ANUARY

ONE THOUSAND TREESFACILITATING WELLNESS

THROUGH CONNECTION, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

PUBLISHERLisa Browning

DEPARTMENTAL EDITORSConnections: Lisa Browning

Creativity & The Arts: Sandra WilsonFood & Nutrition: vacant

Giving Back: Kristen FeduckHealth & Wellbeing: Dave Derraugh, Danielle Hughes, Kathryn O’Brien

The Library: Lisa Browning

ONE THOUSAND TREESEmail: lisa@onethousandtrees.com

Phone: 519-362-5494

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ONE THOUSAND TREESJANUARY 2018SOUND HEALING

FEATURE ARTICLE:

INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT LOGAN: ESPERANZA HOPE ESPOIR HOLISTIC CENTRE 1

DEPARTMENTS: (bolded articles are monthly features)

CONNECTIONS-- The Month in Review, by Lisa Browning 14-- Dear Angels, by Jill Michelle 11-- Spirit Babies: Music Therapy in the Natural and Spiritual World, by Christine Nightingale 10

CREATIVITY & THE ARTS

-- My Adventure Called Life: Why Not Be as Unique as a Snowflake? by Sandra Wilson 6

FOOD & NUTRITION

-- Why I Have a Practice of Dietary Cleansing, by Kathryn O’Brien 3

GIVING BACK

-- Volunteer Profile: Family Literacy Day, by Kristen Feduck 13-- Volunteering in Southwestern Ontario 13

HEALTH & WELLBEING

-- An Introduction to Light Language, by Barbara Andrew 8-- New Beginnings and New Year’s Resolutions, by Danielle Hughes 17-- You Want Me to Say What? by Annette Parker 6-- Soft Spots, by Abby Richards 5

THE LIBRARY

-- The Story Behind the Story: Sharing: our stories, our selves, our success, by Lisa Browning 17-- Music Therapy, a poem by Colleen Heighinton 12-- Slices of Life: Mind Medicine, a short story by Bob Smith 9

Dietary Cleansing, p 3 An Introduction to Light Language, p 8

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

Kristen FeduckVolunteer Profile

Kristen works at United WayWaterloo Region Communities,where she promotes volunteerism inCambridge and North Dumfries.When she’s not doing that, she

enjoys spending time at home with her husband anddaughter.

Danielle HughesNew Beginnings and New Year’sResolutions

Danielle is a published author, healthand wellness advocate and has apassion for learning and teachingholistic techniques. She also has a

background in health care as respiratory therapist withover 4 years experience in the field of sleep and sleeptherapies.

Abby Bennie-RichardsSoft Spots

Abby is 16 years old and lives inCannington, Ontario. She is currentlyin Grade 11. She loves a great manythings, but has a particular fondnessfor her family, her girlfriend, art, film,

her two squirmy dogs, and, of course, writing. She is ahuge believer in kind and loving energy. She hopes toattend Ryerson University.

Barbara AndrewAn Introduction to Light Language

A former nurse, Peace Minister andlong time energy practitioner of manymodalities, Barbara was enchantedwhen she heard Light Languagespoken during a course she was

studying. The gentle, lilting sounds made her giggle (yesshe giggles) and after hearing it several times, Barb askedherself if she too might be able to speak it. And did. Barbis the author of the book, A Dragon Named NaturallySpeaking, a whimsical story for children and their adults.

Colleen HeighintonMusic Therapy

Colleen is happily married to awonderful husband named Ken. Theyhave been blessed with three beautifulchildren, and four terrific grandsons.She enjoys reading, writing stories and

poetry, and she keeps fit by walking 3 to 4 kilometresevery day. Her summers are spent at their trailer in Orillia,and she really enjoys the time she spends with family andfriends. She has been a volunteer with Hospice Wellingtonsince 2015.

Scott Logane-interview: Esperanza EspoirHope Holistic Centre

Scott is a Life Coach, Crystal ReikiMaster and Teacher, Yuen and SpiritualTherapist, and Prayer Group facilitator.He is well versed and certified, in avariety of energy modalities, and

techniques. He looks forward to working with you. Tobook your appointment with Scott, contact him ateheholisticcentre@gmail.com or phone 519-503-2771.

Bob SmithSlices of Life

Like many writers, R.K. (Bob) Smithhas worked in widely different settings,accounting for diverse characters,settings, and story lines. He describeshis stories as ‘character-driven,’ rather

than ‘plot-driven.’ People face some kind of challenge andface it with creativity and integrity, often connecting withothers as part of the process. He has published novels andshort stories in online, newspaper, and more traditionalprinted formats, as well as having written Christmasstories heard on radio. To read more of Bob’s stories, visitwww.slicesoflifestories.com.

Sandra WilsonMy Adventure Called Life

Sandra is a writer, educator, andamateur photographer. With a Bachelorof Arts in English and History, much ofher work includes historic factspresented in fun and interesting ways.

Although trained to take portraits at Sears Portrait Studio,Sandra prefers to capture nature with her camera. Herpassion is to help people learn, laugh and be inspired. Formore information, please visit www.werconline.ca.

Christine NightingaleSpirit Babies

After studying Hypnosis for Fertility,Christine found that while workingwith clients, she would get very clearmessages from their miscarried or notyet conceived babies. Her speciality

has become getting messages from these babiesexplaining their difficulties in coming in, and suggestionsfor making it easier. She has worked with over 400couples, facilitating communication and pregnancy. Formore information please visit her website atwww.nightingalehealing.com.

Kathryn O’BrienWhy I Have a Practice of DietaryCleansing

Kat has the privilege of working withpeople to help them with their personaltransformation into gold as TheEvolving Alchemist. She has an Hons

BA in Psychology with a Minor in Religious Studies anda M.HSc. in Nutrition and for the longest time wondered“how the heck all this went together” It has becomeincreasingly clear that not only do they go together butthey are so entangled it is almost impossible to see themas separate. For more information visit www.evolvingalchemist.com.

Jill MichelleDear Angels

Jill Michelle has been communicatingwith angels for most of her life. She isan angel reader and channels healinglight to her clients. She has been

helping her international clients in person and on thephone for over 15 years. Jill's passion is to help peoplerelease issues and blockages, propelling them forward ontheir spiritual journey and bringing love peace and joy intotheir lives. For more information visit her website atwww.jillmichelle.ca.

Annette ParkerYou Want Me to Say What?

Annette is a Holistic Practitioner andthe sole proprietor of Subtle Energies.Her passion to assist others inreinvigorating their lives has led her on

a journey of self-discovery. She now shares herexperiences, and knowledge with others, using differentmodes and processes, including Reflexology, Reiki,Shamballa, and Integrated Energy Therapy. For moreinformation visit https://subtle-energies.webs.com.

PUBLISHER’S PONDERINGS

After all of the glorious music from the holiday season, what better focus thanSound Healing? I love the sound of singing bowls, and am intrigued by the conceptof Light Language, so am very much looking forward to our first Sharing Eveningof 2018!

The new year promises to be a very busy one, with many awesome projects in theworks. I’d like to highlight three of them:

1. The Artist’s Way. We’re hoping to offer this 12-session course, based on the book by Julia Cameron,starting in January. A group of 12 is ideal, and so far we have only half of that.

2. Sharing: our stories, our selves, our success. It’s time for another women’s anthology! Pleasevisit www.sharinganthologies.com for more information about these volumes.

3. Metamorphosis: from the darkness of abuse to the light of empowerment. This project is verynear and dear to my heart, as it is based on my own experience in a verbally/emotionally abusiverelationship. I am looking for people to take part in this project, on a strictly confidential basis.

4. Roots & Wings. This is our mental health awareness and empowerment initiative, and I’m veryexcited about getting it up and running! A website has been created (www.ottrootsandwings.com) but isstill very much a work in progress.

If you are interested in any of these projects, please email me at lisa@onethousandtrees.com.

Wishing you all the best for a happy, healthy and successful New Year!

Lisa

INTERVIEW: SCOTT LOGAN,ESPERANZA HOPE ESPOIR

HOLISTIC CENTREby Lisa Browning

I am excited to provide information onthis awesome new venture! Followingis my interview with the ExecutiveDirector of the Esperanza Hope EspoirHolistic Centre, Scott Logan.

What is the Esperanza Hope EspoirHolistic Centre, and when was itfounded?

EHE Holistic Centre is a registerednot-for-profit agency. We are anincorporated company founded inAugust 2017. We are currentlyapplying for "charity status" with theGovernment of Canada.

What is the story behind the name?

Esperanza Hope Espoir means "Hope"in the three most spoken languages inthe world, outside of China. I have alittle French in my background, andlearned basic Spanish during my timeliving in Mexico.

I understand that the centre hasbeen a dream of yours for some time.How so?

In Mexico, we tried to create a charityto assist individuals suffering fromcancer. It was an extremely compli-cated process, and had not flourishedby the time I had decided to return toCanada. So I have wanted to offerholistic services to individuals forseveral years.

What does wellness mean to you?

To me, wellness means being healthyin all aspects of a person's life. Notonly physically, but mentally,emotionally, and spiritually as well.Each of these aspects needs to behealthy and working in harmony withthe others.

What practitioners work at thecentre, and what services do theyprovide?

Currently we have six incrediblycaring, compassionate and skilledpractitioners working. David Villada,Kerstin Kramer, Linda Sharp, LisaSinclair, Christine Scheurlen, andmyself.

Services provided are the following:Access BarsAromatherapy ConsultationAromatherapy MassageBody Talk AccessCrystal TherapyLife CoachingPast Life ReflectionPulsed Electromagnetic FrequencyTherapyQuantum EnergeticsReflective MeditationReflexologyReikiShamanic CleansingSound TherapyTherapeutic Touch TherapyYogaYuen Mastery System

EHE Academy Courses:Access BarsAromatherapy ConsultsAromatherapy MassageBack to the Past-LivesBody Talk AccessCrystal TherapyIntuitive Reiki ResonanceLaw of AttractionMediumshipQuantum EnergeticsReiki

Sound TherapySpirits and GhostsTherapeutic Touch

What are your hours of operation,and where are you located?

We are currently fundraising to be ableto rent a facility. We have beenworking out of Emmanuel UnitedChurch in Waterloo, On., and UnityChurch Kitchener, with very flexiblehours.

Is there anything else you’d like toadd?

We do charge for services toindividuals who can afford to pay thecurrent fees. We fund raise within thecommunity to have money to offerthese services to individuals who donot have insurance or the means to payfor holistic services. This way, ourpractitioners are able to do theirhealing on a full time basis, withindividuals who would not normallybenefit from holistic services havingaccess to them.

For more information visitwww.esperanzahopeespoir.com

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WHY I HAVE A PRACTICE OFDIETARY CLEANSINGby Kathryn O’Brien

As a practitioner with a masters inNutrition, let me tell you I have readabout and tried most of the fads outthere and the one practice that I havemaintained as a constant in my life forgoing on 15 years is that of a dietarycleanse.

I have in the past done hard core fasts,cleanses with funky supplements, thegoat sweet potato and maple syrup dietand everything in between but what Ihave found works the best for myselfand for most of the clients I work withis a live, organic fresh juice cleansecoupled with a sensible meal a day fora 7 day period. Below I will share withyou my musings on why I do this andwhy I’d encourage you to join me inthis practice to start 2018 of in a waythat lets you set the tone of the year!

Quality and Quantity of Life

All of the cultures on earth that havelong full lives with good quality of lifeuntil the end have a practice ofroutinely consuming fewer caloriesthan us in the west. It seems that whenwe consume fewer calories it providesjust enough stress on our body to allowus to actually handle the bigger stressesin life with more grace. So when youhave a regular practice of slightlycurbing your caloric intake you setyourself up to be better able to handlethe unavoidable curve balls lifesometimes throws at us.

Eat to Live, Not Live to Eat

So many of us can easily fall into thetrap of moving through our day withthe sole purpose of getting to the nextmeal. We grab a donut with our coffee,toss a chocolate into our mouth as wewalk through the staff room, and eatthe leftovers off our kids’ plates. Planfor Friday drinks with the guys fromwork, beers with the game, coffee and

goodies with the girls and so on and soon to the point that we barelyrecognize what hunger feels like andon the rare occasion we do feel it wefreak out! I find by choosing a practiceof regular cleansing you get to decidewhat goes in your mouth. It is aconscious choice. And you get torelearn that you can indeed feel thesense of hunger and the world will notend. All traditional religions have apractice of fasting….and it is throughthis experience that the lesson that weare indeed spiritual beings having ahuman experience becomes clear. Bychoosing to take one week to limit thetype and quantity of food I eat I find Ican reframe my thinking back into aneat to live mentality….yes of course Istill love food! But I get to choosewhen to indulge and when to feedmyself truly healthy simple food andnot let food run my life.

High Vibrational and HighNutrient Density for the Win

It amazes me that in a culture wherethere is always so much food aroundthat so many of us are actually notproperly nutriented (yes I made thatword up) – what I mean is we areeating a ton of empty calories in oursuper sized life! So when I choose todo a dietary cleanse I am consciouslybringing in live, organic highvibrational and nutrient dense juice….and when our bodies get the nutritionwe need our bodies can do so muchmore for us! By day 4 of my cleanse Ialways am amazed at how much:

More energy I have, I don’t crashmid afternoonBetter I sleep, I fall asleep fasterand stay asleep easierLess bloated I am (typically theweight loss is never my goal, butto give you an idea I usually dropthat extra weight I’ve gained fromChristmas cookies…I’d saywomen average about 5 poundsand men 8-10 pounds)My skin glows

My sugar cravings disappear andhow sweet natural fruit andvegetables actually taste!More focused I am – in fact somuch so I will plan by day 4 or 5of my cleanse to start a projecteither a creative one or aorganizing around the house one

You see all of these processes (mentalfunction, energy production,detoxification, digestion, sleep,hormone function, immunity) requirenutrients to ensure they can happenproperly and when we aren’t eatinghigh nutrient dense foods we just don’tfunction optimally!

Simplicity

One of the most profound lessons Ilearn from a regular practice ofcleansing is that of simplicity. Fromthe mundane – in that while I amcleansing I don’t have to worry aboutmore than one meal a day so mykitchen stays cleaner and my day hasmore time in it. To the spiritual – inthat while I cleanse I have found Ioften am faced with listening to why Ieat and having to face those issues withactivities other than food has led tosome big life lessons on self care andhealing as opposed to stuffing downand burying my old wounds.

So…..what does my cleanse look like?What I have found working withpeople who are new to cleansing/fasting is that while the scientific re-search does support 2-3 days of strictliquid only cleanses that most peoplefind this way to overwhelming! Andoften times if we approach this type ofcleanse without having a certain levelof health already in place it can be veryoverwhelming on our bodies as well.So what I have developed is a 7 daypractice of 3 juices a day plus a snackand a meal…..I find that this meanspeople can stick with the full cleansemuch easier and actually by the timethey hit day four they actually can reapsome of the benefits and feel like they

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have really accomplished something!I won’t lie, the first three days are oftenchallenging….caffeine and sugarwithdrawal headaches are commonand you may feel grumpy/irritated/hungry or be more tired. Butsomething happens on day three whereall of this moves out and you do feelamazing!

So if this has stirred your interest andyou are:

Looking for a quick reset on yourhealth?

Feeling tired, stressed and justplain yucky?Looking to focus on portion sizesand clean up the amount ofprocessed foods you’re eating?Wanting to support your liver,kidneys and digestive tract tofunction optimally?Searching for a way for your bodyto release what it is holding ontothat no longer serves you?

The 7 Day Juice Cleanse will allowyou to cleanse your body mind andspirit! It is amazing all of the reasonswe eat that have nothing to do with

hunger. When you go through acleanse experience you begin to noticethe mental, emotional and spiritualways you use food. Once you noticethese reasons you can begin to shiftthem. And that allows you to begin totransform your food story into onewhere food serves you....not the otherway around!

Please reach out to me today and joinmy next group 7 day juice cleanse….Iwould love to share my tradition withyou.

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SOFT SPOTSby Abby Richards

When babies are born, they have softspots on the tops of their heads. Theseare parts of the bone that have yet tostrengthen and develop fully. Theyexist so that the baby’s brain is able toproperly grow during infancy.

But for some reason, it didn’t work thatway for me.

At a very young age, my parentsnoticed something about me: one sideof my head was slightly dentedlooking, as if it was sloped in. Slightlyoff. Shortly afterwards I was diagnosedwith craniosynostosis, a conditionwhere, instead of having soft spots, thebone fuses together prematurely.

The condition could result in abnormalhead shapes or facial features.

So at eleven months of age, I had myfirst surgery to correct it.

The surgery, though I remember noneof it, was a success. However, it onlyimproved the shape of my headstructure, and I was left with somefacial abnormalities, as expected.

The most prominent of the‘deformities’ was my nose, which wasturned to the side, and slappedcrookedly on my face. Also, I hadamblyopia, or lazy eye, as well as oneeye being higher than the other.

Essentially, my whole face was justslightly off-looking, and veryasymmetrical.

If we’re being poetic, I looked like alate Picasso painting. And if we’rebeing realistic, I just looked weird.

Just as a side note, I feel odd referringto my medical issues as “issues,” as allof them were almost exclusivelyappearance related, and did not affectmy physical health in any way.

For this reason, and countless others, Iam extremely lucky.

Then, about two years ago, I wasoffered another surgery, by the samesurgeon who had preformed the first.This surgery, he told me, was a “touchup” surgery, to go back and fix all thelittle problems that arose because ofthe first one.

My forehead. My lower eye. Mycheekbone. My nose.

And this, this was an extremelytempting offer. Because I hated theway I looked.

That may sound like a bold, startlingdeclaration, but it’s not. Trust me. In asociety where the aesthetic standard isprematurely made, it is so, so hard tolook in the mirror and like what yousee. I am not the only one who feelsthis.

But I knew, also, that my hatred for mylooks was different, detached, from theway other people hated their looks.

Because I hated my face for not being‘normal.’ I hated my nose for notlooking like a proper nose.

And here’s the thing about insecuritythat no one seems to ever mention:after a while, it gets quite tiring.

I was very tired.

I was tired of the bent nose pads of myglasses. Tired of trying to get myeyeliner just right so that my eyeswould look the same. Tired of tiltingmy head at the perfect angle in photos,just so I could bare the look of myself.Tired of obsessing over things no oneelse had to obsess over.

Because of how I hated all my flaws, Ihad begun to pick myself apart sosmall, trying to find aspect of myself Icould tolerate. I like my smile, I’d say,but only that little dimple. I like my

hair, but only when it’s curly. I like thefreckles on my arm, but not the fat onwhich they lay. I liked my nose, solong as I lived with my head titled tothe right.

I was tired of loving myselfconditionally. So I accepted to have thesurgery done.

It was sort of a hard decision to make.There were so many other opinions,some of them not even mine, that I hadto consider.

At one point, I was pretty sure I didn’teven want to have it done. I was youngand mad and sad. I remember thinking,“I don’t think there’s that much wrongwith me, but if that were true, Iwouldn’t have been offered thissurgery in the first place.”

It took me awhile to come to peacewith the decision I’d made.

My mother, Janet, who told me she feltstrong sympathy pain on my behalf,told me: “You don’t really need this,Abby.”

And that when I realized, people thesedays talk a lot about what we need.They say, “You don’t need all thatmakeup,” “You don’t need to dress likethat,” “You don’t need to be soopinionated.”

People, society, the world, they like totell you what you need. But no oneever seems to talk about want.

We are living in a paradox ofrequirements. You are told to love whatis inside of people, then are shownnothing but pictures of the outside. Youare expected to be strong enough todefy rules that they place for you. Youare expected to love yourselfunconditionally, in a world that feedsoff your self-hate. It’s sad, when youthink about it. So, what do you do? Yoube happy.

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Babies are born with soft spots on thetop of their heads, then they grow intoadults with soft spots all over theirbodies.

These are a different type of soft spots,but they, too, are places that are tender,sensitive. They are places you want toprotect, to hide from the rest of theworld. They are the places your eyesgo when you look in a mirror. They arethe places you can’t get over. Stomach,legs, arms, shoulders, waist, cheeks,skin, eyes. Nose. They are the placesyou hate.

We are told to love the bodies wearrive in, then told that we are notcomplete. So I’m going to tell yousomething I hope you already know:you are already complete. You do notneed to change a single thing aboutyou.

But it’s okay if you want to.

My most recent surgery, if you’rewondering, was a success. In recovery,at the hospital, they told me that Iwould have a day of remorse, which isapparently where I would feel so shittyand hate myself so bad that I wouldwonder over and over, why did I dothis why did I do this why did I dothis…

But that’s not what I remember most.

What I remember most is hobbling intothe hospital bathroom all bruised andnumb and broken, but healing. Iremember taking the bandage of mynose for the first time. Looking in themirror. Tilting my head one way, thenthe other. Running a finger down theslope of my nose gently. My nose. Ithought: I’d do it all over again, forthat nose. All over again.

I don’t know what you see when youlook at me. Maybe you’re like mymother, and don’t see the necessity ofhaving it done. Or maybe you’re quickto find discrepancies, and wonder why

I didn’t have it done sooner. I don’tknow what you see.

I only know what I see when I look atmyself. And that’s why I had it done.Because I know I didn’t need thissurgery. I know I could have lived mywhole life with my stupid, huge,unique nose. I know I didn’t need to dothis. But I wanted to.

So I urge you, love yourself inwhatever way you know how. I urgeyou, to not listen to the urges of anyone else. Because the only thinganyone should be urging you to be – Ishappy.

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WHY NOT BE AS UNIQUE AS ASNOWFLAKE?

by Sandra Wilson

So winter is here and that can be anuncomfortable time; the cold, the iceand the snow can really bring us down.But winter can actually be a reminderof how special life really is.

When we wake in the morning to afresh dusting of snow we think at first‘how pretty’. So why not start each daywith that same appreciative attitude.

When the sun is bright and the snowdeep our bodies cast a magnificentshadow. So why not, at that verymoment, make that shadow dance. Or,why not meet that shadow and make anangel of snow.

As snowflakes begin to fall from thesky try and catch a few in your gloves.Just as the snowflakes that fall, weeach have our own style, we are allunique. Why not imagine yourself asthat beautiful snowflake, differentfrom all others, beautiful in your ownright. Why not be as unique as asnowflake.

Winter can be a beast and make uswant to hibernate. But why notappreciate its beauty, create some funout of the cold and be as unique as asnowflake.

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YOU WANT ME TO SAY WHAT?by Annette Parker

Subtle Energies (viii)

Bay Bee Bye Bow Boo – Hay He HighHo Who. Really? So what will thesephrases do, to help you with your stresslevels and thought processes, you mayask? Perhaps you have heard of theIqubes, created by Quantum SoundTherapy, maybe you have not. Eitherway, read on to learn more!

In April of 2014, Andrea and Bill fromClearly Conscious, introduced me tothe instruments and personal soundfrequencies. The event, which wasscheduled for two hours, turned intofour! What an event it was! I left thatday with my own personal SOULTONES (i), and they immediatelybegan to shift my life, in profoundways.

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MyAdventureCalledLife

SOUL TONES (i) are a set of personalfrequencies, specifically created justfor you, to assist you with releasingpatterns (in your life) that are no longerserving any purpose. Your voice is amusical instrument. Everything aboutyou is carried within your voice. Bysaying “B” and “H” with each of thevowels, the Soul Tones, accesses bothsides of your brain. A 15 secondrecording of your voice is taken andprocessed through a computer programthat is specifically designed to capturean energetic sample of what is goingon within you, physically, emotionally,mentally and spiritually. Your voicesample can reveal the stresses andstrains that are affecting your healthand wellbeing. The program thencreates a 23 minute set of tones orfrequencies to listen to daily, whichhelps to set a condition for the body togo into a state of repair.

In the first few months of listening tomy own Soul Tones (personalfrequencies), I began to notice subtlechanges within myself. So often, Ihave found, we look for the ‘QuickFix’, and we don’t give enough credit,to the little things in our lives. Such asmusic, flowers and birds singing! Ibegan to observe my reactions tosituations and realized the judgementsand perceptions attached to thesesituations were no longer important. Ibegan seeing things, in myself andaround me with refreshed eyes! Ibelieve I was shifting, into ‘a higherquality of living’, in my life. I becameaware of my interactions with mychildren. This was a huge shift for me!And I began to understand some of thethings my mother had taught me that Ihad previously dismissed.

After a short period of time, my innerknowing shared with me that I wasmeant to have more of this, in my life.But how? At that time, I was blind to‘possibilities’. Everything was prettywell black and white and my situationwas running in the Red! I continued to

listen to my Soul Tones and that littlevoice, inside of me, kept pushing me,to try and look at situations, in adifferent manner. Then one day, mythoughts were overflowing, andpushing me, to make a decision, so Idid it. I purchased my first IQubeinstrument! I have not looked back. Icould not imagine, not having theseinstruments, in my life today.

Being a person of some skepticism, Irecall a time when I questioned, if thisstuff really worked. It was difficult forme, to wrap my head around the ideathat this white cylinder object couldcreate a scalar energy field and reallymake a difference. So, I went about myday, and as it progressed, I foundmyself going through a range ofemotions. As I drove down the mainstreet of my town, I became upset,happy, restless. If you are sensitive, toother people's energies around you,you know what I am talking about! Ihad a few errands to do, but was unableto complete them, due to the feeling ofcomplete overwhelmedness! I justneeded to go home. As I drove, Ithought to myself, “Well, so much forthis POCKET CUBE (ii), it isn’tworking!” Within minutes of arrivinghome, where I had my HARMONY(iii) and FOCUS IQUBES (iv) running,I began to feel myself “settle”. Then, Ilooked on the table, and saw that I didnot have my Pocket IQube with me!EUREKA! This stuff really did work!

The Pocket IQube (iii), is aninstrument that is meant to be withyou, when you are out and about. Oneclient reports it is like having a bubbleof protection around him, so he wasn’tso sensitive. It granted him theopportunity to experience some of thesimple things in life like going to theshopping mall and singing in thechurch choir. The larger IQubes aremeant to run in your home or office,24/7, to create a scalar energy field,This is truly unique! Because it hasthe ability to clear the cell memory and

restore coherence. A coherent fieldcannot hold the energy that supportsdisease!

The IQube(v) Instruments consist of: aMiracoil. This is like a transmitter, inthe scalar field, transmittingindividualized ‘audio tones’ of carbonenergy which assists in cellularstimulation. There are also five noblegases: helium, neon, argon, krypton,and xenon. Helium, provides an energyboost and assists, in opening theCrown Chakra; Neon, is helpful fordigestion and energies that have to dowith the Root Chakra; Argon,harmonizes relationships at home andwork, and the destruction of negativethoughts; Krypton, helps to balancewhat is happening at the psychic andconscious levels; and finally, Xenon,our aetheric field. It is comprised ofxenon gas and is most useful forregeneration. Flower and Goldessences are also added to assist on theemotional and spiritual levels of thehuman energy fields. So, thecombination of this inside of the IQubeinstrument, playing a variety offrequencies, to address specific issuesall day and night, will make adifference, in your environment, andbeing.

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Since listening to my personal tones,and having the IQube Instruments inmy daily life, I have noticed so muchchange occurring. I am able to identifypatterns and behaviours that I wasoblivious to before, and changingthem! My mind, emotions, andconsciousness have dynamicallyimproved. A client the other day cameto me in a state of hopelessness anddespair. We did what is referred to as a‘Personal’ or ‘One on One’ session,where he listened to his own SoulTones. Through the instruments andupon completion, he felt relaxed andfocused. It is truly a meditativeexperience!

I am grateful for having met Andreaand Bill from Clearly Conscious (vi)for setting me on this wondrous path.If you too are interested, in learningmore about Quantum Sound Therapy(vii) and the IQube Technologies, Ihave included some helpful resources,for you to peruse, at your leisure.Enjoy!

RESOURCES

i) Soul Toneshttps://clearlyconscious.ca/personal-sound-frequencies/

ii) Pocket IQubehttps://clearlyconscious.ca/pocket-iqube/

iii) Harmony IQubehttps://clearlyconscious.ca/harmony/

iv) Focus IQubehttps://clearlyconscious.ca/focus-icube/

v) IQube Instrumentshttps://clearlyconscious.ca/product-information/iqubes/

vi) Clearly Conscioushttps://clearlyconscious.ca/media/

vii) Quantum Sound Therapyhttp://quantumsoundtherapy.com/about-us/

viii) Subtle Energies http://subtle-energies.webs.com/quantumscalersound.htm

* * *

AN INTRODUCTIONTO LIGHT LANGUAGEby Barbara Andrew

I’m so looking forward to chattingabout Light Language at the January18 Evening of Sharing. Speaking theLanguage of Light was something thatbegan about 5 years ago when I wastaking a course called ’Awesomism.’Awesomism offered a differentperspective on autism. It saw thesechildren and adults, especially thenonverbal ones, as often havingbrilliant skills and insights that wecould tap into and appreciate if we justunderstood them. Speaking LLaugments skills in intuition whichallow us to potentially communicatewith everyone more effectively. It getsthe ‘head’ out of the way and invites inlove.

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Light Language seems to be an innateability of human beings and somethingthat we may all be able to do if it’swhat we choose to do so. LL comes inmany forms and allows forcommunication on a subtle level. Itseems to smooth out edges and supporta more relaxed state of mind. When Ispeak it in groups, people often getdifferent ‘messages’ that are uniqueand helpful to them individually.

Light Language is a healing modalitythat works alone of with other forms ofhealing to help people feel better.

It’s an interesting journey for me as theLL unfolds. In some ways it seems tooffer a gateway or portal into adifferent world, a different way ofseeing things. And at the same timesoffers a nurturing safety, almost likebeing held in open palms. It’s anadventure, a new journey, a transitionthat seems comfortably familiar.

There’s more to say, but the best wayto communicate may be to hear it foryourself. Please just come andexperience it. I can assure you thatyou’ll enjoy the evening.

* * *

MIND MEDICINEby Bob Smith

Amanda Holyfield didn’t realize untilher first year of university that herfamily’s musical inclinations wereunusual. And it was her third year

before she recognized how that back-ground might pay off.

In her first year, she connected withanother girl down the hall in residence.Sara invited Amanda to visit her homein Kingston for four days during theChristmas break. It took almost twofull days for Amanda to identify thesource of her discomfort, which wasn’tbecause of the parents, dog, or threecats. It wasn’t even the youngerbrother, who might be annoying butwasn’t creepy or anything. It was thesilence.

At her own home, turning on musicwas the first thing anyone did in themorning, and it remained on until lastthing at night, background to theirlives.

It wasn’t that Sara’s family dislikedmusic, but the attitude was quitedifferent from what Amanda was usedto. For Sara’s family, music indicateda specific activity. If you wanted tohear something, you chose itthoughtfully, then listened withconcentration, then turned off the CDplayer or iPod when finished. Musicwas for attentive focus, notbackground.

Back at school, Amanda began turningoff whatever was playing when Saravisited. This was the first time she hadfelt a connection of this depth and shedidn’t want to jeopardize it. Previously,she had had a few friends, people whoshared her interests, but this wassomehow deeper. She knew she andSara had much in common too, but forthe first time, felt valued for who shewas deep inside, not simplyappreciated for more superficial thingslike long blonde hair, being tall forbasketball, or playing piano.

One of the things they shared was theambition to become teachers. ForAmanda, that hadn’t changed in yearsand university simply confirmed it. Inhigh school, she had worked summers

at a children’s camp and found thework very satisfying, mostly becauseshe was good at it. She had patience,even with those kids other staffmembers found exasperating. Sherecognized the value in everyone,treated all with respect, something thekids appreciated. She knew that wasn’talways the case.

She particularly liked eveningcampfires where she could take aleadership role, her musical back-ground and abilities allowing her toshine. By her fourth summer at CampForest, she organized and led thecampfires by herself. Others were quitecontent to let that happen, just like theway she herself took a back seat duringswimming sessions, outdoor campcraft, and canoeing. She was shy bynature, except when somethinginvolved music; then she assertedherself.

Her high school guidance counsellorhad told her, “Make sure you do somevolunteer work. Competition forTeachers’ College can be quite stiff.Your camp background will help, butyou need to diversify that.”

That’s how she ended up at TheMacArthur Centre, which specializedin children with autism. There hadbeen children at camp who might havebeen a little beyond some officialdefinition of ‘normal’ but Amandahadn’t cared. She believed everyonewas entitled to fair treatment and didn’tparticipate in any of the gripingsessions the other counsellors seemedto have every night after the kids wentto bed. She believed most kid-problems could be traced to thesupposedly more mature staff, thatchildren could sense how a person feltand since they were otherwisepowerless, acted out.

Autism was totally different, she soondiscovered. Whether it was obsessionwith dinosaurs, refusal to make eyecontact, total panic at being touched, or

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any of the other hundred things whichcould trigger a complete meltdown,these kids were unlike those fromcamp.

They still deserve respect she toldherself. Just because they behave andreact differently doesn’t change the factthey are human and merit the sametreatment the rest of us demand. Oneof her pet peeves was that some peopleseemed to change their attitudebecause of a person’s age. Just becausesomeone is younger – or older for thatmatter – doesn’t alter their rights shebelieved. She had witnessed the samethoughtlessness in a number ofsituations, for example someonespeaking loudly to a person who didn’tspeak English, as if it was simply amatter of volume.

At first, she was intimidated, not surewhat she could offer. Amanda was notvery confident with anything new andthese children were unlike any she hadever encountered. She couldn’t picturethem singing camp songs like ‘Titanic’with its sinking actions or enjoyingstories like ‘Prinderella and the Cince’,where letters were intentionallyreversed.

However, when she voiced herreservations to Mr. Mulroney, thedirector, his response caught her offguard.

“Most of these kids love music, thoughit isn’t always obvious. For example,Albert scowls and refuses to look at theperson. But that’s normal for him. Ifyou look closely, you will see his leftfoot wiggling. It isn’t in time to themusic, but for him that’s a sign of greatapproval and enjoyment. If you’remusical, you should think about howthat could be part of our treatmentprograms.”

Amanda thought about that back at theresidence. These kids don’t respond toanything the way you expect shethought. Why would I think they would

react to music like the rest of us? Iwouldn’t play them an atonal thing bySchoenberg she decided. Nor would Ioffer something strident or intense likeFlight Of The Bumblebees. After a fewmore minutes, she settled onPachelbel’s Canon in D. As a child shehad decided that if Earth wasdiscovered by an advanced alien race,that music would be the ticket forhumanity to enter some kind ofGalactic Federation, proof we werecivilized and capable of producinggreat beauty.

Do I have that on CD? she wondered.Then, There could be an entire careerin this.

* * *

MUSIC THERAPY IN THENATURAL AND SPIRITUAL

WORLDby Christine Nightingale

“Music has charms to sooth thesavage breast.”

If music be the food of love, play on.”

Poets and writers instinctively feel theconnection between music and thespiritual .And so do ordinary people,including little children soothed by amother’s wordless lullaby in the dawnof prehistory, in a cave somewhere inthe south of France. (For I believe thathuman language originated in amother’s lullaby, just as paleolithic

cave drawings made by hunters by thelight of a torch were the first humanart.)

And in our time the singer of modernlove songs tries to persuade hisbeloved how much he loves her in hissong(from “am I rough enough, am Irich enough...I’m not too blind to see”from the Rolling Stones to “She lovesyou” by the Beatles ..

Where are the origins of music? Lookno farther than the dawn chorus...birdssinging the sun up, as in indigenouslegends) which scientists havedetermined makes the stomata(pores)on leaves open , so that theycan absorb the nutrients they needfrom the sun and water. In fact,successful greenhouses pipe inrecordings of bird songs in themorning, so that this natural gift isavailable to the seedlings.

Consider the soothing music of a catpurr, which I was blessed with beforestarting this article in the wee hours ofthe morning .Again, scientists havenow determined that the lovely lullabyemitted by a happy cat, whether amother nursing her kittens, or adomestic feline serenading the onewho gives him food ,shelter andlove)vibrates at the correct frequencyto help bones heal.

Spirit Babies often connect themselvesto a small flying thing like a butterflyor a bird, which then gets the motheror father’s attention by acting inunusual ways. Last night my phoneclient’s Spirit Baby went one better bymanaging to operate a door chime(orthe person who rang it.)

We were having a conversation aboutthe many ways in which Spirit getsyour attention by making manifestentries into the ‘real’ world.

I explained to her that my mother, whopassed 7 years ago, still looked in onme from time to time. Once I was in a

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store I frequently enter, which hadnever before (or since, to myknowledge) had public serviceannouncements or piped in music.Well, I was missing my mom, and allof a sudden, her favourite song cameover the loudspeakers. The wholesong played. I was bathed in theknowledge that she had managed tocontrive this answer to my grief. Thesong ended, no further music, noannouncement of any sort...to any earsbut my own. My mom had sent herspirit message of comfort to me in herown way.

At the end of our hour of discussion of“spirit moving in mysterious ways,”before embarking on our trancesession, the client suddenly gave animpromptu speech to her Spirit Babysaying ”Yes, I have one more question,when are you coming, when are youreally coming , what more do I have todo,” and words to that effect. Suddenlyshe heard the doorbell. She wasstartled and said “someone is at thedoor” and she exited stage left to dealwith that “interruption.” G... returnedin a couple of minutes saying there wasno one there. I told her,’ You missedsomething.”

“What?’

“Your Spirit Baby somehow contrivedto let you know he was there by gettingsomeone to ring the doorbell at just themoment you had finished your littlespeech, asking for a sign.

The future mom, still clued out, said“But it’s nighttime and I don’t want toanswer the door, I wasn’t expectinganyone.....”

“Yes, and your Spirit Baby was tellingyou that it was time you wereexpecting someone.”

You see, children are fresh from Spirit.Some of them hold onto that for a longtime (up to the age of 7, which theCatholic Church calls the” age of

reason” .... supposedly children can putaway childish things at that age). Butin fact the tragedy is that this is whenmost children forget that they cometrailing clouds of glory.

My four year old granddaughter toldher mom that once in another time, shewas the mom and her mother was thedaughter. Now she is 7, and hasprobably let go of hat knowledge. Mynot-yet-two year old grand-daughterspontaneously says the Dutch wordsfor yes and no (yah and nee) which noone has taught her. My son’s wife half-jokingly told me that she must havebeen Dutch in her past life. (I actuallyknow this is the case. My beloved AuntCorrie promised me after her passingthat she was coming back as one of mygrandchildren.)

I know I was 5 when I stopped seeingangels in the garden...because Irealised that my brother could not seethem.

But the Wild Things, Mother Nature’schildren, never stop singing thecelestial music, if only we had ears tohear them.

Everyone knows that birds sing,although most do not know the truesignificance of that song in theinterplay between plants and animalswhich is no more mysterious than thatbetween a conductor and the orchestra.

Actually “All Nature sings and roundme rings the music of the spheres”(from the centuries-old hymn), iscompletely true .It is true on all scalesand in all environments, from theleviathan of the ocean, to the cricket inthe grass.

Whales can sing four songconversations at once, which can beheard as deep sonic booms hundreds ofmiles away by others of their kind. Andwhen the songs are captured onrecording devices and speeded up to becomprehensible to humans, they sound

remarkably like classical music.

On the other end of the size spectrum,crickets chirp on summer nights in mygarden just at dusk. When one recordstheir song and slows it downconsiderably ,again in order to make itcomprehensible to human ears, onehears the same sort of angelic music.

Looking for music therapy? Look nofurther than the manifestations of Spiritwhich are all around you, in thehealing songs of Mother Nature.

* * *

Dear Angels,

My mother is 85 years old and in goodhealth. She still drives her car, lives ather house with my dad and is outshopping and visiting family andfriends. She keeps mentioning to methat she doesn't see any purpose in herlife and that she is waiting, somewhatimpatiently to pass on. She says herbody is deteriorating and she doesn'thave as much energy as she used to.My mom has not been a spiritualperson until about six months ago,when she received a message from hermom who passed away many yearsago. She doesn't remember themessage but she said it felt reallywonderful and positive. How can I helpher?

Deirdre M, Caledon.

Dear Deirdre,

Elderly people usually think aboutdeath much more than in their earlier

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Dear Angels ...________________

JILL MICHELLE

years. This is normal to a certainextent, but to want to leave is a signthat she doesn't know her purpose. It isa good sign that she knows somethingis amiss, and that will help to motivateher to change her ways. As we age andbecome less able to do the things weused to do, our purpose changes also.

The elder years are a perfect time forlearning and expanding meditationpractice. We have much more time onour hands than ever before and due tolessening body strength, and fewerphysical activities filling our lives, webecome more calm and quiet andtherefore conducive to spiritualconnection and advancement.Connecting to Holy Spirit is such anamazing way to enrich our lives and tobring in love, peace, joy and hope, andall that God has for us. That alone is awonderful purpose, and in addition,asking the Holy Spirit to bring ourspecific purpose into our consciousminds can change the way we view ourselves and our lives. If you ask Him,He will deliver.

Many elderly people come for angelreadings. The angels give theminformation that enhances theirremaining years on Earth. One of theirmain purposes is to pray for theirfamily, friends, acquaintances, and theworld. Selfless, honest, humble andfervent prayers are taken by yourguardian angels directly to God.Whatever gifts or information or helpthat God has is given to the guardianangels and then returned to the personyou prayed for. Prayer is so powerful.You will definitely notice an amazingdifference in the people you pray for.

In this way, the matriarch of the familyhas a very important role, and can bemuch more effective in helping othersthan she was when she was moreactive; running here and there anddoing material-world activities. Weshould all be so fortunate to make it toan elderly age!

Another of the main purposes ispersonal growth in a spiritual manner.This is significant because when wepass over, we are placed into theechelon that matches our spirituallevel. The higher the echelon the moreopportunities we have to helpourselves and others in the nextjourney. The higher the echelon thecloser we are to God. Releasingnegativity, and increasing peace arehugely important in advancing on ourspiritual path. Non-judgment, repent-ance and forgiveness bring in mercy,light and the glory realm.

You can help your mom by giving herthis information. You can only openthe door, she is the one who needs towalk through it. You can only do yourbest, no more and no less, and the restis up to her. Answer the questions sheasks, but try not to overwhelm her withmore than she can understand.

Sending you love and blessings,Your angels,

channelled through Jill Michelle.

Dear Angels,

My best friend is a good and moralperson, and believes in God, but is notactively seeking spiritually in any way.Will she go to heaven?

Melvin S., Toronto

Dear Melvin,

Yes, your friend will go to heaven.There are many levels in heaven asstated above, and your friend will fitinto one of those levels. The higher theperson raises on their personal spirituallevel, meaning their connection toHoly Spirit while on Earth, the bettertheir heavenly destination will be.Whatever level they achieve here willbe the “floor” of heaven, so to speak,where their heavenly spirit will reside.The higher the level the more optionsthey have to serve others; sometimesby teaching in a heavenly class room,or tending gardens more beautiful than

our limited minds could imagine. I'veseen heavenly spirits working in hugelibraries, and other buildings andcreating all kinds of glorious things.Again, you can open the door for yourfriend by explaining your concerns, buteach individual must make a consciouschoice to further herself along thespiritual path.

Sending you love, peace, and joy,Your angels,

channelled through Jill Michelle

The angels love to answer questions.Please send your questions to:

jillmichelle.ca@gmail.com

* * *

MUSIC THERAPYby Colleen Heighinton

Music is therapyDid you even know?That music can be comfortingWhether singing or just tapping yourtoes!!!

Some music is so soothingIt can make you fall asleepI'd rather have it this wayThan counting all those sheep!!!

You can even go to a concertAnd sing along to your heart's contentPerhaps that's the therapy you neededA wise choice for the money that youhave spent!!!

Music is for our well beingEven though we might not see it thatwayMusic will be around ForeverIt's here my friends to stay!!!

So sing yourself a tune todayI'm sure that it will bring you a smileMusic Therapy is for the Mind, Bodyand SoulSo say Good Bye to those JanuaryBlahs... for at least a little while!!!!!

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FOCUS ON VOLUNTEERINGby Kristen Feduck

Family Literacy Day

Family Literacy Day is a nationalawareness initiative held annually onJanuary 27th to raise awareness of theimportance of reading and engaging inother literacy-related activities as afamily. For parents who are illiterate orhave low-literacy skills, the challengeof reading to their children is not justabout finding the time. At The LiteracyGroup, the organization works year-round is to provide ‘…free,confidential one-to-one, small groupand computer training by offeringpeople the support they need toimprove the Essential Skills requiredfor work, learning and life as a meansto enhance quality of life.’ This issomething that the organizationachieves with the help of volunteers.

Lynn has been a dedicated volunteertutor with The Literacy Group for 6years. Prior to starting to tutor students,volunteers who sign up with TheLiteracy Group take a literacy trainingcourse. The training course is providedto teach tutoring techniques forteaching adults. Ongoing training isalso offered. Lynn is now retired andtypically volunteers 6 hours eachweek. After working for her entire

adult life, Lynn felt that it was time togive back to the community. She alsodidn’t want the pressure of paidemployment. She felt it was a naturalfit, since she always enjoyed studyingEnglish in school.

Did you know that 24% of adults inour region have literacy issues? I askedLynn to tell me a bit more about thepeople who use the Literacy GroupServices. She talks about adults whowant to upgrade their literacy andcomputer skills, some of whom arehoping for improved job prospects andsome of whom simply want to learn toimprove their quality of life. Somestudents speak English as a SecondLanguage and are seeking to upgradetheir English skills. Others may have alearning disability and had difficultylearning at the same pace as their peersin school. As Lynn says “Everybodyhas their own reason for coming.”Learners don’t need to have the goal ofupgrading their skills for employment-related purposes; they just have towant to learn.

We all know about the challenges thatthose who are illiterate or who havelow-literacy skills have in finding andretaining employment. Help changethe power of poverty by signing up tovolunteer today.

The Literacy Group is currentlysearching for Adult Literacy Tutors

and volunteers to join theirBoard of Directors. See

http://theliteracygroup.com/become-a-volunteer/ for more information

about these opportunities.

To experience the benefits ofvolunteerism, like Lynn, search the

online Volunteer OpportunitiesDatabase at

https://volunteercambridge.cioc.ca/volunteer/ or call the Volunteer Centre

at 519-621-1030, ext. 234.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESIN GUELPH

Job Coach and ProgramFacilitator AssistantTorchlight Services

Provide leadership and support toparticipants in a vocational setting.Assist Torchlight Program staff in thedelivery of various day optionprograms.

Ease Into Canada Job CoachImmigrant ServicesGuelph-Wellington

You will work directly with refugeesthrough the Danby Refugee Resettle-ment program to help them findappropriate work. This involveshelping them with their resume andcoaching them on interviewing skills.You will work with them to searchIndeed and Kijiji and help them apply.You will show them how to applydirectly to businesses in their area. Youwill take them to places like ImmigrantServices Guelph-Wellington, Luther-wood and 2nd Chance. You will helpthem with the hard work of findingwork. Our goal is to help them breakinto the job market to gain Canadianexperience.

Trees for Tots VolunteerChildren's Foundation ofGuelph and Wellington

Trees for Tots volunteers will supportthe Children's Foundation with theirannual Christmas tree curbsidecollection. If you have a truck, you cancollect trees in your own truck. If youdon't have a truck, you can ride alongwith someone who does.

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14

An Evening of Sharing: The Inner ChildFrom left to right: Liz Lermitte, Sandra Wilson

-- our amazng speakers!

Gift baskets, ready to be taken to Smitten Apparel.All proceeds from sales are being donated to charity.

Sharing: our stories, our selves, our successThe official launch of Volume 4!

Craft Volunteer (Creative Arts)Homewood Health Centre

Volunteers will work closely withRecreation Therapy staff to assist withHomewood patient crafts sessions. Thevolunteer will provide a creative andsocial environment for the develop-ment of skills and to enhance s senseof well-being using ceramics. Thisposition requires a regular weeklycommitment.

Meals On Wheels VolunteerVictorian Order of Nurses,

Waterloo Wellington Dufferin,Mount Forest Office

Volunteers are needed to deliver mealsto clients in the Guelph area.Deliveries are done in teams of two(one driver and one runner). Volunteerpositions are available for both tasks.

For more information about theseand other volunteer opportunities in

Guelph, please visitwww.pinnetwork.ca.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESIN KITCHENER-WATERLOO

Volunteer Action Centre:Enthusiastic teen volunteers needed in2nd semester on our Volunteer ActionTeam. Meet weekly and have fungiving back!

Parkwood Seniors’ Community:Make a new friend and sit down witha senior during mealtime. Get to knowthem, share stories and share laughs.

Community Music School of WaterlooRegion: Are you a musician who likesworking with youth? Piano, guitar andvoice instructors needed to teach youthin the community.

Lisaard House/Innisfree House:Start making moments matter today –preparing meals, cleaning or baking tosupport those living in hospice.

Frontier College: Become a volunteertutor and spend time helping youth ingrades 1-12 with math, science andEnglish skills.

Mennonite Central Committee:Interact with sponsoring groups acrossOntario, and arrange the creation/delivery of welcome kits to newrefugee families.

For more information about theseand other volunteer opportunities in

Kitchener-Waterloo, please visitwww.volunteerkw.ca.

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SHARING: OUR STORIES, OURSELVES, OUR SUCCESS (VOL 4)

by Lisa Browning

When I published the first volume ofSharing: our stories, our selves, oursuccess in December of 2013, I had nointention of publishing a second one ...let alone a third or a fourth. I hadintended for the volume to be astandalone anthology, of women’sempowerment stories. It was not untila male friend of mine, after havingread a couple of the stories in Volume1, stated that I should do a men’svolume that I actually considered it.

“Are you going to write for me?” Iasked him. When he said “yes” I knewmy decision was made, and Volume 2was published in November of 2014.

Volume 3, a second volume ofwomen’s stories, followed inDecember 2015 ... and then there wasa bit of a hiatus until Volume 4, thesecond volume of men’s stories, waspublished in December of this year. Ittook a while to get enough men tocommit to sharing their story, a realityI attribute to the fact that a lot of menjust don’t want to be vulnerable.

I am so grateful for the 16 men whoshared their stories in this volume.Their courage, their honesty – and, yes,their vulnerability – is to becommended.

Books are available through the OneThousand Trees online bookstore atwww.ottbookstore.com.

* * *

NEW BEGINNINGS ANDNEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

by Danielle Hughes

The rise and fall of 2017 has left awake of shake ups in so many lives,including mine. I am so excited that Iam in a place where I could rise up tothe call for an Editor of the Health andWellness section of One ThousandTrees. This is an opportunity that onceI would have seen and sighed wistfullyabout, then scrolled past the post onfacebook. The general stress of life hadbuilt up to a point where I was holdingback from opportunities because Ifrankly had no energy to engage them,this last year brought about so manychanges and pushed me to close doorsthat I did not think I could. By closingthose doors, I was opened to awhirlwind of opportunity and an influxof amazing energy. Put simply, 2017was hard but it’s lessons were wellneeded.

Being able to engage with this amazingcommunity and share in my passionsfor writing, learning and wellness is agreat pleasure. I am a published authorin several anthologies and am currentlyworking on a book of poetry and afiction novel. I have a background inhealth care and holistic healing that Ifeel brings a well-rounded perspectiveon the importance of health andwellness. I am a respiratory therapistwith a specialization in sleep medicine.As I worked professionally, I alsocontinued my education in holistichealing. I have studied energy healing,metaphysical philosophy and body-

work techniques that help the body toengage in its own natural healingprocess. I am currently working withthe Purple Door in Cambridge offeringsessions, workshops and classes.

It is an honour to be able to introducemyself to you, but I wanted to offersomething a little more in my firstarticle as Editor of Health andWellness. Before I sign off, here aresome thoughts on New Year’sResolutions and how to help keepthem!

I have never put too much into theconcept of New Year’s resolutions.Each year many people set a resolutionfor the New Year, a concept of whatthey wish to achieve and attain on alarge scale but without a solid plan.New Year’s resolutions tend torepresent a lofty goal or dream.Resolutions are set with the best ofintention but because there is noframework or a true guide to achievethem, they often lose steam and fall tothe wayside. Don’t get me wrong,intention setting is a powerful tool butit is a small piece of the puzzle andrequires much more to maintain andachieve. As you look onto the NewYear, look to what you desire and setthe intention for achieving that dreamand set small achievable goals. Eachday, week or month have a small goalin mind that will build up to thatdream. Break it down into steps thatare less overwhelming and that willhelp you build a steady momentumtowards ultimate success. It is in thesmall victories that we remain engagedtowards that higher dream.

What does this have to do with Healthand Wellness? The majority of NewYear’s resolutions have something todo with health or wellness in someway. For example, focusing more onself-care might be your New Year’sresolution but what does that look like?Self-care can mean so many things,how will you define self-care? Doesthis mean having a bath once a week,

17

buying a new book, going for amassage, attending meditation classes,going to the gym or maybe all of theabove. So how do you measure successin your resolution when it is so wideopen? Frankly, you cannot. Look atyour goal for the year, define it andgive it a time frame. Sticking with theexample of focusing on self-care as aresolution you can break that downinto daily, weekly and monthlyactivities you dedicate a specificamount of time to. For example:

2018 Self Care Resolution: In 2018, Iwill dedicate 30 minutes a day toreading a book or a magazine thatsupports my creativity. I will dedicate2 one hour time slots to pamperingmyself with a bubble bath and homespa experience once a week. I willdedicate time and money to purchasingand attending a holistic service once amonth. I will put $10 a week away sothat I can go away on a spa weekendgetaway by the beginning of 2019.

Keeping your goals attainable is thekey to preventing burn out, andremember sometimes life does getbusy and you may not be able to booka massage one month because of otherresponsibilities- that’s okay! Don’t behard on yourself, be flexible and stickto your smaller goals and keep themomentum going.

Happy New Year!

* * *

18

NEXT MONTH ....IN ONE THOUSAND TREES

Our focus for February is EquineTherapy.

"Let a horse whisper in your earand breathe on your heart. You will

never regret it."~ Author Unknown

Do you have an inspiring story you’dlike to share?

If you know of any community wellnessevents taking place in February, pleasecomplete and send us the Event Listingform found on the magazine page ofour website.

Articles are always welcome for any ofour “regular” departments ...

ConnectionsCreativity and the Arts

Food and NutritionGiving Back

Health and WellbeingThe Library

Deadline for submissions isJanuary 20.

As always, we look forward to hearingfrom you with any feedback or articleideas!

lisa@onethousandtrees.com

The Grand River flows300 kilometres throughsouthwestern Ontariofrom the highlands of

Dufferin County to PortMaitland on Lake Erie.

The Grand RiverConservation Authority

manages water andother natural resources

on behalf of 39municipalities andclose to one million

residents.

One Thousand Trees’target market is defined

by the borders of theGrand River Watershed.

Department Editorsare responsible for

promoting practitioners,events and volunteeropportunities in thecities of Brantford,

Cambridge, Guelph,Kitchener, and Waterloo.

Visit the Grand RiverConservation Authorityat www.grandriver.ca.