Both Sides, Now
My father once told me that “there are two sides to every story, and then there’s the truth”. In his concise way, he was illuminating a critical piece of sense-making. The thing we refer to as “the truth” is something we can only see through a glass, darkly…it is something known only as well as we know ourselves.
In a similar way, our limited ability to make sense of truth is reflected in the parable of the blind men and the elephant. A band of blind men encounter an obstacle on the path. One man grabs a leg and declares it is a tree. Another is wrapped by the trunk and proclaims it is a snake. Yet another is flicked by its tail and decides it is a rope. Another feels an ear and calls it a fan. We are always at the mercy of the limitations of our perception. The only chance we have to address the complex issues that currently and will continue to face us is discourse. Discourse requires the willingness to communicate what we “see” and have that heard and reflected back to us by others who are also having their own experience even and especially when we do not agree on what we perceive reality to be.
These days our elephant is the incredible vehicle of the internet. Never before in the history of our species has so much information been so accessible for so many. This technology has facilitated our ability to find facts, proof, evidence, and opinions for any position. Yet the process of inquiry has always been about more than simply researching information that supports what you already believe. In its essence, science is a process of inquiry. Science derives from philosophy and the dialectic tradition of Socrates. Dialectic means investigating the truth of opinions; it is the art of debate. The root of this word is shared with dialogue, which means “to converse with”. My point is simply this - in order to do science, to investigate truth, to practice inquiry, there must be an open, transparent exchange of ideas. Without this criterion, without a conversation to propel meaning, refine arguments, and clarify positions, we are doomed to hug one leg of the elephant and convince ourselves it’s a tree.
There are always (and at least) two sides to every story, which reminds me of the courage and humility in Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides, Now:
Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange
And they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every dayI've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
It is unlikely any of us will ever know all life has to offer. But we can engage with it in a way that is meaningful, draws us closer to the truth, and employs a best practice that was recorded long ago: charity does not behave unseemly, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.
Healing Happens in Community
At the beginning of August 2021, Mutter Chiropractic will be expanding. We are keeping our current location in Suite B of 3810 SE Division St. and adding a new larger space (Suite C), which is located just down the hall from where we are now. Suite B will be reserved for new patient exams, re-exams, and some private appointments. The new space, Suite C, will be where most office visits take place. Adding this larger space will allow us to increase appointment availability and options. In Suite C we will have appointment blocks each day designated as “semi-private”. This means you will have your own table and for now will be in your own room. Either Dr. Naomi or I will be working with more than one practice member during the 30 minute appointment.
The main reason for this is simple: healing happens in community. Expanding the practice into this larger space is part of pulling that principle into lived experience.
Since April 2020, we have offered a group appointment type (labelled “family”) and have limited it to members of the same household in response to pandemic guidance and the small footprint of Suite B, our current location. Beginning in August 2021, we will introduce semi-private appointment blocks in the new space, which allows us to practice healing in community. Over time and with consideration we will open again into full group appointments.
The style of chiropractic we practice is built around Network Spinal Analysis. Network uses the term “entrainment” to describe the experience and the application of gentle spinal contacts that help the body become more self-reflective, reduce spinal tension, and reorganize energy throughout the body. The process is enhanced when shared. This principle is the foundation for why Network practitioners have an open format in their offices.
There are many benefits to this style of practice. The neural and energetic advantages of entrainment are enhanced in a group environment that is dedicated to the health, healing, and empowerment of those whose enter it. The communication and facilitation of breath, movement, and flow also become more resonant in a community healing space.
We are committed to extending the safe and sacred space we have established in Suite B into the new space of Suite C, as well. All rooms are well-ventilated and contain HEPA air filter/purifiers. We will continue best practices for the safety and cleanliness of the physical and energetic space.
We are very excited for the opportunity to share this growth with you. I have practiced in community entrainment spaces for a decade prior to 2020, and I enjoy offering care in this way. I understand that this style of practice will not appeal to everyone. Dr. Naomi and I will continue to offer private appointments, and will do our best to accommodate everyone as we transition.
Information about updates to scheduling and fees can be accessed here. Please reach out by email or phone with any questions. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Triad of Change
In mythology, the 3 Fates represent the forces that determine destiny. In Greek and Roman tradition, they are described as weavers: creating (Clotho), measuring (Lachesis), and cutting (Atropos) the thread of a human life. The number 3 is symbolically useful because it asks us to see relationships beyond the duality of black-white, either-or, us-them.
Chiropractic philosophy describes the Triune of Life as an interplay (force) between intelligence and matter. Life, after all, is the expression of intelligence through matter. We recognize the vital element that animates form. We also recognize the intelligent ways living things maintain their active organization in the face of a constantly changing and challenging environment.
The Triad of Change provides a useful model to understand the ways that energy organizes in living systems. As humans, we can consider Structure (the body we inhabit), Behavior (how we move ourselves), and Perception (how we view our relationship to ourselves in the environment). This model is appropriate in the context of chiropractic practice because we work with the nervous system. As chiropractors, we assess and support the ability of the nervous system to be more flexible and more adaptive. We do this directly through the alignment of the body (structure), facilitating movement and connection between parts (behavior), and offering a perspective of coherence (perception).
Whether our preference is to lead with the energy of the fabric maker, the measurer-planner, or the action-taker, we are participating in the process of weaving. Seen from this perspective we weave with the Fates instead of at their mercy. Empowerment comes when we are in alignment with our principles. We can choose to defer our fate to perceived authority or we can do the work to build resilience, act with integrity, and clarify our perception .