Community News
The Connection Between Your Eyes and Your Ears

As we age, we’re more susceptible to hearing loss and vision changes. Both conditions can creep up on us, making preventive measures essential to sustaining the quality of life we’re used to. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), you’re at greater risk of social isolation and reduced community participation if you have a vision loss. The same goes for hearing loss. Having both a vision and hearing problem can affect your ability to lip-read, which is detrimental to communicating with co-workers, family, and friends. A decreased ability to socialize is linked to a greater risk of dementia. However, Statistics Canada reports that 90 percent of people with hearing loss can improve communication with a properly fit hearing aid, counseling, or environmental changes.

Lisa Reid Audiology, www.lisareid.ca

Take Care of Yourself!

Self-Care is something that most of us forget about. We are so busy with work, family activities and all the demands of the day-to-day that we forget to take time for ourselves. We usually remember self-care only when we are already burnt out or sick, and then we have no choice but to take time out for ourselves. If we could only somehow incorporate some “me” time in our weekly activities. Pencil in an appointment with yourself even if it is only for a half hour. Sign up for an exercise class or meditation class once a week to help with stress. Maybe a painting class or dance or crafting class could help you unwind for a bit and change the scenery for you. And if it resonates with you, then make a point of going on a regular basis to relieve stress and to feel the therapeutic effects the therapy can do for you. You Deserve it!

Rositha Jeanson, RCRT/teacher, Balance and Harmony, www.rositha.ca

Make Exercise Fun!

It’s a brand-new year and the gyms are busy with people starting their new year’s resolutions. There are different goals we can choose, ie – burn calories, increase strength, improve cardio, or simply be more active more often. There are different exercise approaches to attain these goals, but they must be right for you. You can tailor it for yourself to ensure you are getting what you want out of it, but are enjoying it as well. Cycling, swimming and even playing tennis are just 3 of the many ways you can attain your goals. You can burn between 475-550 calories for just 1 hour of moderate intensity of one of these activities. There are so many ways to meet your goals without simply lifting weights and running on a treadmill. By performing one of these you can get a workout, get a sweat, and of course, have a lot fun!

Heath Vermette, CAT(C), www.southsherbrook.com

Kundalini Yoga for Lungs and Circulation

You feel full of energy and in control when the lungs and circulation are in excellent shape. Sadhana means spiritual practice and there is no greater spiritual practice than breathing deeply into lungs that are healthy and consciously coordinated. From February 10th until March 22nd Yoga Public and Karma Yoga Winnipeg are teaming up to help you to transform your body and mind by becoming a master of your breath. For more information regarding this exciting new program, please contact us at 204-990-9642. “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.”

Sanskrit Proverb. Jitendra, www.karmayogawinnipeg.com

Attending to Heart Issues

We often have a fatalistic view about heart disease, cancer or diabetes in families. We believe that we inherit and are programmed to die of these chronic conditions. From the day of our birth, life stresses and joys can take us from Valentine celebrated heart throbbing love to heartache; from wellness to heart disease or attacks. It does not have to go that way! Countering this negative view is the scientific information that has shown how these genetics are quite heavily influenced by the environment. Brainwave Optimization is an environment that can help balance your brain at the physical level, so heartache and heart disease can be addressed or have less of a grip on the pre-dispositions we fear. This neuro-technology opens possibilities for those healthy lifestyle choices that can turn things around in your environment. Having a strategy for restoring health is always a good thing!

Joanne Couture, RMFT, RSW, www.lalobatraumarelease.com

The Mindful Valentine

Valentine’s Day.. a day for celebrating love (and chocolate). I often refer to mindful eating as a way of practicing self-care around food. Taking care of yourself by making conscious decisions that leave you feeling better after eating. Not worse. How do you show love for yourself around food? Write yourself a letter and count the ways you love thee or could love thee. “I eat sitting down. I pay attention to my first few bites. I chew thoroughly before my next bite. I eat anything without guilt. I ask myself if I’m hungry before I eat. I listen to my body to see how hungry I am before my first bite. When I eat too much, I just learn from it and move on. I eat for fuel, nourishment, and pleasure. Every day is a day for showing yourself love around food. Celebrate how you nourish your body and spirit.

Lisa Kehler, Off Your Plate Nutrition, www.offyourplatenutrition.ca

Bowenwork: Balancing the Nervous System

What do muscles, organs, bones, and the systems of your body all have in common? They all work with the nervous system. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) controls 80% of bodily functions, and it deserves some attention! Many people are in a constant over-stimulated, unbalanced, state of fight or flight, called sympathetic dominance. In this state, the body doesn’t focus on resting and healing. This may be part of the reason why people seem to take much longer these days to get over their illnesses, and their pain seems to “last forever.” Parasympathetic dominance focuses on resting, digesting, relaxing and repairing. In this state, the body is able to heal itself, and reactivate a stalled recovery process. Bowenwork balances the ANS, shifting it from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance with impressive results, even when other therapies haven’t been successful. Balance the nervous system with Bowenwork, and your body does the rest.

Bernadette Kozak-Certified Bowenwork Practitioner, www.WinnipegPainRelief.ca

Acupuncture for Women’s Health

Do you suffer from painful menstruation or menopausal symptoms? Acupuncture is an effective form of treatment. Dysmenorrhea, lower abdominal pain occurring before or after your period, can be caused by a number of issues. Traditional Chinese medicine looks at the root cause of the pain; Qi (your life-force) and blood stagnation, cold in the uterus or a deficiency of Qi and blood. Once the root cause has been decided, treatments of moving Qi and blood, warming the uterus or tonifying Qi and blood is undertaken with acupuncture, specific dietary and self-care recommendations, to treat the pain. Menopause is looked at similarly, to decide the root cause. Most often it is due to naturally diminishing Yin in our bodies, which occurs with aging, but can also be complicated by other imbalances. Once the imbalance is determined, acupuncture can resolve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, irritability and cold hands and feet.

Naomi Johnson, www.heklaacupuncture.com

Natural Product Review: Cardioflex Q10

Cardioflex Q10 is a Manitoba-made nutritional supplement designed for cardiovascular health. With a unique blend of vitamins and amino proteins, Cardioflex Q10 is a supportive natural therapy that enriches cardiovascular health, establishes cholesterol balance and reduces CRP (C-reactive protein). With this product you can expect some amazing results: Strengthen your cardiovascular system, dissolve atherosclerotic plaque, lessen the pain of angina pectoris, reduce the likelihood of heart attack or stroke, increase heart and other muscle strength and stamina, lower blood and tissue lipids (fats), and increase antioxidant intake. Give yourself natural immunity against viral, fungal, and bacterial diseases, including antibioticresistant strains. Reduce hypertension and improve overall health!

Nutrition Plus, www.nutritionplus.com

Self-Improvement 101

Is there something about your health, personal life or career you would like to improve? The first step is having the desire to change whatever is affecting you. Once you have a desire, you then begin to focus on the end result you wish to create. Sometimes it is smooth sailing to bridge the gap between a desire and reaching the goal. Sometimes it is a lot of work and effort to get there. How much do our inner blocks, limiting beliefs and self-sabotage affect and hinder our ability to reach our goals? What I have learned is that the inner struggles, strife and negative self-talk we are up against are the major contributing factors preventing us from achieving our desires and goals. The key is to become aware of these inner factors and fully resolve them, which clears the inner path to reach your goals.

Shannon Russell, BodyMind Freedom Solutions, www.thedashmethod.com

Live Life to its Fullest

We are all here on earth on borrowed time. None of us know how much time we have left. The only real choice we have is how to embrace the life we have and live it fully! The challenge is to experience and learn from the life that’s happening to you instead of wishing you could have someone else’s. What if you knew you only had one week to live? Who would you see and how would you spend your precious time? We all eventually die and leave behind our worldly possessions. What will it take for you to live the fullest every day as if was your last week? To appreciate every given moment and live it as though death is near, not with fear, but with a sweet savoring of all that is…as you embrace life to its fullness!

D’Arcy Bruning-Haid, www.souls-journey.com