Strøm Magazine – Fall / Winter 2021 by Strom spa nordique

Fall/winter 2021-2022 / Issue thirteen

C E N T R E D O N B A L A N C E / A R C H I T E C T U R E / N A T U R E / H O L I S T I C H E A LT H

Inspired cuisines, relaxed atmospheres World tastes, local ingredients Sherbrooke is the gourmet destination in the Townships

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THEMED FE ATURES

In this issue ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN 8

The Architecture of Water, in collaboration with Hugues Lefebvre-Morasse I N S P I R AT I O N 12

Ode to Blue Gold: A Lesson from Life Underwater, interview with Mario Cyr WORLD 18

Going Against the Current: In Search of the Past, by Franck Laboue, Voyageurs du Monde SOCIETY 22

There Once Was a Blended Family, by Marie-Christine Saint-Jacques Step-Parenthood, interview with Valérie Roberts H O L I S T I C H E A LT H 3 0

A Passage Cradled by Water: From One End of Life to the Other, by Jacinthe Roy-Rioux, world and spiritual life collaborator Humanity and Water: Mirror of a Multi-Dimensional Relationship, by Jacinthe Roy-Rioux, world and spiritual life collaborator Emotional Literacy and Early Childhood: Recognizing One's Emotions to Live Better Together, by Valérie Courchesne and Pauline Bodart Holistic Beauty: Five Secrets of Total Hydration, by Judith Ritchie C U LT U R E 4 8

Five Books to Dive Into, by Nicolas Gendron À TA B L E 5 2

Water: The Source of Life, by Isabelle Huot Swimming Against the Tide Toward Intuitive Eating, by Marilou Morin-Laferrière

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Recipes: Boreal Kanelbullar and Hot Chocolate, by Raphaël Podlasiewicz Harvest Season, by Stéphanie Dupuy

HUGUES LEFEBVRE-MORASSE

FRANCK LABOUE

MARIE-CHRISTINE SAI NT- JACQUES

VA L É R I E COURCHESNE

PAU L I N E BODART

JUDITH RITCHIE

NICOL AS GENDRON

ISABELLE HUOT

MARILOU MORIN-LAFERRIÈRE

STÉPHANIE DUPUY

Guillaume Lemoine President / Emilie Lefebvre-Morasse Vice-President of Marketing and Sales, Editor-in-Chief Caroline Croteau Senior Director of Marketing and Sales / Myriam Dumont Marketing Director Arianne Filion Project Manager, Editor / Jacinthe Roy-Rioux Content Creator Sarah-Maude Dalcourt Photo Director / Bianca Des Jardins Photographer / Gaëlle Meslin Editor Guillaume R. Tremblay Artistic Director, sept24.com / SLRR Translation Firm Translation

Printing TC Imprimeries Transcontinental Advertising sales Christine Mailloux, cmailloux@stromspa.com, 514-761-7900, ext. 4304 To collaborate on content Arianne Filion, afilion@stromspa.com Publisher Strøm Nordic Spa, 1001, boul. de la Forêt, Nuns’ Island, Quebec H3E 1X9 Legal deposit — ISSN 2369-5897 National Library of Canada and Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. The opinions expressed in the articles of Strøm Magazine are the sole responsibility of the authors. The availabilities, vintages, and prices mentioned in the magazine are subject to change without notice. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without the permission of Strøm Nordic Spa. All rights reserved. Publication mail — 42293512

than us.” OLIVER JEFFERS

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“ The ver y idea of saving the planet is a fiction. Because, in fact, it will continue to revolve around the sun, with or without us. In many respects, it ’s about saving ourselves, rew riting our ow n stor y to finally realize that nature is much more power ful

EDITORIAL

Welcoming Winter Our earth is home to a powerful and fragile nature. Like a mother, it protects and reassures us, inspires and soothes us. A true physical and spiritual healer, contact with a higher power makes us notice the beauty of the infinitely small. When did you last hear the call of nature? Behind this visceral sensation often hides a need to refocus. In nature, the universal muse, lies water. A fundamental element of the thermal cycle and the very existence of Strøm, the water within our retreats becomes a quiet power, a channelled life force, an energy linked to its current. A sacred symbol of rebirth, purification, and the rite of passage toward a new life, it nourishes us from the inside and fascinates us on the outside. It pushes us to explore beyond our earthly perimeters in search of it: a source of life

In this issue, we return to the source with an edition entirely devoted to water. A form of introspection that drives us to honour our raw material. A stage of transformation and reprogramming in which we welcome the changes necessary to be reborn in a better form. We therefore tackle the most fluid of the elements: from the stages of life in water, to the water that shapes the world and its architecture, and finally to its therapeutic virtues, including those that emerge from immersion in cold water. Since the essence of water takes on a whole other meaning in the winter, in this issue, we invite you to reconnect with this season and its frozen bodies of water, from the snow-covered mountain to the frosty lakes, including the river and the waltz of floating ice. Ever since Strøm was created, we have paid special attention to water. We ensure that it meets the highest quality standards in order to offer the best possible hydrotherapy experience. We are convinced that the benefits of water on the body, soul, and spirit are both preventive and curative. To combat the collateral effects of the health crisis on the physical and mental well-being of Quebecers, public health has recognized the spa experience as an essential service. This status is a step in the right direction. In order to pursue our mission, we are committed to continuing to promote its benefits so that, in the near future, practitioners recommend water therapy in certified institutions, as is done in France, for example. Indeed, the French can enjoy a stay at a spa, paid for by the French health authorities, when a doctor prescribes their patient a spa treatment plan. While we wait to see this dream come true, we offer you an option filled with softness and lightness: “hivernotherapy”—that is, winter therapy—which involves hydrotherapy, or water therapy. This season, Strøm will offer you tips for adopting hivernotherapy, spending pleasant moments outside, enjoying the benefits of ice water, and mastering the cold season to get through it more smoothly, with an open heart. Let’s celebrate our nature. Let’s celebrate winter.

Guillaume Lemoine President of Strøm Nordic Spa

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that would give meaning to our own existence.

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FA L L I N G WAT E R

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

The A rchitecture of Water In collaboration with Hugues Lefebvre-Morasse, environmental designer

WAT ER I N A LL ITS FOR MS — Water is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. When it comes into contact with architecture, the fluid element becomes synonymous with complexity, adaptation, and sublimation. Modifying the layout of our spaces from one era to the next, water influences the choice of shapes and perspectives, exposing the relationship between humans and their environment. Illustrating the need to contemplate, harmonize, strengthen, and protect, the marks of water in architectural creation are both historical and evolving.

T H E D I A L O G U E B E T W E E N A R C H I T E C T U R E A N D WAT E R

Modern urbanism expresses this need to protect our coastal spaces and celebrate nature. The resulting harmony demonstrates the evolution of our collective consciousness and our respect for the coastline. Construction is solid matter, while water is liquid. The balance between the two can be a source of challenges. To allow for a dialogue between water and architecture, the presence of the water must be strengthened rather than eliminated. The structures that emerge from this dialogue create an admirable link between the water and the land, humans and their canvas. This trend is part of a desire to celebrate and support the environment instead of dominating it. Fallingwater, from architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which seeks to reinforce the waterfall rather than repress it, is an excellent example. WAT E R A N D D E S I G N

Water shapes design, and its impact isn’t limited to residential designs. Den Blå Planet, the Blue Planet aquarium located on the waterfront in Copenhagen, Denmark, is inspired by the whirlpools of the sea and schools of fish. Its rounded architecture reproduces the organic movement of water, promoting intuitive navigation of the site. Resembling a whirlpool, the access area immerses visitors in a world of its own marked by a naval atmosphere. In northern China, the Harbin Opera House, designed by the Chinese firm MAD Architects, unveils a harmoniously open architecture on the outside, unfolding in the heart of the wetlands around the Songhua River. Like a landscape, this architectural masterpiece features flowing lines that seem to have been created by the wind and water.

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More than a subject of experimentation, the architecture of water is a culture that pushes boundaries, a utopian dream, a new way of living in the world. As increasing population growth and the impacts of climate change give us a glimpse of the positive and negative impacts of water, cities are examining the potential of their waterside spaces. A complex, stimulating vision that generates solutions.

Lanjarón, a city in the south of Spain known for its spas, has seen its former slaughterhouse turn into a water museum. A project from architect Juan Domingo Santos that highlights the industrial architecture of the age while opening the doors to a new story: that of water. Along the Lanjarón River, a contemplative space takes shape where the omnipresence of water on the ground is dominated by plays of light and shadow. Historical and modern styles live together in harmony, while the emergence of contrasts in the choice of materials creates echoes and reflections, transforming the pavilion into a space that awakens the senses.

I J B U R G D I S T R I C T, A M S T E R DA M

WAT E R A S A H A B I TAT

in the event of a natural disaster. The exhibit highlights alternative solutions, presenting achieved or invented projects that incorporate water in different ways: floating or underwater architecture, inhabited bridges, lakeside communities, etc. As a new territory to be developed, water becomes a fully fledged architectural element. It gives rise to a form of architecture with the flowing, moving lines present in marine, river, and lake environments.

With the growing global population and rising sea levels, architects are looking for ideas to build the world of tomorrow: vertical constructions, constructions on water, and —surprisingly— underwater constructions. This aquatic architectural deployment is a necessary answer to modern problems, to the greatest delight of water lovers. For several years, Dutch architects have been studying the creation of structures that are in harmony with the coasts and the sea. At the Port of Rotterdam, a floating pavilion initiated by DeltaSync and built by Dura Vermeer is a first step toward floating urbanization. For the moment, the pilot project serves as an event and artistic space, but in the long term, the contractors aim to develop a whole community of floating homes.

In the imagination of tomorrow, cities are also invited to go underwater. The visionary architect Vincent Callebaut presents Lilypad, an amphibious, self-sufficient city. Incorporating a large underwater reservoir, the project is imagined to be developed both above and below water. Designed to be placed in the middle of the sea, Lilypad adopts the curves of a giant Amazonian water lily— a floating platform that harmonizes with the movements of the water. Housing, business, and leisure spaces would take their place around the central lagoon, which would collect filtered rainwater. Studied at the United Nations and the European Parliament, Lilypad is a project that is both visionary and utopian.

In Amsterdam, the IJburg district is built entirely on water using artificial islands, but some of the houses simply float on water. Indeed, to mitigate the sudden rise in water levels and prevent floods, floating homes have been built, making it possible to adjust to the movement of the waves and the impacts of the elements naturally. “When Water Meets Architecture,” an exhibit at the Loire Marine Museum, answers the question of how to adapt architecture to the fluctuating presence of water—a global issue for several years now. Inspiring and contemplative, water can also become complicated and formidable

For nearly a decade, schools have also appeared on the water. The floating schools from Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi, recognized for the Makoko Floating School in Lagos, Nigeria, evoke this need to transform 10

Photo credit: Mattia Peiretti

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

the way areas around water are urbanized by creating a sustainable, eco-friendly, alternative construction system for the large populations of coastal regions. The Makoko Floating School adopted an innovative approach to meet the social and physical needs of the community by considering the impact of climate change and the rapid urbanization of the African continent. The Makoko system is a modular, floating, and durable prefabricated wood structure that can quickly and manually be assembled and disassembled on the water. Although the pilot project collapsed in 2016, it has been successfully deployed in five countries on three continents, and the reconstruction of an improved version has been promised in the coming years. C E L E B R AT I N G WAT E R Fountain House is a creation of the German collective Raumlaborberlin in collaboration with the GoetheInstitut Montréal and the Quartier des Spectacles. Presented in 2014 on Esplanade Clark, the project overturned the notion of water as a public good taken for granted, emphasizing free access to it. In the heart of Fountain House, a thin waterfall pours through the roof. Collected in a small basin and redistributed into the air in the form of a refreshing cloud, water was rethought and reinterpreted as a fundamental element of life. Facilitating communal living and participant interaction, Fountain House became a place of celebration and sharing.

Sources Bader, Markus. Fountain House. Raumlaborberlin, 2014. Gimbal, Julie. L’eau, source d’architecture. Partie 1. Lumières de la ville, January 10, 2017. K-Hoh, Sipane. Quand l’eau devient source d’inspiration. Détails d’Architecture, July 17, 2014. Maneval, Virginie. Sphère 2010 Dura Vermeer — Pays-Bas, Rotterdam. Bubble Mania, November 28, 2017. Morain, Odile. Et si la ville de demain se faisait sur l’eau. France Info Culture, May 5, 2015. Musée de la marine de Loire. Quand l’eau rencontre l’architecture. Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, France, May 16 to September 21, 2015. NLÉ. Makoko Floating System. NLÉ Works, 2011. R, Hasina. Lilypad de Vincent Callebaut, une ville amphibie pour les migrants climatiques. Batimat, November 14, 2018. Rik, Neven. Les avantages incontestables de construire sur l’eau. Architectura.be, August 11, 2015. Urban Hub. Eau et design fusionnent pour une nouvelle architecture sur les fronts de mer urbains. Urban Hub, Des villes façonnées par l’homme, October 4, 2018.

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M A R I O C Y R , C O L D - WAT E R D I V E R A N D F I L M M A K E R

INSPIR ATION

Ode to Blue Gold: A Lesson from Life Under water

Inter view with Mario Cy r

Having started working with an underwater camera in 1984, he was approached by National Geographic in 1991 to film walruses in the Arctic. That’s when everything really got started. Now a cinematographer, an underwater cameraman, a diving instructor, the owner of a diving store and school, and a speaker at his own family bistro, he never stops, and he is genuinely passionate about his job. This is an interview with a man who never gets cold feet in the face of a challenge.

An educational dimension emerges from each activity you do. Is this transfer of knowledge part of the mission you’ve given yourself? “Yes, to a certain extent. I’ve always liked talking about my job. However, it was my friends who pushed me to give talks, because at first, it wasn’t really in my plans. But every time I came back from an expedition, I always got tons of requests to go talk to people, meet with families, tell my stories. So, by force, I started giving talks, and it’s going well! I’m lucky enough to have a different and unusual background, so people are interested.” You’ve been to the Arctic 42 times. You’ve spent more than two years there if you put all your trips together. What can you tell us about it? “I consider myself a privileged witness to its evolution. I started going there in 1991, and until 1993, things were going well. Those were the last years with normal ice and cold. Starting in 1994, climate change started to have an impact on that part of the world, with melting ice and rising temperatures. I was fortunate enough to be there when things were going great, until today, when they’re going much worse, and to be able to document both realities.

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ENCOUNT ERI NG THE SU PER B — Born in the Magdalen Islands, Mario Cyr has always been drawn to water. As a young boy, he spent his summers on the beaches, and at the age of 16, he gradually became interested in sport diving, then commercial diving, which allowed him to acquire expertise in cold-water diving.

INSPIR ATION

I remember May 1, 1995, when I was with Inuit guides who were all really surprised that it was raining. They had never seen rain at the beginning of May. It was very unusual! I’ve experienced things like that, where maybe I didn’t personally have any benchmark for comparison, but other people I was with told me there was a problem. And now, in 2021, we have to go to the Arctic two months earlier than in 1990 to film exactly the same thing. I used to film bowhead whales on July 15 in the Foxe Basin, and now, I have to go there on May 15 to see them in the same place. The difference is huge! Another major change is the arrival of freshwater. The glaciers are melting at an incredible speed, and climate change is raising the temperature of the water, so it’s getting warmer and warmer. As a result, many equatorial species are migrating to the Arctic and Antarctic, toward the poles, so they can live in water where the temperature is still cool. We’re ending up with species we’ve never seen in the Arctic before,

but they won’t all be able to live there! There are conflicts, intra-species competition, particularly when it comes to food. There are species that have never met before, such as Atlantic and Arctic cod, which are living side by side for the first time. Everything is changing, including migratory routes. An increase of a tenth of a degree has the power to displace entire schools of fish, which are very sensitive to water temperatures.

This phenomenon will lead to the disappearance of some species, but the proliferation of others, such as jellyfish, which prefer warm water to cold. On the other hand, if polar bears don’t adapt to the new conditions quickly, they are at risk of extinction. All marine animals are currently in the process of adapting to the new climatic conditions as much as possible. The only species that isn’t adapting right now is humans. What is intelligence, at the end of the day? It’s the ability to adapt to your environment, to live in harmony with it.”

Do these changes worry you? “For my part, I try not to be too moralistic. I’ve chosen to talk about climate change from a perspective of beauty, because it’s absolutely necessary to preserve this beauty for future generations. Many go to restrictions, but that’s not my approach. But if you’re asking me the question, yes, I’m extremely worried. It’s late now, probably too late. But we can still try to do better, because if we do nothing, we just risk multiplying the number of disasters by ten or twenty.” We often talk about the waste littering our oceans, but what about noise pollution? “Sound travels four times faster in water than it does in air, so when we talk about the ocean being a ‘world of silence,’ it isn’t true! It’s quiet if nothing is happening, but if there is something, you can hear it four times louder! In water, humans hear with their whole skull, not just their ears, and the same goes for marine mammals. They hear much more than us, in fact, so the noises of boats, mining, or oil exploration totally disorient them, and many deaths are directly caused by noise pollution.”

INSPIR ATION

Does fear really come up on a daily basis, or does habit make you not think too much about it? “Fear is part of the job, such as when you’re diving with walruses or polar bears. And that’s good, because it guides all our senses and makes us take calculated risks. It’s not something I ever thought to push out of my life. Instead, I try to control it.” Water is known for its soothing power, the sound it makes, its movement, its freshness. Does it have this same effect on you, despite the intensity of your work?

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“Yes, it’s extremely soothing! I live by the sea, on the Magdalen Islands, and I’m incredibly lucky to be able to live so close to the water. Even when I’m diving, unless I’m really nervous and surrounded by dangerous animals, it gives me a feeling of total well-being. I come away calmed, much better in my head, body, and mind. We come from the water, so I think, unless you’re afraid of it, there’s no better place to be.”

Photo credit: Mario Cyr

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BRUGES, BELGIUM

WORLD

Going Against the Cur rent

In Search of the Past

AT HOM E PORT — In Quebec, we have an intimate, even mystical relationship with water. The river, the backbone of our living space, is also the lifeline to which we cling. We all have our own piece of river, stream, or lake. It’s an invitation to meditate, a mental coasting, but—above all—a call to escape. An invitation to take to the sea, set sail in a yacht, or survey the globe on the deck of a cargo ship. Rivers and oceans whisk us away to other ports, continents, and cultures that harbour unknown shores. It’s a particularly human characteristic to think of taming the elements, mastering the raging seas. Waves have this unique ability to recharge our batteries, from hotel pools to the beaches where we fill up on sea spray. Life connects us to this essential element; the liquid world invites us to ride the waves. In three stages, let’s explore water and travel, from Africa to the Ganges, passing though the streets of Rome.

TO THE SOURCE

Water is the source of everything. It gets everywhere: fjords, channels, deltas. It shapes the planet at its own pace, inexorably. It makes its way through and surrounds immersed lands. We’re nothing but helpless spectators to this indomitable element. First, we’re blissful in the face of its power at the Yellowstone geysers, then static before the spectacle of the tide at Mont-Saint-Michel. We dive into its heart sometimes, trying to unravel the mystery of this world of silence. Often, we isolate ourselves within it to forget and regenerate. While sailing the mythical Okavango Delta in Botswana, the flow of life comes to carry us away. Its waters spread out into an aquatic labyrinth of breathtaking beauty. Untouched islands on a sea of water lilies, reeds, papyrus, green water palm trees, and canoes that glide slowly through the water. In the evenings, you can hear the leopards growling and the buffalo rubbing against the posts of the camps on stilts. In a mokoro, a delicate canoe manoeuvred by a long pole, let yourself be carried along flush with the water, vulnerable and fascinated, between lagoons of flowering water lilies. Look out for crocodiles, as well as the colourful kingfishers flitting about from one papyrus to the next. On the banks, watch the Lechwe antelope run and the baboons play. The eye wanders, the horizon melts away, and the vast sky hung like a sheet is pierced by the flight of the white egrets. We’d love to freeze time, but contrary to appearances, here too, it follows its course… W H E N WAT E R S H A P E S C I T I E S …

From lakeside villages to floating cities, the urban relationship between humans and water is eternal. Everyone wants to find their home port, from the canals of Bruges to the waves lapping against the red bricks of the Port of Hamburg, to the ancient village of Fort Cochin in Kerala. Misery and grandeur stand beside the same waves, from the palaces of Lake Como to the houses on stilts of Kampong Ayer.

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By Franck Laboue, Voyageurs du Monde — voyageursdumonde.ca

WORLD

Across Europe, people have made water the quintessential urban decoration. The invigorating fountains are like relays, embellishing both small villages like Raon-l’Étape in the Vosges and large cities like Rome, the Eternal City. A true city of water, the Italian capital boasts no fewer than 2,000 fountains! Cinegenic or lucky charms, many of them also tell a part of Roman history. It was the Ancient Romans—whom the waters of the Tiber weren’t enough to cool—who came up with the idea of installing fountains. More than three centuries before Christ, statesman Appius Claudius Caecus built the first aqueduct to bring water to Rome from the springs beyond its walls. The history of the city is therefore written through the fountains—and we walk from one to the next, in search of the cooling mist. But if there’s one fountain in Rome that embodies the city and draws crowds, it would be the Trevi Fountain. You have to go beyond the spectators to truly appreciate its beauty: very early, or at dusk, once everyone has left after taking a picture and throwing a coin in the basin, honouring the tradition and promising to return. In the middle sits the god Neptune surrounded by seahorses and two other statues: allegories of Health and Abundance. To cinephiles, the image of this monument gives rise to another: that of Anita Ekberg, slipping in fully dressed in the moonlight, facing a charmed Marcello Mastroianni. This iconic scene from Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960) fully affirms the fountain’s romantic potential. If, as the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, the fountains of the Eternal City extend far beyond Italy’s borders to open up to the world, taking the souls of travellers with them.

. . . A N D TA M E S S O U L S

suffering. To achieve moksha (the equivalent of nirvana for Buddhists), the end of these damned resurrections, the river and Varanasi, founded over 2,500 years ago, are the solution.

From the waters of the Jordan welcoming the baptized to the purifying ablutions at the entrances to mosques, water is a receptacle for our souls. What if drawing closer to God involved connecting with water, the quintessential comforting element? In Malaysia, the mosques float on the sea: praying takes place on the water. At MontSaint-Michel, the pilgrim’s access depends on the tide: nature subjects us to its whims, and this idea of inaccessibility fascinates us. In India, this mystical connection with water is perhaps at its most intense.

On one hand, there is life. Singles, whole families, young couples—everyone performs careful ablutions. Throwing offerings and loose flowers into the current goes without saying, as does taking a dip to stretch your legs or coating yourself with the precious water. A joyful or collected atmosphere: yogis in full meditation, children splashing about. A herd of black buffalo join the crowd, saris of all colours spread out everywhere, and all is well.

The Ganges: the sacred river. Nestled against an elegant curl of the left bank of the Ganges, the city of Varanasi experiences an intense relationship with heaven. Here, the story of India unfolds in a chaos of colours, smoke, incantations, bustling crowds, sacred mantras, feverish glances, and tears as well. Knocking on Shiva’s door means agreeing to lose your bearings and discovering an elsewhere you didn’t know existed until then. Once in their lifetime, every Hindu must bathe in the Ganges in Varanasi. The purpose? To wash away all these sins that perpetuate in the cycle of reincarnation, the samsāra, in the worlds of matter and imperfection, and therefore

And on the other hand, there is death. Varanasi is a much sought-after final journey. The body moves from the stretcher to the top of the pyre. All that remains are ashes, delivered to the waters of the river. The family’s joy is as extreme as it is sincere. Here is their deceased freed from their required rebirths, finally admitted into the state of full light with the masters of celestial harmony. Mission accomplished for a final journey to Varanasi.

Photo credit: Abir

T H E G A N G E S , VA R A N A S I , I N D I A

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

SOCIETY

There Once Was a Blended Family By Marie-Christine Saint-Jacques, TS, Ph.D., Full Professor, School of Social Work and Criminology, Université Laval

HOW MANY ARE THERE?

A survey of recently separated parents in Quebec shows that 43% of them are once again in a relationship two years after their separation. Among these, 41% are living with their new partner full-time, and 41% are doing so on an intermittent basis, with each person keeping their home. Yes, you can still be a step-parent even when the children aren’t there full-time, or when you only share certain periods of life together. It should also be noted that 2% of parents who are in a new relationship are with a partner who identifies as the same gender as them. About 132,000 families in Quebec are blended—that is, they involve a spouse who is not the parent (biological or adoptive) of at least one of the children. This represents one in six two-parent families, a higher ratio than that of Canada. It is difficult to determine the proportion of step-parents who are men vs. women. A few years ago, more men played the role of step-parent. However, there has been an increase in the number of single fathers who engage in family blending, which leads to a growing number of women playing the role of step-mother. This is explained by the changes that have occurred in child custody arrangements since the 1990s. Finally, it should be noted that, according to the census, half of Canadian families with same-sex parents are in fact blended families, and that the majority of same-sex couples consist of two women. T H E S P E C I F I C S O F L I F E I N A B L E N D E D F A M I LY

In the past, many studies were conducted to compare the well-being and functioning of blended families with those of intact two-parent families. In so doing, researchers supposed to a certain extent that intact families were a benchmark or standard, which had the indirect effect of devaluing other family structures.

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EVOLUT ION — In the history of the family, two important transitions gave rise to the formation of blended families: widowhood and—much more frequently these days—parental separation. In previous centuries, the much shorter life expectancy than the one we enjoy today left many children orphaned without a father or mother. In addition, the remarriage of widows and widowers was strongly encouraged by society. For a few decades now, the presence of blended families has been promoted by shifting values and attitudes regarding life as a couple. We want this to be satisfying and fulfilling. If this isn’t the case, many parents will decide to separate. However, this doesn’t put an end to their love life. Indeed, it is very common for them to get together with a new partner. Finally, it is often forgotten that a significant portion of children in Quebec are born into single-parent families. Many of them will see a step-parent come into their lives!

SOCIETY

But beyond this structural question, families—whether they are blended, single-parent, intact, or with same-sex parents—take on the same purposes. They may all encounter challenges, experience difficulties, be places of attachment. These days, therefore, we try to place greater emphasis on the elements that make life within a blended family unique: • Belonging to an extensive relationship network nourished as much by the blended couple and the children as by the bonds created in previous unions. • Having to maintain more permeable boundaries with those outside the family in order to facilitate the harmo nious movement of the children between different households. • Dealing with a different family life than the one you probably had planned. For many step-parents, it can be overwhelming to go from single life to everyday life with children overnight. • Reconciling two family histories, and sometimes, as a couple, being in two different stages of life. • Juggling with the longer history of the parent/child relationship compared to the marital relationship. • Living in a family where the relationships aren’t only based on blood. Caring for children involves social rather than exclusively biological parenting. The children don’t all share blood ties: some have two, one, or even no parents in common. • Facing the paradox that arises from the weak recognition of the role of step-parent: caring for the children like a parent, but having very few rights regarding them. Legally speaking, step-parents are almost invisible!

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

• Having to combat negative stereotypes (especially if you are a blended same-sex couple). Many studies have shown that families that deviate from the traditional model are stigmatized. But the situation is starting to improve, since in many societies, family diversity is increasingly seen as an asset.

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H AV I N G A C H I L D I N A B L E N D E D F A M I LY

documented reality, but families who have experienced this often report that the arrival of this child sends the signal that the family as well as the couple are here to stay. This birth can have a certain unifying power as a common emotional centre for all the family members, becoming a focal point. It also confers a clear parental status on the step-parents. A step-parent who becomes a parent may feel a more proximal connection to this new child who is their own, which contrasts with what they feel for the step-child. Some step-mothers who become mothers perceive the relationship as much more fragile and contextual, while others, now that they have experienced motherhood, find it easier to deal with their partner’s children.

Living in a blended family and taking on the role of step-parent is currently one of the ways of forming a family! It involves great and small joys, as well as certain challenges. Better understanding the specific dynamics of these families is an asset. Here is another excellent made-in-Quebec source of information that should absolutely be consulted: www.famillesrecomposees.com.

Sources Charton, L., Lopez Barrios, M., Pacaut, P., & Gauthier Mongeon, J. (forthcoming). “Désirer un enfant en contexte de nouvelle union familiale.” In Saint-Jacques, M.-C., Robitaille, C., Baude, A., Godbout, É., and Lévesque, S. La séparation parentale et la recomposition familiale dans la société québécoise : les premiers moments. Québec, Presses de l’Université Laval. Desrosiers, H., & Tétreault, K. (2018). Les trajectoires familiales diversifiées des jeunes nés au Québec à la fin des années 1990. Collection Portraits et trajectoires, ISQ, no. 23. Saint-Jacques, M.-C., Baude, A., Godbout, É., Robitaille, C., Goubau, D., Pacaut, P., Biland, É., Dubeau, D., Régnier-Loilier, A., et al. (2018). Enquête longitudinale auprès des parents séparés et recomposés du Québec (ELPSRQ), Université Laval, https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/SJWLPK. Gold, J. M. (2017). “Honoring the Experiences of Gay Stepfamilies: An Unnoticed Population.” Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 58(2), 126–133, DOI: 10.1080/10502556.2016.1268020. Gosselin, J., Doyon, J., Laflamme, V., & H. David (2007). “Être mère dans la famille recomposée : Défis de la conciliation des rôles de belle-mère et de mère biologique.” Psychologie Française, 52(2), 217–229.17–229. Lavoie, K., & Saint-Jacques, M.-C. (2020). “Lovers for a Time, Mothers for Life: Ecosystemic Analysis of Blended Family Experiences of Lesbian Mothers and Stepmothers.” Child & Family Social Work, 24(4), 946–954. Hadfield, K., & Nixon, E. (2012). “Comparison of relationship dynamics within stepmother and stepfather families in Ireland.” The Irish Journal of Psychology, 33(2–3), 100–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/03033910.2012.708900. Miller, A., Cartwright, C., & Gibson, K. (2018). “Stepmothers’ Perceptions and Experiences of the Wicked Stepmother Stereotype.” Journal of Family Issues, 39(7): 1984-2006. DOI:10.1177/0192513X17739049. Ministère de la Famille (2018). “Caractéristiques et évolutions récentes des familles au Québec. Ce que révèlent les données du recensement de 2016.” Bulletin Quelle famille ?, 6(2), 17 pages. Saint-Jacques, M.-C. (2021). “Reconnaître socialement et juridiquement le statut de beau-parent pour protéger les droits des enfants.” In La jeunesse au carrefour de la famille, de la communauté, du droit et de la société / Youth at the Crossroads of Family, Community, Law and Society. Edited by Noreau, P., Goubau, D., Saint-Jacques, M.-C., & Van Praagh, S. Québec: Éditions Thémis. Saint-Jacques, M.-C., Godbout, É., & Ivers, H. (2020). “People’s opinions and stereotypes about stepfamilies.” Journal of Family Issues, 41(11), 2136–2159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X198960600. Saint-Jacques, M.-C., & Parent, C. (2015). La famille recomposée. Des escales, mais quel voyage ! Collection Parents, Éditions de l’hôpital Sainte-Justine, 239 p. Statistique Canada (2012). Portrait des familles et situation des particuliers dans les ménages au Canada. Familles, ménages et état matrimonial : recension de la population de 2011. Ottawa: Ministère de l’Industrie. Vézina, M. (2012). Enquête sociale générale de 2011 : Aperçu des familles au Canada — Être parent dans une famille recomposée : un profil. Statistique Canada. Ministère de l’industrie.

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Many people today (but this was also true at other moments in history!) will have children in the context of successive unions. As a result, many step-parents will themselves become parents in a blended family. Many factors influence the likelihood that blended couples will have a child: the fact that the partners already have children, the number of children, their ages, and the type of custody. Furthermore, it is more likely that a step-mother who does not have children herself will become a mother, regardless of the number of children the father already has. The probability of a step-father without a child having children, meanwhile, is lower if his partner already has children. The birth of a child within a blended family is still a little-

VA L É R I E R O B E R T S

Host, cultural columnist, writer, author, mother, and step-mother

Photo credit: Tania Lemieux

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Step-Parenthood

Inter view with Valérie Rober ts

In recent years, Valérie gradually became a role model and a spokesperson for step-parents in Quebec. In 2020, her book La blonde de papa was released in bookstores, bringing recognition and reassurance to step-parents. In May 2021, with the support of the Minister of Families, Mathieu Lacombe, Valérie established National StepParents' Day to celebrate those who often play a fundamental role in the lives of children. With authenticity and kindness, she explains her journey and her mission to us.

Why did you decide to create a day from scratch rather than amalgamating the celebration with the existing Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? “The idea for National Step-Parents’ Day emerged in my mind when I started spending time with my step-daughters six years ago. When I met them, Simone was five and Léonie was two. They were young, but very early on, we had discussions about the place I was taking in relation to their mother. In the beginning, whenever we passed people in the street and they complimented me on “my daughters,” Simone and Léonie would automatically reply, “She’s not our mother! She’s not our mother!” But the more time passed, the less they felt the need to say it. Anyway, everyone knows I’m not their mother. In any event, in our family, we know it very well! The girls associate my role with that of a second mother, but the term ‘mom’ isn’t for me. I felt like every time the girls acknowledged my presence in their lives on Mother’s Day, they felt like they were betraying their mom a bit, which is quite normal. “So, it seemed easier for the children to create another day entirely, to avoid conflicts of loyalty and uneasiness. I found it ridiculous and absurd that there was a World Nutella Day and a World Procrastination Day, but not one for people, men and women, who are involved body and soul in a relationship where the child isn’t their own, but who treat them that way.”

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THE I M PORTA NCE OF RECOGNIT ION — Host, cultural columnist, writer, and author Valérie Roberts became known to the general public in 2007. Since 2015, she has been in a relationship with chef Martin Juneau. She is the step-mother of his two children, and now a new mother of a little girl, Lucie.

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With the release of your book, people have found a waypoint… “Yes, because it’s a complicated situation. Overnight, you have to find your place as a human being with your lover, but also with their children, and with the ex-husband/wife, who is the children’s other parent. Many questions arise at the same time: Will I be accepted by all the family members? Will I be able to discipline the children? Do I want to share my values with them? It’s a big challenge, because it all depends on the parent you’re in a relationship with, but also on the one you’re not. Although they aren’t in your romantic relationship or your family, they’re still part of the circle of this blended family. In short, it’s all very complicated, so when no one talks about it either and it’s hard to find resources or books on the subject, it’s normal to feel alone!”

The girls associate my role with that of a second mother, but the ter m “mom” isn’ t for me.

There’s a wide variety of resources for new mothers and those preparing to experience motherhood. But not for step-parents. Even the word ‘step-parenthood’ doesn’t really exist. We have ‘joint parenthood,’ ‘LGBT

Quite rightly! Do you think it’s necessary to set up certain infrastructures to provide support for step-parents?

parenthood’… Most types of parenthood have a term to define them, but not ‘step-parenthood.’

“Step-parenthood affects a large number of families in Quebec, but we prefer to act as if it doesn’t exist that much. It’s a bit taboo. There are many things that are in place, except they aren’t widely known, and even if you do some research, they’re not easy to find. In particular, in recent years, I discovered the Réseau pour un Québec Famille and the Fédération des associations de familles monoparentales et recomposées du Québec (FAFMRQ). However, not everyone feels like consulting an association to improve in their role as a step-parent. It’s an investment of time that might scare some people off. Going to the bookstore and buying a book, for example, is much less of a commitment.

That’s why I’m working with the Office québécois de la langue française to get it added, and I also asked them to question the French terms ‘belle-parentalité,’ ‘beauparent,’ ‘belle-mère,’ and ‘beau-père.’ Because when I created the day, people would write to me to tell me, ‘I love my son-in-law,’ since ‘beaux-parents’ means both ‘step-parents’ and ‘in-laws’ in French. But no, we’re not talking about that! It’s strange that there isn’t a specific word. In English, there’s ‘step-father’ and ‘step-mother,’ and ‘father-in-law’ and ‘mother-in-law.’ In Spanish, too, there are different terms, and in many languages around the world ultimately, but not in French.”

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In your opinion, why don’t we talk about this reality very much? “We still really aspire to have a loving relationship that will never end and to keep the family together, so it’s hard to admit that there has been an ‘explosion’ within a family. I also think that the conflicts that may exist between a step-father and a father, and between a step-mother and a mother, feed this taboo. I’ve also already publicly questioned whether step-parents should have rights with respect to the children. I remember getting a lot of outraged and surprised comments from parents. As if step-parenthood takes something away from the biological parents, while they will always remain the child’s parents. And we say all the time that it takes a village to raise a child, but my God, we sure don’t want it to be a step-parent! Why? I’ve had step-mothers in my life myself: my parents separated when I was six years old. Did I have affinities with some of them? Are there women I kept in my life? Yes, of course. But did they replace my mother? Never! My mother

understand a lot more than we think. Something we established from the start was this desire to speak openly with the girls. ‘When somebody in the street tells you that you’re my daughter and that you’re beautiful, what do we do? Does it upset you? Does it bother you? Would you rather we answer that I’m not your mother and correct them? Or, since you and I know very well that you’re not my daughter and I’m not your mother, should we have fun with it instead and joke about it?’ The children didn’t ask for their parents to be separated or for another adult to come into their home, so you have to try to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

What can be done to preserve the well-being of the children while creating a blended family, which is an overwhelming stage for everyone? “I don’t think there’s any secret. You just have to remember that they are at the centre of the family, that they are the ones being dragged from one house to the other, and that you, as a step-parent, are coming into their daily life, but they didn’t choose you! It’s about being able to be a part of their lives without disrupting them too much, listening to their needs and what they want to tell you. Children are really smart, and they

Do you think having had separated parents yourself helps you be a better step-parent? “There are models of step-mothers I’ve had which I don’t want to copy, and others I’d like to be inspired by. The step-mother I’ve had for the past 21 years is an amazing woman who never had any children, and who always considered my sister and me to be hers. And that was nothing against our mother. On the contrary: that was everything for us. My father lives in the United States, so when we went to their house, it was ‘us.’ It was ‘our girls.’ So, when I met Martin’s daughters, I asked them if they were comfortable with me saying ‘my daughters’ and ‘mine’ when I talked about them. Because, for me, I always found it flattering when my step-mother would say I was her daughter. It meant she was proud of me and that she loved me. I think if we talked about blended families more and saw more examples in the media, it could be inspiring. It’s just important to see more of it.”

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is my mother.”

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

HOLIS TIC HE ALTH

A Passage Cradled by Water: From One End of Life to the Other By Jacinthe Roy-Rioux, world and spiritual life collaborator

VA ST NESS — Sensitivity. Gentleness and power. Our relationship with water is marked by memories. All life begins in water. From the intrauterine world until birth. The source of life, water takes us back to our deepest roots. Returning to water also means returning to the self.

I N - WAT E R M A S S A G E :

T H E P E R F E C T H O L I S T I C T R E AT M E N T F O R P R E G N A N T W O M E N

Boasting the same virtues as massage on a table, in-water massage has been growing in popularity for several years, becoming without a doubt the muse of expectant mothers. For pregnant women, the third trimester is marked by a feeling of heaviness in the body. In-water massage meets the need to regain a feeling of lightness thanks to the position of the body suspended in water. The wave that envelops the body and the reduced gravity lets you surrender and be carried away. In addition to soothing physical tensions and stress, contact with water soothes the mind, strengthens inner peace, and encourages a connection with the baby, who is also bathing in an aquatic environment.

Flø: massage in hot water* A fully fledged technique created by Pierre Blais and recognized by the Fédération québécoise des massothérapeutes “Massage on a table and massage in water are two totally different universes,” explains Pierre Blais, a massage therapist at Strøm Nordic Spa and the creator of the Flø massage. Combining the benefits of flotation and massage therapy, the Flø massage is an intense and immersive massage therapy experience offered in an outdoor pool heated to 37°C. Bearing the entire body, water softens each movement, helps restore range of motion, provides a feeling of lightness, and relieves muscle and joint pain and tension. The intensity in water is quite unique. When a body part is massaged there, the entire body feels the benefits of it at the same time thanks to the dynamic movement of the water. A true journey to the heart of the senses, the Flø massage offers a moment of letting go, carried by the current. Enveloped in water, the expectant mother floats and surrenders to the present moment, in communion with her baby.

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From this perspective, water is the beginning and the continuity. In the form of holistic treatments or rites of passage, water accompanies us during birth, life, and death, marking the major stages of life.

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Veechi aquamassage A massage in hot water created by Carole Dion-Veechi according to the wave-like principles of aquamovement During the 1970s, Quebecer Carole Dion-Veechi developed different techniques of movement in water: aquamovement, which is similar to aquatic yoga, and aquamassage, which will be discussed here. By using the undulation of water to create movement, aquamovement increases movement while decreasing effort. By harmonizing the body to the movement of the water, the resulting undulation creates space in the joints between the bones and muscles. As the patient lies on the surface of the water with the aid of flotation devices placed at their head and ankles, the therapist transmits a series of wave movements, mobilizations, light rocking, and gentle stretches to their body, promoting relaxation and release. When one part of the body is targeted, the resulting wave spreads throughout the body, which increases relaxation. Experienced in a pool of water heated to body temperature, the enveloping experience is compared to intrauterine memory. “We feel cradled as in our mother’s arms,” explains Carole Dion-Veechi.

While Veechi aquamassage is recognized for its wave technique, the Flø hot water massage, which is similar to Watsu (water shiatsu), promotes relaxation through acupressure, stretching, and massage in hot water.

G I V I N G B I R T H I N WAT E R

An approach marked by soothing and calm during a moment of high intensity, water birth, which has been practised for dozens of years in Europe, is becoming increasingly popular here in Quebec. Thanks to its effect of weightlessness, water allows you to surrender to the present moment with your body as a guide, which knows the way. While giving birth in water is beneficial for mom, it’s just as good for baby, who can be born in the same water that cradled them during the nine months of pregnancy. Enveloped by water, the newborn enjoys a smoother transition and a calm first contact with the world. A different type of childbirth characterized by well-being and intimacy. In Quebec, water birth is practised in a birth centre, in certain hospitals, and at home, where the support of a midwife is essential, both for monitoring the pregnancy and for the delivery. In this regard, Australian researchers noted in the context of a 2018 study that 95% of midwives recommend that expectant mothers give birth in water to reduce the pain associated with childbirth and accelerate labour. For expectant mothers, giving birth in water is synonymous with reduced pain from the contractions and lower stress. It also allows for an improvement in terms of breathing capacity, dilation of the cervix, and elasticity of the tissues and the perineum (and therefore a reduced risk of tearing). Water provides an effect of weightlessness, lightness, and muscular relaxation, which promotes bodily mobility and the efficiency of the contractions. For the baby, there is also reduced stress, a smoother transition from the aquatic environment to

ambient air, and nearly immediate skin-to-skin contact. Since the mother’s contractions are more efficient, the trauma of birth is less pronounced. In hospital environments, women who use the bath also enjoy the relaxing effects of water, such as the relaxation of the muscles and tension, as well as reduced bodily resistance and pain related to the contractions. Safe and beneficial in many ways, water birth may be available to anyone interested in it; however, it is contraindicated for women with a high-risk pregnancy.

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T H A L A S S O B AT H F O R B A B I E S : A W E L C O M E R I T UA L I N T H E WAT E R

The Thalasso Baby Bath is a return to the source, a transitional treatment. It allows the newborn to find their bearings by reliving the sensations experienced in their mother’s womb. Birth can be painful for both the mother and the baby. As a ceremony of entry into the world, the Thalasso treatment soothes the newborn, which is particularly welcome when the birth has been difficult, and often becomes a beautiful moment of bonding between the parents and their baby. The Thalasso Baby Bath is recommended for all babies aged three to four days or more, and ideally under five weeks. Lasting up to two hours, the treatment involves a bath, a baby massage, and the sharing of information and massage techniques with the parents. In a warm and subdued atmosphere, the newborn is immersed in a bathtub full of water heated to body temperature, or about 37°C. Under the stream of water, the specialist rocks the baby and has them adopt different positions while holding their head and letting their body float. Observed and heard, they surrender and let go of their tensions, regaining certain positions that they adopted in their mother’s womb. The baby guides the session. The water relaxes the muscles, softens the joints, and stimulates blood circulation and the cardiovascular system. In the longer term, the experience promotes the baby’s sleep and allows them to develop a bond of trust and security with their parents.

E X P E R I E N C I N G WAT E R , R E G A R D L E S S O F A G E

From the benefits of daily bathing or swimming to the thermotherapy experience, as well as doing water activities suited to young or old, experiencing water in all its forms is a source of openness, pleasure, and abandon. Certain schools specializing in aquamovement offer an exclusive selection of classes, immersive workshops, and holistic treatments to refine body awareness in resonance with water. Commonly referred to as “baby swimmer” or “baby water movement,” aquamovement for babies helps toddlers develop motor skills, build confidence, and have fun in water. Some classes allow the parents to join in the experience so that they can also enjoy an increased sense of confidence. Offered to adults, aquamovement, inspired by Carole DionVeechi’s wave technique, presents aqua yoga, wave

swimming, or water dancing to release tensions in the body and develop mobility, flexibility, ease, and fulfillment. Aqua yoga, AquaDouceur, and hydrotherapy are formulas suited to seniors that focus on stretching, joint health, and strength, while targeting problems specific to this age group, such as arthritis. In water, the body is weightless and regains a better range of motion. Contact with water helps increase blood circulation in the body, improve balance, reduce swelling in the joints and legs, and lower stress throughout the body.

Aimed at adults, thermotherapy is based on a relaxation ritual that alternates hot and cold, followed by a period of intense relaxation. It helps reduce stress and revive the body and mind. In particular, the thermal experience helps eliminate toxins, relax the muscles, improve sleep quality, and strengthen the immune system. It is conducive to good spirits, because the alternation of hot and cold releases energy and endorphins, the wellness hormones. Some spas, such as Strøm Nordic Spa, innovate by offering one-time events where children can also discover the benefits of the thermal experience, where the temperatures of the baths are adapted to them. During Børn family mornings, parents and children are invited to experience water, one thermal cycle at a time.

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In Quebec, nine certified Thalasso Baby Bath technicians have received training from founder Sonia Rochel and offer the treatment at a specialized centre or at home.

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

HOLIS TIC HE ALTH

AQ UA M AT I O N : E N D I N G YO U R L I F E I N T H E WAT E R

Aquamation, a new cremation technique using water, made its appearance in Quebec in 2019, and Quebecers took notice. Éric LeSieur, owner of the LeSieur funeral complex and the first owner of an aquamation machine in Quebec, explains that, while the strength of fire may scare some people off, water seems to be a gentler and less radical option.

The scientific name of the process is alkaline hydrolysis. This is the same process that occurs in nature when a body lies in the ground. A combination of freshwater flow, heat, and alkalinity is used to accelerate the decomposition of the organic matter. Kept to a suitable temperature, the water never reaches its boiling point. While the body is made up of 65% water, the solution helps dissolve human tissue. At the end of the aquamation, the bones are reduced to dust and deposited in an urn.

From an environmental standpoint, aquamation offers the lowest impact of all end-of-life options. Using electricity, the process consumes much less energy than traditional cremation, and above all, does not rely on fossil fuel combustion. A source of life and hope, of dreams and the absolute, water can be the memory of life and the memory of death. A symbol as powerful as it is evocative, it represents the original character, the life force marking the most crucial stages, contributing to the health of the body, soul, and mind.

*Some restrictions may apply. Factors such as the season, outdoor temperature, or health measures related to COVID-19 may influence the availability of the Flø massage in hot water. Please contact Strøm Nordic Spa to check availability. Thank you for your understanding.

Sources Au coeur de l’eau. Aquamouvance — Au coeur du mouvement. Au coeur de l’eau, 2020. Au coeur de l’eau. Aqua-massage Veechi — Au coeur de l’eau au coeur de soi. Au coeur de l’eau, 2020. Bébé d’eau mouvance. Plaisirs d’eau pour parents et enfants. Aquavie Mouvance, 2019. Brunelle, Anne-Laure. Accoucher dans l’eau, ce moment incroyable que j’ai vécu. Huffington Post, January 31, 2019. Institut Amelis. Balnéothérapie : ses bienfaits sur la santé des seniors. Institut Amelis, August 21, 2020. Juillet, Laurent. L’accouchement dans l’eau en 10 questions. Doctissimo, April 16, 2019. Les éclaireurs. L’aquamation, un procédé écologique de crémation par l’eau. Radio-Canada OHdio, March 21, 2018. Martory, Julie. L’accouchement dans l’eau. Passeport Santé, July 2016. Ouimet, Sophie. Relaxant Aquamassage. La Presse, December 13, 2016. Simard, Myreille. Le bain thalasso pour bébé, un rituel d’accueil unique. Maman pour la vie, October 7, 2019.

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Aquamation lets you keep as many memories as cremation. Since the family still receives an urn with ashes, the stages of mourning remain unchanged, allowing loved ones to let go of their deceased in a healthy way.

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Humanity and Water: Mir ror of a Multi-Dimensional R elationship By Jacinthe Roy-Rioux, world and spiritual life collaborator

THE FA SCI NAT ION OF WAT ER — Why are we drawn to water? Why are humans who are near water lighter in spirit and rested in body? Is water a carrier of energy? Science explains the remarkable effects of water on our health and well-being, while the writings and traditions of the world bear witness to the inevitable link that unites us to its virtues.

THE BLUE MIND

In his book Blue Mind, doctor of biology Wallace J. Nichols brought together a group of scientists, psychologists, researchers, educators, athletes, explorers, businesspeople, and artists to answer this question. His finding: oceans, lakes, rivers, pools, spas, and even fountains can considerably influence the mind. The appearance, sound, and smell of water have an impact on the brain. When it comes into contact with water, the mind is filled with a deep, immersive, and invigorating peace. This contact improves performance, increases calm, decreases anxiety, and may thereby increase professional success. Nichols gives a name to the human-water connection: the blue mind. The blue mind refers to the neurological, psychological, and emotional changes that our brain undergoes when we are near water. This is a natural state that we know instinctively, but which many of us have forgotten, too distracted by the modern world. This state is characterized by a feeling of calm, peace, unity, general happiness, and satisfaction in the present moment. It is inspired by water and the elements associated with water, the colour blue, and the feeling of immersion. The blue mind illustrates not only the essential nature of our connection with water, but also the importance of getting closer to it. I N N AT E L O V E

In 1984, biologist and naturalist Edward O. Wilson coined the term “biophilia” to describe his hypothesis that an intuitive link between nature and humanity is ingrained in the human genome. Humans are instinctively connected with nature and water on a physical, cognitive, and emotional level. The concept of biophilia refers to the innate human need to integrate with the natural world. Having lost their bearings, modern humans must reconnect with their fundamental love for living beings. An innate love that is as strong as it is vital. Visual contact with water and nature has reassuring and beneficial effects on the brain. It’s as simple as that.

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Philosopher Gaston Bachelard once said that “water is the organ of the world.” But what happens when our most complex organ, our brain, resonates with the fundamental characteristic of the planet, water?

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In his book Blue Rooms, American author John Jerome adds an important element to all this: entering water also means experiencing the present moment in total closeness. Intimacy is born between the self and water. “The Earth is beautiful because of water,” explains John Jerome, using the most eloquent examples. In Jerome’s work, water is neither a commodity nor a resource, but rather an evolving framework of escape, pleasure, and reconnection. From the psychic joys of swimming to the presence of water in the natural world, the author’s vision transports us into a meditative space that soothes the soul by changing the way we perceive what might at first seem commonplace.

T H E S A C R E D WAT E R S

T H E P O E T I C S O F WAT E R

Purifying, invigorating, and charged with history and spirituality, the sacred waters of the world have one thing in common: they never exist alone. Interacting with all living beings, they bear witness to the universality of a special bond: the union between the faithful and the divine.

By observing water and its mysteries, philosopher and poet Gaston Bachelard bears witness to the depth of water through contemplation, reverie, imagination, and the psychoanalysis of symbols. An essay on the poetics of the subject that navigates still waters and clear waters, demystifying the morality and the speech of water.

Among the Egyptians, in the time of the ancient civilizations, the Nile was a fully fledged god, venerated and honoured for its waters, its fertile soil, and the abundance produced by its floods. Further east, the Ganges is recognized by the Hindus for its sacred and purifying waters that free the believer from their sins and the souls of the deceased. In the southern United States, the Mississippi River, recognized as “the father of waters,” is historically the sacred river of the Mississippi people, home of the spirits of nature. A force that carries both meaning and memories.

By capturing the image of the sky and nature, the body of water mirrors its own scenery. A new reality emerges from its reflection, a form of unity devoted to creative reverie. Multiplying images and possibilities, the infinity within the dreamer is as deep as the waters they observe. Here, water becomes a muse or an unlimited source of inspiration. Streams, rivers, waterfalls, and seas have a voice that humanity naturally understands. Water is experienced as a long silence: “There is always an extraordinary silence… We could hear the water sleeping” (Pelléas et Mélisande, Maurice Maeterlinck).

Each river has its own unique cultural, symbolic, and ritual relationship, but similar characteristics can be observed from one region to the next: the creation of emblematic stories, a privileged relational dynamic, water as a source of life, the cult of offering and purification.

To immerse itself in silence, the soul seeks out sleeping nature. To soothe itself, it turns to still waters.

A N I N T E R D I S C I P L I N A R Y R E L AT I O N S H I P

Examined from the perspective of science, spirituality, philosophy, or even poetry, the connection between humanity and water transcends ideas, continents, and years, offering us an observation that is as simple as it is fundamental: near water, humans find themselves and soothe themselves. Regardless of its scale, this contact with water is undoubtedly positive. From the riverbanks to the sea, including spas, pools, aquatic gardens, and fountains, water reunites, gathers or isolates, warms or cools, purifies, lightens, transports and comforts, always making an impression in the process.

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After a pandemic, reviving your business is essential. Let our experts help you: – Adapt to a changing environment; – Orient yourself in grey areas; – Identify and manage risks; and – Seize business opportunities.

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Emotional Literacy and Early Childhood: Recognizing One’s Emotions to Live Better Together By Valérie Courchesne and Pauline Bodart, psychologists

AN EMOTION AND ITS NEED

To understand why and how to develop your emotional intelligence, we first need to clarify what an emotion is. For this, let’s use a metaphor that relates to an experience common to everyone: that of the rumbling stomach. No one is surprised to hear a newborn cry when they’re hungry. We don’t get the idea to say to them: “There’s no reason to cry. Stop that now!” An unpleasant sensation invades their little body and bothers them, so they cry. The parent decodes the tears and the situation, identifies the baby’s need, and prepares to feed them while reassuring them: “Oh! You’re hungry! Don’t worry. The milk is coming.” Thanks to these precious and repeated interventions by the adult, the child gradually learns to calm down and integrate the connection between their stomach aches and their hunger. They learn to tolerate the delayed satisfaction of their need and, ultimately, to communicate it: “I’m hungry. I want milk.” An emotion is like a rumbling stomach! An emotion is a signal sent by our body to share a need with us and to push us to act to meet it. Antoine cries when dad leaves him at daycare? His brain detects an unmet need for security and urges him to find an environment and a caring person to look after him. E M O T I O N A L R E G U L AT I O N

Faced with the arrival of an emotion, we must perceive our physical sensations, identify our thoughts, recognize the emotion that is manifesting itself, decode the underlying need, control our behaviour in order to express ourselves appropriately, and find the action that will allow us to meet this need. Quite a challenge! Even for an adult… The child will therefore require long years of learning and practice, with the kind help of the people around them, who will accompany them through the maturation of their brain, which is initially incapable of such an exercise.

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SU PPORT A N D CA RI NG — Emotional literacy is defined as a person’s ability to identify, name, and communicate their emotions. If a person develops this facet of their emotional intelligence, they will be more capable of analyzing their experience instead of being reactive. They will be more responsible for themselves, less accusative of others, and more empathetic.

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This process is still very complex for many adults, who often didn’t acquire it during childhood. They are sometimes learning it at the same time as they try to teach it to their children. So, let’s see how, specifically, we can replace a temper tantrum punctuated by “You’re mean, mom!” with a more melodious “I’m angry and frustrated that I didn’t get that toy.”

AT H O M E

First tip: Validate the emotions that the child is experiencing.

Second tip: Set an example!

• “I can hear that you’re really angry because I told you ‘no.’”

Naming our own emotions and presenting our personal methods of regulation when talking to our child allows for learning through imitation.

•

“I see that it makes you sad not to go out with us tonight” to replace “We’ll be back tonight. You’ll have lots of fun with the babysitter. Be a big boy and stop crying.”

• “I’m irritated when I have to repeat the same instruc tions several times. I’ll try another strategy to help you understand my request.”

• “You were scared! Yes, it’s true. It’s surprising when a dog suddenly starts barking!”

•

Third tip: Teach emotional vocabulary.

Fourth tip: Practise when emotions are calm.

Expanding our vocabulary related to the emotions lets us bring some nuance to the intensity of the emotion experienced. Indeed, there are about five basic emotions (six with disgust), which are expressed differently according to the intensity of their manifestation. For example, under anger, frustration is less intense than rage. Fear is experienced differently when we feel worried vs. terrified.

We can play with identifying emotions in everyday life, in relational situations, or through the emotions of characters in games or various cultural products. It’s also important to select movies, books, games, and cartoons that teach children different emotions. “How does this character feel? Are they scared, angry, or happy? How did you guess that? Show me how you are when you feel happy!”

THE SIX EMOTIONS

Joy

Surprise

Sadness

Anger

Disgust

Fear

“I’m so angry that I might say things I don’t really think! I need a moment to myself to breathe and calm down. I’m going to the balcony, and I’ll come back after.”

Beyond all the tips that you can read and attempt to apply, the key to having the necessary availability to take an interest in your child’s inner world is to take care of your own emotions. It’s essential to focus on your own feelings, be kind to yourself throughout this process, and seek out support if you feel the need.

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F R O M A S O C I E TA L P E R S P E C T I V E

In addition to what can be done at home to promote emotional literacy, society has an important role to play in this education. As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

First tip: Expose children to emotional material. This is about increasing access to material related to the emotions in all areas of the child’s life, whether it’s at daycare, at school, or elsewhere in the community. • Put up posters that illustrate the emotions using emoji-style images, cartoon characters, or a graduated emotion wheel. • Provide the child with educational games related to the emotions (like Emotion Planet), books (like The Rabbit Listened), movies (like Inside Out), etc.

Second tip: Train and equip the people who work with children to validate and welcome their experiences.

• During a conflict between children, focus on how the other one feels and encourage thinking about each person’s feelings. “What happened?” will therefore become “What made your friend feel sad?”

Third tip: Introduce programs in schools and daycares such as DeStress for Success and Roots of Empathy.

In short, the more we teach children to understand what is happening inside themselves, the less reactive they will be and the more able they will be to have respectful interactions and be empathetic. And by teaching this, adults will benefit from it, too!

READINGS TO LEARN MORE

• Parler pour que les enfants écoutent, écouter pour que les enfants parlent, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, from Éditions du Phare • From Éditions Marabout, the works of Isabelle Filliozat, including Au cœur des émotions de l’enfant, J’ai tout essayé ! Opposition, pleurs et crises de rage : traverser la période de 1 à 5 ans, and Il me cherche ! Comprendre ce qui se passe dans le cerveau de votre enfant entre 6 et 11 ans • The Filliozat activity books, intended for children, but with guide pages for parents

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• The phrase “Be a big girl, don’t cry” should be replaced with “You’re sad that mom is gone, but she’ll come back to pick you up after nap time.”

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Holistic Beauty: Five Secrets of Total Hyd ration By Judith Ritchie, holistic beauty expert

TA K E CA RE — With the arrival of winter, it’s important to adopt the right moisturizing treatment to offer suppleness and comfort to your skin. However, the moisturization of the skin also depends on a more holistic approach. Here are a few tips for properly hydrated skin, inside and out, when the mercury drops below zero.

SOS WIND

While a healthy dose of fresh air can help oxygenate the skin, cold and stinging wind, on the other hand, can weaken the epidermis and cause chapping and excess dryness. These gusts and this dehydration result in skin discomfort and tightness. To preserve your hydrolipidic film, consider covering your face, neck, and hands by wearing gloves and a scarf. And stay away from drafts; your skin will thank you! PLE A SE PUT O N YOUR MA SK

If you’re not already a follower of hydrating masks, it’s time to get started! Once a week, adopt an at-home wellness ritual by applying a mask rich in moisturizing ingredients that will nourish your skin in a lasting way. A little tip: apply the mask to skin that has already been cleansed and exfoliated for deeper penetration.

B AT H O I L

A WA R M D R I N K

What could be better than a nice hot bath to relax when it’s cold out? But did you know that the chlorine used in some facilities can be very aggressive for your skin? The hot water dilates the pores of the skin and makes it even more sensitive to the chlorine, which causes rough, tight skin and sometimes even eczema and psoriasis. To enjoy the benefits of a nice hot bath, add a few drops of body and hair oil from Strøm Nordic Spa’s BOREAL line. Made from argan oil, jojoba, and vitamin E, it regenerates your skin’s moisture barrier and leaves it feeling soft and silky!

While our diet certainly plays a key role in the quality of our skin, so does the temperature of our food and drink. According to traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, consuming fluids that are too cold could have a fairly negative effect on our metabolism, depriving our skin of the energy it needs to repair its collagen. So, start your day with a hot drink, avoid ice in your water when you go to a restaurant, and get in the habit of taking your smoothies out of the fridge and letting them warm up a little before drinking them.

A GENTLE CLEANSER

Did you know that many soaps can dry out the skin? To preserve your skin’s hydration while taking a shower, opt for gentle, natural cleansers without synthetic fragrances. If you like aromatherapy, choose an essential oil instead that makes you feel good, and enjoy its benefits for the soul and spirit!

Boreal nature is a gift

BORÉAL

skincare products

are available in spa and online at S T R O M S PA . C O M

CULTURE

Five Books to Dive Into By Nicolas Gendron, cultural journalist

SET SA I L — A resource too long believed to be inexhaustible or renewable, at once the source of life and blue gold that we snatch up even as it slips through our fingers, water has always fascinated artists. An indomitable muse, a (super)natural power, and an instrument of the sea breeze, it seeps in, imposes itself, and rises up according to lunar moods and human folly. Let’s take a moving look at five works that have made it their home port.

PAS M Ê M E LE B R U IT D ’ U N F LE UVE

by Hélène Dorion (Alto, 2020) “By the river, we retrace the path of love and conquests; we see good and evil at the bottom of the same muddled waters of time.” A writer recognized for the fluidity of her writing and the vastness of her poetry, and the recipient of the prestigious Prix Athanase-David in 2019, Hélène Dorion navigates here between the troubled inner world of her characters and the unfathomable beauty of the elements. From Québec City to Montréal, passing through Charlevoix and the Bas-Saint-Laurent, spanning three generations and a century of large and small drifts, Hanna discovers—piece by piece—hidden parts of the existence of her recently deceased mother. “But do we ever really know the whole truth about our parents?” And can poems be lifelines when our breath runs out? In the background, the author shares the musical inspirations that accompanied her writing on Spotify. A vibrant (in)quest that leads us to the hold of the Empress of Ireland, that infamous ocean liner that sunk in 1914 near Rimouski. To tame the fog. L A VAG U E G E LÉ E

by EMG (Tanibis, 2020) An architecture graduate, French digital creator and comic book artist EMG (Tremblez enfance Z46) has created a second volume that is both puzzling and delirious. Particularly drawn to “bedetronics”—that is, deliberately computer-generated comic book artistry— he also devotes the blog Néant Horizon to this genre. In La vague gelée, the drawing appears pixelated, evokes the video games of the 1990s with its raw colours, and instills a nostalgia and strangeness that perfectly matches the mild madness of the story. Surfer Nicolas Marlin appears here in an existential defeat, while his past and his grandfather resurface on the beach in San Telmo. Army helicopters and boats disrupt his competition, and he will drink the cup not without questioning everything. In the hollow of the wave hide his deepest memories. An original discovery, imbued with fantasy and quirky humour.

CULTURE

N O U S S O M M E S L E S P R O T E C T E U R S D E L’ E A U

written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade, in a French translation by Gérard Muguet in collaboration with Natasha Kanapé Fontaine (Bayard, 2021) Inspired by the protests of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation against the construction of an oil pipeline in recent years and by the many other struggles of the Indigenous peoples of America to protect water, children’s author Carole Lindstrom, Anishinaabe/ Métis, imagines a child’s realization of the perils facing the environment. The elders have warned him that a “black snake” is threatening the planet’s ecosystem, and that it must be fought with chanting and drumming to make it listen to reason. Illustrator Michaela Goade, of the Tlingit and Haida Nations of Alaska, wonderfully translates the precious and sacred character of our interconnection with nature in a highly enveloping and gregarious fashion. If “water is the first medicine,” how will we treat the winged and crawling beings properly, “to honour Mother Earth and all her living creatures, including the water and the soil?” A life lesson and—indeed—a lives lesson!

by Maude Barlow (Écosociété, 2021) From the child who takes note of the world in which they live to the adult for whom activism is an act of survival, we sometimes feel that there is a quantum leap, and helplessness wins us over. An international authority on the issues related to the right to water, that “common good” that some monopolize like a commodity, Ontarian Maude Barlow fights on all fronts when it comes to “blocking the privatization of a vital resource”—the subtitle of her new essay. How can we oppose the Coca-Colas and the Nestlés of the world, the mining companies, and other polluting industries that pump water like there’s no tomorrow? Once she gets past the discouragement of the overwhelming observations about the shortage facing us, the septuagenarian activist tells us about the advances of the Blue Communities citizen movement, which she helped develop and which has expanded into all four corners of the globe. What if, from the bottom up, from individuals to senior executives, hope could flow by eliminating bottled water? TO UT E ST O R I

by Paul Serge Forest (VLB, 2021) By definition, no one expects the work that wins the Prix Robert-Cliche, because it has recognized excellence in first novels since 1979. Robert Lalonde, Chrystine Brouillet, Roxanne Bouchard, and Antoine Charbonneau-Demers are among the former first-time novelists honoured. In 2021, physician Paul Serge Forest was added to the list, with a story that is controlled, saline, and highly unexpected. Hailing from Côte-Nord, he sets his irresistible plot there—more specifically, in Baie-Trinité— where the Lelarge clan sees its seafood empire shaken up by an official’s zeal, the metaphysical and blinding ambitions of a Japanese sea urchin enthusiast, and the spectre of the Prince Edward Island mussel crisis of 1987! Interspersed with juicy interludes about the delicacies of the sea that would make Charles Tisseyre blush, this story undoubtedly stands out through its dark humour, its dishevelled figureheads, and its uninhibited celebration of fluids of all sorts. Tasty as can be.

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À Q U I A P P A R T I E N T L’ E A U ?

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S TR ØM FOUNDATION

A MOM ENT OF B A L A NCE — We all know someone, directly or indirectly, who devotes themselves daily to a loved one. And these peer supporters and caregivers deserve to be taken care of in return. We wanted to thank these courageous and inspiring people through the creation of the Strøm Foundation – Caregiver Program.

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Caregivers are always there, present, attentive, and caring. They support a loved one, a parent, or a spouse through difficult times, embodying balance in the face of adversity. They are a source of comfort for those who struggle every day. For these people who give so much without expecting anything in return, the Foundation was established so that they can enjoy a moment of their own. We would like to be at their side as much as we can, welcoming them to allow them to recharge their batteries, energize, and refocus, so that they can continue to offer what is most precious: balance, courage, and serenity. To learn more, visit: stromspa.com/en/company/strom-foundation.

CAREGIVING IN A FEW WORDS

What is a caregiver? According to L’Appui national, a caregiver is “someone who provides unpaid care and continuous support at home to someone with a significant or persistent disability likely to compromise their home care.” A caregiver may therefore take care of an aging parent suffering from a loss of autonomy, a child with a disability, a sick friend, or a neighbour who was the victim of an accident. Statistics • In Quebec, more than 1 in 4 people are caregivers. • Nearly 50% of caregivers devote more than 5 hours per week to taking care of the care recipient. • Most caregivers in Canada are women. • Caregivers provide 85% of care for seniors. • To devote more time to the care recipient, 64% of caregivers have reduced their social or relaxation activities.

Source: Regroupement des aidants naturels du Québec, A Profile of Caregivers, ranq.qc.ca/en/services/statistics/

Information and resources: RANQ / Regroupement des aidants naturels du Québec / ranq.qc.ca/en/ Advice and support: L’Appui national and Caregiver Support help line / 1 855 852-7784 / lappui.org/en

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Water: The Source of Life By Isabelle Huot, nutritionist

AT THE HE A RT OF THE H UM A N BODY — Water is essential to life. From childhood to adulthood, in sickness but also in perfect health, water plays a crucial role and is part of a healthy lifestyle. It represents 60% of an adult’s body weight and is involved in many bodily functions, such as controlling body temperature, transporting nutrients, maintaining blood volume, lubricating the joints, and regulating blood pressure.

The amount of water we should consume on a daily basis varies according to different factors, such as the level of physical activity, age, and gender, but also the ambient temperature and humidity, as well as the presence or absence of certain symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. In these situations, there are increased fluid losses, and an additional water intake is necessary to replace them and maintain adequate hydration. In Canada and the United States, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has established recommendations in the form of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). These take total water intake into account, including water, beverages, and food. The latter meet about 20% of our hydration needs. Foods such as leafy greens, cucumber, celery, melons, and berries have a high water content. For example, strawberries, watermelon, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, celery, and broccoli are all made up of 90 to 99% water. Eating more fruits and vegetables therefore helps maintain a good hydration level. Excluding food, the recommended DRI for women aged 19 and older is 2.2 L of water/day and 3 L/day for men of the same age group. The recommended DRI increases for pregnant and breastfeeding women. For children, water needs also vary according to gender and age group. For example, for girls aged 9 to 13, the recommended DRI is 1.6 L/day and 1.8 L/day for boys of the same age group. Besides water itself, the body’s main sources of water are other beverages, such as tea, herbal tea, coffee, milk, and fruit and vegetable juices, as well as foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. However, throughout the day, the body loses water in urine and stool, as well as through breathing, sweating, and the skin. The body sends a thirst signal when the weight loss caused by dehydration reaches 1%. When it reaches 5%, symptoms such as dry mouth, headaches, and difficulty concentrating appear. Finally, when the weight loss due to dehydration reaches 10%, it can be fatal. It is therefore important to replace fluid losses regularly during the day to reduce the risk of dehydration.

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O U R WAT E R N E E D S

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CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL

With respect to caffeine, research does not allow us to conclude that it has a diuretic effect that can lead to dehydration. Studies show that, above 180 mg per day (about two espressos), it can temporarily increase urination in certain individuals, but not necessarily lead to dehydration. Caffeinated beverages, including tea and coffee, can therefore contribute to the total daily water intake. As for alcohol, its diuretic effect is mediated by the suppression of arginine-vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone that sends a signal to the kidneys to reduce urination and reabsorb water into the body. By suppressing this hormone, alcohol makes it easier for the body to eliminate water. Alcohol consumption may therefore increase the risk of dehydration, especially on an empty stomach. Consuming alcohol with food and alternating with water may reduce this risk.

TI P S FO R MEETI N G YOUR NEEDS

Water may not be the most attractive beverage for everyone; however, it should be the beverage of choice on a daily basis. Here are a few tips to help you drink more: 1.

Always start your day with a glass of water. This is a habit that is fairly easy to integrate into your daily life, but which can make a difference.

Always have a reusable water bottle available. You can also use a water bottle marked with the hours of the day to remind you to drink regularly.

Flavour your water with berries, slices of cucumber, lime, or lemon, as well as fresh herbs, such as mint or basil. That way, you will get a tasty and endlessly customizable beverage.

Consider serving water with meals. Simply placing a pretty jug of water on the table may motivate you to drink more.

Drink herbal tea, tea, coffee, milk (skim, 1%, or 2%), vegetable-based drinks, or 100%-pure fruit or vegetable juices. These beverages mainly consist of water and are also great sources of hydration. For tea and coffee, as well as for any other caffeinated beverage, just make sure to limit your caffeine consumption to 400 mg per day for adults (about eight cups of tea or two to three cups of coffee), and 300 mg per day for pregnant or breastfeeding women (about six cups of tea or one to two cups of coffee).

Use an app to monitor your daily water consumption. This type of application gives you a better idea of your current intake and allows you to increase it if it is insufficient with the help of customizable reminders. Examples of apps include Aqualert, Plant Nanny, Waterlogged, Eau Reminder, and H2O Aqualert.

Pay attention to the symptoms of dehydration: thirst, dry mouth, headaches, dark yellow urine, etc. These signals sent by your body remind you that it is essential to regularly drink enough water.

You are now better informed about the essential role of water for the human body and well-equipped to meet your daily water needs.

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Swimming Against the Tide Toward Intuitive Eating By Marilou Morin-Laferrière, Dt.P., Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, owner of Manger en Harmonie and co-owner of Pratique Inclusive, in collaboration with Clara Laflamme, dietetics graduate

AUTONOM Y A N D LE A RNI NG — The human body is fascinating. It usually knows what it needs and uses complex mechanisms to send signals to the brain to have its needs met.

W H Y I S I T S O H A R D T O D E C I P H E R W H AT T H E B O DY N E E D S ?

When we receive different messages from all over the place, it’s no wonder we don’t know where to turn. We therefore rely on plans, diets, or “lifestyles” that dictate what, when, and how much to eat. Modern methods of communication make it easy to spread contradictory messages, so it’s easy to get swept up in the current. By adding a certain moral value to our food choices and our physical appearance, we get a total disconnection from and distrust of the body, as well as a certain degree of confusion. It’s quite possible to break free from the rules and dictates that govern our diet to find a balance that is unique to us. Learning to trust the messages sent by the body despite the multitude of common misconceptions surrounding food is doable. Let’s find out how. A C O M PA S S I O N AT E S O L U T I O N

Intuitive eating, developed by American dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995, consists of ten principles where the curious observation of what is going on within the body and mind is emphasized and the messages usually conveyed about food are questioned. This anti-diet approach relies on compassion and caring. This is how it guides us toward respect for the body by learning to trust it and feel gratitude for what it allows us to do. In recent years, many studies have shown the benefits of intuitive eating, including but not limited to an increase in appreciation for our bodies, pleasure in eating, sensitivity to the body’s signals, and the variety of foods consumed, as well as a decrease in eating disorders.

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Running low on fuel? The brain calls for the secretion of hunger hormones, increases the attractiveness of food, and—among other things—reduces satiety hormones. It does all this to get us to eat and thereby provide energy to the body in need. Learning to listen to the body’s signals to decode its needs and trusting it, however, is anything but easy.

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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D

The first step involves recognizing that diets don’t work in the long term. More than 90% of people who follow a diet either don’t lose weight or don’t maintain their weight loss beyond two or three years. People who lost weight following a diet regain the lost weight or more than the lost weight in 66% of cases. It is suggested that the “successes” are achieved by adopting unhealthy eating behaviours. To begin, let go of social media, magazines, books, or subscriptions that promote diets or position the thin body as the ideal to be achieved. Questioning the beauty standards presented in the media and recognizing body diversity lets us explore respect, acceptance, and appreciation of the body—three factors that contribute to our ability to take care of our needs for our overall well-being.

CO N N EC TI N G W ITH TH E B O DY

Intuitive eating invites you to honour your hunger by giving yourself the unconditional right to eat with pleasure and without guilt. By removing restrictions, the allure of the forbidden dissipates, and foods tend to lose their power of attraction. This allows us to make choices according to our tastes and needs. Discovering the pleasure of eating lets us enjoy maximum satisfaction and meet our cultural and social needs. Considering our fullness helps us determine when the meal is over and keep the overall experience satisfying. Watch out for the “food police”! That voice that dictates the rules to be followed and causes guilt when they aren’t respected. The one that stops us from eating after a certain time, that requires the presence of certain foods on our plates or demonizes others. What messages did you receive growing up? What impact do they have on your current eating habits and behaviours? Eating your emotions is often seen as a behaviour to be avoided. However, eating doesn’t just meet a need for energy! Eating offers comfort, connection, happiness, and pleasure. Should we diversify our toolbox to meet our needs? Absolutely! However, let’s recognize the resilience of the body in adopting compensatory mechanisms in the face of strong and painful emotions. The workings of the human body are fascinating, even in these reflexes at which we tend to wag our fingers. Connecting with your body also means feeling the benefits related to movement, such as reduced pain, improved sleep, and better stress management. The goal of intuitive eating is to meet an individual’s physical, emotional, and psychological needs by improving their relationship with their body and their diet. What a beautiful and gentle way to find your balance!

FREEDOM AND AUTONOM Y

Feeling the body’s signals may seem impossible to do, and it’s not accessible to everyone—for example, due to taking medications, a history of eating disorders, medical conditions, etc. The support of healthcare professionals is often necessary in these cases. Here are a few questions that can guide you in your efforts right now: • What happens in my body when it lacks energy? • How do I feel my emotions physically and what do I need to address them? • What foods provide me with energy and contribute to my well-being, and conversely, which foods don’t make me feel good? • When I move my body, how do I feel, and what do I get out of it? Listening to and trusting your body means regaining your power and autonomy. And I really want that for you.

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OPENING DECEMBER 2021

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Winter Rituals The cold weather is slowly setting in, and afternoons at home are used to cook as a family. The children’s eyes light up as the cinnamon bun dough rolls up on itself, the chocolate slowly melts in the hot milk, and the colourful marshmallows take shape before their eyes. Once everything is ready, we savour this moment together, sipping our hot drink accompanied by a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven.

A C R E AT I O N F R O M R A P H A Ë L P O D L A S I E W I C Z

Executive Chef of the Nord Restaurants and the Fika Café at Strøm Nordic Spa

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

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Boreal Kanelbullar BRAIDED CINNAMON ROLL WITH MAPLE AND NARD DES PINÈDES

SW EET NESS — The cinnamon roll, kanelbullar, is a staple of Swedish baking. It can be found everywhere: in bakeries and pastry shops, in neighbourhood grocery stores, even in gas stations! It is enjoyed year round and pairs wonderfully with coffee, tea, or a delicious hot chocolate.

P R E PA R AT I O N

Servings: 12 to 15 rolls Preparation time: 30 minutes Waiting time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

• Make a well in the centre and add the milk and yeast mixture, as well as an egg. Knead at me dium speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

• In a saucepan or in the microwave, warm up the milk. • Pour the milk into a small bowl, add the dry yeast, and let rise for 5 minutes.

• Add the cubes of butter one by one and knead the mixture for 5 additional minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• Cover the dough with a cloth and let rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Dough

• Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the filling until a smooth and even dough is obtained.

• 1 cup milk • 2 tbsp. dry yeast

• Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out into a 3-mm-thick rectangle using a rolling pin.

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour • ¼ cup sugar

• Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Fold in 3 by bringing the right side toward the centre, then folding the left side over it. Gently flatten using the rolling pin.

• 1 tsp. salt • 2 eggs (1 for the glaze) • cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes

• Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 4-cm-wide strips. • Twist the dough strip and wind it around itself, forming a knot. Repeat for each strip of dough.

Filling • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

• Arrange the braided rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.

• ¼ cup brown sugar • ¼ cup maple sugar

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Beat the re maining egg and brush the rolls with it.

• 2 tbsp. maple syrup • 2 tsp. powdered nard des pinèdes (or powdered cinnamon) (see note)

• Bake for 15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Enjoy while still warm.

Note: Nard des pinèdes is a boreal bud that usually grows in blueberry fields. Its taste is similar to that of cinnamon, cloves, and honey. It can be found online at racinesboreales.ca or oceandesaveurs.ca.

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• In the bowl of a mixer equipped with a kneading hook, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.

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Hot Chocolate D A R K C H O C O L A T E A N D L AV E N D E R — B E R R Y A N D S W E E T C L O V E R M A R S H M A L L O W S

Hot chocolate Servings: 3 to 4 cups Preparation time: 20 minutes Berry and sweet clover marshmallows Servings: 20 to 25 marshmallows Preparation time: 45 minutes Waiting time: 2 hours INGREDIENTS

Hot chocolate • 3 ½ cups milk of your choice • ½ cup 35% cream • 2 tbsp. wildflower honey • 2 tbsp. dried lavender (optional) • 250 g dark chocolate drops Note: For a more festive occasion among adults, add 15 mL (½ oz.) of crème de cassis over the marshmallows at the end.

Berry and sweet clover marshmallows • 3 ¼ cups powdered sugar • ¼ cup corn starch • 8 gelatin sheets or 4 tsp. powdered gelatin, rehydrated • 1 cup (120 g) berry purée (see note) • ½ cup water • 2 tsp. sweet clover (or vanilla) extract • ½ cup corn syrup • 2 egg whites Note: To make a berry purée, heat the berries of your choice with 10% of their weight in sugar, then grind in a food processor. If necessary, strain to remove the raspberry seeds, for example. Sweet clover extract is obtained from the tiny flowers of this wild plant that grows all over Quebec. Its taste is similar to that of vanilla, with notes of almond and freshly cut hay. Often used in baking, this plant is even nicknamed “boreal vanilla.” Sweet clover extract can be found online at gourmetsauvage.ca.

P R E PA R AT I O N

Hot chocolate • In a saucepan, bring the milk, cream, honey, and laven der to a boil. • Place the dark chocolate drops in a large bowl, then pour the hot milk over the chocolate, straining it to retain the lavender. • Emulsify using a whisk or mixer. • Pour the desired amount into cups and garnish with a few berry and sweet clover marshmallows. Berry and sweet clover marshmallows • In a small bowl, mix ¾ cup of powdered sugar with the corn starch and set aside. • Rehydrate the gelatin sheets in water. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the berry purée to a boil. Wring out the gelatin sheets, then, away from the heat, add them to the warm berry purée and stir to dissolve. Set aside. • In another saucepan, heat the remaining powdered sugar (2 ½ cups), water, sweet clover extract, and corn syrup until it reaches a temperature of 121°F (49°C). Away from the heat, add the berry purée and mix. • Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. While whipping, drizzle the berry preparation over them until stiff peaks form. • Sprinkle a small amount of the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. • Spread the egg white preparation evenly over the sheet, then sprinkle a bit of the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture over the top of the preparation. Refrige rate for at least 2 hours or until the marshmallows firm up. • Cut into cubes the size of your choice and roll each marshmallow cube in the remaining powdered sugar and corn starch mixture. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

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A C R E AT I O N F R O M R A P H A Ë L P O D L A S I E W I C Z

Executive Chef of the Nord Restaurants and the Fika Café at Strøm Nordic Spa

THE DOURO RIVER, PORTUGAL Photo credit: Maksym Kaharlytskyi

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Har vest Season By Stéphanie Dupuy, sommelier

WAT ER — Vital and irreplaceable, it is the common denominator of all forms of life on Earth. Its absence, as well as its excess, can wreak havoc, and wine production is no exception to this rule. Unsurprisingly, the vine’s water supply is decisive when it comes to the growth and photosynthesis of the plant. Among other factors, the availability of water can determine both the quantity and quality of a harvest and —consequently—of the wine.

Excess precipitation can be a source of many headaches for a winemaker. Water affects the acid-sugar balance, a decisive factor in the excellence of a wine. Too much water can increase the yield of the vine. It then produces more fruits, but these lose acidity, an essential element in the balance of a wine. They have a lower sugar concentration and are somewhat “diluted.” Excess water can also create major problems in terms of crop protection, such as the appearance of fungi, including powdery or downy mildew, which are devastating vine diseases. T O O L I T T L E WAT E R

An intense drought also brings its share of challenges. Pronounced and prolonged water stress leads to physiological dysfunctions. The lower leaves turn yellow, red, or brown; the ripening (the moment when the grapes take on their colour) arrives late; and the grapes wither. Photosynthesis, transpiration, and maturation are slowed or even completely stopped. The yields and the quality of the grapes are adversely affected. As you can see, the impact on the harvest can be catastrophic. HOW MUCH, THEN?

Although essential during all its stages of development, the vine’s water needs vary according to the stage. It is between bud break (the emergence of the leaf) and flowering, and then during harvest, that water availability is most important. This water may have been stored in the soil during winter precipitation or—in the case of more draining soils—come from welcome rainfall. Between ripening and harvest, it is preferable for the vine to be under moderate water stress. In other words, the vine should lack water…but not too much! Although this deficiency, if reasonable, leads to a decreased grape size, above all, it allows for an increased concentration of the desired components in the fruit, such as sugar, flavours, and acidity. These extreme weather events are becoming increasingly numerous. Rainy vintages are more disturbed by downpours, and drought years are more intense than before. Climate change leaves little room for wine makers to manoeuvre. While we can’t stop the rain from falling, there is a solution to mitigate water shortages: irrigation.

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T O O M U C H WAT E R

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Spain is the champion in this field: nearly 40% of its wine growing area is irrigated. Although controversial, irrigation has the advantage of guaranteeing yield and quality. Each appellation has strict specifications on this subject. For example, for AOCs from France, an exemption request offers the possibility of irrigating between May 1 and August 15, after which all irrigation is prohibited until the end of the harvest. Heavy rains and droughts aside, water can also play an important role in a region’s microclimate. Moselle, Rhône, Douro, Gironde, Loire, Lake Garda, the Mediterranean… The most observant among you may already know that rivers, lakes, and seas are located in the heart of the most iconic wine growing regions in the world. And their role goes far beyond creating a postcard-worthy landscape.

Rainy vintages are more disturbed by dow npours, and d rought years are more intense than before.

RIVERS

Steeply sloping terraces are a common denominator of the vineyards located on the edges of major rivers. Since cold air is denser than hot air, it will be concentrated at the bottom of the slope. The vines are comfortably protected from the springtime frosts. Water also has the quality of reflecting the sun’s rays and heat onto the vines. LAKES

Water takes longer to heat up and cool down than any other substance. For example, the temperature of the water in a pool rises much more slowly than that of the air during the day, but it remains warm as night falls and the air is once again cool. The same principle is reproduced on a large scale. We’ve all seen a steaming lake in the early morning. And the vines nearby store this heat! Not only does the presence of a lake make the climate more temperate, but it also helps lengthen the ripening season. Conversely, a lake in a very hot region can help moderate the temperature. OCEANS

Although proximity to the sea carries risks for viticulture (humidity, rain), vineyards in warmer climates can thank the cold currents, cool breezes, and marine fogs, which help preserve the essential acidity present in the fruits. The sea can even bring a certain salinity to the vines—an added bonus!

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MEI NK L ANG , AUS TR IA , B URGENL AND

13631119 — $17.15 Organic/biodynamic

You’ve undoubtedly already seen the wines of the popular Austrian estate Meinklang on the shelves of your local SAQ, recognizable by the cow on the labels. This vintage is a blend of Muscat and local Grüner Veltliner and Welschriesling varieties. One of the unique features of the estate is its proximity with Lake Neusiedl, the largest lake in Austria. Not very deep, this lake captures heat during the hot season and redistributes it at night and at the end of the season. The result? Fresh, juicy, and harmonious wines such as this white, where green apple, peach, white pepper, and lime delight the palate!

C H ÂT E AU R O U Q U E T T E S U R M E R , C U V É E A M A R A N T E , L A C L A P E

The La Clape appellation takes its name from an ancient island that has now become a massif that stretches over 17 kilometres long and seven kilometres wide, and which overlooks the Mediterranean from the top of its 214 metres. The 13 winds that blow over the plateaus that slope toward the sea relentlessly chase the clouds away, making La Clape one of the sunniest climates in France. With its typically Languedocian blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, as well as its full and tasty mouthfeel reminiscent of garrigue, pepper, and ripe berries, Cuvée Amarante is a staple of the appellation.

FA M I L I A F E R N Á N D E Z R I V E R A , D E H E SA L A G R A N JA , RIBERA DEL DUERO

928036 — $20.85

The Duero is a river that has its source at over 2,000 metres above sea level in Spain and crosses the north of the country until it reaches Portugal (where it becomes the Douro) and finally empties into the Atlantic. Downstream, it digs into the Portuguese hillsides that rise up to 700 metres on both sides of its bed, and upstream, its presence tempers the climate of Ribera del Duero, where the reputation of Alejandro Fernández has long been established. Here, this master of Tempranillo offers a vintage rich in substance with plenty of flavour and character, where the barrel aging appears with delicacy. Attractive for the price.

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713263 — $19.90

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

STRØM NORDIC SPA

Four Havens Along the Water WATER: THE CATALYST OF WELLNESS — Water carries within itself the memory of life on Earth. In its various forms, it contributes to birth and regeneration, conferring purity, healing, and renewal. At Strøm, water can be the spring, the river, the lake, the Nordic waterfall, or the whirlpool. While it is the quintessential element of regeneration, it is just as relaxing as it is energizing. The source of life, water is deeply ingrained in the culture of wellness, guiding us toward a state of balance. By influencing the architectural choices of each of our locations, the unique nature of water is at the forefront of the experience and contributes to the beauty of these places. Sometimes calm, sometimes in motion, water leads us to a form of relaxation where a feeling of oneness reigns.

OLD QUEBEC

Photo credits: Adrien Williams

SHERBROOKE

STRØM NORDIC SPA

A rchitecture in T une with Water The environment in which any architectural project is established is at the heart of the experience. Positioned at the edge of the water, Strøm’s facilities have one goal in common: to fade into the background to let the landscape speak. The architectural horizontality contributes harmoniously to this goal by propelling the views and directing the gaze. With water as the starting point, the simplicity of the architectural geometry blends into the lands-

At Strøm Nordic Spa — Nuns’ Island, the viewpoints of the horizon highlight Lac des Battures. The large panoramic sauna and the Rød relaxation room allow us to enjoy it thanks to their immense windows, making us forget the building itself. Framing an element can lead to a feeling of closeness with it. Here, this closeness with Lac des Battures generates relaxation, contemplation, and discovery within the user.

By inviting water into the heart of a dense forest, Strøm Nordic Spa — Mont-Saint-Hilaire reinvents the landscape of its spa resort. All designed to harmonize with the beauty of the surroundings, the whirlpools, thermal and Nordic waterfalls, and outdoor pool can be observed thanks to the large and magnificent windows with sleek lines, offering us a glimpse of rhythm and fluidity.

Designed to follow the movement of the shore through the exploration of space, Strøm Nordic Spa — Sherbrooke is established on the banks of the Lac des Nations, which is intended to be an expansion of the Magog River. While the dock and the beach offer a privileged closeness with the lake, the rectangular volumes of the building mould themselves to the trajectory of the shore. Strongly inspired by the port history of the Bassin Brown, Strøm Nordic Spa — Old Quebec is a bridge connecting users to the river. The discovery of the building is parallel to the river; it follows the movement of the banks. Relaxation unfolds facing the water, in gentle harmony with the currents, the pebbles, and the movement of the boats. By offering unique vantage points of the river, it becomes omnipresent, permeating the visitor’s experience and marking the fluidity of the journey. Wherever the visitor goes, the river is there. STRØM: THE ENERGY OF THE CURRENT

Evoking the power and tranquility of water, the term “strøm,” borrowed from the Scandinavian languages, refers to a current, but it also signifies—in a figurative sense—the energy related to movement, to motion. It illustrates the channelled life force that carries with it the vestiges of its source to nourish and profoundly transform the course of things; it constitutes regeneration toward a state of balance.

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cape, letting it wash over us. This intimate contact and this feeling of closeness allow us to reconnect with nature and the elements, with water and the earth. Changing scenery with the seasons, the river, lake, and spa facilities open up possibilities for exploration by reconnecting users with the vastness of the environment.

STRØM NORDIC SPA

VÅ D S T E A M B A T H S

NUNS’ ISL AND AND SHERBROOKE

Water is constantly in motion. It appears in the steam bath in the form of minuscule droplets floating in the air. When it comes into contact with the skin, the sweating process is activated, contributing to the regeneration of water within the body and requiring adequate hydration. The water cycle inside the human body is therefore a reflection of the water cycle itself.

STRØM RIVER OLD QUEBEC

An immersive space that blurs our perceptions, the current of the Strøm River allows the user to let themselves be carried away. As the large pool flows outward, its current naturally carries the swimmer from the inside to the outside. There, the proximity of the river takes on its full importance, contributing to the feeling of vastness. Focused on contrasts, the circuit offers a fluid experience between indoors and outdoors, light and dark.

L A G A F L O TAT I O N B AT H OLD QUEBEC

Intangible, muffled, and mysterious, the Laga flotation bath seems to be a flooded and timeless vault where a warm darkness reigns. Reminiscent of the vastness of the Dead Sea, its Epsom salt solution minimizes the forces of gravity and allows the body to float effortlessly. Thanks to the relaxation of the body and the absence of pressure points, flotation offers an optimal feeling of relaxation.

INFINITY POOL OLD QUEBEC

A visit to Strøm Nordic Spa — Old Quebec is also an opportunity to encounter the waltz of the waters and glaciers. Here, at the end of the magnificent Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, the infinity pool that runs along the river recalls the harbour past of the Bassin Brown. Immersed in the water, you become one with the changing panorama of the river, alternately calm, restless, or frozen.

OUTDOOR POOL

M O NT-SA I NT- H I L A I R E

Nestled at the foot of the mountain, the large outdoor pool offers a breathtaking view of Mont-Saint-Hilaire. The jets and whirlpools add to the experience when you take a few minutes to sit down on the long bench in the water. The spectacle of nature offers itself to the bathers, who enjoy water heated to just the right temperature. An absolute must for swimmers in search of wide-open spaces.

Photo credits: Bianca Des Jardins

VÅ D S T E A M B A T H , S H E R B R O O K E

STRØM RIVER, OLD QUEBEC

INFINITY POOL, OLD QUEBEC

OUTD O O R P O O L , M O NT-SA I NT- H I L A I R E

WHIRLPOOL , NUNS’ ISL AND

N O R D I C P O O L , M O NT-SA I NT- H I L A I R E

VÅ D S T E A M B A T H , O L D Q U E B E C

Photo credits: Bianca Des Jardins

DRY SAUNA , OLD QUEB EC

STRØM NORDIC SPA

The Ther mal Cycle The Ancients understood the healing power of water. More than a simple pastime, the thermal baths of old have multiplied, becoming a veritable institution. Practised for millennia, hydrotherapy is a wellness ritual that relies on the external use of water for therapeutic purposes. Based on the alternation of hot and cold followed by a period of deep relaxation, the thermal experience offers many benefits. WHIRLPOOL

Immersion in hot water provides a feeling of well-being, reduces stress, and improves the quality of your sleep. DRY SAUNA

The sauna helps eliminate fatigue, oxygenate the body, strengthen the immune system, cleanse the skin through sweating, and eliminate muscle tension. S T E A M B AT H

N O R D I C P O O L , WAT E R FA L L , O R S H O W E R

The sudden immersion of the body in icy water stimulates the circulatory system, strengthens the immune system, improves the appearance of the skin, and makes it easier to fall asleep by lowering the internal temperature of the body. The period of relaxation that follows promotes the release of endorphins and allows you to experience the physical and mental benefits of the hot-cold cycle.

WAT E R Q UA L I T Y

At Strøm Nordic Spa, the quality of the water is at the heart of our priorities. After receiving a recognized certification, the staff responsible for the quality of the water in the pools conducts numerous daily tests, before, during, and after opening. The many regulatory parameters are automatically monitored, and adjustments are made automatically and in real time.

tration, treated, then returned to the pools. This eco-friendly process makes it possible to reuse the water. Strøm Nordic Spa also holds Certification SPA d’Excellence, a guarantee of respect for the highest standards in terms of water quality, but also in terms of the professionalism of the staff, the rigour of the treatments and services provided, and the cleanliness of the locations.

High-performance mechanical water filtration and circulation equipment is also used so that the entire volume of water in the pools is collected, sent for fil-

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Among other benefits, the steam bath promotes the decongestion of the airways, cleanses the skin, and prepares the body for a restorative sleep.

Photo credit: Bianca Des Jardins

L A G A F L O TAT I O N B AT H , O L D Q U E B E C

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Strøm Magazine – Fall / Winter 2021

Articles inside

INSPIRATION

WORLD

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN