Growing Purpose

Dreams I was never fully aware I had, are coming true! As a child both of my parents were Special Education teachers, in fact this is how they met, with a couple of Masters degrees each. My Father, was a college professor and school administrator and my mom focused on Emotionally Impaired students. My Mother had me volunteer with her students after school for CCD classes at our parish and at Summer academy. She even designed a “Celebrate Diversity” week for our school district and had all students participate in making things like wheelchair art so that they would have a better understanding of their peers.

All of these experiences in my childhood did not fully prepare me for losing my sight, however they did make me more sensitive and understanding to the needs of others which directly impacts how I am as a doctor. My passion for writing landed me an article in the chiropractic periodical, ‘Spizz Magazine’ a couple of months ago and a huge opportunity emerged! I am now consulting for a chiropractic college because they have two Visually Impaired students beginning school in the near future.  They have invited me to faculty events this weekend and in September and upon reading their e-mail a bit ago my throat had a huge lump form and I felt my mother’s love in my heart space. I feel connected to her spirit in a new way, like I am carrying out her work that she loved so dearly.  I never imagined a purpose this big, where I could use all my skills and passions for the purpose of serving humanity.  I feel so emotional, so joyful, and grateful to my parents for their service to all the students over the decades. I miss  my Mother but know that she is proud and I look forward to making an impact in this world! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to give backend help other VI students have an amazing experience during chiropractic school so that they can in return serve humanity as a Doctor of Chiropractic!

In Love and Light,

Dr. Elizabeth

Perfectly Imperfect

Every person has flaws, and that is beautiful. What is difficult is when you are painfully aware of these imperfections, constantly trying to hide them, and having people call you out on them… especially when these people are extremely close to you.

There is some sort of drive buried deep inside of me that enjoys being vulnerable and putting these things out to the world. A huge part of this, is my love for writing. It is one  of my favorite ways to relieve stress and worry. I can take what I am going through in a particular moment in time, freeze it in that moment and capture its essence in words before it melts away. I love the essence of the world, of emotions, and interactions. The essence is what is remembered by the cells through the senses. I love knowing that my nervous system, free from interference, can save pieces of my life and that I can recall them in an instant.  

Right now I am struggling with this gap I feel in society. There is so much discrimination that still takes place on so many levels. I feel a huge pressure to meet all expectations despite my disability and then shatter my goals. Having done this many times in my past, it feels like the stakes just keep getting higher and higher.  I remember when I was having eye surgery after eye surgery in high school they thought I may not graduate on time… well, I did with straight A’s and then double majored in undergrad and finished by the time I was only 21.  They did not think I could become a doctor because of my low vision, and now I am. So many challenges and so many expectations. Yes, I definitely place a great deal of pressure on myself, sometimes too much, but if I did not push myself ever, where would I be right now? Would I be trapped in Michigan in a desk job feeling like I never reached my potential? I do not know where I would be and who I would be if I had not been  faced with such adversity.

My dreams are so much greater than practice, I want to make an impact on the world. My latest is consulting for another chiropractic college on two visually impaired students they have starting soon. An article I had published in a magazine prompted this school to contact me and now I feel so excited to be giving back to other students and helping them have the best experience possible, which I was no afforded during my schooling.  This is not about me, it is so much greater than I could ever imagine! This is about making an impact, not an impression. This is about shattering my personal goals and striving to create new ones. This is about finding an inner strength and grasping on to it when nobody is looking. I know that I am getting stronger. I know that I can give more just when I do not think I have anything left. I recognize that the extreme pressure I place on myself and others around me is not from a place of hate but from a misunderstood place of love. I am posing the question to myself, right now, how can I express this in a more loving way? How can I reduce my own stress, letting go of the fear that if I am not stressed then I am not working hard enough?  I have been going through a Standard Process protocol for adrenal fatigue for months. Following graduate school I am quite sure my adrenal glands were nonexistent! Maybe I did too much during school, but looking back I feel like I did not do enough! It was being president of many clubs, founding others, having two national positions, being on the board of two not for profit organization by the age of 19, speaking at national conferences, writing in five publications, meeting the top professionals in my field, and pushing myself to the limits that got me here today!  I am constantly tapping into my innate memory to remember the words of my mentors, build on the experiences out there in the universe, and create an amazing epicenter for change in Santa Barbara.  I am realizing I am human and that I am so perfectly flawed in so many ways.  I am struggling with letting go of certain small things while still making sure to go step by step in order to reach my potential. How do you find balance in this chaotic world? The bigger question for me personally is, can I let go enough of the self inflicted pressure but still accomplish every one of my goals?  Am I  strong enough to make the changes necessary to impact this world?

Crawl, Before You Walk!

Neurons that fire together, wire together!

It is never too late to start building new neuronal pathways. Studies show that children who go straight to walking and skip the crawling step are at high risk for problems in their teenage years. There was actually a study linking them to a high incidence of juvenile delinquency! This is because crawling creates cross crawl patternization and increasing the fibers between the two hemispheres of the brain. Women naturally have a larger  Corpus Callosum than men,  (the white fibers between the two hemispheres) and this is linked to better communication skills and what many people refer to as “multi tasking”.

Personally, I have realized that I must work on this patternization again and that I have lost a lot of balance. Decreasing visual cues is a leading factor so things like riding a  stationary bike where the arms and legs move, yoga, and bear crawls are helping to recreate these pathways. It is crazy how difficult some of these “natural” movements have been. I have to think about them and then I can do them but I have definitely lost part of my arm swing when walking and a lot of balance over the years!

Today, Dr. Jacob and I, started with a new personal trainer, T.J. Fortuna from Fortuna Fitness in Goleta. He is a great guy and uses a primal / four doctors approach.  I already feel sore after the workout today, but it is great!  I am so determined to make new pathways in my brain because I know as a chiropractor I have an optimally functioning nervous system! I get my spine and nervous system checked sometimes a few times per week, depending on the week and what I am doing, and adjusted when necessary. I know that my body has an amazing self-healing and self-regulating ability and I can always heal from  the inside-out.  I also realize that daily work on these pathways will allow the neurons to eventually hook-up creating permanent pathways in my brain allowing for greater balance and movement.  I am supporting them through the highest quality Omega3 fatty acids and even more so through avoiding toxins to my nervous system like synthetic sweeteners.  Health is a process, that is dynamic just like the body. I invite you to go on this journey with me so that together we raise the vibration of the planet through optimal health and wellness!

In Love and Light,

Dr. Elizabeth

  

Don't Cover the Symptoms!s

A “band-aid” is never a good solution!

When we first moved into the new house the washing machine flooded the entire kitchen on the first run. It turned out the pressure hose was cut in two and there was no negative feedback loop to stop the barrel from filling with water. (Okay, so these were not the repair man’s exact words, but I had to have it make sense in my brain so putting into more physiological terms helped!) Instead of ordering the correct length, special order, hose he put two hoses together and wrapped them with some sort of insulation. Well… a month and a half in and the flooding started again! As I was scooping out the water cup by cup from the barrel and dumping it down the bathroom sink, as to stop the flooding, I realized this is crazy! The cause of the issue was never really addressed and the machine was going to return to its broken state.

This is just like the body! You cannot  cover up the symptoms and expect health. The dis-ease and disease will manifest and these are warning signs that must be recognized and addressed.  We do not settle for our appliances or cars to be half fixed, right? Well our bodies are much more important than a washing machine so sitting around waiting for health will not work! You must take action, feed your body, move, and breathe! Things like pain killers are temporarily and will never get the cause of the problem.

Your nervous system controls every cell, tissue, organ , and other system of the body! Spinal adjustments remove pressure and stress to this nervous system so that you can live an optimal life! This is truly addressing the root cause of dis-ease and will allow for the fullest expression of life.  You would not tolerate a repair person covering the symptoms, would you? Then taken care of your body, get adjusted regularly, and live the 100 year lifestyle!

When the Universe Calls...Answer!

Often times the universe provides gentle reminders, suggestions, and paths but  it is up to us to take action. Other times, the universe pushes a bit more aggressively and we are forced to participate in its plans!

Yesterday, I felt like I was shoved back into my authentic purpose. I was super tired, low energy, frustrated with my lack of vision , and just getting irritated! As I was exploring these feelings through words and emotional expression I received a phone call from a chiropractic college (not the one I attended). It was a follow-up from an e-mail I received after having an articled called “Sight v. Vision” published in ‘Spizz Magazine’ a chiropractic periodical, several weeks ago.  I agreed to be a mentor to two students one with low vision and one with no vision starting at this college in the next six months. It was literally a wake-up call that helped me realign my emotions, attitude, and energy back into a place of loving gratitude and service. It reminded me that my words, whether spoken or written, can make a difference for the better in another person’s life. Since part of my personal purpose statement is “To tell my own story as a source of inspiration  throughout t the world” I knew that I must respond to the universe!

I believe that it is healthy to always express emotions as long as they do not have any malevolent intent behind them! Cry if you need to cry and definitely laugh whenever you have the chance. One of things I love about my practice, less than a month into practice, is all the laughter taking place. When we are adjusting we are very focused with clear intentions and energy. Our patients interact with one another in the waiting area and have formed their own relationships  outside of our office already. It is beautiful to be creating an atmosphere that fosters community, collaboration, and positive energy! Although we have worked very hard to open this practice, build a corporation, and create a brand when we are in the office it is the best feeling and does not seem fair that being at work is so fun and rewarding.

Life is always experienced through the nervous system and guided by innate as well as universal intelligence. It is a pleasure removing the interference, by adjusting the subluxations, and allowing the body to heal from the inside-out. It is only when this interference has been removed that true inborn potential can be expressed and new human potential will be achieved.  Allow the universe to guide you down your path, pay attention when it calls, and breathe through the difficult times. They will pass and then you can continue on your  journey to living the life you have imagined. As a chiropractor I am role modeling this life expression for my patients all of the time. I get adjusted regularly, sometimes several times a week depending on what I am doing that particular week. I exercise daily , switching between biking, walking, dancing and yoga. I buy most of my food at the farmer’s market and always eat organic . Yesterday, we had local, organic, raw goat milk, cheese, and yogurt delivered right to our office. It is so good and super healthy.  Through public speaking engagements, workshops, and writing I am role modeling how to constantly reach toward your genetic potential. It is frustrating, I get frustrated with my low vision , but I know that I must keep educating and moving down my path in order to make an impact on this world.  Please take this journey with me, get your spine and nervous system checked by a chiropractor, and reach for the stars!

With Gratitude,

Dr. Elizabeth