Endless - Georgia Straight

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mind body soul RAIN CHECK Jogging is a year-round obsession in Vancouver. Rain or shine, the sea wall and city sidewalks are prone to the pitterpatter of cross-trainers as our city’s notoriously health-conscious residents maintain their outdoor aerobic routines through the fall and winter months. The Running Room Workout Duffle—$49.99 at the Running Room (various locations)—is ideal for wet-weather exercise. This compact carrier has three compartments: one for shoes; a mesh-panelled breathable section for wet clothes; and a water-resistant area for the all-important dry change of clothes. The side pocket has a handy removable key clip that’s perfect for a gym-locker key, and a detachable, translucent waterproof pouch. The reflective piping is a great safety feature for those dark winter nights, and the charcoal, blue, or black duffle comes with a variety of accent colours, including pink, red, light blue, taupe, and navy blue. > Deena Cox GEAR TO GO HIPPER FLIPPER As Lower Mainland kayakers know, paddling outside the summer season generally means being mummified in head-to-toe neoprene. Even then, hands always seem to get cold first. In lieu of traditional five-finger gloves, The Mitts by Level Six—$26 at Mountain Equipment Co-op—offer a warmer, less bulky alternative. Constructed of a slim-fitting neoprene outer shell and a cozy, micro-plush neoprene inner lining, these unisex mitts—available in two sizes: small/medium and large/extra-large— allow for the comfort and paddle control of gloves but keep hands toastier by enabling body heat to do its magic. > DC TREK TRACKER The Grouse Grind is a gruelling North Shore circuit that is as much mind over matter as it is a calf-buckling cardio challenge. Although you can track the time it takes to complete with the “Grind timer” at the trail base, the Polar AXN300 Outdoor Computer—$199.99 at Mountain Equipment Co-op (130 West Broadway and 1341 Main Street, North Vancouver)—can track and display altitude, temperature, heart rate, calories burned, barometric pressure, vertical speed, and a number of other variables. The built-in barometer is ideal for sea kayakers who need to be aware of impending weather changes, and the vertical-speed function—which plots vertical ascent and descent rates in a graphic display and indicates the wearer’s speed—is tailored for skiers, snowboarders, and alpine hikers. The tracking and charting of seasonal totals makes the Finnishmade AXN300, available in black or yellow, an excellent lent accessory for repeat Grinders and season-pass holders. > DC Give the gift of dance this Christmas to yourself and to others. It will last a lifetime! (Gift Certificates available.) Dance classes in: Argentine Tango Adult Ballet Afro-Brazilian Creative Movement Egyptian Bellydance Funky Modern Jazz Hip Hop Salsa Rueda • Family Health • Cosmetic Acupuncture • Mesotherapy & Spot Fat Reduction TAOIST TAI CHI An art for complete health | GEORGIA STRAIGHT MIND BODY SOUL | | FALL 2005 | 16 Forufera Centre for Dance, Joy, & Well-being Mezzanine Level - 505 Hamilton Street, Downtown Vancouver Tel: (604) 633-2623 www.forufera.com & www.strictlytango.com NEW LOCATION BEST Naturopath Dr. Maria Fabbro ND ~ 604.737.7575 www.drfabbro.com 212-3195 Granville St. Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada a registered charitable organization 604 681.6609 • www.taoist.org ≥
a scene that happened more than It’s 30 years ago but remains crystal clear in my mind. I’m sitting in the kitchen, watching my mother prepare dinner. My oldest brother walks in. On his hand, he’s wearing a ring topped with a black, plastic spider. He’s turned the ring around so the spider is cradled in his palm, and approaches my mother, his fi st closed. When she’s peering down at his hand, he opens his fi st. My mother emits a bloodcurdling scream, bursts into hysterics, and—in an amazing, gravity-defying feat—leaps vertically four feet up, onto the kitchen counter. At the time, I thought it was pretty funny. I had no idea that the seeds of what was to become a debilitating phobia were being planted in my mind. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about one in 10 of us will suffer from a phobia in our lifetime—a fear of spiders, heights, enclosed spaces, dogs… The list is endless, according to psychologist Steven Taylor at the University of British Columbia. “I’ve treated a lot of people with fears of birds, cats, rats, deep water, elevators, bridges—even people with bloodinjection-injury phobia; that’s actually quite common.” What on earth is that? “It’s when people who give blood or see someone getting a needle become extremely anxious about it—not just nervous. They often faint and then can’t stop thinking about it later. I’ve seen doctors who have this phobia—that’s a bit of a problem if you’re working in an operating room.” Taylor says the difference between the normal, mild fears we all experience and a full-blown phobia is the depth and extent of the fear. “Everyone has mild fears about one thing or another, and that’s healthy. It’s what keeps us alive,” says Taylor. “In fact, there’s a saying: ‘Nature favours anxious genes.’ But when a person experiences severe, debilitating, irrational fear that disrupts their life… That’s a phobia.” Psychologists such as Taylor believe there are three ways to develop a phobia: observational learning or parental modelling (like my kitchen spider scene); a traumatic experience (people in serious car crashes sometimes develop a fear of driving); and information you get from the media. “After 9/11, I treated a number of people who felt very anxious about plane travel,” says Taylor. “They kept seeing the powerful images of those planes crashing into buildings…and when you see disturbing images over and over, for some people that will be enough to create quite severe fear that develops into a phobia.” And yet, not everyone needed phobia counselling after 9/11. “Whether or not you develop a phobia depends on a combination of genetic factors and how they interact with environmental experiences,” says Taylor. “So you can have someone who is predisposed to // see next page BY ERICA JOHNSON FEAR FACTOR WHY PHOBIAS AREN’T SO FUNNY FIONA GARDEN PHOTO | FALL 2005 | | GEORGIA STRAIGHT MIND BODY SOUL | 17
Page 2 and 3: Continual Cleansing Endless Energy
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Page 6 and 7: REBECCA BLISSETT PHOTO / JAMIE ROGE
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Page 24 and 25: mind body soul SEXY STUFF HAPPY END
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Page 28: HEALTHY CHOICES & HUNDREDS MORE IN

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