Sunday, September 30, 2012

I am grateful for...




Gratitude is defined as: “the quality of being thankful” and “readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Gratitude does take practice, and requires you to be mindful not only of your actions but also your thoughts. In an effort to become more mindful and live my life from a gratitude mindset I told myself that everything I do today is important and I am going to be grateful for it.  


Here is what I am grateful for today:
1 I am grateful to have spent the morning outdoors at the farmer’s market with my friend Abbey.
2 I am grateful to have purchased beautiful organic food for the week.
3 I am especially grateful for the lovely avocados I bought today…they’re my favorite!
4I am grateful for delicious coffee my friend Andy gave me at my favorite Sunday morning coffee spot!
 5 I am grateful to have spent time writing thank you notes to special people in my life today.
6 I am grateful for the flowers I got at the market and are now in front of me on my table.
7 I am grateful to have spent time on the phone with my grandparents today. I always call them on Sundays.
8 I am grateful to be cooking dinner with good friends tonight using the food we bought this morning.
9 I am grateful that I meditated today and the peace it allowed me to have.
10 I am grateful to have movement in my life today- walking all over and biking.
11 I am grateful to live in California where it is warm and sunny.
12 I am grateful for my amazing friends and loving family.


Just writing this list made me aware of how wonderful my life is. I am going to keep a list every day and will be updating my progress on this blog! Gratitude , like most things in life, is a practice. Start a journal and find a buddy to share it with. This increases the chances of taking the time to do this task because there is accountability. Also sharing what you are grateful for with another person builds the momentum and inspires you to continue in the practice. Start today and let me know how it goes!





Subluxation and the City



Subluxation and the City

Today’s society makes it super easy to get subluxated. Trauma from the daily grind, toxins from GMO food and negative thoughts from a culture based off of commercials funded by big pharma. One drug store is now advertising 90% smaller needles for their flu vaccinations, another features a seemingly healthy looking woman riding around on a scooter placing drug store goodies in the basket and finally one of the major pharmaceutical companies has a new webpage with healthy recipes on it. First things first, health can NEVER come from the outside-in! Needles, pills and fake healthy recipes featuring conventional, GMO foods are never going to make you healthy. Thinking that prevention is taking a pill when you are expressing symptoms like sneezing, coughing and runny nose are not bad things. It is time for a paradigm shift, stop thinking of symptoms as being a bad thing and trying to suppress them. Sneezing and coughing are awesome because your body is removing foreign and invading substances from the body naturally preventing “illness”. Suppressing these natural functions can in return do the exact opposite of what you are trying to prevent in the first place…getting sick! Another example is fever. The innate intelligence of the body knows to raise the temperature in order to kill off bad bacteria and viruses. Taking medicine to relieve these temporary symptoms has potential to prolong the time you are not feeling well because the body is unable to do what it is meant to do.



There are many defense mechanisms set up in the body from the tiny hairs that line your nose to the good bacteria that should line your gut. Approximately 80% of your immune system is in the gut so having the proper ratio of good to bad gut bacteria is imperative. Every time you take an anti-biotic, especially when you are taking them for a virus, the good bacteria are killed along with any bad bacteria. This allows for invasive yeast and bad bacteria to move in . Following a forest fire there is primary succession of plants, these are often invasive, non native species, that change and often devastate the once pristine and diverse forest. This is the same thing that happens in the gut following anti-biotic use. Repeated use leads to stronger strains of bacteria that are often anti-biotic resistant so only using anti-biotics when absolutely necessary is key to a healthy and functioning immune system. This is also part of living  a life that is based on the principle of inside-out. The immune system is functioning because there is proper ratio of good bacteria. To take this a step further, eating whole foods provide the inulin (fiber) that feeds good bacteria allowing them to thrive in the human gut. A diet rich in sugar feeds the yeast and bad bacteria allowing them to proliferate and greatly impact health.



Western medicine is great, especially in the case of emergency and urgent care. It is not great in prevention and addressing the cause of disease. Needles, pills, potions and surgery do not lead to health. Health is from the inside-out. Knowing that symptoms are often temporary and necessary is critical. Rather than popping a pill to suppress the symptoms embrace them as a sign of health. Your body is doing exactly what it is meant to do, that is amazing! Giving the body good fuel from organic whole foods, drinking water, getting rest and having your spine checked for subluxations are ALL necessary to live the best life possible. Instead of reaching for the pill bottle the next time you start having any symptoms of sickness run down this check list first!


1 Have I been getting enough rest?
2 Am I eating whole foods?
3 Am I drinking enough water?
4 Am I introducing enough movement into my life and body?
5 Have I had my spine checked for subluxations?

The last is extremely important. Everything mentioned above is regulated by the nervous system. Even the immune system is regulated by your nervous system. When there is any interference in the communication of the nervous system you cannot express optimal health. A chiropractor can evaluate your spine for subluxations and introduce an adjustment to the segments that are subluxated. This balances the nervous system allowing it to flow freely, so  the body can function the way it is meant to.


Finally, stop watching and listening to all those commercials! They brain wash you into thinking health is from the outside-in, as if health can be secretly contained within a little , colored pill. You have the capacity to be healthy, release the potential by following the recommendations above and most importantly have your spine regularly checked and adjusted!







  



















Saturday, September 29, 2012

I'm Just a Girl



I’m Just a Girl

Pure exhaustion coupled with being a girl can lead to a state of dis-ease and hyper irritability. Learning how to cut this off at the beginning and turn negative emotions into positive takes practice but can be easily accomplished and is well worth the effort.



Today I found myself heading down the wrong path, I was super tired, my house was a mess from a dinner party the night before and I wanted to be lazy. Here I am living in beautiful California and my plan was to spend the day indoors moping around. I forced myself to clean the kitchen and the results motivated me to clean the rest of my house. Just getting up and moving around started changing my mind and biochemistry but I was still feeling down…simply not myself! This is when I decided to do a self intervention!



First I told myself that I had one hour to get over the things that were bothering me. I shed some tears and worked through the petty, superficial reasons that I was upset. Next I put on my meditation music and did some deeper work. My problem is that I feel like I give so much all the time and never feel that reciprocated. So I decided to figure out why this was bothering me so much! While meditating on my heart chakra I focused on the following question, “how can I give more to the people around me?”This shift in my thinking made me realize that even when I think I cannot possibly do any more or give anymore that is when I need to give to everyone around me the most. Next I focused on my third eye chakra I asked, “how can I serve more people through chiropractic care?”After the music ended I sat there and meditated on the latter question for a few more minutes. I thought of D.D. Palmer’s quote, “Life is but the expression of spirit through matter.  To make life manifest requires the union of spirit and body.” With this thought I felt reconnected once again and went on a bike ride.


 While biking I was saying my positive affirmations. The No Doubt song “I’m Just a Girl” came on and I found myself repeating those words, “I’m Just a Girl” and when I realized that I had replaced my positive affirmations with that tag line I immediately stopped! I thought about how that is a terrible thing to put out into the universe because I am a nurturer, I am a woman, I radiate love and light, I am a speaker, I am an author, I am an environmentalist and I am certainly way more than JUST A GIRL!


Adjusting your thinking is the best way to turn your day around. I had exercised my mind through meditation, my body through biking and my soul was reconnected with my authentic self. Never talk yourself into thinking that you’re just a girl…you are unique, amazing and a spirit full of love, life and vitality. Embrace these qualities and have a lovely day!!!







   













Saturday, September 22, 2012

Positive Transition




Growing up in Michigan where there are four distinct seasons, I had a front row seat to watching nature constantly transition. Mother nature is the perfect teacher and will give back to you , what you have put into the Earth. Take time to embrace her each day and give thanks for the bounty she provides!



Make Transition a Positive Experience in Your Life
 As a little girl, I loved the Autumn, watching the leaves change colors, raking them into a huge pile at my grandparents house and jumping into the depths of their warmth. The crisp air gave way to hay wagon rides, homemade pumpkin pie and Big 10 football season. Once the long winter set in we would build fires, live off of hot beverages and pray for a snow day. As Winter transitioned into Spring the lakes and rivers rose and I always found myself disobeying my mother by playing in the creek behind my childhood home. Following the often violent Spring storms the hot and humid  Midwest summer would finally set in. I loved the Summer! I was fortunate to grow up camping all over the United States, hiking through National parks, swimming in the lake at our cottage and playing along the shores of Lake Michigan. Despite the heart ache we experienced as a family during all of my eye surgeries and my mother’s breast cancer we still had time to play and embrace each season and what it had to offer us. At the end of each day we were required to check off tasks on our job chart. Under each family members names there was a list and the last item on each person’s list was, “positive attitude” It was a quick self check of the day and what type of attitude we had. Seeing that line item empty at the end of the week was worse than forgetting to practice playing the flute or dusting our rooms because my parents held us accountable for our attitudes each and every day no matter what had happened that particular day. Even as my mom became increasingly ill, she held firm to the idea of positivity and spoke about it until the day she died. This prepared us for living without her and now at 28 I have lived exactly half my life without my beloved mother.


Like the harsh Midwest spring storms, transition can be a  rocky time. Graduating high school and from undergrad were specifically difficult periods for me. I find that transitional periods are the points in which I miss my mom the most, hope that she is proud of what I am doing and stretch my arms and head towards the heavens asking for her approval. My father always reassures me that she is proud of me and like the rushing streams of Spring I move on in my journey never to be in that same spot ever again.


Transition periods are harsh, even in nature. Being mindful during these times of change will bring clarity and assist you through the period of change. Right now as I am transitioning from student and intern I am thankful to have a buffer of my field office training before I fully cross into opening a practice. I have been experiencing a variety of emotions from nervousness to jubilation. Trying to feel each emotion as it occurs, cradle it for the moment in order to fully understand it and then let it go as the next feeling surfaces. this is a constant work in progress that requires patience and practice.


How to Handle Transition Periods

 The roller coaster of emotions and thoughts you are expressing during these times of change are just your body trying to reach an equilibrium or homeostatic balance. Chiropractic care during these transitional periods is the best way to achieve balance in your life. The nervous system is how you experience all aspects of your life so receiving specific chiropractic adjustments to balance your nervous system is critical. Keep a journal of your feelings, write, read and say positive affirmations each day and introduce movement into your life. These ideas, on top of regular chiropractic care, will allow for a smooth passage into the next step in your life. Maintaining a positive attitude, as much as possible, while still allowing yourself to express genuine emotions will also assist you. Before you go to bed tonight could you check off on your daily job chart that you practiced a positive attitude?















Sunday, September 16, 2012

California Dreamin'




There is no better way to start the week than going to a farmer’s market. I frequent the Mountain View market on Sundays, and purchase beautiful food for the week. This is on top of receiving my weekly CSA veggie box, so there is never a shortage of local, organic food in my kitchen

Thoreau said, “it is great art to saunter.”This is how I like to be in the market, it is truly a place where I can let all of my senses embrace the world around me and be one with that environment. Since losing most of my sight I really rely on my other senses and I adore atmospheres that allow me to fully use them. For example, kale reminds me of lace and small, round pumpkins take me back to my childhood in an instant. I remember the bright colors but am settling into the understanding that I may never see them again. The atmosphere is as alive as the real food on the tables, today a man was playing a fiddle by the train station. The soothing melodies of the fiddle coupled with the whistle of the train were representative of simpler times when everyone knew where their food came from and it mattered to them.

During the Summer of 2004 I was studying sustainable development and environmental justice in Guatemala. While visiting an inactive volcano turned shade grown coffee farm I remember the farmer saying this beautiful thing that has always stuck with me. He said, “there is nothing more romantic than gathering the coffee beans all day with my wife. We work this land together, I love her and I love the land.” Such tasks would seem too labor intensive for most people let alone romantic yet he loved caring for the Earth and spending every day outside with his wife. The following Winter while studying organic agriculture in Brazil, I met several polyculture organic farmers from Germany. They taught me another important lesson. They said, “instead of exploiting all the weeds around the food you are eventually going to harvest, employ them. “ Meaning that each plant, even weeds, have their own special purpose even if it is just to hold the soil and prevent erosion for the other plants that are considered more valuable due to their exotic fruits. This is a lesson that can be used in everyday life, those people around who are super irritating, troublesome or simply lost  are there for a purpose. Help them find their own path, employ the knowledge they possess instead of discarding them like they are worthless members of our ecosystem.

All of these little lessons I have gathered so far have allowed me to take my challenge of losing sight and turn it into a huge asset. I wish to help others find their special gifts so that they can saunter through life and truly enjoy it. I feel so blessed to live in California and each day that I get to be in the sun, telling the chiropractic story, and being around amazing people is the best day ever! I am California dreamin’ and on a mission to spread peace, love and the vitalistic philosophy throughout the world.