Editorial
Volume 26 Issue 1 — September/October 2020
by Melva Armstrong

Wow! It’s quite the roller coaster ride we’ve all been on since mid-March! I was all eager to publish a May/June 2020 issue, but the world shifted gears and it wasn’t meant to be. Nor was the July/Aug 2020 issue. I found the abruptness of it all quite startling and unsettling. I was sure I could still manage putting out copies, but that was impossible with most businesses being shut down. I think I can safely say it has been an interesting and challenging time figuring out how to get on with life. Most of us were bumping along nicely, and then, “Wham!,” we were subject to a 180º turn in our daily routine. It certainly allowed most of us to slow down and smell the roses, which can be a good thing on one level. However, the fear level that the lockdown and virus brought on has had a huge negative affect on the health and well-being of most people. Through all of this, I am hoping and trusting you are finding ways to shift from being in fear mode to being in a mode of trust, healing, and love.

It feels really good to be back again and sharing lots of good news about natural health and wellness activities going on in our province. I’m always happy to hear that more businesses have re-opened. As I worked on this issue, I was hearing that a number of shops were able to stay open throughout the lockdown, and other businesses were in the process of re-opening or were already re-opened. It has seemed very exciting that many health and wellness practitioners were able to keep providing their services to their clients because they were considered essential services. Most of the stories I’m hearing have been very positive and uplifting, which is really fabulous news.

Something that was bound to overly affect many folks during this very strange and concerning virus and lockdown is their mental health. We all have daily stresses affecting us and it is extremely important to have some good practices in place to keep oneself free of the negative effects of stress, anxiety, worry, fear, and so on. To help you learn more about a number of ways to cope with stress, we have included an article by Trina Markusson called Taking Care of Our Mental Wellness (p. 16). Trina has many years of experience knowing how to help people of all ages look after their mental health by using concepts of Mindfulness and EFT Tapping practices. She says that a lot of good mental health practices boil down to knowing we have control over the thoughts we think, and the way we feel.

An article by Cari Moffet called Fight, Flight, or Freeze (p. 12) also looks at dealing with fear and stress caused by the virus situation and how that affects the physical body. As a massage therapist, she explains how the clients she sees recently are all holding so much tension in their bodies that they feel frozen. She has found that meditation and keeping yourself in the “present” are very effective ways to release tension in the body.

Besides being mentally and physically healthy, it is also important to eat healthy and nutritious food, so this issue we are introducing you to Ben Martens Bartel, from Grovenland Farm, with his article, Eating Better for Your Health and Satisfaction (p. 8). Over the next year we will feature articles from a variety of local farms. Ben explains the importance to your health and to the animals’ welfare of eating pasture-raised livestock and chemical-free produce. He says it shows up in the high quality of nutrients you are getting from the food, as well as the deeper, richer, complex flavours. He has included some of his favourite recipes and also lets you know why he got into this wholistic style of farming in the first place.

For those who are involved with the start of school, you can check out the book review by Moira Theede on John Mighton’s JUMP Math Program (p. 10). Mighton believes all learners have the intellectual potential to succeed in mathematics, and why this is the key to a better world.

We have a long list of well-researched and timely articles to help you on your natural health and wellness journey, so be sure to read from cover to cover. I’m excited to be back and able to share all these amazing gifts with you.

May you enjoy the gorgeous colours and soft cool winds of autumn, and keep yourself in good spirits and filled with light and love.

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