Editorial
Volume 27 Issue 3 — September/October 2021
by Melva Armstrong

One of the reasons I have chosen to live on a farm is so I can be close to nature. I believe that nature is the great healer, and it is going into nature that can allow me to relax and tune into all the beauty that she offers me every day. Focusing on that beauty takes me into a more peaceful and relaxing space inside myself that forgets about problems and feels happy and connected to all that is on the earth. That’s why spending time in nature is so very important to everyone’s overall health and wellness. When I heard from Kyla Bouvier about her work with nature, I was totally excited to have her write an article for the journal. She has titled it, Allowing ourselves to get Back2Nature and back to our true selves! (p. 12). For Kyla, spending time outdoors connects her back to her authentic self. I feel this is probably the most important thing we can do for ourselves in this lifetime in order to live a happy whole life. I’m sure you’ll also enjoy what Kyla has to say about the many other glorious benefits that Mother Nature has to offer us, and they are all free.

For me, the autumn season has always seemed like a special time to honour the earth and all the bounty she provides for us throughout our lives. Thus, many of the articles in this issue have some connection to nature in them. I will start with Stacey Tress, who has joined us again by offering her words of experience about the Introduction to Permaculture (p.14), which according to her article “is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.” Now that sounds like an all-inclusive connection of working with nature for the highest good of all. I want you to learn more about this fascinating topic.

The Farmers’ Table contributor in this issue is from Amy Miller, who most certainly connects well with nature through her local Sage Valley Farm. Her article, An Update From Our Farm to Your Table… (p. 8) is filled with all kinds of good information and recipes about the bounty they grow and share within the province, all thanks to their dedicated hard work and Mother Nature.

On the same nature theme, I’ve included an excerpt from Healing with Nature: Mindfulness and Somatic Practices to Heal from Trauma by Rochelle Calvert (p. 24). This offers another important way that Mother Nature is used to help people deal with the effects of trauma in their lives. And I’m sure we can all agree that most of us have been experiencing some form of trauma ever since the COVID-19 situation started in March 2020. This is yet another excellent example that points out the importance of nature for the healing and health of humankind.

I’ll always remember hearing Louise Hay (Hay House Publisher) saying that our breath is the most important thing in our lives. If we didn’t have any breath, we wouldn’t be alive, she would say. Sussanna Czeranko also knows well the extreme importance of our breath, which lead her in her career as a naturopathic doctor to train in the Buteyko Breathing Method. She explains the origins of this therapy and how it can be used to improve one’s overall health in her article, Are You Breathing Too Much? (p. 10). She also has some upcoming Buteyko breathing classes.

I believe the soul can also get soothed by being out in nature more often. Our new contributor, Andrea (Ann) Austin, has provided some more insightful words of wisdom about caring for the soul in her article, Sacred Connection to the Soul Through Love and Letting Go (p. 30). Andrea believes, “Our job is just to live, love, experience, and create a great life.” I would imagine that part of achieving this would certainly be enhanced by spending time in nature.

From Healthy Breast Foundations Program (p. 16), to improving Hair Loss in Children (p. 22), to Lucky Dog Cuisine (p. 21), to The Ancient Art of Tea Leaf Reading (p.26), to Shifting from Expectation to Exploration (p. 23), this issue is cholk-full of great educational articles and advertising that we trust will help you along your journey to continued good health and happiness.

May we all be grateful for and enjoy the bounty that is flowing forth from the earth’s harvest to our tables in this autumn season. May “Thanksgiving” be in our hearts all year round.

In light and love,

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