i Living Well the Natural Way wisdom from naturalhealthcare.ca practitioners and researchers edited by Heather Anne Wakeling ii Using this eBook: This is the electronic version of our book “Living Well the Natural Way” - the rst in our series on natural health information. To view this book one page at a time, simply click the button in the toolbar above or use the menu bar and select View > Page Display > Single Page You can download a new copy of this book and nd ordering information for the soft-cover version of this and future titles through: www.naturalhealthcare.ca/books iii It’s no secret that we are living longer. What remains a mystery, however, is: how do we keep ourselves healthy so that we can enjoy those extra years? In working with naturalhealthcare.ca, I have learned that there are three things you need to do every day to keep in your best shape: one thing to heal and support your body; one thing to stretch your body; and one thing to exercise your mind. This book contains many ideas for you to think about what could work for you. As always, speak to your health practitioner before starting any new practice to make sure it is compatible with the state of your health. Living Well the Natural Way is designed to be a guide for those who are new to the world of natural health care. It has been beautifully laid out by Mark Lobo, who has been exceptionally patient as this project snowballed from a simple e-book into a printed series, of which this is the rst. I would also like to thank Heather Anne Wakeling for her patience in editing this volume and, of course, all of the contributing authors, for without whom it would not have been possible. I am excited to be sharing it with you. Gisela McKay, Managing Director, NaturalHealthcare.ca Welcome iv This rst edition published in 2010 by pixcode. This book was conceived, designed, and created by Natural- Healthcare.ca (a division of pixcode Inc.), all rights reserved. An electronic version of this book may be found online at www.naturalhealthcare.ca (search: ebook) and may be down- loaded and shared in its entirety only. No part of the hard copy version, may be reproduced, transformed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or otherwise without permission from the copyright holders. Copyright © 2010 pixcode. ISBN: 978-0-9866098-0-0 NOTE: Any information published in this book is not to be taken as a replace- ment for medical advice. Any person with a condition requiring medical attention should consult a qualied medical practitioner or therapist before beginning any exercise described in this book. Acknowledgments: Cover photo: Can Stock Photo – user CreativeFire Inside Photos all by Can Stock Photo except: Page 16 - 19 – Feldenkrais Method® photos by Rosalie O’Connor Page 62, 63 – Heart Rock, Heart Leaf Elspeth Duncan Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Move- ment®, Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. make it happen. v Living Well the Natural Way wisdom from naturalhealthcare.ca practitioners and researchers edited by Heather Anne Wakeling vi Contents ix Introduction SECTION ONE A Physical Embrace of Self Care Acupressure for Health & Vitality Helpful Acupressure Points Body Awareness Bounce Back into Good Health Breast Health The Basics of Energy Work Get Active Headaches How is Your Sleep? Posture Vision SECTION TWO A Nutritional Foundation Healing with Food Cleanse/Detoxication vii Conscious Loving Building strong relationships through Yogic techniques Curiosity Emotional Stress Release Laughter Resiliency How to Substantially Decrease Stress Visualization & Auto-suggestion Eat to Satisfy Cravings Salt Dietary Sodium Vitamins & Minerals Water SECTION THREE Nurturing the Emotional Body/Health as a State of Mind Body Relaxation Technique viii ix Thank you for choosing to begin your exploration of complementary therapies with the information provid- ed at naturalhealthcare.ca. We strive to provide accurate information, and while I personally maintain the opinion that complementary therapies are not a substitute for “allopathic” care, as a Licensed Holistic Practitioner, who specializes in bio-energy modalities, I do recognize that many modalities, lifestyle choices and “ways of being” have a denite role when creating, or even re-creating a life health plan of action and success. I am often asked questions regarding the use of comple- mentary therapies, and questions regarding “should I, or shouldn’t I” are common during conversations. As an energy therapist, my role is not to suggest, prescribe or diagnose, but to provide information so the person can begin the process of researching options. In doing so, I will gently remind people that it is important that they take into account that there is a myriad of opinions and infor- mation available, and that at times, some of that informa- tion will not be based with a science, research, or educa- tional foundation. Bear in mind, that statement may seem a contradiction as my work with bio-energy is a modality that was initially met with skepticism and mistrust from many in the medi- Introduction cal community. As my life work progressed, I found that acceptance and credibility for these modalities was gar- nered in how I and other complementary professionals have presented their modalities, as honest and eective supports, and not cures. In doing so, patient response was favourable, and I, as well as other peers gradually secured a supportive role in healthcare. It is with this state of mind, that we present our beginner collection of snippets of information for your perusal and consideration. We hope that you will nd them useful. We’d like to thank our contributors: Elizabeth Abraham, Michael Ballard, Stephanie Brander, Doug Cook, Linda Orr Easthouse, Tammy Gilden, Laura Holmes, Salimah Kassim- Lakha, Renee Lindstrom, Gisela McKay, Suhujitha Parasur- aman, Barbara Quigley-Guerra, Stephen van Beek, Angela Warburton, Dr. Jennifer Wise, Wendy Woods, and Joshua Zuchter. Heather Anne Wakeling | Editor, naturalhealthcare.ca 10 . Wakeling ii Using this eBook: This is the electronic version of our book Living Well the Natural Way - the rst in our series on natural health information. To. shift the weight to the other and back again. Once or twice lift the right sit bone together with bringing the right shoulder closer together to the