Celebrating The Rhythm of Another Year ~ The Beacon for Dec. 22, 2011

One of the most frequent complaints that I hear at this time of year is, “I am just so busy, I have no time for myself.”  People are zooming from one engagement to another, baking, cooking, wrapping and visiting.  Oh it is holiday season again!  And away we go.

Historically this time of year was celebrated for being a time of change, a turning point.  The longest night of the year was being replaced by expanding daylight.  Ancients built large ritual sites to track this sacred time of year, with Stonehenge being the most famous.  Religiously, most see this time as a highlight in their religious celebrations.  For Christianity, it is the birth of the Savior; new age people, the rebirth of the Christ within; for the Jewish, Hanukkah is observed by lighting candles.  Both historically and religiously this is a time of rebirth, a time of rekindling our inner light.

For me, personally I love this time of year.  I can feel the ending of a cycle, the joy of a year passing, the desire for time of reflection.  The death of one year means the birth of another, so this also offers a wonderful time to begin fresh, to regroup, refocus, restart, and realign.  I encourage you all to defy the standard cultural hysterics and material driven marketing frenzy, and find time to reflect, acknowledge yourself and your successes, acknowledge those in your life that are special to you, and get clear on the year ahead.  It truly is a most wonderful time of year.

Last year one of the brief reflection exercises I completed, (it only took about two hours), was journaling the story line of each of the past twelve months.  I also noted the challenges, the gifts and the lessons.  What a gift this time offered, slowing down and seeing my whole year in a snap shot, accepting the challenges, blessing the gifts, and reaping the lessons.  I encourage you to do the same, or do a process in your own way to mark the rhythm of a year passing and a new one beginning.

We have attached for you a reflective health journal with this article. I encourage each of you, whether you are currenly under care at The Lifehouse or not, to work through it.

We have had a successful response to our Gifts of Health campaign with many candles added to our Lifehouse Gifts of Health Tree.  We’ve also included a printable attachment of 2 Gifts of Health you can put in your wallet over the next few weeks. You may just meet someone who will appreciate that you care enough to share this gift with them.

Until next time may you celebrate the gifts of the season, the joy of being alive and the love that is inherent to all.  Be true to yourself.  Care for your body as the temple it is.  And remember the joy is in the giving and it’s okay to give to yourself as well.  I thank you all for being in my life, for reading our regular Beacons and for being the change that the world needs.

Dr. Norm, Heather and Melanie

Holiday Stress Busters ~ The Beacon for Dec 16, 2011

By now I am sure you have found yourself in full stride of the holiday season.  I am always amazed this time of year just how tense people’s spines feel.  Without a doubt this is the most stressful time of year for many.  It is not surprising when you consider that most people cram 4 weeks of work into 3, and then for the final week we are encouraged to eat and drink indulgently, socialize excessively and abandon our normal rhythms and healthy practices. 

This year I encourage you to keep your health and wellbeing a focus.  Below you will find some simple tips to have your holidays not only joy filled but also healthy.  All the best!

Watch your breathing. Most of us don't breathe enough normally; we take shallow breaths and deprive ourselves of oxygen. Add stress to that and we can even become light-headed. Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths. Inhale slowly and exhale more slowly. You'll be amazed at how relaxed you will feel!

Watch alcohol and food intake. Just because it is offered to you doesn’t mean you need to partake in it.  And if you do have one - enjoy it; enjoy it so fully that you may not need a second, third or fourth.  There is nothing wrong with a small amount of alcohol, sweets, or rich foods; it is when we indulge in gluttonous behaviours that take us half of January to finish digesting what we ate for Christmas dinner that is a problem.  Moderation is key or consider upgrading your choices to: 

Indulge in healthy treats.  It is the season for indulging - how about indulging in a nice bag of organic nuts, dried fruit or some other exotic food that you really enjoy that your body would also enjoy (and thank you for).

Make sure you have some quiet, alone time scheduled. The social demands of holiday seasons are high. We are required to interact more with family, co-workers, etc. That can be very tiring, especially if socializing causes you anxiety. Factor in some down-time.

Plan one fun event just for you. You probably spend much time and effort insuring others are taken care of and entertained this season. Remember to treat yourself - get a manicure, go to a heated driving range, babysit a friend's new puppy or read that new best-seller you've just received.

Connect with family to watch a favourite holiday movie or show.  Pull your family together, laugh, cry, and fill your hearts up with love.  The holiday season is such a valuable time to nourish family connections.

Get some exercise. Most usual exercise routines get abandoned this time of year. We are full of excuses. But exercise is a terrific stress-buster and it is a terrific way to burn off and move through last night’s cream cheese surprises or sweat out the extra Caesar you drank.  During this time of year we typically have a little extra down time which is just begging to be filled with walks, a yoga class, or a run.  You will feel so much better for it.

Get enough rest.  This is a wonderful time of year to nourish your body with a little extra rest.   It’s okay to call it a night before the rest of the party, to sleep in a little extra, or to enjoy an afternoon nap.  I dare you J

Be conscious.  Be aware of yourself; don’t turn your brain off.  When you reach for the next treat, pause and ask yourself is this really what I want (Consider the question – Is this going to clog me or cleanse me?)  If you do eat it, track yourself afterward in how it makes you feel 10 minutes or an hour later.  This year I have been blown away with how little I enjoy holiday treats.  Sure they taste great (for the two minutes I am chewing on them) but after that I am left with 60 minutes of dissatisfaction as my energy gets all wonky and I have a hard time focusing on anything.

Give healthy gifts.  Do they really need another box of chocolate?  Instead, how about giving them a yoga DVD or a bag of organic fruit or nuts?  These can be a very welcomed gift at this time of year. Or share our "Gift of Health" certificate (print the attached below) - to introduce your friend, co-worker, family member or neighbour to chiropractic and have their nerve system checked for interference. You`ll never know the long-term difference you can make by inspiring someone to make their health and wellbeing a priority. And what better time to start then now and carry forward into 2012!

Remember being healthy doesn’t mean that you can`t still have fun.  Quite the opposite.  You can have tonnes of fun and be healthy at the same time.  It just takes breaking some old habits and being creative.  Good luck!

Dr. Norm and his healthy crusaders.

P.S.  Our voice matters.  For the last two months we have been busy collecting names and petitioning for `Restore the Integrity to the CCE` for their attempts in changing chiropractic, earlier this week a hearing was held and found 41 violations that the CCE has to address!   For the first time in decades the CCE is being faced to be accountable to the profession and to the general public.   Your voice matters!  Thanks again for your support!

Can You Help? ~ The Beacon for Dec 8, 2011

Can you help us?  We are ready to serve more.  This means that we could be saving and transforming more people’s lives.  90% of all people that come to the Lifehouse meet us through ‘word of mouth’.  This is necessary because we don’t have the assistance of large drug companies and their unlimited advertising dollars to market their wares.  We rely on doing things the old fashioned way, and personally I kinda like it this way. 

If you are someone who believes in the vision of the Lifehouse, appreciates the quality of our work and would like to make a positive difference in other people’s lives, we would love your help.  We are looking for more people to join our conscious healing community at The Lifehouse

We have set up a program to make this easy for you and easy for them too, it’s called The Gift of Health.   Through the holiday season we will be offering complimentary gift passes for people to visit The Lifehouse for their first visit, on us.   We have included a gift certificate (valued at $100) for you in this email so you can easily forward this invitation on to your friends and family electronically (we also have beautiful paper copies in the office if you would like some of those too).  In the past many of our clients have written a short introduction explaining from their heart what care at The Lifehouse has been like, how it has benefited them and then forwarded it on to their contact list.  This is a simple gesture that could have far reaching affects to the lives of many.

This truly is a win-win-win as it acts as a wonderful gift for you to give to the people you care about, helps to promote health in these people, and helps us fulfill our mission of creating a healthy vital Nanaimo area. 

Not sure who to refer?  Well this past year we have assisted people to heal themselves of things such as ADHD, Depression, Colitis, RA, ruptured disc’s, headaches, migraines, sciatica, colic and not to miss mentioning the myriad of others who have tapped into a greater quality of life and a greater relationship with their bodies and with themselves. The effects of chiropractic are really far reaching.  I firmly believe that every adult and child should, at the very least, be checked by a chiropractor to find out if they too can be helped with chiropractic care.  From there they can choose for themselves where they want to go with care, no strings attached.  I just want people to be in a place of informed choice. 

Imagine more people with lives transformed, healing things they were told they needed drugs or surgery to resolve, relationships mending, behaviors changing, attitudes shifting, hearts opening and spines aligning.  Just think of the ripple effect more conscious, healthy, on purpose people will have on our community. 

As you are sending those Christmas letters to your family and friends, or looking at your co-worker who is suffering from his third cold this month, or hearing your husband continue to complain about his nagging back pain why not offer them a Gift of Health?

There are people out there who need you to tell them what is possible for them – how else are they going to find out!  Together we are making a huge difference in Nanaimo, now let’s expand and grow.

How many lives are we going to LIGHT up this year?
Yours in service

Dr. Norm and The Lifehouse Gang