Current Issue

Back to the Basics – Self-Care Tools for Life (after Trauma)
by Pam Fichtner

Recently, and with excitement, I led the opening presentation for the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association Spring Retreat in Saskatoon. I told the participants that I don’t have an acquired brain injury, so I don’t totally understand what they are experiencing, but I do know what it’s like to have a brain that I might not always be able to depend on, and can land me in the hospital. I have epilepsy, and while I haven’t had a seizure for years, I am still aware of it daily. I live with a condition that may cause my body to go out of control at any time, so I do know what it’s like to live with trauma. I have learned over 45 years that what has helped the most is staying with the “Basics" – staying centred, whether you’ve had a trauma, or not. I did Peter Levine’s training on dealing with trauma in a body-centred way, and I like his definition of it. He describes trauma as, “Anything that is too much, too soon, or too fast for our nervous systems to handle.” The trauma is less about the nature of the event itself, and more about the impact on our nervous system, the overwhelm.

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Sweet Treats to Beat the Heat
by Stacey Tress

There’s something satisfying about rethinking sweetness—not cutting it out, but choosing it more intentionally. Instead of reaching for overly processed, sugar-heavy drinks, many people are turning to naturally fermented options like kombucha and water kefir. These lightly fizzy, tangy beverages offer a different kind of sweetness—one that comes from real ingredients, and a simple fermentation process. They invite creativity, too: fresh fruit, herbs, and juices, transform them into refreshing carbonated drinks that feel just as indulgent, but far more balanced. Drunk on their own, just perfect, but they also pair so well as gut-friendly foundational options for smoothies, and other sweet treats. In the heat of summer especially, they become an easy, feel-good way to enjoy something sweet while making choices that support your overall well-being.

Getting Adequate Protein and Making Healthy Protein Choices
by Dr. Louise Gagné

Introduction: Proteins are essential constituents of all our living cells. They are considered the worker molecules in our body that carry out the duties encoded in our genes. Proteins are made from amino acids. They are complex molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, usually sulphur, and occasionally other elements. Proteins are used everywhere in our body for a wide variety of functions, including the growth and repair of tissues and the production of enzymes. They are also used to make our cell receptors, as they are part of our immune response. Multiple important molecules in the body are proteins including albumin, hemoglobin, myoglobin, insulin, collagen and keratin..

Holding Space, Not Fixing Problems: The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything
by Abe Brown, MBA, M.Ed/C, PCC

Early in my coaching journey, I thought my job was to fix things. If someone came to me stuck, I leaned in with solutions. If they were overwhelmed, I offered strategies. If they were hurting, I tried to make it better—quickly. And to be fair, sometimes it helped. Problems got solved. Pressure eased. People felt relief. But often… it didn’t last. The same challenges resurfaced. The same patterns repeated. Over time, I realized something deeper—I wasn’t developing people, I was creating dependence. That realization hit me hard.

What is Craniosacral Therapy (CST)? (Part 2)
by Janice Zubin

"Craniosacral Therapy,” coined by Dr. William Garner Sutherland, is a light touch approach that creates dynamic improvement in your life. Focusing on the body’s inherent rhythms and healing, tension deep in the body is released, relieving pain and disfunction, restoring whole body health and performance. There is a mysterious intelligence and wisdom in the body, that carries the inherent blueprint of health. These inherent, vital, rhythmic life force potencies carry a basic intelligence, and intrinsic force, which are effectively employed by the craniosacral therapist (CT) for supporting health. There is a movement towards integration and health as a natural tenancy, as an ever present and gentle force.

Gluten-free Baking with Oat Flour
by Theresa Rempel

So, when I stopped being able to eat gluten, I began researching everything about it—something you should do about a subject that affects your life. And one thing I discovered is that just because a particular food is free of gluten does not mean it is tolerable or good for everyone who can't eat gluten. You still have to figure out what is good for you. And it turns out that I am someone who can't eat rice, or products made with rice, or rice flour either. That left most of the gluten-free recipes, mixes, and other products right off my food list because rice flour is the go-to flour for most gluten-free and celiac foods.

From Survival Mode to Stillness: My Silent Retreat Experience
by Brenda Zinn

How supported silence and intentional rest created clarity, healing, and alignment. Last September, I attended a Silent Retreat at the Historic Reesor Ranch facilitated by Dale and Jeanne Hoag of Divine Guidance Personal Empowerment and Transformational Retreats. It was exactly what my heart and nervous system needed! At the time, I didn’t fully realize how much I had been operating in survival mode—moving from task to task, caring for others, meeting expectations, and pushing through exhaustion. The retreat offered something I hadn’t given myself in a long time: uninterrupted space.

Editorial
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.

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Plus:

Building Resilience Through Breath
The Pollinator Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight Listening to Your Body
News of Note