Community News
Wilderness Edge for Your Wellness Needs

Imagine taking a break from it all and focusing on how you feel, both physically and mentally. Letting go of the stresses, chaos, and noise of day-to-day life. Getting away and focusing on your personal wellness is important, and Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Centre offers an easy and affordable way to do just that.
Connecting with Nature
Located just one hour from Winnipeg in beautiful Pinawa, Manitoba inside Whiteshell Provincial Park, Wilderness Edge hosts a variety of retreats for people of all ages and specializes in hosting groups. Being located in a provincial park means that the centre is surrounded by nature. The sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors are waiting for you just outside Wilderness Edge’s doors.
Surrounding the centre are wetlands, forests, nature trails, and a local sandy beach. Experiencing the calming effects of immersing yourself in nature can help you feel more grounded and at peace. Observing local wildlife such as deer and a variety of species of birds can make you feel more connected to the natural world around you, also helping to calm your mind.
Moving Your Body
These natural spaces are also a great place to participate in physical activity, which is critical to improving your overall wellbeing. Hiking, biking, kayaking, rafting, tubing, and canoeing, are just some of the great activities that await you at Wilderness Edge. For winter guests, we offer ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. You can choose to take advantage of expert-guided activities, or do some exploring on your own.
Other activities available include golfing at a nearby golf course, horse riding at a nearby ranch, beach volleyball, tetherball, horseshoes, pool, ping-pong, and tennis at the nearby courts.
Finding Inner Peace
Those who are seeking a more relaxed wellness retreat will be happy to know that Wilderness Edge can accommodate those experiences as well. The centre offers a 13-person outdoor hot tub that overlooks Winnipeg River, a newly renovated 10-person sauna, and three firepits in the courtyard that also overlook Winnipeg River.
Solitude and serenity can be found at Wilderness Edge, and for those who are focusing on their spiritual and/or mental wellness, the centre offers a place to recharge, disconnect from the outside world, and channel your energy inward. If you would prefer not to leave your room during your stay, arrangements can be made to have your meals delivered to you, ensuring you have minimal outside distractions.
Reuniting with Loved Ones
Socializing and connecting to those closest to you also contributes to your overall wellness. The daily stresses and fast pace of life can sometimes get in the way of truly communicating with and enjoying the presence of your close friends and family members. Sharing stories, laughing, crying, and supporting one another are things we don’t always have the time, or the energy, to do.
Wilderness Edge offers a perfect opportunity to focus on your relationships, whether with a spouse or significant other, your immediate family, your extended family, or a group of close friends. Unplugging from the demands of daily life and learning more about one another is an important step in building stronger relationships.
You can participate in team-building activities like kayaking or team sports, which allow you to learn how to work together and solve problems, while also having fun. Or you can take a walk in the woods and find a renewed sense of adventure that will give you shared memories for years to come. Sometimes, just relaxing together, whether around a firepit or in a hot tub enjoying the view, can be a meaningful experience, allowing a peaceful opportunity for deeper conversations.
Exploring Your Creativity
Getting in touch with your creative side can be a great stress reducer and mood booster. Wilderness Edge offers a variety of creative activities, including painting on canvas, rock painting, cake decorating, flower arranging, clay sculpting, and making wind chimes. These classes offer guided instruction, as well as all of the materials needed to create your masterpiece.
If you prefer a less structured approach to finding your inner creativity, why not bring some art supplies with you and spend time during your retreat creating whatever you’d like? With plenty of inspiration in the form of plants, animals, trees, and water, drawing, painting, and photography should be a breeze. Or get a group together to work on a fun craft project.
Eating for Health
Another important aspect of wellness is eating right, and Wilderness Edge offers tasty, nutritious meals for all of our guests. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a night snack are all offered during your stay. A variety of foods are provided, all made fresh and served buffet-style so you can try a bit of everything. Our chefs are able to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions, provided these are mentioned ahead of time.

One reason many of us tend to overeat or not eat properly is because we’re so pressed for time or stressed that we turn to food as a source of comfort or see it as something that “has” to be taken care of. By getting away from our usual stressors, we have the opportunity to truly enjoy food and consider what we’re putting into our bodies. Wilderness Edge provides the time and space for you to remember how good healthy eating can actually make you feel.
Those who are looking to fast for spiritual or personal reasons can find a peaceful, supportive environment at Wilderness Edge. The serene environment is perfect for focusing on your fasting journey and taking the time that you need to rest.

If you’ve been looking for a chance to leave the daily grind behind and take some time to focus on your mind, body, and soul, consider booking a retreat at our centre. Gather a group of your closest friends who could also use a break, and come experience what Wilderness Edge has to offer. Visit https://www.wildernessedge.com/ and https://www.wildernessedge.com/retreats/, or contact us at 877-753-2535 or info@wildernessedge.com for more information.

Travel Tip: Cindy Knows Travel

Traveling, for most, is an exciting and enlightening activity filled with rich experiences and a plethora of surprises. But it can also present challenges, especially in the context of maintaining one’s wellness routine. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Marrakesh, Morocco—a totally outside-the-box trip that I was equal parts excited and nervous about. Morocco, as a whole, has never been at the top of my bucket list. Keeping up with my healthy habits is relatively easy when I’m in, say, Costa Rica or the Virgin Islands, but Morocco presented new challenges. Here are five things you should know when travelling to a country like Morocco: 1. Pack healthy snacks. 2. Download a few meditations. 3. Indulge in a spa treatment. 4. Hydrate all the time. 5. Be flexible and kind to yourself.

Amazing Modern Prostheses

Do you know anyone with an artificial limb? If you said no, you’re probably wrong! Modern prostheses (proper name of an artificial limb) work so effectively and can look so convincing that you might not even know someone was using one. People with prosthetic legs can often climb stairs, walk, and run as well as those using natural limbs, while prosthetic hands have advanced to the point of individual control of all five fingers. You might think prostheses look boring, but they are among the world’s truly great inventions. By creating independence, they boost optimism and dramatically improve people’s lives.

No More Headaches

Stress. Poor circulation. Adrenal imbalance. Liver toxins. Sinus pressure. Eye strain. Hormonal imbalance. Cerebellar (brain) fatigue. What do these have in common? They can all cause headaches and migraines. When you find out what triggers the headaches, you can treat the cause, not just the symptoms. The most effective way to do this is with nutritional testing. If an area of the body that causes headaches/migraines is found to be nutrient deficient, specific nutritional formulations can be taken to help the body heal the weak or imbalanced area. Remember! Treating the cause = no more headaches!

Disability Tax Credit for Type 1 Diabetes

The Disability Tax Credit is a program designed to help those with disabilities or their caregivers reduce the amount of income tax they pay, offsetting some of the significant medical and treatment expenses. What diabetes-related activities are covered? According to CRA, the following activities qualify in the 14-hour-per-week calculation:

• Checking blood glucose levels
• Preparing and administering the insulin
• Calibrating necessary equipment
• Testing ketones
• Keeping a log book of blood glucose levels

With children, the 14-hour-per-week eligibility criteria can usually be met by combining the parent and child’s time.

T1D is an expensive disease and the disability tax credit can provide some financial relief for those who qualify.

Menopause SOS

Naturopathic medicine can be very helpful during the natural transition of menopause. Many women experience a wide range of symptoms – hot flashes, insomnia, mood changes, joint pain, and migraines. Naturopathic doctors work to optimize all body systems and organs to ensure they are well supported during this time. They also offer a wide range of treatment therapies that can be very helpful, and they can discuss other options with patients, such as bioidentical hormone therapy, that can be further discussed with their family doctor. If you’re suffering with menopause symptoms, consider working with a naturopathic doctor – it may make all the difference!

Essential Oils in the Nursery

Here are some examples of how you can use essential oils in your nursery. Lavender oil soothes skin, eases tension, and promotes a relaxing atmosphere. Add a few drops to a spray bottle with water and mist sheets to promote feelings of restful sleep. You might also try diluting a drop of lavender with coconut oil for a soothing bedtime massage. Applying a diaper cream with lavender and tea tree oil can provide soothing, cooling relief to your little one. Chamomile provides calming, grounding effects and can be diffused day or night to ease feelings of tension or nervousness.

Finding that Perfect Crystal

Shakti offers something special to those in the community looking for powerful crystals. The shop’s selection of crystals hasn’t just been simply ordered from a catalogue and shipped in. Shakti’s owner, Rebecca, travels to countries like Madagascar and India herself to choose personally the beautiful gems and other inspiring artifacts from trusted vendors who have a long tradition in their trade. This unique relationship can be seen in the eclectic mix of treasures Shakti provides, and Rebecca is constantly expanding her search for new and interesting things. If you’re lucky, she might even grant a request for specific items on her travels. Shakti,

Yard Work Causing You Pain?

Summer is here and with it comes the joys of planting gardens and tending to your yard. Many people will find themselves dealing with pain as they putter around their green space. The pain is often a result of a simple mechanical imbalance in the way you move. Doing repeated movements when there is a mechanical imbalance can lead to some muscles and/or joints becoming overused, which may lead to pain and injury. A physiotherapist can help determine which structures are causing the imbalance, help correct the imbalance, and provide a simple home exercise program to get you back in your yard working pain free!

Detox through Your Gut

Did you know the most effective detox is through the digestive system, kidneys, and liver? Ganban-yoku – a Japanese thermal therapy – can help improve organ function by increasing the core temperature as far-infrared rays released from the natural stone beds gently raise core temperature. As a result, people suffering from poor digestive function can experience much-improved bowel movement days after the session. Not to mention, healthy guts not only help with the detox, but can improve the immune system and mental health also. Take good care of your stomach this summer. Guts are your second brain, after all.

The Diet/Mental Health Connection

Studies around the world are now confirming that diet affects mental health. Take one study, for example, where researchers in China and the U.S. found that when observing nearly 5,000 adults over the age of 60, those who were malnourished were 31% more likely to be depressed than those who weren’t malnourished. Another study of 500 participants over the age of 67 found that adding olive oil or mixed nuts to one’s diet can improve cognitive function. In a meta-analysis of over 34,000 people, researchers found that participants who followed a Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop cognitive disorders.
TrueHopeCanada.com