Editorial
Volume 25 Issue 1 — May/June 2019
by Melva Armstrong

Greetings one and all! May you feel and embrace the warmth and rejuvenation in your body and soul of another glorious prairie spring. It feels so wonderful after living through the many cold and dark winter days, and good to have longer light and more sunshine.

Along with the delights of spring, WHOLifE Journal is celebrating its 24th anniversary with this May/June 2019 issue. It seems like just the other day I was embarking on this new journey and yet, the years have flown by and I’ve had many wonderful experiences along the way. It always has been a labour of love. I get to meet and work with people of like-mind who are on their own journeys of bringing love and light to the planet and everyone on it. There are gifted healers in every corner of this province and they are helping make our lives and our environment a much better place in which to live. I am grateful to everyone I have ever worked with and I wish that you will all continue to share your love and light with everyone who comes into your life for the highest good of all.

Putting together this delightful anniversary issue has been another joyful experience. I never know what will unfold and everything just manifests in the most perfect ways. I ask for guidance and things just begin happening and continue throughout the process. It’s how I’ve always done it and it feels a little like magic, but I know there is some divine activity at work bringing the process to fruition. I see WHOLifE as a journal that is providing a service to the community so that people can connect with each other in order to keep themselves healthy, happy, whole, prosperous, educated, and enlightened. There is a wealth of knowledge and information out there so I encourage people to spend time finding the best ways to help themselves to be the best they can be. I always love to hear from readers so be sure to get in touch and share your stories and ideas with me, or simply connect so we can meet each other.

I have learned a lot from all the writers and advertisers in this issue and I’m grateful for their contributions. Each year, in the spring, Minke de Vos comes to Saskatchewan to share her knowledge, passion, and love of the ancient tradition called Qigong and we enjoy publishing her articles that provide details of this healing practice. This year her article is called, Qigong of Compassion: Cultivating the Grace of Kuan Yin (p. 10). Minke feels the world is facing an emotional crisis and that we urgently need to cultivate compassion. Therefore, she has called on the wisdom of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion, who brings boundless love and comfort to all the people. If this resonates with you, then be sure to read her article and check out her June event.

With spring comes yard cleaning and the delight of planting a garden. Before that ever happens, however, one of the first plants to sprout up on its own every year, wherever it has been planted, is old faithful rhubarb. With that in mind, Stacey Tress decided to write about the many benefits of this common and well-known plant in her article, Rhubarb – It’s Not Just for Crisps! (p. 8). I was excited to discover that rhubarb can be made into a delicious juice with heaps of vitamins and minerals that are truly good for us. Stacey has done excellent research and I think you’ll be surprised at the enormous number of rhubarb health benefits.

All the articles in this issue have gems of wisdom in them and I trust they may each spark your interest to discover some new ideas. You may not know of the different kinds of doulas that exist (p. 12) or about the importance of probiotics for moms to be (p. 23). There is more information on the myths and facts about the ketogenic diet (p. 14) and if you aren’t happy with your body, then you may want to check out some helpful tips on page 24. We all have to deal with grief in our lives but it can be a hard topic to approach. Not to worry, there are people trained in grief support who are happy to offer their kind and gentle ideas (p. 26). And who would have known that quilting would have so many healing benefits, other than a true-blue quilter (p. 16)? Remember to step into your power (p. 30) to be the best you can be!

May you enjoy the gifts of spring and the joys of summer! Until next issue, may you all keep well and happy!

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