Swing anyone?

From the time I was about two or three years old until I was nine I lived in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada – on an Air Force base. This was the best place in the world for a child to grow up as far as I am concerned. Maybe it was just because we lived only three doors down from the school grounds entrance and our backyard backed onto the school property or maybe it was because I had lots of friends around me who also loved to be outside. Being an Air Force base, at this time, it was a very safe place to live. Whatever the reason, I absolutely LOVED it!


I spent most of my life outside in those days and try to do the same now... even in winter I try to find as much to do outside as possible. There’s a book by Richard Louv called “Last child in the woods” where he talks about his belief in the issue of nature-deficit disorder. I haven’t read it yet but it’s high on my list of books to read next!

I definitely want my daughter to spend as much time outside as she can get. We have a 3 seasons room, which is a screened in area of our neck, with a roof. We can be out there rain or shine. As of the fall, we also have a completely fenced-in backyard. I really wanted a swing set for her, just like I had in the ‘good old days’ and as of yesterday she has one!

It was almost ritualistic the way that it went up, with the five of us out there... Willow, my husband and our two dogs. I tried to help my husband, grouping like things together, keeping Willow and the dogs out of the small pieces and letting the dogs chew up the big cardboard box that it came in. There was even a bon fire to burn the box when we were done... another one of my favourite things to do! I’m hoping that this ritual will be a sign of all the amazing fun to take place in our backyard for years to come.

(c) 2010 www.kimbelangermills.com All rights reserved.

Stressed?

Given my profession, I’m often asked what to do about stress. My #1 answer? Breathe! When you are feeling stressed about something you automatically tense up, breathing becomes shallow. My favourite breathing exercise is called the ‘3 Part Breath’ and for good reason... you breathe in 3 parts.

Sitting or laying comfortably place your left hand on your stomach and right hand on your chest. As you inhale your abdomen and then solar plexus and then chest rise. As you exhale they each fall in reverse. Chest, solar plexus, abdomen.


Another exercise is to make a tight fist as you inhale... exhale, release the fist


Here’s some yoga poses to try, while wearing comfortable clothes.


Child Pose: from your hands and knees, with your knees together, sit back on your heels. Bring your chest to your thighs and forehead to the mat. Your arms are along your sides, with palms up. Relax and breathe deeply through your nose.

Rag Doll Pose: while standing, take a step to the side to stand in a wide stance. Inhale your arms up, exhale hinging forward at the waist. Hang. Relax. You could grab the insides of each arm and rock back and forth. Be sure you head is hanging loosely. Breathe.


Here’s something to think about... think of what the lack would be that you are focusing on... lack of time? ... lack of money...? I believe that is what stress is all about – lack. Focus on your abundance instead! The abundance of love around you! The abundance of beauty around you!


Be blessed,


Kim


(c) 2010 www.kimbelangermills.com All rights reserved.

Ever wonder what it feels like to be maced?

I have never been afraid of dogs. I have a diploma in Animal Care and worked at an Animal Hospital for a while. Not to mention, I’ve been around dogs for a long time and have two now – one being a Yellow Lab. But, I moved to the country when my mom died and then in 2008 started running. That’s when my fear of dogs began.

On a few occasions I’ve been chased by unfriendly dogs where the body language was clear. They meant business. One occasion I was running with a friend and her dog and two large dogs, in a pack situation, charged us from quite a distance off their own property and bit my friend’s dog. I had another run-in with the same dogs while on my own. I was their focus at that time. Every time I had a problem I called police or animal control, who did nothing. But the last time I called the police and was crying and screaming into the phone for them to help me. They sent nobody. They did, however, call my useless animal control person. He, in turn, called me to ask who the dogs belonged to and their address. Oh, and that was the next day. As I said... useless. I believe he did give that family a ‘warning’. Great eh?

Although I love to run outside I figured that my running days were pretty much limited to a treadmill after all this. Then, I felt some hope from this defeat/victim feeling.... ‘dog deterrent spray’. Seemed the perfect solution! It’s legal, small enough to carry and only lasts about 15 minutes, I’m told. Just be sure to be upwind, I understood. Was it that simple? No!

I was nervous right from the start but I feel that everyone has the right to run safely in a public place. I took the spray outside with me and decided to spray it into the grass to put it to the test. Checking the wind, of course, first.

I sprayed. It was a cloud, not a stream, that I saw shoot out just as the wind changed to swirl around me. I turned my head quickly away but not quick enough. I got some in my right eye, nostril and side of my mouth. Ugh, not nice. Now that I’ve felt the affects could I do that to an animal that threatened my wellbeing? Yes, definitely. However, I’m not sure I could take the chance of endangering myself further by the possibility that I spray myself at the same time! My skin still was still irritated an hour and a half later and although I washed my hands twice it was still under my nails when I scratched my eye.

I still went for my run but was nervous and only lasted about 20 minutes. I kept looking around me and didn’t get to enjoy it. Why should I have to be scared and feel like a victim? Why, when something happens, do I have to be the one to get into my car and find out where the dog lives and give the animal control person all the information? It’s like being victimized again!

Back to the treadmill, I guess.

(c) 2010 http://www.kimbelangermills.com/ All rights reserved.

What's your movie preference?

Funny, dramatic, scary, tear-jerker, adventurous.... what’s your movie preference? Mine is definetly funny. I only like happy endings. I watched a movie last night that was pretty good until the end, when the main person died. Leaving wife and child. Ugh. I was still bawling a half hour later.

Then, I started thinking about the Law of Attraction. It takes only 16 seconds of feeling a certain way to attract more of how you are feeling. Ugh, again. I wish movies had something on it stating: “warning, this movie will make you feel crummy” or “warning, this is a very feel-good movie. Expect to feel a high for at least a day.” Wouldn’t that be nice? Only, it’s not possible for someone else to tell you how you will feel. So, it’s up to us to police our feelings to deliberately attract our magic.

So... what’s your movie preference? Will you chose diffently now that you are thinking of what you are attracting?

Blessings,
Kim
(c) 2010 www.kimbelangermills.com All rights reserved.