...THAT WE CAN CHANGE OUR MINDS

When Michael asked me to write something for the MB United newsletter describing my approach towards living a life dedicated to health and wellbeing it seemed simple enough. After all It’s what I do in conversation with my patients every day.  However, as I sat with this project, I recognized it to be easy in conversation yet difficult to write about.  especially without sounding preachy, self-congratulatory or worse yet; as self-help.  That being said , this is what I came up with:

What is the most important thing that I have learned?

 

THAT WE CAN CHANGE OUR MINDS

 

By analogy we all recognize (whether we chose to participate or not) that a healthy body requires exercise. To lessen the likelihood of disease we need a variety of movements. It is simply a no-brainer.  It seems, paradoxically, and I’d claim tragically, that we have not brought that same attention to our minds. There are likely many reasons for this many that we would recognize intuitively, yet mental training remains eccentric. Although still eccentric, there recently appears to be more and more entry points into this potential awakening. But here I can only genuinely share my own experience. For years I have found it compelling to sit still in meditation and as such have created a consistent daily habit.  As well I’ve read deeply into philosophy, spirituality, and literature. With this practice and this reading, I have discovered that no matter where I looked the deep learning available was the same regardless of the source. An open mind invites an open heart which invites a deep care for yourself and all others and a deep satisfaction that this is our practice. I’ve come to believe that there is no single best technique, teacher or dogma. The absolute truth the discipline is that we must as individuals simply sit still and meet our minds. From there the process will unfold, however it will unfold for you. For me the project has been challenging and fun, restless and calming, occasionally hysterical and sometimes sad, intimate and expansive, self-loving and self-loathing, enlightening and ultimately humbling and quite achy in my knees and in my hips.  But the best thing ever done for my spine. (Note that by the way; I’m a Chiropractor.) And although personally I feel like a changed person, and whenever I get the sense that I’ve achieved something special I check in with my wife and she is gracious enough to remind me I’ve plenty of work to do.

As we gain familiarity with awareness we then are able to rest our minds in awareness, we begin to notice that our attention, the area of life we can focus on it best directed on …, We have become far less distracted far less far less interested in complaints, opinions and fears. I have found then that a wonderful focus to pay attention to is our movements.

“there is no better friend than a well trained mind and no better enemy than an untrained mind”

What about movement?

 

Make it constant, make it play and make it variable.

 

 

We are all endowed with an infinite array of potential movements and postures and as such there really is no bad posture, just diminished capacity.  As we age, we inexorably begin to lose many of these movements, some of which are fundamental to our health and our capacity. So in the spirit of “ use it or lose it “ and in the spirit of making it play, we can choose to practice a variety of movements such as:

Let us…  walk often and walk everywhere, (and if might be too far to walk- ride a bike) walk hills, walk the beach , while walking rotate our spine , while walking look up from our phone ,while walking bring attention into our posture , bring attention to  our breath,   breathe deeply, breath softly, breathe fast , breathe slow , cultivate an intimate relationship with our breath , smile always, be still , practice a deep squat , hinge our knees , spin our shoulders, stretch our eye muscles ( really)  , open our vision into the periphery , stretch our forearms ,mobilize our wrists , stretch our hands,  go outside,  stretch our legs, stand tall and squeeze our butt ,( no one will notice us as we squeeze  our butt while standing  in line at Starbucks )  look up from our phone, bring attention to our spine , sit crossed legged or lotus whatever isn’t a force , take our shoes off , walk barefoot around our house, around our yard   , walk barefoot on beach, stand barefoot and balance up on our tippy toes,  sit on the beach , lay on the beach , do our chores as if they were exercises on posture and mindfulness ,  place our attention on our feet as we move through the world , take a nap , take a nap  on the beach ,leave no trace,  let’s check back  in with our  breath,  sleep well, dance , dance with our kids , laugh, lay in shavasana, create for ourselves  a regular routine of stretching / mobility/  and calisthenics that we can do anytime anywhere ,  right now let’s take three  a deep  breaths, let’s be still , let’s make way for others, let’s pursue,  prepare for and practice whatever sport or activity we love…and on into infinity .

 

What am I most grateful for?

Outwardly for my family, my community of friends and my health.

Inwardly that my work is caring for other people.

Because by paying attention, and moving well, all the while being grateful: these are all acts of love. And miracle of miracles: when we love the world the world loves us back.

In Health,

Dr. Steve