Hurricane in a Tea Cup

Did you know that 90% of all doctor visits are for stress related pain and symptoms? 90%! This includes all disease processes that are a direct result of a stressful lifestyle such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, digestive disorders, among many others. In fact, I believe that almost all symptoms are a direct result of a combination of one of three forms of stress:

1. Physical: something I am doing or not doing
2. Chemical: something I am eating, drinking, breathing, or being exposed to
3. Mental/Emotional: something I am thinking or feeling

I am now going to contradict myself and say that stress does not cause any of these problems. In fact, I think stress is a good thing. Stress forces us to grow and become stronger. In fact, without stress, we would probably all be on a couch somewhere watching T.V. Take exercise for example. Exercise stresses the muscles that are being worked. The result is that the muscles come back stronger. How about the body’s immune system? The immune system is stressed by bacteria, fungus, and different viruses such as the common cold and flu. The result again is that the immune system comes back stronger and is better prepared to fight off that virus if it sees it again.

Stress is in our best interest, helping us grow. However, when our body becomes overwhelmed by chronic stress, it begins to shut down. The body fails to cope and adapt to the stress. This is where the real problem results. So in order to stay healthy it is beneficial to reduce some of the unnecessary stress in our lives, but it is essential to our survival that we become better able to cope, adapt and respond to stress.

Gratitude is a powerful means to improving your ability to cope and adapt to stress. By changing the way we perceive life, we dramatically change the way our body responds to the situations that life throws at us. When, mentally, we are stressed and overwhelmed, every little change or unexpected event that occurs in our day becomes a tidal wave. A great teacher of mine described this as a “hurricane in a tea cup.” Despite the insignificance of the situation, our body-mind reacts as if this were a life-threatening event. This most often occurs on the subconscious level because this is where our survival instincts operate. On the contrary, when we operate from a state of gratitude, it is much easier to see things for what they are and to properly label them as life threatening or not. We begin responding instead of reacting to events. We begin to operate from the cortex (thinking brain) as opposed to the midbrain (survival brain). Research is beginning to back this theory up. Studies have shown that people who are more optimistic have higher counts of blood cells that protect the immune system. When your immune system is functioning at a higher level, you are less likely to get sick from anything ranging from the common cold to cancer. That is really amazing!

From a chiropractic perspective, it is perceived that every action that occurs in the body begins in the brain. Whether that is movement, balance, and coordination, or heart rate, blood pressure, digestive function, respiration, and immune function, the brain is the starting place for all of this information. It only makes sense that the state of being that the brain is in would therefore have an impact on the overall state of the body. Your thoughts affect your body’s behavior!

So how can we be grateful? For starters, one of the most powerful ways I have found is getting adjusted using Flow. Flow works by helping the body physiologically shift from a state of stress and survival to a state of ease and healing. This makes a state of gratitude easier to achieve and maintain. Another one of my favorite things to do is to have a gratitude journal. Try spending five minutes at night writing down all the things you are grateful for during the day. When you wake up, you can review the list. By simply doing that alone, you are beginning and ending your day from a state or gratitude. I have seen that change peoples lives. I personally like to maintain a mantra, a phrase I repeat in my mind throughout the day. The mantra I like to use right now is “I love you.” Imagine the effect repeating “I love you” throughout the day can have on the way you perceive the world around you. You can learn more about this technique from the book, "Zero Limits" by Joe Vitale.

The Holiday Season itself can be described as a "hurricane in a tea cup," thus t is a very important time to make a special effort to maintain balance in our lives. Entering the holiday season, I find myself grateful first and foremost for my family and for the love of God. I am also grateful for everything I have been given in life including a wonderful career as a chiropractor that I absolutely love. I am grateful for the smiles I get from practice members as they sit up from the table noticeably feeling more peace and ease in their life. I am grateful for the magnetism of the mountains here in Tucson and the serenity they bring to my life. I am grateful for my teachers in life who have guided me along the way and continue to do so. This list goes on and on.

What are you grateful for?

Blessings,

Dr. Jonah

Healing Through Expansion

As I finish the final few days of the purification program we have been doing here at Life Gate, I feel a sense of renewal in my life. There is a sense of freshness and expansion. There are many cycles that occur throughout our lives, the cycle expansion and contraction being one of them. The last three weeks of the purification program has been a time of contraction. During this time, the diet is restricted and energy is focused inward. As the program nears completion, the diet begins to expand and energy becomes focused outwardly. This is time of tremendous growth. All the energy that has been saved over the last three weeks is now put in motion. Just as going inward and slowing things down on occasion is important to the healing process, it is equally important to that process to express the energy that has been stored.

I often find that a lack of expansion in our lives leads first to a state of dis-ease in the body, and if left long enough, to a state of disease. This could be a lack of expansion physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually. When we stop expanding in any of these areas, stagnation occurs. And just as stagnant water becomes toxic over time, so too does stagnation physically, mentally, and emotionally. This shows up in the following ways:

Physically: Something we are or are not doing; lack of motion
Emotionally: Something we are or are not feeling
Mentally: Something we are or are not thinking about

Physically, I often find the area in the body that is creating dis-ease in a person is lacking expansion or motion in direct relation to the breath. As a person learns to locate the area of dis-ease and bring awareness to it through use of the breath, a dramatic shift occurs often leading to a change in the symptoms that are being experienced. This same movement acquired through the breath brings about dramatic change emotionally as well. We are now aware that unresolved emotions can store themselves throughout the physical body, again leading to stagnation. By bringing awareness and motion to these areas using the breath, we experience not only a greater physical range of motion, but also a greater emotional range of motion. The result is an expansion of our emotional body as the unresolved emotions are integrated back into the system. Mental stagnation occurs from a pattern of negative or toxic thoughts and beliefs. By challenging our negative thoughts and beliefs with ideas that are fresh and progressive, we break the cycle of negative thinking that is causing dis-ease in our body. Further, Flow works on each of these levels, releasing stored tension in the body allowing for more expansion and healing.

This month I am focusing my newfound energy on mental expansion. This can be achieved in a number of ways including the use of positive affirmations, creating and maintaining a state of gratitude, and of course, by challenging our negative thoughts and beliefs by reading materials containing a fresh and positive perspective. I invite you to join me this month in reading the book “Healing Myths, Healing Magic,” by Dr. Donald Epstein. This book directly challenges many of the core beliefs we hold that prevent us from healing. By becoming aware of such deeply held beliefs, we are able to release them, expanding our body’s healing capability. Doesn’t that sound refreshing! I hope this book is as life changing for you as it has been more me.

Sincerely,

Jonah

True Power

I moved to Tucson last September with my family so I missed the monsoons by just a few weeks. This is my first summer experiencing them and they are truly amazing. I love the smell of desert rain and the calm that descends before the storm. And it is always fun to watch my kids running and jumping into the puddles once it starts coming down. But what I find most amazing is the raw power that the storms possess and watching that power overcome the Catalinas as the storm moves closer to where we live.

When I have an opportunity, I like to stand in the storm and absorb some of the power that it brings with it. Not only does it make me feel humble in comparison to this small display of God's power, thought it appears so large from my perspective, but it reminds me of the power we have within ouselves. We come from the same source or power that created the universe, the cosmos, the Earth, and of course the monsoon. This is very significant because with in each and every one of use resides this same power. We tend to easily forget our devine heritage and the devine qualities that comes with it, power being one of those qualities. It is this power that leads one man or woman to make a profound change in the world we live in. One individual can change the world! Look at how people such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King have influenced the world be live in. The likes of Jesus, Buddha, and Mohommed have had such a profound influence on the world that thousands of years later, we still look to them for guidance. And this power is not simply limited to our ability to change the world around us, but to change the world within us as well. This often comes in the form of healing. There is no greater healing power in the world than that that which resides within oneself. Of course, this comes from our divine heritage, and as the Kingdom of God resides within ones heart, so to does the power to heal ones life!

This is why I am constantly amazed by the chiropractic adjustment. The nervous system serves as a physical conduit through which this power that I speak of flows. When our spine is not in alignment, this flow is disturbed, and the affect is not merely pain, but a lack of this power or expression flowing through our bodies. The right adjustment, at the right time, in the right place restores the flow of this power allowing our body to fully express its intelligence and healing power. I have seen one adjustment move mountains in a persons life. Which to me only reinforces the power that one has within to create change and heal in ways he/she never new to be possible.

In this way, the adjustment helps people realize and experience the power they have in their lives. The result it people take their power back and make choices in their lives that they did not realize they had the power to make. Anthony Robbins says "One decision can change your life forever." The key is to first realize that you have the power to make that decision. Once you realize the power you have, you can make that decision that will not only change your life forever, but change the lives of those around you forever. Now that is power! And here I thought the monsoons had power!

Moment of Pure Inspiration

Every Wednesday this month, we are hosting Susanna Bair of the Institute for Applied Meditation at the office of Life Gate. Susanna is a co-founder of the institute where they teach a very unique form of meditation called Heart Rhythm Meditation. This technique coordinates the rhythm of the breath and the rhythm of the heart. One of the many great benefits of this form of meditation is the awareness that it brings to your physical heart.

In recent years, much research has gone into study of the heart. And one of the amazing things that has been discovered is that the heart has its own intelligence, independent of that of the brain. And what I find truly amazing is that the intelligence of the heart has been found to influence every cell, tissue, and organ in the body including the brain. When the heart is in a state of stress and anxiety, the rest of the body is also in a state of stress and anxiety. However, when the heart is in state a state of peace, so, too, is the rest of the body. This state of peace can be accessed by the using the breath and that is one purpose of Heart Rhythm meditation.

There are many more great qualities associated with the heart. Not only is the heart an amazing organ that delivers much needed oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body, but the heart is also the source for qualities such as courage, love, gratitude, compassion, generosity, idealism, and inspiration. By using our breath, we can bring awareness to the heart, thereby accessing such emotions with a depth never before experienced. I experienced this first hand on Wednesday night when practicing Hearth Rhythm Meditation with Susanna and a group of people at the office of Life Gate. Before beginning the practice, I set the intention for the evening, my purpose for meditating at that moment. Before long, my breath and heart beat where coordinated. Suddenly, I had a burst of inspiration and my mind was flooded with ideas of how I could fulfill the intention I had set twenty minutes prior. It was a very exciting moment!

This is what Heart Rhythm Meditation is about. Becoming more aware of our physical heart and the qualities associated with it. As one continues the practice, these qualities become more of a reality in our lives and we begin to live what is called a heart-centered life. Now that is an exciting prospect!

Mexico

Wow, what a great experience I had this weekend in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. My wife Jeni and I went to Mexico with a group of doctors to provide inmates in the Puerto Penasco prison with much needed health care. Even though I had been to the city of Puerto Penasco before, I had never been in this capacity, so I had no idea what to expect. The experience was invaluable and I came away with several impressions. It is important to note that prisons in Mexico are very different than prisons in the US. In Mexico, people are presumed guilty until proven innocent, unless you are able to pay your way out of prison. Given this, I knew many of the people I was going to be treating would be innocent people who simply did not have the money to get out of prison. I was also surprised to learn that if a mother is in prison, it is not uncommon for her to have her children in the prison with her. I could not imagine the challenge of trying to raise children in prison.

As you can imagine, it was hard at first to maintain a healing intention as we entered the prison. We were all checked into the prison by a guard with a machine gun strapped over his shoulder. We were then escorted into the prison, again by armed guards. I kept myself centered by being present to my breath and keeping my focus on my heart center. I felt that because I would only get one opportunity to adjust each inmate, I needed to be completely present to get the most out of each adjustment. Once inside the infirmary, the guards began letting inmates in to receive care. I was working in a very small room but I was able to fit two tables next to each other so that I could see more people in the amount of time we had. Each inmate first got adjusted before proceeding to see a general practitioner for more specific health concerns. I was surprised to see the amount of tension that many of the inmates held in their body relative to their age. People in their twenties and thirties had as much tension in their body as I would normally observe in someone in their forties and fifties at my office in Tucson. This gave me an indication as to how stressful living conditions are not only in the prison, but in a third world country. Many of there daily concerns revolve around their very own survival, which is not something most of us in the US experience on a daily basis.

What truly touched me about this experience though, was the level of respect and gratitude that each of the prisoners showed everybody in our group. I found this deeply inspiring. If someone living in a prison in Mexico, whether they are guilty or not, and in some cases raising a family there, could be grateful for the ten minute adjustment that they received, I could certainly find more in my own life to be grateful for.

I am grateful for the opportunity to touch the lives of these people if even for a very brief moment in time. I know the power of an adjustment and I believe that one adjustment could change the direction of one or more of their lives. I have seen it happen. I am also grateful for the opportunity to adjust the children in the prison. We tend to live very privileged lives in the US compared to other countries and we often take it for granted. When I see children whose only experience of life thus far is that of the inside of a prison, I realize how grateful I am that my children have a home and are surrounded by people who love and nurture them.

After spending Saturday in the prison, Jeni and I spent Sunday morning on the beach before returning to Tucson. It was so serene early in the morning watching the waves crash upon the shore. It was a moment of cleansing. Spending time in nature can be very healing. Our lives are very stressful and our nervous system is never given the opportunity to fully recover. Because of this, physiologically, we live in a state of survival, our nervous system in always on alert and often overwhelmed. When we spend time in nature, whether that be hiking in the desert or walking on the beach, our nervous system becomes more balanced, shifting from this state of survival and into a state of healing and growth. I forget the power of this because I, like many others, do not fully take advantage of the beauty in the environment surrounding us. I am grateful for moments such as the one I spent on the beach for the healing that occurs and for the simple reminder to be more mindful of the beauty we have been given in this world.

Hello and Welcome

I would like to begin by saying how excited I am to be participating in this blog, “Finding Flow.” I hope that it provides everybody who participates with an opportunity for growth and leads us all down a path towards greater health, harmony, and vitality! I am equally excited about the launching of our new website, which provides a wealth of information that I hope everybody takes advantage of and benefits from.

I believe it is important at this point to introduce the concept of Flow. Flow is best described as a state of being. It is characterized as a state of increased awareness and connection to one’s self, to other people, and to the environment around us. It is a state that everybody has experienced at some point in his or her life. For an athlete, flow is often referred to as "being in the zone." But beyond that, it is a state that is experienced by artists absorbed by their work, musicians taken by their music, surgeons deeply focused on the task at hand, and computer programmers effortlessly creating new code. Effortless, absorbed, focused, oneness, wholeness, centered, grace, and many more, are all words that help describe this way of being. It has been described as the “optimal experience.”

So what is the significance of this state? Research has shown that this state not only creates greater mental and emotional wellbeing in the people who experience it, but our body responds physically as well. During times of Flow, one’s immune system increases reducing the risk of illness and disease such as colds, flu, infection, and even cancer. Further studies have shown direct correlation between the number of Flow experiences one has and how one rates his or her overall happiness and quality of life.

In his book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience," Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes Flow as a state that is reached when we are faced with a challenging situation and our skill set in the area being challenged is equally high or higher. This creates a moment in time when a person must be completely focused on the challenge before them. And it is during moments such as these that Csikszentmihalyi believes one is most likely to experience a state of Flow.

I, however, believe that this state can be achieved without having to be challenged to such a degree. The challenge makes it more likely because it forces us to be fully present to the moment. When we are fully present, our mind is sharply focused and it is not distracted by the world around us, making us more likely to experience Flow. I believe these experiences have more to do with alignment than challenge. When we are in complete alignment, our body, mind, heart, and soul vibrate at a similar frequency. And there comes a moment in time when these frequencies entrain to each other such that they are all resonating at the same frequency. At this point, we can say that we are experiencing wholeness because every aspect of our being is perfectly tuned with each other. This is when we experience Flow.

The key to aligning ourselves, and thus the key to experiencing Flow, lies within the breath and within the heart. It is in the heart that our purpose in life lies and it is the breath that provides a link between our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. When we align the breath with the beating of our heart, the heart begins to emit a very strong, consistent frequency, to which the rest of our being aligns. In this way, we can use the breath to access the heart bringing more love, harmony, purpose, and Flow, into our lives!