The Wonderful World of SRI ~ The Beacon for March 23, 2012

The Wonderful World of SRI

There are a number of tools and resources that we offer here at The Lifehouse.  One of my favorites is Somato Respiratory Integration.  Soma (body) Respiratory (breath) and Integration, a way to use breath to  integrate our experiences in our bodies.  SRI is also a powerful tool to deepen our mind body and our body mind connection.  Many of you have discovered how powerful breath is in relaxing the body.  Taking in a big breath and exhaling out again helps to release, relax and rejuvenate.   But relaxing and releasing isn’t all that breath can do for us. 

We can also use our breath to connect, to integrate, to open, to expand, and to activate and this is just what SRI is all about.  Dr. Donald Epstein has outlined 12 stages of healing or of consciousness that are typical to the healing journey that we go through.  He has also developed and refined 12 different breath exercises that help us to deepen our connection into the stage and the rhythm of life that we are in.  Connection is the goal.  Where many of us want to get somewhere other than where we are, to truly grow there is a richness and depth waiting for us when we first connect with our current state of being. Harvesting the wisdom and energy of where we are, this becomes the fuel that helps us move forward. 

The first stage of SRI is the stage of suffering.  Most suffering is a result of a person’s resistance to suffering.  Suffering, in the East, is viewed as being one of the most sacred parts of the human journey as they see that at this time we are closest to God.  When we are suffering we ask the questions:  Why me?   Am I ever going to change?   Is this ever going to get better?   I feel so alone God please help me.  Words we all can relate too.  The goal and gift of this stage is for us to embody it fully, surrender ourselves, and ask for help.  This liberates our entrapped body-mind, allowing our energy to move forward.  This can be a very scary place to be, one that we try to avoid.  (Again most suffering is the attempt to avoid the scary place).   SRI helps people first find places of peace, of connection, of safety in the body, and then brings this into the area of suffering; bringing the light into the dark, the connected into the disconnected.  The simple act of first finding a place in your body that is safe to breathe into, that you feel connected to, often is all that is needed to bring you deep enough into your experience, which allows it to transform.  Here is one good practice for you to try for yourself: 

First find the place that is open, connected.  Where is it that you feel good, where is it that you feel most connected in your body?  Put your hands there and breathe it; feel the openness and connection.  Then bring this open and connected felt sense or feeling into the place that is closed, the place that hurts.  And then go back into the place that is connected and breathe with your hands on that place again.  Repeat this, going back and forth a number of times, bringing connection and safety to the places that aren’t, staying longer in the open, connected place.  A wonderful resource for you to use through your day, especially useful when you are suffering, overwhelmed or want to bring healing energy to places that hurt.

From this first stage, the journey continues to help you find the different parts and polarities within, accessing your stuck energy and perspectives, then building your energy and your power getting ready to make the change, then facing the old, releasing the old, and then being in the awakened state connected with the one and the everything.  I truly look forward to helping you embody all of these stages, helping you get deeper into your healing journey, harvesting the wisdom from exactly where you are at throughout your visits in our office and at workshops such as the one below.

We are hosting our next SRI workshops in the studio:

Wed, March 28th - Level Two-Intermediate     7-10 pm - $30 registration

Thurs, April 12th - Level One-Introduction     7-10 pm - $30 registration

For those of you who want to develop your own self facilitation tools, who want to accelerate your healing journey, and want to deepen your own mind body connection this workshop is for you.

Yours on the healing journey in all of the stages,

Dr. Norm and the outrageous Lifehouse Team.

(The 12 Stages of Healing by D.C., Donald M. Epstein is available for purchase at the Lifehouse or online)

Talking Chiropractic With Dr. Phil – The Beacon for March 13, 2012

Dr. Fabrizio Mancini appears on popular daytime talk show to discuss chiropractic and the power of self-healing.

On the morning of Feb. 23, 2012, history was made when Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, president of Parker University, was filmed for an episode of the "Dr. Phil" show at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Calif.
The segment, which is scheduled to air on March 14, began with Dr. Phil introducing Dr. Mancini as his chiropractor for 14 years and author of the book The Power of Self-Healing: Unlock Your Natural Healing Potential in 21 Days! This introduction set the stage for Dr. Mancini to talk about his book and the concepts of chiropractic. He stated that "the only way to truly fulfill your life potential is to fulfill your health potential." Dr. Mancini added that the difference between chiropractic and what he called the "sick care system" in the U.S. is that "we see patients as [people, not just diseases]." 

Dr. Phil reinforced this notion, telling viewers, "I recieved chiropractic adjustments from you [Dr. Mancini] 2 or 3 times a week." He went on to introduce his current personal chiropractor in Los Angeles, Dr. Patrick DeFazio, who was given an opportunity to talk more about chiropractic and how it can help relieve stresses on the body.

The show took an interesting turn when a man named Joe was introduced and came out in a wheelchair. Joe was only 5 years old when a drunk driver crashed into the family car, killing his father and sister, leaving both his legs paralyzed. It was clear that Joe was still very hurt and angry about the accident, particularly toward the woman who had caused him and his family so much pain. 

After hearing Joe's story, Dr. Phil asked Dr. Mancini how he would approach Joe's situation using the concepts from his book. Dr. Mancini talked about the importance of chiropractic care for Joe, as well as the need to forgive the drunk driver. (At this point, the conversation addressed Joe's emotional and psychological issues, consistent with the typical focus of the program.)

As the show wound down, Dr. Phil thanked both Dr. Mancini and Dr. DeFazio for taking care of him over the years. He then thanked the audience and let them know they would each receive a copy of Dr. Mancini's book, which elicited a huge cheer from the audience.

Dr. Mancini outlines core elements of self-healing - physical, emotional and spiritual - on the "Dr. Phil" show. After the show, a number of people working on the set asked about how to find a local chiropractor or remarked how much they had learned about the value of chiropractic. This was in addition to the many members of the audience who talked about chiropractic and asked Dr. Mancini to autograph their copy of his book.

This was an important positive event for chiropractic. The audience heard about chiropractic, the wellness philosophy and that Dr. Phil sees his DC more than once a week. They were also taught that chiropractic can play a role in the health of everyone, including someone who is paralyzed. Once the show airs, a global audience will have the opportunity to learn about the power of chiropractic care.
I encourage you to watch this amazing interview which will be aired tomorrow on the following stations.  Finally Chiropractic is being recognized in a big way.   

All the best.  
 Dr. Norm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH, 2012

3pm BC Timezone

Shaw Channel CTV 9

Shaw Channel NBC 46

Shaw HD Channel NBC 202

Shaw HD Channel CTV 210

Bell Channel 225

Building Your Field of Dreams ~ The Beacon for March 2, 2012

I am currently reading a great book by Mary Manin Morrissey called Building Your Field of Dreams.  It has reintroduced me to a concept that I haven’t studied for quite some time; a concept that I used to launch my very first coaching program for Chiropractors nearly 10 years ago now.  The name of the program was “Living Creation”.  We are all creators.  We are all creations.  Creators creating at the same time.  One of the central themes that I coach with was the idea of co-creation.   Co-creation recognizes that we live with a divine intelligent matrix that is all around us and when we align oursleves with the forces of this intelligence our creations grow exponentially. 

I have found this book incredibly helpful in clarifing my dreams to see if they are in fact aligned with this divine intelligence.   Here are a series of questions you can work with as a litmess test on your dreams. 
Enjoy.

Dr. Norm

“Vision over Visibility”  Bono.

What is your purpose?

Your vision is an extension of you purpose, it is your purpose actualized.

What is your vision?

If you knew you could do anything and could not fail what would you do?

Your roar of awakening is only a beginning, as you free yourself from the past; you are confronted with another limitation: your lack of faith in future possibilities.  It’s not that you cannot create many wonderful things by working hard and using your imagination.  You can.  But suppose you were not working alone. 

Co-creation determines how you view the world.  If you see the universe as unfriendly, if you see yourself as alone, the universe becomes more daunting and you may cloud your vision with suspicion and doubt.  If you believe that a divine intelligence operates through your life, you cannot help but embrace the world as friendly and your vision is supported with faith and trust. 

When you recognize yourself as co-creator, you have access to unlimited power and an unlimited future.  You can ask for help at any time. 

Suppose that the creative force of the universe was working through you.  What then might you create?

Test Your Dream with 5 Essential Questions:

1)      The root of the word enthusiasm is entheos, which literally means “God within.”

Does this dream enliven me?

2)      Pursuing your dream will cause you to make many difficult decisions: inevitably you will come across some shortcut to your dream that cuts deeply into your values.  You will be forced to choose one over the other. In the spiritual venture of dream building, it is critical that at each juncture, you remain true to yourself.  You cannot bring genuine joy into the lives of others when you deny your authentic self.

Does this dream align with my core values?

3)      If you think you alone can accomplish the dream, then your dream is not big enough.

The dream must be bigger than you know yourself to be, so that you learn to allow source to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

We don’t need to know exactly how our dream will be accomplished, even if it is probable.  But we can believe that with help from a higher source it is possible.  Our job is not to control every last detail.

Do I need help from a higher source to make this dream come true?

4)      Will this dream require me to grow into more of my true self?

5)      Will this dream ultimately bless others?

Commit to your dream.  Commitment is where we begin the work of putting faith into action.

If you participate in life only to the degree it suits you, you will inevitably come up short.

Some people may shrug off responsibility and say that whatever happens is God’s will, but that’s the easy way out.  Commitment builds a path to your dream.  Commitment builds upon itself, bringing you little successes along the way.  Success breeds success.

Buy a dream journal and commit to write the deepest longings of your heart.

Commit to your dream mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Thanks to Mary Manin Morrissey for your wise teachings.

P.S. we will be at the West Coast Woman’s Show this weekend.  If you are around stop by and say hi.  We would love to see you again.  (You're welcome to print out the following coupon to save $2 on your admission).

Dr. Norm and his fabulous team.