after a suggestion to make movies during bedrest...

...i did...latest one i put together with pics i had stored online and my laptop (so a bit limited but enough for a 3min song...
the china pics are blurry and the music isn't perfectly edited...

...and the myth of canadian medical refugees...

great study gives an idea of how many canadians choose to go to the us for medical treatment...

Phantoms In The Snow: Canadians’ Use Of Health Care Services In The United States

stop bashing canadian healthcare - already

learn about it, live it, before you judge it.

it's not perfect but because of it, my dad is alive, my husband's mom lived more than 15yrs longer than she "should have", and my son had the kind of care that compensated for his premature birth.



...and yes i am a regulated health professional too, but not directly in the publicly funded system.

extended nursing - a celeb talks tandem

i found this interview with kelly rutherford really compelling. she tandem nurses her 3yr old and her infant in what has to be a fairly inhospitable environment.

she spoke of her difficulties with nursing her first, and how different nursing her second is, and despite what others think, she is tandem nursing. it takes courage to discuss it, much less be an extended nurser in a culture that idolizes body perfection and seemingly discards everything else. a few snippets from the interview...

"BfB: Absolutely, toddlers do get jealous sometimes and tandem nursing (12) is a wonderful transitional tool.

KR: I just want to say, to each his own. I know it’s not for everyone. Some people wonder how I do it and isn’t it exhausting but you have to realize it’s not all the time. My son is mostly busy doing other stuff and it’s more of a comfort thing, but it is really cute when they are nursing together. He just looks at her, and checks her out, and puts his hand on her little feet. It gives him this close-up intimate look at her, and it’s very beautiful to see them to kind of get to know each other. When a child is starting to be independent, to be able to come back to the mother and hold on, they are processing things when they are nursing. The world is a big place for us, imagine what it is for them. For children, it’s a nurturing, cuddly place to come back to that’s safe, where they can process the world that they are in. I see my son processing, and my daughter already; they sit, they look at you, they are safe, they have a moment to breathe, to be nurtured."

and...

"BfB: Believe it or not some companies provide smoking breaks but not pumping breaks, and no place to pump besides a dirty broom closet with an outlet or the bathroom. What do you think of the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, which has been re-introduced into Congress and aims to end this discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Amendment?

KR: I’m happy to endorse the Breastfeeding Promotion Act (13) and anything that is associated with this. It’s hard to go back to work and continue nursing. I’ve even heard of people being discriminated against on airplanes. And the thing is, every time we’ve travelled, my son is nursing on take-off and landing, and so his ears don’t hurt. As a result, he’s a lot less fussy, he doesn’t cry like a lot of kids do, and that’s a lot more pleasant for everyone on the airplane.

BfB: That is a great tool and it is so worth sharing. More moms need to hear that because so many moms fear public disapproval (14).

KR: I would love to endorse anything in terms of this . . . in the beginning, I kind of felt alone out there [after sharing about nursing Hermes as a toddler] because all of a sudden everyone in the press was talking about it, good and bad, and I thought, oh my God, what have I said! I didn’t think it was that risqué or odd to talk about it, because it is acceptable to talk about so many things in the world. Just consider what they talk about on the news, or even show on the news!"

living a successful life through compassion, courage and wisdom

i read a lot about buddhism - in particular tibetan buddhism.
i don't think it's any great coincidence that i found myself drawn to tibetan acupressure, and that i studied it and became a certified practitioner to complement my massage practice.

some of my favourite readings are those that centre around compassion. and i found it compelling reading about the roles of compassion courage and wisdom for leading a successful life.

compassion in feeling empathy, pain and the suffering of others. compassion in the spiritual sense and in one's day to day living and acting.

courage in taking action on compassion, helping others - courage in being willing to give instead of first looking at what one will get.

and wisdom - knowing how to do it.

it's so simple, and yet can create a real challenge to live by. disconnection from others cause pain and suffering to arise. and i find when i meditate and offer up my challenges and difficulties for the benefit of all sentient beings, there is this wave of peace and calmness that floats in and relieves my mind, my soul.

in the global sense, living in the awareness of compassion, courage and wisdom could be transforming. aggression may seem easier, but serves the benefit of the few. compassion connects us, strips away borders, emphasizes our likeness.

to live in bodhichitta - the compassionate and loving nature of our own being.
to live gently in the world
to connect