Are you or is your partner 60 years or older? Do you want to take up an existing hobby or try something new? Do you want to meet and socialize with a great group of people? If so, check out the many benefits of a membership with Nanaimo Harbour City Seniors. Annual membership is only $41.45 and includes access to many programs and services provided by Parks and Recreation. Participate in programs in arts, crafts, cards, games, dance, fitness, yoga, tai chi, language, music, sports and more! For more information, contact 250.755.7501, pick up our bi-monthly newsletter at City of Nanaimo recreation facilities or visit www.nanaimo.ca.
Community News
Seniors Matter – Let’s Celebrate Aging!
We often hear the negative about seniors in our society rather than celebrating them! Seniors offer wisdom and life experience integral to the fabric of a vibrant community. They contribute by shopping, usage of services (keep people employed) and by paying taxes. Seniors volunteer and make more charitable donations than any other age group. Many organizations could not function without them. Additionally, they help with babysitting, caregiving for spouses and friends, ultimately helping others to successfully “age in place”. Please take the time to acknowledge the contributions made by seniors. By making our community more age-friendly, we can all play a role in inspiring more intergenerational understanding and connection.
Meet the Practitioner – Tammy Phye
Tammy has been practicing massage therapy, holistic health and coaching for over 20 years. She entered this field after experiencing her own loss and burn-out. Tammy recognizes stress and life events can significantly affect health and well-being and that much can be done with a natural approach to restore health and harmony to life. She is passionate about her work and takes the time to help you evaluate what will best meet your needs and achieve your objectives. Her services include personalized programs, massage, therapeutic nutrition, meditation and various health programs to improve sleep, regain energy and more.
A Toy for Every Child at Christmas
Can you imagine being a parent dreading Christmas morning because there are no gifts under the tree for your child? Since 1982, The Great Nanaimo Toy Drive has been making sure that every child in Nanaimo has a new toy to unwrap on Christmas morning. It is the people, groups and businesses of Nanaimo, with the help of many volunteers, that make this happen. You can help by purchasing a toy or gift for a child aged newborn to 16 and dropping it off at one of the many drop off locations. Financial donations can be made through Canada Helps. You can make a child’s Christmas!
Book Club
Adventures for Your Soul: 21 Ways to Transform Your Habits and Reach Your Full Potential by Shannon Kaiser. Sometimes, the one thing you need to make a change is to see things from a fresh perspective. Discover 21 innovative explorations to boldly confront the habits that are holding you back. Shannon Kaiser’s program utilizes an empowering process that encourages you to go on adventures for your soul, so you can:
• Achieve your goals
• Remove limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging patterns
• Feel freedom from fear and live with purpose and passion
• Be unapologetic about your innermost desires
• Make happiness your natural way of life
Ingredient Spotlight: Collagen
Collagen is a prime structural protein located in mammal connective tissue and is essential for fully functional joints and muscles. A lack of collagen in your skin can lead to wrinkles and lacking collagen in muscles and cartilage can cause joint discomfort. Award-winning Liquid BioCell® Life puts that essential collagen back into the body, providing those suffering with fibromyalgia, arthritis or joint pain with relief. Liquid BioCell® Life combines the multi-patented power of Collagen/HA Matrix Technology™ with 10 phytonutrient-rich superfoods, which are infused into a unique liquid delivery system that provides fast absorption and results. And, it’s backed by a 100% money back guarantee! Lisa Tustin, Liveclean.Market
Eating for the Season
According to traditional Chinese medicine, all living beings are viewed in relation to the surrounding environment. The Chinese widely believe that we are what we eat, and most dietary guidelines follow nature. According to traditional Chinese medicine philosophies, if we eat seasonal foods that are similar in nature to the external environment, we remain in harmony with the environment, adapt better to changes in the season, and stay healthy. In autumn, the dry, colder weather usually causes an itchy throat, and dry skin, so we need to eat to promote the production of body fluids, such as pumpkin, honey, and soups.
Why Go Vegan?
Interest in a totally animal-free diet is at an all-time high, with celebrities like Bill Clinton, Alicia Silverstone, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé leading the charge. There are so many amazing ways that veganism can improve our lives – fantastic health benefits, less stress on our environment, more efficient ways to use our resources, and many more! Vegan diets tend to be higher in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fibre. Healthy vegan diets are abundant in vitamins B1, C, and E; folic acid; magnesium; and iron, while also being low in cholesterol and saturated fats. And saving animals is an added bonus!
Should We Get a Second Dog?
Adding a second dog to your home could be a wonderful thing! But there are also some reasons to reconsider: more vet bills, food to buy, and poop to scoop, and less individual attention for your current pup. Before you jump into multiple dog ownership, you need to be aware of what is best for your current dog. Be honest about your energy levels, your budget, and your existing dog’s temperament. If all is good, a second dog will double the love and devotion that you presently have with your first dog! Happy Paws Pet Food, HappyPaws.ca
Yoga Nidra for Better Sleep
Yoga Nidra is a practice in total conscious relaxation that separates the external awareness of the physical body through various stages. This results in a state where you are asleep with a whisper of awareness, relaxing both the mind and the body deeply. Daily practice of Yoga Nidra is life transforming!
During Yoga Nidra, we release multiple tensions: muscular tension (physical), emotional tension (suppressed emotions), and mental tension (excessive thoughts and stress).
Most people sleep without resolving their tensions (Nidra), but Yoga Nidra means sleep after throwing off your burdens. Wendy Anderson RYT, Yoga 10 Studio, Yoga10Studio.com, CourtenayMassageTherapy.com
GMO Concerns
The world must consider the effects of genetically modified foods (GMOs). Dr. Patrick Gentempo’s recent series, GMOs Revealed, exposes their potential toxicity to human and environmental health, such as an increase in autoimmune diseases in humans.
We eat plants from seeds saturated in herbicides, which have decimated our bee colonies. GMO corporations’ answer to bees that cannot tolerate herbicides is to replace them with a stronger variety from Africa, and add DNA from other sources.
I encourage you to start researching GMO products and push for GMO foods to be labelled properly.
Gord Weber, Spirit Gardens, SpiritGardens.ca
