I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in the Nexus Chiropractic family a Happy New Year! I would also like to thank everyone for spoiling us with the thoughtful gifts we received over the holiday.

2014 was an exciting year – we added some new technology, continued to refine our clinical expertise and were joined by a new RMT who has fit nicely with our specific approach to care.

In the past year Nexus invested in new equipment that allows us to more effectively assess, monitor and correct the Neurospinal Shifts that our care focuses on. This equipment allows us to more specifically pinpoint abnormalities in your physical structure that result from a Neuropspinal Shift. These abnormalities often occur way before any secondary conditions, symptoms or pain start to arise.

I have always been a huge proponent of continually refining clinical skills and learning from the best, and this past year I attended my 10th consecutive advanced technique seminar in NSA – the core discipline we use in our Neurospinal Optimization focus. Additionally, I continued to study and train with leaders in different fields to ensure you are receiving efficient and up to date care.

We were also joined this year by Jaime McRae, RMT. Jaime is a massage therapist who focuses on NeuroKinetic Therapy, which is a discipline that works very well with my approach to care. Instead of merely ‘attacking’ tight and sore muscles, she determines ‘why’ muscles are firing a certain way and her care focuses on getting to the underlying cause.

In 2014, Nexus Chiropractic also recommitted to helping patients, their families, and the community at large to help themselves through workshops. The people who take advantage of these events get some of the best results in their health that I have seen. We have a series of workshops held in the office at no charge (some open only to patients, some open to the public), I speak regularly for the Encore Seniors Group, and several times per year we hold intensive ‘Clear Days’ for patients and practice members who have already made progress in their care. Please take advantage of these valuable health resources.

Now, what is to come in 2015? First, we are working on implementing a new diagnostic technology that will allow us to measure and monitor a powerful indicator of nervous system function and overall health – stay tuned.

Next week I will be heading to Denver to attend a brand new program that is an extension of the NSA training I have been doing over the past 14 years. This will be a more advanced application towards the achieving the objectives of our care at Nexus. In case you can’t tell, I am pretty excited about this!

We already have several workshops and events lined up for early 2015. Tonight (Jan. 6) will be the first of many Introductory Workshops. Even if you have attended in the past, the information presented evolves, so feel free to attend again. Also in January will be The Best Year of Your Life workshop, which will teach how to have…….! Our next Clear Morning will be on Saturday, Jan. 31^st. This will fill fast so please speak to Cindy or Adele if you would like to attend. I will also be speaking to the Encore Seniors group with my friend Tyler Touchette in March. Encore is a great organization, so if you are over 50 I encourage you to check out their programs.

I want to thank you all for being a part of Nexus and being a part of my life. As I approach my 15 year anniversary of graduating from chiropractic school I am very grateful for having the opportunity to work with such great people and help them to produce such extraordinary results. Here is to another great year for us all!

2012 was a great year for Gault Family Chiropractic and its’ practice members and we have some incredible things in store for 2013. As you know, over our 12 years of practice we constantly learn new things, refine our care and evolve both our clinical skills and service to you in the office. We are currently in the midst of another such evolution as we have many exciting things we will be unveiling in the new year.

Any time changes are taking place, it is important to know EXACTLY where you are coming FROM. You can’t leave a place you don’t know you are at (someone really smart said something like that)! There is no better time to assess where we are than at the start of a New Year, so in this article I will highlight 2012 at Gault Family Chiropractic. Next week I will give you a peak of what is ahead in 2013.

BTW…I recommend doing this with yourself with any part of your life that is important to you (health, finances, relationships, etc.).

Since the office opened in 2000, one of the things that has set us apart is the support we provide our practice members through coaching and workshops that help people to take what they gain through our care and apply it to their lives. 2012 was no different as we continued with our regular workshops and SRI coaching while adding a completely new quarterly program called The Fireside Chat. The chat is a more advanced workshop with a short presentation by me followed by opening the floor for questions and conversation including hands-on demonstrations. Our first two chats have been a huge hit and have been lots of fun for everyone. Our next Fireside Chat  will be March 26^th.

    As per tradition we started 2012 with our Best Year of Your Life workshop in January to kick off your year right and we will be starting 2013 the same way on Jan. 29^th. This workshop is NOT to be missed.

Many of you know that when it comes to clinical care, I am obsessed with delivering high quality. We focus on NSRT (NeuroSpinal Restructuring Technique) with the goal of correcting Neural Resistance and I take that goal very seriously. It is for that reason we invest a tremendous amount of time and energy (and Air Miles) continuing to refine our skills. NSA is one of the tools I use to achieve this and in 2012 I attended both the Advanced NSA seminar and The Bridge program in Denver and had the opportunity to study closely with system developer Dr. Epstein.

In addition, in 2012 I studied some new complementary tools our practice members can learn to reduce Neural Resistance and we will be expanding the use of these in 2013.

Over the years we have realized that we are more than just a chiropractic office. Our practice members become a part of our family and sometimes our office becomes like a second home. For that reason we made a lot of ‘home’ renovations to make our physical space more inviting and conducive to promoting your health. More will follow.

While I never wanted to be a product ‘pusher’ (and am still not) we realized that many of our important complementary recommendations for supplements and other things were not being carried out due to lack of availability. It is for that reason we expanded our product line to high quality fish oil, vitamin D and probiotics, as well as EMF fighting Q-link products and spine supporting pillows. All of these products are personally used by myself and my family and are an excellent way to support your care by reducing Neural Resistance.

2012 was also a year that my profile as a speaker and coach outside of the practice took off. In October I was honoured to be one of the headline speakers at Cornwall’s 2^nd annual BizFest where I spoke about the same principles we teach in the office and how to use them to face adversity in life and business. I also continued to run the first year coaching, tutoring and practice evaluation program for X-CELS – an international company teaching chiropractors around the world. I love working with this program because it allows me to have an impact not JUST in my community, but internationally as well.

Of course many other things happened in 2012, but in a nutshell, this is where we are at. Lots to celebrate and so much more possible. I am even more excited to share what we have in store to serve you even better in 2013! Stay tuned for next week’s article.

Happy New Year!

Karma can be a funny thing. At this time last week my plan was to write the article I am working on right now – about how I stay healthy while so many people are walking around (or laying in bed) with colds or the flu. Guess what happened? I woke up that morning with a fever, a sore throat, runny nose and a body that ached all over. I had the flu! Couldn’t very well write that article, could I?

So, I got my boys ready for school, dropped them off and when I got home – feeling like hell – I wrapped myself in warm clothes, climbed under a mountain of blankets and slept for 2 hours.  When I awoke I felt as good as new and went on to have a productive day. That was my experience with the ‘2 hour’ flu!

When I share this story with people they think it is impossible. I can tell you that this has been my experience from time to time. What has allowed me to bounce back so quickly from these illnesses is exactly what can help you to stay healthy this fall and winter while the people around you falter.

First, let me say that the reason I experienced those symptoms in the first place is that I had not been following my own advice. I had spent the weekend eating not the best diet. I had also been very busy working on some new projects and looking after my boys solo as my wife was working out of town. I was not sleeping well or enough. In a nutshell, I just wasn’t taking proper care of myself. Why is this important? Connecting my lifestyle with my ‘sickness’ allowed me to stop, pull up my socks and get it together. Here is what I do to stay healthy at this time of year.

Minimize Sugar and Grains. This is one of the most important steps in staying healthy at any time of year. Sugar and grains have a detrimental effect on the immune system and leave us susceptible to colds and the flu. They also lead to systemic inflammation, acidic pH levels, weight gain and chronic disease. Most of your diet should consist of grass fed meat, organic eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables. I buy most of my meat locally from Peasant’s Craft Farms.

Supplement with Vitamin D3. Most northerners are deficient in vit. D – especially when the weather gets colder and our skin is not exposed to lots of sunlight. Optimal vit. D levels are essential to a strong immune system (among many other benefits). If you are wary of supplementation, have your levels checked by your GP or naturopath. Vit. D is inexpensive and we carry an excellent product that my family personally uses.

Get High Quality Sleep. I am not a believer in many of the current sleep recommendations. It is my belief that if you are living a healthy lifestyle you probably do not require as much sleep as the average person. That being said, sleeping WELL is crucial to being healthy and strong. I find regular exercise to be the most important factor in sleeping well. Having a pre-bedtime ritual, dealing with stress, and certain supplements may assist also. Whatever it takes, make sure you are getting a good night’s rest.

Fish Oil. After vit. D, this is my favourite supplement. Our western diet has thrown our Omega-6 :3 ratios way off course. I believe everyone should be supplementing with a high quality fish oil supplement.  Quality is extremely important to avoid heavy metal contamination. There are several places to get good fish oil and we carry an excellent brand.

Get Entrained. This is the cornerstone of my healthy lifestyle and the reason I drive to Gatineau every  Wednesday for 2 NSA entrainments. Physical, mental and emotional stresses affect us all, and if they become locked as defense posture or physiology our immune system will become compromised. NSA is the best way I know of to not only release this tension, but use it to transform our body and health. NSA also helps me to sleep well, exercise more effectively and has been shown to help people make better lifestyle choices. For me, Network care is the piece of the puzzle that makes all others fit together perfectly.

Don’t treat symptoms. I know this sounds strange. Last week, what if I had taken some cold medication to lessen my sore throat and runny nose, taken a pain killer for my body aches, and an anti-pyretic to bring down my fever? Sure, I could have gone about my day as planned, but what would the ultimate outcome have been? No, I listened to my body and responded in a way that maximized its’ ability to heal. What seemed like a miracle recovery was just a result of listening to my symptoms instead of attacking them. Try it out and see what happens.

Obviously there are many others things you can do to be and stay healthy and I recommend you research them on your own. Starting with these 6 steps will have a major impact on your health and help you to avoid being one of the masses suffering this season.

Many of you outside the NSA practitioner world will not be familiar with my mentors, colleagues, employers, and dear friends, husband and wife team Drs. Pierre Bernier and Christine Bourque of Gatineau, Quebec. Those of you close to me know that there are very few people who have had a greater impact on my life than these two amazing individuals.

The reason I am writing this article now is that this past Friday they were celebrating the 30^th anniversary of their chiropractic practice. While I was unable to attend the party, it was an opportunity to reflect on how they have influenced me as both a network practitioner and human being. I cannot possibly express how grateful I am to have known them for the past 11 years.

Pierre and Christine have been my personal chiropractors since 2001, became my coaches and mentors shortly thereafter, and gave me my first job as a coach and consultant to chiropractors in 2008. No one has been a greater influence on my chiropractic career and with the exception of my parents and family has impacted my life more powerfully. For those of you who have been a part of my practice, their signature is literally everywhere.

Pierre and Christine have taught me too many things to document, however I thought this article was a great chance to highlight the most important.

The first thing they provided me was a model for a successful, busy, and fun NSA practice. After having a life changing experience at my first Network seminar with Dr. Epstein in 2001, I started receiving regular care with Pierre and Christine. They were able to take a peak experience and turn it into something real and sustainable. I was absolutely terrified to start practicing this “extraordinary” looking work after being a traditional chiropractor. Without them there is no way I could have made our current practice a reality.

Something else they instilled in me was the importance of clinical excellence. From the time I was a student I was obsessed with technical mastery. This is why I have always travelled to seminars all over the place so often. Pierre and Christine helped me to take this to a completely new level. Every time I think to myself that I am getting great, I attend one of their workshops or Clear Days and have to completely recommit to stepping up my game. This is a gift I can never repay.

Another important attribute Pierre and Christine exude is the desire to contribute their gifts to the world. They are in a position that they don’t NEED to continue to work at the incredible pace they do. They don’t NEED to practice like they always have. They did not NEED to commit a huge amount of time and energy creating a program to help other Network doctors thrive 5 years ago when they saw the need. They do it because they love helping people and this is what they do best (yes, even better than golf)!

The most simple and profound thing I have learned from Pierre and Christine is that you can be supremely generous and ultimately successful at the same time. Honestly, this was a tough one for me. There is no need for further explanation; this is exactly what they are.

Pierre and Christine are not just celebrating 30 years of practice. They are celebrating having a direct, positive influence on tens of thousands of lives, an indirect influence on many, many more, and serving as an example of mastery to so many who touch so many.

There is no way I could possibly repay all you have given to me. All I can hope to do is to continue to follow your lead and work to turn each grain of wheat you have given me into a golden field that will feed all of the cities of the earth (except with bacon, not gluten).

« Any person who contributes to prosperity must prosper in turn. »
E. Nightingale

I would like to preface this article by emphatically stating that I am in NO way commenting on the quality of the other chiropractors in my community. In fact, I think Cornwall is lucky to have a nice complement of chiropractors who do good work. I frequently refer potential patients and practice members to other chiropractors if their goals do not match the objectives of my office. Okay, on with the story.

This past Friday I hurt my neck during an Olympic weightlifting training session. No big deal, but it left me with a stiff neck that I could not turn very well and moving a bit like the Frankenstein monster. I was running some errands yesterday and ran into an acquaintance who commented that I looked kind of stiff for a chiropractor and we joked that it would be difficult for me to adjust myself.

I realized in that moment that I had not even considered phoning another chiropractor in town to get care. It had not even crossed my mind. The reason that I am writing this article is that I think most people would find it very strange that a chiropractor wasn’t seeking chiropractic care for himself after injuring his spine. I will tell you why.

First of all, I do not use chiropractic care as a reactive tool. My sore, stiff neck does not mean that my body isn’t healing. I had 265 pounds of weight crash a little too hard onto the front of my shoulders – some pain is understandable. In fact, the pain and stiffness restricting my range of motion are probably exactly what my neck needs to heal quickly and fully. Why would I want to get rid of that?

Why am I so confident that my body is healing well, even while I am in pain? In addition to taking good care of my health, I see my chiropractor in Gatineau for 2 entrainments every week. I have been doing this for 11 years. Because of this, I heal better than last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

So why do I take every Wednesday afternoon off from the office, get in my car, fill up with gas, sit in Ottawa (the most inefficient drivers in the world!) traffic, pay big city chiropractic prices and wait in a busy reception room? All of this when I could probably drop in to an office down the street, be out in 10 minutes and have it all done for free. As I mentioned earlier, it is not because the doctors in town aren’t good – they are.

The reason that I go to all of the hassle and expense for my care is that what I want from my care is NOT to react to health challenges. What I want is to develop ever evolving strategies to live a healthy, happy, adaptable, and a forever increasing quality of life. I want reorganization, NOT restoration. Network care is the only health care system I am aware of that has this as a direct objective. If I ever find anything better at creating this result I promise I will learn it and provide it.

As a side effect of this care, I do have fewer occurrences of pain and disease, and heal much faster when they do arise. Bonus!

It is my belief that most people hunger to reorganize, step up, and evolve yet settle for comfort because they don’t think the former is possible for them. People want a life that becomes richer, fuller, healthier and more vibrant with each passing year yet don’t take the steps to achieve it. You can.

In any endeavour in life, be sure your actions, effort and the people you work with support your highest vision for what is possible.

“People don’t know that pain can lead to something GREAT. If they did they would not try to kill it.”                     Donny Epstein

As told in the Book of Ecclesiastes and later made popular by The Byrds’ version of the song Turn, Turn, Turn!, there really is a time for everything. One of the great lessons I have learned as I have become older – and hopefully a bit wiser – is that life is not about pushing all of the time.

With the seasons come different actions, different routines, and a changing focus. For most people, summer is a time of rest, relaxation, indulgence, socializing, and fun. This is great because it actually prepares us for the next season of autumn – which surprise – starts today!

September marks the beginning of transform time. Transform means taking massive action, making progress, getting results, and following a plan or routine. The transformation we make over the next several months will be what we celebrate at Christmas and the New Year.

So, starting today, how can you maximize the results you will achieve this season? Here are some tips to make sure you transform to the fullest this autumn.

The first step is to Decide what you want. In what areas of your life must you make progress in? Perhaps your career, finances, relationship, or hobby require some transformation? Certainly health is a huge area for most people after a summer of beer and burgers. Make a list of 3-7 areas of your life that need an upgrade.

Now, for each area write down what your progress will look like. Here is the key: make sure that what you write down is in the positive. So, instead of focusing on ‘losing’ weight, phrase it as ‘gaining’ leanness, vitality, health or the ability to fit into size x jeans. Write these down now.

The next step is to come up with a Plan to achieve the results you have committed to. One of the best ways to do this is to model someone who is already getting those results. If you want to be healthy, find the healthiest people you know and model their behaviour, focus and structure. Once you decide what changes you will make, it is essential that you write your plan down and schedule it. In my experience, weekly planning is the best way to incorporate any changes into your life.

The last step is the one that most often causes failure. The final and most important step is Action. It doesn’t matter how inspiring your goals are, or how well laid out your plans are, without massive and consistent action you will never get there. You must act and you must do so with pig headed determination (thank you Chet Holmes)! The practice members who get the greatest results in my office who become more healthy and adaptable every year are those who commit and follow through. Likewise, the chiropractors I coach who get the greatest results in their practice commit and take massive action. If you are not going to take action, save yourself the disappointment and don’t even start this process.

Do yourself a favour and make the most out of the season of fall by really creating some transformation in your life. Think about good it will feel to celebrate all of your progress in a few short months. When it comes to transforming both your health and life, I know of no better support than Network care. Our office will be holding several workshops over the next few months to help people take the next step. If you are reading this in another community, feel free to contact me for a practitioner close to you.

To close, a quote from peak performance and transform master Tony Robbins.

“Network Spinal Analysis and Somato Respiratory Integration, Donny Epstein’s revolutionary methodologies, are amongst the most powerful sources of personal transformation I have ever experienced or seen. They produce embodied and empowered strategies that are both sustainable and enjoyable for enhanced human resourcefulness and wellness.” I am stronger, more inspired, creative and healthy because of this work. It has personally and professionally helped me to maximize my ability to contribute to others.”Anthony Robbins

It is my belief that deep down, everyone wants to be healthy. On top of that a tremendous amount of time, energy, money, and resources are spent on health related endeavours. Just pick up a newspaper, turn-on a TV, eaves-drop on conversations in Tim Horton’s, or take a good look at your last tax bill. We are a society obsessed with health!

Clearly, whatever we are doing is NOT working. People are sick, in pain, lacking energy and vitality and are medicated to the gills. They are also frustrated. The situation of our children is even worse. Why is this happening? There are some very simple, yet all pervasive societal mistakes that have led us to our current situation.

1. We are not clear on what we want. I have worked with thousands of people in my office over the past 12 years. When I ask new patients what they want from care, most will tell me they want some sort of relief – from pain, symptoms, disease, anxiety, depression – whatever. This is almost NEVER true! After a few questions it becomes clear that they don’t care that much about the pain or symptom – they care greatly about the impact it is having, or may have on the future on their lives.

What they really want is to be able to participate fully in life. To work, to play, to have fun, to love, to support their families, to interact with people, to grow, to contribute. They want to be healthy and happy! Fortunately, NSA care works to help the person become more adaptable and resourceful as an objective – pain and symptoms often improve as a side effect. Sometimes the patient or practice member’s quality of life improves so much that they don’t care about their symptom because they are too busy living life!

It is important to know what we want before making decisions in any endeavour. Marketers have done a great job in convincing us that relief equals health. I am here to tell you that is bull$#%. Know the outcome you want. This brings us to our next reason most people are not healthy.

2. We sacrifice health for relief. Following reason #1 this is no surprise. Assuming that a pain, symptom or disease is a sign that something is off with your health, wouldn’t it make sense that your next step would be to focus on your health and not the symptom? How many common, accepted treatments focus on your health? If you have a headache and take a pain killer are you getting healthier or sicker? If you have your gall bladder removed, are you healthier after?

Studies show that the more “treatments” you receive, the faster your quality of life will decline – even if the procedures are successful.

The next time you seek treatment for anything, ask yourself if it will add or detract from your overall health. Obviously there are times when we may choose a health harming treatment in order to save our lives – this makes perfect sense and I recommend it. For most people however, these are emergencies that may occur a couple of times in our lives. Otherwise seek out interventions that ADD to your health on a regular basis. Better yet, focus on building health and vitality whether you have a problem or not. This leads to our final reason.

3. We don’t take action. Being healthy requires healthy action. Being wealthy requires actions of the wealthy. Great relationships require great relationship action. Most people do not consistently take healthy action and therefore most of the population is unhealthy.

It is my belief that one of the most deadly ideas in our country is that health care is free. Subconsciously this is often processed as health is free. This single idea has ruined millions of lives. YOU are responsible for the health of yourself and your family regardless of what challenges may be present. You must have a plan and you must carry it out.

Where you focus your time, money and energy will determine your health and quality of life. Trying to get healthy by avoiding disease is like trying to get rich by avoiding bankruptcy. Focus on your health.You are worth it and so are your loved ones.

If you are one of the many people frustrated with your health and happiness, it is never too late. First, get clear on the highest outcome you hope to achieve. Then seek out ways you can get there. Finally, take massive and consistent action. You will be there before you know it.

« Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. »
Spencer Johnson

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

In the 4 part of this series we delved into the traps that keep us from winning in the game of life. Very few people are winning their lives because these traps are the stories (not necessarily true ones) that become justifications and excuses for failure. In this article we will present the Secrets or Solutions to Winning the Game of Life.

How do We Win?

Now that we know what the traps are and how to avoid them, how do we actually win the game? What is the difference between someone who is winning the game of life, compared to most people who just get by (if they are lucky)? After all, don’t we all have the same 24 hours in a day to deal with similar stresses? Why are some healthy, happy, enjoying life and thriving while others struggle so hard?

In researching this topic we found 3 main areas where those who are happy and successful do things differently. Within these areas are the solutions to winning the game of life.

Area #1: Awareness

Area #2: Behaviour (Action)

Area #3: Structures

In the area of awareness, happy and successful people are always cultivating the expansion of their own awareness. They study what others are doing and thus take power and responsibility over their health, relationships, finances and anything that is important to them.

What Time is It? NOW.

These people live in the NOW as opposed to dwelling in the past or future. They acknowledge the reality of what IS without worrying about what might be or fantasizing as a way to avoid the truth. This presence can be cultivated with meditation or exercises such as T’ai chi or Somatorespiratory Integration.

Physical Awareness

Physical awareness is also essential to vibrant health. Being aware of the subtle cues of your body is required to be able to take action for your health before a crisis occurs. This also gives us access to high levels of energy at all times – and couldn’t we all use more of that? Exercises like yoga and dancing enhance physical awareness, as do gentle systems of bodywork and certain forms of chiropractic. In fact, these systems actually have the ability to use pain and stress as opportunities to increase our awareness and energy!

Emotional Awareness

Emotional awareness is equally important to the game of life. Successful people are keenly aware of their emotions and do not run from them even if they are uncomfortable. They understand that the purpose of all emotion is to motivate immediate action and for this reason no emotions are “bad.” Techniques such as EFT, The Emotion Code, and Network Spinal Analysis help us to work with the emotions stored as tension in our bodies. When we become aware of our emotions it frees us to take the appropriate actions, which leads us to our next area of solutions…..which we will continue with in the next article.

Start Now!

In the meantime, start cultivating your own awareness, both physically and emotionally. Notice what is, accept it and then decide on what must come next. If you catch yourself dwelling on the past, worrying about the future or fantasizing as a way to escape the present, pull yourself back to reality and ask yourself, “what is REALLY going on here?” Consider incorporating some of the awareness building practices mentioned (or others) into your daily and weekly routines.

By flexing these new muscles immediately, you will be more than ready to start applying the rest of the solutions we will be presenting in the following articles.

As a bonus for reading this far, here is a very funny video to test your awareness, click on the link below.

Awareness

One of the most contentious issues in chiropractic is that of recommending people undergo regular, long-term care. Many health-care professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disease – including chiropractors – are horrified by the idea and would literally like the practice banned by regulating bodies. They feel that chiropractors who do this are an embarrassment, unethical and bully people for money.

As a chiropractor who DOES invite people to participate in regular, wellness care and offer service agreements to make these plans more affordable and efficient I totally understand their criticism. The difference in opinion has nothing to do with ethics however – it is a difference in the objectives of the doctors in question and the services they are offering. For a doctor whose only objective is to treat symptoms it absolutely IS unethical to recommend long-term wellness care. For a doctor like me whose objective is to help people to develop new strategies to live a greater life – regardless of symptoms – it would be unethical to NOT recommend it!

Some of you may know that I am perhaps the least handy man on the planet. I am essentially useless – if not dangerous – around the house! Fortunately, we have a great handyman who routinely looks after some of the many issues we have with our century home.

Our handyman is not only very honest, he is obsessed with us not thinking that he is trying to oversell us. While this is better than the other option, it also has its’ problems. As a result there have been several jobs that he has recommended less than we actually would have wanted – but we trusted him so followed his recommendations. Had he recommended more (involved, quality, and expense) we would have gladly agreed and it would have positively impacted our family’s quality of life. It would have also improved his quality of life as he would have had more work and income. This would have been a win-win situation!

My handyman situation taught me a lesson. I don’t always know exactly what all of my patients and practice members want. For that reason I invite them to participate in my care at absolutely the highest level. Only by being invited can they make a choice. Does everyone want to participate in this way? Of course not. Should everyone have the opportunity to choose? You bet!

Some people truly just want their pain or symptom to go away. In my experience, this percentage is very small – most people are only concerned with symptoms because of what they may mean to their present and future function, relationships, ability to contribute and quality of life. In these cases it is easy to see that the pain or symptom is actually a signal or calling for them to develop new awareness, actions and or structures.

Most people are not aware that they can use their health challenges as a springboard to a greater quality of life – much like a scholastic, career or athletic challenge can help us find the best in ourselves. We simply have not been taught this is possible.

Long-term chiropractic care has shown to reduce hospital admissions, pharmaceutical expenditures and surgeries – Click HERE for abstract. The ability to repair DNA has also been shown to improve with regular chiropractic care – with obvious massive implications for overall health – Click HERE to see.

Research into long-term Network care shows that in addition to positive physical outcomes such as symptom changes, posture improvement and increased immunity. It also demonstrates people develop a greater ability to handle stress, have more satisfying relationships, make healthier choices, and enjoy ever increasing quality of life.

Perhaps most profound, people receiving Network care TRIPLED the wellness benefits of the exercise, diet, and health promoting activities! Click HERE to read.

With any choice, it is essential that you know what is possible before making a decision. This is why we invite everyone to look at what their highest vision for their health and life is – and then support them in achieving it regardless of what that vision is.