Many of you who either read my blog articles, in-office articles of the week or attend my regular workshops are aware that I am part of a new venture called Transformative Health Systems. Transformative Health Systems is an organization that provides transformative health and wellness vacations, retreats, and corporate intensives. Our first event is a wellness vacation on Big Rideau Lake in Portland, Ontario on Sept. 19-22.

We are really excited to get started and show people what it is we have to offer and we have been receiving lots of questions about WHAT it is that we will actually be doing.

I thought the best way to illustrate what we will be providing and what makes our services totally unique would be to share the story of how Transformational Health Systems came to life in the first place.

Most people know me as a chiropractor and that is accurate, yet I am not what you would call a ‘traditional chiropractor.’ I have a specific focus called Neurospinal Optimization that looks to address the primary underlying condition behind the typical secondary conditions like back pain, headaches and muscle spasms that traditional chiropractors focus on. This is not important to this story except that it means I am not satisfied doing what everyone else does. I am always looking to get better, go deeper and help people in more profound ways. In fact, I am obsessed with these things, which can be exciting, but also a bit lonely because the world is not filled by many who share this obsession/purpose.

A few years ago, Tyler Touchette – a local fitness trainer and crossfit gym owner at the time who I knew only in passing – made an appointment to become a patient in my chiropractic practice. As I asked him about his goals for care in my office it started to become clear that we shared a common focus. He wasn’t looking to be fixed, he was looking for constant and never-ending improvement – physically, mentally and emotionally – so he could get the most out of life and help others even more. My care was what he had been searching for (I am speaking for him but I am sure it is true) and I was about to find out that his services were about to change (and perhaps save) my life.

Soon after starting care, Tyler asked me to give a workshop for his clients at what was then Cornwall Crossfit – soon to evolve into Caveman Strong. I had been regularly training with weights for 25 years and a decently high level athlete my entire life. I have to admit that I kind of thought I knew it all and that the people in that gym were a bit nuts. I walked into the gym to prepare my presentation while the last workout of the day was wrapping up. I don’t remember exactly WHAT was going on, but I was literally floored by the energy, passion, teamwork, and intensity that was present in the room. What I did know was that I wanted to be a part of it. My journey at Caveman Strong was about to begin.

The details about what transpired in the gym are not important. What is important is that exercise had more or less become something I did because I knew it was good for me and I was supposed to do it. I had been going through the motions with very little motivation. I think this is most people’s experience with exercise after the initial excitement of starting a ‘new program’ that will finally fulfill our goals. Just take a look at the face of your typical jogger or weight machine lifter if you question my statement!

Anyhow, my passion, motivation and there is that word again – obsession – continued well past the typical honeymoon period. In fact, if anything it has continued to get stronger over the past 2+ years. Why? Tyler continues to push, to learn, to refine, and to evolve his approach in order to achieve the greatest outcomes for his clients. He reads, studies and travels around the world to learn from leaders in different fields (even outside of the fitness world) and incorporates it into his program. Finally I found someone as obsessed as me!

So the idea for Transformational Health Systems started when I invited Tyler to teach a movement workshop at one of the one day healing intensive Clear Days I conduct every 6 months for my patients and practice members. This is a day of advanced Neurospinal Optimization care, workshops on health and developing strategies and a plan to really make some progress in life after the event. His presentation was a huge hit! Tyler’s food expert, Josee Quenneville helped to prepare the healthy food for the event also and we knew we were on to something.

What transpired then was that Tyler and I started talking about the vision of melding my focus on NSO and many of Donny Epstein’s reorganizational living models with Tyler’s focus on movement and Josee’s expertise in amazing and healthy food into a comprehensive program for people that would not only be a great experience but produce sustainable long term changes for life. We were truly creating a product that NOBODY else in the world was delivering!

Then we talked about it some more. And talked…and talked…and talked. The final piece of the puzzle was my wife – Beth Pollock – getting so sick of hearing us talk and not take any concrete action that she searched for and found a beautiful resort that she scheduled and booked for our first event! Now we had to deliver. Finally we had the organization behind the organization.

Now that we are ready to go for our first event, here are the answers to some of the most common questions we have received from people.

The biggest question has been regarding what type of physical exercise will be involved. I think this happened because most people know me as a competitive weightlifter and thought was what we would be doing. In reality the focus of the exercise will be correct, efficient and improved MOVEMENT. If fact, there will be no barbells present on site. Tyler has trained extensively with Ido Portal and his Portal method and has incorporated this into his instruction. We want people to learn how to move more, stronger and better for a LIFETIME. Because all of this training is scalable to anyone from a post-surgical senior citizen to a world class athlete, we can work with people of any and all abilities. I personally use these methods to help my weightlifting (my secret weapon) but they are two completely different things.

Another common question surrounds the Paleo Diet. Is it just eating a bunch of bacon and ribs with ‘no carbs?’ Absolutely NOT. The amazing food Josee prepares IS paleo but revolves around organic vegetables and fruit. While we don’t promote vegetarian eating, vegans will certainly be fully satisfied with the food. People will go home ready to lose weight (if they haven’t already) feeling energized and healthy and will know exactly how to continue to eat like this on their own.

Will my care be a part of the package? The answer is yes for those already under care and there will be an invitation for everyone else to experience it – although it is optional.

Finally, people are wondering if this is a ‘spa weekend,’ ‘bootcamp,’ or ‘vacation.’ The answer is somewhere between bootcamp and vacation. What this means is that the organized, structured time in workouts, workshops, lectures and one-on-one consultations will be focused and intense. There will also be plenty of down-time for people to relax, swim, hot-tub, socialize and use the boats and other amenities at this incredible resort (our group has reserved the entire facility). There will also be optional group hikes with the coaches.

Our goal is for each and every participant to learn how to move, eat, and prepare food, have a sustainable plan to reach their specific and individual goals AND go home feeling rested, refreshed and excited to get back to life.

I believe that spring is the time to learn, grow and get things done. For that reason, Nexus/Gault Family Chiropractic is hosting a series of special events that will get you off to a great start as the snow – slowly – recedes.

On Monday, March 18th at 7pm will be our Discover Workshop. While I have been giving this workshop for 13 years, it has been recently updated, improved (and actually made shorter). So, if you are either new or have not been to one in a while, join us to learn how to use your pain and health challenges as fuel to greater health and vitality.

On Tuesday, March 26th at 7pm will be our Fireside Chat. This is a relatively new workshop (we have given 2 previously) that has replaced our advanced workshop and been extremely well received by attendees. The format is that I speak for about 10-15 minutes on whatever is new and exciting about NeuroSpinal Restructuring, and then we open the floor for questions, discussions and live demonstrations. Currently we only offer this program quarterly. This workshop is perfect for anyone transitioning from initial basic care to protection/progression care.

I am VERY excited to be offering, for the first time, this next workshop. On Thursday, March 21, Tyler Touchette will be in our office teaching a MOVEMENT Seminar. Tyler has been studying with the world leaders in this field and is bringing that wisdom to us. Going beyond personal training he will be teaching our patients how to incorporate exercise that will allow you to MOVE better and more effectively, regardless of your age. The March 21 program is already full, so let Adele know if you would like to be put on the list for the next one.

One of the highlights of our year is our CLEAR DAY, which will be Saturday, April 20th at the Martintown Community Centre. This is a full day intensive that includes 3 high level entrainments, multimedia presentations and workshops, catered lunch and snacks, and a whole lot of fun. This day typically attracts out of town practice members and doctors as attendees and is a great way to literally skyrocket your care to the next level. Staff for the day will include Dr. Tony Sandorfi, Dr. Amanda Chan, Dr. Angela Smith, yours truly, Cindy and Tyler Touchette has also agreed to lead a movement workshop. This day is highly recommended for anyone who has made some progress with our care and is ready for more. See Adele, Cindy or myself to apply.

Finally, I will soon have the follow up conference call scheduled for those of you who participated in our Breakthrough Evening. I am trying to determine the most convenient time for everyone and am looking forward to hearing about all of your successes and helping you to take it even further. We will contact you directly with the details.

Please take advantage of these special programs. Extraordinary results require extraordinary actions and we strive to provide you with many opportunities to be extraordinary. Also, please share your success stories with us next week as it is I LOVE NETWORK WEEK in the office. We will provide you with everything you need and would like to give you a gift for participating.

Last week we reviewed and celebrated all of the incredible accomplishments, events and milestones at Gault Family Chiropractic in 2012. In this article I will give you a peek at what will be new and exciting in 2013.

The first and most exciting announcement I have to make is that effective April 2^9th, Gault Family Chiropractic is changing its name to Nexus Chiropractic! We made this decision for several reasons, including that we are looking to add another doctor to the practice and it would not be fair for them to practice in an office with my name. We are very excited about this change and will be unveiling our new logo, letterhead, cards and signs between now and April.

At GFC our focus is Neurospinal Restructuring Technique with the goal of reducing and correcting Neural Resistance which is essentially like having your nervous system out of tune like a guitar or piano string. When the nervous system is out of tune it can lead to a variety of secondary conditions such as back pain, headaches, poor posture and even a change in mood.

In addition to providing world class clinical care in the office to address that Neural Resistance, I am always on the look-out for ways to complement our care to make it more sustainable for our patients. Early in 2013 we will be adding 2 new programs to provide you with that support.

First, Tyler Touchette, owner and head trainer of Caveman Strong has offered to give movement workshops in the office to small groups each month. Tyler has been studying with some of the world leaders in movement and has put together a ground-breaking program in his gym that produces profound results for all ages. Poor and restricted movement patterns affect almost all aspects of our lives and without proper movement, correction of Neural Resistance is more difficult.

Next, I have recently discovered an excellent posture exercise program that we will be teaching patients to further support their Neural Resistance correction. Stay tuned for both workshops. Registration and dates will be posted shortly.

I am also in the process of revising our Discover Workshop with a more efficient format and updated information. Even if you have attended one in the past, now would be a great time to do a refresher. The next discover workshops are Jan. 14^th and Feb. 5^th.

I am very excited to announce the addition of a brand new advanced program to our twice a year Clear Day schedule. On Friday, January 25^th we will be holding our first ever Breakthrough Evening Program. This will be an intensive evening done in a small group (10-12) and will consist of 2 advanced entrainments with me, integrated SRI and all workshops conducted by me. This is the most advanced program we have ever offered that will not only boost your care, but be applicable to real life transformation. The January event is already full so stay tuned for future evenings.

I will be speaking to 3 outside groups in the New Year. In February I will presenting to personal trainer extraordinaire, Tom Irvine’s fitness class at Saint Lawrence College. Later in the month I will speak as a part of the Encore Senior’s program on the meaning of pain. In March I will be keynote speaker at the Arbor House’s Interesting People series in Vankleek Hill (which means I only have two months to become an interesting person)!

This article is a part of the weekly articles I have been writing for over 8 years and we have decided to change things up a bit. Starting soon I will instead be producing a longer, multi-article monthly update. In addition I will continue to blog shorter posts more frequently. Together the blog and update will provide even better support to your health and care in our office.

Finally, I am excited to announce that in conjunction with the Association for Reorganizational Healing Practices (ARHP), of which our office is a Quantum Member we will be setting up a community project to assist and provide care to those less fortunate and in need. We may require some volunteer help from within the practice so please keep us in mind. I will update you on detail as soon as they are set.

This is what we all have to look forward to and more. Thank you so much for your trust and support which allows Adele, Cindy, and I to continue to search and implement new and better ways to serve you. We love our jobs and plan on 2013 being the best year yet.

Don’t forget that our Best Year of Your Life Workshop is Jan.29^th at 7pm, which is also open to guests. Sign up at the front desk.

On Thursday, Jan. 17^th I will be in Denver attending the advanced technique seminar. Dr. Tony Sandorfi of Ottawa will be entraining in my place. Dr. Tony is an excellent practitioner who entrains at our Clear Days.

I recently returned from a weeklong holiday in Cuba with my family. We stayed at an all inclusive resort for the wedding of my wife’s cousin.  Just before we left I read an article posted by my friend and weightlifting coach, Tyler Touchette about his own trip to Cuba. It was called Pigs at the Trough and can be viewed by clicking HERE. I always enjoy Tyler’s candid and passionate articles and in this one he highlighted the gluttony of our wealthy North American ways and how perhaps we are worse off than the resource poor Cubans who are happy, hard-working and always ready to serve.

Agree to Disagree

This having been my first trip to Cuba, I arrived with Tyler’s article in mind. I must say that while my experience matched Tyler’s in many ways, I left with a very different outlook on how happy and hardworking the Cubans truly were. Since we have a mutual respect that allows us to agree to disagree I thought I would share the lessons I learned on the trip.

First, I must say that our trips were not identical. Yes, we both stayed in high end all-inclusive resorts. Like Tyler I was in bed early every night except one. I walked on the beach and worked out every day. I read lots and I ate mostly food that was good for my body. I did treat myself however, drank some drinks and was surrounded by family for most of the trip. I also did not get to experience Havana as our location would have required a minimum overnight stay away from my family.

People are People

The main lesson I learned – and this is a lesson I have learned in all of my travels – is that people are people. Regardless of where we are from or what the politics of our country are, we all have the same needs and desires. Some of us are jerks about it and some of us are saints. This is true of both Cubans and Canadians and I witnessed all of these combinations during my week.

Part of this lesson was also that when I was able to relate to the resort workers as human beings instead of Cubans I tended to see more of the saintliness. Isn’t this true of everyone? Tyler has an incredible ability to see people as just that which is my guess why he had such a great experience with the locals he met. Having labelled the tourists as people he is around everyday perhaps brought out more of the jerks in them.

New Perspective – New Wisdom

The next lesson I learned was one of perspective. It is so valuable to encounter people who live differently from us. The contrast certainly highlighted how gluttonous we can be and how caught up we can become with money, possessions and my own favourite – addiction to a constant flow of information. This perspective really forces us question what it is we really need and want. This is a great thing.

On the other hand, I left feeling lucky for what I have and where come from. Money, possessions and abundance do not make us unhappy – becoming obsessed with them does. Smiling at rude tourists hoping for a dollar (that Fidel takes 75 cents of) hardly seems like freedom to me.

There are no Free Lunches

Finally, I learned that nothing is free. The gym attendant that I came to know fairly well (I was usually the only one there) loved to boast about how university education was “free” in Cuba. He had a masters degree and his job was to watch me workout. This to me is a cost that I certainly would not be willing to pay. Perhaps calling it free made him feel better about the fact that his obvious knowledge and intellect were being wasted. Somehow I doubt this is what Che gave his life for.

This reminded me of how Canadians proudly boast about our “free” healthcare as they watch their health decline while paying huge tax bills for the privelidge. If we stopped calling it “free” would we be willing to live with the cost?

I apologize (a little) for this being a rant responding to a rant. I think the take home message is to recognize that while we don’t all live the same way, we still really are all the same. When we can learn to relate to people this way it opens the door to us being able to learn so much about ourselves and in doing so, choose a different path if necessary. Vacations are a great tool to doing so, but are not the only way.

Start really listening to people. Anybody and everybody. Dive into their worlds. Then make every choice you make about your own life a conscious one. Take nothing for granted and know that every ounce of energy you invest is important.

Thorin Gault, D.C

« If an educational act is to be efficacious, it will be only that one which tends to help toward the complete unfolding of life. To be thus helpful it is necessary rigorously to avoid the arrest of spontaneous movements and the imposition of arbitrary tasks. »
Maria Montessori

The happiest and most successful people in any walk of life have certain traits in common. One of those traits is that they constantly learn new things. They study, they read, they listen to audio programs, they take courses, they attend seminars and they seek out the best teachers in the world. These successful people understand that regardless of what they have achieved in the past, stagnation (maintenance) equals death. They know that you are either growing or dying. This goes for business, relationships, fitness and health.

Only 2 Paths to Happiness

As I have written about many times in the past, human needs psychology tells us that only 2 things will provide us with true happiness and fulfillment – growth and contribution to others. The more we grow, the more we are able to contribute. Unfortunately, the “North American dream,” our culture has sold most people does not include either of these. A life of study hard, get a good job, marry the right partner, buy a house and car, maybe have some kids, and then sit back and enjoy the next 50 years of your life simply doesn’t deliver as promised, does it?

New Dream?

What if the real “North American dream,” was to live a life of never-ending learning, adventure, refinement and sharing? Would this guide your actions differently?

Many of you know that I have always been relatively fit and athletic. A few years ago my fitness regimen looked essentially the same as it had when I was in high-school. Same workouts, worse results and zero motivation. I was merely going through the motions. Had this continued can you see where this would have ultimately taken me?

You Need Coaches to Succeed.

Even though I thought I knew a lot about fitness I decided that I needed coaches. Over the next  2 years two amazing trainers – Tom Irvine and Tyler Touchette – helped me to completely change my path. Today, I have discovered the sport of Olympic weightlifting (more on that in future post) that I am learning more about and improving in every day. I study it, learn it, and practice it.

Most importantly, I am excited about my fitness again, can’t wait to get into the gym, and am getting results that will serve me for a lifetime.

Start Here!

How can you apply this to your life? How can you not only find success, but be happy, fulfilled and excited while doing it? There are many ways, so I created a list to help you get started.

1. Decide what is really important in your life. What areas of your life deserve the commitment to never-ending learning and refinement? Make a list.

2. Take on a new project. I took on Olympic weightlifting in the area of fitness. Perhaps a new professional course or a family project.

3. Refine, refine, refine! I constantly refine my chiropractic skills at seminars and workshops. What keeps you up at night wanting to get better at?

4. Get a coach or mentor. I have health, chiropractic, business, and fitness coaches. Remember, the best athletes in the world still have coaches.

5. Only use the services of those who are constantly learning. You can only lead if you are learning and you should demand that of your leaders. Ask your doctor, financial planner, accountant, consultant, coach, trainer, teacher, barber, chef, shoe shine boy what they are doing to improve their services. This will create a new culture of growth in your life (and maybe theirs).

Play a Better Game

If the “North American dream,” isn’t working for you, choose a new dream. Play a new game. Choose happiness, success, fulfillment and growth. When the old dog learns new tricks, it doesn’t get old!

« Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will. »
Mandela

After 12 years as a chiropractor and having worked with thousands of different people, I have found only a few factors that are great predictors of a person’s success in care. By far the most valuable is simply the individual’s commitment to what they are doing. People who make a decision, commit, and follow through get results. Those who don’t…are a crap-shoot.

Why We (I) Fail

I have both succeeded and failed (and observed others do the same) enough to recognize that this applies to every area of all of our lives. The reason that so many people struggle, fail and become frustrated with their health, fitness, finances, relationships and careers is that they never fully commit to anything. They are dabblers and dabbling will never create success.

Training With a Bulgarian Master

One of the things I appreciate about my friend, coach and business partner, Tyler Touchette of Caveman Strong, is that he is definitely not a dabbler. When he decided to start an Olympic weightlifting club in Cornwall, he committed to doing it well. As a result, a small group of us had the opportunity to be coached and spend some time with world record holder, world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, Alex Varbanov who travelled from Toronto with his family to train us.

Focus

Mr. Varbanov knows what it takes to be successful and dabbling is definitely not a part of it. He gives and expects full focus at all times – even when lifting what he calls a “small bar.” There is no music playing. After each set you sit quietly focusing on your next lift. As we started to approach our maximum lifts EVERYONE was expected to stop talking, stop moving and stop making noise.

Details, Details, Details

Attention to detail is also an important part of commitment. Following a specific training schedule. Eating the right stuff at the right time. Resting appropriately. Constant assessment and reassessment based on outcomes. Everything is taken into consideration.

It was an absolute blessing to be able to observe how someone who has reached the pinnacle of their discipline thinks and acts. Yes, this story is about weightlifting, but it is really about so much more than that. This is about your life.

What do YOU Want?

Do you want to be vibrantly healthy? Don’t dabble…do! Do you want to be financially wealthy? Don’t dabble…do! How about a relationship they will write poems about? You have to jump in with both feet.

Everyone (almost!) I meet with in my office wants some result that has been eluding them. They want to be free to do the activities they are unable to, or work to support their family. They want greater awareness, or mental and emotional well-being. They want strategies to facilitate their own growth, evolution and inevitably their greater contribution to the world.

Many achieve this, but there are always some who think they can take a short cut. They miss visits, they make excuses and they don’t follow through. They skip the workshops and don’t do their exercises at home.The result is frustration and disappointment.

The great thing is that it is never too late to turn it around. Really decide what you really want in your life and commit to making it happen. Don’t be a dabbler! Act now!

Thorin Gault, D.C.

« Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. »
Paulo Coelho

Jason McNamara of Framed Photography is one of the participants in Project Strong. Project Strong is a total life makeover system using the expertise of Tyler Touchette and staff at Caveman Strong, Scott Dunne of Upper Canada Physiotherapy and myself and staff at Gault Family Chiropractic.

Here is the video testimonial of Jason McNamara – an incredible guy with incredible committment to not only making himself better, but improving the lives of his family.

We tried to show this video yesterday at Gault Family Chiropractic’s Clear Day, but had some technical difficulties. Notice how the profound changes he has made and is making just seem so obvious to him. There is no struggle, no resentment. This is a great illustration of being in the season of transform using an effective Triad of change. Click “Jason Testimonial” below to view. Enjoy!

Jason testimonial