Diminishing Light

The word luxation refers to a joint that has been displaced. The Latin lūxus (“dislocated”) and the Greek loxós (“slanting”) both refer to something that is obviously and painfully not where it is supposed to be.

In chiropractic, our central focus is on something we call the subluxation. The misalignments that indicate biomechanic, neurologic, and energetic compromise to an area of the spine are, by definition, less than a luxation. Subluxations are an intelligent response of the nervous system experiencing stress beyond its capacity to integrate in the moment. This stress can be physical, chemical, mental, emotional, and/or environmental. Since the spine houses the central channel of communication between the brain and the body, the presence of subluxation indicates the brain and body are not effectively coordinating. The effect, which advances with time, is a diminishment of function, especially in the parts of the body that are directly and anatomically linked through the nerves that serve them.

What, you may ask, does this have to do with the shortest day of the year?* Simply this - in Latin lux also means “light.” Subluxation, more specifically (but less technically), represents where and how the central nervous system has dampened its light. Less light means less life. The purpose of the chiropractic adjustment, therefore, is to clear the neurologic interference to the expression of the light within.

May you find the space and time on this winter solstice to connect to your inner light, that wisdom within, for inner light warms night.

*This post was originally published on the winter solstice in the Mutter Chiropractic Newsletter.

A Broader Horizon

In The Art of Racing in the Rain, the main (human) character Denny shares a secret he learned when racing cars in Italy: "La macchina va dove vanno gli occhi." Loosely translated, the car goes where the eyes go.

So too with the vehicle of our bodies and the instrument of our minds. Consider the essential behavior of hand-eye coordination. From bowling to baseball, yarning to yoga, our ability to track and translate the movement of our body to effect change on the external world requires we see the action as we perform it. It also highlights the importance of having direct experiences in the physical world. Nature pushes back in a real and meaningful way. The hyper-novelty of the modern era continues to draw us away from direct, physical experiences and toward screen-mediated virtual ones. I contend that the conversation that occurs between the body, the mind, and the environment is diminished when we over-inhabit digital space.

Our brains prioritize keeping our sightline horizontal. Our sense of balance is predominantly influenced by sight. The multi-sensory array of organs that allow us to perceive the real world is concentrated in the head, so our brains want to know where we are in space.

Literally and figuratively, we see where we are going because it is often where we are looking. To the extent that we allow our field of vision to include a broader horizon, we can approach a more expansive experience.

I believe that the art of chiropractic offers a philosophical, evolutionary, and expansive perspective. Beyond bones and muscles, chiropractic interfaces with the neurological, immunological, and psycho-emotional aspects of inhabiting a human body.

When things aren’t working we tend to look down and watch our feet. I invite you to consider what else you might see by looking up and opening the aperture of your perspective.

Brushwork

How often do you brush your teeth? Once a day? Twice a day? Floss, mouthwash, perhaps a coconut oil pull? It is widely acknowledged that brushing your teeth routinely is an important aspect of dental hygiene. I, however, am not a dentist. I’m not here to critique your teeth.

I do have a particular interest in how the brain works. The brain thrives on novelty. One of the most important elements of learning is based on this concept. Is the brain excited to make sense of some new idea or information that doesn’t fit neatly into what it already recognizes? Brain health depends on constantly learning and learning is stimulated by novelty.

I am using “learning” in a very broad sense. You can learn from books, or from podcasts. You can learn from conversations with interesting people or gain knowledge from an experience, especially if it’s not part of your normal routine. On a biological level, the definition of learning neatly summarizes the major role that the nervous system plays in the body - “the acquisition of knowledge and skills”. In a literal sense, your life depends on the ability of your brain to acquire knowledge and develop skills. The quality of your life also depends on whether and how much you choose to learn.

One of the best ways to introduce novelty to your brain is by adding creativity to your life. You don’t have take painting classes with Bob Ross or consider yourself “the creative type” to make this happen. You do have to acknowledge one very simple, but very profound fact:

being creative is a choice that can be made with every thought, every word, and every action.
 

Piece by piece, choice by choice, and day by day, you have a chance to create something for yourself, of yourself. Remember, it’s on you: no one is going to live creatively for you.

So start small. Take a different way home, try cooking without a recipe, cross your legs the other way. Read some poetry, tell the truth, or see what happens if you pay attention to your breathing for 10 seconds. Have you ever tried brushing your teeth with the opposite hand?

Brushing your teeth lefty might not change your life overnight, but it’s a start.