Editorial
Volume 30 Issue 3— September/October 2024
by Melva Armstrong

Welcome to the September/October 2024 issue! It’s that spectacular time of year when Mother Nature shows off her most magnificent colours. I think it’s a favourite season for many people. I have really enjoyed the gorgeous summer we had, with lots of sunshine and mostly soft gentle breezes, along with a few thunderstorms. The conditions were good for the farms in our area, so that’s always a good sign to help keep country folk happy and prosperous.

As always, it has been very enjoyable working with all the folks who are part of this sweet autumn issue. And I am ever grateful for all the love and support I receive from everyone. Each issue is like birthing a new baby every two months. I get excited as I gather everything together and the designer, Cheryl McDougall, works her magic putting the beauteous touches on each page. I then get to feast my eyes on the delightful results.

I hope each of you have been keeping well and happy and enjoying the glorious summer months to the fullest. I’m happy that you have picked up a copy of WHOLifE, and are reading it. May you find lots of gems of wisdom, encouragement, knowledge, and enlightening surprises inside.

I would like to thank the folks from The Farmers’ Table (TFT), for contributing educational food articles to the Journal over the past two years. They are a Saskatchewan group of farmers, who provide local fruit, vegetables, meat products, and more throughout the province. They have decided to have a break from writing for a while. They are all local farmers whom we need to support, so we can purchase fresh healthy food directly from them, which helps support our local economy.

As one door closes, another door opens. We are introducing a new column called “Mindful Eating,” with the first article written by Judith Graile, called From Diagnosis to Recovery: My Journey with Breast Cancer (p. 8). The exciting part of Judith’s story is how she has healed herself by doing research into the importance of looking at the foods she was eating and how they affected her overall health. Through her process she decided to study to be a nutritional consultant and has gone on to create her own book, in which she focuses on healthy recipes called, Healthy – Easy – Delicious: Recipes with Simple Ingredients. I hope you will enjoy discovering this new addition to the Journal and share your thoughts after you’ve read it. I’d love to hear from you.

We’ve finally been fortunate to include Randy Morin’s article called, Walking the Road to Reconciliation on Treaty Lands (p. 16). In it he shares a snippet of his lived experiences as an Indigenous Cree man. He thinks it is important to educate and create awareness that there are many barriers in place that inhibit walking the road to reconciliation for all treaty people. He would like all people to learn and understand the true history of these lands they live on. He shares some kind and loving experiences he has had with Non-Indigenous people, and how he continues his tireless work toward educating people about “The Road to Reconciliation.” I thank you, Randy, for sharing your true feelings from your heart.

I think we all need some artistic culture in our lives, as part of living in a healthy balanced way. When I heard from Kasandra O’Bertos about an ancient art and healing form that she creates, I was excited to include her article called, Mandalas (p. 12), in this autumn issue. Mandala means circle in the Sanskrit language, and according to Kasandra, “It is basically a representation of the universe, cosmic unity, harmony, and balance, with the connection between human souls and the universe.” They are stunning and beautiful art pieces, and according to Kasandra, they can be used as a meditation tool when they are gazed upon. She adds, “More and more ancient healing knowledge is coming to the forefront and will give each one of us the ability to take charge of our own body and mind.” I hope you will take time to look closely at her mandalas when you read her article.

There is much more to read and discover, so be sure to look inside from cover to cover. It’s a full house of unique and diverse topics, which I hope will stimulate your consciousness and personal growth.
May we all give heaps of thanks for the bounty from the harvest. Let’s all support buying from local food farms!

With much love, until next issue!

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