Editorial
Volume 32 Issue 1 — Spring 2026
by Melva Armstrong

It’s spring! Hooray! I enjoy each season in its own unique way. However, spring has a special feeling about it. The days are longer and the temperatures are warmer. The snow is slowly disappearing, and I wear my rubber boots through the puddles and the mud. And it’s quite a challenge to keep the dogs clean through the transition. It’s a time of renewal for every living thing on the earth. We’re coming out of our winter cocoons and awakening to wondrous new beginnings. It’s like a whole new life is starting. 

I trust you, too, will be enjoying the energy of this new season, and finding your own beautiful experiences that make your heart sing in the spring.

It has been a pleasure once again to work with all those amazing folks who are part of this Spring 2026 issue. There are plenty of new writers who have submitted articles on wellness topics for you to search out and read, along with a wide range of natural wellness practitioners who are offering their many varied healing services. 

I always love articles about good healthy homemade food, and I’m happy to include Stacey Tress’s food article, It’s Spring – Let’s Brunch (p. 8). She has lots of experience with cooking and preparing meals, and she wanted to share her family “brunch” ideas. If you check out her photos you’ll see how yummy her food looks. She provides several recipes and regularly recommends eating fermented foods with your meals for better nutrient absorption. May you have fun trying out her healthy brunch recipes. 

Later in the spring, summer, and autumn days, you may want to consider the benefits of partaking in a retreat in nature. Retreats are opportunities to slow down and treat yourself to a few days of self-care and to getting in touch with your inner self. A woman named Brenda Zinn did just that for herself, and found it to be a truly life-changing experience. It touched her so much, she decided she wanted to share her awakening experience in her article, From Survival Mode to Stillness: My Silent Retreat Experience (p. 30). She writes: “This experience shifted something fundamental in me. I realized how much of my life had been driven by urgency, rather than intention. The retreat gave me permission to step out of busy-ness and simply be—to listen, to reflect, and to reconnect with what I truly need, instead of what I believe I should be doing.” What a beautiful tribute to the art of going within to find a safe place in which to discover your true self. Bravo! Brenda  
For those of you who have heard the words, craniosacral therapy, but you are not yet familiar with how it works, we have included craniosacral instructor Janice Zubin’s article, About Craniosacral Therapy (Part 1) p. 10. According to Janice, “In this gentle light touch therapy, the body’s rhythms and healing responses are witnessed by the craniosacral therapist.” She adds, “Craniosacral therapy has been described as magic, and certainly the healing can be profound. The aims of craniosacral therapy treatment are to support health at the foundation of our being.” The article is very well detailed in its description of how this therapy works on the entire body. There will be a Part 2 in the Summer 2026 issue.

I’ve included an interview by Nancy Tam with Susan Marjorie Ratliff, author of Homeopathy Rising: A Deep Introduction to Earth’s Fastest Growing Medicine (p. 16). Susan has written this book because she had several health problems, earlier in her life, and she eventually discovered homeopathy, and used it to heal herself. Therefore, she has wanted to share her healing experiences, so others can discover this “fastest growing medicine” for themselves. Her story behind writing this new book is full of interesting twists and turns that ultimately, “Opened her up to a place of curiosity, wonder, and awe about the interconnectedness of everything,” says Nancy Tam. She adds, “Her [Susan’s] writing is filled with gentle wisdom, creating spaces within, for discovery and deep reflection.” Susan adds, “More and more I see the importance of integrating all our ways of understanding health, having a flexible and diverse approach.” I feel it is a brilliant interview with a woman who says she has many things on her plate still to discover, experience, and accomplish. Susan is inspirational, so be sure to read the entire interview. There’s much more included, so do read from cover to cover!

May you all enjoy the return of spring in all her love and light! 

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