Fenton chiropractor – Page 20 – We Only Get One Chance

DELIBERATE ACTION

“Hey Erica! There is a sloth right outside our window!” comes from the bedroom of the bungalow I was staying at in Costa Rica. In that particular instance, the girlfriend I was sharing a room with happened to look out the window. It was that particular instance she spotted him, however I am thinking that it is quite possible that she could have looked out at any point that entire morning, and maybe that entire day, and that sloth would have still been there. The

y do not move fast.

I saw a cartoon a few weeks back that this guy had gone to the doctor to ask why he was turning green. The doctor said something like “I would suggest you start an exercise program. You are growing moss!” The sloth is the same way. You cannot see it from this angle however the fur on his back was green, literally growing moss because he moved so slow! The picture you see is taken with my iPhone and though my arm is extended as far as it will go, the picture itself is not zoomed in. This sloth didn’t have a care in the world. We opened our window and then our screen and talked to him, made fake sloth noises (whatever those are), took tons of pictures, made a movie (its a sloth movie and incredibly boring or I would post it) and it is really true, you cannot scare a sloth!

So I sat and watched him. He just hung there, would reach out to grab a branch or a leaf in what looked like a slow-motion movie. I watched him sniff a couple leaves, then open his mouth and bite down on one, then let go of that branch and go back to chewing and hanging around. We had plans that morning which interrupted our sloth-viewing session or I would have stayed and watched for a while. They move so slowly and so deliberately, or so it seems. Their moves seem so well thought out, every millimeter planned and executed with precision. We later learned that they only go to the bathroom once a week and to do that they come down from the trees.

They are interesting creatures and have a rather mysterious feeling about them. I would say there is a real sense of the present-time consciousness when it comes to the activ

ities during their days. There didn’t seem to be much wasted energy on stuff that didn’t matter. It reminds me of moments when I find myself really present. Its that “work smarter, not harder” idea. Be deliberate with your time and energy. Many people walk around in life almost asleep. Have you ever driven your car and arrived at your destination without even knowing what route you took to get there or what you saw along the way? Have you ever finished dinner without even knowing what the food tasted like? Have you ever logged into Facebook, turned on a video game, or sat down in front of the TV and gotten up hours later wondering how 4 hours passed without you noticing?

This sloth reminded me of being present, making conscious decisions, and taking deliberate action. It is the idea of the “herd mentality” and taking a different path then the rest of the pack. I was standing in line and waiting to bathroom before a 5k this past weekend. I was 3rd in line for what appeared to be a full 3 stall bathroom…or full because the doors were shut. After waiting for the rotation of stalls to clear, I began to notice that the 3rd stall was skipping the rotation. Breaking free from the “herd” to deliberately walk up and check to see if the door was locked revealed a free stall. Who knows how long it had been free, however the line could have moved 33% faster if we were being a little more awake, aware and deliberate. Take the next 24 hours and check in with yourself during all the activities you participate in and make sure you are awake and really living life…maybe be a little more “sloth-like” and deliberate. We only get one chance…

DONDE ESTA LA PLAYA??

Most of you know that I spent Thanksgiving in Costa Rica…and many of you are waiting to see some pictures. I am waiting to get some pictures from a friend, however until then, I do have a few to post. The trip itself was amazing! It was 10 full days of great friends, new friends, laughter, great conversation, beaches, a beautiful bride, her handsome groom, great chiropractic adjustments, loads of walking, dancing, a few drinks, great Costa Rican food, lots of monkeys, a few sloths, live salsa music, down time, play time, jellyfish stings, monkey bites (yes, the father of the bride got bit by a white-face monkey), surfing, exercising, boat rides, zip-line canopy tours, great accommodations, amazing service, time for journaling and reading, sun-bathing, swimming in the ocean, kayaking, reconnection, silent contemplation, sleeping, music, shopping, delicious fruit, rain, humidity, crazy frizzy hair, girl-time and sunsets. I am trying to think of all the things I did with my time off and that pretty much sums it up.

Some things that were absent: a set schedule, time commitments, a cell phone, text messages and emails continually following me around, bills, layered clothing, goose down, boots, socks, driving, car that needed gas, laundry (although it was piling up), not many hair products (they didn’t do any good anyways), and negativity was absent as well.

I find it very easy, once I make it on time to the plane, to settle in and get out of my everyday mode. I am grateful for the ability to leave it all behind, however that is made possible largely because I know that my practice is taken care of by my amazing staff and anything that could potentially come up in my personal life, my family would step in and help out. I am grateful for my life and all those that are in it. I am very grateful to be able to step away and have the ability to have amazing experiences with some really awesome people.

I am not one that obsesses about sunsets…it’s not that I don’t love a beautiful sunset, I just don’t necessarily go and seek them out. That all changed while I was there and I am sure you can see the reason for that…absolutely beautiful!!! The area we were in was very hilly, or maybe more like cliffs. The views were absolutely spectacular and these are a few from the bungalow I stayed in and the beach we played at.

SUPER HERO CHRISTMAS

Last night I bought a wimpy Christmas tree. I say wimpy because it is only an 7 foot tree and looks so small. Over the last few years, I have been used to my 20+ foot ceilings and I would get 10+ foot trees because I had just the perfect spot. This year I am back to standard

8 foot ceilings and that is very limiting outside of cutting a hole in the ceiling. One of our favorite couples came into the Cafe this morning and I got laughing so hard as I was reminded me of a Christmas tree incident that happened last year. It goes something like this…

I cannot remember exactly what the evening consisted of, however I know that there was some sort of drama involved that left me feeling a little “run over”. I remember pulling into my garage after midnight with a distressed feeling and ready to go to bed and start the next day new. I walked into my house, set my keys down, kicked off my shoes and was heading upstairs when I noticed that my 12 foot Christmas tree had taken a tumble and many ornaments were smashed on the floor. “Where is that dog?!?!” …oh, right, he is still in his kennel being a good boy. There weren’t any earthquakes so the only one I could blame it on was the little physics wizard inside of me that was on vacation when I put it into the tree stand…apparently off balance. Then my inner comedian chimed in with “If a 12 foot Christmas tree falls in a living room and no one is around, does it make a sound?”

I quickly accepted the destruction and decided since it was already after midnight and nobody is around to help…this is the PERFECT time to remedy the situation. So with one big heave, I was able to get it mostly upright…well upright as long as I was holding it there…but if I was holding it, who is going to re-do the screws in the tree stand so that it won’t tip over again????? BRILLIANT ERICA!!!! Your SUPERWOMAN complex is really getting you into trouble this time around!!! So next decision to make was… 1. Let the tree fall again and go out on a limb and ask for help tomorrow, or… 2. Be grateful for long arms and find some of that SUPERHERO strength and somehow make it happen. Let’s put it this way…you all know which one I chose (I mean really, if you have been following this blog at all, you know me quite well), I dove in waist deep in pine needles, it was a dumb idea, and I was sore for days!!! …and if you do know me, I am sure you can get the visual and have probably let out a chuckle and the ridiculous-ness.

Moral of the story…if you are one person, don’t try to do a two-person job! Learn to ask for help when it is appropriate because helping others is human nature and if you ask, I can guarantee someone will step in and be glad to. Running my chiropractic office, I have people coming in all the time because they tried to do a two-person job on their own. Learn from my mistakes…or just buy smaller Christmas trees!!! ‘Tis the Season!!!

ITS THE TIME FOR GRATITUDE!

Some people on facebook are writing status updates about things they are grateful every day through the month of November up until Thanksgiving Day (the 24th). I decided I would do them all at once this way instead.

1. I am thankful for my health.
2. I am thankful for my family.
3. I am thankful to be living and practicing in Fenton, MI. I love this little town.
4. I am thankful for my practice
5. I have so much gratitude for the amazing staff at the Cafe of LIFE.
6. I am thankful for a clear mind.
7. I am thankful to have buddy Choco, my chocolate lab, in my life.
8. I am so very grateful I have the opportunity to be an aunt.
9. I am over the top grateful for the amazing yoga studio/community I am involved in.
10. I am thankful for good friends, and amazing experiences with said friends.
11. I am so grateful for the ability to travel.
12. I am grateful for all the lessons I learned though my relationships.
13. I am grateful for a special someone who is out there right now…you know who you are:)
14. I am thankful for music and the way it can shift me.
15. I am so grateful for the people that are committed to the Cafe of LIFE Book Club.
16. I am thankful for clothes on my back, food in my belly and a roof over my head.
17. I have so much gratitude for the lady that cleans my house and makes life easier for me.
18. I am grateful to have been born into a HUGE extended family!
19. I am grateful for summer weekends on the lake passing the hours with my family.
20. I am thankful to have been introduced to snow sports at such a young age that has led to my love of winter.
21. I am grateful to have lived in many parts of this country.
22. I am so very thankful for the picture window in my office that overlooks the river.
23. I am grateful for beautiful sunsets out said window and the ones at home.
24. I am grateful for my life…at times I forget how big.

This list could go on and on. What are you grateful for?

THE ANTI-FAN

I attended a football game at Michigan State University this past Saturday “GO SPARTANS!!!”. I love going to the campus, I love being in the stadium and I just love everything about a day of college football. It was the most beautiful day for a football game and we sat in some really great seats…well, great seats to watch the game, not so great seats for one particular fan, or “anti-fan”, that sat behind us. The entire game, this anti-fan shouted out the meanest things. He was a MSU fan and I am pretty sure one that has been attending games for years and years. He was loud, angry, negative and down-right mean. They would do something great and he would be sarcastic with his support. They would do something bad and he would shout something like “WELL WE HAVE GROWN TO EXPECT THAT FROM YOU GUYS!!!” They would start moving the ball down the field and he would act shocked, they would have a turnover and he would go back to his “of-course-that-just-happened” attitude. It was unbelievable that someone would pay money to come to a college football game and knock their team so much…to top it off, he was not quiet about it. His wife was with him and a younger woman sat on his other side…both of them were ultra-quiet…and it went on the entire game.

There are two things I learned from that…1. I am really glad I do not have anyone in my life that is that negative and 2. if you are a fan, BE A FAN!!! There is a saying “You get more bees with honey than vinegar”. If you are looking for positive results, it is important to have a positive attitude. Now some would ask, how much effect could one guy in the stands have on a team that is down on the field? and, does it really matter if one guy is being negative in a crowd of positivity? Have you ever heard the saying “One bad apple spoils a bushel”? I was not letting him effect me on a conscious level, but who knows what he was doing on a subconscious level to my energy, much less everyone else around him. More than anything, if a guy is that pissed off and negative at a wonderful college sporting event, I can only imagine what he is like in a stressful situation. If someone like that is the patriarch of a family, I would wager his negativity infiltrates his family members…and I know for a fact that it is effecting his health.

It isn’t always easy to keep a positive attitude, especially when life seems to be throwing you lemons…but what about that saying “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade”. By writing about this, I am by no means complaining about him. I am hoping to increase the awareness around attitude. When someone asks “How are you?” let’s run through 2 possible answers. “Not bad.” is one possible answer…but “Not bad.” leans towards negative energy. What if when asked how you are, you answer “I am good.” or “I am really great!”. Even just saying those two answers, as compared to the first, really changes the energy of how you are feeling…and in essence changes the energy in and around your body.

How are you spending your life? Where are you focusing your energy? What small changes can you make to shift your perspective in a more positive direction? Let’s start today…we only get one chance to make this the best life possible!

HALLOWEEN

Halloween means 2 things to me…COSTUMES AND CANDY!! The costume part of the 2…pure fun! The candy…a double-edged sword. Candy does a weird thing to me. It is fun to eat, tastes amazing, and releases “feel good” and comforting chemicals in the body. I always have mixed feelings about giving away candy at Halloween…and it mostly has to do with the detrimental effects the sugar has on immune system function. I have settled this battle in my head by giving out caramel apples at the Cafe. It allows me to still have fun with candy but also get that apple in there as well since…”An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”.

So this year I decided I wanted to do a little more educating when it comes to sugar and the immune system. What is the physiology behind sugar and the immune system and why is sugar so detrimental?

Interesting to note, October-February seems to be dubbed “Cold and Flu Season”. I would like to open your minds a little bit to the fact that it may be better termed “Sugar Season”. Halloween starts with the candy that can last for weeks, then Thanksgiving is filled with deserts, and December is the month of endless holiday parties, Christmas cookies, wine and other cocktails.

Do you want the physiology? The major players in the immune system, namely the white blood cells, need vitamin C in order to do their work. Vitamin C and sugar have a similar structure and if sugar is around, it will bind to the activation site and block Vit C. When you ingest sugar you can think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl. Not a good thing. Then do that over and over for days, weeks and potentially 2 straight months…guess what? COLDS and FLU VIRUSES set in!!

So let’s approach this holiday season with a little more awareness…and a little more will power to steer clear of all that sugar. Indulge some, but keep it to a minimum and I bet you will find more energy to enjoy the celebrations, friends and family, and I bet you will come through the winter season a little happier and healthier.

I am by no means saying that I keep my diet completely clear of sugar. On most days I do however I found myself digging in some on Halloween with all the goodies we had at the Cafe of LIFE. I also found myself experiencing some intense sugar cravings on Tuesday, needing extra sleep on Tuesday night and a good portion of Wednesday and am finally feeling back to normal. It is fun while it lasts…tastes great while it is in your mouth and I feel good about it all for about 3-4 minutes. Then I spend 3 full days recovering from it all. It simply is not worth it.

We may as well do the best we can with the choices of what we put in in our bodies…we only get one chance.

FLASH MOB

This past weekend I had my first flash mob experience!!! How fun! Flash mobs are happening all over the world these days. Have you heard of it? Basically people choose places where there are predicted to be large crowds and start some music and do a choreographed dance. If you have ever witnessed one, it begins with just 3 or 4 people. Then a large group gathers around to watch and a portion of the spectators are actually in on the dance and join. Then usually there is another section of the crowd that seem innocent but are actually in on it too and join and when it is over, everyone goes back to doing whatever they were doing and act like nothing happened. It is about bringing joy to others through the element of surprise and dance.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Wb35o4qOQ[/youtube]
So I got wind of this group called Flash Mob America and I registered with them to receive their updates. It just so happens they were coming to do one in Ann Arbor…and you know me, always looking for rich, rewarding experiences…so I decided I would make it a point to join in the fun. I arrived at 9am for rehearsal which lasted for 3 hours. We went over and over and over the dance and learned about the specifics of how it develops because there is no actual practice time in the chosen location. There were about 80 people that were at rehearsal and it was awesome to see it all come together.

The flash mob took place at the Artisan Market in Kerrytown area of Ann Arbor (the same location as the farmer’s market if you have ever been). The 80 participants walked around shopping leading up to the time it was supposed to start which was 1pm. Then out of nowhere, we here the beginnings of the song “Party Rock”…which literally starts with the singer yelling “PARTY ROCK!!” Then 4 people began the dance and it evolved from there. I was fortunate to have a friend standing by and videotaped the entire thing and I wanted to share it…and my incredible dance moves, jk :)…with all of you.

If you get wind of a flash mob happening in your area…check it out, join in and have some fun. We only get one chance…dance like no one is watching…or dance like the whole world is watching and shake that booty and make it count!!!

I REMEMBER…

I remember this feeling. I am in a new house and a new bed and I have yet to move the rest of my furniture into the new place. Over the past couple days I have had some upper back stiffness and I feel really hunched over and locked up. I am sitting at my desk at my office Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic and trying to remember when I felt this last…and then it hit me…it was prior to the purchase of my Sleep Number bed.

I remember waking up for years feeling like I got hit by a truck while I was sleeping. I was (and am) working out, drinking lots of water, stretching and doing yoga on a continual basis and at that age (and this age), there is no way my body should have felt (and currently feel) like that. (I am not trying to be a commercial for Sleep Number by telling you all this.) I purchased my bed 2 years ago after stopping in a store on a recommendation of another chiropractor. Everything they were telling me was making sense and when I got it home and tried it for myself, I was really, really impressed and amazed with my ability to rest and feel rested in the morning. It is one of those things that after sleeping on it for so long, I had forgotten the difference…until the past 2.5 weeks.

The biggest challenge I have now is that my Sleep Number bed I have at home is a queen and my new master bedroom has a king and requires a king…so I am going to have to go and purchase a king Sleep Number in the very near future. People that come in and get adjusted at my chiropractic office ask me all the time what bed I recommend. I always give them my personal experience because what else can i possibly talk about besides what I have done myself.

We spend a third of our lives in bed and it is important to make an investment in the quality of sleep we get. How can we possibly move through our days and do what we need to do feeling like we got hit by a truck sometime during the night? Just for the record, there are many really good quality beds on the market. Everyone is slightly different and our bodies have different requirements when it comes to relaxation and sleep. The best advice I can give on sleep position is to make sure your spine is as neutral as possible…making sure there are no twists, extra stress or sagging occurring…and I am grateful to know what I need to do about this and where to go to return to happy sleeping!!!

I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES!

As I walk around the past few weeks, the word “lucky” comes up in my head over and over. It has been in the forefront of my mind lately how lucky I am. Some people will argue that there is no such thing as luck and to some respect, I would agree with that. I think Life puts things in our paths according to the work we have done, the energy we radiate and what we can handle. I have done and still continue to do my work…working on myself, my wounds, my strengths and my weaknesses. I feel lucky because some key areas in my life are coming together all at the same time…that is the luck that is on my mind lately and it pertains to work, family, my living situation and my personal life.

I am a doula (Doula is a word that has most closely become associated with a woman or man[1] who provides non-medical support to other women and their families during labour and childbirth, and also the postpartum period) and this past Monday I attended the most amazingly beautiful home water birth. It just so happens she went into labor on Monday morning and by my lunch period things were well underway. Let me set the scene for you…I walked in to peace, a dim lit home, light rhythmic music playing in the background, a fan blowing, Mom in the birthing tub, friend/doula by her side putting cold wash cloths on her back and neck, husband close by and checking in with Mom when necessary, mid-wife sitting back and waiting and watching with a supportive energy and soothing words, birth assistant ready to be the key support to the mid-wife, and the dog patiently watching over the room from a bed in the corner.

Her labor went on all morning but the actual pushing was a short 35 minutes to the birth of a beautiful baby boy. When mothers are adjusted through their entire pregnancy, labor and delivery times are quick since the body is balanced and ready. It was picture perfect. I checked and adjusted the little one within minutes of coming into the world, did what I could to help for about an hour, checked and adjusted everyone else and headed out and back to the Cafe of LIFE to serve for the afternoon. That was one incredible day!

In the midst of this beautiful scenario, I stepped back and thought to myself…how lucky am I! What an honor to be invited in to the most intimate moments in this particular family’s life. I feel lucky to be in this place, at this time and having the experiences I am. When I get to experience Innate Intelligence in its rawest form and bear witness to the strength of a woman in the moment of giving birth, I am humbled and forever grateful to have even been invited. Life is amazing…make sure you are getting out there and living it!

JOURNAL ENTRY 4/5/11

I have looked back at this journal entry a few times and I want to put it up here because I think that it may speak to a few of you and I want to share it. In yoga, we talk so much about coming to our “edge” on a physical level and how that physical “edge” can be a metaphor for other layers of our being. This was part of that particular lesson.

“4/5/11
I found myself at three interesting “edges” today. The first has to do with the cleanse and I’m still trying to figure out where these messages of “let’s be done now” are coming from because I know my body is being physically nourished well. The second has to do with the commitment to this process of Yoga Teacher Training with my favorite party of the year this Friday…Tiger’s Opening Day ( I am not a die-hard baseball fan, but I am a HUGE Opening Day fan). I was even offered 2 sets of tickets to the game and everything.

The last edge is really personal, but being at that edge I have 2 options…#1 I can back up and go the other way, or #2 I could jump and grow wings after my feet leave the ground. This particular edge is familiar and I have been here before. Last time I went the other way. I’m deciding which to choose this time and wondering even why this is presenting itself again…but it is, and when I flip a coin and make the agreement with myself that I will do what the coin says and it turns up the side of “jump”…I run through the scenario in my head and there is a incredible heart-opening joy and peace involved.

The “edge” takes on many shapes and forms and keeps showing up in many different areas in life. It is dynamic and personal and teaches us about what it is like to be us in that particular moment, at that particular time. The best thing we can do is brush up against it so we know where it is, and see if we can connect with something inside that gives us the strength and courage to push through those limits. This is how we grow and evolve.”

Namaste