Tag: breathing

Finding Yourself By Letting Go

Finding Yourself By Letting Go

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Through The Eyes of a Horse

Horse Therapy-the horse who started it all: Cherokee

 

What can I say, I LOVE horses! I have always loved horses, just seeing them makes me smile. Yet as a girl growing up in the suburbs of Chicago I was never around any horses. The attraction is a mystery.

Never in my WILDEST dreams could I have imagined that at my age I would be surrounded by them every single day, training them, getting certified to train them, grooming them and now bringing a therapy to the public in which the horses becomes the teacher.

They are incredible creatures with so much to offer.

My journey began after my amputation and with the horse you see pictured above. Even though I was only around him for 30-45 minutes, the impact he made on my life was the most profound experience I have ever felt! Not only did my amputation change the trajectory of my life, now horses were a part of this ever changing path.

Now after 4 years of learning and teaching, observing and making mistakes,  I am ready to bring this mental healing to others, and I AM EXCITED!!!

 

CONNECTION

 

BEING PRESENT

 

TRUST

 

The benefits of just being in proximity to horses is incredible! The healing they can bring to our lives is unmatched.

I hope that one day you, too, can feel the healing power of horses in your life, and I would love to be the one to take you there.

Join me on this new journey that I never, EVER saw coming a mere 5 years ago.

Let’s work together and heal ourselves through the eyes of a horse.

 

I pray you have a beautiful week and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

Much Love,

 

My silly girl!
Finding Your Center

Finding Your Center

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Breathe In, Breathe Out

 

Sometimes we forget one of the most basic of human needs, breathing. Yes, of course we continue to breathe everyday, I’m not saying we stop breathing, what I AM saying is that we forget HOW to breathe.

I know I can get caught up in emotions and stress and only do shallow breathes or even hold my breathe, at times. This is not good for us, we must practice taking good, deep, and cleansing breathes everyday.

When we take part in active breathing, we can clear our bodies of toxins and bad energy and bring in the goodness around us, the energy of the earth and nature.

Breathe in through the nose, breathe in good energy, life-giving energy.

Breathe out through the mouth and rid yourself of bad, negative energy and toxins.

We should be taking time everyday to work on this and thus reap the benefits of cleansing breath. Even if for only 5-10 minutes a day. I bet after a while you will make time for longer sessions, only to gain the rewards of spending time with yourself. You’ll be surprised on how practicing breathing will elevate things, such as; stress and pain.

Why WOULDN’T you want to do this?

I know, I know. It’s hard to find the time, but like all things that we want to do throughout a day, we learn to make the time, until you can’t do without it. Building good habits only takes a couple of weeks of dedication for it to stick and become routine.

 

Try it!

That is your Call to Action for this week.

Find time to give yourself a break. Get comfortable, sit upright and breathe.

Clear your mind of your busy schedule, your to do list, and things that have been weighing on your mind.

Let it all go for this time period and give yourself the time to just “Be”.

If you struggle to quiet your mind and you find yourself wandering, it’s ok, just redirect you mind to quiet down and refocus on the moment.

Sometimes I find myself counting in my mind to redirect the thoughts and get back to a quiet mind.

Stay consistent and don’t give up.

If you are struggling with phantom limb pain you might find this to be releasing.

When stress seems to take over your physical well being try it and find your peace and focus again.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!

and as always,

Be Healthy,

be Happy,

Be YOU!!

Much love,

 

 

 

Breathing Through the Pain

Breathing Through the Pain

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Night time visit with my girl
Do you struggle with pain?
Is stress always knocking at your door and trying take over?
Maybe now is the time to try something that can help you through the pain…. How about some breathing?🤔
I spend a lot of time around my horse.
Every morning to be exact.
She brings me to a peaceful place, a place I can forget my problems, schedules, to-do lists, and phantom pains.
I find quiet and calm around her and work on, believe it or not, my breathing!
Did you know that deep breathing can:
*decrease stress and increase calm
*relieve pain
*improve immunity
*increase energy
*lower blood pressure
*improves digestion
Wow!!! That’s a lot of benefits!
We should all be working on our breathing and relaxing, and less time worrying and being stressed out!
Challenge yourself today to build in a breathing routine to your daily schedule and reap the benefits….
This week challenge yourself to spend some quality time…. with yourself.
Choose a quiet place, free of distractions (and your phone).
Find a comfortable position and begin to relax your body and take slow, deep breathes in, filling up your lungs. Then slowly release your breathe out through your nose.
Continue to feel your breathe fill your lungs and find peace and calm in this moment.
Try to do at least 5 minutes today, gradually increasing your breathing time, each day going forward.
Take note of how you feel the rest of the day and as the week goes on.
Don’t stop there! Find the benefits of deep breathing each night before bed and the quality of your sleep…
I dare you!!
I hope you find calm that overcomes your pain, and a peace that allows you to live your best life!
As always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!
Much love,
Angie and Sakari🐴
The Struggle is Real

The Struggle is Real

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The Leg is Fake

 

“Humor can alter any situation and help us cope at the very instant we are laughing.”

-Allen Klein

If I didn’t laugh I would cry… Oh wait, I did cry!

Yep, it was that kind of week for me. It happens, and I wanted you to hear what it’s like for me when I fall on hard times, because it does happen.

I began doing some treadmill work last week and believe I hit a nerve in my residual limb, making it angry. Then 2 days later I pinched a nerve in my back and off we went! Serious pain shooting down my legs, creating massive phantom pains in my residual limb and beyond.

To top this fun adventure off I was also having to fast all day Sunday and then most of Monday for a health exam that I wasn’t excited about. Between nerve pain, pinched nerve, fasting, and anxiety about an appointment, it was the perfect storm and an epic test of my mental fortitude.

As I sat around hurting beyond belief, I was thinking of all the things I talk about on my podcast and how to cope with hard times. It was then that I realized that I needed to practice what I preach. I had to dig down real deep to find the strength, the pain was so intense, and I was also sleep deprived, did I mention that? I couldn’t just sit and let it get to me, and I couldn’t take it out on the ones I love and who have supported me on this journey, so I needed to practice positivity, embracing the moment for what it was, remember that it won’t last forever, and breath.

It wasn’t easy. I had to keep starting over and re-adjust my thinking. I failed time and time again to, mentally, get past the pain. I had to remember everything I’ve been speaking about and be honest about where I was at. …

I was in a valley!

I went from the peak of a mountain top just 7 days ago, and within a blink of an eye, I was in the depths of the valley, looking for a way out. THIS was the place I had spoken about, the place I had told you happens to each of us, and it came out of nowhere and without warning.

The positive side, you ask? There’s only one way from here, and that’s up!

I am ready, I want to be on the top of the mountain, I have a new appreciation for the joys of mountain tops and a deep desire to be there again. That is my goal! It will always be my goal.

Mountain tops and valleys

 

 

This week I want you to practice breathing to gain composure when you’re hurting.

Use a Body-Scan to assess each of your body parts, find where your pain is coming from, acknowledge it and then move on from it. If the pain draws you back to that area, revisit, acknowledge again, and move on. Do not give that area any power over your focus and time during this scan.

Finally, communicate with the people around you when you fall into that valley. Keep them informed of what you are dealing with and what you need… maybe even apologize, in advance, for not being you.

You are a warrior!

You are perfect the way you are, and strong enough to get through this.

Speak positive, and know that you are capable, loved, and enough!

 

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

Angie

Just Breathe!

Just Breathe!

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Create Positive Change One Breathe at a Time

Things may not be the way you want them right now, but you can do a lot with what you do have and where you are at.

Just breathe!

 

I’m going to keep this week’s post short and simple.

Learning to breathe the RIGHT way is so important for your body and mind.  Diaphragmatic Breathing is when you allow long, deep breaths to come in and out of your diaphragm, not from your chest.

To illustrate this lay on your back and put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Now breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth. You should feel the hand on your stomach rise and fall, NOT the one on your chest. If you are breathing correctly, you will be able to take nice, slow and deep breathes in and out of your diaphragm which will slow your heart rate down, allow you to call your nerves, push blood through your body more efficiently and, all around, make you feel better.

 

 

This week I want you to practice Diaphragmatic Breathing once a day, at least, for 1 minute. Take that time just for you.

If you want to really go for it, do this exercise whenever you feel yourself getting frustrated, angry, or afraid. Spend time just practicing this breathing and really slowing down your life in that moment, even for just a minute.  Let me know how it goes and what changes you start to feel as the week progresses.  You might be surprised at the mental and emotional benefits you feel from doing this just once a day!!

Oh, and enjoy some baby goat love, too!❤️

 

As always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

much love,

Angie

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