I recently had a conversation with a white-haired weekend warrior who years ago had benefited from the care I provide. He was complaining of sore and stiff muscles around his shoulder blade that just weren’t going away this time. He asked if I thought I could help. I told him that we see conditions like his improve every single day because they are often SECONDARY to what is called a Neural Shift, which is what we focus on correcting in our office.

While this man trusts me, he seemed skeptical that Neurospinal Optimization(NSO) could help him. Why? Because he knows how gentle NSO care is and felt like he needed something more invasive or ‘harder’ to fix the problem.

This is a common belief amongst non-elite athletes and a misconception that not only gets in the way of them getting the care that can get them back on the field (or rink, court, golf-course) but creates a missed opportunity to perhaps increase their performance and health to a new level.

A few days after I spoke to this man, I was on the phone with a chiropractor colleague whose approach to care is very similar to mine. He mentioned that he had been providing care to a high-end athletic trainer who works with many professional athletes who fly significant distances to work with him. The trainer was so excited about what my colleague was doing  that he asked him to work with his athletes as part of his services. These athletes, who have access to the best-of-the-best doctors and therapists absolutely loved the work, understood the value, and knew they had found a unique edge.

Why did the athletes love NSO so much? Because it delivers so much more than temporary relief of pain, muscle spasm and other secondary conditions. In fact, some of the athletes refer to their care as their “steroids” due to the fact that it allows them to do things they could not otherwise accomplish (drug-free by the way).

So, how does Neurospinal Optimization, by focusing on the detection and correction of a Neural Shift affect athletic performance? Here are the top 5 ways:

     1. Increased Body Awareness. Somatic, or body awareness is essential to any athlete. A keen sense of where body parts are in space, how they are moving, and the ability to adapt in an instant is what makes great athletes great. A Neural Shift caused by trauma and stress decrease our awareness by design. Freeing the body of a Neural Shift can produce a powerful improvement in body awareness very quickly. I have had multiple weightlifting patients consistently make record lifts shortly after starting NSO care.

     2. Increased Flexibility and Range of Movement. A Neural Shift is like having too much current running through the wires of your home. Those wires (nerves) connect to every part of your body, including the muscles. Neural Shifts produce tight, inflexible muscles and restrict the range of motion necessary for high performers. When the Neural Shift is addressed with NSO care the athlete becomes more flexible not only through the large muscles, but actually is able to increase their range of motion in the small muscles that precisely move each joint. This range and precision could be the difference between victory and defeat.

3. Increase Efficiency of Movement. The best athletes are the most efficient athletes. A study featured on the cover of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, compared functional MRIs of subjects performing a simple movement before and after care. The result was that after care the parts of the brain involved became much more specific and precise, indicating much greater efficiency.

This study also indicated that the brain was more efficient post entrainment, which has phenomenal implications for both sports and other areas of life.

4. Injury Prevention. Nothing can impede athletic progress more than injuries. Obviously, if you are more aware of your body, more flexible, have a greater ROM and more efficient with your movements a great number of potential injuries will be prevented.

5. Faster Healing and Recovery.  A Neural Shift indicates the body is locked in a fight or flight, or defensive state. In this state all of our resources are directed towards survival – even if we aren’t in danger. This means fewer resources are available for healing, repair, recovery and growth. NSO allows the body to move from survival to ease and healing. I have personally recovered from injuries in literally a tenth of the time predicted by orthopaedic surgeons. A few years ago I tore my hamstring playing baseball. The surgeon prescribed intensive physiotherapy and no running for 10 weeks. With no treatment I was running full speed in 5 days!

There are many ways to have aches, pains, injuries and muscle spasms temporarily relieved. Top athletes know that this is nowhere near enough to ensure top performance in their disciplines. Neurospinal Optimization provides an opportunity to not only get past challenges, but take you to the next level.

Solution #2 – Behaviour!

In the last article we discovered that the people who are winning the game of life are different from those who are not in 3 main areas. These are our solutions to winning the game from now on. The solutions are: Awareness, Behaviour, and Structures. We looked more closely at awareness and gave you ideas to shift your awareness immediately.

This article will examine the behaviours that will set you on the path to winning the game of your life.

How to ACT like a Winner

We know that people who are winning the game of life act and behave differently than those who do not. This is obvious. The first characteristic of their actions is that their behaviours are consciously chosen. They create their own reality as opposed to wait for circumstance to dictate. Also very important, these individuals tend to focus almost all of their action on what they Want, instead of moving away from what they don’t want. Instead of seeking LESS pain, they will take action to create MORE health, vitality, mobility, or strength. Do you see the difference?

Start with the End in Mind

Winners of the game of life also understand that winning is a process and each action they take builds on the next. They make choices with the end in mind understanding that what may seem like a quick fix may hurt them in the long run. They ask, “How will this affect me in 5, 10, 20 years?” How many times have you taken a drug or undergone a procedure for temporary relief, knowing (or maybe ignoring) it was hurting your overall health? How about a little white lie in a relationship? Maybe a credit card purchase that made you feel good at the moment but you are still paying for today?

Start winning your game of life by focusing almost all of your time, energy, and money on actions that consistently increase your health and well-being in all areas of your life.

You ARE what you DIGEST

Winning the game of life also requires action in specific areas. Winning certainly requires great nutrition, however the most successful know that eating high quality food is not enough. You must be able to Digest the great food in order to be of full benefit. This means have balanced enzymes, gut flora and a properly functioning nervous system. It is also crucial to be able to listen to your body regarding food as we are built a bit different.

Move to Win

Daily activity is also essential to winning the game of life. Again, we are all a bit different so including a body awareness discipline is important in knowing what is right for you. Also be sure to include activities that get you out in the fresh air and sunshine.

When you Rest – Be sure you are Resting.

Proper rest is just as important as activity. Most people – while inactive – never truly rest because their body remains in fight or flight mode even when their day is done (and TV makes this worse). Techniques such as NSA and meditation can help you to break this stress pattern so you can truly rest and regenerate. Be sure to include family and friends in your leisure time as well.

Contribute

Perhaps the best way to win the game of life is to use your actions to contribute to others. Contribution is one of only 2 ways humans can be truly and sustainably fulfilled. Make contribution (small or large) a part of your goals and daily schedule and watch your happiness soar.

Grow

The other way humans are truly fulfilled is to grow! This means learning new things and improving and refining skills that are important to you. If you don’t already, find an activity you are passionate about and commit to getting better at it – for life. I recently competed against a 64 year old man in weightlifting. Yes, he finished last, but he was happy because he works on getting better every day!

We all have the same 24 hours in a day – some people create a great life with their 24 hours and others, not so much. It is never too late to make your 24 hours a day epic. Start today by looking at everything you do in a day and a week and asking yourself how you can create an even better present and future. Make decisions like someone who is winning the game of life, and soon you will find that you are one of them.

« Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. »
Da Vinci

and What is To Come in 2012

In the past I have reserved the last article of the year for listing all that I am grateful for. This is a great exercise and one that I planned on for this year as well. Having plenty of time over the past few days, I realized that something was causing me to put off the article. It wasn’t that we did not have lots to be grateful for – just the opposite. After quite a bit of thought I realized that in my own evolution I have become much more able to experience gratitude in the moment and that reflecting back to do so has become irrelevant. In fact, it would only serve to detract from being present with what is happening now and what must change in the future.

So, this article will be more about Gault Family Chiropractic’s vision for 2012 and the part I will be asking you all to play in support of that vision.

Recently, my staff and I created what is called a catalyzing statement for the practice. This is a statement that not only motivates, but directs all decision making within an organization. Our catalyzing statement is:

To make Cornwall and area the leader in sustainable, transformational health care.

I recently shared this with a group of ambitious and successful chiropractors I regularly meet with on the phone. The one member familiar with our fair city audibly gasped at how big a job this will be. I totally agree and that is why I know it is possible. Great people and great organizations who truly change the world always find a way to use their darkness and wounds to create unprecedented healing and light – and this is my exact plan. From great challenge comes great opportunity.

For this to happen, my focus must shift. Over the past 10 years I have focused my efforts on building one of the top NSA practices in the world and delivering clinical care at the highest level possible. This will not change, however it is not enough.

The fact is I cannot personally look after everybody in town. Even if I were to hire several amazing doctors to work with me, our reach would still be limited to a relatively small demographic. While in my opinion, receiving Network care, doing facilitated SRI and having personal Reorganizational Healing coaching is the most powerful and efficient way to create strategies for sustainable and transformational health and wellness, it is certainly not the only way.

This year we will be creating more of a community not only within Gault Family Chiropractic, but also outside it. We will provide strategies and support for those who will never receive our care. This may be in the form of community workshops, online powerpoint presentations, videos, books and articles. Some of my more advanced practice members have already stepped up into a leadership role by inspiring people (such as Rachel Wolff’s book of photos and words you can see HERE) outside the office and I will be calling on and facilitating more to do so.

We have an opportunity to make this community a healthy, vibrant and amazing place that can inspire the rest of the world. Our society and culture are in for some chaotic years and only people, organizations and populations with the awareness, flexibility and resourcefulness to rapidly adapt and shape their future will thrive.

Governments cannot give us this. Large corporations cannot give us this. We must do it one person at a time. I am willing to lead when required, but it will take each one of you to be an epicentre of transformation. We can do this.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my life this year! Thank you for reading these articles. Thank you for helping me, whether it was as a supporter or a challenger. Together, 2012 will be even better than 2011!

Stay tuned for our series of articles on Making 2012 the Best Year of Your Life, starting next week and our complimentary workshop of the same name right after I return from the Advanced NSA seminar in Denver, on Tuesday January 17^th at the office and Wed. January 18^th at Caveman Strong. Make this the year you finally keep your resolutions and achieve the results you deserve. Phone the office or gym to register.

« Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. »
Dale Carnegie

This weekend a group of Olympic weightlifters from Caveman Strong had the opportunity to participate in a private 3 hour training session with the legendary Alexandar Varbanov. Alex is an Olympic medallist, 3 time world champion, set multiple world records and is pound for pound one of the greatest lifters in the history of the world (I looked it up). Since concluding his competitive career he has become a world class coach. Being able to work with Alex would be like a hockey player having one on one ice time with Gretzky!

While I learned too many things to mention in this article, perhaps the most valuable was recognizing the role of progress and pain in creating our ultimate payoff or result.

Lack of External Does Not Always Equal Internal

I am very new to the sport of Olympic weightlifting (which is to power lifting what a concert violinist is to a fiddler) and I have to admit I had started to grow frustrated by what seemed to be a lack of progress. In fact my recent totals have actually been LESS than they were 6 months ago when I started to seriously train! I had been asking myself what have I been doing wrong and realized after my session with Mr. Varbanov that I wasn’t doing anything wrong except that my totals should be even lower!

I Suck, But In a Better Way!

What does this mean? It means that even though my results are worse, I have made tremendous progress in my mobility and technique – both things that will set the stage for much bigger totals in the future. I also learned that I have much more work to do in these areas before the big external results begin to manifest. You see my biggest asset (my strength) had been my largest impediment because I could use it at the expense of developing solid technique and mobility. The problem with this is I was at the limit of what I could produce at that level of skill – which really wasn’t much at all.

Sometimes, Some Pain Means Massive Gain

I also learned some lessons about pain. Essentially what Alex prescribed as correction strategies involved movements that I have avoided because I find them uncomfortable and painful. The question now is, am I willing to experience temporary discomfort for long term progress? The answer is YES, by the way!

Lessons For Life

While this anecdote is about weightlifting, this article is really about so much more. How can these lessons be applied to your health and life? Are you guided by short term results (symptom relief) at the expense of long term health? Do you choose comfort over success? Do you stop making progress on your health (diet, exercise, meditation, chiropractic care) the first time it feels painful or uncomfortable? How you answer these questions will determine your long term health and wellbeing.

How could these lessons apply to your financial success (debt vs. Savings)? How about your relationships? How about your career? What other areas of your life would be forever enhanced if you committed to progress instead of short term results and embraced some pain and discomfort in order to achieve the long-term payoff?

How You Do the Small Things Is How You Will Do the Big Things

One of the reasons I love sports (or any skill) is that they provide you with a classroom to learn about the secrets of life. The courage comes in taking the secrets from what is ultimately a trivial arena and applying them where they count.

Click Here to see a video of Alexandar Varbanov in action

“You can either be comfortable or successful.”

–       Dr. Donald Epstein

Be sure to sign up now for our January, Making 2012 The Best Year of Your Life, workshop. For the first time ever, learn to follow through on your new year resolutions!j

The Bane of Thorin

I have a confession to make. I am a horrible flag football player! My teams routinely finish at or near the bottom of the league each year. While I rarely play quarterback these days I believe I am one of the losingest at that position in the history of Cornwall Men’s flag football.

Here is the thing though – I shouldn’t be horrible. I run faster than all but the fastest. I can throw the ball as far and hard as just about anyone. I am very well coordinated. What do I lack? Adaptability! When things don’t go as planned, when the game changes, when there are too many variables I don’t adapt so well and things fall apart.

Life is More Important Than Sports

Let’s forget about sports for the moment. How adaptable are you in your life? How do you respond when things get stressful? How does your life go when a wrench is thrown into your plans? What happens when there is a challenge in your health, job, family, finances or relationships?

Adaptability = Success

Adaptability, in my opinion is the greatest indicator of wellness and success in any endeavour. Take an inventory of areas of your life you are successful and not so successful in. I bet you will see that adaptability leads to success and a lack of (rigidity) leads to failure, pain and frustration.

1st Be Present

So, how do we become more adaptable? First, we must be aware in the present moment. What is the reality – NOW. Until we know what IS it is impossible to change it for the better. In level one of Network care we help people to become more aware of how their body is and has responded to the stresses of life.

Response-Ability

Once we become more aware of the present we must have the flexibility to respond by changing our approach. This is called having more resourcefulness. Two people can have identical resources available to them, but the more adaptable individual will create more options with them. In level 2 of Network care, research has shown that the nervous system actually becomes more highly organized, indicating an increase in RESPONSE-ABILITY.

What is at Stake

A loss of adaptability can create major health problems. Life can be stressful and to be healthy we must be able to adapt to those stresses. Stress posture and physiology can become stuck in our bodies if we do not successfully adapt. This can result in a rigid, inflexible body prone to musculoskeletal injuries and pain. It also leads to a loss of digestive system function, immune response, high blood pressure and pulse rate. Worse yet, chronically high levels of stress hormones can cause weight gain, irritability and yes, even early death!

Body and Mind

The loss of health is not only physical. Sustained stress physiology makes it harder to think clearly, learn, be creative, calm, peaceful and have healthy relationships. It also hampers (if there was any doubt) your life enjoyment.

Our nervous system is how we interact between the outside environment and our inside reality. You can only be as adaptable as your nervous system is aware and flexible. NSA is a great way to boost your adaptability and succeed in any area of your life (except maybe flag football)!

“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. “
Paulo Coelho