ONE THOUSAND TREES

MARCH 2019

ONE THOUSAND TREESFACILITATING WELLNESS

THROUGH CONNECTION, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Publisherlisa browning

Acquisitions editorlindsay brant

regulAr contributorscheron Kovacs, christine nightingale, Kayleigh radatus, Maureen Malone, sandra Wilson

one thousAnd trees3-304 stone road West, suite 338

guelph on  n1g 4W4

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ONE THOUSAND TREESMARCH 2019LETTING GO

Feature artiCLes:

letting goby Andrea lines-botell 1

reflections on the theMeby colleen heighington 2

Departments: (bolded articles are monthly features)

connections-- the month in review, by Lisa Browning 12

creAtivity & the Arts-- Adventures of a small-time entrepreneur, by Marilyn helmer 3-- the music of Life: let’s get Physical, by Kayleigh radatus 6-- my adventure Called Life: rock your goals, by sandra Wilson 2

heAlth & Wellbeing-- An introduction to Aromatherapy, by lisa byers 6-- self-Love is Just a Heartbeat away, by Cheron Kovacs 3-- Heart Fire, by maureen malone 9

the librAry-- Angel Alert, by Paul hock 11-- the story Behind the story: Fated, by Jennifer vettor 8

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

Cheron KovacsSelf-Love is Just a Heartbeat Away

Cheron was born and raised inZimbabwe, Africa. She is the oldest of7 children. She is married with threebeautiful daughters aged 21, 5 and 4.Cheron came to Canada in 2001 with

her oldest daughter. Her purpose in this life is to humblyserve others through love and encouragement, bysharing her story, so others can learn to love themselvesfor who they really are, and so that they can pass theirblessings onto others.

Paul HockAngel Alert

Paul is an author, illustrator, song-writer and storyteller. Two of his bookswere inspired by songs he has written."A Pilgrimage to Memphis" inspired anovel he completed in 2014 and has

published in 2018 and a children's chapter book "TheTree" published in December 2017, inspired by a song hewrote of the same title. For more information, visit hiswebsite at www.paulhockpublishing.com.

Colleen HeighingtonReflections on the Theme

Colleen is happily married to awonderful husband named Ken. Theyhave been blessed with threebeautiful children, and four terrificgrandsons. She enjoys reading, writing

stories and poetry, and she keeps fit by walking 3 to 4kilometres every day. Her summers are spent at theirtrailer in Orillia, and she really enjoys the time she spendswith family and friends. She has been a volunteer withHospice Wellington since 2015.

Lisa ByersAn Introduction to Aromatherapy

Lisa is the aromatherapist behind LJTurtle Aromatherapy. She startedusing essential oils to help her dealwith challenging times in her life, andthe resulting stress symptoms – e.g.

acute and/or chronic pain, disrupted sleep, and adiminishing ability to focus – to name a few. Lisa is aclinical aromatherapist, trained and certified through theCanadian Federation of Aromatherapists.

Marilyn HelmerAdventures of a Small-Time Entrepreneur

Marilyn is the award-winning author ofmany children's books includingpicture books, early chapters, retoldfairy tales, riddle books and novels.

Her short stories, poetry and articles have appeared innumerous children's magazines and anthologies inCanada and the United States and her penchant forentering writing contests has resulted in success withshort adult fiction as well. You can visit her website atwww.marilynhelmer.com.

Andrea Lines-BotellLetting Go

Andrea offers gentle support to othersthrough her coaching company,Mandalia House of Healing. Manymodalities are available including art,mindfulness techniques and

supportive tools for change. With a vast trainingbackground in conflict, crisis and mindfulness, Andrea'spassion is to help others find their own solutions for innerpeace and betterment. For more information visitwww.mandaliahouse.com.

Kayleigh RadatusThe Music of Life

Kayleigh is a Certified Life Coach &Certified Level 2 Reiki Practitioner,helping you feel the music of everyday. She uses intuitive Spirit guidedreadings, Groovy Reiki, and personal

development workshops to help her clients rememberwhat life on Earth is for, and create a life that feels asawesome as their favourite playlist. Learn more byvisiting her online at www.ThisGroovyLife.ca, and onfacebook at www.facebook.com/ThisGroovyLife.

Maureen MaloneHeart Fire

Maureen loves to heal, and toempower others to know that they aretheir own healer. She uses thechanneling gift she received over threeyears ago, believing that the heart,

mind and spirit are all integral parts of the process. Shehas always loved the concept that there is much moreout there than any of us can imagine. Miracles doabound everywhere, and we must trust our heart to gowhere we are guided. She also has recently started topractice restructuring work, believing that some of theroot cause for illness is a result of our earlier traumas andstresses. Email her at heartfireheal@hotmail.com.

Jennifer VettorThe Story Behind the Story

Jennifer is a nutritionist and a ReikiMaster, but her passion is writingprovocative romance novels. Shebelieves a good story stirs up emotion,

forcing the reader to root for the protagonist, relating tothem long after the last page has been turned. Jenniferhas been ghost-writing for a popular USA Todaybestselling author, penning five Amazon top 100 novelsunder their pen name. This positive experience allowedher to build confidence while honing her skills, with theultimate goal of publishing work in her own name. Youcan connect with her at jennifervettor.com.

Sandra WilsonMy Adventure Called Life

Sandra is a writer, photographer andeducator with a passion for fun andlearning. She holds a BA in English andHistory, and has continued to takecourses online throughout her adult

life, deeming herself a life-long learner. She believes thatlife is a learning experience, and continues to find lessonsevery day, which she applies to her writing, her photo-graphy, and lessons she can share with others. Connectwith Sandra at www.quiteacharacter.ca.

PUBLISHER’S PONDERINGSLetting go has not been easy for me. I have believed, on severaloccasions, that I had done so, but then I come to realize that I reallyhad not.

I know that I have recovered from the emotional abuse and resultanttrauma that I experienced about seven years ago, but I have not yetlet go of the fear. The fear of not being good enough, the fear ofputting myself out there, for all the world to see.

This morning, as I searched for an answer as to why this is so difficultfor me, I read the following post on facebook: “Today encourages you to have a heart-to-heart chat withsome of your ancestors that are in Spirit. Ask them – what is it you need let go of to truly move forwardin your life.”

I did exactly that, and the answer came to me quickly. Fear and self-sabotage have to go. I know, withouta doubt, that I have been divinely protected, on more than one occasion. And it was divine protectionthat allowed me to escape from the abuse, and create a life filled with joy and peace.

And so I choose today to focus on that. It was Wayne Dyer who said “What you focus on expands.”

I posted yesterday that I have lost the connection with my inner child, and I think it’s time to re-establishthat connection. The fact that the focus for this month is Letting Go provides the perfect opportunity!

Lisa

LeTTing goby Andrea Lines-Botell

If you consider letting go what comesto mind? For some, the song fromFrozen will now always be the firstthought followed with something alittle deeper! Were you drawninstantly to losing a loved one or theending of a relationship or perhapsletting go a dream you once had?

Letting go is a vast subject andrepresents many different things toeach person. At its core, it meansallowing yourself not to be attached oranchored to a person, thing, situationor emotion. On various scales eachday we are given opportunities to letgo or not, whether it is somethingmonumental in your life or perhaps arelatively easy situation. When itcomes to a monumental change inyour life like the loss of a loved one,letting go has many dimensions andhas its very own individual time frameof processing. Many of my loved oneshave passed and some withoutwarning. I had a hidden expectationthat that person would still be therethe next hour, day, month and foryears to come. Since the loss was sosudden, it became vastly more difficultto let go of the belief that this personhad indeed gone. Letting go in thissituation becomes not just of the lossof the person but also letting go ofhow you believed your life was goingto be.

Each different situation brings anopportunity for growth and change.Many aspects can determine howeasily we let go no matter what thesituation and I have chosen a coupleof areas to highlight.

expectation

Expectation plays a massive part inhow we respond to events in our lives.The more we have had an expectationor an investment into a person, thingor situation the harder it can be to let

go. Living life with expectations canmeddle in otherwise positiverelationships and increase anxiety andstress. Coming from a place of trustand clear communication can helprelease any harboured feelings andimprove relations. It takes consistentpractice to come from the point ofhaving no expectations, and if you canattain this, the need for letting go isminimal if not nonexistent.

Fear

For some, the fear of being wrong,being alone or being in emotional painis so great that they hang on tosomething to their own detriment forlong periods. The art of letting gocomes from moving to a place of loveand not fear to allow the transition, nomatter what it is, to flow through youand merge into an acceptance of thenew reality. Fear can leave us trappedin the past and in a journey of what ifrather than being open to the hereand now.

Limited beliefs

This is perhaps an area that some donot venture. Limited beliefs can be sowell disguised that it can take years todiscover what they are and how theyare affecting your choices. Limitedbeliefs are hidden coding in our mindthat allows us to operate fromsometimes less than positiveviewpoints. These beliefs often comefrom childhood or a build-up ofprevious experiences which formvalidations to your thought processes.An example of possible limited beliefsmight be: I cannot be at peace, I willnever be in a loving relationship, or Iwill never be out of debt. Working todiscover the limited beliefs and lettingthem go provides a massive successplatform for moving forward instrength and growth.

Behavioural modes

There are several behavioural modesin which we can operate that canmake it more challenging to let go, andI have chosen two as a focus below.

Fixer mode

If you are in a fixer mode then lettinggo might be extremely hard as yournatural driver might be to try and fixthe relationship or person or problemrather than letting go to see things forhow they indeed are.

The downside to trying to fix is that itoften comes from the internal desireto feel better about yourself or fromwanting people to see you in a goodlight. Another driver of the fixer modecan be from needing control as youmay have had other areas in your lifewhere you have felt out of control.

Coming from the fixer mode can leadsome people not to let go of argu-ments, relationships or hardships foryears and in turn, this can lead tobitterness and resentment.

Codependent mode

This is a mode that has beenmisunderstood by many. If you areoperating from codependency, thenyou may obsess over people orsituations rather than allowing themjust to be. You may put yourself lastand focus on pleasing others. You maytake on people and situations and turnthem into what you may have done orhow you affected things rather thanhow it is. This mode has been linkedwith low self-esteem and often notknowing that you have a choice otherthan the path that you are on.

Coming from codependency can leadto not being fully present and notbeing aware that in fact, you can letthings go. It can lead to being inunhealthy choices for lengthenedperiods. In this situation, once you

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have recognized that you have beenoperating in codependency the otherarea of letting go may come fromforgiving yourself and others andletting go of the past.

getting to know yourself and lettinggo

Consider asking yourself frequently ifyou are holding onto or harbouringfeelings that would be healthier foryou to let go and if so what is holdingyou back from letting it go. This is adynamic way to help genuinely learnabout yourself and your behaviours. Letting go of a person may seem likethe hardest thing to achieve whetherit is through loss or the end of arelationship. Coming from a place oflove rather than fear or control allowspeace and acceptance to come muchmore easily. Letting go of limitedbeliefs or situations are like givingyourself a massive gift. You are worthyof such gifts. To let go doesn’t meanthe end of someone or something itrepresents the birth of new beginningsand in turn a new adventure in yourlife journey.

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RoCK YouR goALSby Sandra Wilson

Sisyphus was a Greek king who waspunished by being forced to push arock up a steep hill only to find whenit neared the top the rock would rollback down again. This Greek myth hasSisyphus repeating this task over andover never with success. We can

admire Sisyphus for his conviction tothe task, exerting the strength to pushthe rock even knowing he could notsucceed – or maybe he thought maybeone day he would.

Sometimes reaching our goals mayfeel much like the experience ofSisyphus, but we are not beingpunished and we can get the rock tothe top, and even down the otherside. Momentum, moving in a forwarddirection, is what we need to get thatrock rolling. And although Sisyphuswas cursed to spend eternity pushingthat rock up the hill we are not. Wemay be scared, we may want to giveup but we have the ability to get thatrock over the top. Each step forward,each movement upward gets that rockcloser to the top.

It is you that stands behind that rock(idea/goal) giving it a push. It can’t rollbackwards as long as you stand strong.You have the power to move that rock,you can push hard, push along at aregular pace and even stop and rest ifyou need to. The key is to just keeppushing, be the driving force behindthat rock, build up the momentumand roll that rock along. Before youknow it you will have reached the topand the rock will move more easilydownward on the other side.

Think about your goals and believethey can be achieved. Sisyphus workedhard every day never knowing if thiswould be the day he could get the rockto the top. Work hard knowing thatthe rock will reach the top. Pushforward, stay strong and get that rockto the top.

THougHTS on THe THeMeby Colleen Heighington

When I told my husband what thetopic for March was, he chuckled.“This is a topic you should writeabout!” he said. I knew exactly whathe meant. I never let things go, and Iknew this would be a challenge … sohere goes!

When I think of the words “letting go,”the first thing that comes to mind is“material things.” As I am writing this,I am looking around the house andnoticing that there is a lot I could letgo of. The question that is so difficultfor me to answer is - do I want to?Books are piled on top of books,magazines stacked to full capacity andclothes that I have not worn for thepast 5 years still take their place in mycloset. My husband and I have beengoing through all of these things as weare downsizing in our retirementyears. We are putting them in bagsand donating them to charity. I wish itwas that easy!!! As silly as it sounds,even after I have decided to let themgo, I sneak back into the bags, retrievesome and keep them over and overagain. Sound familiar??? It is only aftermy husband has them locked in thetrunk of the car that I have completelylet go.

Harder for me still is letting go of mypast, especially when I have beendeeply hurt and have a tough timeletting it go. When that happens, I getupset, mad, and sometimes veryangry. I am sure that my bloodpressure goes sky high which isn’tgood for the good old heart. Holdingonto such strong emotions can lead tobitterness, sadness, and loss of muchjoy. The more we keep them bottledup inside, the more it stops us frommoving forward. It takes time to winthis ongoing battle but in the long run,it will be well worth it!!! What hashelped me out tremendously is prayerand learning to forgive. They helprelease negative emotions bringing

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My AdventureCalledLife

back much peace, joy and happiness.

Letting go of our children was so hardto do. We were so used to havingthem with us all the time - having funtogether, caring and loving them,seeing them grow up, and then thetime came when they left home. Wehad the privilege of raising our twoyoung grandsons, and they too are allgrown up and have left us to bereunited with their mom and dad. Wemiss them so much, but we know thatthey are truly happy again. We knewthat it was the time to let them go.Also, we have a mentallychallenged son who is middle agedand still able to live with us. Tears fillour eyes knowing that, one day, he toowill be moving on. However, we arethe only ones who know when thattime will be, and he will be home withus for as long as possible.

But the hardest of all for us was whenour parents passed away. We willnever let them go because of howmuch we love and miss them. Theylive on forever in our hearts, and thebeautiful memories of them help uswith our grieving.

So in closing, some things we have notrouble in letting go of, others we stillwrestle with, and with others, we willnever let them go. But in the end …

There will be a time For you and me When we will hearOur Saviour’s VoiceCalling for theeThen at lastWe will finally knowThe time has comeWhen we LET GO!!!

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Why do we feel the need to hold ontostuff in our lives? Old habits, badrelationships, clothes and shoes wedon’t wear, emotions, jobs we don’tlike etc.! Why is it that we are afraid tolet go of these things?

If you allow yourself to release all thatdoesn’t serve you in Love andGratitude, you open yourself up to theunknown (scary, I know).

Allowing yourself to Let Go of thethings you know you need to let go of,allows the greater blessings that arewaiting to fill the spot you are holdingonto. Clean out the space and allowgood things to enter your life!

I give you this advice, because at onetime in my life, I held onto clothes,shoes, old bills, birthday/thankyou/Christmas cards, because I feltcomfort from them. What I didn’tknow was that by holding onto all thatstuff, I wasn’t creating the space forthe miracles that were waiting toenter my life.

I encourage you to release what nolonger serves you today, and openyourself up for some mind blowingmiracles!

This is Your Canadian Sister signing off.Remember: “Self Love is just aHeartbeat Away.”

AdVenTuReS oF A SMALL-TiMe enTRePReneuR

by Marilyn Helmer

Forty years ago, I was a stay-at-homemom. Although I was delighted to beat home with my six-month-old son,money was tight. If we stuck to abudget, we could manage thenecessities of life. It was the un-necessities like gifts for my husband, anew dressy outfit for myself or diningat an upscale restaurant on specialoccasions that were not in the budget.If only I could be stay-at-home momand still have money of my own forsuch un-necessities but it seemedimpossible. Fortunately, the advice ofthree wise women came to the rescue.

While my mom babysat one day, myfriend Judy and I headed for the mall.I said that I had to make a quick stopat the bank to cash the baby bonuscheck.

“What do you spend that money on?”my very frank and to-the-point friendasked.

I shrugged. “I don’t keep track. It justgets spent.”

“You should open a bank account andsave it,” Judy said. “If you don’t knowwhat you’re spending it on, you won’tmiss it. I’ve been doing that for years.I’m going to university in the fall. I haveenough saved for tuition, books and ababysitter when I need one.”

“Seriously? You saved all that just bysaving baby bonus checks?”

“Saving gets to be a habit,” Judy said.“Try it and see.”

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Self-Love Is Just a Heartbeat Away

by Cheron Kovacs, Teacher of “Self-Love”

That day, instead of cashing the babybonus check, I opened a savingsaccount with it. Over the next fewmonths, I enjoyed seeing the smallaccount grow.

That summer my cousin Dorothy camefor a visit. I had to pick up somegroceries and while I was writing mylist, Dorothy thumbed through thenewspaper. She glanced at my list.“Did you check for coupons?”

“Coupons? What coupons?”

“There’s a twenty-five cents offcoupon for peanut butter. That’s onyour list.” Dorothy tore out thecoupon. “And here’s one for toiletpaper.”

“Toilet paper isn’t on my list.”

“But you’ll need it in the future, right?It’s also on sale. Buy now, save money.And you do refund, don’t you?”

“Refund? What’s that?”

“Some companies give refunds forusing their products. You save labels,send them in and get cash back. Thosetins of soup you’ve got in thecupboard? That company has a promoon. Send in four labels, get $2 back. It’sfound money.”

So I took up coupon clipping andrefunding. The money joined the babybonus checks in the savings account.Judy was right. Saving can become ahabit.

In December that year, I invited agroup of neighbours over for a pre-Christmas get together. My tree wasdecorated to the hilt with dainty lightsand shiny store-bought balls. As Iretrieved my son from yet anothercrawling foray to the tree, my friendMaria spoke up. “If you think it’s badnow, wait til next year. He’ll be walkingand those breakable balls will be ababy magnet. Take it from one who

knows. Dangerous!”

When I was grocery shopping a fewdays later, a magazine at the checkoutcaught my eye. “Make Your OwnChristmas Decorations – PatternsInside” the cover announced. Igrabbed the magazine and flippedthrough to an article showing adouble-page spread of beautiful feltdecorations “Unbreakable and perfectfor tiny hands to handle” the headingencouraged. I added the magazine tomy groceries. The next day I withdrewsome money from my savings accountand headed for the local craft shop tobuy my supplies. From then on, myson’s naptime became my craft time. Iborrowed decorating books from thelibrary, clipped ideas from magazinesand exchanged patterns with my craftycousin.

Maria was right. When Christmasarrived the next year, the tree drewChris like a magnet. He helpeddecorate, so the bottom brancheswere festooned with my handmadedecorations. The sparkly breakableballs were relegated to out-of-reachbranches.

When my neighbours came in, my treeattracted a lot of attention. Janreached for an embroidered angel. “Ilove these decorations but I’m notcrafty. Do you sell them?”

Sell my decorations? It had neveroccurred to me that anyone wouldwant to buy them.

“If you’re taking orders,” Maria said, “Iwant some too. My sister’s kids aretwo and four. They’re driving her nutswith the tree.”

“You could sell your decorations atcraft shows,” Margot said.

“Or take them to craft shops and sellthem on consignment,” Jan suggested.“My sister sells her handmade jewelrythat way.”

Later, I told my mom about myneighbours’ reactions to mydecorations. “They suggested that Icould sell them at craft shows and onconsignment. It’s risky though. What ifno one wants to buy them?”

“You’ll never know till you try,” Momsaid. “Go for it. Nothing ventured,nothing gained.”

So began my Christmas Business orChristmas Busy-ness as my son calledit. Making Christmas decorationsbecame my at-home occupation. Itook part in Craft Shows andapproached local craft shops abouttaking my decorations onconsignment. Eventually I gaveworkshops and began designing myown patterns. I expanded my businessto include handmade soft toys and afew years later, clothes for CabbagePatch kids.

My Christmas Business did not put usinto a higher income tax bracket, butit gave me the bonus of making moneywhile being a stay-at-home mom.When my husband’s birthday rolledaround, I bought him a watch. Okay,we aren’t talking a Rolex or a Cartierbut it was a good watch nonetheless.Most importantly, I paid for it withmoney I had earned myself.

I thought back to the advice I receivedfrom those three wise women - Judyabout saving the baby bonus, Dorothyabout refunding and couponing andmy mom - “Go for it. Nothingventured, nothing gained.”

I considered the success I’d had in mycraft business and the pleasure itbrought me. Entrepreneurship isn’tonly about earning money althoughthat is an important part of it. Equallyimportant though is the self-satisfaction you gain from venturingforth, seizing an opportunity and goingfor it. You’ll never know where it mighttake you.

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Featuring:

Thursday, March 21, 7‐9pmHarcourt Memorial United Church

87 Dean Avenue, Guelph ONfree admission (reserva ons recommended)

An Evening of SHARING

For more informa on visit www.onethousandtrees.com.To reserve your spot email lisa@onethousandtrees.com.

Kristel ManesCo‐Founder, The Rhyze Project

Lisa BrowningOne Thousand Trees

Cindy HillisCourage for Carly

Le!ng Go

THe MuSiC oF LiFeby Kayleigh Radatus

Let’s Get Physical

Welcome, to The Music of Life. Someof the most important connections ofour lives, those we form with ourselvesthroughout life, as well as those weform with our families and friends, arebeing lost in this modern world of“social” media, minimalism, andkeeping up with society. I hope,through this column, to remind myreaders of all that matters, and helpthem re-establish their bonds with life,memories, mementos, and traditions.

A little while ago, I came across anincredible video on facebook aboutgait training for Parkinson’s patientsusing music. Now, if you have read anyof my previous columns, or knowanything about me, you know that Ibelieve music is a powerful force for allof our lives. I know a lot about thehealing power of music, but even I wasamazed by the transformation of thispatient.

In the video, the therapist first has theman walk with his walker without anymusic playing. He gets around, butwalking is obviously quite challengingfor him. After a while, she startsplaying music on her phone. Herecognizes the song, and after aminute of listening and letting therhythm seep into his body, he starts towalk. His steps still shuffle a little atfirst, and he still has his walker, but heis moving with much more ease thanbefore, with a little groove to eachstep and moving quickly too!

The video then cuts to him walkingwithout the walker at all! Before long,his therapist turns him around, bringshis arms up, and they begin to dancea little two-step around the room. It’ssuch a beautiful scene!

This video has me asking the question;what is the untapped potential ofmusic to heal? Music is already beingused in all sorts of therapies all overthe world. Science has proven thatlistening to music we love speedshealing, and I’ve experienced thepower of music to improve mentalhealth in my own life, yet still Iwonder; what more is possible?

If we all chose to listen to music welove every day, what changes mightwe see? If we made sure the musicalso included positive and upliftinglyrics, what might change then? Withthese thoughts tumbling around in myhead; I am issuing you, my readers, amusical challenge this month, and Iinvite you to join me in my facebookgroup; Love This Groovy Life, to shareyour experiences with me & others.

Here is my challenge:

Create a power playlist or mix CD ifyou prefer, and consciously listen to itat least once every day this month.Add a little dancing too, if you like, oradd some powerful intentions to thestart of your listening session. I’d loveit too, if you’d check in to the group, orprivately with me to share anychanges you notice in how you feel;physically as well as mentally andemotionally.

Let’s see just what kinds of changeswe can manifest if we all step up anduse this power so readily available tous. Please invite your friends andfamily to join in and share the eventon social media too!

Coming In April’s issue.…The Spring inYour Step!

I’d love to hear from you! Chat aboutThe Music of Life column by visiting

my blog;www.thisgroovylife.ca/blog/the-

music-of-life-column or visit me onFacebook at

https://www.facebook.com/KayleighRadatusCLC/

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An inTRoduCTion To

ARoMATHeRAPYby Lisa Byers

I was first introduced to the scentedworld of aromatherapy in my early20s. There was a small local shop thatcarried a wide variety of essential oils.The attraction was immediate. Istarted building my collection, tinylittle amber glass bottles of magicalscents! At that time, the CanadianFederation of Aromatherapists (CFA)was in its infancy (1993) as was theInternet (at least by today’s standardsand ease of access to information).The only resource I had to explore thefield then, was books. And the first ofthese was Julia Lawless’ The IllustratedEncyclopedia of Essential Oils (1995).

Using her text was challenging at thetime; while organized alphabetically, itwas done so by Latin botanical name.For example, Lawless’ monograph forYlang Ylang is not under ‘y’ but ‘c’for Cananga odorata. Alas, I never didlearn by heart the Latin botanicalnames of the essential oils I was usingat the time, but I did hold onto thistext. As it turns out, it has come to bevery useful.

Fast forward twenty or so years. I hadmoved very far away from the holisticview of aromatherapy to aconventional view of allopathicmedicine for health and healing. Manyailments followed me through myteenage years into adulthood.Frustrating and perplexing becauseneither I nor could any of the health

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care practitioners I went to, helpedease symptoms of both physical painas well as intense emotional distressand impaired cognitive functioning.During this time, I managed tocomplete a B.A. and M.A. Being inschool, allowed me to pace myselfbased on how I was coping on a givenday.

Many health care professionals haveevaluated me over the years. Iroutinely ‘crashed’ or have a mentaland physical breakdown or collapse,seek out professional help but no reallong-lasting and effective solutionswere found; little was ever resolved.

I was unable to pull myself backtogether by my most recent mentaland physical breakdown (2012/13). Soldiering on was no longerpossible - despite my best efforts. Ihad been in the process of completinga doctoral degree in Sociology. I hadtried so hard for so long, miserably,and was unable to continue. But I didnot rediscover aromatherapy quiteyet. I found a job in Toronto, doingresearch-based work. But I was in nomental or physical condition to endurethe commute or working at a desk forlong hours. When I realized this, I wasagain devastated, because my plan tostay in academia, in one way oranother, was also dashed. My mindand body protested vehemently.

I was in rough shape. I was seeing anurse practitioner at the time and shetried to find me a drug to help with mysymptoms - but never naming whatwas going on for me as depression oranxiety or complex PTSD (and laterfibromyalgia).

I asked to be evaluated by apsychiatrist, who, I imagined, had theskill set to make a clinical diagnosis. Isaw two such professionals, about ayear apart and was subsequentlydiagnosed with depression andanxiety (along with a few otherconditions). The diagnosis of chronic

depression or dystemia was useful toknow. This refers to low to moderatedepression, while the symptoms areless severe than those of majordepression; symptoms are longerlasting or chronic. Unfortunately,neither psychiatrist was of furtherhelp. One prescribed vitamin B6, andthe other four different drugprescriptions. Neither offered ongoingtalk therapy. I did not feel heard orsupported.

Through my nurse practitioner’s office,I was taking group education wellnessclasses. The more I learned about mymental health conditions or diagnoses,the more aware and accepting Ibecame of myself and the challengesthat seemed to so aggressively followme around. Being motivated to lookfor solutions, I tried very hard to getanswers to all of my ‘why’ questions –‘Why am I not able to pull myselftogether and get on with living?’, ‘Whydo I feel rather crappy (emotionally)most days?’, ‘Why is my body is somuch pain?’

I was no longer in school and I did notknow what to do for work. A momentof clarity came to me in a lowmoment, when I recalled the healingpower of plants, essential oils in

particular. I unearthed my LawlessEncyclopedia and started to researchessential oils for mental and nervousexhaustion. Ylang Ylang is a powerfulessential oil for these conditions. Ispent the next few months re-discovering the healing potentials ofaromatherapy and its plethora ofessential oil options. I felt at the time,treating mental health issues witharomatherapy was a serious,important and necessary task for me.At some point, I wondered if someone(me) could ‘do aromatherapy’professionally, as a career.

A quick Google search led me to theCanadian Federation of Aroma-therapists (cfacanada.com). I found acorrespondence course that allowedme to study at my own pace at home.While I would have loved to attendclasses, I was in no shape to do so atthe time.

Early in 2014, I became a student withthe Joyessence Aromatherapy Centre(at the time a local school). Guesswhich text was on thecurriculum? Lawless of course! Duringthis time of studying, my relationshipwith Ylang Ylang deepened. I learnedthat for some folks, in high concen-trations, Ylang Ylang could cause

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nausea and headaches. I also learnedwhy I connected to it so much andfound it helpful with its calming andbalancing properties to help with mynervous tension, and roller-coastermoodiness (antidepressant, anger,fear, frustration).

I developed my blend Serenity Nowusing Ylang Ylang and four otheressential oils that are calming,restorative and harmonizing andsupportive for the above nervoussystem and mood symptoms that Iwas experiencing. The name SerenityNow was inspired from a very funnyepisode of Seinfeld involving FrankCostanza and his efforts to keep calm.

Aromatherapy is a wellness modality Icontinue to turn to on a dailybasis. Aromatherapy is one of manytools in my mental health tool bag andwhen used consistently has served mewell. It is only recently, and workingwith a health care professional withexpertise in helping folks withchildhood traumas (and who is trainedin EMDR), have I been better able toanswer some of my ‘why’ questionsand grow my mental health wellnesstool bag.

A friend suggested I bring my blendsto the local farmers’ market. Which Idid and will be celebrating five yearsthis September! I also took the CFAqualification exams in 2016 andpassed. My official title is CertifiedAromatherapy Health Profes-sional (CAHP). I am qualified to doone-on-one consultations to createcustom blends based on a client’sneeds. My passion and attraction is increating blends. Little by slow, over theyears, I have researched, sniff-tested,and created blends that are supportiveemotionally (mood balancing) andspiritually (subtle energy), includingSerenity Now.

The next time you are at the GuelphFarmers’ Market, come by, say ‘hi’ andplease, stay for a ‘sniff test’.

FATedby Jennifer Vettor

I’ve always been a story-teller. Myearliest memories of this go way back,to a time when I was maybe five, or sixyears old. I remember getting tuckedinto bed, beside my twin sister, thetwo of us giggling into the wee hours.(The wee hours being eight or nineo’clock, before my fed-up father wouldyell up the stairs and tell us to zip it!) Iwould happily entertain her with mymade up stories, just so I could hearher laugh. Oh, how her approvalmotivated me.

As a teenager I continued to write, afew stories here and there, but mostlypoetry. It soothed my brooding soul,my teenaged angst. I had pages andpages of those bleeding words,recounting tales of my anguish,misery, and of course, theheartbreaks. It’s amusing to read themnow, and revisit myself at fifteen. Ifonly I could go back in time to reassurethat young woman, that all thesuffering would one day pay off. Thatthose painful lessons had value,serving to brace me for even biggerchallenges, with grace and dignity; tomake me a strong woman, a wisermother, and ultimately, a better story-teller.

I’m not sure why I didn’t write in mytwenties and thirties. I suppose I wasfar too busy living life, focusing onraising three feral kids, with the hopethey would, one day, turn into goodcitizens. Anyone that says that’s aneasy task has never had teenagers.There’s good reason other speciesboot their offspring out as soon asthey learn to eat solid foods. One, they

consume their weight in food on thedaily, and two, they’re nuts…and crazyis contagious! I know it’s not politicallycorrect to voice that out loud, but it’sthe truth. I’m just grateful we camethrough those years relativelyunscathed. I guess I was too busychasing my sanity to jot stuff down.

Writing was always such a personalaffair for me. Yes, I shared my workwith a few close friends, but I neverthought I could earn a living with it.My father, a very pragmatic man, toldme from a young age that writing wasonly a hobby, that it wouldn’t pay thebills. I suppose I believed him. It wasone of many ‘practical things’ heshared that got stuck on the wheel ofdoubt, spinning through my brain.Today we’d call him a dream-killer, butI know he meant well. He wanted tomake sure I didn’t get caught up in myfancies, and risk disappointment. Howcan you fault the man for that?Besides, it was the 80’s….parentingdidn’t require the effort it does today.They just had to feed you threesquares meals a day, put a roof overyour head, and remind you once in awhile, with a hearty smack, to stopbeing a smart-ass. They didn’t have tobe your therapist too. Ah, the good olddays.

Fast forward to my forties, when Ifinally got some time back…and abrand new laptop I didn’t have toshare with three, sticky-fingeredchildren. It was heavenly! I started towrite again! Poetry, stories, and thisnew thing called BLOGGING! I couldshare my stream of consciousness andupload it instantly to the planet? Icould change people’s lives with mywit and wisdom? It was a whole newworld! I had ambitions, I had ideas, Icould change the world…but in truth,I just wrote spicy novelettes only myhusband would read. I’m not going tolie, they served a purpose, ahem,enough said. Then, one day I saw anad on Facebook that changed my life.A publisher was looking for ghost-

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writers to write under his pen-name,in the romance genre. He soughtauthors skilled at penning words thatsizzled. I just happened to have a fewthings I could send him, and three dayslater he hired me. I was getting paid towrite.

Working as a ghost-writer has been aninvaluable experience. It’s offered methe opportunity to develop my skills,while building confidence as a writer.I was able to learn the ins-and-outs ofthe self-publishing world, under theprotection (and guidance) of someoneelse’s name. It was the best of bothworlds, but like all good things, it cameto an end. My publisher was ready tomove on to other things, and weparted ways respectfully, with mutualgratitude. I enjoyed creating fivenovels for him, but I was bound to aspecific formula and format; and nowI could write what I wanted to write,say what I wanted to say, develop myown style. I could take credit for mywork. It was both exciting, and a littledaunting, but I was ready!

Like most of my stories, ‘Fated’ sprangout of a cool experience. I get boredeasily, and make shit up all the time,fabricating stories in my head just to

entertain myself, and pass the time. (Ifwriters didn’t write we’d be chronicliars, that’s the truth.) I’ll meetsomeone who sparks my imaginationand within minutes I’ve created animaginary life for them; or I’ll visit anew place and the setting will triggera story. That’s what happened when Ivisited Scotland. My sister and I wereon a tour of the highlands and westopped for lunch in a little town overlooking Loch Linnhe. It was deliciouslyquaint, with small stone cottages builton the hillside to take advantage of thesweeping views. I wondered what itwould be like to live in such a magicalplace, relaxing on an old, woodenswing overlooking the water, a book inone hand, a teacup in the other.

That image eventually turned intoMeg’s story…a woman certain her fateis to be single forever. She’s contentwith that. Nothing like the heroines inthe novels she devours, she escapes adifficult relationship, and moves fromVirginia to Scotland, destined to liveher life as a bookworm, happy butalone. Of course, it wouldn’t be aromance novel without messing upher plan. Enter the sexy, Scottishcarpenter…

* * *

Healing can happen on so manydifferent levels. The wordencompasses so many meanings,sentiments, emotions and thoughts.We all have our definition of whathealing is, and it is never the same forany two people. Sometimes we arenot ready for healing when it appears,sometimes the healing waits, slowlyand surely, to reach the core.

If you could write down every form ofhealing out there, you would havepages and pages of definitions. We allstrive to heal, though many of us don’trealize that healing can happen on somany different levels. Our recenttraumas can bring us to such a placeof pain, we can no longer function,and we become lifeless walkingthrough our daily life. Something weall become very good at.

Sometimes, people we meet or have aconversation with, can have a bigimpact on our healing, without evenrealizing it. We meet others who cancalm us with their words, their stories,and their hearts. It is sometimes verydifficult for us to reveal what our painis, or where it’s from. A healer doesnot heal you; you are your own healer.A true healer helps you to healyourself.

I remember having an illness a fewyears back, and while I was doinghealing for the illness, I also ran into aman that did Restructuring work. Hisname was Tom Cratsley, and I wasintrigued to find out what this was,and he explained to me thatRestructuring was a method ofaccessing, releasing, and transformingunconscious resistance patterns. Hewas the creator and developer of thismethod. He realized that people couldtalk about their trauma and painforever, but unless the root pain isrestructured, it can never reallyresolve itself.

How many of us have been to atherapist? Many people, many greattalents who do counseling in manyways. I do remember seeing atherapist back about 15 years ago,who would take me back to the earlytraumas and make me work throughthe experience that I endured at thetime. I thought it was incredible andhelped very much with what I neededto resolve.

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HEART FIREBY MAUREEN MALONE

With Restructuring, he asked me whatwas coming up for me when the illnesscame into my life. I have alwaysbelieved that illness links to somethingwe have not resolved. I told him whatwas going on around me at the time,He then mentioned that we weregoing to go back to the earliestmemory I had of feeling this sameemotion and feeling. I didn’t knowwhat to say, I didn’t know where to go.After we spoke about it, I realized thatI had to go to some dark places I hadavoided, or pushed away for anotherday. Places from long ago….

I have to admit, it was hard to gowhere I had not gone, in a very longtime. He explained that thistransformational counseling processempowered the individual to uncreatereactive response patters to pasttrauma, and restore lost resourcesthrough a gently heartfelt process. Hedeveloped this break-thoughapproach to healing to discover andrelease unconscious resistancepatterns and heal them once and forall.

His belief of Restructuring is a highlyfocused method of accessing andaltering the conscious and sub-conscious logic structures, which areat the root of unwanted behaviors,

attitudes, and life change, quickly andwith minimal struggle. I loved mysession so much that I had to take hiscourse myself. Tom Cratsley teachesthis in Lilydale, NY, once a year. I havetaken it twice actually, the first time Iwas hooked, but needed more.

He was frustrated with the pace ofchange and the persistence ofunconscious patterns and reactivebehaviors both in himself and hisclients. He began looking for new waysof working with this premise in mind:‘If indeed we create our own realitywe ought to be able to uncreate theaspects of our lives that don’t work ifwe just knew the thought patternsinvolved in how we created them.’In his research he found that focusedregression could bring uncon-scious source material to the surfaceand that by releasing thoughts andemotions contained in such memoriesclients would experience significantand often complete relief from theproblem the presented with. Simplyamazing.

Think about this, something comes upfor you, that you have no idea why itfeels so painful. What I found, is thatwe usually attract to us the situationor the people who need to help usheal our original pain. I believe we are

like mirrors to each other, showingourselves where we need to go.

A wise friend recently said to me,“When people discuss about who hurtthem, as in she hurt me, he did this,they did that, on and on” He askedme, What do you think that is? I saidit has something to do with us, like amirror. He told me that was correct. Itis something we need to resolve inourselves, even though that personcan absolutely drive us mad. Then hesaid something so profound to me. Hesaid when someone is complaining toyou about this person or that person,what they did or didn’t do to us, hesaid you really are them. I said to him,I am them? He said “Yes” we are allconnected. We are all One.

I believe if we do not try and heal atthe source of our pain, we willcontinually meet circumstances andpeople that reveal itself, or get us tothe heart of the matter. We allmeeting amazing people, that see thegood and reach in and are able to helpus ignite. I believe that healing wantsto happen, it wants to mend us andshow us the way. Then we canbecome our true heart, mind and ourspirit . We can be free.

* * *

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Greetings! My name is Kristen Eva. I have trained as a Medical Intuitive, and I work with Quantum Healing and Sacred Geometry. For a number of years, I have been leading meditation groups. I have now released two meditation CDs that are available for sale (CD format $15 + $5 shipping, or digital download $10). th

Oneness, integrating and melding with this energy within our daily interactions and experiences.

tdissipation and release of energetic cords, connections, and other unresolved issues, and creates space for expansion and the Freedom to Be.

Whether you are new to energy work and meditation or you have been involved for years, these meditations can help guide you to new experiences!

Samples of each meditation, as well as a full list of products and services, are available on my website. Please visit if you feel called! www.inspiredhealing.ca

Wishing you a blessed day!

Kristen

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AngeL ALeRTby Paul Hock

The morning after the amber alert for Riya Rajkumar I started writing down my thoughts on the events. I was troubled bysome people’s reaction to being annoyed at the alert It made me think about how many more children in this world suffer.The following verses came to me, and I would love to share.

God received an alert, They come 24/7

Another angel has arrivedAfter all, this is heaven

But these are special alertsThey receive special care

Because they are for childrenWho shouldn’t be thereGod always greets themArms open with a smileAnd says worry no moreTo each precious child

Some have starved or were sick Some a violent deathNone have deserved

To draw that last breathGod reflects on the worldThat doesn’t seem to care

On each one of usAnd how we should shareConcern for these angels

Coming his wayIf only compassion

Would come into play

To lighten the burdenOf each child’s hurt

And lighten the numberOf God’s angel alert

Paul Hock – © February 16, 2019

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The Power of Telling Our Stories!Left: Heather Embree Warren, Brian Hawker, and Roxanne Allaston-Racek ...

the three amazing speakers at our Evening of Sharing about Childless: By Choice or Circumstance.

Right: our February momondays Guelph show! Left to right: Brian Hawker, Lisa Browning, Melody Leclair, Mark Hughes, Christina Marshall, Tanya MacIntyre, Lars Classington, Mark Filo, Rob Osburn.

Hot off the press in February: Determined Dog,the latest in the Emotional Alphabet Series by Sandra

Wilson.

All set up, at the Renew You Holistic Fayre!

Determined DogDetermined Dog

by Sandra Wilson

NEXT MONTH ....IN ONE THOUSAND TREES

Our focus for April is SpiritualExpression.

“Just as a candle cannot burn withoutfire, people cannot live without aspiritual ife.”

― Buddha

Do you have an inspiring story you’dlike to share?

If you know of any community wellnessor charitable events taking place inApril, please complete and send us theEvent Listing form found on themagazine page of our website.

Articles are always welcome for any ofour “regular” departments ...

ConnectionsCreativity and the Arts

Food and NutritionGiving Back

Health and WellbeingThe Library

Deadline for submissions is March 20.

As always, we look forward to hearingfrom you with any feedback or articleideas!

lisa@onethousandtrees.com

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