I love working on our annual June Men’s Wellness issue, which this year highlights the Balanced Man. How special it is to celebrate the good men in our lives—fathers, brothers, spouses and friends, especially as they don’t feel as valued and celebrated as they’d like.

Recently, I saw a 20-year natural health trend turned on its head. An analysis of Natural Awakenings of Dallas-Ft. Worth website visitors revealed that more than half are male. That finding has led us to conclude that more men are educating themselves about their own health and well-being either to optimize their well-being or address individual health issues. It’s all good, and we’re happy to provide everyone with the authoritative and practical natural health and sustainable lifestyle information they seek.

Lane Vail’s “Natural Dad” article is an ode to enlightened fathering, extolling the virtues and benefits of men exemplifying and imparting such values as healthy eating, green morals and emotional closeness with the children in their lives. We expect it to resonate with many and give permission or confidence to others ready to pioneer such skills.  

In my mind, my dad’s singular legacy of generosity looms large in my life, even though his army career mostly kept him away from home. I continue to strive to embody his open-hearted spirit with everyone he met. It’s an attribute society doesn’t typically associate with men, especially of earlier generations, making it all the more precious.

Another healthy living trend that America’s guys are discovering in unprecedented numbers is explained in Meredith Montgomery’s article “Yoga for the Bros.” The cat’s out of the bag about its myriad benefits related to mental focus, healing and relaxation as pioneering athletes begin to add yoga to their fitness routines and capsize the misplaced notion of some that yoga isn’t suited to masculine types.

A man that’s taking a different kind of stand, Pope Francis, has recently risen to hero status with me. Those that care deeply about environmental integrity excitedly await release of his teaching document on the environment and climate change in the next few weeks. We hope the result of this call to action will be widespread, and will awaken folks to the fact God has made the earth and all that is in it to be self- sustaining – it is what we do to it that messes things up; this month’s Global Brief department has more information.

In Lisa Marshall’s feature article “Rethinking Recovery: Holistic Approaches to Healing Addictions,” experts in another area of interest share how breakthroughs are making long-term recovery possible for more people. Effective complementary modalities include yoga, acupuncture, cognitive mindfulness practices and hypnotherapy. The goal is for everyone to be able to live a happy, healthy, addiction-free life.

After all, addiction isn’t limited to drugs and alcohol, but manifests in different ways for each of us.That could be certain foods like sugar, starches or cola drinks, exercise, body image, risky adventures or so-called reality television. What’s yours?

As always this month’s issue is chock full of information that is meant to educate and inform.  We hope you enjoy these offerings and find a nugget that serves as a compelling catalyst for you to live a more green, healthy and sustainable life—and share copies of this month’s issue with the important men in your life.

Blessings,

Bernice Butler, Publisher