Tag: Sunny Parker

Finding Yourself By Letting Go

Finding Yourself By Letting Go

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!
Picking Apart Phantom Pain

Picking Apart Phantom Pain

The Real Mental Side of Phantom Pain

 

Ok, let’s talk about Pain. Not just any pain, but the “real” phantom pain.

It comes on without warning.

It can destroy our mood, our productivity, and our confidence.

When it does happen, and for amputees we will all have the pleasure of experiencing it at some point on our journey, it’s enough to cause us to doubt we will ever be able to function again because we can’t see an end to it in sight. It’s the most disabling thing about being an amputee because we cannot control it.

Just two weekends ago I experienced one of my many episodes of phantom pain. I was fine when I woke on Sunday morning, enjoyed a few hours of “normalcy” then out of the blue, like lightning strikes, I was seized with a multitude of sharp, knife driving pains, in the bottom of my non-existent foot!

At first it was just startling and I was wracking my brain as to why it might be acting up. You see, for me, I know what things might cause me to have a flair up of pains from the activities of the day or night before, but not this day. Nothing I could have done would prepare me for this nor could I comprehend what had made these phantom pains come on.

As the day wore on these flashes of pain came more sudden and more often. They are so real feeling that my “foot” was getting sore from all the stabbing.

The prickles on the cactus and thorns on the tree remind me of the sharpness of my phantom pains

 

If that isn’t a mental attack on the brain I don’t know what is!

If you are an amputee you need to make sure you have a toolbox of info and memories to use as you navigate throu9gh each episode of phantom pains.

Join me today as I discuss what a toolbox is and how you create one.

Remember to be kind to yourself when these pains hit. They will try to crush you and break your spirit but you can and will get stronger with each experience. Just know that it’s ok to shut down for a while as your head tries to understand what’s happening to your body.

You are strong enough and you will make it through.

These episodes don’t last forever, and you will soar once again.

 

Be the warrior you were meant to be and rise up!

 

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

much love,

 

Just a One-Legged Girl and A Horse

Just a One-Legged Girl and A Horse

An Everyday Love Story Filled With Healing

 

 

Have you ever been around someone who just made you feel so comfortable and you were able to be your true self?

What about someone who makes you uneasy and on edge?

We each carry ourselves differently based on who we are AND how we are on any particular day.

What I found out about myself on this given day was astonishing! How I thought I was handling my amputation and what I was actually carrying inside of me were two different things and it took a horse to show me that.

My husband and I went to Miraval Resort in Tucson a few years ago and I signed us up for an equine meditation class. I had no idea what it was going to be like, but I knew it had to do with horses and I was all in.

What I hadn’t bargained for was what this hour long class would teach me about myself and how that would change my life forever!

Today I will tell you of the story that created, in me, a deeper love of horses, an understanding of my own personal struggles, and how I am healed and all the better for this moment in time.

 

Equine therapy is near and dear to me. I am working on how to bring this to the people in my life and helping others heal from the inside out so they can realize their full potential regardless of their circumstance.

Today I took my visiting father out to find the wild horses of Salt River, and what we found was a greater thrill than I could have ever imagined! Check out my photos of this magical day, below.

As we stood there enjoying the grazing of these beautiful creatures and the amazing sunshine and mountains that surrounded us, I wasn’t thinking about my leg, or phantom pains, or the fit of my socket. Reconnecting with nature and being surrounded by such beauty was just what the doctor ordered. My mind was somewhere else. My heart was open to possibility, and my healing grew deeper as I allowed this moment to wash over me.

 

 

 

 

Are you struggling with healing? Are you holding onto the past and refusing to let go, or unwilling to forgive the one who hurt you?

 

 

This week be open to something new. Check out equine therapy in your neighborhood or location.

You might be surprised to find someplace close to you that supplies this type of therapy.

If not, reach out to me and let’s talk. I can send you in the right direction, and if you’re live in the Phoenix area I may be able to work with you.

Find ways to heal yourself from the inside out. This can bring about more positive outcomes and greater change to your life.

Reconnect with nature. Breath in fresh air and take notice of the animals, trees and plants around you.

 

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

 

The face of healing!