Trifecta Magazine Issue 9: Winter 2016 by Trifecta Magazine

Winter 2016

FREE

Calgary's Well-Being and Mindful Living Magazine

TERESA DE GROSBOIS

INNER STRENGTH AND INFLUENCE ABE BROWN

THE WELLNESS WHEEL LISA ELLE

5 WAYS TO FIND FINANCIAL STRENGTH LOIS HAMILTON

STRENGTH COMES FROM WITHIN

tri·fec·ta

•

facebook.com/trifectamag

achieving optimal results involving three aspects of health: Mind, Body and Soul.

contributors

Resolve To Be Strong

By Yasina Bhanji

The Wellness Wheel

By Abe Brown

The Sandwich Generation Financial Strategies for Parents with Parents By Sylvia McConnell

Don’t Turn Your Life into a Project

By Trish Savoia

The Strength I Gained by Falling Apart

Wisdom from the Akashic Records: Resolve to be Strong

By Christy Lowrance

Caring for the Common Cold

The Key to Rising Up From Failure,Hurt and Disappointment

Inner Strength and Influence

Eventually All the Pieces Fall Into Place

Building Emotional Strength

5 Ways to Find Financial Strength

Parenting Tips: Decrease School Stress

Embrace your fear to live a life you love!

What does it mean to “not know where the boundaries of the Universe lay”?

We hope you enjoy the experience and we look forward to sharing our passion in many issues to come.

By Meredith Penner

Relationship Resolution

For information on advertising opportunities or to contribute to Trifecta Magazine, email sales@trifectamagazine.ca or phone 403-589-5060.

Factors of Fertility

S.E.L.F.

Strength Comes from Within

Teresa de Grosbois, #1 International bestselling author of Mass Influence, shares her story about inner strength and influence in our Resolve to be Strong issue. Discover how the worst year of Teresa's life turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her and learn about her top three habits that can increase your influence in the community. Trifecta Magazine focuses on three aspects of health; Mind, Body and Soul. Achieving optimal results in these three areas is considered a perfect balance or trifecta, hence the name of this publication – Trifecta. Inspiring well-being and mindful living through community connection right here in Calgary, Trifecta Magazine provides a channel for community members to both share and learn from each other’s experiences in a solution-based forum of expression. Trifecta Magazine attracts readers, writers and advertisers with a desire for betterment and provides exposure to the many types of therapies, products and practitioners throughout Calgary and surrounding areas that can help people advance on their personal journeys.

Trifecta Magazine can be delivered quarterly directly to your home or office for only $24.95 + GST for a one year subscription. Email sales@trifectamagazine.ca for more information. Published by Allison Cartwright and Cindy Drummond

By Ramona Remesat

By Dr. Alma Nenshi

By Jenn Lofgren

By Teresa de Grosbois

By Deborah Nichol

By Cheryle Cote

By Lisa Elle

By Marianne Disipio-Vitale

By Kim Marchuk

By Wendy Olson-Brodeur

By Dr. Marnie Wachtler RMT, ND

By Nancy Clements

By Lois Hamilton

The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights in regards to copyright of their work. No part of this work covered by the copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect those of Trifecta Magazine. Readers are encouraged to consult with their health professional before embarking on any exercise, medical or nutritional changes. Winter 2016

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 1

Resolve To Be Strong By Yasina Bhanji

“Often it is at our lowest points in life that we learn the most. We say ‘god, this is too much. Life has disappointed me beyond all belief’ …Those low moments are the magical moments. They are the beginning stages of our journey.” - Melody Beattie

I decided to ask the universe for a quote to start my article for this issue… Very profound don’t you think? This is an interesting topic. Why? Because strength is different to everyone. Some think being strong means not dealing with emotions and bottling it in while others find their strength by sharing. Where do you find your strength? Inside you? From others? For me it’s my tribe, my family and my belief in the universe. Don’t get me wrong, there have been moments where I have wondered where my resolve disappeared. Those moments where I felt it’s over, I am done! I have been down that path… where you say maybe it’s easier to just end it. But then I look around me, I look inside me, I sit and think about all the beginnings and see how far I have gotten…

That being said, it’s not easy to find our own positives is it? But when did we decide that society would be our judge? When did it become okay to be put down to the point we lose our strength? What do I need to do to build myself up so that no one can bring me down? Hard questions right? But those are the questions we need to keep asking ourselves. I will leave you with those questions as it’s a different journey for each of us… Just remember you can find your strength within yourself and have your tribe to listen to you – those who don’t judge you in your worst moments, those that will listen to you rant and rave, who will see you fall and rise, see yourself fall and rise but always dust yourself off because the world would not be a better place without you --- Resolve to be strong! Hold space for yourself! For more blogs and articles or to book an appointment please visit www.yasinaslight.com Love and Light , Yasina Yasina Bhanji Yasina's Light

I remember I have picked myself up in my loneliest times, even when everyone around me didn’t even notice I had fallen. It’s all about finding your wall and looking at it and saying I may not be able to break it down but I definitely can climb it or find a way. It’s about attitude, it’s not easy – it’s hard to have that “never going to give up attitude” when life is pushing against you. It’s looking at those external forces and finding strength within yourself. I find it easier to resolve to be strong, if I remember I have risen before, even from the smallest obstacle. Everything no matter how big can be broken down to smaller bits to help it be more manageable. Everything is not always black or white…. GREY is okay. When we start looking at things as “it has to be perfect” or have those expectations then the universe starts to unravel. It is like a domino effect, if you find one imperfection you will find others – not just in yourself but in the world. I believe we are too hard on ourselves. What’s that saying? “You are your worst critic?” Yuck, I rather say “I am my best friend, I can compliment myself and build myself, I am worthy and it is okay to fall down sometimes.” Remember you are doing the best you can with what you have.

2 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Helping you connect your Mind, Body and Soul BodyTalk • Reiki Master House Clearings • Angel Readings Intuitive Spiritual Counselling • Chakra Clearing Plus more, check the website out. info@yasinaslight.com • 587-717-0212 facebook.com/yasinaslight www.yasinaslight.com

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

from the publisher Winter! It’s never been my favourite time of year unless of course, I am fortunate enough to escape to somewhere sunny and tropical. This year, I am going to try something new. I am going to use this season to Resolve to be Stronger… hence the theme for this issue. I am not going to fight the winter blues, but instead embrace this season of shorter days, snow and sleet to focus on getting strong. It’s easy to give up when things seem difficult, but if you can find the fortitude to push through, the results can be amazing. Trifecta too, has resolved to be stronger. Over the last two years, we have struggled to find our groove. We want to give our readers a quality publication, our advertisers a good return on investment, and cover our printing and distribution costs. We started this journey knowing it would prove difficult, but with your patience and loyalty, we think we are on the right path. We are excited about our new website and our new distribution channels, both of which came out of determination and the will to succeed. We hope this issue will inspire you to Resolve to be Stronger and if it does, please tell us. We would love to share your story. With gratitude, Cindy Drummond

Stay Connected /TRIFECTAMAG Winter 2016

ReSolve To Be Strong facebook.com/trifectamag

| 3

The Wellness Wheel Abe Brown, Master Coach Trainer Wellness. More than ever before, we hear about this concept in the media, in conversations at Starbucks, and even in our workplaces. Wellness is currently a hot topic, but there is no clear definition of Wellness. When we think of Wellness, we think of well-being, wholeness, and balanced health. We think of a selfawareness that causes us to be at peace with ourselves, and the world around us, with a focus on health is that complete and holistic.

and multi-disciplinary approach to their healing, personal growth, and change. In order to properly care for those we lead, we need to have the tool of Wellness packed into our tool-kit. Here is a simple process for understanding Wellness using the concept of The Wellness Wheel. The Wellness Wheel is a picture that describes the 7 Pillars of Life. Life is not one component, but many parts woven together, each one at a differing level of importance at different times. These are not listed in order of importance but are all inter-connected. The Wellness Wheel – The 7 Pillars Of Life

I want to share the concept of The Wellness Wheel. This article flows from 3 basic thoughts:

1) Relational Wellness – How You Connect – Relational wellness and how we connect with others is critical to our own sense of health and well-being. Several years ago, the UCLA did a study of people and discovered that we need between 8-10 meaningful touches per day to be mentally and emotionally healthy. No wonder so many people feel like they are missing something! Relational Wellness speaks to healthy conflict resolution, social intelligence, effective communication skills, and the capacity to be truly intimate. It is also the ability to be alone and to be comfortable with that.

1) Wellness Makes Sense (and Dollars!) - According to recent research by the Washington, D.C.-based Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The EBRI examined several case studies on the effectiveness and impact of Wellness programs. For example, Citibank experienced decreases in health risks and savings of between $4.56 and $4.73 for each dollar spent on its health education and awareness program. In another example, Glaxo Wellcome's health promotion program saved the company an estimated $1 million in 1998, and has reduced medical leaves of absence by 20,000 workdays since 1996.

2) Mental Wellness – What You Think – There can be no doubt that where the mind goes, the man follows. We are what we think, and become the product of the thoughts we consistently believe and embrace. Happy people work down to the detail of their daily thought life, and teach themselves how to think healthy thoughts consistently which will empower and inspire them. We need a health Mental & Emotional Support System; a system of thoughts and beliefs which support them in their dreams and aspirations, rather than hinder them.

2) Wellness Is Not Going Away - Health care spending and a focus on Wellness will only continue to grow:

3) Emotional Wellness – How You Feel – Emotions are not so much thermostats, as they are thermometers. Our emotions are generally not primary, but secondary. They are not root causes in and of themselves, but often symptomatic of underlying issues. If I have an emotional problem such as depression or discouragement or anxiety, it is often not the real issue but an indicator of a deeper issue. However, the way we feel has a huge impact on our level of motivation, actions, behaviours, and thus results. Take time for emotional management, emotional intelligence, time management, relaxation, and healthy thinking, which leads to healthy emotions.

What is the definition of Wellness? In essence, wellness is an active process of living a fully engaged life at every level of being. It is becoming aware of, and then making healthy choices toward a healthier state of life. Personal growth, change and improvement is always possible. Being fully engaged and aware means that we continuously seek more insight about how we can grow and evolve. Healthy choices involves considering a variety of options and selecting those in our best holistic interest. Success is determined by each individual, and is not so much a destination, but a journey.

• • •

In 2008, health care spending in the United States reached $2.4 trillion, and was projected to reach $3.1 trillion in 2012. Health care spending is projected to reach $4.3 trillion by 2016, In 2008, the United States spent 16% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care. It is projected that the percentage will reach 20% by 2017, Health care spending accounted for 11.2% of the GDP of France, 10.7% of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.5% in Germany, 10.4% in Canada, 8.7% in the U.K., and 8.5% of the GDP of Australia, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

3) Leaders Need To Coach Wellness To Properly Care For Their Clients – The time of being a one-dimensional leader who is only focused on one thing is probably over, simply because Wellness is so pervasive. We cannot lead in a one-dimensional fashion because people are not one-dimensional. People are complex and complicated, and often require a multi-faceted

4 |

trifectamagazine.ca

4) Physical Wellness – How Healthy Is Your Body – Our body, to some degree, is our temple. It is our dwelling place and our home. We are responsible to take care of it, and to treat it with respect and tenderness. If we do this, we will generally have healthy outcomes which will enable us to lead a fruitful life. Focus on Physical Wellness, tackling issues such as healthy nutrition, regular sleep, relaxation and regular exercise, and self-care. 5) Spiritual Wellness – Values & How You Treat Others – The best measure of your spirituality is not the church, mosque, temple or

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

synagogue you frequent. The best measure of your spirituality is how you treat others. It is walking with integrity, honesty, fairness and compassion. Respect. Kindness. Authenticity. Thoughtfulness. Gratitude. Purpose. Selflessness. It is also taking time for personal reflection, meditation and prayer. As the Dalai Lama says: “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” 6) Professional Wellness – What You Do – Professional Wellness is far more than the money you make or the title you hold. It is a sense of living congruent and in alignment with your “LIFEFIT”: your unique combination of gifts, abilities, passion, education, training and life experience that makes “you”, you. It is being fully yourself, and making money as you do! 7) Financial Wellness – What You Have – Sometimes in our desire to be non-materialistic, we discount the importance of money and having things. However, there can be no doubt that Financial Wellness is an important part of our overall Wellness. The key is having the right definition of Financial Wellness. Financial Wellness is not a certain number of zeros in your bank account or driving a certain type of car. It is abundance. True abundance is having enough for you and for those you love, and also, being able to contribute to the needs of others. Weed out unhealthy habits of excessive debt and poor money management choices, and promote healthy choices of quality stewardship, saving and investment, building assets, and planning for the future.

Winter 2016

In essence, Wellness is a process in which you make decisions that will better your life. There are several Pillars of Life to consider in Wellness. Wellness is more than feeling good and keeping disease out of your life. It is also the way that you approach each day, and what you are doing proactively to stay healthy in every way. Mary Anne Radmacher said this: “Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.” Wow! What a great motto for living! Wellness. Don’t live in a onedimensional fashion because you are not one-dimensional! Keep the tool of Wellness packed into your tool-kit. Use The Wellness Wheel to make Wellness clear. Abe Brown is the Coach’s Coach, and is the Founder and President of Momentum Coaching (www.momentumcoaching.ca), and the President of the Certified Coaches Federation (www.certifiedcoachesfederation.com). Momentum Coaching has experienced triple digit growth for several years running, and the Certified Coaches Federation has trained and certified over 10,000 Life and Executive Coaches in the last 8 years. Abe does Leadership and Executive Coaching, and works with profit-based, and non-profit organizations around strategic planning, cultivating fully engaged employees, and facilitating coaching and training programs. He has also worked with several small, medium, and large businesses to accelerate revenue growth and maximize engagement.

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 5

The Sandwich Generation Financial Strategies for Parents with Parents By Sylvia McConnell For most of our lives, our parents have been the ones we’ve turned to for support, advice, and financial help. But as our parents age, they may need to rely on us as we once did on them. On average, Canadian men now live to 78 years of age, women beyond 80. Most enjoy good health until their mid70s, when incidence of physical illness increases dramatically, along with chronic mental illnesses. All of these can rob people of their abilities to make decisions and deal with life’s daily routines. Many of our parents will live long and remain healthy, vibrant people. But developing strong plans now can limit future erosion of family finances should parents need costly medical, home, or institutional care. As well, setting key legal mechanisms in place now will enable our parents’ finances to be responsibly administered in the future, should they become unable to make their own decisions. Broaching the Subject Ideally, your parents may raise the topic; perhaps they are only waiting for a sign from you that you’d be willing to help them set their affairs in order. They may be unsure where to start or what to do, and you may need to find a way to broach the subject. For example: When friends or neighbours experience a difficult situation. “I heard about Lillian’s illness, Mom. I’m so sorry — but you know I wonder sometimes what you’d like us to do if something like that happened to you. Perhaps we should talk about it now.” When you come across written material that deals with the subject. “My financial advisor sent me this information, Dad, and it’s really interesting. We could go through it together and see where you and mom stand with all this.” When you’re arranging your own affairs. “Dad, I’m revisiting my will now that my financial situation has changed a bit. How about yours? Should we both do it together?” Gather Information We can help assemble a clear picture of your parents’ assets, income sources, and anticipated expenses.

Assets Have your parents designated beneficiaries for their registered investments and insurance? If an RRSP or RRIF’s beneficiary is the surviving spouse, the funds transfer automatically on the plan owner’s death. Whether the beneficiary is the estate or the spouse, it is possible to defer taxation until death of the second spouse. But if others are beneficiaries, the estate may have to pay tax. These can be complex decisions we can help sort out. If one or both parents own a business, you’ll need to determine if they may consider selling the business at some point. If that is not an option, they should have a business succession plan which identifies partners, shareholders, or family members with an interest in the business. We can review options and help your parents make a choice they and other potentially affected co-owners are comfortable with. Expenses First your parents’ existing expenses must be identified, then contingent expenses considered. Ultimately, one or both may require home care or personal care homes. Some provincial healthcare systems may not provide for care as you would want, and the cost of meeting their needs may fall to them – or to you. If you discover shortfalls are likely, you and/or your parents may explore more aggressive options. Talk to us about strategies to handle the financial load. Insuring Peace of Mind Do your parents have extended health care insurance plans? If so, what are the conditions and limitations? If not, should they be enrolling in such plans? It’s important to note insurance policies your parents may have and whether or not they are adequate. You may wish to explore critical illness insurance, which pays a lump sum in the event of certain critical illnesses to cover future costs of extended medical or personal care. Often, adult children buy insurance for parents. Premiums may be more costly, but illnesses covered can be debilitating for a lengthy period. Put Legal Documents in Order Enduring Power of Attorneys Through an enduring power of attorney parents can appoint a person or persons to make decisions concerning property and financial affairs. A power of attorney can be general in application or limited to dealing with certain assets or money in particular accounts. Enduring powers of attorney that are general in application are often between spouses, and make handling family finances much easier should one of them become incapacitated. Powers of attorney limited to specific accounts are often used to facilitate the payment of bills.

Income We can help you identify your parents’ income sources and any conditions that apply. For example, a deceased spouse’s Canada Pension Plan benefits drop by 40 per cent to the survivor.

The enduring power of attorney takes effect as soon as the document is signed, and can continue when a person becomes mentally incompetent, provided a clause to that effect is inserted in the document. Another alternative is the springing power of attorney, where the authority granted under the power of attorney does not become effective until the person who granted it becomes mentally incompetent.

You should record these points as well as details like location and contents of bank accounts and safety deposit boxes. Our Personal Financial Review will also help tally household expenses and taxes.

It may also be advisable to assign a contingent or secondary power of attorney, perhaps to a trusted adult child, so that if both parents become mentally incompetent, a backup person is ready to step in.

6 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

Committeeship If power of attorney has not been assigned and mental incompetence becomes an issue, committeeship by a responsible adult must be sought through the courts. The process costs time and money, and the province’s public trustee may have to step in while the issue is resolved. Personal Care Decisions and Health Care Directives Many provinces authorize the use of documents that appoint someone to make personal care decisions when you are not able to do so. Such documents can also be used to give instructions on conditions under which an individual would not want invasive or “heroic measure” medical care to continue. Should your parents be considering such documents, they will want extremely careful wording to ensure both legal and medical terminology is accurate. Your parents should consult a lawyer and a physician, and revisit the document periodically to ensure their feelings haven’t changed and that the wording remains medically valid. Alternately, they might leave such decisions to whomever has power of attorney, after providing guidelines to that person, but the power of attorney itself may not be sufficient to provide the authority to others to make health-care decisions. Wills About fifty percent of Canadians don’t have wills. Yet without it, legal fees can mount if disposition is contentious, the deceased person’s wishes may not be taken into account, and survivors have to deal with the situation while coping with grief. Holograph wills, created in the person’s own handwriting, dated, and signed, are legal in some provinces. But holograph wills often fail to express intentions in adequate legal terms and the courts may not interpret the will as intended. Do-it-yourself will kits have become popular, but cannot address points unique to your parents’ situation. Such kits are unlikely to maximize inheritances your parents may want kept secure for heirs.

Winter 2016

Only sound financial, legal and accounting advice will accomplish that goal. We can help your parents determine tax liabilities flowing from their estate, and can suggest options to more effectively achieve their goals. As long as they remain mentally competent to do so, your parents should review existing wills periodically, to determine if the documents require updating due to changed situations or circumstances. Trusts Trusts are useful in many situations: Safeguarding assets for minors Parents can set up a testamentary trust to specify when children should receive their portion of the estate, and in what amounts. Long-term care for dependents with special needs A testamentary trust can provide for dependents who have special needs and at the same time preserve any government assistance they may receive. In second marriage situations If your parents have remarried, a trust can provide payments to a current spouse throughout his or her lifetime, while preserving the assets for children from a previous marriage. Income-splitting Testamentary trusts are taxed at the same graduated marginal rates that apply to individuals. Income earned in the testamentary trust can be taxed at the lower trust tax rates and then distributed to beneficiaries as tax paid capital. Your Needs Also Matter As you work to help your parents ensure their future financial needs are met, remember your needs are also important. We will work to help you keep your financial balance, while setting in place strategies to ensure your parents the comfort and security they deserve.

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 7

Don’t Turn Your Life into a Project By Trish Savoia

You want things to change. In fact, you know something needs to change. The quiet sadness, the corroding anger, the persistent discontent, the gnawing guilt, the isolating busyness, the shallow connections, the lingering anxiety….the ache of something missing; the ache for something more.

The Strength I Gained by Falling Apart By Ramona Remesat

The theme of this issue of Trifecta Magazine is Resolve to Be Strong and as I sit down to write about this, I find myself going through a mix of emotions.

You want to live a meaningful, joyful life…filled with fun, fulfillment and purpose. I know you want this (even if those aren’t the exact words you’d use), because this is what your soul wants for you; this is every human’s natural desire. It’s not wishful thinking. It’s your soul speaking. But not only do you have your soul speaking to you, you also have the ongoing noise in the many forms of advice, recommendations, help, opinions, stories, warnings….many channels of information trying to get your attention and convince you that you need to be doing something different; persuading you that there’s something wrong. We are bombarded with messages that we need to change ourselves, we need to love ourselves, we need to accept ourselves, we need to take care of ourselves, we need to clear our blocks, we need to think positive, we need to align our chakras, we need to, we need, we need to…

You see, the last two weeks have been incredibly difficult for me as we had a sudden loss in our family. If you watched the popular daytime TV show, Steven & Chris, you may have heard that one of the co-hosts, Christopher Hyndman died tragically and unexpectedly at the young age of 49. Chris left behind his co-host and life partner, Steven Sabados, who also happens to be my beloved cousin.

We feel we need to be more; we need to do more…and we feel guilt when we don’t. Not only is this overwhelming, but it turns our life into a project. And that’s not why we came here. We didn’t come here to… • Figure out how to get it right • Learn a multitude of heavy life lessons • Strive and effort our way to success • Sacrifice our own joy for the service of others • Search for some secret purpose • Prove that we are good enough • Suffer our way to a better life We came here to enjoy our experience and expand into more. And we have to ensure this purpose doesn’t get lost in the commotion. We need to slow down, remember why we are here, and relax - relax our minds, relax our bodies, relax our emotions, relax our efforts…and let spirit through. When we relax, everything that we need is naturally revealed... • We don’t need to try to love ourselves…we just do. • We don’t need to heal the past…it’s already done. • We don’t need to try to be positive…we just are. • We don’t need to stop judgement...it just dies away. • We don’t need to remember to nurture ourselves…we just will. • We don’t need to figure out what’s important to us…we’ll just know. • We don’t need to make things happen…they’ll just happen. All of this is already within us. It’s not something we need to do, need to figure out, or need to mentalize. Our lives aren’t projects to take on and accomplish. Our ONLY job is to experience, expand, and enjoy the adventure. So let’s do that.

Trisha Savoia Founder and Owner, Absolute Awareness

8 |

trifectamagazine.ca

As soon as I heard the news of Christopher’s passing my heart shattered into a million pieces. I was absolutely heart-broken for my cousin Steven who had built an amazing life with Chris over the past 27 years. Together in life, and in business, they were everything to each other. Resolve to be Strong. Isn’t it ironic how this is the theme for the Winter issue of Trifecta yet so apropos to me now as I sit to write about it in August. When we gather in a time of loss, it’s a normal feeling to want to “be strong” for those most deeply affected. Indeed, I thought my role in traveling back to Ontario to be with family would be to stay strong and help support them in their grief. Instead, I learned that sometimes real strength comes from falling apart completely and then slowly putting the pieces back together.

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

"Without darkness, there can be no light" I quickly realized that there was no way in hell I was going to be the strong one! And when I stepped back into a place of surrender, I learned that real strength comes from giving yourself permission to be who you are and to ask for what you want. Here’s what that looked like for me… Be who you are – No matter how hard I tried to appear strong at all times, it just wasn’t what I was feeling. I was a mess and I knew it and I felt no reason to hide it. That’s because true strength doesn’t come from hiding or repressing your feelings, it comes from being genuine and authentic. In my grief, I found comfort in telling others how much I was hurting and allowing myself to feel what I needed to feel. By allowing myself to cry and grieve in my own way, I allowed the healing process to begin. Ask for what you need – Grief is an individual process meaning no two people will experience grief in the same way. While one person may need comfort from others, someone else may want to be left alone. Regardless, recognizing what you need in the moment and going ahead and asking for it, is not only okay, but a necessary step in the healing process. Accepting help from others – I was overwhelmed at the outpouring of support that came to me in the form of phone calls, emails, texts and posts. Many people asked if there was anything I needed and I found it healing and comforting to ask for prayers of healing, love and support for Steven, our family, Christopher’s family, all their friends and also the fans of the show. Keep those prayers coming! The last several weeks have truly been a learning experience for me. Although grief is incredibly difficult, I am grateful for all the lessons it has revealed to me. And I am grateful because it shows that I love deeply with all of my heart and soul. Without darkness, there can be no light. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

graphic design logo design branding

She works with spiritually open-minded women coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs who struggle with fears, stress and self-doubt who want to stop second-guessing themselves, make clear and confident decisions and crush their limiting mind stories. Get started today with The Three Essential Steps to Getting Anything You Want in Life at www.ramonaremesat.com.

Winter 2016

ad creation tradeshow displays promotional products signage and a whole lot more

/bentmediacorp

media.ca

Ramona Remesat is an Intuitive Mindset Coach, Angel Therapy Practitioner®, speaker and author.

bent

What could you change to make your businness more professional looking?

Tell me about it at creativesolutions@bentmedia.ca

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 9

recipe ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Wisdom from the Akashic Records: Resolve to be Strong By Christy Lowrance

INGREDIENTS 1 large butternut squash 1/2 cup cream 2 cups chicken stock 2 cups water 1 celery stalk, diced 1/2 white onions, diced 2 carrots, diced 1/2 tsp cumin powder (optional) 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional) 1 tsp paprika 2 bay leaves salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp + 1 tbsp oil DIRECTIONS Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Cut the butternut squash in half, and core the middle. Remove all the seeds, brush the butternut squash with 1 tsp oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the butternut squash in foil, and bake for 20 minutes. While the butternut squash is baking, sauté onion, paprika, cumin and remaining oil in a large pot on medium heat (3-4 minutes). Add celery, carrots, and water and bring to a simmer. Remove butternut squash from the oven, and allow to come to room temperature. Carefully scoop the butternut squash away from the center, throwing away the peel. Add the butternut squash to the pot, along with chili flakes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook until all the vegetables are tender (20 minutes). Reduce heat and temper the cream by adding a small amount of the soup base to the cream, then adding the entirety back to the pot. Continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove bay leaves, and carefully puree the soup with a handheld food processor. You can return the soup back to the stove and continue cooking on low, to allow the flavors to develop– the secret to great soup is slow cooking; its just better this way. Garnish with parsley and sour cream before serving.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth”. – Jesus I don’t know why, but I cannot get this quote out of my head as I am considering what it means to be strong. With the state of the world the way it is, it seems like it is more important than ever. War, poverty, and climate change are forcing us to make a decision on where we stand. As awful as these realities are, it feels like more and more people are choosing love, compassion and understanding over fear, greed and power. So how do we remain strong enough, collectively and individually, to transition this New Earth into the world we want it to be? I’m not a Christian but I have read a lot about Jesus from sources outside of the Bible and I am fascinated by him. He is the Ultimate Dude and the strongest person I have ever read about. Back in University I wrote a paper on Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous proclamation that ‘God is Dead’, and even Nietzsche was inspired by the exemplary way Jesus lived his life, and envisioned his ideal ‘Overman’ with Jesus partly in mind. Jesus is the example, the living proof, of our incredible human potential if we would only allow ourselves to live like him. Jesus was a beautifully kind Human Being and was authentic to his core about who he was and why he was here. He didn’t let fear rule his life, he let love rule it. He was fierce in his faith and unshakeable in his knowing that Spirit/God/Source loves us and has empowered us to live a Divine Life. Jesus spent his whole life trying to convince us that we could do it too - we have to try, right? So what does the above quote mean in modern terms? How do we find the strength to be wholly authentic and true to ourselves and others, and why do we have so much difficulty in finding the Christ Self/God Centre within us? I have put these questions to the Masters in the Akashic Records to find out more about Him and Us. Jesus is obviously pointing at a different kind of strength than we value today. How can we best interpret his advice in today’s world? You have to allow yourselves to just BE. That is the most important thing we can tell you about strength. All of you know in your heart what your gifts are, and by allowing You to be You, and giving the world your gift, you are doing what you were meant to do. So where does strength come in? By choosing to be yourself under ALL circumstances; fighting off the pressure to conform to what other people want you to be;

10 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

not allowing other people to define what your strengths are; always following that gut feeling inside of you, knowing that you can trust yourself and should ALWAYS trust yourself in your knowing. You are good enough. You ARE greatness. How did Jesus become so authentic, and how can we learn from him? Jesus did a lot of soul searching. Truthfully. It was what he felt inside. He followed his heart and his instinct. His curiosity was endless, but what drove him was the search for that beautiful feeling he knew was inside of him. Life. Truth. Knowledge. Love. Don’t you want to know too? You have to start inside of yourself. There is no other way. You can learn from others but you are the only one that truly knows why you’re here. Well, and we do too hah! Stop wondering if what you believe in your heart is right or not. It IS. You’re not crazy to follow your dreams. That’s what you’re supposed to do. And maybe you’re not here to be the expert on Spirit, maybe it’s technology or community work, or anything in between. Nicola Tesla followed his instincts and his gifts and left a legacy behind as did so many others. Many others you have never heard about because they weren’t famous. Maybe you’re not meant to be in the spotlight or achieving grandiose accomplishments, but you are happy, doing what feels right. That’s what matters. What is blocking so many of Us from finding the God/Light within us? Trust. And Fear. Capital ‘F’. Oh the things you could do if you just trusted yourself and Spirit without fear! These are not complicated answers really, and you already knew that didn’t you? For centuries the powers that be told you not to mess with that stuff, and that you couldn’t do it on your own. That only the powerful could tell you what your relationship with Spirit was. That is not what Jesus said at all. Many were killed for being their true selves, and the lingering fear from the past affects you today. Let go of it. You live in a New Earth with different energy and more freedom. Trust in yourself and Spirit that everything will be ok. You will always have what you need if you remain humble and loving and true to yourself. And finally, what is the most important thing we should know about being strong and resilient? Love saves all. There is nothing stronger than Love, and that is what Jesus meant by the above quote. Love always has your back, even when you feel no one else does. Spirit’s love. Love for humanity. Love for each other. It comes from places you knew it would and even places you didn’t know it would. So if you are feeling weak or lost or angry, be strong and reach for love. Look back at all those times you were broken and how love picked you up and held you. Be strong in your love and compassion for others and always fight for it. Smiles and laughter can diffuse all the fear and hate. Love is always the right path. Christy Lowrance Certified Akashic Record Reader www.forestspirithealing.com

Winter 2016

“What’s your Soul’s story?” Akashic Record Readings Angel Card Readings | Reiki Healing

Readings can be done in person or via Skype or phone.

Christy Lowrance christy@forestspirithealing.com p: 587.888.9788 www.forestspirithealing.com

Receive 15% off when you mention this ad.

O c tober 21

– 23 , 2016

Do you have an inspiring story to share or a skill to teach? We are currently accepting applications for

speakers and facilitators at the 5th annual

Women’s Only Weekend in Canmore!

Email Cindy Drummond and tell us more! cindydrummond@shaw.ca

www.facebook.com/wom enonlyweekend

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 11

D R . A LMA N ENSHI

A CCEPTING N EW P ATIENTS !

Headaches • Back Pain • Vertigo • Fatigue • Nutrition • Weight Loss

Caring for the Common Cold By Dr. Alma Nenshi, Registered Chiropractor

There are few things more uncomfortable, irritating and inconvenient than the common cold. The sneezing, scratchy throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, and watery eyes can make you feel miserable. Most colds go away within three to seven days, and until there’s a cure for the common cold, a strong immune system and some common-sense precautions are your best bet! Don't "tough it out"— stay at home and get some rest. Going to work will only make your cold last longer, PLUS you risk exposing all of your coworkers to the virus as well. So take a few days off and give your body the rest it needs to recover and heal faster. Drink lots and lots of liquids. Research has shown that drinking warm fluids like teas and broth helps to relieve most common cold symptoms and also loosens sinus secretions that cause a buildup of mucus. Chicken soup has been shown to be more hydrating and thus more beneficial than many other liquids. Gargle with salt water. Gargling with 1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 8 ounces of water can help to relieve your sore or scratchy throat. It also stimulates the lower parts of your brainstem where your vagus nerve carries information to slow down your heart rate and respiration and increase your digestion and reproduction functions. Steam the cold away. If you have access to a steam bath, take one—or many. If you don't, you can improvise by leaning your head over a bowl of hot water or by taking a long, steamy shower. Inhaling warm, moist air helps to loosen and thin out mucus.

12 |

trifectamagazine.ca

403•254•5774

w w w .CalgaryW ellness.com

Boost your immune system with supplements. Zinc supplements during the first couple of days may help shorten the duration and severity of your cold. But don't take zinc on an empty stomach, and don't use intranasal zinc nose drops or sprays; the FDA has warned that they can permanently impair your sense of smell. Vitamin C, Echinacea, elderberry syrup, turmeric and raw honey have also been shown to shorten colds. Avoid smoke and polluted air. Anything that affects your ability to breathe properly is going to extend your cold. Don't re-infect yourself or others. Practice "safe sneezing and coughing" by covering your nose and mouth and carefully discarding any tissues you use. Wash your hands and keep them away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Boost your immune system with spinal adjustments. There is no doctor smarter or more invested in your health than the doctor that resides in YOU! You control all health and healing in your body. Intelligent messages are relayed from your brain to every single cell, tissue, organ and system in your body. These messages depend on a healthy spine and nervous system to make sure you are able to control and coordinate all the functions in your body. Poor nerve system pathways and poor electrical signaling from your brain can cause your organs to function less optimally leading to symptoms. Don’t mask your symptoms, they are your body’s way of telling you to pay attention. Regular spinal check ups help you regain control of your body so you look good, feel good and stay healthy. Dr. Alma Nenshi, Registered Chiropractor Chiropractic Wellness Clinic www.CalgaryWellness.com

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

The Key to Rising Up From Failure, Hurt and Disappointment By Jenn Lofgren CHRP, CPCC, PCC

"It is being honest about my pain that makes me invincible." – Nayyirah Waheed If you have the courage to love, you will get your heart broken. If you have the strength to be engaged and really care about something, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re willing to be creative and innovative enough to try new things, you’re going to fail. If you’re going to show up with full commitment in your work, your relationships and your life as a whole, you’re going to end up face down in hurt, disappointment, and failure from time to time. Or, if you’re like me, more often than you’d like. Committing to leading a brave and courageous life of wholehearted living means committing to trying, screwing it up and getting kicked sometimes. It’s not a matter of if you might fail or get hurt; it’s a matter of when. The only way to avoid it is to never love and never try. Looking outside yourself for answers won’t help you rise up. You may get back up from the challenges that life brings your way, but you’ll find yourself repeating the same plot lines over and over in different stories and circumstances until you find the underlying deep learning that’s waiting for you in your story. The only way to find that learning? To take an internal dive into recognizing your story, rumbling with the emotions within it and then creating a revolution on the other side to apply that new learning to your life going forwards. The challenge is that most of us have never been taught how to hold our discomfort, sit with it or communicate it. Instead, we offload it or shove it deep down in unhealthy ways that impact us and those we care most about. In her book, Rising Strong, Brené Brown gives us a process to explore your discomfort, learn from it and get back up stronger and wiser than before. She says “If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fail.” It involves walking through shame and into vulnerability. Shame. That emotion just elicits a wash of nausea throughout my body every time I say it, type it, think it. An emotion that strong can and will control your life and keep you playing small and if you dare to live big and strong, its lurking around the corner waiting to take you down a peg and remind you that you’re not enough. Brené tells us that we are a meaning making species and story is how we make meaning of our lives. In the absence of data, we make up stories, its how we are hard wired especially when it comes to experiencing hurt. We often run with incomplete stories and lead ourselves to believe those incomplete stories are the truth leading to conspiracy stories and confabulations. To move from conspiracies and confabulations defining us and running our life, Brené gives us the following process to recognize, rumble with and write a new ending to our stories:

Winter 2016

Reckoning: Walk into your story • Think back about your face down moment. What permission do you need to give yourself to get curious about it? • Get clear on the fall. Write down the moment when you felt completely face down in the dirt? What feelings did you experience? Rumble: Own your story • Write your story SFD (Stormy First Draft). Get honest about the facts and the parts that you’ve added to create meaning and make sense of the story. Don’t edit, don’t hold back, and don’t worry about getting it right. • Explore, challenge and reality check your story for boundaries, shame, blame, resentment, heartbreak, trust, generosity, forgiveness and values. • What’s the truth in the story? What parts are about selfprotection? • What more do you need to learn and understand about the situation, the people involved and about yourself? • What needs to change for you to be free to live a wholehearted life? Revolution • Write a new ending to your story. Incorporate the key learnings that rose up in your rumble. • Take action. Use your new story to transform the way you live, love, parent or lead. Rising strong is a vulnerable practice and an essential process to navigate everyday hurts and disappointments. It requires you to challenge your innermost thoughts, emotions, judgments and stories. It’s filled with uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. You never know what you’ll find inside your story until you rumble with it and you’ll always find new insights to write a new ending to the story, a new ending filled with learning, intention and choice. Your story matters because you matter. Rumble with it, rise strong and create a revolution in your life. Write your own daring ending. Jenn Lofgren is a Professional Certified Coach passionate about developing courageous leaders and daring entrepreneurs. She is often described as a ‘thinking partner’ and an empowerer of others’ possibilities and potential. To become worth following, visit incito.ca

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 13

Inner Strength and Influence By Teresa de Grosbois

The worst year of my life was the best thing that ever happened to me. I can affectionately look back on it now because of the change and growth it caused in me. At the time, all I could think of was how unhappy I was. In the first six months of that year, my father died, my marriage failed, my company failed and I lost my health. There I was, late one night, sitting on the bathroom floor of my new condo. I have always renovated as a hobby and this bathroom was my latest project. I was looking at all the tools, and I burst into tears. The realization hit me – it was me that needed renovating. That moment, on that bathroom floor, was the first step of my path to embracing inner strength and influence. Have you ever truly thought about what influence is and why it’s important? Influence is our ability to cause change in the world - from shifting a political agenda to impacting whether meatloaf gets served in our cafeteria. The challenge is that most of us are hard-wired with an inner dialogue that stops us from being influential. If you’ve read any self-help or leadership books in the last three decades, you have heard of the concept of a self-limiting belief - that inner conversation that runs in the back of your mind that says you aren’t big enough, important enough, smart enough, educated enough or well, just enough. Research shows that the only people who don’t have selflimiting beliefs stopping them from becoming influential tend to be sociopaths. When everyday heroes and good people stop themselves from stepping into leadership and influence, we, as a society, risk having our children grow up in a world run by sociopaths, which is not the world any of us are committed to creating. Inner strength comes from having the courage to take on your inner dialogue and play a bigger game, which is exactly what I decided to do that night on that bathroom floor. And when you look at influential people, you’ll see that not only have they found a way to overcome their own limiting beliefs, but also operate by a different set of principles than most people. One of the reasons I wrote Mass Influence was that I wanted entrepreneurs, everyday heroes and good people to realize that influence is simply a skill we can learn by adopting certain habits. Here are the top three habits you can build to increase your influence in your community, your business or your project.

14 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

Eventually All the Pieces Fall Into Place By Deborah Nichol

1. Solve a big problem for other people Vision inspires; day-to-day activities do not. Influential people are driven by their why, not their what. Influencers define themselves by their vision of making a big difference, not by what they do or how they do it.

“Eventually all the pieces fall into place, until then laugh at the confusion, live for the moment and know that everything happens for a reason.” ~ unknown

The bigger the problem you solve for others, the bigger the service you provide, the more happiness or relief you bring, the easier it is to be the subject of positive word of mouth and, as a result, have influence. 2. Be authentic Being passionate about what you do is a big part of authenticity. Do something you care about deeply and only do business with and play with others you respect. When you’re in the flow of your purpose, the fame and influence will come as soon as you put the actions in place that garner fame and create influence. Influence requires you to take your place among the community of influential, and true influence stems from keeping your focus on serving others. 3. Build relationships with other influential people The ability to cause change in the world depends on many factors, not the least of which is the people with whom you choose to surround yourself. It starts with strong relationships. Influential people assertively seek out and build relationships with other influential people who they respect and admire regardless of the area in which they hold influence. Find the people who agree with you. Forget the opponents. The highly influential know there is no gold in trying to convince the naysayers. Gather those who want to help you move powerfully towards your goal. *** If you are looking to hold influence, know that you have everything you need to get started. You have the strength to take that first step. Whether it’s change within your community, your corporation or the world at large, the principles of mass influence are the same. Mastering the concept of what creates influence can be a hard idea to grasp, much less follow. Yet, like riding a bike, once you master being influential, you’ll wonder how you ever thought it was hard. Living your dreams takes action. Otherwise you're just dreaming. Teresa de Grosbois, #1 International bestselling author of Mass Influence – www.MassInfluenceTheBook.com

When you live your life knowing that everything happens for a reason, there becomes a sense a peace and trust in how it will all turn out. We have all had situations that at the time seemed like they were impossible to fix or recover from, but then miraculously a shift happens and you are on a different path sometimes you realize it’s a better one right away, other times it takes longer to realize that it really does work out for the greater good of our soul growth. Ask yourself a couple of questions that will help you transition yourself through those rough times when nothing seems to be going right; 1. Do I complain and wonder why things don’t go my way? 2. Am I open to all opportunities that come my way or do I get caught up in, it’s my way or nothing? How does that work out for me? 3. Do I look at others and wonder why things seem to work out for them but not for me? 4. When things have worked out for me, was it exactly like I planned or did I luck into something? 5. How can I be more open to life? How can I create the life I want? 6. When was the last time I had a fortunate mistake? A happy accident, a pleasant surprise, a fortunate mistake are all related to Serendipity, specifically the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it. We have all enjoyed a serendipities moment or two in our life. Sometimes we are in the right place at the right time, and truthfully we are always exactly where we should be at each and every moment. When we can have awareness in our life around Serendipity, you become aware of all the little things that happen that make your life a wonderful web full of opportunities and possibilities. We have every opportunity for whatever we want in this lifetime, the key is to be open to how it presents itself to us, it is not always the way we think it will happen or be, we are limited in our thinking, we don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are, so when we live in a higher vibration we create an endless source of possibilities. This is a goal to strive for, to be able to have something not workout and then to immediately realize that the Universe has something better in store for us, trusting in “everything happens for a reason” and then looking for our own Serendipity!!! Serendipity is the art of making happy discoveries!!! May you start making them today! Deborah Nichol, Intuitive Healer Healing Heart Wellness

Winter 2016

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 15

Building Emotional Strength By Cheryle Cote

People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s challenges. They can build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. Improving your emotional health can boost your mood, and add to your overall enjoyment of life. This includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Emotional health refers to the presence of positive characteristics. People who are mentally and emotionally strong have a sense of contentment, a zest for living, the ability to laugh and have fun, the ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity, a sense of meaning and purpose, flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change, balance between work and play, the ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships, have self-confidence and high self-esteem. Being emotionally and mentally strong doesn’t mean never going through bad times or experiencing emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. The difference is that people with strong emotional health have an ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress, in other words – they have resilience. Resilient people have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and creative in good times and bad times. Recognizing your emotions and expressing them appropriately helps you avoid getting stuck in depression, anxiety, or other negative states. Having a strong support network of trusted people you can turn to for encouragement will boost your resilience in difficult times. Taking care of your body is a powerful step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood. Getting enough rest, practicing good nutrition, exercising to release stress, and getting fresh air and sunlight affects your energy and mood.

16 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

In order to strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if, and when, they arise. Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do, can help build self-esteem. Practice self-discipline. Self-control and focus naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts. Learn or discover new things. Think of it as “intellectual nourishment.” Try taking an adult education class, visit a museum, learn a new language, or simply travel somewhere new. Enjoy the beauty of nature or art. Studies show that simply walking through a garden can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. “Earthing” or walking barefoot releases stress. The same goes for strolling through a park or an art gallery, hiking, admiring architecture, or sitting on a beach. Manage your stress levels. Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you bring things back into balance. Limit unhealthy mental habits like worrying. Avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive negative mental habits— negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression. Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energized by appealing to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, sip a warm cup of tea, and place flowers where you will see and smell them, or get a massage. Do things that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for it—things like gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop. Get a pet. Caring for one makes you feel needed and loved. There is no love quite as unconditional as the love a pet can give. Animals can also get you out of the house for exercise. Make leisure time a priority. Do things for no other reason than that it feels good to do them. Go to a funny movie, take a walk, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.

Winter 2016

Express gratitude. Mediate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day. Social interaction. The key is to find a supportive relationship with someone, who will listen to you without a pre-existing agenda for how you should think or feel. Develop a friendship with someone you can talk to regularly, and then listen and support each other. No matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need the company of others to feel and be your best. Humans are social creatures with an emotional need for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive in isolation. Everyone is different; not all things will be equally beneficial to all people. Some people feel better relaxing and slowing down while others need more activity and more excitement or stimulation to feel better. The important thing is to find activities that you enjoy and that give you a boost. Emotional strength can be cultivated incorporating strategies that fit you and your lifestyle. Cheryle Cote helps people to release their fears and fulfill their dreams through her Life Empowerment Coaching programs. www.cherylecote.com

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 17

CYNERGY THOUGHTS Hung up on the Problem! By Cindy Drummond My marriage ended 10 years ago. When people asked, "Why did you guys break up?" I didn’t have an answer for a long time. I really didn’t know!

5 Ways to Find Financial Strength By Lisa Elle

It's not your net worth or how much money you have that determines your financial strength.

It just seemed that everything was hard. We argued, squabbled, fought and couldn't seem to agree on anything. My ex can tell you why we split up.

I’m guessing that statement runs contrary to what our society believes, but as a trained financial professional, my point of view is different.

He recently told someone it was because I quit doing laundry and I know he really thinks that is the reason. He's not wrong. I do remember one night in frustration throwing my hands in the air and shouting, "That's it! I quit doing laundry!"

As Brené Brown suggests in her book, Daring Greatly, our strength comes from vulnerability and believing that to be true.

Some people love doing laundry. One friend told me that she finds it soothing and rewarding, but I on the other hand, never could get it all done and if I did manage to wash and dry everything there were still baskets all over the house and piles of clean laundry sitting on dressers that were already crammed full and overflowing. I WAS A LAUNDRY FAILURE! I tried to sort clothes and donate whatever was too small or dated, but I still never seemed to be able to solve my laundry dilemma. A few years back I moved into a new house with a similar layout to my old house and was starting to worry about my laundry issues. Yep, I lost sleep over this. I decided to go to the store and buy a few more hangers. I bought 20 and started to hang up my clothes as they came out of the dryer. In the past I would fold everything when I had time, or worse crumple the clean clothes into the laundry basket and haul it upstairs for folding at a later date. I soon realized that 20 new hangers weren't enough, so I purchased 20 more, but that was still not enough. In the end I purchased 150 hangers. Seems crazy doesn’t it? What a revelation. For my entire married life I was about 125 hangers short! No wonder I could never master the task of laundry. I didn't have the right tools. I discovered a simple solution for a very complicated problem. I was so absorbed with the big picture I wasn't able to see that by spending less than $100 dollars I could have saved myself many fights with my ex. I wonder how many other arguments could be avoided with couples that can't cope only because they are missing a few essential tools! I want to know what couples are fighting about...maybe there is an easy solution and extra hangers can't hurt. ☺

I believe our financial strength also comes from a place of vulnerability. Financial vulnerability translates to a balancing act between what we 'know' and what we are able to admit that we 'don't know' in regards to our financial situations. It’s about finding that humble place in the middle - where perfectionism drowns alongside egos and shame dissipates. It’s that sweet spot; where you can dance with and happily balance the ‘living’ with the ‘planning’. Clearly, this applies to more than just the financial areas of our lives. I’ve spent years in deep thought, applying years of education, floundering, seeking, failing, succeeding, figuring out my purpose, trying to find my place, figuring my whole life out… …only to feel as though it’s all been a useless waste of time; like I’m back at square one again. Through it all, this has been my quest: finding financial strength within. It has been years in the making. As a self-proclaimed recovering perfectionist, I’ve struggled, like most people I know, to find my strength as a woman – and this includes my financial strength. I am not giving you wisdom from the top of a mountain, because there is no top to anyone’s financial mountain; it’s more like a set of hills you travel up and down, often. I am however, a pro hill climber, and here are the 5 ways I’ve achieved success along the way as I continuing to find and build my financial strength: 1. Hold on with Open Hands I think the big secret in life is to hold on with open hands; never hold anything tightly. This goes for people, investments, jobs, relationships; anything we want to control. Live in a place where life’s riches and blessings of all types are free to come and go. If you can’t leave this earth with it, then

cdrummond@trifectamagazine.ca

18 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

it’s probably not yours anyway. Remember, it’s hard to place a gift in a closed fist.

my mood, my attitude, my health, and most unfortunately, my smile.

2. Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan – Then Let It Go

I also know when I'm not feeling well physically, that other areas of my life aren't doing so hot either, and the downward spiral begins.

Take action. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you to do something. Live in the ebb and flow of life - make your financial plans, work hard, yet be at peace with things not going your way. Be paradoxical in mind - knowing you should make plans and set goals and work hard… Remain focused and committed in the moment, but know that none of it means anything at the end of the day. Be able to admit you’re right sometimes, that you're wrong a lot, that you’ve succeeded and failed - and then move along.

There will always be money road-blocks as you journey through life. The quicker you handle them ultimately decides how quickly you will be able to get the desired outcome. Because when money issues arise (and they will) they can wreak havoc on your life including mild depression, weight gain, fatigue, etc. Acknowledge your money block, own it, declare it, clear it, free it, and let it go. If you give it no power then it has none over your life. So today, fellow hill climbers, I hope you receive the blessing of my words as you continue building your financial strength within.

3. Keep an Abundant Mindset 100% of our financial success has to do with our mindset. What we manifest financially comes from our mindset. Keep your financial mindset strong and positive.

Lisa Elle lisa@ellementsgroup.com ellementsgroup.com

Abundance wants to flow to you. • • •

Keep reading positive books, blogs and quotes. Keep writing down your goals – pen to paper (or in my case whiteboard!) Surround yourself with the people you want to be like.

In my practice, I learn everything about my clients. I not only know intimate details of their financial lives, I also become privy to details surrounding their health and well-being. Knowing so much about my clients, I see first-hand the deep connection between health and finances. 4. Love Your Money Take interest in, and care for, your money. Appreciate it. I’m not saying be greedy or make it your god. I’m saying to be a good steward of the things that you’ve been blessed with. Apathy breeds nothing. Who wants to be around people who aren’t interested in you? Money’s no different. Treat your money well – seriously. Be thankful and grateful for every cent. Track it. You will manifest more of it. Care for your money, and it will care for you back! 5. Clear Your Money Blocks I know first-hand when I'm having a money block - it affects

Winter 2016

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 19

recipe COLESLAW WITH APPLE AND YOGURT DRESSING INGREDIENTS 8 cups mixed shredded red and green cabbage 1 12-oz. bag broccoli slaw mix 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 4) 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

PARENTING TIPS

Decrease School Stress By Marianne Disipio-Vitale All children experience a normal degree of school related stress. In elementary school, children are learning to navigate their social environment, as well as academic expectations. In order to be successful at managing different types of stress, children will need to develop independence, problem-solving skills, and personal coping strategies. Parents can assist in this process by providing support, and building their child’s self-confidence.

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated garlic Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1 green apple

DIRECTIONS Combine red and green cabbages, broccoli slaw, carrots, and scallions in a large bowl. Toss to mix well.

In the next 3 issues, parents will be presented with suggestions to help their child develop the necessary skills to manage stress. Be a listener not a fixer When your child shares an upsetting situation with you, try asking them questions to help them clarify the situation in their own mind. It is more effective to have them come up with their own realizations and solutions. The idea is to simply listen, and guide them through it. Example:

Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Slaw mixture and dressing can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Child: You won’t believe what happened! I had to speak in front of the whole class to tell them what I did this summer, and I turned beet red! It was so embarrassing. I know I won’t be able to speak in front of the class ever again. I suck at it. I’m sure my friends think I’m a loser. Jane didn’t ask me to be her partner during gym. I’m sure that’s why.

No more than 20 minutes before serving, cut core from apple and cut apple into matchstick-size pieces. Add apple to slaw mixture and toss to evenly incorporate. Add dressing (adding earlier will result in a soggy slaw) and toss to evenly coat.

Parent: I’m sorry you had a tough day. Did you ever see someone turn red when they were speaking in front of a group? It’s quite common. Child: Well yes, John does sometimes. Parent: Do you think he’s a loser? Child: No, not at all. He’s like the best soccer player in our grade. Parent: Did you hear other people talk about how red he gets? Child: Well, no, but everybody sees it. It’s so obvious. Poor guy. I know he’s embarrassed by it. I could just tell. Parent: Does he still have friends? Child: Well of course! Like lots. Parent: So did anyone talk to you after? Child: Mom, don’t be silly. Of course. But Jane and I are usually partners, and maybe she chose Jenny instead because of it. Parent: Is it possible that Jenny was asked by someone first, and accepted their invitation to be nice? Or something like that? Child: Well, I suppose. But she seemed weird to me. Parent: So, how are you feeling now? Child: I don’t know. I guess I don’t like this about myself.

20 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

Parent: I get it. Don’t you think everyone has something they don’t like about themselves? Child: I don’t know. I guess. Parent: What are you going to do about Jenny? Child: Maybe invite her to be my partner first tomorrow, and see how she is around me.

Residential & Office Organizing

Parent: Good idea. Try observing the situation, as opposed to reacting from your own emotions. A reactive response can have the unwanted effect of decreasing self-esteem, by making the child feel that they don’t quite have the ability to manage their own problems. Also, avoid responding in a way that imposes taking your advice.

For a Discount

Example of what to avoid in the same situation: Parent: Oh honey, I feel awful for you! Why didn’t you call me at lunch? I hate when teachers do that to you poor kids. Ms. Smith last year was so much more sensitive about that sort of thing. It only makes you feel shame when you aren’t comfortable in front of a group. I’ll speak to her tomorrow and ask her not to put you on the spot like that, or at least give you warning. Child: Don’t mom! That’s more embarrassing! She doesn’t even know me yet! Parent: Well, if it happens again, let me know, and I’ll handle it. And why don’t you call Jenny tonight just to put your mind at ease. Child: But I don’t want to look like I’m too needy! Parent: Honey, you’re not needy! You’re great! Just do it. You’ll feel better.

Just mention this ad!

Kelly Hipkin Trained Professional Organizer Active Executive Member for the POC Calgary Chapter POC Silver Leaf Member (5+ years)

Make your appointment today! 403-990-0708 | info@organizedlivesltd.com www.organizedlivesltd.com

promote your business

This type of approach might add pressure to your child to deal with things in a way that is less comfortable for them, and therefore won’t bring about a sense of mastery. In fact, it might increase anxiety around the situation. Children learn true self-esteem from doing things independently, to their best abilities. Also, if your child is worried about how you will react, they will be less inclined to want to talk things over with you. The next issue will address the need for children to explore the root of their perceived problems, and the role of the parent to honour that process by not dismissing their feelings.

Cavallo Wellness Services Marianne Disipio-Vitale, CWC, B.Sc. OT

Coaching and Consulting for Parents Wellness Services for Children

COUNSELLING • GROUPS • EXPRESSIVE ARTS MEDIATED PLAYDATES • EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING

cavallowellnessservices.com Winter 2016

Connect with thousands of health conscious readers right here in Calgary. Local, Targeted Readership • 3 Months Exposure Competitive Rates

For advertising opportunities, email sales@trifectamagazine.ca

403-828-0242

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 21

Embrace your fear to live a life you love! By Kim Marchuk

We all talk about the terms ‘health and wellness’ and that those things will bring us the life we want, but do we really know what that is? Health- being free from illness or Injury. Wellness- maximizing a person’s potential; to be successful; an active process in making the best choices for self; a life-long process of moving towards enhancing self on all levels. That sounds great, but how are we supposed to attain that? Read on to discover some questions to ask yourself as well as part of my personal experience. Our individual journey will be vastly different when it comes to the finer details of what that means, but the way in which we get there will be quite similar. Do you want a healthier relationship to your food and your physical body? Do you want to be financially free? Do you want to connect with others in a more meaningful way? Do you want to travel the world or stay home with loved ones? Wellness is connecting to and having a healthy relationship to what we value the most. First, we need to figure out what those values are! Start by observing what you surround yourself with. How do you spend your time? What do you think about or visualize? Connecting to our values is the first step. Before I did this, I chose societies values as though they were my own. I should save for a mortgage, I should get married and have kids. Get rid of the shoulds and find out what YOU value. Most of us fear making big decisions. It’s one of the most stressful things we can do because we fear the future and the potential regret that decision could bring us. Often times we choose the safe route which isn’t always the route that will lead to wellness. I have made many decisions in my life that I regret and ones that were the best choice I could have ever made. If I reflect on some of these choices, there is a common theme: Value, Intention and Love. Let’s look at each of these. Value - is what is most important to you. If you make choices in life based on what you value the most, you will be living YOUR life, not someone else’s. Keep in mind that as your learn and grow your values will change, so make sure you check in on a regular basis to stay aligned with them.

22 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Intention - Intention equals outcome. If you base your decisions by reflecting on what your primary intention is, this will bring you the outcome you desire. As an example- if you intend to care for your body and therefore start creating incredible food to eat, that you love the taste of and your body feels great with, you will attain more vitality. If you decide that you need to fix your ‘thunder thighs’ and go on a radical diet, you will most likely hate the process and end up heavier then when you started. Love - is the answer! One of my mentors once said “when you base a decision on fear it will create chaos in your life. If you base a decision on love it will create unity” So, how do we do create unity? You start by loving the fear. I caught myself having sleepless nights recently and had to practice this myself. I started to say “Thank you fear…for letting me know this is a decision that will affect many people”, “Thank you fear…for showing me that this is important to me” and “Thank you fear…for helping me reassess my decisions and take one step at a time”. Once I did this, I started to sleep again. Fear is there to help us figure out what is best for us and to protect us. If we face fear by asking ourselves “what’s the worst that could happen?” and we are NOT ok with the answer, then it is not something we should do at this time. We should reassess our decisions until we are ok with the worst case scenario. Going through this process and learning to embrace your fear is how you align your ego with your highest values and set yourself up for a life you love. Be grateful for the fear as it keeps you safe and allows you to reach your goals! I am excited to say that I have fully embraced this concept and it has led me to jump into unchartered territory, embrace my fear and love my life. I am following my passion of health and healing and will be travelling the world to interview healers and understand the core of what ‘healing really is’. I feel we are knowledge heavy and I want to bridge the gap between the information that is out there and the wisdom of our ancestors. I will be documenting my journey at www.ahealersperspective.com Join me as I uncover the depth of what healing truly is! Kim Marchuk is a holistic nutritionist, life coach, spiritual intuitive, and founder of Transcending Nutrition. She is the bestselling co-author of Cleansing with Food and has been in practice for over 10 years. Kim believes that every healer has a story and a different perspective on health and what healing really is. She is passionate about exploring the depth and breadth of that topic and will be embarking on a journey to all parts of the world to interview healers in hopes of merging the comprehensive knowledge advocated today with the ancient wisdom carried by healers from generations past.

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

What does it mean to “not know where the boundaries of the Universe lay”? I remember being born, I remember before I was born……and lives before that. This lifetime, however, is unique. I chose to be an artist, a conscious cocreator with the Divine. What a journey! In this life, time has begun to disappear. In fact, the Mayans and their study of consciousness cycles pointed to an end of time. 2012 could quite possibly mark the moment in human evolution when we began to leave the notion of linear time behind. A transition that could herald a new expression of our quantum nature and unlock wisdom we have only dreamed of before now. We are entering into a different energy. Energy is a term we’ve been throwing around for years and yet, science is just now connecting this metaphor to the real and physical consciousness of the cosmos. I have always resonated with the idea that the truth could be this simple. Truly an exciting life this one is, where the emerging study of reality suggests our universe,our minds, bodies, everything within our material dimension is fuelled by electric magnetic energy.

media.ca

Graphic Design • Logo Design • Branding • Ad Creation • Trade Show Displays • Promotional Products • Signage

bent

I laugh to myself sometimes about the profundity of the potential, human beings have chosen. With the internet circling the globe, long standing prophecies of world annihilation fell away with an unassuming collective agreement that “I don’t believe in the world ending and that 2012 thing”. There was a time line that offered that possibility, and somewhere along the way WE chose to dismiss it, and grow up. I for one, am proud of us! I adore the emerging sense of wholeness, of acceptance and of personal and spiritual maturity I get to witness everyday. I am inspired and excited to be a part of the new design. The most practical, and basic ways to build community are being returned to the ordinary people with big hearts. Net working is a term that used to be associated with profits, now it represents an opportunity for shared innovation. These are the waves that roll over me in daily meditations, that cultivate a practical and grounded hope, that we are doing it! The boundaries of the Universe are there, if we name them. To not know them, is not to be ignorant of them, it is to dive into them so that they transform into more. Perception is all that separates the surface of the ocean from it’s depths. So it is with this perspective that I invite others to step out of the ordinary and visit us in Invermere, for a little practical magic. Our floatation centre has a little something for the mind, body and soul. The services we offer are massage, float tank sessions, various energy healing modalities and most practical (and delicious) of all organic juice and smoothies. Bravely and fully with love, Meredith Penner

The way that our own galactic centre sends electric pulses every 3-4 seconds and that the whole system transfers that very same flow through our sun and ultimately our consciousness is an adventure I believe we all signed up for in this incarnation. We are in a portion of our galaxy’s rotation that brings us into direct alignment with the pulse of our galactic centre at this time, a rare and awesome event that humans have never been around for. This new radiation as many are calling it, has some in fear and others practically leaping for joy. Myself I can’t deny the ease with which manifestation is beginning to flow. My Partner and I have recently opened a wellness centre in our home town of, Invermere BC called Do Nothing Floatation Centre. The idea of creating a healing centre is one that goes back to my teen years. It was a sincere heart wish to aid the world in out growing it’s history of war and the distrust of self and neighbour. I am an idealist, a visionary and was just as surprised as anyone that 2012 would actually be the doorway. I look at the ‘shift’ that seems to have occurred in profound astonishment. It is true, many more these days are ‘waking up’, so much so that wellness is trendy, and hippies are cool!! (Well at least they aren’t looked at as though they have ten heads anymore). There is a general putting down of judgement, boundaries of culture, class, and belief……have you noticed that people are getting along, and crossing realms more freely? I have. I’ve seen more of an open curiosity across the board. I’ve seen a willingness to explore outside of comfort zones and held beliefs. Most of all I feel it in myself as an expansive and deeply relaxing permission to just be.

Winter 2016

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 23

Relationship Resolution By Wendy Olson-Brodeur

Relationships are a huge part of life. Some work, some don’t. It is said that people come and go from our lives for a reason. Fair enough. Perhaps it is time to release the one that isn’t working or making you sick or violating your rights. The marriage, the partnership, the roommate, it’s time to take a stand and resolve to be strong. Making the decision to leave a relationship can be very traumatic, emotional and can take over your life as you maneuver through the maze. Many feel like they are the victim and others play the victimiser. What if you learned another way! Make Up Your Mind Dr. Brené Brown a social scientist has pioneer work at ”what it takes to get back up”. In her book “Rising Strong” she writes about the three stages; The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution. She warns us that living a brave life is not always easy. If you are considering separation and divorce, you have options other than starting with the litigation route. There are choices that can offer much healthier ways to end a relationship. The choice is yours. Why not honor what you once had. You can have mutual respect rather than bitterness, shame, resentment, or anger. You can choose kindness and caring rather than revenge and destruction.

Free your mind, body and soul let us save you stress, time and money! A Financial Divorce Specialist can: • educate you on your options. • assist you in complicated processes such as True Income, Back support, etc. • analyze your past, present and future values. • prepare your proposals for support and division of assets. A Mediator can • help you negotiate a fair deal based on educated financial decisions. A Certified Financial Planner can: • Offer you Financial Planning for your future • Provide Insurance quotes to cover support interruption such as death, disability, critical illness, accident etc.

www.tfds.ca 403-873-0292 • wendy@tfds.ca

The Choices Once you make up your mind to be respectful, then the next decision is where to start. This will depend on your situation. My recommendation is get educated on the choices available to you. Get professional help. The options may include a Certified Financial Planner, a Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist, a Mediator, a Chartered Accountant, a Family Therapist, a Psychologist, and a Lawyer. Working in a Collaborative process with a team, will in the long run save time, stress and money. Emotion It is important you seek support when you feel you can’t sit at a table and discuss issues without breaking down or flaring up. You literally are wasting your money if emotions are so raw that decisions seem impossible to make. Spend the time to get the help, support, the tools and strategies that will help you be strong. Find someone who has the experience and knowledge to help you. A friend that just fuels the fire is not what you need. Money If it’s fear about the money, then get educated on your situation and what it will mean in the future. Knowing what to expect can be empowering. Going through divorce is about negotiation. How can you negotiate if you don’t know what it all means? Money can be a difficult topic for both parties; the one who may need to pay and the one who needs the support. Working together with respect can be enlightening. The process of Mediation can be a perfect way to discuss and come together with an agreement that works for you and your family. Why let a judge who doesn’t have the time to understand what’s important to you make the decision. Children When you have children and going through divorce, the children need protection and their voices need to be heard. The system in Canada has put many rules, guidelines and laws in place to protect them. There are excellent child specialists that can guide you through this area if it is a challenge. Dividing Stuff Remember it’s just stuff. Does what you want really make sense going forward? 50% today is not always 50% tomorrow. Understand the different assets as well as the tax that goes with it makes. It can be as simple as list, value, and then equalize the net worth. The problem is emotion. Saving Time, Stress and Money Bottom line, if you choose to at least be respectful to one another, agree to work in a collaborative manner, then you will end up with a healthier future and that in itself will help you be strong moving forward. Wendy Olson-Brodeur Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist and Registered Mediator www.tfds.ca

Centre 70, Box 133 Suite 120, 7015 Macleod Trail SW

24 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

Factors of Fertility

By Dr. Marnie Wachtler RMT, ND Frequent in my office these days are couples that have been trying to get pregnant for sometimes for up to 3 years. There are multiple factors in which this infertility is due to: environmental triggers, gene expression, incompatibly of partners, immune system dysregulation, hormonal deficiencies, and clotting disorders are a few of the examples of cases I have seen. There is a huge burden on Medical Doctors and fertility clinics creating up to 6 months wait for your initial assessments. Naturopathic Doctors can alleviate this burden by optimizing fertility.

Conception - In the past 10 years of practice, I have seen an increase of the number of women delayed in the ability to get pregnant. There are multiple reasons why this is happening and can be different for each woman. We start by assessing the physical, emotional and hormonal factors for each women. This entails salivary and/or blood hormone testing, a physical exam, female blood thyroid assessments and uterine/pelvic ultrasound to start. We will look further at the male for sperm morphology and count, and possibly clotting factor testing if multiple miscarriages are a concern.

Infertility by Age Group (married women, no previous child) Age Group

Infertility

Impaired Fecundity

30-34

16.9%

24.5%

35-39

22.6%

33.9%

40-44

27.4%

42.8%

It is a luxury to become pregnant and reproduce. In the primary time of women wanting to get pregnant, up to 42% of women may not have the ability to conceive or carry a baby to term. That means 2 in 4 of your friends will need to seek out extra help. One of the hardest to change and most important factors can be stress. The body needs to de-stress, detoxify, and balance hormones optimally in order to conceive and be fertile. Stress, mental and physically, can cause a rise in the hormone cortisol. Responses to this high-sustained amount of cortisol secretions will impair the body’s mechanism to rest, relax and rejuvenate. If the body is in such a state of high adrenal stress the ovaries and testes can’t perform at optimal levels. The best way to show this example is thru the hormonal tree below: Progesterone Cholesterol

Cortisol Estrogen

DHEA Testosterone

High Cortisol (due to Stress) can lead to a tipping of the hormones producing less Estrogen and Testosterone. This makes for an unhealthy balance in the body. Balancing stressors have scientifically been proven in methods such as yoga & meditation. Detoxification - Liver health is the best thing that one can do for the preparation of getting pregnant. It will improve chances of getting pregnant, decrease side effects of pregnancy and in my experience improve babies overall disposition. Pre Natal - Setting up the body for a healthy pregnancy is very important. Preparing the body for pregnancy by detoxifying the liver, testing and reducing heavy metal burdens on the body, and supporting with optimal nutrients. We do this by using herbs, and vitamins that support ovulation and providing nutrients to a fetus. Educating one on the menses cycle events, getting to know when you are ovulating and temperature charting is also very important. Evaluation and direction on cleaning up the digestive system and acupuncture can be part of the preparation needed for a pregnancy without nausea, vomiting or fatigue.

Winter 2016

This illustration is an example of a 28-day cycle. It shows the normal fluctuations in estradiol, progesterone, LH, and FSH during a menstrual cycle, with corresponding changes in the ovary.

Those couples that have been through it all and still having no success will need to have special assessments. In these cases I possibly refer for genetic testing, immune system investigations and clotting disorders. The immune system actually needs to be suppressed in order to maintain pregnancy once pregnant. In some cases, women’s immune response can be too strong and see the pregnancy as foreign and purposely get rid of the pregnancy. This can be the case in potential auto immunity that may be underlying and not known. Frequently, I have seen a thyroid auto-immunity called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis can be a cause of infertility. Sometimes these miscarriages happen in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. Optimal Progesterone is one of the most common reasons I have seen for miscarriages. This can be due to Estrogen dominance in our society or the high stress causing cortisol to be made from the existing progesterone. Clotting disorders can cause blood flow problems to the fetus and a resultant miscarriage. Possibly missed miscarriages and failure to grow after conceiving could be a sign. Looking into clotting disorders takes specialized blood work and family history work up to diagnose. If you are struggling with fertility or want to know more about the options a Naturopathic Doctor can provide feel free to consult your local doctor or us. Dr. Marnie Wachtler, RMT, ND was born and raised in Calgary, AB. Her initial introduction to health and well-being began with her Grandmother. She always had a natural way to treat the ailment in her childhood from the scraped kneed to chronic stomach pains. Dr. Marnie believes in a gentle, kind approach to helping you find and cure the cause of illness. She specializes in sports medicine, gastro-intestinal health, food sensitivities, nutrition and wellness. She includes injury recovery, weight loss, hormone balancing, pre & post-natal care, women’s and men’s health in her daily patient visits. She integrates hands-on treatments, laboratory testing, and counseling to each visit. Dr. Marnie Wachtler ND RMT graduated from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine receiving a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D.) degree. Memberships in good standing: College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta (CNDA), Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND)

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 25

Photo: Aldona B Photography

S-strength E-empowerment L-love F-freedom Do you have an image of what a “strong woman” looks like? Does she have a successful career, get the correct amount of exercise per week, feed her family healthy meals 7 days a week, spend picture perfect quality time with her kids, have the obligatory date night with her husband, keep up a tidy and gleaming home? I believe all women can feel strong and capable! And it has nothing to do with fulfilling the above criteria. It is great to do these things, however they are not any measure of your strength. Strength comes from within, and in many women, including myself, it has had to be developed mindfully. One of the ways to begin the transformation into your own version of a woman of strength is to develop a strong sense of SELF TRUST. As my own personal journey has advanced, I realized that almost everything I did and thought was based on others’ expectations of me. This was a huge ‘AHA’ moment in my life. Do you have your own expectations for living your best life? Or are you living and thinking in terms of the goals and expectations of others? In learning to trust MYSELF, I had to work to develop a sense of self trust. This idea of self trust came up for me in my Health Coaching studies at IIN, the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Self trust is a skill that can be developed through practice. I had to learn to make commitments and promises to myself and to keep them! Mindfully make a promise to yourself (ie. “I will call a friend once a week to reconnect”, “I will not drink alcohol for a month”, “I will put $50 a week into savings”) and when you have completed it, ground it into your mind and body by doing a 30 second celebration with a “WOOHOO!” and

some fist pumping or something similar that feels celebratory to you. This celebration/grounding is important! Your body and mind remember! Start off small and work your way to bigger commitments. Prove to yourself that you ARE trustworthy! Another aspect of feeding your own sense of strength is SELF CARE. This may be the single most important thing you can do for yourself. As women, we can find it hard to feel deserving of taking time for ourselves. It feels selfish somehow. We need to change this. It has to be an inner shift within ourselves. You do deserve to spend time thinking of and taking care of yourself! You just deserve it. There is no, “I deserve it BECAUSE I worked hard this week” or “I deserve it BECAUSE I spent all day looking after the kids”. YOU just deserve it. PERIOD! SELF CARE comes in many shapes and forms, and can be a small act of care or a big act of care. Time and money may dictate this, NOT how much you are deserving. One of my favourite ways to practice self care is dry brushing my skin before a bath or shower. You need a brush specifically for dry brushing. You typically want to brush towards your lymph nodes, and move left to right, but do some of your own research before beginning this ritual and always make it feel right for yourself. I also indulge in wonderful baths several times a week. It is my oasis. I use bath bombs, bubbles or whatever I am in the mood for that day. A wonderful detox bath that can help with sleep if done before bed is 2 cups of Epsom salts or Himalayan bath salt crystals, ¼ cup of baking soda and 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil. Mix these into hot, running bath water and enjoy! Self care can also be taking time to revel in nature. Connecting with the Earth and its many wonders can bring about wonderful shifts. Meditation is also a powerful tool to tap into your inner self and your infinite strength. Whatever you choose to do for your own self care, know that it is right for you. The main idea of practicing self care is that it provides you with the feeling that you have taken care of YOURSELF. You have done something MINDFULLY that fills your own bucket and takes you closer to your authentic self. A beautiful benefit is also an increasing sense of importance. YOU are IMPORTANT! Our strength lives inside of us. It is about searching for and finding our inner sense of self and living true and authentically to her. Self trust and self care are two transformational ways to start tapping into our own inner strength. WE are deserving and worth every minute of it! Much love on your wondrous journey! Nancy Clements, Health Coach in training Please join me on my Facebook page for more inspiration and helpful ideas on your journey. YOUR OWN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL - MIND * BODY * SOUL I would also love to hear from you at: nancyclements2000@yahoo.com

26 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

Strength Comes from Within By Lois Hamilton

Strength does not come from a dogged determination to push through circumstances but rather it comes from letting go and listening to our inner selves. Within each of us lies the wisdom and ability to achieve optimum physical, mental and spiritual health. What naturally follows is the ability to realize and experience our personal goals.

It is my belief that to realize one’s strength, it is best to begin by providing optimal nutrition to all 100 trillion cells that make up who we are. To nurture our brain, for sharp focus and resolve, it is necessary to consume healthy fats such as those found in wild cold water fish, like salmon, fresh sardines or herring. Plant sources of healthy fats include walnuts, flaxseed, hemp seed, avocados, olives and their oils. When choosing the oils, it is imperative that they be cold pressed, extra virgin so that the healthful properties remain intact. Amino acids are the brain’s messengers and directly influence how we feel. They are the body’s building blocks so it is critical to for a solid foundation to consume high quality protein from fish, hormone free meat, eggs, beans, whole grains such as quinoa, legumes such as lentils and fresh nuts and seeds. To stay strong and vibrant, include these with every meal. B vitamins, specifically B6, B12 and folic acid are important for brain health and mood boosting. Give yourself a positive frame of mind with whole grains (millet, oats, quinoa, brown basmati rice), seeds, nuts and legumes. Choosing fermented foods such as tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso provides the body with vitamin B12 but the best source is animal meat, especially hormone and antibiotic free beef liver. One of my favourites! Fermented foods also provide beneficial bacteria to keep our digestion on track. Green leafy vegetables are the way to go for folic acid consumption and a delicious way to enjoy these is in a juice. The juice combinations are endless and making your own creations at home is quick and fun!

Water consumption is essential to carry the electrical charges throughout your body so that messages may be sent and received. Water also helps to clear toxins out of the body, helping to create an optimum state of health. Drink at least 4 litres of good quality water daily. For enhanced detoxification, squeeze a half lemon in a tall glass of tepid water and have this upon rising in the morning. I find it useful to carry a water bottle and

Winter 2016

A holistic nutritional approach can provide improvement for: • digestive disorders • stress related issues • allergies/intolerances • dietary restrictions • acid/alkaline balance • weight management • candidiasis

• asthma • liver health • cardiovascular health • hormonal health • bone health • fibromyalgia • chronic fatigue syndrome

Book a free consulatation or view a full list of services at www.holistichealthwithlois.com

keep track of how many times I fill it up, to ensure I get my daily quota. My smart phone comes in handy for this – I just mark it in my notes each time I fill up, delete it at the end of the day and start all over again! Blood sugar levels must be kept even throughout the day so that hormones remain stable and to avoid sugar/carbohydrate cravings. Stable hormones equal stable moods, making it easier to stick to your goals. The way to achieve this is to consume high quality protein foods, high quality fats and nutrient dense vegetables – all in moderation. Overeating at meal or snack time, raises blood sugar levels. Even whole fruit, all by itself can raise blood sugar levels and bring them crashing down moments later so eating small amounts of fruit at a time and or consuming a small amount of protein with it (hemp seeds, walnuts, etc) will help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Equally important is to avoid, or better yet – eliminate ALL refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, refined and rancid fats and oils as well as ALL highly processed foods, preservatives and additives. Caffeine also plays havoc with blood sugar levels. Stay focused, Listen to your inner self! Feel your strength! Lois Hamilton, Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner Holistic Health with Lois

facebook.com/trifectamag

| 27

upcoming events

Become a Certified Life Coach

November 28 - November 29, 2015 A 2-day intensive course that will teach you everything you need to know to succeed. All Certified Coaches Federation graduates receive admission to their 1 year CCF Continuing Education Program at no additional cost. certifiedcoachesfederation.com See ad on page 5

Healing with Mantra & Sound

November 29, 2015 Yoga Studio North Join us for a two hour journey through sound and mantra, combining breathwork, mantra, mudra, a healing focus and singing in community. Whether you enjoy yoga, mediation or singing with others, this experience will fill your cup with presence, connection, illumination and sacred space. tracysvision.com

The Art of Tantra - Couples Workshop

December 4 - December 6, 2015 Even the most loving & passionate relationships have a way of becoming ordinary over time. This workshop is the perfect antidote to routine sexuality & relating! tantricpath.com/teaching.html

Calgary School of Hypnotherapy

At the Calgary School of Hypnotherapy, we are proud to offer three avenues of hypnotherapy education to meet your needs. Each one is designed with your success in mind and includes the information you need to enhance your existing practice. Hypnotherapy Classes January 19 and 20, 2016 January 21 and 22, 2016 January 25 - 28, 2016 February 27 and 28, 2016 hypnotherapycalgary.org

Thriving in Uncertainty

January 26 and February 2, 2016 Soul Food Crystals and Books We live in a time of great uncertainty. However, we don’t have to be influenced or limited by the outer circumstances. Within us is an unfailing, stable power that provides all we need and creates opportunities for greater abundance. You can truly thrive in the midst of the uncertainty. In this two-part course you will learn how to anchor yourself in this inner stability and call forth all you need for an abundant, fulfilled life. You will also learn ways to move from fear, scarcity, and limited thinking to a life full of possibility and prosperity. Instructor: Karen McPhee soulfoodcrystals.com

Spiritual Dowsing Class

January 28 or March 16, 2016 Soul Food Crystals and Books What is dowsing? Have you ever used a pendulum and got the answers you really wanted but the results didn’t happen? Come join us to find out why. soulfoodcrystals.com

Calgary Health Show

February 20 - February 20, 2016 Stampede Park, BMO Centre Exhibits displaying the latest health products, trends and services. thehealthshows.com See ad on inside front cover

Connect – Mother/Daughter Weekend

April 15, 2016 - April 17, 2016 Connect is an opportunity…to carve out some time for you and your daughter. Spend a weekend away in the mountains, enjoying quality time and creating memories through organized activities, facilitated speaker workshops and mother/daughter free time. facebook.com/aboutconnect See ad on page 9

WANTED

Advertising Sales Professional Introduce our unique audience to businesses, organizations and services in Calgary that wish to be more successful. Help us grow Trifecta Magazine so we can inspire thousands more to live informed, happy and healthy lives. Tell us what makes you uniquely qualified and motivated to sell advertising in Trifecta Magazine. Send your resume to sales@trifectamagazine.ca

Know when the next issue of Trifecta is available. Subscribe to our newsletter! trifectamagazine.ca/newsletter

Support the Environment. Support our Community. Support Local Businesses. Please pass this copy along to a friend, family member or colleague who may benefit from the articles or products and services featured in this issue. Brighten someone’s day, if you visit any of the great businesses advertised in Trifecta Magazine, tell them you saw their ad.

28 |

trifectamagazine.ca

Trifecta Magazine MIND | BODY | SOUL

the benefits of advertising in a truly local publication

Why Does Advertising Work?

Trifecta Magazine inspires well-being and mindful living through community connection. Trifecta Magazine provides a venue for community members to both share and learn from each other’s experiences in a solution-based forum of expression.

Advertising in Trifecta Magazine can increase your sales and clients by connecting you to our readers who are looking for specific therapies, products and services. Advertising attracts new clients and helps you build rapport to professionally position yourself in the market. Advertising also establishes credibility for you and your business through repetitive exposure and promotes awareness of the services and products you offer.

Trifecta Magazine attracts readers, writers and advertisers with a desire for betterment and provides exposure to the many types of therapies, products and practitioners throughout Calgary and surrounding areas that can help these people advance on their personal journeys.

Demographics Trifecta Magazine reaches a targeted demographic. Our readers are socially conscious and environmentally aware people who are focused on health, wellness, personal growth and community. Because of the nature of the magazine, it attracts a variety of advertisers with products and services in line with Trifecta Magazine’s vision. The readership predominantly falls into 3 categories: 1) Ages 25 to 45, usually married with young children. These families are looking for services and products that are ethical, healthy and as sustainable as possible.

This 32 page, full colour magazine focuses on three aspects of health; Mind, Body and Soul. Achieving optimal results in these three areas is considered a perfect balance or trifecta, hence the name of this publication. Trifecta Magazine is a FREE publication available at a number of reputable retailers in Calgary. Businesses from Calgary and surrounding areas have the opportunity to advertise in this quarterly publication. Our website also offers opportunities to advertise your business, services or events to those who prefer read Trifecta Magazine online. www.trifectamagazine.ca

2) Ages 45 to 65 whose children generally have left the nest. They have more disposable income and are looking to enhance their “quality of life”. They look for investments (home, retirement, etc) as well as natural ways to maintain and improve their health and longevity, such as through organic food, vitamins, chiropractic and naturopathic services. They are also looking to enjoy life through entertainment and the outdoors. 3) Innovators such as new business owners or homeowners who are interested in investing in the community, leading edge technologies and alternative energy. They look for creative solutions. All three groups have an above average interest in health, exercise and the environment.

Thanks for your interest and welcome to Trifecta! The Advantages of Advertising in Trifecta Magazine Over Newspaper Advertising Trifecta Magazine

Newspapers

Targeted approach - advertising to those who are interested in health, wellness and quality of life.

Advertising to the masses.

Three months of exposure per ad insertion, PLUS many readers will keep the magazine for future reference.

One to three days exposure per ad insertion before they are tossed in the recycling bin.

Very competitive advertising rates.

High advertising rates.

Book your ad today! Email sales@trifectamagazine.ca