“But, you see the trend, if some pillars are ignored, the building will fall down eventually.”

What are the Pillars of Wellness? Why should you care? How does someone become Healthy?

There are many ways one can view their health; medically (eg. “I have no diagnosed disease, therefore I am healthy), physically (eg. “I can run 5 miles and lift 100 lbs, therefore I am healthy”), nutritionally, emotionally, socially and so on. 

Essentially, everything existing around you is a part of your health or wellness in some way. If you have a pristine food and exercise regime, you are likely an exceptional athlete. However if you never leave yourself time to socialize, your overall mental and emotional health will likely suffer. In time, these often  begin to affect physical health. If your food and exercise could use some work, but you have worked a lot on your mental and social well being, good job! But, you see the trend, if some pillars are ignored, the building will fall down eventually.

If we view the Pillars of Wellness model as someone being considered healthy, only when all of the pillars are maintained and given the attention they need, then we have something. 

Squamish Chief Seattle says it best:

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. 

We are but one thread within it.

Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.

All things are bound together.

All things are connected.”

Now, before you go thinking this is just all about woo-woo spiritual things…

We can relate to the “web” by looking at your family home as one. One thread each for:

• the physical house
• finances to keep the house
• for the people in it
• you, your needs
• the needs of others

When one part of the web is damaged, the whole web is fragile. 

With this knowledge in mind, take a moment to look at your life and reflect:

Which of your pillars need some attention? 

Which of your pillars is strong?

Are there any obstacles that seem to be consistent with all pillars? (example; work schedule, self confidence, family demands, financial etc)

Sources:

image: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Florimoore.ca%2F2019%2F01%2Ffinding-balance-the-8-pillars-of-holistic-wellness%2F&psig=AOvVaw38m791-0DzC6EL_gfDWGhz&ust=1614787488793000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJjqmaf-ke8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 History

Cupping dates back almost 3000 years, starting in ancient China and Egypt. It has been used as a healing tool in many cultures and in many ways beginning with with bamboo or ceramic cups. Suction was  created using heat displacement or like in North America, Native Americans used bones, horns and shells to create cups and used their mouths to create suction.

Cupping was seen to provide many benefits, for the Chinese it was believed to open up ” meridian pathways” and it was also used to treat pulmonary disease. The Egyptian’s believed it could remove any foreign matter from the body. It was then introduced the Arabia, where they developed “Hijama” or “wet cupping” where they place a small cut under the cup and use the cup to remove blood from the tissue which is believed to speed healing and remove toxins.

Modern Cupping

We now have glass, plastic and silicone cups, allowing massage therapists to use cupping as a soft tissue treatment tool.  Meaning, they are used to help the muscle, skin and fascia perform better.

RMT’s are trained how to use them properly and if you have any questions about cupping and if it could be useful for you, please ask your RMT!

Skunky Smell? Use The Blissful Dog and Baking soda to help solve the problem!

We are going to give you yet another baking soda use! As well as introduce a product that you may not have heard of! Both of these together may help get that skunky dog smelling better quicker!

When you have a skunky dog, there seems to be no end to the smell. No matter how much you clean and scrub your much-too-adventurous friend, nothing seems to help. There seems to be endless recipes online that claim to get rid of the smell and personally I have tried some weird ones on my friends dogs…like toothpaste? It didn’t work…

The Blissful Dog company is an American company that we have recently connected with! They sell great all-natural products for your dog and carry a great line of shampoos that are scientifically proven to be effective and good for your dogs skin and coat health!

What do you know they also have a recipe for de-skunking your dog!

Dirty Dirrrty Dog Shampoo and Soap are affordable and natural. This is the line that is recommended in this 2 step process for de-skunking.

Recipe: Mix the following:
1⁄4 cup of baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid soap (DAWN Dishwashing Liquid is our preferred soap)
Quart of hydrogen peroxide.
Work the solution into your dog’s coat well and rinse.
Repeat as needed.
Follow with a bath using DIRTY DIRRRTTY SHAMPOO or SOAP

Resource: https://theblissfuldog.com/pages/skunk

Canine Massage Therapy is a great way to relax and rejuvenate your dog! Contact us to find out more about how massage is great for your dog!

 Homemade dog treat recipes

Greenwood Hill makes homemade dog treats for its canine clients and we are here to give you some of our favorite recipes!
We all want to know what our dog is eating, and we have all heard of the nasty rumours of how treats, toys and dog food is made, Homemade dog treats are one of the easiest ways to know exactly what your dog is eating. Homemade dog treats are very easy to make and usually have few ingredients. Your local bulk food store is a great place to go and get the ingredients.
The first recipe I want to share with you is a salmon based recipe. I fetched this from Pinterest and made a double batch for give-aways at a demo. All my dogs LOVED them, so I thought it would be a good recipe to share!

Pumpkin and salmon dog treats:
– 1 large tin of water packed salmon (can substitute tuna if you want)
– 1 cup of cooked, unseasoned pumpkin (pumpkin is great for dogs!)
– ¼ cup of ground flax (optional, I like flax so I used it! Its good for coat health)
– 1 ¼ cups rice flour (or all purpose if you want, I used whole wheat)
Preheat oven to 350 F
Line tray with parchment paper
Combine all ingredients
Roll out dough to ¼ inch thick adding flour as needed and then use a cookie cutter, or just cut into squares.
Bake for 10-15 mins. Mine were roughly the size of a quarter and I cooked them for 12 mins.
Let cool and then store in a room temperature area. I froze them for about a week and then took them out, they were soft until they came to room temperature, then they hardened up.

Another homemade dog treat recipe I typically make is a cheddar cheese recipe from MacPherson’s K-9 Cookbook.These treats are a hit when I am working with dogs! They LOVE them. They are easy to store, in a container with a loose-fitting lid. And last for a while.

Spot’s Golden Cheese Dreams:
– 3 cups while wheat flour
– 1/2 cup vegetable oil
– 1 cup shredded cheese
– 1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400 F
Line tray with parchment paper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, knead dough on floured surface 3-4 mins. Roll out to ½ inch thickness and then use a cookie cutter or cut into squares.
Bake for 25 mins and then remove and cool on rack. Store in a container with loose fitting lid at room temperature.

I hope you get a chance to try these homemade dog treat recipes out for your dog!
Greenwood Hill Wellness & Rehab strives to provide great service for or canine massage clients, and to us this include great, healthy treats!

Recipes retrieved from:
1. http://dalmatiandiy.blogspot.ca/2016/10/these-pumpkin-and-salmon-treats-are.html?m=1
2. MacPherson, Mary. MacPherson’s K-9 Cookbook: easy-to-make dog biscuit recipes. Sawbuck Ventures LTD.

 Why canine massage?