While working as a clinical reflexologist, I felt drawn to treating and supporting people living with cancer, fertility challenges and dementia on their health journeys. This led me to complete further advanced reflexology training in Canada related to Oncology Care, Fertility and Dementia. Unlike Eastern Reflexology, I use a light pressure based on Western Reflexology techniques introduced by Eunice Ingham. My aim is to help my clients enter a deep relaxation state called ‘rest and digest’, where the body’s internal healing response is activated and balance is achieved. I find it very reward ..read more

½ lb sweet Italian sausage  ½ lb hot Italian sausage  1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves minced garlic 5 cups beef broth ½ cup water ½ cup red cooking wine 1 26oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup thinly sliced carrots ½ tbsp dried basil ½ tsp dried oregano 1 8oz can tomato sauce 1 ½ cups sliced zucchini 8 oz fresh tortellini (not frozen) -Brown sausage (drain and save 1tbsp of drippings) -Sauté onion and garlic in drippings  -Stir in beef broth, water, wine, diced tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomatoe sauce, ---sausage. -Bring to a boil. -Reduce he ..read more

Does health just "happen", or is it something we cultivate? Who is responsible for this cultivation? I like to dream of a paradisiacal place where health just happens. We have amazing genes, all food is healthy, we don’t work too hard, relationships are nourishing, and movement is a natural part of the day. I have a feeling even in this sort of place things might take some working out. And we do know that in our current circumstances and surround, we do need to pay attention and cultivate our health. Who is responsible for this cultivation? Let’s back it up to our beginnings. The only possible ..read more

How many of you ladies know about your Pelvic Floor? The Pelvic Floor is part of your core and it is responsible to support your pelvic organs such as your bladder and uterus. Some reasons you could have a weak or dysfunctional Pelvic Floor is pregnancy (vaginal or c-section), weak core muscles including abdominal/back/hip muscles, poor posture, excessive coughing, pelvic/hip injuries. Your symptoms can include urinary incontinence where you have involuntary urine loss with a cough, sneeze or laugh. You could also experience organ prolapse causing a feeling of heaviness in the pelvis or a fee ..read more

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a way to engage not only our physical bodies, but our deeper emotions and feelings in the context of our body. Our emotional experience is happening in and shaping our bodies all the time in the way we move and in the way we hold ourselves. BCST is a holistic approach that acknowledges all of this. As a therapist during cranio, I have felt physical restrictions release quicker when a person expresses what is really bothering them, deeply, in the moment. After cranio, people tend to feel not only less pain and more mobility, but at times more mental clarity ..read more

Stress, Completing the Stress Response, And Feeling Calm Walking in the woods the other day, I was expecting to feel nature’s calm. But the mosquitos found me, and I swear there was a cloud of them following me down the trail. I could feel my stress hormones mount and my breath becoming shallow as I quickened my steps and flailed my arms at the annoying little bloodsuckers. As a practitioner working with stress and trauma, I am always thinking about the nervous system and calming the stress response. And I tend to look to nature as a guide. Spending time with nature though, one will quickly r ..read more

I follow a holistic approach to skincare, which means that I consider the role lifestyle, nutrition and cosmetic preparations play in supporting the skin as a living organ. I completed my initial training as a Dr Hauschka esthetician in the UK in 2003. The therapeutic healing power of plants is at the centre of this skincare range and it really resonated with me. The facial treatment grabbed my attention, as many of the skincare philosophies and practices were contrary to the information from the mainstream cosmetic industry. Dr Hauschka is produced by WALA, a homeopathic medicine company and ..read more

For a Non Alcoholic Version of the following recipes, swap out cranberry juice or a combination of cranberry/pomegranate juice instead of wine. Oma's Gluehwein, passed to my by my Mom "Equal parts red wine and water, some cinnamon sticks and cloves." Heat gently. My Sister Katrina's Gluehwein, in her words "It's very vague but impossible to get wrong. I usually start with a not expensive red wine, add a chopped up orange with the peel and maybe a squeeze of lemon(if I have cherry or apple juice I add some), then some Christmas spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise. I also love to ..read more

Facial & Back Massage Combination (Non RMT) Let’s take a look at fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, muscle and nerve fibre in the body and face in place. Restrictions or adhesions in the fascia, caused by repetitive movements, posture, dehydration, tension and stress or nutrient deficiencies can impact the internal structures of the skin. Tightness, tension, restrictions and adhesions in the back, neck and head will affect the fascia of the face, potentially deepening lines and wrinkles and creating a general sagging of the skin. This is why I like to comb ..read more

Some days At times I feel feeble, an urge to be invisible To crawl inside a thimble and play solitaire. Other days I diffuse, into every part of a room Like yesterday’s memories still lingering. Listening to bird song seems to help me forget my self, if only momentarily. A forgetting that is neither destructive nor il lusionary, like focusing on still water and allowing the rest of the world to be erased. If these eyes are a window into truths of my personal perception, how different is my experience from yours? Some days, when the inner chatter dissipates, its as if my experience is immersed ..read more