Editorial
Volume 28 Issue 6 — March/April 2023
by Melva Armstrong

The light is now returning more each day as we move toward March and April, and spring! It can’t come soon enough for me. Meanwhile Mother Nature is giving us, hopefully, the very last blast of extreme cold temperatures before the red line on the thermometer starts moving upwards into the plus figures, and stays there! We are also getting a lot of beautiful warm sunshine that is brightening up my days and my spirits. It’s so good to feel the warmth of the sun beaming through the bay window onto my face, as I relax on the couch with my eyes closed, absorbing its heat and healing energy. Sun is the ultimate healer.

I’m wondering how everyone has survived through our prairie winter? I certainly hope it has been a good one for you. I often wonder what it was like for my ancestors who came around 1900, and built their homes and their families in Saskatchewan, when there was no electricity and no running water, such as we have today. They would have kept warm by burning wood and coal, and would have hauled water from nearby wells, and used outdoor toilets. They were hardy and determined folks with a strong will to survive. Thankfully, they did survive and set the foundations for the rest of us, who came after them. I am ever grateful for their grit and boldness.

Once again, I have loved the process of putting together, along with the amazing designer, Cheryl McDougall, this spring issue, for each one of you to enjoy. There are insights, delights, exciting events, new ideas, surprises, inspirations, visions, solutions, reflections, and so much more. You’ll be grateful for all the love and caring that has been put into the many contributions that grace these pages.

I started thinking about the coming gardening season, and shortly after that, I received Stacey Wiebe’s Bountiful Beans and Peas (p. 8) article, which I’ve included to help stimulate your own thoughts about what to plant for this upcoming season. She goes into great detail about the numerous varieties of beans and peas and their diverse ecological benefits, as well as their ancient history. She says that beans and peas are her family’s favourite vegetables, and are a good way to get her young children into gardening.

If you are not sure what is the most appropriate kind of natural treatment for your best health, then be sure to check out Pam Fichtner’s article, Choosing the Right Health Session: Helpful Tips on Deciding the Best Treatment Modality for You! (p. 12). Pam goes into detail in point form with numerous ideas and suggestions such as intention, prioritizing, research, and direct contact, to decide what will be your best choice(s). With the internet at our fingertips, she also suggests going online to read biographies, etc. of the various practitioners.

We have many articles in this issue in which the authors are introducing you to their fields of practice and service. Starting with The Power of Human Touch (p. 14) by Christopher Shirley, who has practiced and taught reflexology since 1978. He discusses a variety of studies that have been done around the many benefits and healing powers of human touch, and offers both personal treatments and workshops for those people who want to be trained in reflexology techniques.

Next we have Node Smith’s article, When to Seek Naturopathic Care? (p. 16), in which he explains the difference between conventional medical care versus naturopathic medicine. Once you have read the article, then you will have more awareness and knowledge of naturopathy, which will be helpful in deciding what is the best treatment for you.

Then we have Diane Schitka’s article, Wax Pouring: A Traditional Folk Healing Art (p. 22), in which she explains the method of using melted beeswax and pouring it into cold, clear blessed water and then, once cooled, she interprets the various shapes for each client. This is meant to help the body begin to recover from any hindrances.

There are two really excellent book excerpts inside. Refuel (p. 26) by Saloni Sharma, MD, is from her book, The Pain Solution, in which she provides solutions for getting rid of pain through the food we eat and without medications. The other excerpt is from Earth is the Collective Home for All Life (p. 30) by Felicia Coctzin Ruiz. Felicia says, “Earth supplies us with all we need for a healthy inner body through the abundance of plants and minerals found in her soil and waters.” I agree with her!

There is much more to discover…please read on!

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