 Give the Gift of RELAXATION... Father's Day, June 20 Your CHOICE: * 1 hour Massage - $60 * 3 (1hr) Massages for $160. (save $35.) * 1 hour Massage + 2 Yoga Classes - $75 (save $26.) Book Dad's gift soon (514) 695 9025 |
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What's New
Meditation 1 Introductory Course
Wednesdays
7:00-8:30 PM
5 weeks
Next session:
June 16- July 14
This course will give you the fundamentals needed to begin a regular meditation practice. You will learn how to relax your mind and body, how to quiet ongoing mental chatter and center your being on the things that are important to you. Each participant will receive a companion meditation CD to guide them with their practice at home.
Experience having less anxiety, inner calm, deep and refreshing sleep, a relaxed body, less pain, and a boost in your energy levels. |
Recipes Fresh Vegetable Pesto
1 large ripe avocado
½ tomato, chopped
½ cup cilantro, washed stems and leaves
¼ cup parsley, washed
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Puree all ingredients in a blender until the texture is consistent. (Add more lime juice if needed)
Serve over freshly steamed vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, peppers, zucchini, green beans, carrots etc.
Also works great as a pesto for pasta or grains.
Homemade Sports Drink
This is a low cost alternative to more expensive sports drinks. It has a similar nutritional profile, contains all wholesome ingredients, is easy to make and tastes great.
4 tablespoons of cane sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup orange juice or 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice
3 ¾ cups cold water
Dissolve the sugar and salt in boiling water
Add juice and remaining water and chill
Yields: 1 quart
From Nancy Clark's "Sports Nutrition Guidebook" |
Holistic Humour
Fatherhood is
pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.
Fathers Day Quote by Bill Cosby
Father's Day Acting Class
Duration: 2 minutes
Link to Video
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Inspirational Videos
Eating to Starve Cancer
Duration: 20 mins
Relax and Reflect
Duration: 3 min 25 sec
 Lion King "He Lives in You" Duration: 3 min 16 sec
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| Greetings!
We got off to an early start hiking and camping in May. This photo was taken from the summit of Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire looking south along Franconia Notch. A three-hour hike up to the top on a sunny, yet cool day with brand new hiking boots was exhilarating...my blisters are still speaking to me in muffled tones! Yes, those white smudges you see on the left are patches of melting snow. Now that the warm weather is back it's great to be outdoors and active... a word of advice - don't try to break in new shoes on a six-hour hike!
We are also enjoying cycling, walking in the evenings and roller-blading along the West Island waterways. So whether you are gardening, golfing or just plain goofing around, do it outdoors while you enjoy the sunshine, bird calls and glorious Mother Nature's bounty.
Ian and Rukhshana |
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Sunscreens: What you should know by Ian Ramsay
Have you ever wondered why is it that If we know so much about protecting our skin from the sun, that skin cancer continues to be the most common type of cancer and that the highest rates of skin cancer are in developed countries where sunscreens are used the most? Each year in Canada, over 80,000 people are newly diagnosed with various types of skin cancers and these numbers are increasing. Part of the reason may be that we use sunscreens containing ingredients that actually promote skin cancer. We slather these products over our skin thinking that we are adequately protected and then unwittingly expose ourselves to the sun's radiation. Here are some of the potential problems; products that don't protect against UVA radiation, products that break down after half an hour of exposure to the sun, products that are composed of nano-scale ingredients that are absorbed into the bloodstream then circulated and deposited throughout the body and products made with ingredients that are known to cause health problems. Below are a complete set of do's and don'ts for protecting yourself and your family. You will also find out what products provide the best protection and links so you can rate the safety of the product that you are using.
(continued below)
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Inspirational Quote
The boys North Truro, Cape Cod Summer 2008
I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich.
Colonel Potter (M*A*S*H) |
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Father's Day
My dad John Ramsay and Matthew in 1990
My dad didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
Clarence Budington Kelland |
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Upcoming Workshops
Healing Retreat with Rukhshana - Releasing Fear
Thurs., June 17, 7-9:00 pm
Take two hours for yourself and connect to your breath using movement and meditation. Experience letting go of fearful and anxious mind-chatter that keeps you unbalanced and afraid to move forward. 3rd chakra visualizations will allow for release and flow in our breath, kidney and digestive organs to find our own inner place for peace, balance and empowerment. Please bring your yoga mat, a pillow and wear something yellow.
Rukhshana Surty, Director of Harmoni Holistic Center, is a Body-Mind Therapist (deep-tissue and emotional release work), and teacher of Breathwork, Meditation, Massage and Yoga.
Price:$25
Breathwork Seminar (4 1/2 hours)
Saturday, July 17, 1:00 - 5:30 pm
Most of our energy should come from breathing, yet many of us access only 20% of our full breathing capacity, leaving our cells starved for oxygen and compromising optimum health. Breathwork is energizing, deeply healing and therapeutic, and when done on a regular basis, will produce lasting, transformational change. Breathwork can also release stored muscle and tissue tension, unraveling past emotional or mental trauma, and help clear unwanted cellular memory. Have fun discovering how your body currently breathes, through in-class measurements and a personal assessment; learn the physiology of breath through hands-on visualization techniques; expand your intake with specific exercises and, experience a fully supported breathwork session. We will conclude with some sharing and a fruit feast. After this initial four-hour seminar, you can join our monthly follow-up sessions offered at Harmoni. Please bring a mat, blanket, pillow, water bottle and some fruit to share.
Rukhshana Surty, Director of Harmoni Holistic Center, with Ian Ramsay and the Harmoni Team facilitators
$65 (Returning students $50) |
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At Health Tree's Open House
On May 15 Health Tree held an open house featuring samples of healthy food and natural products. Members of the Harmoni team were on hand to provide chair massage for the community. Donations were contributed to the West Island Food Bank. Many thanks to Johanna, Ariane, Francyne, and Griselde for their participation.
Johanna takes care of a golfer's elbow under the Harmoni Umbrella
Rukhshana smoothes out some kinks
Breathwork Seminar at Harmoni
Every two to three months we introduce the power of breathwork to help people breathe and nourish their bodies more efficiently. In our last session on May 29th, we worked on chest expansion exercises
and learned about the body's breathing mechanisms and how stress can inhibit them. The 'grand finale' is the actual breathwork session itself, where the body is allowed to experience total, deep relaxation with ample flow of oxygen to release stuck emotions, stresses and trauma in our tissues and from a cellular level. Everyone emerges renewed, feeling lighter and clearly transformed as they share their amazing experiences!
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Eco Tip: Locavores and Carnivores
What is the carbon footprint of factory farming or from "well traveled" foods that are imported from around the world? What happens to the quality of meat when it is mass produced in battery farms and feedlots? Are better alternatives available? If you are a locavore, the answer is 'yes'.
A locavore is someone who buys locally grown food in order to support sustainable food production that takes into account environmental, economic, social and their own personal health. An exciting example of this concept working well is the artisanal cheese industry in Quebec. Local cheese shops such as La Fromagerie du Marche Atwater are selling lots of local Quebec produced cheeses because they taste great. To quote Sasha Chapman of the Globe and Mail, "They taste like the soil and the grass the cows graze on. They taste like Canada."
When we place more value on the food that we eat, we become healthier for it. The book "Locavore" by Sarah Elton explains why we should eat locally and how to do it. It's as easy as shopping at your local farmer's market. The Marché Sainte-Anne is held every Saturday from 9am - 2pm across from the townhall (109 Rue Sainte-Anne). You can buy locally produced vegetables, meats, honey, goat cheeses, maple products and more. Come and shake the hand that feeds you.
For more info about alternatives to factory farms listen to the pod cast, (part 3 broadcast on May 31st), from the CBC radio program Ideas; Have Your Meat and Eat It Too!
Food, Inc. examines factory farms and feedlots and the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. See trailer for movie "Food, inc."
"Locavore" by Sarah Elton is available in bookstores for around $20 |
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Sunscreens: What you should know (...continued)
Use sun blocks with an SPF of 30 or higher. Sun screens with 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide confer protection against UVA and UVB and act as physical rather than chemical barriers to radiation. Avobenzene, or Mexoryl SX are also considered as safe to use and effective against UVA radiation.
- Buy new sunscreen each year since many brands decompose with time - Do expose your skin to ten minutes of sunlight several days a week in order to promote production of vitamin D (Recommendation from the American Medical Association)
- Kids are more sensitive than adults to sun damage. They should use sunscreen and play in the shade. Keep Infants out of direct sun as much as possible. Link to more sun safety tips for kids
- Cover up with UV protective hats, shirts, and sunglasses
- Apply sun screen before going out in the sun. Reapply it often.
- Plan outdoor activities around the UV index. An UV index of 0-2 means low risk for most people. From 3 - 5 wear sun screen and sunglasses. UV readings of 6 or higher mean a high risk of harm to unprotected skin from sun exposure
- CHECK YOUR SKIN for spots and changes, and remember that natural tone, (not just tan), is beautiful. You know your skin best, so examine it for changes, lesions, and spots regularly. Be extra careful if you have freckles, moles, take medications such as some antibiotics, or have a family history of skin cancer. Consult your doctor for more information about early detection.
- Use SPF lip balm. See the link in the "other resources" list below
- Use eco friendly sun screens in places with coral reefs. In crowded ocean beaches worldwide, the concentration of dissolved sunscreen in the water is high enough to kill coral.
Tips: DONT'S
- Because radiation reflects off of surfaces like the ground and buildings, don't assume that if you wear a floppy hat you don't need sun screen.
- avoid sun block powders and sprays which are easily inhaled into the body
- avoid being in the sun from 10 - 4 PM when sun is directly overhead
- radiation is more intense at altitude. With every 1000 meters increase in altitude, UV levels increase by 10% to 12%.
- avoid products that are combined with insect repellants or fragrances since they encourage absorption of potentially harmful chemicals. Apply insect repellent 15 minutes after sunscreen to reduce the absorption of pesticide.
- avoid tanning beds and sunlamps since their use has been linked to melanoma
- avoid getting burned. Damage from sun exposure is cumulative over one's lifetime. Cumulative damage causes elastin fibers to thicken and become more numerous resulting in lines and wrinkles. Skin also begins to sag and loses its elasticity. Freckles and "age spots" appear and skin bruises and tears more easily and takes longer to heal.
- avoid sunscreen lotions that contain any of these common ingredients listed below. They are not the safest and healthiest choices to protect you against sunburn and sunlight-induced skin damage.
- Octocrylene
- Oxybenzone
- PABA
- Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
- Benzophenone-3
- 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC)
The Bottom Line
The first line of defense against sun-related skin damage is a hat with a wide brim, appropriate clothing, and shade if available. The criteria for establishing that a sun block is both effective and safe to use are that it confer protection against UVA and UVB radiation, the product remains stable in sunlight and the chemicals in it are safe. Mineral sun blocks which contain titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, (or both), are considered a safer eco-bet than chemical sunscreens.
The Environmental Working Group, (EWG), is a team of scientists, lawyers and policy experts that does detailed investigations on common American consumer products to expose threats to health and to recommend safe alternatives. The 2010 EWG Sunscreen Report found All Terrain SPF 30 Products, Soleo Organics and Jason Natural Cosmetic Sunscreens to be the most effective products available. I have not found any of these products on the shelves of local pharmacies and stores in the West Island. The closest product that I have found is La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL (60 SPF, recognized by the Canadian Dermatology Association) available at Zellers. Let's be careful out there. Other Resources
Rate your sunscreen or find safe sunscreens
Link to best lip balms
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We hope you enjoyed our newsletter. Tell us what you would like to see at Harmoni this Summer re: Yoga, Meditation and Workshops! Your comments help us to tailor our services to your wants and needs.
Thank you and have a great June!
Rukhshana Surty and Ian Ramsay
Harmoni Holistic Health Center |
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