Creating a morning stretching or movement routine helps to establish self-care in your day. Whether it be in the shower, when you get our of bed or as you blend your smoothie; getting in a few simple movement such as the sequence attached below can be way to practice proper movement pattern for the rest of your day. Dr. Madolyn Linka, DC provides an easy morning stretch routine that is truly achievable!

In Kim’s recent blog she is writing to all of the moms out there, to the moms who have had a baby during the covid-19 global pandemic and to those moms who are expecting a little one any day. ‘Moms I feel you so very hard and I desperately want you to know that you are most certainly not alone. The year 2020 has been very hard. I am leaning into the uncomfortable and sharing my story. Thank you for the safe place to do so.’

From what I have seen with my own kids and hearing from other parents is that our kids are extremely resilient! They have handled this year incredibly well, but they have also been negatively impacted. Kids can experience stress in the forms of insomnia, behavioral changes, and digestive disturbances. Learn how massage therapy can help children move through stress and relax their central nervous system.

The theme for our newsletter this month is Resilience. I couldn’t think of a better word to describe how our community has faced this year. With all the physical restriction still currently in place, we have all had to adapt to how we communicate, socialize, learn, exercise, work and basically function.

Dr. Stephanie Liebrecht, ND provides insight on how Naturopathic medicine offers a variety of natural anti-inflammatories found within herbal medicine, eating certain foods (or not eating certain foods), vitamins and minerals, and acupuncture - to name a few.

Dr. Madolyn Linka shares about the healing nature of the world’s “Blue Zones”, which describes five distinct areas of the globe that have the largest population of centenarians, individuals of 100 years or older. Dr. Linka had the opportunity to visit one of these Blue Zones and she shares her healing experience and what will be forever imprinted in her life.

Physiotherapist Danielle Bararuk explains what chronic pain is and how pain is produced within our nervous system. This fantastic blog provides insight on how important it is to use a holistic approach to treating chronic pain and how we use the biopsychosocial model at Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness to provide care to our patients.

When we discuss mental health, mindset should also be apart of our conversation. Our thought pattern, the way we view ourselves, the kind of self talk we do, the outlook we have on life - all of these are apart of our mindset, and all of these affect our mood and behaviour. Dr. Stephanie Liebrecht, ND provides insight on The 5 Minute Journal and how important it is to create a positive mindset through setting daily intentions, positive reflection of the day, and practices of gratitude.

Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates & Katrina Kenison is a staple on Dr. Madolyn Linka’s bedside table. This square four hundred and twenty three page soft cover book sits in it’s space underneath her lamp reminding her of the daily reflections on the path of yoga. She has owned this book since 2016. For four years it’s sat close to where she lays her head at night and allowed her to flip through it and land on a page that she needs to read on the day she turns to it. Explore more with Dr. Linka on Meditations from the Mat.

It is no surprise that this year has had trials and tribulations. Oftentimes, the uncertainty of the unknown translates into an experience of stress, anxiety or unease. The past 6 months with the events of a global pandemic, the economy ceasing to operate for months and a restriction on international travel have all altered our “normal” routines. Dr. Madolyn Linka, DC explains what happens to our central nervous system when we are faced with stressful situations in this fantastic blog post!

Fatigue, burnout and exhaustion can be states that we live or survive in for short or long periods of time. Recognizing the signs of fatigue can be masked and tucked away until we are hit smack in the face with them. Physiotherapist Lindsey Tasker Cole dives into what fatigue looks like and how Physiotherapy can help!

Our bodies are designed to deal with stress and the adrenal glands are one organ that plays a role in adapting to it. Dr. Stephanie Liebrect, BSc, ND discuss the different stages of our stress response, which includes the physiological and psychological changes that occur.

In a previous article, Dr. Stephanie Liebrecht, ND discussed what you should look for when choosing a prenatal vitamin. The next question many women ask Dr. Liebrecht, ND is what else they could be taking during their pregnancy. In this blog post, Dr. Liebrecht shares her 3 nutritional recommendations to support baby’s development as well as support the mama to be.

Maintaining and improving the function of your spine with chiropractic adjustments throughout your pregnancy helps to clear your nervous system of any interference to it. This can include tight muscles, laxity in ligaments and changes in posture as your center of gravity shifts. Dr. Madolyn Linka shares that staying well adjusted allows you to be as healthy as possible during your pregnancy.

The act of being pregnant and supporting a new life is truly remarkable. With this great task on our bodies, there are many physical (and hormonal) changes that can create challenges. Most women at some point through pregnancy experience some discomfort through their low back, hips, pubic symphysis, neck/shoulder pain, etc. And this is just to name a few! Lindsey Tasker Cole, Physiotherapist and Pelvic Health Therapist provides us with reasons why pelvic girdle pain can be common during pregnancy and how pelvic floor physiotherapy can help!

You may or may not have heard of them before, but these little “jelly-filled donuts” called discs live in between each and every vertebra in your spinal column. They are important spinal shock absorbers for the activities in our daily lives, but can also cause us some issues if they herniate, tear, or bulge in the wrong directions around the spinal nerves and cord. Dr. Madolyn Linka, DC helps us dig a little deeper into the nitty gritty of our intervertebral discs.

You might notice your activity levels double in the summer anywhere from walking/running, to more extreme sports like mountain biking or wakeboarding. Whichever summer activity you like to partake in, it can also mean new aches and pains for joints and muscles. Physiotherapist, Lindsey Tasker Cole provides you with some tips to keep your joints happy this summer.

Hilary Keller - International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Registered Nurse (RN) and the owner of Nourish, discusses the importance of support for women pre and postnatally when it comes to breastfeeding and lactation support. Hilary recognized a need in our community, which has led her to create her business “Nourish Lactation Support Services here in Saskatoon.

Dr. Madolyn Linka speaks on the importance of new mothers taking time for themselves and having a support team that not only supports baby, but supports new moms as they navigate the path into motherhood. Dr. Linka offers support to moms in our community through her prenatal yoga series that “helps mamas move through their pregnancy in a healthy and mindful way, but we also help create an environment for her to be able to have the tools to cope after childbirth”.

“Understanding how your pelvis works before having baby can help women feel in control and more empowered going into labor and delivery”. Physiotherapist Lindsey Tasker Cole talks about the importance of preparing your pelvic floor before birth, and how including a pelvic floor therapist in your postpartum journey can help women reach more positive outcomes when baby arrives.