A Message From Your Cerebellum

FEED ME!!!

Your cerebellum is located at the base of the brain against the occiput.  It is a very important conductor in daily activities that you do mindlessly – picking up your coffee cup, transitioning into your car, shooting a basketball, marching, painting, typing….the list goes on.  Have you ever considered the accuracy that it takes to lift your foot just high enough to clear the curb or maybe thread your shoelace through the eyelet of your shoe?  All these activities are coordinated at the cerebellum.

If you have experienced an episode of vertigo, loss of balance, repeated falls, or you bump into things routinely then you have experienced the effect of your cerebellum having a bad day….or days.  There can be many causes of cerebellum dysfunction – dehydration, subluxation, injury, posture, or one in particular that I would like to discuss today – lack of input!

Your brain was made perfect.  It is really unbelievable to think of the Master’s design from a scientific perspective – the lobes, left vs right hemispheres, neurotransmitters, synapses, hormones, peripheral vs central….it will literally make your brain fire!  With so many factors and functions, it is essential for survival that your brain prioritize functions that you need.  You’ve heard the adage; you don’t use it you lose it?  Well, that applies to your brain as well.  Every movement, thought, calculation, emotion, stimulus, decision (bites of information that you feed your brain) moves you into a more efficient version of you!

Unfortunately, the Master’s design can fail you if you let it.  For every bite that you feed your brain, it is strengthening one path at the detriment of the alternative path.  Sometimes I think of it as a pasture of corn.  If you had 6 friends that lived around the perimeter of your pasture, you would wear 6 paths evenly if you visited them each once a week.  But let’s say that you grew closer to one of those friends and over time, you just walked the path to one house.  The other 5 paths would soon be unrecognizable, grown up and impossible to navigate.  This is what happens to the paths to your cerebellum when you stop moving!

The excellent news is you can start today giving your cerebellum food that helps keep your functions as reliable as GPS!  Just a few things to consider adding into your daily, weekly or monthly routine of activity – maybe a rotation of all things 😊

• Barrel rolls on the floor
• Karaoke – calisthenics
• Step up and down a curb without support if safe
• Figure 8s with your arms and legs – make sure to do both sides
• Squat – use the wall or a ball if you are working on building the strength
• Bicycle your arms and legs on your back
• Spin in a circle – make sure to go both ways and use support if needed
• Supermans, Planks, and Bird-Dogs
• Side crunches – you can crunch just your upper body or lay on the floor and incorporate your leg – again, make sure to do both sides
• Play catch
• Take deep breaths in various head positions – preferably while seated or laying down

Looking forward to hearing your stories of improved balance and coordination after giving your cerebellum some FOOD!!!

In Love and Service,

Dr. Taryn

hOw We MeT HaLcYoN vIlLaGe <3

So today marked the beginning of the next season for Peace of Life Chiropractic!  Looking back at the journey – we have had so much fun, served many lives, inspired change in our community, created a culture of love & connection.  Looking ahead……WOW!!  The vision we have for our patients and our community is coming ALIVE!

Part of me is exhausted….physically and mentally.  Our village has worked 12+ hour days over the last five.  We started early and stayed late.  We faced opposition while we crawled through the trenches.  We fussed at each other.  I had a melt down….LOL….one single, but very large, melt down.  Plenty of moments where bystanders made the statement of, “when are you opening…oh, wow, good luck with that.”  They weren’t trying to be mean or pessimistic, there was just literally an unimaginable amount of work to be done!

The other part of me feels exhilarated!!!!  I really feel like God has given each of us tools, and then combined us for this amazing mission –

Connection – Help our community feel like they are supported and loved.  Give them a place to come together in heart, philosophy, parenting, healing, grieving, thriving!

Movement – Facilitate a well-skilled, passionate, and compassionate group of professionals to help our community move!  Keep them moving 🙂

Healing – Give our community access to professionals and tools to help them restore harmony in their body.  Relieve the effects of stress and trauma.  Invite the mindset of endless possibilities!

Balance – Bring awareness to the need for emotional balance.  Encourage our community to seek care for the needs of their mind, as it relates to stress response and the body.

As we find our hearts filling with purpose, fulfillment, and joy, we continue to refine how we combine what we do with how we do it.  That sounds so simple, maybe cliche, but the how is really what has set us apart.  I think the how is what will propel our community into well-being and vitality!

Drum Roll……Here’s How We Met HALCYON VILLAGE

About 3 summers ago I went on a girl’s get-away with some friends from high school in Hideaway, TX.  After a fun night of wine, dinner, and games, I woke up the next day feeling rested, relaxed and nostalgic.  I sat out on a quiet porch and watched the morning roll by.  I began to jot down some thoughts.  One thing led to the next, I had the vision for a community of people with hope and love, working together to create a place where healing and joy could be cultivated.  I journaled, googled, and brainstormed until the vision had a name.  Halcyon Village was born.

Halcyon is a type of bird.  It is referenced in Greek mythology.  They represent love, commitment, peace, and calm.

Village to us means the people, not necessarily the places.  “It takes a village” is a proverb of unknown origin.  It’s truth transcends all cultures.

We have incorporated an olive branch in the logo as well.  The branch is classically known to represent peace.  The tree has even more significance.  The tree is hollow – ministers teach that, like an olive tree, you must fill yourself with the Holy Spirit.  It is resilient – if the trunk is cut, its roots will continue to grow.  Its heartiness and strength are qualities that justify its symbolism for righteousness.

As you can tell, these are not just words to put on a sign or business card.  These are words that represent who we are.

WHAT ABOUT TODAY

So today….it was a really good day!  For somewhere around 1,095 days, we have been planning some ingredient of today.  Today, our insides were seen on the outside!!

1) Dr. Joey Lowery (my Shoog) came to serve with us

2) Expansion is complete (we have an additional 650sqft)

3) Jayme Fletcher, LMT joined our village

4) Reception got a face lift

5) New equipment – cold laser, percussion, and arthrostim

6) Countless memories with our current village so we could grow our vision

I hope this tells you a little about this evolution of change in our service, culture, and staff.  I hope you come by soon to check out the feeling of our space and the amazing people that are there to serve you!

We will be publishing an updated “Body of Services” soon!!

In Love and Service,

Taryn Lowery, DC

AKA “Dr. T”

“Health” is a verb…

I would like to share with you a post from one the Chiropractic profession’s clearest philosophical minds on what it really means to live a “vitalistic” life.  He interprets the word “Health” in a very in-depth manner.  I hope you enjoy and you are making the best of decisions on your road towards wellness.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joey Lowery

Dr. Kevin Donka’s, “Health” is a verb,

The other day my kids and I were playing an educational game called Noun or Verb? During the game, my son Brennan noticed that some words could be both a noun and a verb like water, step and love. That was when we decided to think of as many noun-verbs as possible. After the kids went to bed, I started thinking about a phone call I had with a chiropractor in New Jersey last week where we had been discussing the definitions of many words, including the word health.

Most people define health mainly as the absence of some form of dis-ease. I have written many Chirothots on why this can not possibly be the case. I have described the fact that darkness is not the presence of something, but it is in reality the absence of light energy. I have also said that coldness is not the presence of something, but the absence of heat energy. Similarly, any manifestation of dis-ease (whether pain, spasm, inflammation, cancer or ANY other “illness”) is not the presence of something; it is simply the particular and specific way that a decrease in the expression of your Life Energy has shown up in your body.

Having now reviewed this idea with you, I would like to take it a step further. In school, you may have learned about the word homeostasis. This describes how our bodies are constantly adapting in order to deal with changes in our environment and keep functioning at a normal level. The word homeostasis can be misleading because of the “stasis” part. Stasis literally means to stay. But the definition talks about how we are constantly changing. The truth is that health is not the absence of something; in fact, it isn’t a physical state at all!

Health is the ability to adapt to most of the stresses you encounter each day and maintain your NATURAL state of EASE.

This discrepancy between the word homeostasis and its commonly accepted definition has led to one of the world’s biggest misconceptions about health; namely that it is actually possible to be either healthy or sick. The truth is that we are continually dealing with changes in our internal and external worlds, and we are never the same from one moment to the next.

The fact that we are changing in every single moment means that it is not possible to be either healthy or sick! The truth is that in every single moment, you are either getting stronger and moving toward health, wellness and wholeness; or you are getting weaker and moving away from them. And, in order to continually get stronger and move in the direction of health and the full expression of Life, you need three things;

1) A Deliberate Focus on moving toward what you want (as opposed to trying to move away from what you don’t want).

2) A Healthy Lifestyle that supplies all of your cells with everything they need to function properly, heal and continue growing.

3) A Clear Neurological CONNECTION between you and your body. Because your nerve system is surrounded by and intimately connected to your spine, it is necessary to keep your spine aligned and functioning properly to allow this clear neurological connection. This is the true purpose behind a program of regular chiropractic care – to keep you fully connected!

There is one more noun-verb that we need to look at in order to tie this all together; the word is LIFE. Most people believe that life is a noun – a thing; but the truth is that all of life is continually changing – Life is a verb! And, since all of life is constantly changing, and because health is a PART OF life, that means that HEALTH is also a verb! Make sure you are taking care of all three things necessary to keep moving toward the full expression of Life, and always be ready to express your Light. That way you’ll always be ready to write, direct and star in your own life story…lights…camera…ACTION!

Tips to Prevent Lower Back Pain for Golfers

Day after day, Golfers are cutting their golf game short or quit play all together due to chronic pain or injuries.  The most common injury to occur is lower back pain.  Lower back pain not only affects golfers, but as much as 80% of the general population will experience back pain at some point in their lives.  Three common causes of this kind of pain include: posture, lack of flexibility, and restricted motion in the involved joints and /muscles.  So here are some tips to help you stay at the top of your game.

• Get regular Chiropractic check-ups: A recent study done involving golfers who were under routine Chiropractic care stated they experienced not only a decrease in their overall pain levels after playing, but also an improvement in their game (longer driving distance,  and more consistency in attempted shots). 
• Strengthen your core: It is not uncommon for people to be weak or have muscle imbalances in this area. Be sure to include exercises that target all of the abdominal, low back, and gluteus muscles.
• Warm-up:  The golf swing is a very explosive movement that can put extra stress on joints and muscles if they are not ready for action. Do some dynamic stretching and take some easy swings to help loosen up before you practice or play.
• Stretch after playing: Having enough muscle flexibility and joint mobility to execute the golf swing properly is essential. Just 5-10 minutes of static stretching after playing and every day can make a world of difference.

Thes suggestions are simple, but very effective when the objective is to strengthen the midsection as well as prevent lower back injuries. Stay consistent, listen to your body, and expect a strong healthy core to develop that will help you on the golf course!

Best in Health,

Joey Lowery, DC, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Fall Newsletter 2010

We hope everyone is having a wonderful and healthy day!  We would like to share with you our Fall Newsletter of 2010.  We strive to provide valuable and up to date information regarding health enhancement and quality of life improvement strategies.  Thanks to everyone out there for your support and trust in allowing us to help you on your personal journey to health! Click here to view our newsletter.