular religion, group, or belief. As an Interfaith Minister, I embrace all paths to wholeness and unity – an inter-spiritual approach. The basics of my belief are very simple – “one love, many paths.” An Interfaith minister is also a celebrant but has more in-depth training than officiants or celebrants. A minister is not someone special or set apart but someone who has made a choice to serve and walk with you on this life journey. Perhaps you are not comfortable with the words religious or even spiritual. No problem! Ceremonies are available to those who would define themselves as civil, interfaith, spiritual, multicultural, non-denominational, secular, earth-based, or a combination of these.

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Primal Fire and the Heart Centre of Canada
by Patrick Harbula & Carol Marriott

—Dedicated to Our Loving Lorraine Boucher

Could Saskatchewan be the Heart Centre of Canada and perhaps the entire continent? It is, of course, the approximate centre of the country and very near to the geographical centre of the North American continent. The reference, however, refers more accurately to the energetic heart centre or “heart power spot” of these regions. The Primal Fire facilitators have been interviewing healers and metaphysical teachers around the province, and have found a consensus about this theory. This is a place of intense heart energy, where hearts of people are opened. A friend in Saskatoon relayed to us that Carolyn Reynolds, author of Spiritual Fitness, could feel this transformational energy in her heart when she flew into Saskatoon as part of her book tour in March.

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Editorial
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 what I am today.

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Plus:

Profile: A Woman's Story of Healing: Where Western and Complementary Medicine Meet
BodyTalk System Creator Dr. John Veltheim Has a Vision of Better Health for All
Are You Suffering from ABS (Altered Behaviour Syndrome)?
Herstory + History = "Ourstory" in the Making!
Natural Reflections: Honouring Our Roots by Erecting a Cairn Where a School Once Was
News of Note
From Our Readers