RELATED: The Best New Face Sunscreens To Add to Your Summer Skin Routine

That said, if you *must* imbibe, the CCSA recommends no more than two drinks a week and cautions that consuming three to six drinks a week can increase the likelihood of developing certain types of cancer. In addition, having more than seven drinks per week increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, with the risk increasing with each additional drink. Dark.

Now that patios are in full swing and cottage season is about to kick off, what do these stringent guidelines mean for your hot girl summer? Or more specifically, if you like to enjoy a drink or two, how can you cut down on booze and still socialize at your leisure? One practical place to start is opening your mind (and palate) to non-alcoholic alternatives to your go-to Aperol Spritz, like elevated flavoured soda waters and mocktails.

 

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FASHION spoke to Andrea Grand, co-founder of sparkling beverage brand Barbet, about how drinking habits may change in the wake of the rigid CCSA guidelines and increased awareness around the health risks of alcohol. “It creates more opportunities! We’re still a baby brand, but even in our short [time] of being around, we’ve seen a shift in the conversation around beverage menus at restaurants and the need for diverse and different products,” she says. Here, Grand shares her top tips for navigating the social scene this summer, whether you’re trying a “damp lifestyle” or going entirely booze-free. Grab a mocktail and read on.

You don’t have to take an “all or nothing” approach

Missed the opportunity the try Dry January earlier this year and want to attempt to go sober for a period of time? “Do what feels right for you — dry, damp, or anything in between,” Grand says. “These are opportunities to break the rituals or habits you’re in, make small changes and reassess how things are going. It’s about making choices that are right for you,” she says of deciding how much to cut down on drinking, and for how long. “It’s like the book Choose Your Own Adventure.” 

Get out of the house

“Don’t hermit — get out and about! There are so many fun things to do that aren’t centred around alcohol,” Grand tells FASHION, adding that a damp lifestyle (a.k.a. one where you drink sometimes and not others) is about balance. “Next time you need to grab a drink with friends, you can always opt for a mocktail or non-alcoholic sparkling water instead. It’s the same experience, but without the consequences.”

It’s not your responsibility to explain why you’re not drinking

“The main thing is to own it!” says Grand. “It is no one’s business if you are or aren’t drinking.” Grand adds that it’s a priority of Barbet’s to “start getting people to focus on what’s in a person’s can or cup, not what isn’t.”

Entertaining? Level up your non-booze options

Grand says that a surefire way to make guests feel more comfortable when they aren’t drinking is to offer elevated cocktail alternatives. “We don’t mean offering up a pop/soda you would sip on when you were sitting at the kid’s table or a margarita but with no tequila. We mean options that are just as flavourful, bold, playful, appetizing and high-quality as their alcohol counterparts.”

Now, try a tasty mocktail recipe:

Barbet x Seedlip “Grove Waves” 

3oz Barbet Light Wave

1.5oz Seedlip Grove 42

0.5oz Mango Mint Cordial

0.75oz Fresh-pressed lemon

Dehydrated lemon garnish

Cheers!

The post Cottage Season Has Arrived — Here Are Tips for Cutting Down On Drinking appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“Birth control is probably the number one empowerment tool for women,” says Rupinder Toor, a family doctor and founder of a women’s clinic in Calgary. Dr. Toor weighs in on some of the most common queries and myths surrounding contraception. To learn more about your options, speak to a healthcare provider and visit Essencelle.ca.

What types of birth control options are available?

Not all birth control methods are the same — and there’s a lot to choose from. A few examples include the implant, as well as both hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs. The pill, the vaginal ring, the patch, or using a condom.

How do I choose the right method of birth control?

“What you really need to think about is: what are your reproductive goals?” suggests Toor. “When do you actually want to be pregnant? And how important is it for you not to be pregnant until you’re ready?” Once you have a clear understanding of your path and plans you can speak to your healthcare provider to understand the best option for you based on your needs. 

How can I talk to my doctor about the different methods of contraception?

Be open about your sexual activity and plans for pregnancy, and ask what option is right for you based on that, says Toor. “Reframing it from a reproductive goals approach takes it away from the sex part, which is what people have a tough time talking about.”

Doctors can also help in figuring out financial logistics, from government subsidies to assistance programs offered through pharmaceutical companies.

How can I talk to my new partner about our birth control options?

Have an honest conversation about when — or if — you want kids. “If the answer for both of you is like, ‘Yeah, not now. Not anytime soon,’ then talk about what the options might be,” says Toor. “Sometimes the reproductive burden falls on women [because] most birth control options are designed for women.” (Currently, the only male birth control option is a condom). But even if one partner is not taking birth control, they can still be proactive in prioritizing reproductive health — whether it’s by offering financial and emotional support or wearing a condom and getting tested to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

What is the most widely-spread misconception about birth control?

“People think birth control is about sex,” says Toor. “But birth control is about having a reproductive plan. It’s about being in control of your goals and getting more information about the things that will help you meet those goals.”

That involves busting another myth: the idea that there aren’t that many options out there. “A lot of women, when they think of birth control, they think of the pill,” she says. “But there’s so much available outside of that.”

Ready to learn more about your birth control options? Visit Essencelle.ca today. 

The post Answers to Questions About Contraception You’ve Been Too Scared to Ask appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

RELATED: A Guide to the Very Best Toronto Spas

From the west to the east coast, we’ve narrowed our selections down to five must-visit wellness spas across the country. Scroll on to slip into a state of pure bliss.

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto Wellness & Bio Bar

 

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Located within the five-star spa at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, the new Wellness & Bio Bar is now open to the public. Short for “biohacking” (the do-it-yourself biology that aims to improve one’s health and quality of life via various techniques and interventions) this bio bar is on a mission to address its guests’ health and wellness needs based on a four-pillar goal model. Whether you’re looking to improve your mental, physical, spiritual, or sexual well-being, rest assured there is a service available here to help you do so. Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is the first luxury hotel in the city to introduce touch therapy — a treatment for those living with cancer where specific skin conditions can be addressed to reduce pain and inflammation while strengthening the lymphatic system. Expecting mothers can benefit from the Mom-to-Be-treatments, which offer a soothing selection of massages designed for those in their second and third trimesters. Or, for an all-around wellness boost that improves sleep and calms the nerves, book a hypnosis appointment with renowned hypnotist Asad Mecci to unlock your full potential.

Mysa Nordic Spa

 

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Out on the east coast, Prince Edward Island’s Mysa Nordic Spa is the first of its kind in the province. Situated on 18 acres of pure peace and serenity, this spa aims to help guests immerse themselves in nature, awaken the senses, and leave the experience feeling stress-free through acts of meditation, essential oil steaming, sauna sessions and more. Although, the must-do here is a run of the “thermal experience”. This spa is inspired by ancient Scandinavian rituals in which participants will alternate between moments of hot, cold, and rest temperatures to release tension and allow the body and mind to feel rested. At Mysa, guests can experience this practice as they cycle between baths and saunas for an invigorating and rejuvenating rush. On the sustainability front, Mysa also relies on a fully renewable woodchip boiler that produces optimum efficiency and emissions to power its spa facilities.

Unbounded Well

 

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In Toronto, Unbounded Well is inviting guests to “take the plunge” in the name of somatic wellness. The cold plunge, that is. This is the city’s first outdoor wellness playground with offerings that include private, self-guided, and guided experiences focused on hot and cold therapy, breathing techniques, and movement. Guests can bounce between Scandinavian saunas, a geodesic breathwork studio, and, most notably, the cold plunge wells, to escape the hustle and bustle of the city  — all without needing to leave the downtown core. The Unbounded cold exposure method is well worth the chilling temperatures, with benefits of this treatment ranging from immune system boosts and improved cognitive function to accelerated recovery and somatic healing.

Circle Wellness Spas

 

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Over on Canada’s west coast, Vancouver natives may already be aware of the Circle Wellness Spa in the heart of the city, but there’s a new Granville Island location set to open up shop soon that we’re excited about. This private thermal spa hosts hydrotherapy and heated stone treatments, fusing therapeutic concepts and ancient wellness rituals with top-tier technology from around the globe for the ultimate wellness experience. Inside the spa’s WelPod sauna, feel free to roam around the open-concept room and absorb its relaxing sound, light, and heat elements in this unique, multi-sensory space where guests come to find their flow and unwind the mind and body. Though the flagship location currently has a lengthy waitlist, the opening of a second spa will allow more room for eager visitors.

Förena Cité Thermale

 

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Embark on a “journey to the frontier of water” at this spa nestled just outside of Montreal. Inspired by traditional Icelandic, Russian and German rituals, Förena Cité Thermale offers a culturally diverse array of massage and thermotherapy services designed to leave guests and their bodies feeling renewed. The “Förena experience” hones in on thermal cycles and thermotherapy, which benefits both the mind and body through the release of bodily toxins by sweating, boosts metabolism, and releases stress while inducing a state of deep relaxation through the release of endorphins during the water-based cycles. As for massages, each treatment is specialized and targets the needs of guests from mothers-to-be to those seeking to combat skin fatigue and pent-up stress.

The post Five of the Best New Wellness Spas to Visit in Canada appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Every year from October 1 to November 1, I like to take a break from my cynical, Seinfeldian personality and, you know, believe in something. I tell ghost stories, read about witches and take my nieces and nephews trick-or-treating to feel the familiar high of Halloween. I even rewatch cult-classic Disney films like Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus, desperately yearning to believe anything is possible on All Hallows’ Eve.

With layoffs and lockdowns on my mind last October, I had a hard time believing in anything. Like the rest of the world, I was trapped in my apartment with no end to the pandemic in sight. My mindless social media scrolling soon turned into YouTube rabbit holes and deep dives. Somehow, between endless Phoebe Bridgers covers and box braid tutorials, the algorithm served up an animated video titled, “If I Want It I Can Have It.”

At first, I was skeptical. Manifestation was something I’d heard about, laughed at and written off as wishful thinking bordering on delusion. Scores of TikTokers claimed to manifest clear skin or texts from exes with positive thoughts, but I wasn’t buying it. Also, the speaker in the video was no stranger to me. Esther Hicks was a Law of Attraction guru claiming to channel her teachings from a group consciousness called “Abraham,” thus working under the name “Abraham Hicks.” For years, my mother shared these videos as inspiration, her gesture usually met with an eye roll.

Somehow, though, this video felt different. The part that really spoke to me was when Esther/Abraham said, “I’m asking for this thing I do not have but…I like knowing that I want it. Because I know that when I want it, it’s coming.”

I realized manifestation isn’t all about what you want: it’s about how you feel about what you want, and how you feel about yourself. Being critical of someone who “manifests” perfect skin or rekindled romances is based on the belief that nothing should come easily. Instead, we believe we must earn our rewards with skincare routines or thirst traps and hate ourselves if our hard work doesn’t pay off.

As a Black woman, I knew disappointment all too well. I’d heard, “You have to be twice as good as them to get half as much” long before Olivia Pope’s father uttered it on Scandal. Yet, no matter how hard I worked it wasn’t enough. I watched my friends get their dream jobs or meet their perfect mates and accepted that I would always be overlooked when it really mattered. That was just my story. It was easier to stop wanting things altogether because nothing I wanted ever materialized, anyway. I wasn’t skeptical of manifestation, I was skeptical of myself.

I started learning how to manifest right then and there. At the time, I was on the brink of a job switch and a budding romance that made me feel unsure of myself. I wanted to change my story by approaching desire with excitement instead of fear. Since October 2020, I’ve committed to three manifestation techniques that have completely transformed my life in only one year. These methods taught me the power of playfulness and permanently reignited the “anything is possible” feeling I missed out on last Halloween. With an open mind, I truly believe anyone can use these techniques to change their life.

369 Method

The most popular manifestation method, especially on TikTok, is the 369 Method.

All you need to do is:

1. Think of something you really want. Then, turn it into a present-tense affirmation that you actually believe. For example, change “I am a millionaire” to “I am able to buy the things I need.” Or, change “I am married to my soulmate” to “I am open to building a stable and loving relationship.”

2. Write the affirmation in your journal three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon and nine times at night.

3. Do this for 33 to 45 days, and see the results like the TikToker who manifested this view:

@hellysangel This method is ✨so powerful✨ thank you @369affirmationjournal !! #369method #manifestationjournal #dreamreality #AerieREAL ♬ Manifest – Crystal Pharoah

Scripting Method

Scripting is the method that’s given me the best results. This TikToker manifested her soulmate in TWO days.

@emilyroselisanti #manifesting #manifestingmethods #manifestationtips #scripting #lawofattraction #dreampartner #datingadvice #fypシ ♬ Violin – Cookiee Kawaii

How to manifest with scripting:

1. Think about your desired reality. Imagine how you would feel after getting the new job, new apartment or new shoes you want.

2. Write about a day in the life of the Future You, but write in the present tense. Include specific details, like the commute to your office or the balcony at your new place. Write about how grateful and happy you are “now that ___.”

3. Do this once a week and read the script to yourself each morning. When I was feeling lonely this April, I scripted perfect days where I could watch movies with my best friend as often as I wanted even though she lived too far away at the time. Early this summer, she moved downtown to live sporadically at a place only ten minutes away from mine!

Visualizing Method

The Visualizing Method is the most challenging method, but it’s also said to be the most powerful. This TikToker manifested her dream career by visualizing.

@maddie.cleary Powerful Manifestation Method! ✨💜 #manifestation #lawofattraction #loa #manifest ♬ Take Me to Pluto – idonthateyou

All you need to do is:

1. Visualize what you want to manifest. Picture this reality with as much detail as possible, and put on some high vibration music if that helps you stay in the zone. Remember: Manifestation is all about energy and intention. If visualizing your desired reality triggers any sadness (which is totally normal), try to master how to manifest using the 369 and scripting methods first.

2. Once you’re comfortable with this method, get in the habit of visualizing twice a day for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.

Manifestation has helped me see the world and the people in it as co-creators of my reality instead of obstacles to be navigated. It’s shown me how to trust my intuition and honour my desires. I’ve gotten good at wanting things and asking for them —from the universe, from my friends and from my employers. More often than not the answer is “yes,” and more often than not it feels a little magical.

The post How to Manifest What You Want: A Guide for Skeptical Beginners appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

According to Health Canada, 1 in 3 Canadians will experience mental illness in their lifetime. That’s a lot of people, and while there’s no shortage of therapists and counsellors across the country, the process of finding the right one for you can definitely be disheartening. Not only are wait times long (in Ontario, it’s often six months to one year), but rates can seem outrageous (a visit to a psychologist can set you back more than $200 for an hour), and a price tag should never be a barrier to getting help.

With that in mind, we’ve narrowed down some places that offer affordable mental health therapy and counselling across Canada’s major cities.

Toronto

Hard Feelings
This unique, non-profit business—founded by social worker and counsellor Kate Scwoen—not only provides low-cost services and support by a welcoming community of counsellors, but also features a warm storefront that sells books, resources and other self-care items. (Even if you aren’t looking for counselling, a trip to this Christie Pits establishment is a must if you’re looking to help someone or yourself.) Individual counselling prices are determined by client and counsellor (based on what the client can afford, of course), and can range from $50 to $80 a session. Hard Feelings also limits the number of sessions per patient to 12, to ensure its counsellors can see as many people looking for help. (hardfeelings.org)

Affordable Therapy Network of Toronto
Like its name says, this network consists of Toronto-based therapists that offer affordable counselling. There are plenty of therapists/counsellors across the city to choose from, and this is a great resource to finding someone who works for you. These professionals offer rates as low as $50 an hour, as well as free phone consultations to ensure the right fit. (affordabletherapytoronto.com)

Vancouver

Gordon Neighbourhood House
In partnership with City University—a non-profit university that provides education in counselling—this Vancouver community centre offers free (yes, free!) counselling. While counsellors are interns, they are supervised, so you are in good hands. (gordonhouse.org)

Tapestry Counselling Centre
Tapestry’s rates aren’t as affordable as most of the counselling centres on this list, but it does offer some group therapy sessions for a “donate what you can” fee. If you’re budget conscious, but willing and able to pay a mid-range price, this Vancouver centre may be a good choice for you. (tapestrycentre.ca)

Calgary

Serenity Now Foundation
If you’re looking for a place that welcomes walk-ins as, as well as set appointment times, Serenity Now is worth checking out. During Mental Health Week in 2018, the centre offered walk-in counselling at reduced rates, which led to a positive response that encouraged Serenity Now to keep the initiative going. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you will be seen, but there’s no harm in giving them a call with any questions beforehand. (serenitynowwellness.ca)

Living Well Counselling Services
While Living Well doesn’t have the lowest rates, it does have a large roster of counsellors that offer sliding scale appointments; each patient’s financial situation is assessed, and they are charged a fair and affordable price in accordance with that set of numbers. It may seem unfair to some, but the system ensures that each patient pays what they can afford without underpaying the counsellor. (livingwellcounselling.ca)

Edmonton

Community Counselling Centre
This Edmonton centre offers what they deem the “most generous” sliding scale appointment rates, ranging from $20 to $140 per hour. CCC is also known for its fairly quick turn-around when it comes to booking (usually within 1 to 2 weeks), so you can breathe a sigh of relief. (communitycounsellingcentre.ca)

Insight Psychological
Sliding scale rates are popular in Edmonton, and Insight Psychological is another centre to offer discounted prices. What really sets Insight apart though is that the majority of its counsellors offer both in-person and online sessions. So if you’re too busy, or not feeling up to making the trip one week, you can work out a time to meet on Skype instead. (insightpsychological.ca)

Halifax

Insight Counselling Services
Halifax counsellor Julia Smith provides valuable tools for coping with anxiety and depression during her hour long sessions. Her rates are lower than the standard, but certainly aren’t as reduced as the rest on this list, so keep that in mind if booking. (insightmentalhealth.ca)

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Halifax-Dartmouth Branch
CMHA is great at creating a sense of community and encouraging group healing. They don’t provide individual therapy sessions at the Halifax-Dartmouth branch, but they do offer social groups that promote healing through communication, art and empathy. If you’re looking for a place to talk to others who are experiencing feelings similar to your own, it may be a great option. (cmhahaldart.ca)

Ottawa

Capital Choice Counselling
The reviews for Capital Choice are glowing, and it’s not just for its one-on-one counselling, but for its educational contributions. Capital Choice is all about starting a conversation and teaching people the tools to create stronger mental health. For those showing financial need, sessions with an intern counsellor can be arranged for $70 or less. Should you wish to pay more, an experienced counsellor charges $150. (capitalchoicecounselling.com)

CFS Ottawa
CFS Ottawa provides all patients with the sliding scale system, so you will always be paying an amount best suited to you. That being said, if you would like to try a free service first, CFS offers walk-in sessions that are funded by a local health network. What makes it stand out, however, is definitely the groups it offers, many of which are free and specifically aid marginalized communities who are facing more barriers to mental health access. (cfsottawa.ca)

Emergency/crisis resources

If you or someone you know is in crisis reach out to one of the following 24/7 emergency resources or call 911.
Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS): 1-833-456-4566
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

The post Where to Find Affordable Mental Health Therapy and Counselling Across Canada appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Dubbed “lucky girl syndrome,” the aforementioned viral tactic is pretty simple. It involves, as you may have guessed, feeling and thinking that you’re really lucky — and then regularly speaking your good fortune into existence.

“There’s literally no better way to explain it than, like, it feels like the odds are completely in my favour,” says Laura Galebe in a video posted about the trend in December 2022. “Ever since I can remember, I have always made it a point to tell everyone: I am so lucky. I just always expect great things to happen to me, and so they do.” The logic here, as I’ve come to learn, is that with these constant positive reminders, you’ll automatically adopt an optimistic outlook, and in turn, things will fall into place.

As it turns out, feeling like the most beautiful, fun, capable person in the world is easier said than done. It takes intention, and despite the self-involved sound of it, actually requires you to put your pride aside. To truly trust that things are going to work out for you, you have to push past self-doubt and disregard the fear of looking silly.

Of course, nobody’s life is perfect at all times. But “lucky girl syndrome” is about shifting your perspective to always find a silver lining. “Nothing ever doesn’t go my way,” Galebe continues. “Like, if it doesn’t go the exact way that I wanted it to go then something better comes up after it.” My assessment? It’s about existing in a daydream of your own making. And that is a skill in itself.

We’re taught to be realists; to (cautiously) hope for the best, but expect the worst. As such, approaching life with unwavering pragmatism has somehow become a sign of aspirational adulthood. But there’s something to be said about reverting to childish wide-eyed naivety; getting excited about the small things and feeling like each day is a personal gift from the universe to you. Is that mindset a little impractical? Absolutely. But it’s exactly the kind of indulgence we deserve to gift ourselves again and again.

In recent months, the concept of “being delusional” has gone viral on TikTok as the ultimate life hack. “I have been delusional my entire life,” says creator @mckenziejaidaa. “I have everything that I’ve ever wanted. In my mind, I’m like, ‘Obviously I’m gonna get it. Like, why wouldn’t I? I’m that girl. I deserve it.’… And it works out for me every time.”

This line of thinking is not new — within the practice of manifestation, it’s called the Law of Assumption. The belief, essentially, is that what you want is destined to be yours. Instead of obsessing over the way things might turn out, it’s about having peaceful certainty that your greatest desires are part of your reality. Basically, picture how you would feel if you already had everything you wanted, and then act that way.

By feeding yourself the notion that great things are just around the corner, you may feel encouraged to pursue your goals with more confidence. In my experience, it’s also been a remedy for burnout. While hustle culture is rooted in the self-critical concept that you could and should always do more, the “lucky girl” method is simply about acknowledging your self-worth as you are.

Of course, manifestation doesn’t determine how everything plays out. Factors like class, race, and ability influence the type of “luck” — and systemic advantages — people may have in their day-to-day routines. But there’s something empowering about wholeheartedly feeling like the universe just has your back. I mean, life is hard enough. Why not approach things with a little baseless self-confidence?

Each New Year’s Eve, my family plays the same game: go around the table and say one resolution. Sometimes I get anxious about sharing mine. I feel like I’m putting pressure on the year ahead by setting a defined measure of success that I may not live up to. But this year, a family friend stated they simply planned to “find something each day to smile about.” Ultimately, that’s what “lucky girl syndrome” comes down to. It’s about finding beauty in life, ditching rationality every once in a while, and genuinely believing that serendipity is abundant. Bring it on, 2023.

The post TikTok’s “Lucky Girl Syndrome” Is My Manifestation Philosophy for 2023 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

This article was originally published in June 2016. 

In June 2016, hundreds of people gathered in a mass virtual hex, organized by Iowa-based witch Melanie Elizabeth Hexen and intended to put a spell on Brock Turner, the 20-year-old former Stanford University student who was convicted of raping an unconscious woman (later self-identified as Chanel Miller) behind a dumpster.

“I felt good that there was something that I could do about my feelings of anger and helplessness about this case specifically,” says Paige Vanderbeck, a.k.a. The Fat Feminist Witch, a Windsor, Ont.-based witch and tarot card reader who participated in the hex. ”It also felt good to part of a community who felt the same way I did and felt compassion for the survivor of the assault. It felt good to be surrounded by like-minded people.”

Vanderbeck says she doesn’t typically do a lot of cursing or hexing, but was compelled to participate after reading comments on the Facebook event post for the hex from survivors of sexual assault. “I was really inspired by all of these people, many (but not all) of them women, who were taking this other person’s rapist as an opportunity to cleanse themselves of their own feelings from their own sexual assaults,” Vanderbeck says. “It changed it from being something that could be kind of scary into something that was obviously very healing for a lot of people.”

Since 2016 and the mass hex on Turner, hex casting (and witchcraft in general) seems to have only become more popular, with feminist witches casting hexes on President Donald Trump during his first election and TikTok witches claiming to have cast a hex on the moon in 2020. Intrigued? So are we. Read on to learn how to cast a hex and put together your own healing spell.

What you’ll need:

1. A candle

Black candles are the most common for hexing because they’re typically used to banish negativity or to bounce it back onto somebody else, but you can swap black for white (which represents purity), pink (love and compassion) or green (healing) if you want to direct your energy into a more positive spell.

2. A photo of the person you’re hexing (optional)

For the 2016 mass hex, many participants used a photo of Turner and channelled their energy towards a variety of outcomes (impotence being one of the most popular). But as Vanderbeck explains, a hex can also be used for good, like sending healing vibes to survivors. “It felt way more like standing up for myself, and for other survivors, than it did hexing [Turner]” she says.

3. Black string (also optional)

“The black string and the photo is used for binding, essentially encasing a person in your spell,” explains Vanderbeck, adding that this is more important if your intention is to curse.

How to cast a hex:

1. Write down what you want to say

This can be whatever you want, as long as you make sure to focus your energy on your specific intentions and include the name of the person you’re hexing, if you know it. No, it doesn’t have to rhyme.

2. Pick a spot that’s quiet and free from distractions

As in, somewhere where your roommate won’t barge in. “It’s really more about feeling comfortable and like you can focus,” Vanderbeck says.

3. Carve the name of the person into your candle

Carve the name of the person you’re hexing — or, in the case of a healing group hex, you can be more general (i.e. “survivors of sexual assault”) — into the candle using something pointy. If you’re feeling advanced, you can create your own magical symbol or sigil.

4. Light the candle

“A lot of people think the candle is necessary, but I think that it just gives you something to focus on. The real power behind the spell is your intent and you really sending those vibes out there,” Vanderbeck says.

5. Wrap the string around a rolled-up photo of the person you’re hexing

That said, this isn’t necessary for a successful hex.

6. Recite your spell at least three times

Vanderbeck likens the hex to a candlelight vigil. “During the Brock Tuner event, some people said they were going to focus on healing the culture that lead to his actions or healing him so that he’ll be rehabilitated,” Vanderbeck says. “[A hex] is something you can do that makes you feel like you’re actively participating in healing the situation.”

The post How to Cast a Hex in 6 Simple Steps appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

This year, the summer solstice happened on June 21, marking the beginning of the season and the Sun’s entry into Cancer. For me, this transition brings my deepest emotions to the surface, usually when it’s least expected.

As a Cancer Sun and rising, I’m all too familiar with the water sign woes. Represented by the crab, Cancers are known for our hard shells and soft interiors. We like to retreat into our safe spaces and often find solace in being alone. Take Selena Gomez, a Cancer Sun who recently revealed she has not been on social media in over four years. That’s what I call protecting your peace.

 

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Cancers are ruled by the Moon, a planet associated with intuition and emotion. We’re often family-oriented caregivers who crave to nurture and be nurtured. At the same time, we can be sensitive (some would say overly so) and moody, and have a tendency to hold grudges. For me, Cancer season stirs up all of these feelings at once.

“Cancer season can be an emotional time because of the moon’s influence,” explains Maryaam (@shawtyherbs on TikTok), a Toronto-based astrologer. The moon affects how we process our emotions, she says, and this period may bring heightened sensitivity and vulnerability.

She adds that if you have planets in Cancer in your astrological birth chart, you may feel the effects of this season more than others. But even if you don’t, Mel Priestley, an Edmonton-based astrologer, says not to stress if you deal with some emotional turbulence.

“Cancer season can be a time of quickly changing emotions, due to [the sign] being ruled by the moon which moves very quickly through all the signs over the course of a month, and therefore through all the different houses of your chart,” says Priestley.

And if you’re looking to harness the planet’s powers, Maryaam says to expect a New Moon in Cancer on June 28 or June 29 (depending on your timezone).

“This New Moon in Cancer can be a wonderful time to manifest something sentimental or something comforting,” she says. But because the moon will be at a 90-degree angle from (or “squaring”) Jupiter, it may also bring tension. “If you want to manifest during this time, think carefully,” she says. “This New Moon has ‘be careful what you wish for because you just might get it’ energy.”

Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with feeling a bit uncomfortable during this time. “If things feel like they are spinning out of control or just generally feeling very unstable, try to reassure yourself that it’s okay to feel this way and that you don’t need to have all the answers,” says Priestley.

For me, Cancer season has historically been a time to (unwillingly) sit in my moodiness. Lingering feelings of nostalgia and melancholia creep up during warmer months, and instead of honouring these emotions, I become anxious wondering why I’m feeling them.

But this year, I’m adopting a new, gentler self-care mindset. As for that nostalgia? I’m leaning into it. Maryaam suggests treating yourself to your favourite childhood home-cooked meals, taking bubble baths and wearing white and silver to boost your mood.

Establishing a daily routine can help give you a sense of control, adds Priestley. But don’t overload yourself with to-do lists. “Now is the time to take it a bit easier, especially if you’re feeling heightened emotions or instability,” she says.

Most importantly? If you need to cry, cry. “Remember that your feelings and emotions are valid,” says Maryaam. “Don’t beat yourself up if you feel a certain way.”

So, while I don’t have control over the emotions I feel during Cancer season, I can at least change how I process them. In the words of fellow Cancer Sun Lana Del Rey, “I got that summertime sadness.” And I think I’m okay with that.

The post I’m Honouring My Emotions this Cancer Season appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

There seems to be a new diet trending every other week. Whether it’s juicing celery or intermittent fasting, it’s hard to keep up with the constantly shifting health headlines. But one that’s grown in popularity these past few years is a low-carb and high-fat diet widely known as “keto.”

Dr. Jason Fung is a Toronto-based nephrologist who specializes in intermittent fasting and low-carb regimes—especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. As a kidney specialist, Fung’s priority is helping patients avoid diabetes by instilling healthy lifestyle practices. Back in the mid-2000s, most physicians would advise their clients to count or restrict their calories in order to lose weight, but Fung felt there needed to be a healthier and more accessible approach. After much research, he began advising his patients to adopt a low-carb diet alongside intermittent fasting.

“Some of the results were just crazy,” says Fung. “My patients were losing weight. Their diabetes was improving. They were able to come off certain medications. It was incredible and that’s where it all started.”

We connected with Fung to debunk a few popular low-carb-related myths and answer the most common questions surrounding the popular diet.

What does following a low-carb diet entail?

The main focus is on cutting down refined carbohydrates, particularly anything flour- or sugar-based, and replacing them with fat or protein, like avocados, fatty fish, eggs and non-starchy vegetables. In the last 10 years or so, people have finally realized that there are good and bad fats, and that eating whole foods that contain natural fats isn’t harmful.

How does it work? 

Carbohydrates stimulate a lot of insulin production because they break down into sugar. This prompts your body to start storing fat and calories as an energy source. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even healthy and natural foods can cue this process), but refined carbohydrates in particular rank the highest in boosting these levels and spiking weight gain. Therefore, following a low-carb diet means replacing these sugars and processed carbs with healthier proteins and fats to keep your insulin at bay.

What can and can’t you eat? 

Sugar and flour are the main ingredients to avoid or limit. Artificial sweeten-
ers are often questioned as well—not because they have a direct insulin effect, but because they trigger sweet cravings. But it’s less about following a strict diet and more about making balanced choices. Instead of jam and toast, scramble an egg. That will not only be the healthier option, but it will also keep you full for longer and cut down on your snacking, which also causes insulin spikes.

What are net carbs? 

Net carbs are simply total carbs minus fibre. Although fibre is a carb as well, it isn’t absorbed by the body, so it doesn’t really count. (Note: Taking net carbs into account allows those who follow a low-carb regimen to have more options, such as low-carb bread).

Is cutting out carbs healthy? 

There are essential amino acids and fatty acids, but there are no essential carbohydrates. You could lower your carb intake to zero and still be healthy—there’s no nutritional value. So fundamentally, there’s no reason why a low-carbohydrate diet would be unsafe. (Note: People who manage their carb intake, but don’t want to part ways completely, usually stay between 15 and 60 grams of net carbs a day).

Click here to learn more about Oroweat Keto and its selection of tasty goodies.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Cutting Carbs appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

For those who want to check off as many boxes on their summer bucket list as possible, the American Express Gold Rewards Card—now available in rose gold metal—may be just what you need. A thing of beauty from the inside out and equally as chic as it is rewarding, the rose-hued metallic credit card allows Cardmembers to earn points on eligible purchases that can be used towards travel, shopping, dining, entertainment and more. Plus, it’s so pretty you’ll want it front and centre in your wallet. 

For Cardmembers in Toronto, Amex is celebrating this season’s must-have travel companion at its Amex Rose Gold Experience taking place April 29 from 1-8 p.m. and April 30 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 1056 Queen St W, near Ossington Avenue in Downtown Toronto. To live out your Rose Gold dreams, the pop-up features stunning vignettes, insta-worthy décor and enticing giveaways including Plaza Premium Lounge Passes, travel kits and high-value $700 Amex Gift Cards that can be used towards flights. These special giveaways will happen when the clock strikes 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time in select popular travel destinations.

And if that wasn’t enough, until May 11th, new Cardmembers can earn a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 points, equivalent to up to $700 in statement credits towards a trip, shopping spree or even a spa day. 

Here are some of the benefits of becoming an American Express Gold Rewards Cardmember: 

Travel perks 

Pack your bags and dust off your passport. With the American Express Gold Rewards Card, you’ll have access to a $100 annual travel credit, a complimentary membership in Priority Pass for access to airport lounges worldwide, four complimentary visits per year to Plaza Premium Lounges along with many other travel rewards, including hotel and rental car privileges. You’ll also receive 2x the points on eligible travel purchases and a $50 NEXUS Card Statement Credit to elevate your airport experience when it’s time to hit the skies.

Exclusive entertainment experiences 

Whether you’re a theatre junkie, film buff or concert hopper, Cardmembers are given special access to Front Of The Line presale tickets, Reserved Tickets and special offers to exclusive entertainment experiences, including advance screenings of new movies or special theatre packages. 

Carefree shopping sprees

As if we needed any more motivation to shop this summer, the American Express Gold Rewards Card takes the stress and guilt out of mall crawls and allows you to do so in style. Amex Cardmembers easily earn points for every dollar on eligible purchases and are also given access to offers from a variety of top brands. 

Ready to start earning points, access these benefits and get one-step closer to your dream vacation? Click here to learn how to become an American Express Gold Rewards Cardmember, scoop the welcome bonus while you can, and see full terms and conditions. 

The post Your Stylish Rose-Gold Ticket to an Unforgettable Summer appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

So when I was given the chance to try out the Peloton Guide, I was eager to find out whether this new gadget could turn me into a strength-training devotee, the kind who never misses leg day and who’s got a do-you-even-lift-bro attitude. After all, the Peloton Bike+ got the world (myself included) addicted to spinning at home, and the fitness company’s sales skyrocketed through the pandemic as a result (up to, well, *that* moment on the Sex and the City reboot). But can its newest launch attract the same hype?

Guide, which launches today, is Peloton’s connected strength training that works with an AI camera system you connect to your TV. Using machine learning, Guide’s camera tracks your movement and progress in pre-recorded strength classes (with live classes soon to come). While Peloton has long had strength-training classes on its platform, Guide-specific classes feature a Movement Tracker that monitors you as you complete your reps.

When Peloton came out with Bike+ and Tread, I jumped on the bandwagon. I turned into a daily spin fanatic and it intensified my passion for heart-pumping workouts. I hoped for similar results with Guide, and made a commitment to do at least one strength workout daily.

A few minutes in, I’m reminded immediately of what I’ve never enjoyed about strength work: it’s slow and a bit dull to me, and even using 10 pound weights as my heavy option makes my arms feel like noodles — especially when 15 pounds is what the instructor is using as their light option. The next day’s push-ups and planks are a struggle, too.

But one thing I didn’t expect was for the Guide to tap into my competitive nature. Watching the Movement Tracker’s sweat meter increase with each rep does make the workouts feel more like a game. Plus, by being able to view my form on screen alongside the instructor with Self Mode, I’m able to make the necessary adjustments — although I do find myself wishing the Guide could provide real-time feedback on improving my form.

As a beginner, seeing my progress on the Movement Tracker has nudged me to complete each set to my best ability. I’ve come to think of Guide as a product that is most beneficial to strength training newbies like me, and Peloton instructor Matty Maggiacomo agrees. “It’s a really great tool for folks that are entry level because I remember when I first started, I didn’t even know the difference between a squat and a lunge and a deadlift!” he says, adding that Guide’s workouts will appeal to people who gravitate towards Peloton because they don’t have the confidence to do strength workouts in a gym — and I feel seen.

A week of workouts complete, I’m certainly not hooked on strength training yet, and I can’t say I’m eager to do a Guide strength class in the same way I was running and spinning with Peloton’s other products. But I’m starting to see the appeal. While it’s obviously too early to see or feel any real results, that slight soreness I notice in my shoulders and biceps as I move throughout my day and the awareness of the muscles in my quads after completing all of the squats in a lower-body class are both sweet reminders of the work I’m putting in to get stronger. And those seven completed strength classes? That’s more than I’ve done in years.

The post Can a Cardio Junkie Learn to Love Strength Training? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

This California-based athletic footwear and apparel brand prides itself on its mission of empowering people to move—in any way that brings them joy. The shoes are designed with exactly that in mind; with enhanced cushioning and a meticulously-engineered midsole that makes every step feel supported. But the brand is also community-driven. They don’t want to tell shoe shoppers that their footwear is one-of-a-kind, they want shoppers to try on the shoes and immerse themselves in the HOKA world. This is what inspired the creation of their pop-up HOKA Assembly Hall on the corner of Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue in Toronto.

“We wanted our Canadian launch to feel big and that meant inviting people into our home,” says Chelsea Cardoso, the senior marketing manager at HOKA who led the launch. “This is why we wanted a space versus a retail store—it allows people to test out the shoe because feeling it is believing it.”

The brand officially launched in Canada in early 2020, but with closures in full swing, they were forced to pivot and scale down their introduction into the market. Two years later, they were finally able to bring their original idea to life through a four-part workout event hosted in their very own assembly hall.

I was invited to take part in the first community workout event of the series. I jumped out of bed that morning and picked out a fitness-pro-worthy combo of royal blue athletic leggings and a space grey sports bra. I brewed a cup of coffee to-go, hopped into my car and headed downtown.

By the time I got to the assembly hall, I was jittery with excitement (may have also been the caffeine). When I entered the colourful foyer, I exchanged my outdoor shoes for comfy slippers courtesy of HOKA. I was greeted by a large, vibrant mural of the Kawana shoe and a happy huddle of HOKA team members. The hall was modern and minimalistic with pops of bright blues and pinks. A wall of windows let natural light stream in and highlighted the juice and smoothie bar—I knew where I was heading for a post-workout treat. Yoga mats and step platforms lined the main workout area in the centre of the hall. Up front, there was a small stage where a DJ and band were setting up—something I had never seen before in a gym.

I spotted my name printed in bright bold letters on a row of vibrant cubbies across the hall and was delighted to find a big canvas tote bag inside. It was packed with a small refresh kit stocked with a rosewater spray and handy wipes, and, of course, a bright blue HOKA shoe box that housed a pair of their famous Kawanas.

I quickly flung off my slippers and slid into my new pair of bright and colourful runners. As I walked up and down the row of lockers, testing out the fit and feel of the shoes, one of the HOKA tech representatives approached me and asked how I liked them. “Feels like walking on a cloud,” I responded.

More and more people were making their way into the assembly hall, a mix of fitness or lifestyle influencers, professional trainers, gym owners and everything in between—I was proud to be a part of the “in-between” bunch. Once we were all laced up and ready to sweat, Cardoso introduced our trainer Niko Mullings along with one of HOKA’s tech and field experts Sean Hamilton, who briefly explained the design of the Kawana.

“This shoe is about moving you forward—whether that is in a fitness class, on the road, at the gym or day-to-day life,” says Hamilton. “That is the ethos of HOKA and this is our first shoe that bridges the gap between both indoor and outdoor workout settings.”

In reference to this bridged gap, these shoes are meant to target “fitness omnivores,” as HOKA playfully dubs them. These are people who like both outdoor long-distance running and working out in a gym or studio. As someone who’s always had a different pair of runners for indoors and out, I was intrigued by this concept (and have decided to respectfully ask my friends and family to only refer to me as a fitness omnivore from now on).

When the class began, the in-house band and DJ filled the space with upbeat music and Mullings immediately led our group of 10 in a strength and conditioning workout. Since I’ve been working out pretty consistently for over a year now, I wasn’t too concerned about keeping up with the group until I heard him say, “Great job squad, that was set one of four, we’re just getting started!” And I was already out of breath. Thankfully, Mullings’ upbeat energy helped me, and the rest of our group, push through, especially during our last set.

From bicycle crunches and plank mixes to split squats and curtsy lunges, it was a full-body workout that ended with a relaxing stretch session. The Kawana shoes provided a lot of support during the jumping movements and grip during faster sequences. As someone who used to play basketball, I’ve also rolled my ankle a few too many times, so I appreciate the tighter contour and support around the heel and ankle. The shoe is also designed with midsole foam which offers some rebound while running or jumping, along with a SwallowTail, which is their trademarked bevelled heel that creates a wider surface for smoother heel strikes.

After the workout, we headed to the juice bar to refuel and I treated myself to a tasty vanilla smoothie packed with vegan vanilla protein, oat milk, cacao nibs, coconut, dates and banana. Then I packed all of my HOKA goodies into my new tote bag and felt energized and ready to tackle the rest of my day.

“I love group fitness and missed it a lot during the pandemic, so to be back in this environment is really exciting,” says Cardoso. “There’s this buzzing energy in the air and our main hope and goal is for everyone to start off their Sunday in an amazing way and work up a good sweat.”

Mission accomplished.

To learn more about HOKA and browse through their footwear and apparel, visit hoka.com.

The post I Tested HOKA’s Kawana Shoe At Their Community Workout Event. Here’s How It Went appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

I’m sitting in a dimly lit lounge surrounded by half-naked 30-somethings, each of us listening with rapt attention as Othership co-founder Harrison Taylor gets pumped about the experience before us. There are about 25 people here on a Friday night for the club’s hot-cold session, and by show of hands, I’m the only one who’s yet to take the plunge.

“Put the hot and cold together and the contrast between the two is way more than the sum of its parts,” Harrison continues. “We are doing deep work here together. We are transforming ourselves, physiologically, down to the cellular level.”

Othership, which offers both guided and self-guided sauna/ice bath sessions, was designed to be an alternative to hitting the bar with your friends. Taylor and co-founder Amanda Laine trained in Holland to become sauna masters, learning everything from how to build a sauna to towel-waving dance techniques that move the hot air. Laine is also a Canadian model who you may recognize from the runway circuit. As a child, she would take wintertime dips in the lake near her family’s Ontario home, and it was that tradition that led her to launch Othership in Toronto this past February with additional co-founders Robert Bent, Myles Farmer and Emily Bent.

But the credit for cold therapy’s come-up goes to Wim Hof, an extreme athlete from the Netherlands who developed the Wim Hof Method — a combination of cold water therapy, breathing exercises and meditation. Hof, aka “The Iceman,” professes a bounty of health benefits from following his practice, from a boosted immune system to improved mental health.

 

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Casie Stewart, a marketing director based in Toronto, has been part of a Wim Hof Method Facebook group for a couple of years. In the winter, she takes a chainsaw to the frozen lake near her Ontario cottage to put his methods to the test. And more recently, Stewart purchased a stock tank for her downtown rooftop, where she plunges for up to 30 seconds or three minutes at a time. “Ice baths give me more energy, mental clarity and mental strength. It’s a hard thing you can push yourself to do, and it makes other things not feel so hard,” she says.

Besides Hof, the pandemic is another reason for the cold plunge’s popularity. “I think people probably struggled mentally more than they ever had through the pandemic and sought out tools to help manage their struggle and stress,” says Nick McNaught, the founder of Unbounded, which offers guided cold plunges in Toronto and cold camps at The Trace at Oak Lake in Havelock, Ontario.

“The world right now is catching up on how beneficial this is.”

Exactly how beneficial is cold water therapy, though? Hof has come under fire for overstating the practice’s health benefits, and in chatting with Laine, she tells me about seemingly too-good-to-be-true pros such as the 300 per cent surge of norepinephrine and endorphins and thermogenesis (meaning, the cold plunge triggers your body to burn brown fat to heat itself).

Although the laundry list of purported health benefits is longer than Britney’s conservatorship, the science isn’t there…at least not yet. “Research hasn’t been done on whether a sudden, quick cold stimulus offers long-term health benefits of any kind,” says Stephen Cheung, professor of kinesiology at Brock University. As for the claim of helping reduce inflammation, if you’re an athlete, you’re sitting in an ice bath for a good 15 minutes to reduce blood flow and swelling, he says. “So I would argue that quick cold plunges are too short to have any meaningful, long-term health effect.” The same goes for the thermogenesis claim.

“But if it makes you happy to start your day off with an adrenaline rush, there’s nothing wrong with it,” Cheung adds (unless you have a cardiovascular condition or are very sedentary). ”Just don’t expect it to be this magic bullet that’ll improve your immune system, reduce inflammation and have you burning fat through the day.”

 

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Equal parts skepticism and fear consumed me for days before my Othership session. To keep calm in the intense heat of the sauna, I took slow, deep breaths, and both the icy towel Harrison handed out and the sips of cool water from my huge Nalgene bottle were lifelines. Between his encouragement to pause and think about what went well in our day to his dramatic towel dancing, you’re not wrong to think it’s all a little woo-woo — but it was also entirely enchanting.

After the dry heat of the sauna, I was itching to feel cold water on my skin. When my turn came to get into the ice bath, I immersed myself quickly before I could change my mind, and immediately my feet felt like they were wincing. I focused on withstanding the persistent twinge in my extremities. But with Laine’s soothing guidance, the encouragement of my ice-bath partner, and my stubborn Capricorn nature, 120 seconds ticked by quickly and I emerged exhilarated and triumphant.

After the intense endorphin rush, I slept like a baby. And this once reluctant ice bather now has not one but two dips in Lake Ontario on my calendar. Cold water therapy might not be a cure-all, but my icy trip to the moon is one journey I’d take again.

The post I Took the Plunge and Tried Cold Water Therapy. Here’s What Happened appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“We all know that the feeling you get from shopping hardly lasts; it’s mostly the anticipation that we crave,” says Jessica Moorhouse, an award-winning money expert and accredited financial counsellor. “That excitement dissipates quickly and then you’re stuck chasing that feeling over and over again.”

With savings just a tap or click away, emotional spending takes dangerously little to no effort. More than just a buzzword, intentional shopping is straying from these impulse buys and taking a more mindful approach. With guidance from Moorhouse, here’s what that may look like and how you can start today.

Figure out your “why”

Like most compulsions, there’s usually a deeper reason behind feeling a constant need to shop. In order to get out of the cycle of spending, it’s important to first dig deep into your relationship with money.

“Usually, there’s an emotional void you’re trying to fill,” says Moorhouse. “You know there’s a problem, but you can’t figure out how to stop. That’s where self-reflection and seeking help come in.”

Be armed with four questions

To keep your shopping in check, it’s important to have financial goals. Before every purchase, ask yourself if it’s helping or hindering you from reaching them. When you’re waiting in that checkout line or ready to hit “confirm order,” ask yourself these questions first:

• What am I feeling right now?
• Is this article of clothing a need or want?
• Is this helping me achieve my goals?
• Does this align with my values?

Keep track of your spending

Budget, budget, budget. Use a spreadsheet or your bank’s mobile app to keep track of how much you have coming in and going out. Moorhouse recommends creating a secondary bank account where a small percentage of your income is deposited every month for shopping. Then you can plan your clothing hauls in advance and build anticipation while still following a budget—taking guilt and shame out of the equation.

Don’t go out without a list

Casual mall crawls can be dangerous. Avoid the temptation by going armed with a list of items you actually need. You can even make it fun by creating an outfit mood board on Pinterest.

Expert tip: Unless you’ve had your eye on a pricey pair of shoes and it’s discounted half off, avoid making purchases during sales events: you usually don’t need anything from them and the deals aren’t that great.

Invest in higher-quality investment pieces

For a more adaptable and long-lasting wardrobe, purchase higher-quality pieces. It may sting in the moment, but it’s important to think of them as long-term investments. That $30 pair of jeans may be tempting, but there’s a pretty good chance they may tear or the dye may bleed after one season—when that $200 pair of jeans may last years. While fashion’s also all about self-expression, it’s vital to not solely buy statement pieces. Versatile basics are key to mixing and matching different looks. There’s a reason so many people have a closet full of clothes but still nothing to wear.

The post How Intentional Shopping Can Help You Keep Your Spending In Check appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Rae’s tweet and others like it point to a larger phenomenon of speaking your dreams into reality, also known as manifestation.

Manifesting comes from an ancient principle called “Law of Attraction,” which states that by focusing on your goals and thinking positively, you can essentially wish into existence the life you want. On social media, the practice of aspirational thinking has never been more popular.

According to Twitter, posts about manifestation on the platform are at an all-time high. On Instagram, vision boards filled with aspirational photos land on our explore pages, while the hashtags #2022manifestations and #manifestations have 1.3 million views and 65.9 millions views on TikTok, respectively.

To mark the new age of digital manifestation, Twitter has launched a celebrity-powered campaign that highlights the success of different stars who tweeted about their dreams years before they came true. Old tweets from celebs including Simu Liu, Demi Lovato, Megan Thee Stallion and Niall Horan are displayed on billboards across North America.

Jennifer Bairos Hofer, head of marketing at Twitter Canada, says she thinks the rise in social media manifestation is part of a growing movement for people to live more intentionally. “There are elements of this offline too but on Twitter, we can see clear conversation trends that suggest people are being more focused and increasingly transparent in what their goals are and what they want to achieve,” she says.

Manifestation has its success stories — hence the aforementioned celebrity-packed campaign — but the practice has exploded as part of a broader social media wellness craze in recent years.

In 2020, at the onset of the pandemic that sent much of the world into isolation, a popular meme emerged: “Shut up, I’m manifesting.” The practice helped some feel in control at a time when the future was uncertain. Two years into the pandemic, that uncertainty might have waned some, but manifestation remains as popular (and accessible) as ever, as people take to social media to share knowledge and discuss different techniques.

For instance, opening up about your ambitions can invite encouragement and inspiration, but on the other hand, you might face doubt and unwanted external influence. TikTok creator @padmini recently shared her practice of  “moving quietly.”

“When I do speak [a dream of mine] into existence like that, I feel like I’m sort of asking for permission and validation in a very subconscious way,” she says. “And every time I do it, it sort of eats away at this confidence that I had at one point and the trust that I had in my gut that this is something that I want to do and pursue.”

And while it’s inspiring to see how far these celebrities have come, it’s also helpful to be aware of the outside influences that can cloud our aspirations when we share them with the world. Whether we post our goals to social media or write them in a private journal, positive thinking and self-assurance are powerful tools for success.

The best manifestation tip? Believe that whatever you want is already yours.

The post Can You Manifest Your Dreams On Social Media? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

That’s what I’d allow myself in the middle of the day. I remember staring at it, although at times it felt more like it had its gaze on me. I don’t remember what I’d had for breakfast, but I’m sure it wasn’t much, even though I was obsessed with food or, more accurately, denying myself of it. The calories I did consume in a day were burned off in high intensity workouts. I thought that I was treating my body like a temple, but it would be more accurate to describe it as a torture chamber.

I was in my early 20s and the skinniest I’d been in my lifetime. My sister tried to talk to me about it once. “You’re quite thin these days,” she commented out of concern while we were driving in the car together. I responded dismissively while swallowing a smile, because some part of me was proud that she’d noticed.

Looking back, with 20 years of hindsight, I can see how much my unhealthy relationship with my body was about control and stemmed from low self-worth. Both of these things, however, were part of a much bigger problem: perfectionism.

I didn’t notice my own perfectionism until over a decade later, though, when I had my own child. When she was about three or four years old, she’d sometimes destroy her drawings in a rage, desperately upset that she’d made a mistake or that it “wasn’t good enough” — she’d rip it up like a ravenous animal, sometimes even with her teeth, as though she truly hated what she saw. She was so unkind to herself and I feared she’d learned that from me in some way. “But how?” I thought to myself. “I’m easy going and personable.”

Witnessing my daughter’s behaviour challenged this narrative at a time when I was no stranger to deep and painful self-discoveries. I came out as queer from a straight marriage over 5 years ago, and then just over two years ago realized that I had been a people-pleaser (which resulted in a full breakdown).

My perfectionism, in fact, made a lot of emotional sense. As a people-pleaser, I had expected so much from myself, to be able to shift to fit the image expected of me, the one that I thought would win me what I wanted: a feeling of worthiness. It’s a feeling that my perfectionist habits also provided — I was a chameleon with no core colour of my own, trying to perfectly adjust to other people and places.

Not only people-pleasers suffer from perfectionism, though — its reach is much wider than any single personality type. Although people can become perfectionists for different reasons, such as highly critical or rigid parents, receiving a lot of praise as a child for accomplishments or, more generally, low self-esteem and feelings of being out of control, the inner narrative that goes along with it is the same: you’re not good enough, try harder.

“Perfectionism is a constant state of wanting.”

Like many unhealthy mental traps, perfectionism shares the important commonality of external validation. Behaviours that accompany perfectionism, like being competitive or having high standards, can appear admirable — but therein lies the trap. Perfectionism keeps us living in a world of comparison, not necessarily to others (although this can be the case), but to an idealized standard we’ve set for ourselves. The goal is a moving target because once we get there, it just moves again.

Perfectionism is a constant state of wanting. It can look like the urge to fix something — to more precisely fold it, make it look more exact — to agonize over a small detail, destroy an imperfection that you can’t ignore. It also means fixating on achievement over process, because only the former gives you a sense of self-worth.

But it can also look like procrastination, because the pressure to do something perfectly creates such a state of anxiety and fear (of failure) that you’d rather delay, or avoid the task entirely and not do it at all. And even when you do achieve your goal, what you feel might be closer to relief that you haven’t failed rather than a sense of joy at what you’ve accomplished.

I’ve definitely run from failure due to my own perfectionism. Someone recently asked me what my most embarrassing moment was and I realized that I didn’t have many, if any. For as long as I can remember, I’ve feared situations that might result in failure or embarrassment. I’ve avoided so many game nights with friends because there would be too many opportunities there for me to be wrong or to feel stupid, too many unknowns outside of my control.

The underlying message of this perpetual striving is always that who I already am isn’t good enough. It’s like trying to walk up an endless escalator that’s going down — you’ll never really get anywhere, but you’re always trying extra hard.

Perfectionism is incredibly hard to overcome because it can infiltrate even the most innocent of activities. For example, when I had my spiritual breakdown a few years ago and enlisted the help of a reiki counsellor, I tried to ace my healing.

“You’ve been so committed to exposing illusions held at self and rewriting the narrative. Your drive to do the work is so very commendable,” she wrote in a report after my first session. I felt myself inflate a little bit from the praise, but then I read the rest of the sentence: “But this in and of itself is problematic.”

Here I was, still striving, trying to be perfect even in my healing, to make it into an achievement. I was still going the wrong way on the endless escalator.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’ve managed to fully extinguish the perfectionist in me, and now that I’m in my early 40s, aging is presenting a new challenge to the inner critic, with more evidence of perceived imperfections presenting themselves almost daily.

Truly, I thought I was more recovered until I started writing this piece.

I kept finding reasons to do something else, getting easily distracted, going on Tiktok, deep cleaning my house — a task that I both don’t enjoy and only rarely do. I was telling myself that these things needed to be done in order to start writing, as though it was part of my process. I’d feel better when the floor was washed and no longer had dog paw prints on it, I thought to myself. “After the carpet is vacuumed I’ll feel mentally ready to dive right in.”

I was avoiding writing because I was struggling. The words weren’t coming as easily this time, so I was avoiding facing those feelings of not being good enough. I can normally get lost in the process of writing, deriving most of my enjoyment from that, but I was worried about the end result and how far I felt from something I could be proud of.

Ironically, healing my perfectionism might be the one goal that I never fully achieve. But, maybe this is actually quite fitting, since the opposite of perfectionism is self-acceptance, no matter the state of imperfection.

The post Perfectionism Trapped Me in a World of Comparison appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

What are the benefits of tarot?

Tarot assists with “shadow work,” essentially, examining the parts of ourselves we don’t like or were taught not to like because of societal, religious or cultural norms. “Once you start exploring tarot,” says Corsini, “you can begin to question those things. You start asking yourself: do I believe this? Is this something I still stand by?”

Note: Tarot is not fortune telling, nor is it astrology. Rather, it’s more of a confirmation of what you are already feeling, which can help people feel empowered in their decision making.

Can anyone use tarot cards?

Short answer: Yes. “Sit down and start pulling cards, and familiarize yourself with what’s coming up,” says Corsini. “The booklets that come with the deck are always very helpful, but remember that’s just a jumping off point.” For example, if you pull a card and it indicates something to you personally – go with that. Just because the card doesn’t precisely represent that doesn’t mean your interpretation is wrong. “Your intuition is going to guide you better than a booklet,” he says.

Corsini recommends any new tarot user attend a workshop; he offers them in both English and ASL on a pay-what-you-can basis). Podcasts are another great resource; Corsini likes Tarot for the Wild Soul with Lindsay Mack. Biddy Tarot courses and booklets are also a popular educational option.

How often should I pull tarot cards?

“When people begin on their tarot journey, I always tell them to set a limit,” says Corsini. “You will drive yourself crazy if you ask every question and are pulling 35 cards a day – don’t do that.” Create a ceremony for yourself once a week, max. Another good way to structure your tarot card readings could be every new and full moon (so twice a month) in 2022. “Pull cards for friends or relatives if you want to add more than one reading a week for practice,” he suggests. This is just a guideline for beginners, notes Corsini, who pulls three cards every morning – one each for his body, mind and soul – and asks, what energies am I working with today?

What other questions should I ask the tarot deck?

The answer to this will be very personal, however Corsini suggests the following to get started: where’s my energy best served right now? Where is my attention best spent? What do I need to let go of? What do I want to bring in? Is this good for me? Is this something that is in alignment with my path? Should I take action? What is the potential outcome if I continue to behave this way?

This year is a good time to ask questions in general, says Corsini. “There’s so much information flying around right now. This will lead people to question their beliefs, which is good, but then they can also be misled,” he explains. “Do your research, ask more questions, talk to your friends, talk to your communities and build new ones. Be open to conversations.”

The post How Tarot Cards Can Help You Get a Handle on 2022 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Instead of the brute-force method, I’m opting for an intuitive approach to goal-setting this year — and using the planetary retrogrades to my advantage.

In January 2022, the astrology forecast is calling for a Venus retrograde, a Mercury retrograde and a Mars transit. While the internet views astrological transits as the source of all breakups and bad haircuts, FASHION knows that retrogrades aren’t to blame. Rather than causing conflict, these cosmic occurrences simply bring issues we may have ignored (or avoided) to the surface.

Whether you’re super into all things witchy or a bit of a skeptic, you can’t deny the logic in “work smarter NOT harder.” Retrogrades are only disruptive when we suppress our inner voices and work out of alignment with our true self. So, to level up — and level up QUICKLY — prioritize the connection you have with your inner self over external relationships.

Below, my astrology predictions for January 2022, and how you can cope with the changes.

 

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Venus retrograde (Dec. 19, 2021 to Jan. 29, 2022)

Venus will station retrograde from Dec. 19 to Jan. 29 in the sign of Capricorn. As the planetary ruler of flirty Libra and sturdy Taurus, Venus plays a big role in our romantic and financial endeavours. Since the Morning Star goes retrograde in the practical sign of Capricorn, we may be called to view our love lives and finances through a more traditional lens. This can mean saying a firm no to situationships and precarious work. It can also mean saying yes to long-term partnerships and investments.

@e.mo.tions#astrology #zodiacs #venusretrograde #geminifullmoon #december2021 #astro #astrologytok #capricorn #venusincapricorn #positiveaffirmations♬ Dreamy – Elijah Lee

In pop culture, we mostly hear about the romantic possibilities of a Venus retrograde. We all have an ex we low-key want to see again, even if just for a little drama and validation (‘tis the season?). But instead of practicing Blair Waldorf’s iconic “three words, eight letters” speech, let’s remember that retrogrades are way more about introspection than ultimatums. This TikTok User breaks it down perfectly:

@peytonmichiVenus Retrograde Breakdown #venusretrograde #retrograde #astrology #zodiacsigns #SimsSelves #spirituality #capricorn #astrologypredictions #astrotalk♬ Take Me to Pluto – idonthateyou

Last year I realized that someone can be kind to you and still be wrong for you. After shedding the false selves I’d created to protect myself from disappointment, I brought my expectations up to meet my desires instead of the other way around.

This Venus retrograde, ask yourself what it would really take for you to be happy and secure with your finances and relationships. Don’t soften your answers; instead, ask yourself why voicing your desires makes you uncomfortable.

Mercury retrograde (Jan. 14, 2022 to Feb. 3, 2022)

Mercury goes retrograde in two signs this month: first in innovative Aquarius from Jan. 14 to 25 and then in ambitious Capricorn from Jan. 25 to Feb. 3rd. Mercury rules over the solution-focused signs of Gemini and Virgo, so the areas of our lives where communication really matters will be most affected — yes, that means all forms of communication. The way we relate to others at home, work and online will likely be called into question. This TikTok highlights what to expect:

@healingwithjazVenus/Mercury retrograde 2022 #venus #mercury #MakeABunchHappen #retrograde #astrology #astrologytiktok #venusretrograde #mercuryretrograde #zodiac♬ nhạc nền – AK乂Duty

We all have negative associations with Mercury and its infamous transits. Email mix-ups, shattered iPhones and buyer’s remorse are just a few of the frustrations we can look forward to this month (note: sarcasm). Even if your plan is to just lay low and try to survive this retrograde, let me remind you that both Venus and Mercury are retrograding in unison.

What does that mean? This TikTok explains it pretty well:

@peytonmichiVenus & Mercury Retrograde #DoTheJuJu #astrology #venusretrograde #mercuryretrograde #astrologypredictions #astrotalk #astrology2022 #spirituality♬ Winter / Chill / R & B_No517 – table_1

Last year I noticed a lot of the tension in my friendships was stemming from my inability to express my needs. So, instead of swallowing my discomforts like the “Strong Black Woman” stereotype says I should, I learned to trust the people I love with the softest parts of me, and say what I needed.

This Mercury retrograde, ask yourself whether your fear of conflict comes from the possibility of losing others or betraying yourself. There will always be miscommunications and disagreements, but by remembering that we’re safe with those who love us, we can learn to be less defensive and more open.

Mars transit in Sagittarius (Dec. 13, 2021 to Jan. 24, 2022)

Mars entered adventurous Sagittarius on Dec. 13, and will stay there until Jan. 24. The Red Planet rules impulsive Aries and intense Scorpio, and since it’s associated with our aggression, sexuality and ability to take action, it should come as no surprise that Mars is actually quite comfortable in Sagittarius. But will we be comfortable operating on Sagittarian impulses…especially during a double retrograde?

 

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I love my Sun sign, but it’s no surprise we’re commonly referred to as “Sagiterrorists.” Our energy is known for being fun-loving, chaotic and non-committal (listen to “The Archer” by Taylor Swift, she explains it pretty well). Balancing these Sag desires for excitement and freedom with Capricorn sensibilities is definitely easier said than done.

I’ve realized that allowing yourself to do whatever you want can be a form of self-love, but it can also be a form of self-abandonment. We owe it to ourselves to take actions that make us happy, and we’re allowed to reconsider any actions we’re uncertain about.

Based on my astrology predictions for January 2022, I’ll give you one last piece of advice: Whether you’re deciding on UberEats, buying a new desk chair, or sending your ex a “Happy Birthday” text, ask yourself: “Is this in alignment with my best self?”

Trust the process, trust the planets and (most of all) trust yourself. You got this!

The post January’s Astrological Transits Could Set the Tone for Your Year appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Mont-Tremblant

FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT THIS SPOT Globally admired skiing, exciting snow sports and lavish accommodations help this bilingual resort village draw visitors from around the world. Take a stroll through the pedestrian-friendly cobblestoned plaza Le Petit Hameau, where the cluster of 15 boutiques and cafés proves that even a blizzard can’t stop shopaholics. At this dreamy escape for winter lovers, relaxing spagoers and adrenalin junkies alike, you’ll channel your inner Elsa in no time.

Stop and explore

Scandinave Spa. Photography by LINDA TURGEON

La Sandwicherie. Photography by MATHIEU LEBLANC

Grand Foret Villa Airbnb Luxe. Photography courtesy of Airbnb Luxe

Boutique La Raffinerie. Photography courtesy of BOUTIQUE LA RAFFINERIE

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MUST-SEE A brisk and exhilarating ride for the whole family, dogsledding at Mont-Tremblant is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lead your own team of Siberian huskies through your choice of magical scenic valley paths, winding forest trails or rugged mountain routes. From interacting with furry friends to stopping for hot chocolate, this is a must-try winter excursion.

Saint-Sauveur

FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT THIS SPOT While the Saint-Sauveur area is widely known for outlet shopping, its tiny town centre has plenty of independent boutiques and an impressive number of art galleries. Its short distance from downtown Montreal makes it a possible day trip or a full-on ski vacation. A known foodie destination, it offers ample delicious après-ski options. And once the sun sets, the illuminated hills provide a romantic glowing backdrop for nighttime skiing. Plus, fewer tourists means shorter lines for the ski lifts.

Stop and explore

Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon. Photography via @CABANEAUPIEDDECOCHON/INSTAGRAM

Au Mazot Suisse. Photography via @RESTAURANTMAZOTSUISSE/FACEBOOK

Skandal. Photography via @BOUTIQUESKANDAL/FACEBOOK

La Nyctale Airbnb. Photography via Airbnb

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MUST-SEE Remember going sledding on the local hill when you were a kid? Yeah…this isn’t that. Les Glissades is an intense snowgliding park offering everything from bobsleds to snow tubes. Varying degrees of difficulty and the chance to partake as a group make this invigorating winter excursion fun for everyone. Let your adrenalin be your guide as you travel the 61 slopes with 80 metres of vertical drop at this Laurentian Mountains hot spot. Bonus: Les Glissades is part of Domaine des Pays d’en Haut, which has a sugar shack, a theatre and helicopter rides.

What to pack

1/3

Oblique Ski Gloves

($1,050, Dior)

Buy Now

2/3

The Ski Pullover

($530, Gogo)

Buy Now

3/3

Brex Heel Lace Boots

($220, Sorel)

Buy Now

This article first appeared in FASHION’s Winter 2022 issue.

The post Your Winter Travel Guide to the Laurentian Mountains appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Capricorn season occurs with the Winter Solstice each year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the first winter season, and the long beginning of the return of greater light and warmth in our days. This can sound either discouraging and dreadful, or represent hope. Light a candle (we’re currently buzzing over the 4 Letter Series locally-poured candles) and get grounded on your mat to reflect on whichever feeling this brings you. Either one is okay.

 

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Never mind it is the busiest time of the year, but Capricorn’s thirst for achievement and success will possibly give you extra motivation to reach for more.

“For some of us, we feel a sense of pressure to do more than we reasonably can, because the need around us is endless. And so we take on an overwhelming or burdensome amount, inevitably leading to a sense of failure when we can’t actually manage it all,” shares Toronto-based astrologer Aerin Fogel. Schedule some time for yourself to unplug, perhaps with a hardcover like Work Won’t Love You Back by labour journalist Sarah Jaffe.

Fogel explains that on the flip side, “others fear the weight of responsibility because we are afraid of doing it wrong, or disappointing the high standards we hold ourselves to. And so we avoid commitment altogether because it feels like too much pressure.”

Now is the time to evaluate which scenario resonates with you, and explore if it’s possible to find strength in agreements and initiatives, rather than fleeing them altogether. If you tend to lean toward the latter, look around for a crisp daily planner to devise clear game plans and achieve stability in the new year ahead. Don’t forget that you don’t have to do everything all at once!

This particular Capricorn season involves a Venus retrograde in the sign of Capricorn, which means we will also be reviewing the changes (and possibly the losses) that have occurred since spring 2020. It will benefit you to find space to accept what cannot be put back together, so that you can start finding a new way forward, said Fogel.

She describes it as fish in a pond. Changes in a larger ecosystem will always impact its contents, like fish in their pond. So when movement occurs in the solar system, or a change in our daily lives takes place, we will feel it. At this liminal time when we sit on the cusp of two years and reflect on everything that’s happened, zero in on principles that are paramount to Capricorn: quality, sustainability and right relationships with the earth. It is a powerful time to rebuild, reorient and upgrade your future.

Check out our complete roundup of self care assets to get you through this Capricorn season below.

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4 Letter Series

Pure Candle

($68, 4 Letter Series)

Buy Now

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Work Won’t Love You Back

Work Won't Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe

($38, Type Books)

Buy Now

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Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross

Leave-In Conditioner

($32, Sephora)

Buy Now

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Lululemon

Take Form Yoga Mat 5mm

($128, Lululemon)

Buy Now

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FoodShare

Organic Small Produce Box

($30, FoodShare)

Buy Now

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Muji

Faux Suede Month/Weekly Notebook

($33, Muji)

Buy Now

7/15

Lilysilk

25 Momme Oxford Envelope Luxury Pillowcase

($95, Lilysilk)

Buy Now

8/15

Briogeo

Scalp Revival Stimulating Therapy Massager

($24, Sephora)

Buy Now

9/15

Ember Wellness

Heart Gua Sha Agate Face Massager

($50, Ssense)

Buy Now

10/15

First Aid Beauty

Facial Radiance Pads

($48, Sephora)

Buy Now

11/15

The Beard Club

Cedar Beard Oil

($15, The Beard Club)

Buy Now

12/15

Hotel Belmont Vancouver

Hotel Belmont Vancouver

(Price Upon Request, Hotel Belmont)

Buy Now

13/15

Kotn

Wool Blanket

($160, Kotn)

Buy Now

14/15

Province Apothecary

Cedar Wood Essential Oil Incense

($16, Province Apothecary)

Buy Now

15/15

Womanizer

Premium 2

($219, Womanizer)

Buy Now

Interested in astrology? Here’s this year’s predictions.

The post Why You Should Up Your Self Care Ritual This Capricorn Season appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The Duke of Cambridge is the newest guest on Apple’s Time to Walk series, an immersive audio experience on Apple Watch for Fitness+ subscribers. The series is designed to encourage users to take a walk while listening to the voice of a celebrity guest who is also on a walk.

In each episode, guests share personal stories, songs and photos. Recordings include the footsteps and outdoor noises surrounding the narrator, making for an intimate listening experience.

While Time to Walk has featured several iconic guests like Dolly Parton and Uzo Aduba, this newest episode (available to stream on Apple Music Radio for free starting December 6) is particularly special, as listeners are able to get a rare glimpse into the life of Prince William.

To record his narration, the Duke chose to walk around the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, a place where the royal family traditionally spends the holidays.

Mental health – a cause that both Will and Kate have been outspoken about — was the main theme of this Time to Walk installment, and the Prince started the conversation with a story about his time at the East Anglican Air Ambulance in Cambridge, a job he gave up in 2017 to focus on royal duties.

“As a HEMS pilot, you are fully involved in every job in terms of helping the team with the bags and getting the aircraft ready to transport a patient, or, in some cases, you’re…there providing CPR and actually helping the guys with the causality,” he said.

“I went to this one job…We had a paramedic and a doctor on and another pilot flying with me. And the call we get is very brief, not very detailed. We were kind of expecting a sort of minor injury case. Immediately it became clear that this young person was in serious difficulty, sadly been hit by a car.

“Of course, there’s some things in life you don’t really want to see. And all we cared about at the time was fixing this boy. And the parents were very hysterical, as you can imagine, screaming, wailing, not knowing what to do, in real agony themselves. That lives with you,” he recalls.

 

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The crew was able to stabilize the boy and he would later make a recovery, but Prince William said the experience left an indelible mark.

“Inside, I felt something had changed. I felt a real tension inside of me,” he said. “It really hit me weeks later…My personal life and everything was absolutely fine. I was happy at home and happy a work, but I kept looking at myself going, ‘Why am I feeling like this? Why do I feel so sad?’ I started to realize that, actually, [I was] taking home people’s trauma, people’s sadness.”

At first, he was reluctant to talk about his deteriorating mental health, instead burying these feelings until he finally decided to open up to someone. He ended the anecdote with some advice: To get through mental health struggles, we need to understand why we feel what we feel before we can work through those emotions.

“You’re not alone, and it’s okay. It’s about what you do next.”

And then there’s the aforementioned (decidedly more light-hearted) Taylor Swift story, which he joked that even talking about made him cringe. It was 2013, and Prince William was at a fundraising event where Jon Bon Jovi was performing his hit song, “Living On A Prayer.” Suddenly, Swift, who was sitting next to him in the audience, proposed that they join the singer onstage.

“To this day, I still do not know what came over me,” he said. “Frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm, and says, ‘Come with me…’ I got up like a puppy and went, ‘Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I’ll follow you.”

To the world, it was an adorable moment. To Prince William? A sweaty, stage-fright-inducing nightmare in which he recalled “desperately” trying to remember the words.

“At times, when you’re taken out of your comfort zone, you’ve got to roll with it…It’s okay not to take yourself too seriously.”

Later on in his walk, Prince William reflected on some meaningful moments with his late mother, Princess Diana. He explained how she taught him about the importance of learning about different life experiences – especially those outside the palace walls. When she took him to visit a homeless shelter as a child, he said that hearing the stories of those at the shelter was crucial in opening him up to new perspectives.

“We live in these little echo chambers where you’re only subjected to what you want to be subjected to,” he said. “I think listening is one of our greatest tools, one of our greatest assets to understand each other.”

I was also given a glimpse into a side of Prince William I hadn’t known before: his music taste. He shared three songs that were special to him: Shakira’s “Waka Waka,” a tune that immediately sends his children George, Charlotte and Louis into a fully-fledged dance party; “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, which he calls “the best tonic for a Monday morning”; and “The Best” by Tina Turner, which reminds him of Princess Diana, as his mom would play the tune to cheer up him and his brother, Prince Harry, when they were bummed about returning to boarding school as children. He fondly recalled sitting in the backseat of a car while everyone sang along to the song – sometimes even the royally-appointed police officer.

“It felt like a real family moment. And my mother, she’d be driving along, singing at the top of her voice,” he remembered. “When I listen to it now, it takes me back to those car rides.”

At the end of the episode, he said he felt as though he had been on a walk with someone close to him, like his best friend or his wife. And that makes sense: the narration is funny, at times deep and ultimately uplifting. It’s an accessible Prince William that we seldom get to see.

The post Prince William Opens Up About His Mental Heath Struggles appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

This reproductive surveillance not only perpetuates a culture of obsession with childbearing bodies, it also sweeps much of the physical toll, financial cost and burden under the rug. The result? A huge portion of people trying to conceive are operating under unrealistic expectations, weighed down by guilt and shame, or left out of the conversation entirely.

Dr. Lila Hakim, a psychologist and director at Toronto’s Centre for Interpersonal Relationships, says her patients often express a “confusion around what the norms are” when it comes to conception and fertility, and that confusion can stem from the way fertility is covered in the media.

“It sets up ideas [that the fertility journey doesn’t require] a lot of resources — financially, time-wise, support wise,” Hakim, who specializes in family-building and fertility issues, says. “Rather than seeing the whole, that sliver [of coverage] creates expectations that people then potentially compare themselves to and say, ‘Well, how come that’s not happening for me?’ That can be quite confusing because people don’t necessarily have access to the same resources and no one’s journey is the same.”

There’s also the matter of expectations. When we see a celebrity in their 40s and 50s having a baby, the story behind the pregnancy is told too infrequently. Brigitte Nielsen is one exception. The Creed II actor, who used IVF to have a daughter at age 54, was upfront about the realities of that process. “You’re on a lot of medication. It is very expensive,” she told The Guardian in 2019. “You always think you’re going to get pregnant, but most of the time, the phone call comes and it’s: ‘I’m sorry.’ It is devastating.” Nielsen likened her chances of conceiving to winning a lottery — and she is among a privileged group who can afford the ticket price.

“It’s lonely,” says Canadian clothing designer Laine Gabel, the creative and owner behind the Hasting County, Ontario brand Mildred Handmade, whose struggles with fertility stem from endometriosis, its sister disease adenomyosis, and fibroids. “That’s how I feel when it’s just like a basic pregnancy announcement. I scroll past it quickly, I don’t click. I mean, I still cry every single time I see labour on a TV show.”

Gabel points to the element of ableism inherent in the way we talk about celebrity pregnancy, which fails to acknowledge that everyone’s reproductive organs don’t work the same way. Endometriosis, for example, a chronic health condition that can cause pain, fatigue, organ dysfunction and infertility, can result in scar tissue on reproductive organs that make conception difficult. On top of that, the drugs used in fertility treatments can cause endometriosis flare ups.

“If there was a more general acknowledgement and basic understanding of the complexities of these things, then we would have more empathy for the average person who is infertile. We wouldn’t just be like, ‘So when are you having kids?’ It’s not just this basic bodily function for everybody,” she says.

 

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But that’s slowly changing. While social media feeds continue to be populated with strangers’ rounded bellies and aestheticized portrayals of newborn life, it’s also become a platform for recent breakthroughs in the kinds of conversations we’re having. In early 2020, Amy Schumer used Instagram to detail her IVF experience — right down to the number of eggs retrieved (35), the number fertilized (26), and the number of healthy embryos that came out of it all (one). And this past summer when Chrissy Teigen shared her family’s loss of their third child with a series of personal photos documenting the partial placental abruption that led to her miscarriage, she gave thousands of women an overt and lasting permission to grieve a kind of loss that for so long remained untalked about. It’s a step in the right direction, but there’s still a ways to go.

“You still don’t hear about people who use donor eggs,” says Dr. Carrie Schram, a Toronto MD whose practice is in fertility and low risk obstetrics. She explains that women in their mid- to late-forties and beyond are often using that method. “I think that’s the area of fertility that remains very taboo… Once you’re looking at donor eggs, there’s no discussion.”

The struggle to conceive continues to be treated like a dark secret or, at best, a private matter while coverage of celebrity fertility focuses overwhelmingly on the tiresome bump watch and over-the-top birth announcements. But across both traditional media and on social media, celebrity pregnancy stories are given a platform because there’s a guaranteed audience — measured in clicks, likes, and reshares. We, the audience, engage with these stories with little consideration about how they turn women’s bodies into objects with a singular purpose: reproduction.

“Reproduction is highly glorified. Sure, it’s a part of who we are and what we do as a species but so does every other species that exists,” Schram says. “I think this creates a lot of binary distinctions that otherwise wouldn’t be there. Fertility’s a spectrum, and whether you have a harder time getting pregnant at 40 or not, it actually has zero relation to your value as a person…I think your value as a person should be, ‘How kind are you? Do you contribute in a meaningful way to the lives of other people?’ Not, ‘Did a sperm reach your egg and implant efficiently?’”

Gabrielle Union put it best when she suggested that the way we currently talk about the subject of pregnancy requires a complete rethink. “For so many women… people feel very entitled to know, ‘Do you want kids?’” Union told People ahead of the release of her 2017 book We’re Going To Need More Wine, where she opened up about having “eight or nine miscarriages.”

“A lot of people, especially people that have fertility issues, just say ‘No’ because that’s a lot easier than being honest about whatever is actually going on. People mean so well, but they have no idea the harm or frustration it can cause.”

And though we don’t expect that notion of entitlement — observable not only in media but in politics and in our day to day lives — to disappear anytime soon, changing the way we talk about celebrity pregnancy could pave the way for more meaningful conversations around fertility in the future.

The post It’s Time to Change the Way We Talk About Celebrity Pregnancy appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

This is the final full zodiac season of the calendar year (not the last of the zodiac cycle, however), which means you’ve likely been experiencing a lot of introspective thoughts, and perhaps a slight urge to break free from the confines that this year’s responsibilities have thrust upon your routine. Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter, which embodies expansion and luck. Now is the perfect time to get outside for some good ol’ nature-based healing. A hike or a bit of birding might do the trick. Regardless of what outdoorsy adventures you prefer, SPF is a must (not to sound redundant in the editorial world, but YES, even in the fall and winter), and Salt & Stone’s oil-free mineral sunscreen protects from harmful UV rays all while nourishing skin.

Let’s not forget we are hot off the heels of an intense Scorpio season, so there’s a sense of mellow and calm during this contrasting transition. You might feel less interested in drama and perhaps more focused on yourself. Sagittarius is all about personal mastery, after all. Incorporate some new vitamins into your regimen (Vitamin D levels are commonly low in Canadians), or go big with a Peloton bike in your home.

The total solar eclipse on December 4 sits right in the middle of the season, and what’s notable is that eclipses can help us align with our fates all on their own. This is the perfect time to clear your schedule and do nothing. Kick back with a Tencel weighted blanket and an Ontario hand-poured candle that was inspired by “The World” tarot card, which represents fulfillment, achievement and wholeness.

Paired with the solar eclipse is a new moon on the very same day. Gently find balance between the two and lean into self-reflection, growth and acceptance. New moons are known to be a powerful time to cultivate newness and manifestations, so ground yourself with journaling and express what you want your future to look like. Need a jumping off point? Finding the right journal will help inspire your thoughts to pour onto paper, like Nota’s suede monogram notebook, available at Indigo.

Check out our complete roundup of self-care assets to get you through this Sagittarius season below.

Sagittarius self care essentials

1/17

Nota

Suede Monogram Journal W

($30, Indigo)

Buy Now

2/17

Salt & Stone

Lightweight Sheer Daily Sunscreen SPF 40, 2 oz

($45, Ssense)

Buy Now

3/17

Virtruvi

Unwind Kit

($54, Virtruvi)

Buy Now

4/17

Parachute

Waffle Bootie

($79, Parachute)

Buy Now

5/17

Tatcha

The Kissu Lip Mask

($36, Sephora)

Buy Now

6/17

Peloton

Peloton Bike

($2,495, Peloton)

Buy Now

7/17

The Inkey List

Brighten-i Eye Cream

($12.99, Sephora)

Buy Now

8/17

Vtmn Packs

Vitamin D 1000IU

($5.06/month, Vtmn Packs)

Buy Now

9/17

Bearaby

Tree Napper

($329, Bearaby)

Buy Now

10/17

Shy Wolf

The World

($27, Shy Wolf)

Buy Now

11/17

Detransition, Baby: A Novel

Detransition, Baby: A Novel by Torrey Peters - hardcover

($36, Indigo)

Buy Now

12/17

Amorepacific

The Grand Reveal of Absoluteness

($720, Holt Renfrew)

Buy Now

13/17

Kotn

Ceramic Teapot

($120, Kotn)

Handcrafted in the pottery villages of Tunis in Egypt’s Faiyum Oasis.

Buy Now

14/17

Kitsch

Luxe Shower Cap

($30, Sephora)

Buy Now

15/17

Heal

Heal 1000mg CBD Oil

($80, Calyx)

Buy Now

16/17

Skin Gym

Face Sculptor

($92, Hudson's Bay)

Buy Now

17/17

Playa

Mini Scalp & Strand Reset Hair Kit

($34, Sephora)

Buy Now

Interested in astrology? Here’s this year’s predictions.

The post 17 Self Care Must-Haves For Sagittarius Season appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

STYLE

Ai Toronto Seoul

You can never have too many handbags so luckily Ai Toronto Seoil is offering up to 30% off selected items site-wide from Mon. Nov. 8 to Mon. Nov. 29. If you needed another reason to shop, every purchase of $150 (before tax) will include a complimentary 4-piece Deluxe Kit from ai x Sulwhasoo.

Aldo

For a limited time only, almost everything will be on sale. With the Black Friday Sale starting at 6 p.m. on Nov. 24, running through to Nov. 30, you can expect up to 50% off selected styles site-wide.

Altitude Sports

The outerwear e-commerce clothing company is offering up to 30% off select brands until Nov. 29.

Bonlook

The company’s Black Friday promo (The Feast Your Eyes Sale) will run until Dec 6 at 8 a.m. EST, offering up to 70% on all frames in-stores and online.

Duer

Starting Nov. 22, fans of the stylish active gear brand Duer can shop its largest sale of the year online and in-store. With no discount code required, savings are up to 40% off site-wide, including both seasonal and bestselling products. For Cyber Monday, customers will receive 10-15% off Duer’s recently launched Winter Denim collection, which includes fleece-lined jeans.

Dynamite

Get your fashion fix for the holidays with 30% off almost everything in-store and online at Dynamite, from Nov. 24 to Nov. 29.

Ecksand

Get 20% off fine jewelry (excluding the brand’s Little Seasons fundraising collection) until Nov. 26.

Encircled

This Black Friday, feel good about your purchase by shopping Encircled, the sustainable brand born in Canada. Enjoy 20% off, but just as all good things come to those who wait, the discount increases to over 30% from Nov. 26 to 29.

Garage

If you’re looking to treat yourself AND your loved ones, Garage has got you covered. On Cyber Monday, buy one and get the other 50%. Exclusions apply.

Goodee

Spanning from Nov. 29 through Nov. 29, the Goodee Hoodie, designed in collaboration with ethical clothing brand Kotn, will be on sale at 30% off. Additionally, alongside the hoodie, each day of the sale will feature a different product at a 30% discount for 24 hours.

Hirrs

Hirrs will be donating a portion of sale proceeds to the National Abortion Federation Canada (NAF Canada) — specifically to the Dr. Morgentaler Patient Assistance Fund, a fund that helps pregnant people in Canada whose abortion care is not covered by provincial or territorial health insurance or who have to incur travel expenses in accessing abortion care.

Knix

The Knix community can look forward to savings of up to 50% off site-wide. Some of the most notable markdowns include up to 45% off all underwear 3-packs, bras and tops starting from $36 and “Good to Go” seamless legging starting from $32.

Kotn

Kotn is donating 100% of the proceeds from every order starting Black Friday through Giving Tuesday (Nov. 26 – Nov. 30) towards building five schools in its cotton farming communities. And to celebrate the brand’s fifth anniversary, its also collaborated with a group of local and international artists to create a limited edition capsule collection that will be available to shop starting Black Friday (while quantities last).

Kuwalla Tee

Just like the brand’s ethos, Kuwalla Tee is keeping its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale simple: 40% off everything.

Le Château

Starting Nov. 25, you can enjoy 40% off site-wide until Nov. 29. Exclusively on Cyber Monday, free shipping will be offered on all orders above $49.

Lolë

On Nov. 25, Lolë, will be offering up to 50% off almost everything site-wide, including items from the brand’s latest collection. For one day only, Canadians can save on sleek athletic apparel and sustainably made outerwear to gear up for winter and kickstart their 2022 resolutions.

LXR

Featuring a plethora of deals throughout November, Quebec-based LXR might just convince you to purchase that designer handbag you’ve been dreaming about. From Nov. 25 to 28, the brand is offering a tiered program with the savings increasing the more you spend.

Main and Local

For anyone looking for the perfect stocking stuffer, Main and Local’s Black Friday sale is your answer. Until Nov. 28, shoppers can receive up to 25% off their order when they spend $50 or more. Other savings include 15% off $15+ and 20% off $25+.

Meirako

Enjoy up to 50% off this BF/CM for all ready-to-wear pieces through Meirako’s online storefront.

Mejuri

This year, Mejuri will be offering 20% off purchases of $150 or more (before tax). The sale runs Nov. 24 through to Nov. 29.

Melanie Auld Jewelry

Looking to give a little sparkle this holiday season? Look no further than Melanie Auld Jewelry’s Black Friday sales. Until Nov. 29, enjoy up to 60% off site-wide, including the coveted adorned collection and all fine jewelry.

Moose Knuckles

From Nov. 25 to 29, Moose Knuckles will offer 30% off the FW21 Collection including Active Flex, Soft Shell, Rainwear, Featherlite and Sportswear styles.

Norden

Canadian-based, B Corp and PETA-certified outerwear brand Norden is ready for Black Friday. Perfect for eager shoppers, the label is offering 20% off sitewide until Nov. 25. But if you wait until the 26th, you can take advantage of 30% off and a free accessory.

Relevé Clothing

For all the fitness buffs in your life, give them the gift of designer activewear, with 20% off in store and online from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29.

Roots

The Canadian staple is offering 25% off its entire store this Black Friday (exclusions apply).

Sonya Lee

On Thursday, November 25th, Sonya Lee is hosting a small Instagram Story sale, offering 4 core collection pieces reimagined in upcycled leathers. The designer Stephanie constructed these pieces out of secondhand leather jackets, offering zero-waste alternatives to the community this Black Friday. 

SophieGrace

The mix and match apparel brand is hosting a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale with markdowns on its bestselling dresses, tops, blazers and bottoms. Running until Nov. 28, save up to 30% off when you buy six or more pieces.

Tanya Taylor

To take full advantage of Tanya Taylor’s Black Friday sales, be sure to check in everyday until Nov. 28 as the brand will be unveiling new sales and new deals on different days of the week. From in-season pieces to most-loved styles from the past, expect 30% off full-price items and up to 75% off sale items.

The Bay

From Nov. 26 to 30, the department store is offering 25% off boots, 60% off fine jewelry plus 20% off designer watches, and 50-70% off select luggage brands. You can also get up to 50% off fragrances, up to 30% off beauty tools and up to 25% off Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Value Sets and more. ​​​​

Get up to 20% off Parachute and Ugg bedding and bath products as well as up to 60% off holiday, bedding, bath, furniture, kitchen and tabletop.

On Cyber Monday, save $50 on purchases of $200 or more, ​​20% off designer handbags, $20 off Space NK purchases of $100 or more as well as ongoing beauty offers of up to 25% off and up to 50% off holiday, bedding, bath, furniture, kitchen and tabletop.

Tuck Shop Trading Co.

Whether you’re in the market for stocking stuffers or cozy apparel, Tuck Shop Trading Co. has got you covered. From Nov. 26 to 28 (early access starting on the 25th for email subscribers), shop 30-70% off brands such as LOHN Candles, Farrah Fawcett Collection and more.

Wolf Circus

If you’re looking for your jewellery fix, turn to Wolf Circus, which is offering 20% off site-wide with the exclusion of its new Holiday ’21 Collection.

Wuxly

Rather than offering a Black Friday discount, Wuxly is holding a Better Friday promotion and using the occasion to support a cause the brand holds dear. $100 from every parka sold from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29 will go to Humane Canada.

Vallier

Give the gift of warmth with up to 50% off select FW21 collection pieces from Vallier.

BEAUTY & GROOMING

B.Beautiful

Take 25 percent off site-wide (some exclusions apply), with the code “BLACKFRIDAYSALE” from Nov. 26 to 28. 10% off microblading services if booked between the same time frame, and the appointment must be scheduled for anytime before the end of February.

Bleu Lavande

From Nov. 24 to 29, receive 25-40% off select product collections and gift sets.

Cutie Oils

Shop Cutie Oils’ site on Black Friday and receive 30% off the brand’s all-natural and vegan cuticle oils.

Fruits & Passion

From Nov. 26 until Nov. 28 buy one holiday gift set and get a second holiday gift set at 50% off (online and in-stores). On Cyber Monday, buy one holiday gift set and get a second holiday gift set at 50% off (online only).

Glayco

With every Amber Extract Anti-Aging Serum, receive one Amber Extract Eye Cream this Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Graydon Skincare

On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, receive 25% off holiday sets, plus 20% off when buying two items and 30% off when buying three or more items (excluding holiday sets).

Hali

Up to 75% off on all products (some exclusions apply) on Black Friday; up to 30% off luxury hair care (some exclusions apply) from Nov. 27 to 28. Up to 50% off site-wide (some exclusions apply) on Cyber Monday.

Iremia Skincare

Through to Nov. 29, shoppers can take 25% off all products (not including the trial pouch) plus free shipping.

JB Skin Sävvi

Join the company’s mailing list for early access and receive a 25% discount and free shipping on orders over $100 through to Dec. 1. Use code BF2021 to receive 20% off all orders over $100 until Dec. 1. From Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 10% of all sales will go towards supporting Le Chaînon, a local women’s shelter in Quebec.

Kaia Naturals

Enjoy 20% off site-wide this BF/CM, excluding bundles.

MasqueBar

Shop the brand’s presale until Nov. 25 and receive 25% off site-wide with code BFCM25.

Okoko Cosmétiques

During this BF/CM sale season, receive a free Beaute Majestique on orders over $200 and a free l’Elixir de Purete, Prestige Edition on orders over $300.

Pretty in the City Lash & Brow Bar

Enjoy 25% off on all game-changing magnetic lash kits and bundles this BF/CM.

Province Apothecary

This BF/CM, reap the benefits with Province Apothecary’s unique blend of 100% active plant-based, synthetic-free skincare products during the brand’s 20% off sitewide and in-store sale.

Sade Baron

This BF/CM, enjoy 25% off storewide, excluding sets.

Soke Beauty

Soke is offering 10% off + a 10% donation with any purchase of its eye or chest treatment.

WELLNESS

B Yoga

Get a B Yoga Cotton Blanket in Shadow/Natural with purchases on orders over $175 until Nov. 29.

Bloom Balance

20% off site-wide on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Calyx Wellness

On Black Friday, Calyx Wellness is offering 50% off all products until Nov. 28. On Cyber Monday, take advantage of  15% off $150, 20% off $300 and 30% off $400.

Dreams Jumper

Up to 40% off everything on the site until Nov. 30.

Halfmoon

From Nov. 26 to 29, enjoy up to 60% off and free shipping site-wide. And with purchases on orders over $200, you can snag a Halfmoon Therapy Pillow in Continuum.

Lotus Aroma

45-50% off site-wide when shopping the Canadian brand’s website on Black Friday.

Nixit

Get 20% off site-wide until Nov. 29.

Niyama Wellness

Enjoy up to 28% off all products including bundle items through to Nov. 29.

Saje

From Nov. 26-28, Saje is offering 20% off everything online and in-store with the addition of select products for up to 30% off. On Cyber Monday, Nov. 29, recieve 20% off site-wide, with select products available for up to 30% off + free shipping.

Soja & Co.

When shopping in-store, receive a 30% discount on November 26, and a 30% discount on all online purchases from Nov. 27 to 29.

True and You

Enjoy a 30% discount site-wide and free shipping on orders over $50 until Nov. 28.

Unwrapped Life

You can get up to 50% and free shipping at this health, beauty and skincare store when you spend $40. On Cyber Monday, get up to 40% off and free shipping when you spend the same amount.

Vitruvi

Vitruvi’s Black Friday Sale will last until Nov. 29, offering 30% off site-wide, along with a limited-edition oil tray for orders over $150, while supplies last.

EQ3

EQ3’s Black Friday sale will run all weekend long until Nov. 29, featuring 15% off select items in store and online.

Flax Home

Until Nov. 29, save up to 25% off + get free shipping on linen from the brand’s Sleep, Cook, Bathe and Baby & Kids lines.

Maison Tess

Get up to 40% off and get a free basic duvet cover on orders over $250 using the code BLACKFRIDAY21 for limited time only.

Mary Ratcliffe Studio

25% off all pieces from the brand’s Objects Collection.

Sundays Furniture

The company is offering up to 20% off everything (excluding the Movie Night collection) until Nov. 29.

Tuck

From now until November 29th, enjoy 15% off site-wide with code BFCM15 and 20% off on $400 or more (before taxes) with code BFCM20.

The post Shop These 65+ Canadian Brands This Black Friday appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The Canadian content creator is more than just an influencer: She’s a single mother, entrepreneur and brand collaborator, counting Activia, Vichy, Indigo, BMW and, of course, Tetley as partners. A retired athlete (and the national face of Joe Fresh Active), Sasha Exeter’s health and wellness journey is at the core of her online presence.

On her Instagram and blog, she shares her favourite workout routines, holds space for honest conversations about mental health, and presents a holistic approach to wellness that centers on recharging the mind and body from the inside out.

But before the sun rises, the self care advocate is offline and enjoying some solitude with a cup of tea. And now, Sasha Exeter has her very own Tetley blend, Be Still, aptly named to fit her daybreak ritual.

“You would think finding stillness would be easy but being a busy mama with a crazy hectic work schedule, I often have to schedule time into my calendar to make sure I’m getting the time I need,” Sasha Exeter says. “The best time of day for me is bright and early in the morning before the world wakes up and the sun rises. Before most people’s alarms go off and before my daughter gets up. This is when I can take a few minutes for myself, enjoy a cup of tea and get ready for the day ahead.”

Be Still launches today, November 23, as an exclusive limited-release on Amazon. Each box includes 40 sachets at a suggested price of $6.99.

“This partnership with Tetley Canada has been a labour of love. My mum is from the UK and her mother lived with us for years when I was young, so there was lots of tea time in our home. As I’ve gotten older, it’s been an ongoing staple in my day to day routine. Working with Tetley’s Master Blenders in the UK, I was able to create a soothing herbal tea rooted in flavours that defined my childhood — spicy ginger and sweet, mellow honey. I really relied on my online community during this process. Through Instagram, I was able to get insights on what kind of blends people were currently enjoying and how they take their tea, so I knew creating a warming herbal tea would be the perfect choice for the upcoming fall/winter season.”

Here, we speak to Sasha Exeter about prioritizing self care, the one piece of advice she’d give her younger self and how she teaches the value of wellness to her daughter, Maxwell.

You opened up this summer about your life off-camera. Has your definition of self care evolved since then?

I would not necessarily say my definition of self care has changed per se, but what I will say is that I have a deeper understanding of what I need to do for optimal mental and physical health. The last two years have been extremely difficult, for everyone, and the self care I was doing during the pandemic and things for my mental health are things I was doing pre-pandemic and you know what, it just wasn’t enough. In hindsight, I needed to be doing a lot more and it wasn’t until this past summer that I realized I really had to take a step back and go much deeper.

What is one big or small — but impactful — change you’ve made recently to prioritize your own wellness?

A big change I’ve made for myself is in the way I work. I take one day out of the work week to focus solely on my mental and physical health; seeing my therapist, working with my trainer, doing chiro and any other therapy and treatments my body and mind need to operate optimally.

As a mom, how do you teach your daughter about wellness and self care?

I think the best way to teach Maxwell anything is by example. She fully understands the importance of fitness, healthy eating and self care for me. We are super close and she likes to emulate everything I do, so naturally she likes being active; moving her body in different ways, she’s willing to eat healthy foods to help fuel her body and I love that she is into mindful and self care activities.

If you could give one piece of advice to your former self (at any age!), what would it be?

The advice I would give my younger self is to “TRUST. YOUR. GUT.” It took me a really long time to have the confidence to trust myself and what I think is right for my family and I. The older I get and the more I do it, the easier it becomes. When I look back at all the right decisions I’ve made in my life, it’s been when I have ignored what other people have told me and did what felt right. I could have saved myself a whole lot of heartache and pain if I knew this earlier in life, but as they say…better late than never, right?

The post Sasha Exeter Makes Self Care A Priority appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“The pharmaceutical field really offered a great combination of research, science and business acumen,” says Symmes. “It made sense to start my career off in an industry where I could draw on the skills that I pursued in university, while also diving deep into the health and wellness spaces and really make a difference with patients.”

In 2019, after garnering over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical field—10-plus at the C-Suite executive level—Symmes took a leap of faith and dove headfirst into the buzzy world of medical cannabis. She was drawn in by the category’s potential in offering alternative options to pharmaceuticals.

“I had this huge opportunity to create something special on the recreational side to complement our already growing medical business. It’s not often in your career that you get to build a team, brand and portfolio from scratch,” – Tricia Symmes

“There was a lot of education and awareness that needed to be done, and to be able to be part of the team that launched this from the ground up was something of great interest to me,” she says. “I also was able to use a lot of the skills that I had learned with my time in pharmaceuticals, that helped me move into this new, innovative space.”

Through her first role as general manager for a newly-formed cannabis extraction company, she gained a plethora of industry experience. Then, in August 2020, Aleafia Health offered her the role of chief commercial officer.

“I had this huge opportunity to create something special on the recreational side to complement our already growing medical business,” says Symmes. “It’s not often in your career that you get to build a team, brand and portfolio from scratch. I was really empowered under Geoff Benic’s leadership to be forward-thinking and innovative.”

Aleafia owns four licensed cannabis facilities, one of which is located in Port Perry, Ontario and is the first large-scale legal outdoor cultivation facility in Canadian history. The health and wellness-focused company has a diverse portfolio of products which includes flower, sublingual strips, oils, capsules, vapes and edibles, among others.

When she joined, there was limited exposure to the recreational market within their portfolio, and six months later, Sunday Market was born. Inspired by the many booths at outdoor farmers’ markets, Sunday Market consists of five brands: Nith & Grand, Divvy, Bogart’s Kitchen, Kin Slips (a California-based brand for which Aleafia Health is the exclusive Canadian manufacturer) and finally, Noon & Night, a CBD-forward line for consumers with wellness in mind.

Ideal for the canna-curious, Noon & Night currently consists of three products: Omega CBD Soft Gels, Lavender Fizz Bath Bombs and Freshly Minted Roll-Ons.

“We want to reach everyone—from the medical client to the new recreational cannabis user,” says Symmes, adding that they’re one of the few cannabis lines straddling the nutraceutical and personal care sectors.

Their Omega CBD Soft Gel product, for example, is made up of CBD extract suspended in omega-3 fish oil. Their Lavender Fizz Bath Bomb—made with locally sourced lavender—and Freshly Minted Roll-On both contain essential oils that provide an invigorating scent and cooling sensation.

“When formulating all of these products, we really put an emphasis on sourcing everything ourselves,” says Symmes. “The CBD cultivar is grown directly in our outdoor Port Perry farm.”

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in such a short time,” says Symmes. “The best thing is when you have a great consumer response to your brands—that’s something that makes it all worthwhile.”

Noon & Night Product Guide

Visit noonandnight.ca for more details

Lavender Fizz Bath Bomb

Nothing screams self-care more than a CBD-infused bath bomb. This fragrant bath fizz contains CBD extract and locally sourced lavender flowers and essential oils. Let it dissolve in a warm bath for a blissful moment of “me time” this holiday season.

Freshly Minted Roll-On

Essential oils, anyone? Designed to be applied on the hairline, neck, forehead and shoulders, this roll-on contains a blend of essential oils including peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus, along with 200 milligrams of CBD per bottle—a perfect holiday blend. It provides a soothing, aromatic experience for cannabis consumers.

Omega CBD Softgels

A fusion of CBD and your daily routine, each soft gel is filled with full-spectrum CBD (30 milligrams) extract suspended in omega-3 fish oil. Give the gift of CBD to your friends and loved ones this holiday season.

Holiday Bath Fizz Collection

Searching for the ultimate grown-up stocking stuffer? This Holiday Bath Fizz Collection features three aromatic scents infused with CBD extract: Lavender Fizz, Shinrin Yoku (cedar, pine, orange and eucalyptus) and Freshly Minted (peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree).

​​This communication is only for consumers of legal age for cannabis. It must not be shared or be made accessible to persons under the age of 19.

The post Meet Tricia Symmes—the Mind Behind the CBD-forward Wellness Brand Noon & Night appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Chowie Wowie, Pineapple Mango Gummies

Shake things up this holiday season with Chowie Wowie’s 10:10 THC: CBD Pineapple Mango Edibles. A pineapple-mango tropical tango in your mouth, the gummies come in packs of four, each gummy containing 2.5 mg of THC and CBD for easier dosing. Start with one gummy and wait to feel the effects.

Brought to you by
Chowie Wowie

Solei, Balance Citrus Topical

Take the stress out of gift giving with Solei Balance Citrus Topical. Whether it’s for a friend who needs a little self-care or for a partner who could use an elevated massage, topicals are a great way to infuse a relaxing feeling into someone’s day. With 500 mg of cannabinoid content in a rich, luxuriously textured hydrating cream, it’s a gift that will provide a lasting radiant sensation that’s oh-so-satisfying.

Brought to you by
Solei

Solei, Wild Strawberry & Lavender Fog 510 Vape

If one is the loneliest number, then two is certainly a better choice. Give your day a kiss of sunshine with this fruity mixed pack that includes two pocket-friendly 510 cartridges, each with their own extraordinary aromas, 80% high THC potency and no cutting agents or carrier oils. Revel in summer strawberry notes with Sense Wild Strawberry or let Unplug Lavender Fog shine with inviting lavender and bergamot notes.

Brought to you by
Solei

Good Supply, Purple Monkey 510 Vape

You’ll go ape for Purple Monkey—a smooth, sweet grape in a hard-hitting, high-THC distillate. No cutting agents, no monkeying around, just 80% THC in a discreet and convenient 510 cart.

Brought to you by
Good Supply

RIFF, Subway Scientist 7X 0.5G Pre-Rolls

Subway Scientist (Grand Daddy Purps) is a potent purple indica with a thick, complex bud structure. The dark green buds with intense purple hues hint at the strong grape and berry aromas within. Go for the dank purple stuff that slaps with 19% to 25% THC. It’s available in 3.5 g and 28 g flower and Multi-Pack Pre-Rolls (7x 0.5 g), so stock up on this award-winning strain to elevate your holidays.

Brought to you by
RIFF

Canaca, THC Distillate Disposable Vape Pen

The Canaca THC Distillate Vape Pen is a breath-activated, all-in-one vape that delivers approximately 100 to 200 puffs of vaporized, high-potency THC cannabis distillate with no added ingredients or flavours. It’s ready to use; just inhale to activate. No additional charging or battery is required. This pen is your go-to for a night out!

Brought to you by
Canaca

Chowie Wowie, Balance Milk Chocolate

This milk chocolate is so smooth, it should be a crime. Chowie Wowie Balance THC/CBD Milk Chocolate contains one creamy piece of milk chocolate with 10 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD. Easily breakable into two servings, it’s perfect for sharing. Made with 100% THC and CBD distillate, it provides consistent dosing per serving. Start with one serving, then wait to feel the effects.

Brought to you by
Chowie Wowie

Solei, Chocolate Cheesecake Flower

‘Tis the season to treat your senses with Solei Chocolate Cheesecake Flower! You’ll want seconds of these flowers sprinkled with amber hairs and frosted with trichomes. These potent buds are hand-selected, flavour-forward and loaded with aromas of chocolate and cream cheese— yum! Skip the main course and head straight for Chocolate Cheesecake Flower.

Brought to you by
Solei

Pure Sunfarms, CBD Oil

This one is for the CBD lovers on your list. Made with two simple ingredients — natural coconut MCT oil and cannabis extract, Pure Sunfarms CBD oils are one of the purest, most controlled ways to consume and reap the benefits of this popular cannabinoid. Packaged in a recyclable amber glass bottle, the oil is easily measured for precision and control. Available in CBD Oil 10 (less potent) and CBD Oil 30 (more potent).

Brought to you by
Pure Sunfarms

Pure Sunfarms, Sour Black Cherry THC Gummies

Our gummies make for a delightful holiday treat and are perfect for cozy gatherings. These premium, delicious cannabis-infused gummies are plant-based and made with real fruit. Each gummy features 2.5mg of THC, tailored for those seeking a buildable THC experience. Available in packs of four.

Brought to you by
Pure Sunfarms

Pure Sunfarms x Laura Garcia Serventi Art Print

Inspired by the vibrant world of cannabis, these art prints will light up any room. Created by botanical artist Laura Garcia Serventi, each custom illustration capture the origins of Pure Sunfarms’ signature strains including Afghan Kush, Blue Dream, Pink Kush, Jet Fuel Gelato, Black Cherry Punch and more. For more out-of-the-box gift ideas for the cannabis lovers in your life, check out the Pure Sunfarms Marketplace. The collections feature a variety of high-quality apparel, accessories, objects and art inspired by a love of plants and modern life.

Brought to you by
Pure Sunfarms

Ace Valley, Great White Shark Pinner Pack

Canopy's Ace Valley Great White Shark (CBD) Pinner Pack features their popular, single-strain, whole flower pre-rolls packaged in 8x 0.3g slim pinner pre-rolls for convenience. High in Myrcene, Humulene and Caryophyllene, Ace Valley Great White Shark Pinners deliver pleasant earthy and citrus flavours and aromas.

Brought to you by
Ace Valley

Tweed, Powdered Donuts Dried Cannabis

Tweed Powdered Donuts is an indica strain with high THC and minimal amounts of CBD. Powdered Donuts comes from a cross of Jet Fuel Gelato and Orange Cookies. Its buds are tight, with orange hues and dense trichome coverage. Some associate citrus, floral, and fruit flavours with the Tweed Powdered Donuts Strain.

Brought to you by
Tweed

Tweed, Sweet Pine Haze Vape Pen

These indica dominant pods were thoughtfully curated without the use of carrier oils or vitamin E acetate. “Pause” pods are enhanced with ceramic heating technology and feature a sedate purple mouthpiece so you can easily identify your intent.

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Tweed

Green Monké, Orange Passionfruit

Heading over to a holiday cocktail party? Make sure to bring along Green Monké, California's Best Tasting THC drink. These delicious low-dose sparkling sodas are highly sessionable with a 2:1 CBD: THC ratio that's perfect for socializing.

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Green Monké

Quatreau, Passionfruit & Guava

Quatreau Passionfruit + Guava is a deliciously refreshing cannabis-infused sparkling water beverage. With 20 mg of CBD it’s a satisfying and delightful choice. Quatreau is about taking back me time, making situations a little more simple and taking moments to reset and recharge before you get ready to tackle what you have next.

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Quatreau

Little Victory

Celebrate the small things this holiday season with Little Victory—a holiday-beverage alternative that’s perfect for raising a glass with your closest friends. Available in three fruit-forward flavours, Dark Cherry, Blood Orange and Lemonade, these are the sparkling beverage to add to your wish list. Contains 2.5mg THC + 2.5mg CBD.

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Truss Beverages

Pink Gas Pre-Rolls

They may be slim but these pre-rolls pack a punch. Made with Pink Gas flower that contains no shake or trim. Expect a distinct, gas-like scent when this 80% Indica dominant strain hits the nose. Rolled with slow-burning rod paper and a biodegradable filter, these perfectly-sized 10-packs are made for giving – even if it's a special gift you give yourself.

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Harts

^{This communication is intended for adults only and should not be shared with consumers under the age of 19. There are risks associated with cannabis use. For information, search online “Health Canada – cannabis health effects.”}

The post The Ultimate Cannabis Gift Guide appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

What inspired you to open Moon Juice after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and educating yourself on how you might put it into remission?

My journey back to health and balance was really pleasurable. There was nothing that was off about it. I liked making beautiful food and chocolate milk spiked with adaptogens, switching out detergents that were making me ill, getting better sleep and weaning myself off of toxic relationships. All those things are actually a pleasure to do. So, I thought it was my mission in life to tell as many people as possible about this beautiful way of getting back to health, and nobody else would have to spend close to twenty years trying to figure out why they potentially feel so awful.

What would you suggest to those who want to incorporate some healthier ingredients in their daily lives, but don’t know where to start?

Try SuperYou; it’s Moon Juice in a bottle. You take two capsules every morning. You don’t have to understand it or think about it. You don’t have to make any other changes. You just have that small moment every morning and you will be feeling different in a month.

What’s included in The Moon Juice Manual?

The first half of the book is the biology of stress; stress literacy and really understanding what’s happening in our body when we are feeling stress. It’s really an introduction to adaptogens and really simple, accessible lifestyle tips that will help you tremendously. The second half of the book is easy, really simple and delicious recipes anyone can make. I love the chocolate chunk cookie recipe. All of the recipes are grain-free and lower glycemic. You don’t have to change your whole lifestyle. It could be as easy as incorporating this cookie with adaptogens in it.

What are some other small things that can contribute to a healthier life without the need for uprooting your whole routine?

As I always say, great change comes with the small, daily steps that we take. If you’re feeling intimidated by wellness, or overwhelmed by the idea of changing your whole lifestyle, just add one small, daily habit. It could be taking SuperYou in the morning, committing to a 10 minute walk, or prioritizing sleeping eight hours a night. Pick one small, simple step and get a kick out of that until it feels really good and it’s second nature. Then, you can start adding other steps. Adding adaptogens into your daily life really does fill your cup. They give you that reserve of adaptive energy so that you can meet the challenges of each day. Also, putting some limits and boundaries on your phone and computer time. That’s bold self-care and a move you can make right now.

The post Moon Juice’s New Book is Your Guide to Cooking With Adaptogens appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

To help you decide on the best type of contraceptive for you (and get the most out of it), we spoke with Dr. Kristin Terenzi, a family doctor based in Vaughan, Ont., for a simple primer on contraceptives and the top questions you should ask your doctor before starting or switching your birth control.

What are contraceptives?

Contraceptives are agents that prevent pregnancy ranging from physical barriers like condoms to chemical barriers like the birth control pill and even the intravaginal ring and IUD (intrauterine device), which are a combination of both.

How do you decide what type of contraceptive is right for you?

That’s always a personal choice. Some women want [an option] they never have to remember [to take], like an IUD, but some prefer the pill because of its added benefits, like cycle control and improving cramps—it can even help improve acne.

How effective are oral contraceptives?

Oral contraceptives are one of the best forms of birth control if they’re taken appropriately. In a perfect world they’re about 99 per cent effective, but if you miss pills pregnancy can occur, making the effectiveness about 96 per cent. IUDs, on the other hand, are around 98 to 99 per cent effective, but they come with side effects like bleeding and pain with insertion.

How do birth control pills work?

They inhibit ovulation, so if there’s no egg you can’t get pregnant. They make the cervical mucus very hostile to sperm, and they also change the lining of the uterus to inhibit pregnancy.

Which hormones are found in the pill?

Usually a combination of a progesterone and estrogen derivative. The amounts of those hormones and how they’re delivered—whether continuously or gradually per week—will determine the type of pill.

Who is the ideal candidate for oral contraceptives?

Women up to the age of 35 who don’t smoke, have never had a blood clot, don’t have breast or liver cancer, have no heart disease and don’t have migraine headaches are ideal for the birth control pill. All of these conditions can increase the risk of side effects with the pill.

Are there any other side effects of the pill?

Some can cause breakthrough bleeding—bleeding when you’re not supposed to—which is very annoying but can be managed by talking with your doctor and switching to a different pill.

How do you assess if a contraceptive is a good fit for a patient?

I give my patients a three-month prescription and I ask if they had any headaches, how their periods have been and if they’ve had breakthrough bleeding. Women hate breakthrough bleeding, so I try to deal with that preferably before or even after they have any problems with the pill.

How can somebody talk to their doctor about starting the pill or switching to another type of pill?

I’m a big believer in being able to talk to your doctor about anything. Express what [you] want—and don’t want—from a contraceptive. Make it clear what you’re looking for, whether that’s less cramping, lighter periods, or just a reliable form of birth control that won’t cause breakthrough bleeding. I’m a proponent of name-brand medications, especially birth control. I want an unwavering amount of drug that is not always present in generics, unfortunately. If you can afford it, I usually tell women to speak to their primary care physician about a name-brand medication. And if you have side effects, don’t stay silent. Tell your doctor what’s happening. Don’t settle for cycles that aren’t well-controlled and a pill that’s not doing all that you want it to do.

The post How To Talk About Birth Control With Your Doctor appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Aside from the physical features — like the product’s largest display yet, most durable front crystal to date and faster charging capabilities compared to earlier iterations — the Apple Watch Series 7’s new watchOS 8 operating system has some pretty intriguing health and wellness aspects, too. Though at first skeptical of just how much impact one device can really have on my day-to-day life, I actually felt a difference in my physical and mental wellbeing after just one week donning the smartwatch. Here are some takeaways from my first seven days with the Apple Watch Series 7.

My sleep game was no joke

Sleep is a very important part of my day. A perfect night for me, at the ripe age of 22, means tucking in for the night at 9:30 p.m. to enjoy some long, undisturbed shut-eye. But if I’m stressed, I endlessly toss and turn, and quality sleep becomes very difficult to achieve. When I can’t sleep, I find myself reaching for my phone, where I peruse social media or binge watch TV through the late hours of the night. It’s a bad habit that is no doubt a result of my high daily screen time. But since I started using the Apple Watch, I’ve actually been able to achieve longer, uninterrupted sleep.

My Apple Watch forced me to be more intentional about the quality of my sleep. The watch’s Sleep app prompted me to set a goal for my bedtime and include my desired hours of rest. About an hour ahead of the bedtime I set, it would remind me to wind down and prepare for a good night’s rest (meaning no doomscrolling past 9 p.m.!). As I slept, the watch tracked my respiratory rate, heart rate and blood oxygen levels. When I woke up each morning, it congratulated me for meeting my eight-hour sleep target — a small detail but appreciated nonetheless. Can we normalize viewing sleep as an achievement?

Guided meditation reminded me to slow down

The feature I used most on the Apple Watch Series 7 was the mindfulness app — a reimagined version of the Breathe app found on previous versions. Mindfulness offers the option to do Breathe or Reflect sessions. One-minute Breathe sessions guide your breathing by providing visual simulations that coincide with inhales and exhales. In Reflect sessions, you are given the simple task of focusing for one minute while entrancing visuals play on screen. My favourite part of this feature was that I would randomly get reminders throughout the day to slow down and take a minute to do a session. I always obliged — for research purposes, of course — and noticed that these little reminders actually helped to calm the anxiety I often get from working for long periods of time without breaks. It’s like a ready-to-use guided meditation coach on my wrist, something I never knew I needed.

At first, I chalked my newfound ability to chill up to the placebo effect of the jazzy gadget I was sporting. But as the week went on, I noticed the Apple Watch had in fact led to decreased screen time. I’m guilty of getting distracted by my phone — what starts as an innocent notification scan ends with me scrolling through Mindy Kaling’s entire Instagram feed (so many fun cooking videos, how could I not?). With notifications coming to my wrist, I can either dismiss or respond then and there, and the urge to look beyond any one notification dissipated. Plus, responding to messages and emails was sort of fun (what’s happening to me?) on the watch’s new keyboard, which lets you slide a finger to type, and anticipates your next word based on the context of the message.

Working out can be fun? This is news to me!

I don’t often go to the gym, but I do get out for plenty of walks. And while some may not consider that to be a work out, my Apple Watch alerted me that it indeed was — vindication at last! On my daily strolls, the watch detected when I was walking and prompted me to start recording an outdoor walk workout, where it would track my total distance, the amount of calories I burned and my heart rate. Seeing my Apple Watch count walking as me fulfilling my daily fitness goals made me more aware of how this mundane daily exercise can benefit my long-term health. It also kept tabs on more intentional workouts; new with watchOS 8 is the ability to automatically detect a cycling workout. When I went on a scenic bike ride over the weekend, the watch not only tracked my cycling distance, but reported my elevation gain, average speed and average heart rate. And for all you fancy gym-goers, Apple Watch Series 7 can now track two new workout types, Pilates and Tai Chi.

Throughout my week, I also learned about an electrocardiogram, or ECG — a test that assesses the timing and rhythm of your heart beat, to make sure it’s normal — which Apple Watch Series 7 is capable of generating. ECGs are used by doctors to gain insight about heart rhythm and detect irregularities. The test is quick and painless, and all of the information about your heart rhythm, including other wellness data like sleep activity and mindfulness minutes, is saved in the Health app on your iPhone to have on hand should you or your doctor ever need to review.

If you’re anything like me, you can be, at times, oblivious of your health. Whether it’s because of an underlying fear that something may actually be wrong, or just plain willful ignorance, it doesn’t matter — it’s always important to know what’s going on with your body. And my Apple Watch forced me to do just that. Overall, the watch made information about my health more accessible to me, and inspired me to be more intentionally aware of my mental and physical wellbeing. It served as a regular reminder to check in with my body — and honestly, I get the hype.

The post My First Week With the New Apple Watch Series 7 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.