Editorial
Volume 32 Issue 2 — Summer 2026
by Melva Armstrong

We made it through another prairie winter and not too scathed, but exhausted from the long wait, through several snow storms in March and April, to finally get rid of the snow in May. It takes a lot of energy to survive a Saskatchewan winter, especially on a farm. Country living is quite a challenge, after being a city girl for most of my life. I’ve done it now for fifteen years, which is half of my total publishing years. I was thinking back to my many times driving into Saskatoon from the farm, and how blessed I’ve been to be welcomed to stay in a number of places with warm and loving friends. Every time I needed a place to stay, it would magically make itself known, and that it would always be a pleasure and an adventure. I want to thank my many dear friends, including my brother, for allowing me to bunk down on a couch, or a cot in the basement, or in an actual bedroom.

I really enjoy doing the Saskatoon deliveries, and there are many locations, all widely spread. So I manage to cover a large number of areas throughout the city, and it’s fun to keep in touch with the people in the businesses who distribute the copies. Looking at all the drop locations makes me feel like WHOLifE definitely has a huge family.

Every issue always starts with a clean slate and then the magic unfolds from there. People start showing up who would like to contribute an article, and there are those who are eager to promote the work they do with advertising space. That’s when everything starts unfolding and a vision of the new issue starts to appear, one day at a time. I like to ask for guidance, and I believe in guardian angels, and they go to work pulling in the many articles and advertisers who are joining together for each particular issue. It’s fun watching everything come together.

We do have another very unique and interesting issue put together for Summer 2026. Many thanks to Pam Fichtner and the Broadway Health Collective, who have been a huge long-time part of the WHOLifE family. We are featuring Pam Fichtner’s article, Back to the Basics: Self-care Tools for Life (after Trauma), p.12. Considering the tumultuous world we live in, and all the daily traumas that people face, Pam’s article provides some hope to help people cope with the craziness all around us. It’s a very important time for practicing “Self Care” in order to thrive and keep well. Pam offers a number of excellent tools to help keep yourself able to cope with the world and its effects on all of us, and especially those who have had trauma in their lives. The slogan, “Stay calm, and carry on,” might be a good tool to use. May you find the many gifts that are present for you, as you read her article.

Stacey Tress has offered some Sweet Treats to Beat the Heat in her p. 8 article. She says, “There’s something satisfying about rethinking sweetness—not cutting it out, but choosing it more intentionally.” I think this sounds like a terrific idea. Instead of leaning toward a lot of unhealthy foods and beverages, many people are turning toward naturally fermented options like kombucha, which is a very tangy health drink. She expands on kombucha and adds in Water Kefir. She talks about having a healthy gut, and then a healthy you. This is about you preparing these awesomely healthy drinks at home. She has recipes for you to follow. It’s very interesting to start to incorporate such healthy beverages into your daily life.

James Slater has introduced us to the Wim Hof Method for healing, with his article called, Building Resistance through Breath, Cold, and Mindset, p. 26. According to James’s words, “There are three pillars to the Method: breathwork, cold exposure, and mindset. But the impact these three pillars can have, when practiced intentionally, is quite profound.” He goes through explanations of each of the pillars and how they have profoundly affected his life for the better. He says, “In a world that often pulls us away from ourselves, these practices bring us back.” This healing method has greatly influenced his life for the better, and that’s why he wanted to share his experiences with you.

There is much more to discover in these pages about natural healing and wellness, so be sure to explore and read from cover to cover. It’s amazing all the talents we have living among us, from whom we can learn so much about keeping ourselves whole and healthy. It’s a goal we can all achieve. Enjoy the summer sunshine!

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