Relaxing Holidays

Ok, so the Christmas carols have been playing in the malls since Halloween and the decorations and trees have been around since a day after that so you should be used to the heightened energy around. But now it's December...the holiday season has "officially" arrived! (According to my calendar at least...)

So is it possible to stay relaxed this season? Absolutely! Here's how...

#1. Breathe. Taking a few deep breaths will help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest instead of fight or flight) and it can help decrease the levels of cortisol - a stress hormone - in your body.

#2. Get organized ahead of time. Figure out who and what you want to buy. Figure out what you want to bake and serve for entertaining and the ingredients you need.

#3. Make a list. Just like Santa he needs to know what gift goes to who - follow the example of this age old fella' and make your list too.

#4. Plan your outing. To save time and wasteful back and forth traveling plot your route and the stores you need to visit along the way. Bring your list of who you're buying for in each store. Bring your black cloth bags to the grocery store so you can grab your baking supplies on the way home.

#5. Don't be in a rush. Give yourself plenty of time. Put some nice holiday music on (Elvis's Christmas is my favourite) and enjoy the journey! :)

Enjoy the holiday season!
Lee Anne and The Healing Oasis team

David Suzuki...Remember The Big Picture

I had the pleasure of attending the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors annual convention Nov 13-15 in Toronto. Furthermore, it was an honour to have David Suzuki kick off the weekend with a powerful presentation, which was open to the public.

David was passionate and eloquent as he described our earth and how humans are the species that have had the most impact on the planet. Some scientists say it’s too late and we have irreversibly damaged our home. However, David says to them “shut up and get out of the way,” it is never too late to make a change. And it’s important to remember the big picture – we should all have the same goal – to live in a healthy place. Governments need to listen to what Canadians truly want.

What kind of Canada do you want to live in? What do you want Barrie to be like in 25 – 30 years? Would you like to be able to drink from Lake Simcoe? Would you like to not worry about the air we breathe when we are standing within sight of highway 400? Would you like to know that your food is free from chemicals? Would you like to be sure that your health problems are not caused by environmental pollution, chemicals or even the houses we live in?

We can all agree that we want a beautiful, clean, healthy place to live, work and raise our children. If we all agree on that, then we have a common goal we can work towards.

The take home message for me?
There are small, simple things I can do at home and at our wellness centre to start making an impact on our environment and people’s health. Also, it is up to us to let our governments know that where we live and how clean it is matters to us and it should matter to them and their families as well.

I would like to encourage a discussion on our environment and our health. Please post a comment and become a follower of our blog to continue this conversation. Together, change will make a difference.

Yours in health,

Whitney Young, ND

Paying Thanks Forward

Thanksgiving is the tradition of giving thanks for what one has and the bounty of the past year. At The Healing Oasis we have many things to be thankful for; of which, our wonderful clients who continue to be dedicated to their own well-being, are who we celebrated and gave thanks for this October.

In celebration, we offered a gift of purple tulip bulbs to each of our clients as a token of our gratitude. And in the spirit of paying thanks forward, we also gave each client a thank you card which they could give to someone in their life to express their gratitude to and give them the gift of health.

We really enjoyed the feedback and the kind words from those we did see in October and we look forward to seeing you all during the winter months. If we didn't see you we hope you all enjoyed and gave thanks for the beautiful colours Mother Earth provided, we hope you all enjoyed a bountiful feast with friends and loved ones, and we wish you all the best of health throughout the year.

Sincerely,
Lee Anne and The Healing Oasis Team :)

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the
highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy