The CAMROSE BOOSTER, April 19, 2022 – Page 4
Managing your stress through meditation Seven generations Right now, this spring 2022, there seems more turmoil in the world that I’ve experienced since I was old enough to notice or care what’s happening in the world. Sometime in my 20s, I was told that when the Indigenous people of North America were making a decision for the tribe, they considered how their decision would affect the next seven generations. When I heard that, I couldn’t get my mind around seven generations. I couldn’t imagine how long that would be, or how you could even think about it. Seven generations? Inconceivable. That was then and this is now. *** When I was a little girl, one of my great-grandfathers was still alive–my mother’s mother’s father. He was an important part of my childhood. We visited him at his farm and he was part of our family gatherings. He told us stories and jokes. My mom told us stories about him from her childhood–like how, back in the 1920s when he first got a motorized car, he’d say, “Whoa” when he came to the gate and the stupid car didn’t stop. He had to repair the gate many times. Time passed. My great-grandfather was still alive when my son was born. We have a photo of five generations of our family–my great-grandfather, my grandmother (his daughter), my mother, me and my son. Time passed. My great-grandfather died, and we had four living generations. Years later, when my children were teenagers, my grandmother died. Our family was down to three living generations–our parents, my generation of brothers and sisters, and our children. Time passed. My children grew into adults and had children. We had four living generations. And then, thirteen years ago, one of my children’s children had a child. Our family was back to five living generations. We have another five generation photo– my mother, me, my daughter, her son and his daughter. *** It took a couple of years before it occurred to me that I have personally experienced seven generations of one family. Count them: my great-grandfather’s generation, my grandparents, my parents, my generation, our children, our grandchildren and now our great-grandchildren. The idea of thinking about seven generations is no longer just a concept. It’s real and personal. I have memories and current experiences of seven generations. Now it’s not at all a stretch to imagine my great-grandchildren having children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. *** When we become parents, we’re so immersed in dayto-day stuff that it’s hard to imagine far into the future. In the busy years of raising children, my concept of “future generations” was “my children making it to adulthood.” Lots of days that was impossible to imagine. I’ve heard from other grandparents and great-grandparents that something happens to the concept of “future generations” when it becomes not just personal but multi-generational. We’ve lived long enough to think a decade whooshes by. (I hadn’t got used to the idea of in my 70s when I turned 80.) We hold a new infant grandchild or great-grandchild and it seems such a short time ago that the baby’s parents or grandparents were babies themselves. The Circle of Life. *** I know from experience that when “seven generations” becomes real and personal, my opinions and priorities change. Our current living generations of humanity have created some interesting challenges. As we’re making decisions, not just about our own lives, but collective decisions about our environment and economy and systems of government, our willingness and ability to think about the impact on seven generations will be a great asset. The decades are whooshing by. Let’s choose to rise to the seven-generation challenges. ***
I’d love to hear from you. If you have comments about this column or suggestions for future topics, send an email to Bonnie@BonnieHutchinson.com. I’ll happily reply within one business day.
By Murray Green
April is Stress Awareness Month. Meditation is one way to help you relax and relieve stress. The goal of mindful meditation is to focus your attention on the things that are happening right now, in the present moment. The idea is to note what you experience without trying to change it, according to Alberta Health Services. Meditation can help you relax, because you are not worrying about what happened before or what may occur in the future. You don’t need any special tools or equipment to practice this meditation. You just sit in a comfortable position in a chair or on the floor. Or you can lie down, if that is more comfortable. If your mind wanders, don’t worry or judge yourself. When you become aware that your thoughts are wandering, simply focus again on the present
moment. One way to do this is by paying attention to your body. For example, is your breathing fast or slow, deep or shallow? Meditation may bring up certain feelings or emotions. If this happens, don’t try to rid your mind of these feelings. Just focus on what you feel at the present moment. Don’t get lost in the thoughts that those feelings might trigger. Choose a time and place where you can meditate without being interrupted. Try to find a quiet place, but don’t worry if there are some noises, such as traffic. That kind of noise is just part of the present moment. When you start, try to meditate for only 10 minutes at a time. Then you can increase the time bit by bit. You can also try meditating for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.
Sit in a comfortable position, either in a chair or on the floor. Or you can lie down, if that is more comfortable. You can close your eyes, or you can look down, keeping your gaze a few centimetres in front of you on the floor. As you sit, start to pay attention to your breathing. This is a good way to focus your attention on what is happening right now. Don’t try to change your breathing. Just notice how it feels in your lungs and chest. If your mind wanders, don’t worry or feel bad about yourself. Try to notice your thoughts, such as “I wonder what I will need to do at work today.” Then let the thought go, and bring your focus back to the present moment and your breathing. You may do this over and over again during a meditation session. That’s okay.
Protein is very important By Murray Green
Protein is made of building blocks called amino acids. Although our bodies can make some of these amino acids, nine of them (the essential amino acids) must be obtained from food, according to Alberta Health Services. Soy and animal sources of protein (milk, eggs, meat,
poultry, fish and seafood) contain all the essential amino acids in the amounts our bodies need. Most plant foods contain some of these nine essential amino acids. Beans have some and grains have other amino acids. Eating these different foods throughout the day will provide you and your body with adequate protein.
You need protein to help build and maintain muscle, which can help us stay strong as we age. But protein does so much more than build muscle. It helps to build all parts of the body, even our bones. Canada’s Food Guide suggests filling a quarter of your plate with protein foods at each meal.
Flying Club supports Air Cadets
Lori Larsen, Camrose Booster
The area Flying Clubs are dedicated to encouraging youth interest in aviation and technology–Alberta’s future generations of aviators and technologists. With proceeds from last summer’s Airshow held on July 24 and 25, organizers were pleased to present a donation to 644 Camrose Rotary Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. On behalf of the Camrose and Iron Creek Flying Clubs were Charlie Vanden Dungen (one of the youngest members of both clubs) and Lisa Vanden Dungen (right) presenting the donation to Becky McCarroll, Squadron Sponsoring Committee (left) and 644 Camrose Rotary Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron LT Erin Mitchell, Commanding Officer (second from left).
