I have a feeling that many of us have felt like this month was unending. It almost feels like we should be half way through 2025 and yet as of today we have only finished one month. How is that even possible? Time truly is such a weird, and slippery, concept. With damaging world news—political, natural, violence, and more—it feels like 2025 has gotten off to a bad start.

So what do we do in the face of so much horror, both in the world and personally? I wish I had a perfect answer, a cure-all for this world, but sadly I don’t. But I will tell you what I do. I try to make my world a little better, because if I feel better—emotional as well as physically—I can then go on to help other people. Your cup has to be filled before you can fill someone else’s. So I give myself permission to not go on the news or on social media. I give myself permission to not judge myself based on other people’s lives. I give myself permission to take care of my needs. I try to help the people in my life by lifting their spirits or doing something for them, no matter how small. And I try to find joy.

Is this easy? No! Most days it is hard because I bombard myself with self-criticism, or judge myself for not doing enough, or for not helping other people enough. It can be quite depressing. So on the days that it isn’t quite so depressing, I once again give myself these permissions and hope that I don’t feel too guilty about doing it. My hope is that the more I do it—speak to myself with love and not criticism—the easier it will become as with any skill. This is actually a concept called self-compassion, which I am actively learning and working on. The world is bad enough without me being so hard on myself, and so I am trying. Will all these things make the world a better place? Maybe not. But I do believe that bringing kindness to others—and yes, even to myself—will help in some way. At some point if we are all kind to each other that has to bring about positive change.

Next month Valentine’s Day is celebrated, which is all about love. What if we expanded that love to everyone—ourselves, our families, our partners, our friends, our neighbours—and that we did it not just on the 14^th but on every day this coming month? We all have such large capacities to love, so what if we decided to share that? In actions big and small, from smiles to making someone dinner to donating to a worthy cause and everything in between. Maybe this will help the world, and if not the whole world, then at least the world and the people that we interact with.

Let us try to make February the month of love and kindness, let’s see how much positivity we can spread.

As an energy healer, in both Intuitive Healing and Reiki, I know the power of energy. Energy does what we tell it to do, so when we send people positive thoughts, we are actually sending them positive energy! Never underestimate the power of sending people love and kindness.

Sending kindness and joy to you for today and the coming month.

This is the time of year where we try to give ourself a break, to rest and recuperate. This is especially true as many of us run ourselves ragged during the holiday season!

Even if you can manage to not do much, a flare can happen, chronic illness sadly doesn’t go away for the holidays. And sometimes when we give ourselves the permission to slow down, maybe for days at a time during the lull in the holiday season, we can actually get sick. It’s almost like our bodies are saying “Whoa! A break! Finally! Now we can recover properly” and then proceed to show us how much pressure and strain we have put our body through. Even though this happens I still believe this is a great time to slow down and give ourselves, and our bodies, some peace.

This doesn’t mean we don’t have to do anything, but maybe it means doing slow activities or adjusting. Movies, reading, and games are great. If you are in pain, choosing games with short rounds can be helpful so you can choose when to stop. Remember that sitting with a pillow on a chair can be helpful. Takeout or heat up meals or something simply like toast or nachos are great for this time of year. If you have decorations to put away, take it in stages. Also, if you have family to help you can still participate in this de-decorating. I sit on the couch and get handed ornaments to put into their respective boxes. I was quite surprised how efficient that went this year, one person took all the ornaments off and the other two put them in their packages. It was remarkably fast.

Feel free to hibernate at home and say “no” to activities. Many animals hibernate in the winter and so can we! There is something satisfying about this time of year as it is permission to do nothing.

As the New Year starts tomorrow let’s try to carry this restful feeling forward. Try not to be too hard on yourself about resolutions and such. There is nothing wrong about not having a resolution (I don’t!). Remember to be kind and that self-care is not selfish.

I do wish that this new year for you can be one filled with love—both for yourself and others, as well as hope, happiness, fun, and health.

The holidays are fully upon us! In Canada we have already celebrated Thanksgiving, but in the USA Thanksgiving festivities are in fully swing this weekend. Even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, Black Friday is often the reminder that the holiday season has started. The holidays can be extremely stressful for many people. Now add on top of that having a chronic illness and/or disability and the season can seem impossible. Here are some strategies that can help us all out during the holidays.

Try to reduce how prevalent food is in your celebrations. Many people with food allergies/intolerances/specialized diets struggle with eating at other people’s houses. So if we remove food as the central tenant of the celebration that will reduce a lot of stress. No way to get out of eating? Bring your own food or enlist an ally to talk to the host on your behalf to ensure there is something you can eat. On the flip side, if you are the host and someone needs to bring their own food, don’t make a big deal about it and help them to feel comfortable with their situation.

Make your celebration in the afternoon instead of the evening. Many people with chronic illness/disability struggle with fatigue, so moving the celebrations earlier can have a huge impact on their enjoyment.

Be flexible. Flares happen and it isn’t the fault of the chronically ill/disabled person.

Find a comfortable place to sit as this can increase your length of stay. If people offer you the softest chair and the best pillow, take it! Also, bringing your own pillow to sit/lean on is also a good idea.

Do not feel like you need to hand-make the hostess gift! It is 100% okay to buy something and take it along. This also is true for potlucks, it is perfectly acceptable to buy your item and not make it yourself!

It is acceptable to leave when you are tired. If you find this hard to do, enlist an ally to help you leave when you need to and to make sure that you don’t feel stuck in the situation longer than you can manage.

And remember, you are enough! Be you, you are awesome.

I saw an ad for an environmental course that uses practical knowledge from all areas and disciplines to help make us the best stewards to our earth. It was remote so I could do it, but the price was unaffordable. I was lamenting this to my sister when she gave me a look and said “you know I have so many books that you could learn this from”—she used many climate action and different types of activism for her PhD dissertation—and I joked that I would only do it for a certificate. And so she came home, handed me a book, and said “you are now enrolled in my course.” I was gleefully happy, especially when the book she handed me was Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass”. I have been wanting to read this for ages, because my sister said it was so good, and I never got around to it. Now I wonder if it was just waiting for me to read it now. Books sometimes have the perfect timing. 

As the front of the book says Wall Kimmerer’s book braids together the stories of science, Indigenous wisdom, and the wisdom of plants. I have never read something that so perfectly encompasses the beauty of twined science and nature. I am struck by how personable Wall Kimmerer is even though she is a scientist (I’m not knocking scientists, I was one! But they can be very clinical and sterile). Wall Kimmerer opened my eyes to how we can use science to save the planet while still keeping our joy at the beauty of nature, something that is never taught in science classes. Wall Kimmerer describes a practice where the earth is not a thing to be observed but rather a being, Mother Earth, to be nourished and loved. Something that I believe many of us have lost sight of. 

The strand of the braid that I most enjoyed learning about is Indigenous wisdom of nature. It is so personable, and it seems so right. In a world where everything seems beyond our help, this way of being brings us closer and tells us that through community, relationships, and especially reciprocity, we can heal ourselves which in turn will heal Mother Earth. How beautiful is that? We give thanks and joy to Mother Earth because she is the greatest sustainer and gives of herself because she loves us. When someone loves us, we love them in return, and this is what Wall Kimmerer teaches us as a way forward: to be in right relationship with nature, to sustain it, protect it, be stewards of it, and to be in reciprocal relationship with all the beings of nature, because in this community of Mother Earth we are all related. 

I can continue to wax on profusely about this amazing book but let’s stop there for a second. Every being on this earth is related. And not just humans. There are countless non-human beings out there, waiting for us to return to relationship with them. In the book Wall Kimmerer talks of Maple, Eagle, Cedar, Spruce and so many more. Each of them contribute their unique gifts to the world, and so we should contribute ours. What is this gift? Gratitude. Gratitude for what Mother Earth continues to give us and as in all relationships showing gratitude through love and acts (such as stewardship). This concept may be way out there for some people, but to me it brought great comfort. I have always felt wonderful in nature, like I could breathe and be myself. I always felt like nature was coming home. Now in my disabled body that can keep me at home, I can be lonely and struggle to feel a sense of belonging. Where does a person with disabilities fit in this world? Especially in a world of productivity. Where does one find community when many abandon you when you don’t get better? And I found my answer. In the plants and the animals. In the numerous non-human beings that are in this world. And so I have started to develop relationships with the ones right outside my door. With Crabapple, Hare, Magpie, Northern Flicker, and even Basil that sits in my kitchen. As with all new relationships it can be awkward at first but I intend to persevere. It is wonderful to have found a sense of community without leaving my home. 

Wall Kimmerer talks often of the beauty of nature in her book, but also speaks frankly of the brutal consequences of human consumption and want. It equally sickens me and terrifies me what we have done to Mother Earth and that we may never be able to recover. I was reading the one chapter on Lake Onondaga and I was appalled at what has occurred there. I continued to read and saw Wall Kimmerer’s imaginings of a restored lake as well as that of the Onondaga Nation imaginings and I felt something blooming in my chest. I kept reading trying to ignore this feeling until I couldn’t. I stopped and prodded this feeling and realized it was something that I haven’t felt in a long time. It was hope. I was startled that it was in a chapter about this horrific misuse of human power that I found hope, but I did. And if I can feel hope in the face of climate disaster, then I can find hope for myself and others in the rest of my life. I still carry this hope in my heart, it feels new but I know it has been there before, and it feels right to be able to carry this with me again. 

Where should we look for relief for ourselves and the world? To the Elders of course, the Plants. These amazing beings have already shown us so many things and they are the leaders that will point us in the right direction to love and care for Mother Earth. 

And so I start with thanking Mother Earth and her love for us; to creating relationships with diverse beings; and I look to the oldest Elders, the Plants, for wisdom and teaching that only they can give. I bring on my journey gratitude and reciprocity. 

You need to read this book. It is life changing, eye opening, and hopeful in a world filled with fear. It gave me a sense of belonging, a new appreciation for nature, and community. Do yourself a favour, read this book with open eyes and be prepared to change for the better.

Let us take a lesson from the trees. Change is okay. Resting when we need is okay. So is planning rest. Isn’t this what trees do? Change with the seasons, change their colours, and plan to rest each winter. Thank the trees around you for their beauty and lessons.

Being an advocate for yourself can be very hard, especially in the medical world. And a hard aspect of this is asking questions. Lots of questions.

Questions like:

• “Why this and not that?”
• “What about this?”
• “Could I have that instead of doing this?”
• “Is it possible that I have X disease?”
• “Can you order these tests?”
• and so many more.

Once we have got the answers we seek, and hopefully find some relief, it is easy to forgot to continue to ask questions, but it is important.

True life example: an acquaintance of mine had a debilitating symptom over the past year and a half which turned out to be a side effect of a medication they were taking! None of their doctors even thought to look at their medications side effects and it took for them to finally see a neurologist to find out. They never even thought that this could be because of a side effect and they were never told that this was a potential side effect before starting the medication.

So good information for all of us, always ask the side effects of your medications and it is probably a good idea to talk to your pharmacist annually to go over your prescriptions and symptoms.

Persistence and asking questions will take you a long way in advocating for yourself.

Final Thoughts for Today

For the symptoms that you have, don’t beat yourself up about what you can and cannot do. You are here in this world and that is important! Being you is exactly what you are supposed to be doing, and that is enough. With a smile, a friendly word, and kindness you spread love to those around you, and that is amazing. You are amazing! Keep it up!

Yes, it does indeed suck

The biggest thing that makes chronic illness/disability sucky is that you never know what is going to happen. Sometimes you have good, or maybe even great days. Other times it is awful. And often a worsening or an added symptom/diagnosis can come out of the blue. You think that you will be okay with it because you have already gone through so much, but that doesn’t mean that this new thing is still not bad. You are still allowed to be sad about it, angry, or any other emotion you are feeling in that moment. And a lot of times you need to give yourself space to grieve this new addition (or subtraction) to your life.

Sometimes after being diagnosed you believe that nothing could be worse. Especially if this has taken years and you have already had reduced capabilities in many areas of your life due to this disease. This can be so life changing that you really can’t think of anything else that would affect you so much or in the scale of things would be that bad.

So when you have another diagnosis that is shocking or also life changing, you don’t know how to react. Your brain could start going “This isn’t that bad. I have had worse. Think of everything else awful that has happened, this can’t be as bad,” and so on and so forth. This makes conceptualizing what just occurred difficult as you can try to place it on your “chronic illness sucks” scale.

At this point it is important to remember that you can always be sad about your health journey. That you are allowed to be wrestling with emotions. And that you are allowed to give yourself the permission to feel all the feelings you are feeling and acknowledge that yes you have been through bad things but this is also bad. You are allowed to grieve. Allow yourself to feel and don’t be afraid to feel. Emotions are important as they help us sort things out. And the longer you try to avoid them, or bottle them up, the harder it is to function. Your journey can be hard up to this point and this new diagnosis/symptom can also be hard, both statements are true.

And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, either from family, friends, or a therapist. If none of that feels comfortable to you, book a meeting with me ($20), I am always here to listen.

 A Final Note

As we move into the season of fall, this is a great time to get cozy. Drink tea. Read a book. Watch Gilmore Girls. And it is a great time to take care of yourself. Self-care is not selfish! Plus with the weather getting worse, and it being trendy to stay inside and be cozy, this is a great time to start making self-care a habit. Remember you are important!

If you would like to learn more about chronic illness/disability but don’t want to ask your family or friends, reach out and book a chronic illness/disability support meeting with Sarah for $20 where she can answer your questions.

July is wonderful month to remind everyone that all people have varying abilities and this is what makes us unique. It is a great time for advocacy and an extra chance to get to know people who are different than you. This past month the owner of Sava Wellness, Sarah, participated in a women’s health art series!

Title – Sarah – Sava Wellness – Women’s Health Series 2024

This portrait was painted in watercolour by Barbara Hulme of Manchester from photos that Sarah sent her. Here is the story that goes along with the portrait.

“My name is Sarah ☺️

My hobbies include reading (my favourite!), taking walks in nature (I am fortunate to live close to the Rocky Mountains), blogging about chronic illness/disability, and getting dressed up.

Reading is very important to me because it gives me escape and in certain books allows me to learn different things and perspectives.

When I say I enjoy getting dressed up I mean putting on a fancy dress and high heels and going somewhere nice. I can’t always do this, but when I can it makes me feel beautiful and empowered. I feel like putting on fancy clothes is like my armour, I can look “normal” and if people look at me it is because I look nice and not because they are trying to figure out if I “look sick”. I feel almost unstoppable in a beautiful dress.

At home I have day and night pjs, which with a cup of tea makes reading a wonderful experience and helps pass the days!

My favourite artist is Trisha Romance, a Canadian!

I have had chronic illness for all of my life but did not start to be diagnosed until 2017. Currently I have Lyme disease with its many co-infections and many other conditions that go along with it such as debilitating chronic fatigue.

I started a business called Sava Wellness to bring awareness to chronic illness and disability.

Sava Wellness is a chronic illness support business where people with chronic illnesses and people with visible and invisible disabilities can come to be supported. We offer virtual one-on-one appointments to provide support and strategies for navigating chronic illness and disabilities. I also doing speaking engagements to bring awareness!”

Materials – Watercolour, gouache, fine liner and pencil crayon on watercolour paper size (30.5 x 40.6 cm) unframed

Price – £639 ($814) plus package and postage

Prints – £40 plus package and postage

You can still purchase this original and it’s prints! You can do this through her website here or through her Instagram, here.

 A Final Note

Disability Pride Month might only be for the duration of July, but that does not mean that we should stop advocating or stop trying to understand each other better. Keep checking in with your friends/family with chronic illness and/or disabilities.

If you would like to learn more about chronic illness/disability but don’t want to ask your family or friends, reach out and book a chronic illness/disability support meeting with Sarah for $20 where she can answer your questions.

A Little Change

Hello Everyone!

This year has felt very difficult hasn’t it? From everything in the news, to inflation, of course health issues, and many other things.

My goal and business is to help people and I believe with the recent financial environment it is hard for people to access help and support. Because of this I am offering the Chronic Illness/Disability Support meetings for $20 for 50 minutes.

This is a personal support meeting where you can come and talk to someone who understands and has intimate knowledge of what it is like to live with chronic illnesses and disabilities. This is a space you can come and ask questions about ways to handle different situations, to talk about what you are going through, or just to talk to someone who knows what life is like living with chronic illness/disability but to just have a break to talk about some other than your health.

The meetings can include structured or conversational support such as: regular support check-ins to talk about how you are feeling, support for how to deal with situations that have changed because of your chronic illness or disabilities, strategies to navigate the world with chronic illness and disabilities, and peer-support from a knowledgeable listener who understands what it is like to have chronic illnesses and disabilities.

This is also a great service for people who have a friend or family member with chronic illness or disability. You can come to learn more about chronic illness/disability in general, ask what it feels like, or to learn what to say when you don’t know what to say. Being a support to someone with chronic illness/disability is important and appreciated.

This appointment lasts for 50 minutes and is $20. You can book through email for a time that works best for you.

If you want to access some of my other services but can’t afford it, feel free to reach out and we can talk about a price.

Final Note

Here in Calgary, spring is really struggling to come, as in just the last day we have received at least 4 inches of snow with more coming! Maybe we can take this as a sign that when something you wish to happen doesn’t happen in the time you think it should, that maybe it is just waiting a bit longer to happen.

Or maybe a sign to move somewhere that doesn’t get snow almost all year round!

Whichever you prefer, I hope you have a nice day and maybe a little better May.

This month Sava Wellness has expanding its offerings and there are now many more services to book! Each service is done virtually allowing far-reaching access! Listed below are all the services and the descriptions. If you would like more information, you can ask questions, book a service, or book a free initial consult, send me an email.

Sava Wellness Services:

Chronic Illness/Disability Support Meetings – 50 mins ($20)
Reiki – 30 mins ($60) 
Soul Spirit Animal Reading – 20 mins ($60)
Intuitive Healing – 60 mins ($135)
Subscription Program – $8/month
Speaking Engagements

Chronic Illness/Disability Support Meetings – 50 mins ($20)

These virtual one-on-one appointments provide support and strategies for navigating chronic illness. This could include structured or conversational support such as: regular support check-ins to talk about how you are feeling, support for how to deal with situations that have changed because of your chronic illness or disabilities, strategies to navigate the world with chronic illness and disabilities, and peer-support from a knowledgeable listener who understands what it is like to have chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Reiki – 30 mins ($60) 

Reiki is an energy healing system that uses Reiki (a universal healing energy) to balance the energy within the body system. Reiki is a great system for overall balancing, but also very effective at reducing pain and discomfort in specific areas. Reiki can help with many physical health problems, including chronic illness and disability, and can also give the recipient energy to decrease fatigue. This can be done through a video call or by scheduling a time that works best for the Reiki to be sent to you. Indicate in your email which you would prefer, both will still need a booking time. 

Soul Spirit Animal Reading – 20 mins ($60)

This is an intuitive reading of your soul’s spirit animal. Your soul spirit animal reveals information about yourself that you may not have consciously known. Your spirit animal gives you a representation of yourself and helps you to see your power and your challenges. In the session you will be able to learn about your soul’s spirit animal and learn more about yourself through the knowledge that you gain. Included is a visual representation of your spirit animal once the session has ended.

Intuitive Healing – 60 mins ($135)

Intuitive healing uses the understanding that everything in the universe is made up of energy and is connected. Realizing this connection allows intuitive and energy healing practices. Intuitive healing goes beyond energy healing practices, like Reiki, getting to the root of your problems (physical, mental, spiritual) and removes them. Sarah uses ThetaHealing predominately, and other practices, such as Reiki, in intuitive healing sessions.

Subscription Program – $8/month

This is a curated tool box of mental exercises and different techniques which Sarah found helped her on her healing journey. Examples of these techniques include: learning how to ground yourself; guided visualizations to decrease frustration or the feeling of being overwhelmed; and how to become peaceful before sleep. The monthly subscription is sent on the last day of every month.

Speaking Engagements

These engagements can either be one hour, two hours, or half day events. Sarah can speak on multiple different topics including, but not limited to: what it is like living with a chronic illness/invisible disabilities (motivational), the challenges of living with chronic illnesses in society and in the workplace, how to make the world more inclusive for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, how to support people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, how to interact with people with chronic illnesses and disabilities (i.e., what not to say, what to say, etc.), and many more! To learn more, contact Sava Wellness and ask for an informational package.

This is a more personal note than I have written before. This year I had great plans to put into action in January. What I did not realize, and could not plan for, was the sudden death of my Grandfather. It was quite a shock. While I grieved for my Grandfather, I also grieved for his wife, my Grandmother who died 4 years ago.

Then I was surprised with grief related to my chronic illness. Chronic illness/disability grief does exist and it often comes at a surprising time. I also believe that my immune system was impacted by all this grief because I got a particularly bad cold that aggravated a lot of my symptoms. I don’t mind saying that I was depressed. My plans for this month were thrown out the window.

One day I will write a more in-depth note about chronic illness/disability grief, but for now please know that this can come on very quickly for people and it can be very hard. Please make sure to check in with your friends.

The start of a new year can be very difficult for people. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Remember to take small moments for yourself and that self-care is not selfish.