If there is anything worse than ‘hot as hell’, it’s ‘cold as hell’. Let me tell you, being cold is no fun. I can remember growing up and hating winter.
In western Canada where I lived as a child, the winters were cold. My breath became ice clouds, my face tightened with frost, and forget about breathing deeply . . . not unless I wanted to feel a cold pain in my throat. No matter what I wore, that chilling bite went straight to my skin.
It wasn’t until grade 9 that I experienced my first warm snowsuit. It was by accident. A friend was taking me snowmobiling. I didn’t look forward to it, but he was so excited about his new Ski-Doo and there was no backing out. When his dad saw how I was dressed, he pulled out an extra snowsuit from their closet and made me wear it. I couldn’t believe how warm I was. Suddenly winter changed: the snow became fun, not punishing.
A warm snowsuit makes all the difference. That’s why Awakening Potentials has decided to take an active part this year in helping The Snowsuit Fund. A portion of all fees from initial client visits to our office will go to The Snowsuit Fund, including visits for chiropractic, massage, acupuncture and personal coaching.
You can also help make a less fortunate child’s winter enjoyable by donating money or a snowsuit to The Snowsuit Fund. In 2008/2009, The Snowsuit Fund distributed nearly 15,000 new snowsuits. To donate money to this worthy cause, go to www.snowsuitfund.com.
Warm thoughts to all,
Tony Brunelle
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The Intention Experiment with Lynn McTaggert
At the age of 15, I arrived in Canada from the Caribbean in the middle of a snow storm. It’s not easy finding winter clothing in the tropics, but I came equipped the best I could – one woollen sweater, two long sleeved shirts (one of which was given to me by my best friend, Kim), two hand-knitted hats and scarves, two pairs of woollen socks, a flannel nightgown someone had sewn for me, and a woollen pair of pants and jacket I had sewn for myself.
While standing outside waiting for a taxi to take me to my new home, I remember looking in amazement at the falling snowflakes and mountains of snow 6 feet high. This was the first time I had ever seen snow. Then, I held my breath… something wasn’t right… I breathed out slowly, breathed in slowly and held my breath. I did this over an over but I couldn’t understand what was going on… it was the first time I had ever seen breath clouds.
A few days later, I was given my first winter coat, a grey woollen coat with sheepskin fur around the hood – a hand-me-down from an 18 year old girl. It was a warm coat and I looked like an Eskimo in it. My problem was that I needed winter boots. I couldn’t keep a grip on the ice and snow in my tennis shoes. My first pair of winter boots came from Eaton’s. They had soles that were supposed to grip the ice (they didn’t), and they were supposed to be warm (they weren’t). A few weeks after getting them, the leather split at the seams and my feet would get wet walking to and from school. I didn’t mind my feet getting cold since I didn’t have money to buy another pair and I figured that’s the way it was… boots were meant to leak.
The next winter, I bought a pair of mukluks from Canadian Tire with what amounted to 40 hours of babysitting money I had saved. Initially, the mukluks were warm, but by the middle of winter, the vinyl had cracked and water leaked to my feet… my socks would be soaking wet and my mukluks would smell like wet dog. Money was very tight, and I would save what I earned from babysitting to buy my own clothes and to buy things we needed for my mom, but I didn’t have enough to buy another pair of winter boots. After all, that’s the way it was… boots were meant to leak.
In my school, there was a clear distinction between the teenagers who came from rich families (they were given cars on their sweet 16 birthdays) and those who were struggling (we wore our clothes and shoes until they were threadbare – in my case, until they ripped because there was no more strength in the fabric and my toes were poking through my shoes). I didn’t mind being poor because my friends, all immigrants, were very intelligent people who had a lot of depth to their personalities and who weren’t caught up in a superficial material world. I also had my health. I was fortunate that I didn’t get sick because of my wet feet. At least I had my warm coat to protect me.
I think it is great that Tony, Marcelle and JP are giving a portion of their initial client fees to the Ottawa Snowsuit Fund. When you live in poverty, it’s not easy to ask for handouts; but when help given with sincerity, empathy and lack of judgement, it helps and is much appreciated.
What I think was the worst for me was the cold feet. I had to wear running shoes with a rubber boot pull over. That was it, no insulation and oh, did my feet get cold. Walking home on my heels because my toes hurt to much to walk on them. Cold is no fun!
Come to think of it, I had forgotten that on really cold days (-25 to -40 C), my feet were so cold I couldn’t feel them. When I got home and they started to warm up, I had to go through a painful 10 minutes before they thawed out.
It’s the wet feet that bothered me the most. When I was walking, I always had the image in my mind that I was walking through an ice bath with ice cubes and cold bottles of coke and beer in them, like you see at parties… I had fun with that image which pre-occupied my mind and allowed me to disassociate from the physical pain.
My feet would always be red when I took my wet socks off, and I would marvel at how red and numb they could get. Coming from the Caribbean, I thought this was what it was to be a tough Canadian, so I wasn’t complaining.
Tony and Marcelle
It seems the mind is so powerful. Beyond that of a supercomputer, the mind can keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer even in those unusual circumstances.
I believe that we are our own healers, once we know how to release what needs to go.
I have been using your techniques now for quite a while and I must say that I am doing great now. In fact I have started a health-related web site:
http://www.premahealth.net
cheers
The Mukluks Boot is one of the most popular types of footwear.They offer an excellent level of comfort and a wonderful Muluks pattern as well. On the cooler weather, they can bring warm and cozy to you. Your feet will be in shoe heaven!These boots are a take off of a sheepskin boot that has been worn for many years. Today’s Mukluk Boot is a combination of that same warm feeling boot that warmed people and a flare of style. They are offered in various colors and styles, but Muluksare known for their cute shaped boot with white fluff spilling over the top.
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