Fleeting Summer Days

I love Edmonton in the summer.

There. I said it.

It seems to me that's not a particularly popular opinion - to actually enjoy where you currently live. But I have always been a bit of a rebel.

The Fringe Festival is on right now, it's still sunny and warm, but the nights have cooled significantly. You can eat outside or in, and ice cream still feels like a totally reasonable "I need to cool down" purchase. I love it. 

I have been happily enjoying our short summer season, blissfully unaware that fall has been silently slipping in and touching the trees already. Yes, saw my first yellow leaves on the trees. Blerg.

So today's post isn't particularly relevant to my business, but simply a Happiness Call to Action. Enjoy the last days of summer. I truly believe how you do anything is how you do everything, so if you are waiting for the kids to be out of the house, or retirement, or whatever, to actually get out there and enjoy summer, know that you will ALWAYS be in a state of waiting. Seize the day and enjoy the sun. It doesn't last forever. 

Do you get that I am not just talking about summer here? 

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Happy Like a Dog

“Be alert as you watch a dog at play or at rest. Let the animal teach you to feel at home in the now, to celebrate life by being completely present. You just watch the tail...with some dogs you just look at them -- just a little look is enough -- and their tail goes...‘Life is good! Life is good!’ And they are not telling themselves a story of why life is good. It’s a direct realization.”  ~ Eckhart  Tolle

The beauty of dogs and small children is their ability to let go and be in the moment. They rarely hang onto the past. If they are upset, they don't wait for an "appropriate" amount of time to hang onto that upset - they go with what they feel in the moment. If that means they are crying one minute, and laughing the next (or cowering and then wagging, as the case may be), then so be it!

We could take a cue from our little friends. Change IS going to happen in all of our lives; the more we roll with it, the better. Read the quote from Eckhard Tolle again. Experiment with that kind of happiness and see what happens. Sure, you might get some odd looks trying to wag your "tail", but living in the pure joy of the moment, regardless of the events and stories that are present in that moment, is worth it!

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Holiday Survival Guide

I love my family. I get a lot of joy from being with them and I look forward to Christmas because of it. But not everybody gets renewed and supported by their family, and holidays can be a bit of a torturous event because of it (I've heard). So here are some ideas to keep your holidays merry and bright.

• Bring a good book that inspires you and helps create a feeling of peace and balance. Try Spiritual Liberation, by Michael Beckwith. Read a bit in the morning before facing the day to keep you focused on your inner joy so the potential outer chaos has less of an effect on you. Buy Spiritual Liberation on Amazon here.

• Decide what reactions you have that are causing the most stress. At night, track your "Wins" for the day - the times you managed to resist reacting the way you typically do. You will be amazed how often your failing to react the way you typically do changes other people's behavior. There is actual brain research that people can become addicted to negative attention they get from your reactions and subconsciously seek it out. Don't give in, and they will often stop the seeking behavior. Crazy, eh?

• Eat protein with each meal and avoid carb overload, and spend time in the fresh air. You need energy to deal with some people!

• If all else fails, here is a great "special" Christmas hot chocolate recipe from whattodrink.com to help you get through the rough patches (no, I am not advocating drinking as a coping mechanism, but c'mon - it's Christmas!) :


• 2 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
• 0.5 oz Ameretto
• 5 oz. Hot Chocolate
• Add all ingredients into a coffee mug, stir well, top with whip cream, enjoy!

• Enjoy your holidays, however you manage to do that!