Have you heard this term? Maybe from a chiropractor? Taking the word and it’s component parts, it could have a couple meanings.  The most common usage: “sub” meaning less, and “Luxation” meaning dislocation, gives us…a slight misalignment, usually of spinal joints as used by the chiropractic, osteopathic and physical therapy professions.

Another way of seeing it is: sub meaning less than, “lux” meaning light, and “ation” referring to a phenomenon. Sub-Lux-ation, a condition of less light – or life force in the body.  This refers to the state in which the body isn’t able to adapt to current demands.

When the body is in a state of less life force, growth and development are put on hold, the mode of operation becomes protecting your life instead of growth.

With a healthy spine comes a healthy life. There is a correlation between a flexible, fluid, supple spine and robust, flexible, adaptable health and wellness.

The presence of subluxation is an indication that you are operating at less than full capactiy, the adjustment is a shift to assist the nervous system to higher levels of organization.

Do you know if your bodies’ circuit breaker is overloaded?  A chirorpactor can tell if you are in a state of less life force.

Dr. Brian

In the book Cooked, by Michael Pollan, there is a chapter on fermented foods. They have become a part of my diet, but it wasn’t always that way. One reason is that it wasn’t part of the normal food that my family ate when I was growing up.

Human beings have a strong reaction to fermented our soured foods, our natural instinct is to avoid them, and it is through our culturization that we ingest them because we are told it is good for us. With regular ingestion we introduce healthy bacteria that strengthen our immune systems. We know this now through science, but the practice has been around for centuries. How did our anscestors know?

I’m using fermented foods as an analogy for the things we aviod, but are actually good for us, exactly what we need to do to grow.  Maybe it’s asking for a raise, or asking your partner to improve your commmunication skills toghether. Staying in the same place will bring you comfort, but it will not bring you growth.

I believe we are all meant to grow, and we are all on our own schedules, when the time is right, nothing can stop you from setting a new standard and acieving a higher level of wellness and wholeness. When is the right time? Maybe you could ask your grandparents, they have a “knowing” that only comes from experience.

Last week on the NIH Director’s blog, an article discussing scoliosis in Zebrafish could shape how we look at spinal health in the future. Researchers could turn on or turn off the appearance of abnormal curves based upon manipulating the genes that assist spinal fluid flow. Realizing the flow of spinal fluid can affect spinal curves is a game changer since current solutions for abnormal spinal curvature is usually bracing or invasive surgery.

The future is here
Methods for improving spinal fluid flow are here, now. Tonal Chiropractic methods like Network Spinal Analysis and Bio Geometric Integration, Yoga, BioDynamic Craniosacral Therapy and more all look at spinal movement and flow as a measure of spinal health and overall wellness.

Dr. Brian

This past Friday was the premiere of “I am not your Guru” a Netflix documentary about the personal growth coach, Tony Robbins. I highly recommend watching, it is well done and very powerful. After watching, I was thinking of all the teachings and concepts Tony Robbins uses to help people have and sustain breakthroughs.

One concept he co-developed with my mentor, Donald Epstein, is the analogy of different seasons in relation to business or the healing process. When you are in different parts of the cycle, your focus needs to be on different things. Noticing the season you are in, and maximizing the qualities of that season is more effective than going against the season you are in.

We know to plant seeds in the spring, and harvest in the fall, but what is the message from Summer?

You can’t force a fruit to ripen, you can’t force a tree to grow faster

Summer is often about waiting for the fruits of our labor. Waiting can be difficult, even if we trust the fruit will ripen, we wonder if we have done enough pruning, or put down enough fertilizer, or protected the plant when it was young on cold spring nights.

What can we do to support Summer?

I am ready! Summer is about getting ready for the bounty of harvest time. Will we have the physical strength to can 50 pounds of tomatoes? Will we be ready to pick crops for hours? Will we have enough time slots available for new clients from our marketing efforts?

In Spring we set our intentions, in Summer we prepare so we can handle the demands of Fall.

Are you getting ready? It’s not too late to start.

Dr. Brian

Different from pain, the experience of disconnection can be instructive, even transformational. The transformation occurs when we reconnect. We reconnect and re-experence what we have lost.

Usually an external event wakes us, it is then we realize how we have been disconnected. Maybe it is a health crisis, or a financial crisis, or a relationship crisis.

Well before the external event we disconnected from our breath and our body, we went on auto-pilot and stopped seeing novelty in our physiology.

The process of reconnecting, finding peace, novelty and health is an ongoing process, one that you can engage every day. Below you will find an article and a video describing a simple body-mind exercise to re-connect.

https://bodyharmonychiro.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/stage-1-sufferingseparateness/

https://youtu.be/QXXJ9lGoE7U

Did you ever try to change your diet, start an exercise routine, or start a new career, but it didn’t feel like the time was right?

At other times, was it just one suggestion, or a seemingly random magazine article, that propelled you toward new thoughts, ideas, plans, and action steps that led to major changes in your life?

What was the difference? In life and in health, timing, or when we make change is almost as important as what type of change we make.

This doesn’t mean that all change will be easy and effortless. We can though, be aware of when we have support and momentum for change, and maximize the flow of the tide.

This is one of the core concepts in Reorganizational Healing and Network Spinal Analysis finding the part of your system that is ready and ripe for change, we call this “looking for available energy”. When that part is activated, it feels as if tension melts away, and new patterns emerge instantaneously.

Where is the available energy in your life? How can this be activated to fuel change? What if a change you have been trying to make for 10 or 20 years just unfolded with grace? When the time is right for change, it is hard to stop.

The modern term Paleo, derived from Paleolithc, describes an era before modernization. In our current culture it most often refers to diet and how food processing has changed the delivery and consumption of food.  Since we cannot adapt as fast as food production has changed, the consequesnces show up as large portions of the popluation with types of illnesses and diseases that were relatively rare just a few thousand of years ago.

Daniel Lieberman has an interesting book that explores this subject – http://amzn.to/28ZEKXe

Discover magazine had an interview with Dr. Lieberman which covers the main topics of the book and forces us to look at our habits and wonder if our modern lifestyle is leading us to poor health – http://discovermagazine.com/2015/may/16-days-of-dysevolution

What about a Paleo Spine, or a Paleo Lifestyle that goes beyond diet?

From antropological research it appears our peleolithic anscetors ambled across the earth covering from 5-10 miles every day. They hunted, tracked game, dug for roots, foraged, and more. Most likely they were in motion a large portion of their day, just to survive.

With all that movement, their bodies looked different from modern humans. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/06/08/412314701/lost-posture-why-indigenous-cultures-dont-have-back-pain

How can we use this information to our benefit? We can move more, do a wider variety of movements, walk more, run more. The end result will be a stronger body and a stronger spine, and possibly a dissappearance of modern diseases.

Dr. Brian

It’s my personal belief that the ability to create complex patterns is one of the greatest functions of the human nervous system. This is a way we become efficient, for if we needed to use the same amount of energy that it took the first time we walked, we wouldn’t have much energy for anything else.

By the time we are fully grown adults, we have thousands of patterns that are linked physically, emotionally and biochemically.

When our nervous system runs a pattern that is already in place, the positive aspect is efficiency, time and energy savings. The negative aspect is that the conditions may have changed slighty, and the response is old and outdated. We may have learned a pattern that worked at one point in our life, but it doesn’t work anymore.

How do we know this is happening?
Did you ever get to a point in life where you feel like the same thing is happening over and over? The people or places may change, but your conversations, emotions and thoughts are similar day to day.

When you consciously become aware that your life is “on repeat”, you are becoming aware of patterns!

Congratulations! What comes next?
There is a paradox that the only constant is change. Our previous thoughts, behaviors and actions lead us to certain outcomes in life. It is important to really feel how this shows up in our body before taking the next step, the process of building of emotion before taking action ensures we take the time to see the big picture and not take quick actions that we may regret.
Each new pattern seems awkard at first, and requries a lot of energy, but with enough emotional fuel driving the process, we all can develop more sustainable patterns, wheter they are personal, communtiy or global.

Recently someone suggested I listen to a weightlifting podcast, which isn’t usually where my interests lie. In the podcast I was introduced to Julien Pineau, who works with top athletes when they are injured, or have reached a plateau. Julien’s philosophy in working with the human body is to follow sound principles. He often mentions this quote:

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

-Ralph Emerson

Julien suggests strength and power come from maximizing four base components; (1) optimal functional movement patterns, (2) flexibility in all planes, (3) using both types of muscle contraction, and (4) efficiency in utilizing both types of energy systems (aerobic & anaerobic).

When these four bases are optimized, his athletes find they heal chronic injuries, or get past barriers they once thought were their limit.

How does this relate to healing and overall health? Julien has very sound principles for robust physical health. What are the principles for robust Emotional Health, Mental Health and Spiritual Health? Can using sound principles in all areas of your life lead you to go beyond previous barriers? I will discuss this in future newsletters.

Dr. Brian

One of the questions I ask people on the first visit is “Why do you think this is happening?” and most commonly the answer to why they think their body is showing signs and symptoms is Stress. Through magazines, news and everyday conversation, we have been told stress is negative, it causes our body to break down.  But is that always true?

Is some stress beneficial? Stress is used in physical training to build strength, when a muscle is stressed with exercise it will rebuild stronger than before to meet increased demands. Another measureable benefit is improved immune response after a temporary stress, like exercising or test taking.

In this article, you will find a wonderful chart describing the biological differences between short term and long term stress.
https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=70134

In the past I have avoided events because I thought they would be stressful, but if the event was only short term I may have missed an opportunity to build my ability to handle future stress.

Another aspect of mitigating stress is social support. In a recent TED talk, Sebastian Junger talks about the protective benefits of community in veterans returning from war, noting PTSD rates in countries that have mandatory military service is drastically lower than in countries where service is volunteered. When it is mandatory you have shared experiences of those who have done it before you.

“And maybe what determines the rate of long-term PTSD isn’t what happened out there, but the kind of society you come back to. And maybe if you come back to a close, cohesive, tribal society, you can get over trauma pretty quickly. And if you come back to an alienating, modern society, you might remain traumatized your entire life.”
Sebastian Junger

What are the main points to take away? We don’t need to avoid events that cause temporary stress, those are the ones that make us stronger.  If we find ourselves “trapped” in long term stress, find support, having another person who has had similar experience makes one feel less isolated and more supported emotionally which provides measurable improvements in short and long term immune system function.

Dr. Brian

In a 20 year longitudinal study of married couples, it was found that anger led to chest pain, and stonewalling or not engaging led to back pain.

This is significant, because anecdotally we all have stories of how emotions relate to physical symptoms, but to follow people for 20 years and see this is ground-breaking.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160524093159.htm

With this study, many questions arise.  From a reorganizational healing perspective, one might ask. “How can I address the pattern in addition to treating the (pain, damaged disk, heart disease, etc.)?” Because even when we treat the damaged tissues and organs, the patterns that led to the dysfunction are still present.

Another question might be, “How can I express myself fully, even in situations that might be high-emotion”?  Because in both instances, either anger and stonewalling occur when productive conversations breakdown.

Dr. Donald Epstein, the developer of Network Spinal Analysis talks about how our symptoms, disease and health crisis’ are messages to wake up, pay attention, and do something different.  When it comes to back pain, most people think the message is they need to stretch, or exercise, and yes that is helpful, and what if you also looked at improving how you communicate with your loved ones?

A great resource for improving communication can be found in the books of Harville Hendrix.  To assist any change you are making, physical or emotional, Spinal Entrainments make it go much smoother.

Have a Great Holiday Weekend.

Dr. Brian

A few years ago I started trail running, often I run in sandals.

Fellow runners will see my footwear and mention how difficult it must be to run in sandals, with all the sharp rocks, and roots in the trail.

When I’m running my focus is on the best place to put my foot down, it happens 180 times every minute.  My entire focus is not on how rocky or rough the trail is, it’s on where I need to put my foot.

There will be times you stub your toe, or twist your foot on a root. Focusing on the path doesn’t deny the obstacles exist. Do you focus on the obstacles in your trail of life, or the best path that is placed in front of you?

Dr. Brian

Photo Credit: Roscoe Shaw

Is it possible for a model of healthcare to help deliver people the best version of themselves that is possible?

This is the vision of healthcare in which I participate.

By connecting a person to organizing intelligences of the universe that creates and establishes everything from the basic functions of life, to the connection to our soul’s gifts, a person can best realize the best version of themselves on all levels, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

Maybe you just want to move better, or not be in pain when you get down on the floor with your grandchild. Yes, I can help you move better, I can help you have more energy, and you may find that leads to walking more and then eating better, and then many other things in which the healthier you makes better choices than before. The vision of greater connection to all of humanity holds the space for that possibility, but it begins with your physical body working better than before.

Are you ready to start now?

Dr. Brian

If you want to change your life, change your spine.

On stage or screen, we see our favorite actors shift their physical body, and it immediately changes their perceptions and behaviors, they literally become someone else. When we need courage or certainty, standing up straighter and putting our chest out facilitates these emotions.

What happens over time when you adopt new postures, new emotions, new thoughts and new actions? Your life becomes different, on every level.  Shifting your posture changes the tension and tone on your connective tissue, which changes how your cells use energy. The change in cellular function leads to a wider range of emotions expressed, different emotions lead to different types of thoughts. Different thoughts lead to new behaviors, especially long term behaviors. New behaviors that are looked at for effectiveness lead to congruence and sustainability in your life.

Each posture we have facilitates a certain range of feelings, and actions.  A dog, when scared will tuck it’s tail, which supports the biochemistry of protection. I saw an animal trainer on television gently lift a scared dog’s tail, and even though the outer circumstance, and environment that originally scared the dog were the same, the dog immediately changed it’s demeanor.

What happens in people when we change our posture to one of engagement with the world, rather than protection from the world?

Read this article, http://www.elephantjournal.com/2016/04/a-new-fetal-position-a-way-to-redesign-our-lives/ and think of the possibilities.

Have you forgotten about a pain when you are doing what you love?
Maybe you were playing with your grandchild, or participating in a sport or hobby, and a pain or discomfort you had isn’t relevant any more. Is pain a solid and unchangeable, or do you find it changes based upon your state of being or energy level?
If our pain can change with our state of being, is the pain really being caused by the damaged tissues, joints, or nerves?
What if pain was an emotion? One that can have varying intensities.
This is the question posed by researchers and discussed in this Scientific American Article.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-pain-construct-of-mind/

When you are not a victim of your pain, but find you can control pain (even if only a little), it can change your entire outlook on your body, and your health.

A Time For Renewal
Changes in our outer world stimulate our inner perceptions, which in turn affects our actions and behaviors. If you used winter to reflect on the results of your previous efforts, spring can be a time of new behaviors.

Spring is a time of growth, and action. After a winter of building energy in the root system, plants and trees begin growing out and upward. Where do you want to grow? Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, socially?

Spring can be a time to set your path and start growing. When we are in sync with the natural rhythms of life, we seamlessly shift to the different phases that life requires. Keep your body and mind flexible with regular assessment and entrainment of your nervous system.

The Optimal Healing State

One of the definitions of healing is “to restore to original integrity”.  Healing can be seen as the process that happens when your body replaces damaged or unhealthy cells with cells that are functioning more optimally.

If an organism is always striving toward health. Why isn’t healing always achieved?

1. The requirements for healing are not present.
Our cells need nutrients, clean air, clean water, supportive relationships, and much more. If any of these is missing, we can’t expect healing to occur.

2. The amount of toxins are overwhelming
We have built in mechanisms for ridding the body of harmful materials, but it can only eliminate a certain amount. Too much in a short time is called “acute toxic”, too much over a long period of time is called a chronic condition.

3. Lack of Brain Awareness
The body can’t heal what it cannot find. Pain isn’t fun, but it’s often instructive, it tells you that something has to change.  It tells you that you can’t go on the same way without doing more damage. Honor those signals. Covering up pain with drugs most often prolongs actual healing.
Our body has a built in mechanism to short circuit when stresses are overwhelming, the healing process involves reconnection with the damaged or injured areas that were disconnected to protect function of the whole.

4. The body can’t shift from “S” for stress to “H” for healing.
The Healing State is one where we have safety, and from there our bodies start producing the hormones required to grow healthy cells and rid ourselves of the by products of oxidative stress.

The 4 steps of the Optimal Healing State
An oil change and tune up for your body.

1. Fill your body with good food, clean water and clean air
2. Limit toxic exposure
3. Check in with your body, breath and movement daily.  Network Spinal Analysis to reconnect the brain to the body.
4. Learn strategies like SRI, meditation, HeartMath, Feldenkrais  and more to build resilience and get into the healing state with your conscious actions.

The first two healing factors are lifestyle based.  The second two involve repatterning your system to become more aware, relieve mechanical stress, and learn strategies for achieving a healing state more often.

When do you need to be in a healing state? Every single day of your life.
Who needs to be in a healing state? Everybody does.

Dr. Brian

How to Increase Your Personal Bandwidth

If you have a 8 year old computer with a dial up connection, and you try to stream a movie, will it work? It may take a day to download, and then it might freeze or stutter during playback. Compare that experience to a modern computer with a fast internet connection. The movie is there, on-demand, the video is smooth and the audio rich.

This same experience happens in our bodies and lives when we have more information than we can handle (stress), or not enough energy (resources). Our bodies go into flight, fight or freeze and we go through life with the goal of just getting by.

When it comes to your personal energy and information processing needs, how do you increase the amount of work you can do, or increase your resiliency,  or your personal bandwidth? Is it even possible? How do some people have a stressful event happen in their lives, and they actually grow?

In a 1997 study of over 2800 people receiving Network Spinal Analysis care, people reported having signs of more energy available for positive life changes such as:

• Extent one adapts to change
• Handling of problems in life
• Actual work done
• Actual life accomplishments
• Overall contentment with life
• Life being what one wants it to be