Bugaboo Alpine Traveling » Nordic Cross Country Ski

Manifest Your Dreams With a Dream Map

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:38:25 +0000

By: Grace Durfee

oals, determining measurable milestones, and taking consistent action are great ways to move forward toward what you want in life. I’d like to share with you a fun activity I often use with clients and workshop participants that can jump-start the process. It’s a collage-making activity, and the end product is called a dream map, treasure map, or dream board. Dream maps are powerful tools for self-discovery and manifestation. They are based on a tried and true approach: that clearly picturing and creating a visual image of a desired outcome helps it come true. If drawing cave paintings helped ancient people prepare for a successful hunt, imagine what a pictorial wish list could do for you. So, set aside half an hour, bring your passions, aspirations, and intentions, mix them with paper, scissors, glue sticks, and magazines, and see what takes shape!

To prepare for this activity, collect a stack of ten to fifteen magazines and catalogs that you won’t mind dismantling. You’ll need some type of adhesive: a glue stick, rubber cement, or tape, and a pair of scissors. For the background, use a poster board, oversized construction paper, newspaper, or a large piece of drawing paper. If you have a choice of colors, select your favorite for the background.

Before you begin, spend a few minutes setting your intention for the exercise. Think about what you’d like to manifest in your life.

* What would you like more of?

* What’s missing from your life right now?

* What may already be in your life that you’d like to devote more time to?

* What gaps became apparent as you completed the Beginnings exercises?

Now, quickly leaf through the magazines and tear or cut out pages with images that appeal to you. Don’t analyze or question why you’re selecting certain pictures; if something catches your interest, makes you smile, or say “Yes!” then it’s a keeper. You may find you choose images that remind you of a significant place, person, or object from your past or present. Your pictures could represent what you want for the future. Give yourself about twenty minutes to go through the magazines. Then, take your stack of pictures, play with the placement of them, and glue or tape them on the paper when you’re satisfied with the arrangement. Feel free to add your own drawings to complete your dream map.

Some people choose to hang their finished dream maps where they’ll see them several times a day. Popular spots include the refrigerator door or an office wall. Others prefer to tuck them away to keep them private. I’ve used both approaches before with tremendous success. I usually need to create a new dream map every six months because everything comes true. For instance, I once chose pictures of a woman receiving a massage, a Zen fountain, a lone cross-country skier, a smiling gardener pushing a wheelbarrow of harvested vegetables, and a woman doing yoga in her living room. These manifested in my life as:

* a barter arrangement with a massage therapist

* a great deal on a Zen fountain at a discount retailer

* an opportunity to rent a Vermont ski condo which was only a few miles from a lovely Nordic touring center * an offer to work an exceptionally fertile garden plot at a nearby horse farm in exchange for tilling the soil and sharing some of the crops

* an exchange of coaching for personalized yoga instruction to help me develop a home practice for when I can’t make it to yoga class

Exactly why this happens is somewhat of a mystery, although I have some theories. When you clarify what it is that you want, you are better able to focus your energy and actions to move you in that direction. When you commit your ideas and dreams to paper, whether in words or pictures, you make them more concrete. This helps harness the power of visualization. When you put a desire or an intention out to the Universe, amazing synchronicities and coincidences begin to occur. When you’ve clarified what you want, it becomes easier to recognize opportunities that could provide the openings you need.

Once you realize how powerful dream maps are, you may want to create separate maps for different areas of your life. Choose a background color that you associate with each area, for instance: green for financial, red for relationships, and blue for leisure. Select only images related to that aspect of your life. You may want to bind all of your dream maps into a book.

Choose a favorite photo of yourself to add to your dream map to claim this as your dream.

Use dream maps as a tool for self-discovery. Select every picture that resonates with you for some reason. I often use dream maps with people who are changing careers to help them explore their interests. If you are trying to reconnect with your passions, this exercise can provide valuable clues.

Other good times to make dream maps include: your birthday or the New Year when you’re setting goals for the year ahead, when you’re looking for a life partner, when you’re starting a family, when you’re planning a dream vacation, when you’re relocating, when you’re building a dream house, when you’re looking for a new creative outlet, or when you’re planning your retirement.

Have fun creating your dream map! This is one of those activities in which you benefit as much from the process as from the final product.

Grace Durfee is a Professional Certified Coach, Professional Mentor Coach, trainer, writer, and speaker who helps busy professionals, small business owners and career changers achieve success while enjoying more balanced lives. She is the author of Balance with Grace: Celebrate the Kaleidoscope of Life. To learn more visit http://www.balancewithgrace.com

When East Goes South

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:38:03 +0000

By: Roger Munns

If there’s one thing guaranteed to boost holiday sales, it’s the weather. And in Britain’s case they not only had a summer of floods but a cold windy winter too, and it’s being reflected in a bumper time for holiday companies taking early summer bookings and winter sunshine holidays too.

Airports across the UK are reporting record numbers of passengers, and East Midlands Airport, a fast growing regional airport serving Nottinghamshire, Rutland and Leicestershire, is no exception.

Passengers numbers were up by over an impressive twelve per cent between Christmas Eve and January 2 compared to the same tme a year ago, with not just holiday makres jetting off to the sun but with cheap airlines offering good deals increasing numbers of families visiting loved ones for the festive period.

Included in the destinations travelled to are the Caribbean, with some holiday makers flying to take a cruise, the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca on the Spanish mainland, and the Canary island of Tenerife which has weather hovering around the 70 degree farenheit level at Christmas and New Year.

One new route proving popular from the East Midlands is Innsbruck in Austria, for ski holidays.

Skiing is to Innsbruck as tennis is to Wimbledon and it’s because of this that British ski enthusiasts seek regular flights there. Economical flights are even better and ski fans are getting their choice as more flights run to and from this natural wonder in western Austria, with the East Midlands being the latest addition.

Starting in December 2007 there will be budget flights six days a week from London Gatwick Airport to Innsbruck. This weekly schedule will accommodate Britons who want inexpensive travel to a locale that lives and breathes skiing.

Innsbruck is located in the federal state of Tyrol. Located in the Inn Valley between high mountains, it is ideally suited to winter activities and skiing in particular. The name Innsbruck means “the bridge over the Inn”.

Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Olympics twice: in 1964 and 1976. It has also hosted the Winter Paralympics: in 1984 and 1988. It is a testament to its challenging world-class courses that it has had the honour of hosting these events. Of course, there’s also the breathtaking panorama of this beautiful city and its surrounding slopes.

Innsbruck offers what skiers love and want in abundance: an average of 321 inches of snow falls there annually. It also offers scenic accommodations and European charm. A trip to Innsbruck in the winter can provide the exhilaration of sport combined with the tranquility of nature.

Innsbruck has a population of over 117,000 in an area of roughly 105 square kilometers. It’s an area rich in winter sports activities other than skiing, with snow boarding and snowshoeing viable activities. Even winter hiking along its scenic trails is an option. Ski wise, aside from its more difficult runs, it is also popular for its courses that cater to the novice and intermediate skier. Ski-jumping facilities are also present for those training in this daring sport or hoping to venture into this type of activity.

It also has numerous trails for cross-country skiing. Trails lead from the city to the outlying villages and countryside. A popular run for Nordic enthusiasts is the Buchen Loop that runs below the mountains and leads to a plateau that overlooks the Inn Valley.

For those East Midlanders prefering a relaxing holiday in the sun, their choice of holiday destination seems to be Tenerife this winter.

Winter holiday makers returning from Tenerife will tell you it’s not just the climate that draws them – often in the 70′s farenheit while back home it’s around freezing point – but the first class resorts and hotels which make a winre holiday a perfect break. The island’s tourism is made up of nearly 50 per cent British visitors, of whom a third will return to Tenerife again.

For Tenerife winter holiday information including a range of Tenerife hotels that can offer both 5 star vacations as well as a cheap Tenerife holiday plus airlines who provide cheap Tenerife flights visit YourTenerife.net

2010 Accommodation Whistler Venue: Whistler Olympic Park

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:28:30 +0000

By: Devon O’Malley

Spread in the gorgeous Callaghan Valley, the Whistler Olympic Park lays expertly groomed and spruced for elite athletic competition. The site includes 55 km of cross-country trails, biathlon range and stadium, incredible ski jumps, snowshoeing trails and a warm day lodge. Near many accommodation Whistler sites, this outstanding park is anticipated to host the biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined events at the 2010 Winter Games. This article further explores the surrounding locale of the park and reveals some interesting facts about the venue itself.

The Valley

Located just west of Whistler Village, the Callaghan Valley is in close vicinity to many accommodation Whistler sites and is the ultimate destination for year-round outdoor activity. The gentle sloping terrain and miles of track-set cross country ski trails provide an excellent environment for Nordic Skiing in the valley.

Surrounded by snow-capped pristine peaks, the Callaghan Valley attracts summer-time campers as a place to take in British Columbia’s natural beauty and charm. Summer-time activities include hiking marked and unmarked trails at Ring Lake or fishing for trout and char in Callaghan Lake and Cirque Lake. Wildlife is also plentiful within the pillars of cedar, fir and hemlock; mountain goat, moose, grizzly bears, black bears and cougars all inhabit the forest and valley.

The Venue

It is no surprise accommodation Whistler spots are filling up fast, each stadium within the park has an Olympic venue capacity of 12,000 people per day during the Olympic Winter Games and a venue capacity of 6,000 people during the Paralympic Winter Games. The total area consists of three stadiums (cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping) located approximately 400 metres apart; technical sport buildings at each of the stadiums; day lodge; 14 kilometres of biathlon and cross-country competition trails and two ski jumps (normal hill and large hill). Furthermore, the site contains 5 kilometres of roller-ski trails and 6 kilometres of lit trails to boost athletes training opportunities. As you can see, the park is an impressive facilities for both training and competing purposes.

As the Callaghan Valley is renowned for a reliable and consistent yearly snowfall, there is only one snowmaking system at the Whistler Olympic Park. This will be used specifically for the ski jump landing hill.

Once the 2010 Olympics have passed, the Olympic Park will continue as a sports facility and legacy for local residents, visitors and athletes. With many accommodation Whistler sites nearby, it will also attract many tourists and Whistler travellers. The park will be under the operation of Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies.

Devon O’ Malley is a staff writer for Allura Direct, a
vacation rentals website offering powerful search and instant booking features for owners and guests alike. Be a part of the Olympic excitement in Whistler and book your next accommodation Whistler today!

Finland is a Nordic Country

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:40:21 +0000

By: Douglas Scott
The Republic of Finland is a Nordic country in north Eastern Europe, bounded by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. Finland has land frontiers with Sweden, Norway and Russia. The Aland Islands, off the south western coast, are under Finnish sovereignty while enjoying extensive autonomy. Finland has a population of only five million people in three hundred thousand square kilometres. The capital of Finland is Helsinki.

Cold temperate and potentially sub arctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea and more than 60,000 lakes.

On 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries. On 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries.

Lapland, far to the north, the indigenous Sami people still tend their reindeer herds. Finland is one of the most technologically switched on countries in the world. It is also renowned for its design and architecture, in particular those of Alvar Aalto, whose humanist approach to modernism extended into fields such as glassware, furniture and major buildings.

Go cross cuntry skiing on Finlands marked and often illuminated tracks all over the country. There are also over 100 downhill skiing resorts. Many resorts have half pipes and snowboard streets for snowboarding enthusiasts. Off site skiing is available through private companies.

Restaurants are divided into two classes, those serving all kinds of alcohol and those serving only beers and wines. Waiter service is common although there are many self service snack bars. Bars and cafes may have table and or counter service and internationally known beverages are available. In restaurants, beer is served from 0900 and other liquor from 1100. All alcohol is served until half an hour before the restaurant closes. Nightclubs are open to serve drinks until 0200 or 0400. Service begins at 1100 and continues until the restaurant closes.

Finnish handicrafts, jewellery, hand woven rugs, furniture, glassware, porcelain, ceramics, furs and textiles are amongst the many specialities. Excellent supermarkets and self service shops can be found all over the country.

Most visits to Finland are trouble fee but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners. This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK.

Douglas Scott works for The Rental Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Finland Rental Site

Nordic Walking: Enhance your Walking Experience & Maximize your Workout

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:49:03 +0000

By: Lori Clinch

If you could combine something fun, easy, affordable and invigorating that could possibly….
-increase your caloric expenditure by up to 46%
-raise your heart rate to fat burning zone
-increase your cardiovascular workout by up to 28%
-Alleviate pain and injury causing stresses of your hips, knees or feet
-relieve neck and shoulder pain and improve shoulder mobility
-reduce the risk of falling by creating greater stability, improving balance and posture
-provide resistance training for 90% of your body’s muscles, especially those of your core
WITHOUT much more exertion than regular walking…..would you be willing to investigate a little of your time to discover what this is?
” I love introducing Nordic walking to people because it is so enjoyable to be exercising outdoors, almost anyone can do it and have mastered the basics within an hour, no base fitness level is needed to begin and people seem to experience benefits soon after starting. Being a FITTREK Master Trainer, I can teach the technique that is most suitable for your level, being mindful of your limitations and health concerns. ” A wise teacher makes learning a joy ”, I once heard; I try to make my classes fun and enjoyable for all participants and meeting so many wonderful people has certainly enriched my life. ” (author,Lori Clinch)
Individuals with the following health conditions have been able to Nordic Walk:
-Osteoarthritis and wanting to keep active yet relieve some of the pain/discomfort off joints
-Requiring a cane/walker to walk and wanting to become more mobile to increase independence
-Difficulty with balance and coordination and desiring to increase stability
-Knee/hip surgery and wanting to recover quickly or wanting to prolong surgery as long as possible
-Weight gain ,wanting to lose it but not wanting to go to the gym
-Diabetes: Doctor has recommended exercise. They like to walk but want to diversify it or experience poor circulation &/or have lost some sensation in feet and need the support of the poles
-Parkinson’s disease, uses assisted walking devices, desires more independence
-Osteoporosis-needs a weight bearing activity to build bone density
-Computer/desk work; carry stress in neck and shoulders, poor posture
-Sedentary lifestyle at home -wishes to begin an easy, low impact but effective exercise
-Runners who have been injured and want to keep fit and active
-Cross-country skiers who want to be in physical condition for ski season
-Regular walkers who want diversity and variety in their regimen
-Power walkers who want to engage more core and upper body muscles
-Outdoor enthusiasts who want to cross-train and add diversity
Using the specially designed walking poles with proper technique with upper body muscles and arm movements, the user receives a similar workout to cross-country skiing with all the health and fitness benefits but without the intensity, cold and snow.
Medical Professionals as well as Fitness Trainers are endorsing this activity for their clients/patients. Dr. Natasha Kipot, Chiropractor and Dr. Kellie Ferguson, Naturopathic Physician, both of Royal Oak Chiropractic in Victoria, BC are endorsing Nordic Walking in their perspective practices as well as contributing their expertise in wellness, health, prevention and recovery at Nordic Walking demonstrations and workshops with the author.
The Doctors say, ’’ This is a great low impact exercise that will help with osteoarthritis, rehabilitation and injury prevention for starters ”. Dr. Natasha Kipot sees great results with Nordic Walking’s ability to increase the body’s core stability which coincides with they type of body work she is already providing.
”Physical problems and/or pain are the everyday hurdles that I’m always trying to overcome with patients and finding an alternative exercise that can be utilized in different aspects provides those outlets!” Dr. Natasha Kipot DC

Fittrek Canada is seeking Canadian Fitness, Medical and Health Professionals to become Fittrek Instructors as well as to retail the poles/products.

http://www.fittrek.com
http://www.health-adventure-coach.com