February is Heart Month in Canada, and this week, Wildflower Natural Health and Bliss Yoga are presenting a seminar that approaches heart health from multiple angles.
The Whole Heart Health seminar being held this Friday (Feb. 8) is being described as “an evening of information and events designed to shed light on the mysteries of the heart, just in time for Heart Month.”
“We aim to cultivate an interest in proactive and preventative heart therapies with four brief talks from our presenters, followed by four half-hour activities,” says the website. “Participants will be able to choose to partake in two of the four activity options.”
During the seminar, which is sponsored by the Ladysmith Downtown Business Association, there will be four mini workshops.
Registered yoga teacher Alison Miller will do a workshop about “yogic magic” — using breath and asanas (postures) which open the heart and free heart stress; while John Carter, a diplomate of oriental medicine, will provide more information about how oriental medicine diagnoses and approaches issues of the heart. Registered clinical counsellor Sherry Bezanson will share activities to identify and disperse stress to reduce heart issues before they become a health concern; and registered massage therapist and registered aromatherapist Marilyn Swallow will show participants how to learn to blend some of the essential oils used in aromatherapy which bring the heart into the equilibrium.
“It’s Heart Month, so we thought it would be a good time to do some teachings around the heart,” said Swallow. “There’s mainstream information about heart health, which is generally about cardiovascular health and diet, and we thought ‘what else can you do besides change your diet and go out there and jog?’”
Swallow says the alternative health practitioners at Wildflower Natural Health look at what they are doing as bridging the gap between mainstream health care and alternative health care.
“We’re all just on the cusp of mainstream,” she said. “It’s a good blend of mental, emotional and physical therapies coming together — especially John’s oriental medicine is quite a different perspective on how the body works.”
Oriental medicine, the use of aroma and massage, and yoga have all been proven therapies for a long time, noted Swallow.
“I call it alternative medicine, but it could be called complementary medicine,” she said. “It really does complement the mainstream, not just take away from it. It gives people more information so they can have a more holistic approach to heart health. I think alternative health just comes at health issues from a different angle or a different perspective.”
The Whole Heart Health seminar takes place Friday, Feb. 8 from 6:30-8 p.m. upstairs at the Ladysmith Legion at 621 First Ave. Pre-registration is optional by phoning 250-714-5044 or 250-924-1024 or e-mailing wildflowernaturalhealth@gmail.com.
Admission is $5 and/or a donation to the food bank.