The Intuitive Touch
Dr. Jim Bourque Starr July 18, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Chiropractic: The “backbone” of health

A famous man once said, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine. Instead, he will interest his patients in the care of the human frame (spine), in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Sounds like a modern day health guru that you find on a Sunday morning infomercial, right? Wrong! The quote is from Thomas Alva Edison, the genius, scientist and inventor of the light bulb.

For over 5,000 years, the spine has been the focal point of health for acupuncturists and yogi masters. Proper alignment of the spine allows the flow of nerve impulses from the brain to travel to every cell in the body, providing the spark of life and vitality—this vital flow of energy is known as prana by the mystics and ch’i by the masters. Modern medical research has now proven what so many ancient healing methods knew all along—the key to health is the proper maintenance of the nervous system which controls all bodily functions and allows the flow of ch’i to perform its magic. Every organ, tissue and cell in the body receives neural impulses which direct your body’s repair, growth and healing functions. Any interference in the flow of nerve energy results in less than optimum performance.

Scientifically trained chiropractors locate nerve interference (pinched nerves) in the spine and, through gentle chiropractic “adjustments,” restore the flow of nerve energy that allows the body to heal naturally from the inside

While many people relate chiropractic to relief for back pain, headaches, neck pain, arthritis and circulatory conditions, the benefits of this wonderful healing art go beyond that.

Case in Point 1: Alicia at 17 had suffered from lower back pain ever since her fall in gymnastics at age 12. Pain pills and physical therapy reduced her pain but she never was pain free. After five years of constant pain, Alicia began to develop post-traumatic depression as well. Doctors insisted that her irregular menstruations and persistent constipation were hereditary and unrelated to the fall. Following examination and x-rays of her spine, several misaligned vertebrae as well as a distorted pelvis were detected and she began a course of chiropractic adjustments to correct these imbalances and remove the nerve interference causing so much pain. Alicia has no more back pain after only two months of care. The incredible part of her recovery was that, when the nerve interference was removed, her bowel movements became regular and menstruation became perfectly cyclical and considerably less painful. What do you think happened to her depression?

By aligning the spine and removing nerve interference, the body’s natural healer was released from within to do what it is divinely designed to do…repair and restore the body to health.

Case in Point 2: Patrick, age eight, suffered from asthma. Doctors told his parents that “he would grow out of it.” Medications and inhalers were draining young Patrick of his energy, causing him to be drowsy in school and lethargic at home. His parents brought him to me as a last resort to get him off his medications and give him some natural relief. In my examination of his spine, I discovered that his hunched-over posture was related to his flat feet. Excessive curvature in his upper back was causing multiple vertebrae to pinch on the vital nerves that supply the bronchioles with impulses. Naturally, his lungs were having difficulty. By properly aligning his thoracic vertebrae and prescribing appropriate orthotic inserts to assist in correcting his flat feet, young Patrick was breathing normally without medication within four weeks. Once the chemicals were out of his system, Patrick’s energy returned and so did his enthusiasm. This response was due to either the removal of nerve interference which allowed 
the vital energy of his body to fully recover, or he “grew out of it” (as the pediatrician predicted) during the same four-week period he coincidentally was receiving his chiropractic adjustments. You decide!

Prescription drugs are designed to treat the condition that the patient has. Chiropractic treatment is designed to treat the patient that has the condition. There is a big difference.

The spine is literally and figuratively the “backbone” of health. Give Mother Nature a chance. Remove nerve interference through chiropractic adjustments and let the Divine Intelligence (or Prana or Ch’i) flow through you. It will add years to your life, and life to your years.

Dr. Jim Bourque Starr is an author, professional speaker and has been a practicing chiropractor for nearly 30 years. He lives and practices here in San Miguel with his wife Araceli at the Centro Holistico y Quiropractico in La Lejona and can be reached by phone at 152-1761 or by email drjimstar@yahoo.com. 

Learning to see anew
By Dr. Fernando Senior

Workshop
Contemplative Photography
Dr. Fernando Senior
Fri–Sat, July 18–19, 9am–noon
Sun, July 20, 10am–1pm
Lifepath Center
Recreo 80
Reserve: 154-8465
US$150 + $50 materials/lab

How often have you seen others or experienced in yourself a moment when you are looking, but not really seeing or noticing? Hearing, but not really listening? Reacting to events rather than choosing to act consciously?

In his book Full Catastrophe Living, Dr. John Kabat-Zinn reminds us that mindfulness, which is a moment-to-moment awareness, is cultivated by purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment’s thought. He describes it as a systematic approach to developing new kinds of control and wisdom in our lives, based on our inner capabilities for relaxation, paying attention, awareness and insights.

Mindfulness practice is often associated with meditation, such as silent sitting or walking. The truth is that every moment, from washing our hands, to driving a car and answering the telephone, allows us the opportunity to observe and make conscious choices that will nurture the seeds of happiness in ourselves and in others.

An appealing, entertaining and educational approach to cultivating mindfulness is through photography. After all, what better way to faithfully and impartially document what we are actually able to see (or fail to see)? What better way to use a camera than as a tool for personal growth?

Contemplative Photography describes a type of art that evokes or invites the viewer to experience a contemplative moment documented by a photographer. More importantly, we also can use the term as an invitation to use your camera as a loyal companion in an intimate exercise in mindfulness. In other words, contemplative photography combines the practice of meditation with the art of photography.

If you made an appointment with yourself to exercise your ability to see anew, you would be surprised at all you would be able to really see, even in your own living room or backyard.

I invite you to choose to find peace when your eyes only want to see retribution, to find joy in the midst of pain and to find beauty where there appears to be none. Doing so gives you a choice of the type of world you wish to see and live in.

Mind, body and spirit harmony

Tai-Chi Classes
Wed, July 23, 9am
Central patio
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50A 
Donation

Grandmaster Dan-Horia Chinda, founder of Chinda Institute International for Mind-Body and Spirit Development, will conduct weekly workshops about “Mind, Body and Spirit Harmony through Chi Kung and Tai-Chi Chuan.”

He will discuss basic issues, from theoretical to practical, regarding benefits of practicing, implications in daily life and the awareness offered by this diligent practice.

The weekly workshops will focus on practicing, from simple Chi-Kung exercises, foundations for Tai-Chi, to Standing Zen techniques, meditation and autogenic training. No charge; there will be a basket for donations to the library. Come early, limited admittance. No age limitation, everybody is very welcome!

Chi Energy in daily life
By Dr. Dan-Horia Chinda

Lecture
Dr. Dan-Horia Chinda
Wed, July 23, noon
Sala Quetzal
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos

This presentation will focus on defining Chi energy, its importance in daily life and the interaction of the Chi with our mind, body and spirit. The speaker, Dr. Dan-Horia Chinda, founded the Chinda Institute International for Mind-Body and Spirit Development.

“Chi energy is a form of universal energy, an essence of life, and it is one of the very few natural ways to re-enter in harmony with the universal movement, with nature’s laws and perfection. By accepting the Chi in our lives, we create the common denominator for the harmony between the mind, body and spirit; we enter in resonance with the universal harmony,” Chinda says.

He discusses the relation between Chi and the mind, Chi and the body and as a result of this interaction, the most important, Chi and the human spirit. He presents methods for correcting and improving the Chi quality in life as well as good circulation. For more information: www.Chindadojo.org.