A very interesting article here on the increasing rates of C-section births in the U.S. Please note that while Canadian rates are lower, it is not by much and still well beyond the World Health Organization's standard of no more than 15%. What women are frequently unaware of is that a c-section is still major surgery and is therefore accompanied by all the risk factors that come with any surgical procedure which are of course passed on to her baby. Please click "related link" to read this wonderful article to find out more!

This is an interesting little clip from a U.K. based talk show where the host and his panel are discussing whether or not a pain free birth such as the home birth experienced by Gisele Bundchen is actually possible. Interestingly one of the panelists describes her success with HypnoBirthing after having had a traumatic first birth. I like this little clip becuase in spite of the incredulity expressed by the other panelists and the host himself, the idea that birth can and should be an empowering, natural and wonderous experience for women is mainatained as not only entirely possible but desirable! Love the two calls from viewers as well, one describing HypnoBirthing and the other who had success with a water birth. Please click "related link" and enjoy!


Next group HypnoBirthing classes begin Saturday March 27, 2010 at 9:30am until about noon. For more information or to register please email alison@breakthroughcare.ca or call 604-616-6400.

Canadian Much?
My daughter participated in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies last night, an event that should have been the culmination of an historic performance by Canadian athletes. What we got instead was an embarrassing display of badly written, witless monologues masquerading as comedy, giant beaver floats and massive moose balloons on strings reminiscent of the “heffalumps and woozles” nightmare in Disney’s version of Winnie the Pooh, slutty RCMP officers as back-up singers a la Robert Palmer, lumberjacks in dancing canoes and a host of other awkward moments that left me completely deflated, deeply disturbed and wondering how it was that such a proud moment in our Canadian history could end in such poor taste.

Was this meant to represent our supposedly typical Canadian self- deprecating humour, making fun of ourselves in a grand manner as a form of apology for having seriously kicked some tight international athletic butt? Who decided it would be funny to tell the world that we all know how to make love in a canoe? Or to parade poor Neil Young, who is old and sounds it, on a vast empty stage by himself singing his wobbly warble without so much as a single midriff-baring leaf-girl to keep him company and the audience at least moderately entertained? I couldn’t help thinking that if you’re going to have Michael Buble wouldn’t it have been lovely to hear him sing his soulful song “Home” at that point instead, rather than have him goofing around on an enormous Mountie hat crooning something completely and utterly forgettable? At least then the athletes, the coaches, the visiting dignitaries might have recognized both the singer and the song, its meaning and felt that Vancouver was wishing them a bon voyage for the journey back to the motherland.

I want the people of the world to remember how beautiful Canada is, our natural landscapes, pristine shorelines, majestic mountain ranges, vast prairies, cosmopolitan, multi-lingual cities and our genuine love for our country and ourselves. I want them to remember that we really did own that podium in a completely unexpected way, that we broke records and gave birth to amazing athletes like Clara Hughes and Joannie Rochette who prove that our Canadian courage, spirit and tenacity make us special. I want the world to know that we are unashamedly proud of who we are, that we have a way of being that speaks to acceptance without regret, encouragement without arrogance and humility without self-effacement.

We won more gold medals than anyone else in the history of winter Olympics, we need to unabashedly own that fact, no apologies or self-deprecation needed. We need to be ok with the fact that we are strong, proud and free and if our athletes are anything to go by, talented, intelligent, articulate and remarkably good-looking. We also love our beer, our hockey, our hockey players (Iggy, Sid the Kid, Luuuuuuuuuuuuuu!), curling, maple syrup and ice fishing. Maybe Stephen Colbert got it right after all, maybe we really are syrup-sucking ice holes and anyway it sure sounds better to me than the alternative which according to Bill Shatner might become something like “quirky Canadian canoe ho”.

The real kicker in all of this is that according to my daughter who of course attended the rehearsals for the closing ceremonies, all the choreographers, dance captains and production staff that she encountered weren’t Canadian at all, they were Australian! Yes you read correctly, our very Canadian Vancouver winter games ceremonies were organized, perhaps in their entirety, by a group of Aussie’s whose understanding of Canadian culture, humour and aesthetic are by their very nature foreign, which begs the question, why hire talent from another country when we are truly bursting at the seams with enough Canadian superstar choreographers, producers and crew to organize ten ceremonies? What the heck was VANOC thinking? Whatever their thoughts on the closing ceremonies they have to know that most people are not going to be thrilled to hear that we imported our supposedly “self-deprecating” choreography from another country. I’m sorry VANOC, that was a stupid idea, I’m sorry Canada that we here in Vancouver let you down, I’m sorry world that we presented ourselves like idiots after winning all those gold medals and I’m really, really sorry but I, for one, won’t be apologizing for myself, my country, our athletes, our speed skating referees (out of luck this time Apollo), our beer swilling and cigar smoking, our gold medals, and other accomplishments anymore. No more self-deprecation, via foreign country or otherwise. I love my country, our history, our diversity and multi-cultural way of being, I am proud to be a Canadian and giant beaver floats notwithstanding, I am ready to own that. What about you?

Own the Podium a Failure?

We as Canadians have been hearing a lot lately about the Own the Podium program initiated 5 years ago to help accelerate and enhance the performance of our athletes at the Olympics ostensibly so that we could win more medals here at home and compete with the great athletic super powers such as our American neighbours to the south. I think the initiatives themselves are sound as they seek to improve the professional level of coaches available for the athletes through enhanced seminars and coach certification, training and participation in international conferences, athlete-centred, coach-driven integration with sports science/ medicine and performance analysis professionals as well as the creation of Canadian Sport Institutes. The main elements of which include,

” ...dedicated sport and related training areas, world-leading performance staff and a critical mass of high-performance athletes and coaches to develop an environment of excellence.”
See this link for source information:

http://www.ownthepodium2010.com/Initiat ... tutes.aspx

Sounds pretty darn good to me and yet I hear some are already beginning to criticize this initiative as so many of our athletes who were expected to medal have fallen short of the podium. The real question becomes then, what does the current medal count really tell us about the program itself? In my opinion, the medal count is a moot point and reveals virtually nothing. If our hardworking, self sacrificing talented athletes are going to have to feel even more pressure that the actual Olympic Games already supply, then I say it’s time to kybosh Own the Podium. If however these initiatives have been put into place because Canada is finally getting the point that as a relatively affluent nation with an abundance of natural talent and resources for both summer and winter sports we owe it to ourselves to put systems in place to support the athletes, the coaches, the families, the judges, referees, etc. and release any and all requirement that we win a specific number of medals, then I say Own the Podium is a keeper. Otherwise we risk becoming competitive for the sake of competition, an empty, transient victory, rather than supportive for the sake of our own personal and national well-being.

In that sense it becomes clear that perhaps a name change might be in order, something that better reflects our natural tendencies as Canadians to be somewhat unassuming, polite, sturdily hardworking descendents of immigrant stock who approach things with a gentler, unrelenting persuasiveness and courage that occasionally escapes the notice of bigger, brasher, “in your face” nations like the U.S. and Russia. The truth may be that we are more like the turtle emblazoned on the boisterous Jon Montgomery`s helmet than we care to admit, slower, steadier, eventually winning the race, in our own time and in our own way. Let`s remember Joannie Rochette’s plucky performance in the face of unbearable grief, the classic beauty and elegance of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who kept it simple, keep in mind Maelle Ricker`s giggly, soft spoken enthusiasm for snowboarding in spite of eight knee surgeries, Alex Bilodeau`s megawatt smile and deep love for his brother Frederic and of course recall that winning medals, while a delightful conclusion to any sport, is usually not the inspiration for the perfection our athletes seek. It`s time to think of something better to name this Canadian program, a name that reflects our national strengths, our unique Canadian spirit that speaks to so much more than ownership and medal counts.

Alex Bilodeau’s Great Love
So the long wait is over and Canadians can at last breathe a sigh of relief as the amazing Alex Bilodeau celebrates winning the first gold medal on home turf. His run was near perfect, knees locked, bending and stretching over the moguls, flying high through the air twisting and turning his way to the bottom of the hill at lightning speed and to the top of the podium with seamless grace.

What was apparent to all watching the event was that Alex and his older brother Frederic, who suffers from cerebral palsy, share a very special bond. Indeed Alex credits Frederic with his success, stating that without Frederic he would have chosen hockey over skiing and that Frederic’s incredible will to defy his doctor’s predictions with regard to maintaining his ability to walk past the age of ten has been his inspiration to excel at his chosen sport.
Mother Theresa said:
“In this life we cannot always do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

In this instance it seems to me that Alex Bilodeau has done a great thing with tremendous love and that’s what makes it all the sweeter for those of us who witnessed it. Not everyone is cut out to be an Olympic champion or as Mother Theresa explained, to do anything great, but we are all capable of doing a little something. We all have the potential to contribute lovingly and celebrate the tiny victories of everyday living in a sometimes troubled world. So today, keeping Alex and Frederic in mind, I’m looking to do something small with great love and invite you to do the same, to keep searching for the inspiration in life that exists beyond the boundaries of the ordinary and makes us into the transcendent beings of light that we are all fully capable of being.

Upcoming Classes and Workshops

“VAK to the Future” workshop, Wednesday February 24th from 6:30pm-8:30pm at New Westminster Secondary School. $26.00 per person. Call 604-517-6345 or register online at www.ce40.ca

“If you believe you can or if you believe you can’t…you’re probably right!” Henry Ford
In this introductory workshop you will be guided through an effective process that has been shown to help change negative subconscious beliefs that may limit your success in health, wealth, relationships, self-esteem and so much more, with "VAK to the Future". This potent PSYCH-K® process uses visual, auditory and kinaesthetic cues to facilitate the creation of positive, believable, achievable goal statements. Simple, fast and fun! Bring a pencil or pen and your goals, dreams and lifelong plans!

The next HypnoBirthing prenatal class is scheduled to run for the following five Saturdays beginning Saturday March 27th, April 10th, 17th, 24th, May 1st, 2010 from 9:30am until noon. Please note there is no class on April 3rd due to Easter Holidays. Group classes are limited to four couples; private sessions booked according to your own schedule are ongoing.
Prices include GST, book, 2 CD’s and handouts
Group rate: $350.00 per couple
Private class rate: $450.00 per couple
Call 604-616-6400 or email alison@breakthroughcare.ca to register or for more information.