Inside The Polished Apple

It's that time of year again!  Elan Family Wellness Centre is offering our Holiday Promotion to our friends, patients and practice members.  You can gift an Initial Consultation and Examination to your friends, family, coworkers...anyone you know needs a little more peace and ease in their life!   This evaluation will allow them to see how their body is coping with the physical, chemical and emotional stress of life.  Typical exam in our office may include postural assessment, physical and neurological exam, and infrared thermography and electromyography.  This offer does not include any treatments or adjustments.   This is one way we want to share the warmth and happiness of the holiday season.   Ask us how you can send this to a loved one, at no cost to you or them!  You can get details by calling us at 403 217 5577, or email at elanctr@telus.net.   Happy Holidays to you and yours!  

Did you know that there are health benefits to being creative?   I just happened on a Huffington post article that linked to:  Make More Art .  The health benefits of being creative vary from improved immune health, to decreased stress and anxiety, to less depression.  Never mind that it is fun, counts as a mindful meditation in my world, and you get to make unique pieces.   I've been on a creative splurge lately-everything from baking (or non baked food items), jewellery & Christmas ornaments, scrapbooking, photo selection and editing, to my next favourite project.... Wool felting!   I attended a workshop this past weekend held at the Calgary Waldorf School where we made a scarf using a Wet Felting Technique.  Silk chiffon, merino wool... how could you go wrong?  We essentially sandwiched 2 layers of wool around a thin silk material, soaked it in hot water and dish soap, pressed it, rolled it 1600 times, and voila, one ...

I am considering a new hobby.  For now, I would like to share a few pretty pictures of Mandala Pies.   The first one was created by Julia Corbett-author and Raw Dessert Goddess.  I enjoyed taking her class offered at the Light Cellar a couple of weeks ago.  I now have lots of raw cookie, square, and pie recipes up my sleeve.     These two little pies are ones I made!  With almond crusts, one has a cream filling (cashew nuts) and one has a raw cacao filling.  They have healing herbs added, and are decorated with rose petals, lavender, goji berries, grapes, and cacao beans. Definitely a hobby that I could support.   Healthy food, aesthetically pleasing, good to eat, fun to share, with a little meditative creative time thrown in.   One last share- isn't this the most amazing and professional teaching kitchen that they have at the Light Cellar in Bowness.  I felt like we...

It's October and we are on to another important topic at Elan: Perception: a topic that needs to be narrowed down a bit. One way to look at it is how we perceive a situation, our environment and our mindset. Perception can be different from person to person when given the same circumstance. How I perceive a colour or a smell or a taste is based on how my brain interprets data coming in from various bodily systems. Maybe my wiring is different than yours... Maybe Kale tastes awesome to me and like grass to you. Maybe the green and red colours of this newsletter look yellowish and purple to you. We are all different. However I have noted in the past, when it comes to a task I need to do, my perception of how I am feeling about it will play a giant roll in if it gets done. Referring to the Triad Of Change -- Structure, Perception and Behaviour -- I need solid Behaviour (action) for me to have the other things fall into place. If I sit and stir over how I am going to do something... ti...

My tree balance pose in yoga has improved this morning.  Is it possibly better because of the Women's Circle I participated in last night about balance and harmony?   I visited a new Women's Circle, AKA Purpose Party, as I enjoy spending time doing a little recharge-exploring my thoughts and feelings on a topic pertinent to women; taking the opportunity to explore the movement my body interprets from said topic; seeing a beautiful new studio (thanks Wolf Willow Studio! ); and meeting lovely new faces.   The topic of Balance was timely with the recent fall equinox.  Balance of light and dark; a time to learn equity and harmony; more objectivity and perspective.  A time to release the old; prepare for the cold season ahead; build our strength for what is ahead.    We discussed how balance may be a difficult concept to grasp or to live.  What does balance mean to you?   For me, balance ties in to the rhythms of my day-I create sp...

As part of Elan's September theme of Structure, here are some thoughts from our Health Coach Janis.   Spring and fall are natural times of change. The seasonal and temperature changes around us are clear signals of "different-ness". Yet, so commonly, we try to exercise sameness in order to feel accomplished, comfortable and secure. I once heard that the best time to set New Years Resolutions is in May. And every year, I find that holds true. There is a burst of energy around May 1 as the weather changes and the quality of sunlight and energy around is shift to optimism and renewed growth. The same is true in reverse for September. Every fall, clients tell me they crave sleep and sugar. Energetically, it is time to slow down and hibernate. So this year, how about you try some Fall Simplification shifts to make the transition feel more comfortable: 1. Eat with the seasons. Fall produce is "heavier:" squashes, and root vegetables, denser greens and less swe...

Have you had a chance to take a deep breath in? Have you gotten the kids back to school?  Did you finish buying their backpacks, new school shoes and clothes, school supplies, ballet shoes (what?!  just us?), and squeezed in a back to school haircut?   Have you coordinated the upcoming fall between adult's and kid's schedules and figure it may all just fit?  Do you have Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays all planned out?   Have you printed your summer holiday memories?  Planned for next year's summer break, because you didn't find you had enough time at the perfect beach escape?   Are you ready for fall?  Excited because its a brand new start to the year, just like when you were back in school?  Maybe you have a class you're attending yourself, or have your new workout routine at the gym all ready to go.  And the gym shoes and water bottle are packed.   If I'm giving you a panic attack now, I'm going to guess that you may...