On January 15^th, 2012, after 15 years in Southern California, Dr. David Revivo will be returning to his birth place of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  This monumental transition marks not only the beginning of a new year; it is also the start of the next chapter in his career.  Dr. David’s inspirations for making this move are numerous:   As passionate as he is about offering chiropractic services, Dr. David is equally passionate about teaching and is now committed to reinventing himself as a healer by focusing on writing, teaching, and spreading the message of healing worldwide.  Also, by being close to his family and loved ones, who all reside in Toronto, he will be able to nurture these bonds in new and important ways.

In many ways this was not an easy decision for Dr. David.  Of course, the differences in climate will pose unique challenges.  However, the most difficult aspect of this decision was not climate, but his deep concern for the community of patients with whom he has developed loyal and trusting relationships over the past ten years.  Fortunately for Dr. David and for his patients, a continuity plan is in place to allow for the smoothest possible transition.  Dr. David has teamed up with his own personal chiropractor, Dr. David Yoder, also in Encinitas, to ensure that all of Dr. David’s patients – both past and present - will be able to receive the same caliber of chiropractic health care to which they have grown accustomed.

Why Dr. Yoder?  Well, firstly because Dr. David has been under care with Dr. Yoder for many years.  He has selected Dr. Yoder to be his own personal chiropractor over all the other chiropractors in the region.  The reason is, as Dr. David says, “of all the chiropractors in San Diego County, Dr. David Yoder offers the most comparable care of anyone of I have ever visited. He leads with his heart, cares deeply about his patients, offers a holistic approach to spinal health care, recommends nutritional supplementation, and also addresses the body-mind connection using healing modalities like I use, including B.E.S.T. (Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique), which has been an integral part of my approach to helping people.”

Dr. David’s final day in his current location in Downtown Encinitas will be Friday January 13^th, 2012.  If you have further questions about this upcoming transition, please call the office telephone at (760) 230-2000 to have them answered, as well as for up to date office hours, and to schedule a session with Dr. David prior to his departure.

Beginning Monday, January 16^th, 2012, scheduling of appointments will be handled through the Encinitas office of Dr. David Yoder, located as follows:

317 N. El Camino Real, Suite #201, Encinitas, CA 92024

Tel. (760) 943-8910

Email: davidyoderwellness@gmail.com

Website: http://www.encinitaschiropractic.com

*Note:  Dr. David’s website www.drdavidrevivo.com will continue to be live on the web, offering newsletter education, updates on upcoming events, and detailed information about Dr. David’s remote healing sessions using B.E.S.T.  These are distance healing sessions which Dr. David will be offering soon using internet video conferencing technology.  This method of remote healing has been proven to work and offer benefits that will feel very much like a personal visit to Dr. David’s clinic at only a fraction of the cost.  For more information on Distance B.E.S.T., visit the website above and join Dr. David’s database to be receive email updates.

When the feeling of happiness and utter delight bubbles up from deep within, we have a name for this experience:  We call it joy.

Yes, we all know what this treasured feeling is like and why it is so highly sought after.  It’s because when we are in the midst of experiencing joy, we are so enraptured by the euphoria it offers us, wishing it would go on forever and ever.  Like a drug, we want to stay high on joy for as long as we can.  Aches and pains melt away, troubles seem to disappear, the past loses its grip on us, and the future, well, we’ll get to it when we get to it is the attitude we often take.  This ecstatic state, however temporary it can seem, is actually our true nature. So, the question that must be answered here is this:

“If the feeling of joy is our true nature then why does it seem to fade?”

For the purposes of answering this important question, let’s take the feeling of joy and personify it, meaning we’ll turn it into a living, breathing person and give her the name Joy.

Joy is our constant companion.  Everywhere we go she goes with us.  Like the baby kangaroo nesting in its mother’s pouch, Joy is always there.  When we are riding and steering the motorcycle, Joy is in the companion side car.  Being human, however, we forget this truth.  This forgetfulness is akin to frantically looking for your glasses while you are wearing them.  Or searching high and low for your car keys only to discover they were in your hands all along.  Fear is the predominant feeling in such times and results in thoughts that trigger stressful feelings of anxiety which are often difficult for the body to manage.  It’s just as stressful and just as silly once we realize we had them all along.  It’s the same with Joy in that she is ever present with us, yet we seem to be on a constant search for her.

“The height of insanity is searching for the donkey you are riding on.”

A friend of mine once shared this quote with me.  It has stuck with me for years because when she first shared it with me it made such an enormous impact.  It is within this quote that our quest to answer the question of why joy seems to fade culminates.  Since Joy is always with us and we are simultaneously searching for her, then according to this quote we are all insane.  Thus, if the feeling of joy fades it is purely and only because we have lost our mind to the extent that we don’t see that it never left and is right here with us.

What I believe to be true is that the more we continue to search for Joy, the more we will continue to feel like we are coming up short.  The more we look for Joy, the more we reinforce the notion that Joy is missing.  The more we tell ourselves that Joy is missing, the worse we will feel, like how we feel when we can’t find our keys or glasses.

Instead, to experience the constant sense of joy that is our true nature we must cultivate the attitude that Joy is always with us, Joy has never left us, has never been lost, and, therefore, will never be found. After all, how can something be found if it is never lost?

One of the greatest illusions we as humans have bought into on a collective level is that there is something outside of us that, if acquired, will make us whole.

The implication of this type of thinking is that we are incomplete, that there are missing parts, that we are not whole.  In order to experience the fullness of life we must embrace the fullness of who we are.  Adopting the mindset, “I am a child of the divine, made whole with everything necessary for me to accomplish my life purpose,” will open us up to the spectrum of gifts and talents with which we have been endowed, as well as the full range of positive emotions needed to sustain our efforts.  Whether it is joy, love, devotion, steadfastness, consistency, faith, trust, or any of the various positive emotions which make up the human blueprint, the more that we affirm that we have everything we need to be successful in a chosen undertaking, the happier, healthier and more successful we will be in that undertaking.

Russell Conwell, founder of Temple University and known for his acclaimed address entitled Acres of Diamonds, reminds us that we are all sitting on our very own acres of diamonds.  He states we can be wealthy beyond imagination if we just turn our focus inward to develop our own plot of land before charging outward in search of greener pastures.  This nugget of timeless wisdom is as true today as ever.  Joy is within us.  There is no need to charge off in search of it.  Toil the ground, plant seeds and thoughts of joy and watch joy sprout in all its glory and splendor.

Now, the alignment I am speaking of here is not what you might be thinking.  While it is true that most humans are walking the planet with misaligned bones and joints, the misalignment to which I am referring is much more significant with effects that are far more reaching than physical.

What I am referring to here is a phenomenon which I call “The Ultimate Misalignment” – a misalignment of the human mind.

The Mind

In various theological traditions, it is said that our world, our universe, and all of the matter contained within it, was created at the level of thought, or mind.  This perspective happens to be as much scientific as it is religious.

The field of Quantum Physics, often referred to today as “the new science,” proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that it is in fact our thinking that creates, or causes, our reality.

Each and every thought we have is transmitted out as cause and brings about a corresponding effect that manifests as an observable change in our lives.

In fact, it is our subconscious thoughts – those that come up automatically and seemingly beyond our control – that have the biggest hand in creating our reality.

Misalignment

(aka: The “Problem”)

What does this mean for you?   Well, it means that our thoughts are like silent prayers – requests generated from deep within, – and that each one of them is answered.  When our thoughts are positive in nature, we create a positive life for ourselves.  When negative, well, let’s just say there’s likely going to be more to complain about.

Truth is, it might be simple but it certainly is not easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and everyone would be happy, prosperous and fulfilled. One honest look around the world, however, reveals an obvious reality:  many people are suffering and in one form of pain or another. Illness, poverty, cruelty and despair are prevalent in third world populations and increasing in developed nations.  Closer to home here in North America, the hottest topic of conversation is the economy and the impending crash of our financial system that is certain to happen if we keep doing the same things in the same way.

Why is this happening? With the abundance of money and natural resources on our planet, why are so many destitute and in lack?

The answer to this, I suggest, lies in a corresponding obvious reality:  much of the world’s population is out of alignment. When our minds are fixed on lack – lack of health, lack of money, lack of happiness, lack of whatever – through cause and effect, more lack is observed.  A vicious cycle is created and then spreads like an epidemic, an outbreak of destructive thought.  Like the law of gravity, the law of cause and effect is universal – it happens all the time, unfailingly.  There is no way to escape it.

There is, however, a way out.

Alignment: With the Universal Mind

(aka: The “Solution”)

A/lign/ment: From French à “to” + lignier “to line” + L. mens (gen. mentis) “mind”

or, “to line the mind”

Albert Einstein, Ph.D., has said, “The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the Universe we live in is friendly or hostile.”

It is through developing this kind of friendship with the Universe that we come into alignment with the Universal Mind.  In this aligned state, the mind is even, balanced, centered, focused, reassured, and at peace.  A balanced mind is expressed as a balanced body.  A balanced body is generally a healthy body.

We are saying, “Universe, I believe you want what’s best for me.  I trust you.  I have faith that you have only my best interests in mind.  I feel safe here. Thank you for taking care of me.”  This sets into motion a different kind of cycle – a precious cycle – one of ascension and expansion, where, through cause and effect, more trust, more faith, more security and more of whatever it is we want is brought into being.

By fixing our minds on what it is we want – abundance, joy, or inner peace, – we are in essence befriending the Universe.

You see, Dr. Einstein had a knowingness that how we see the world is the single greatest determining factor that shapes our lives. Said another way, life is all perception.

When we perceive people, places, and things to be hostile, bad, or negative in some way, then our life experience is hostile, bad, or negative.  When we choose to see the world as a friendly place, to see the good in everyone, and to maintain a positive outlook no matter what our circumstances, we are, in a way, creating our own Heaven on Earth. So go ahead and put on those rose colored glasses and experience the joy, the peace, and the abundance that is not only our birthright.  It’s who we are, the fabric of which we are woven.

There’s never been a better time than now to align with the Universal Mind.

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within

October 1, 2011

Why meditate?  Two words: Just because, or said another way, “Just Be Cause.”

As powerful beings of pure divine energy, we have an opportunity in each moment to mindfully source that power for positive purpose and forward progress, or to squander it due to ignorance and lack of awareness.  In today’s world, perhaps more than ever before, our survival as a species is hanging in the balance.  As a human race, we are confronted with a choice: to be cause, or to be effect.  In other words, we get to choose whether we want to be the cause, or creator, of our life experience, or to be caused by it.  The truth: Not choosing is also a choice.

In this universe of cause and effect, an exact science is ever at play: For every cause there is a corresponding effect, for every action an equal and opposite reaction.  This truth is inescapable.  It permeates each and every aspect of our experience.   Having free will, as I see it, means having the freedom to choose which one we want to be: Cause or effect.

Are we choosing to exercise our free will by placing our awareness on the universal principles that shape our lives and, in doing so, consciously cause our life experience?  Or do we unconsciously go through the motions of life with little regard for these higher forces, only to end up becoming the effects of causes set into motion by others?

Are we choosing to be a master or servant?  Sovereign or victim?  Hero or martyr?  These are some of the many faces of the one choice we get to make each day:  To be cause or effect.

It is in the sanctuary of Meditation that we can directly experience our true nature as abundant, divine beings ever showered with the universal gifts of joy and bliss, wealth and prosperity.  Each time we contact our divinity – our perfect childlike inner innocence – we are reminded of how blessed we truly are and for how much we have to be thankful.   These thoughts and feelings of gratitude are transmitted out from the mind as cause, and bring in return a corresponding effect of gratitude, creating more things for which to feel thankful.  And thus our lives become more enriched, fulfilling and gratifying.

The degree to which our minds are silenced in the stillness of meditation is the degree to which we create the world in which we want to live. When the conscious rational mind, with its limited beliefs and preconceptions, is allowed to run unchecked the results are often painful and undesirable.  Meditation, done sincerely with love and devotion, allows for the transcending of the limited, or conscious, mind and for directly experiencing the timelessness of our subconscious and superconscious minds.  This state of suspended animation is similar to the feeling of being newly in love, for instance, where one is completely absorbed in the experience and totally oblivious of time and space.

In a sense, Meditation takes us back to the time before our “Earth Training” began and allows us to feel the light hearted and cheerful jubilance and innocence of early childhood.  With earnest, consistent effort at daily meditation, what starts off as glimpses of these joyful, blissful states becomes an ongoing part of every day life.

Benefits of Meditation

Exude joy and bliss

Positive purpose and forward progress

Consciously create your desired life

Release pain and undesired life experiences

Renew, nourish, and revitalize cells and tissues

Enjoy lighthearted, cheerful jubilation and innocence of early childhood

Experience your true nature as abundance and divine beings

Attract wealth & prosperity

Live an enriched, fulfilled and contented life

How Meditation Works

The process of meditation and stilling the restless mind often seems daunting to those who are new to it.

Ironically, it is those whose minds are most restless and in need of meditation that are most reluctant to practicing.  It is often helpful and reassuring to know that regardless of one’s history with a formal meditation practice, we all have meditated successfully at one time or another.  Consider, for example, the act of brushing teeth.  What begins as an activity focused on the mouth often has the mind suddenly drifting away to a higher plane outside of ordinary body consciousness.  The conscious mind has thus been stilled, and a mini meditation has ensued.  The very same phenomenon occurs while stopped at a traffic light, only to be abruptly pulled out of meditation by a honk from the driver behind us.  Often while driving we lose sense of time and space for a short stretch of time, eventually regaining full awareness and wondering to where we have just drifted and how miraculous it is that we didn’t crash the car during what seemed like a dangerous daze.  This, again, is yet another form of meditation.

So we all meditate in one way or another.  What differentiates these every day examples of what I call “involuntary meditations” from the reverent practice of intentionally sitting down with The Divine is the love, sincerity and devotion that make the latter a gateway to liberation from the conditioned mind focused on limitation, lack, and suffering.

In using our minds to enter the higher realms of conscious through meditation, we are thereby choosing cause, mastery, sovereignty and heroism.  By focusing on gratitude and thankfulness, we are ensuring our own growth and evolution and building a bridge for others to do the same.  As the sun’s rays burn through the clouds making way for them to reach the plants and trees, so too does the light we experience during meditation nourish and revitalize our cells and tissues.  This is why yogis who meditate for most of the day find little need for sleep, for they are constantly renewing themselves in the same ways that sleep revitalizes those who need it as a respite from work and daily life.

Like any new activity, consistent practice of meditation is what allows for better results that deepen over time.

A “never quit” attitude is often the only difference between an ardent meditator and one who either drifts in and out of practice, or whose practice never even gets off the ground.  I am reminded here of the expression, “a Saint is a sinner that never quit.” Ultimately, what is more important than the how of meditation is the love, devotion and sincerity with which it is infused.  Constant cultivation of love and devotion naturally leads to an expression of compassion and tolerance – two of the qualities that are foundational to local and global efforts to create peace amongst the people.  World peace is only possible when the individuals of the world have inner peace, which arises spontaneously and effortlessly in the stillness of Meditation.

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within

February 2, 2010

Have you noticed how much things are changing lately?  Have you noticed that it’s not just with your life but with seemingly everybody you happen to talk to?

From the full moon this past week to the economic upheavals of the past year or two,  to the abundance of natural “disasters” occurring around the world, it is becoming increasingly obvious that things are changing….and fast!
While these phenomena have always occurred throughout human history, and well beyond that, it seems that the frequency and intensity of recent changes may be unrivaled by any period in recorded history.

Without going into too much detail about the interplanetary forces that are at play, suffice it to say that what is going on is most certainly cosmic and, to a large degree, beyond our control.  Why this is significant is because we have an extraordinary opportunity to show up powerfully in our lives, no matter how intense or fast the changes are occurring.  We have an opportunity to live the wisdom that has stuck with me over the years that “life is 10% what happens and 90% how we respond to it.”
We have an opportunity to practice what Deepak Chopra has coined “The Law of Detachment” by letting go of our fixation on needing to control our lives.  Incidentally, today is Friday, which is The Law of Detachment day as described in Chopra’s book “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” (one of my favorites.
Happy Friday and Law of Detachment day to you.  May you discover the strength to surrender, the courage to let go, the resolve to weather life’s ongoing change and the widom to know that they are a part of our personal growth.

After all, the gift of life is only available to us when we are in the present.

Dr. David
Awaken The Healer Within

January 3, 2010

There are two levels to our thinking mind – conscious and subconscious.

You’ll recall from the last issue that the conscious mind is what we use to observe our environment and to make decisions or rationalizations about it. In fact, you used your conscious mind to decide that you were going to read this newsletter (a good decision, I might add) and you are using your conscious mind right now as you take in all this information. This part of our thinking is the part that we can control. The subconscious mind, however, is beyond our control. The job of the subconscious mind is to immediately and constantly respond to the instructions given to it by the conscious mind, and to run and regulate all body functions – heart rate, breathing, digestion, and virtually everything else that happens in the body.

It is often said that “humans are created in the image and likeness of God.” Since the human body clearly has its flaws and deficiencies, there must be a part of the body that is perfect and made in the likeness of a higher Power. That part is the subconscious, or primitive brain. Unlike the conscious brain, the subconscious brain doesn’t think, judge or reason. It automatically and constantly responds to the environment with such precision and perfection of which only something Divine is capable. Ponder for a moment the scientific fact that trillions of cellular reactions occur every second in the human body and that these occur in such an organized and harmonious fashion way beyond the capabilities of the conscious mind. It is clear that an Intelligence not of this world is conducting the symphony of human physiology.

There is a Power that is bigger and greater than us that is ultimately in control and, when it comes to the human body, that Power works largely through the subconscious brain.

Science has proven that the human nervous system typically processes 15 million bits of information per second, and that only 15 bits are processed by the conscious mind. That leaves 14,999,985 bits of information per second as the work of the subconscious brain. Are you beginning to realize that what we think is going on may very well be the farthest thing from what is really going on in our experience of life? The more I realize and accept this truth the more I surrender to this higher Power. The more I surrender, the easier my life flows and the better my health goes. The more I surrender the more I get out of my own way and let the natural, spontaneous state of abundant health flow to and through me.

“Yeah, but that it as a lot easier said than done,” you might say. While it’s true that it is not necessarily EASY to trust, surrender and become totally agreeable to life, it most certainly is SIMPLE. In other words, getting into that peaceful place of unconditional love and acceptance isn’t involved, or complicated. It simply requires a daily commitment to a practice that helps you get there. One such practice is meditation. There are many styles of meditation, yet each is a different road to the same ultimate destination. So pick one and practice it daily. It could be as simple as setting aside a dedicated 10 to 20 minutes of your day with your eyes closed in a quite environment free of any possible distractions and focusing only on your breath. Simple, right? Easy? No way! Your mind will tend to drift, most likely back to what it’s familiar with – work, home, bills, exercise. The list goes on, and that’s okay. Just GENTLY bring your mind back to your breath and keep going, until the next time it drifts. It will drift, and that’s okay. Being okay with that is the key to this practice. Getting frustrated about it will keep you from the destination of inner bliss, peace, joy, unconditional love, trust, faith, and surrender. If meditation just isn’t your thing then my suggestion is to spend the same amount of time, or more, in Nature each day – the ocean, the forest, the canyons, the creeks. This can often accomplish the same benefits as meditation.

Achieving a state of constant surrender could be the greatest human triumph.

Most of us live in industrialized cultures where we’re taught to do more, to try harder, and work hard and long to secure our fate. Often, this is taken to an extreme, where the need for control and security becomes an obsession. This is a stressful way to live. Make no mistake, there is work to be done and actions to be taken. It is, however, when these actions are taken with the consciousness of faith, trust and surrender to a higher guiding Power that the fruits of labor can be enjoyed in a truly joyous and meaningful way. Let us act without attachment to outcomes. Let us control what we can and release what’s out of our hands. There are Forces at play that know what’s best for us and have only our best interests in mind. Let us align with them so that we may row our boats of life “gently down the stream.”
Quantum physics has proven time and again that the Universe is made up almost entirely of non-physical energy. In fact, it is believed that if you could condense all of the physical matter in our Universe it would fit on the head of a pin. This includes the 6 billion bodies on planet Earth, which may well be the equivalent of a grain of sand on the head of that pin. The truth is that we are not our bodies, but much much more. We are souls/spirits/energy fields and are taking occupancy in our bodies for a short time and a specific purpose.

This is the most important time in human evolution. We are in a time of significant planetary transformation. If world peace is to happen, it must start with peace within individuals. If global health is to become our reality, it must start with health within individuals. We are all connected in the web of humanity. We are not alone. Let 2010 be the year when we let go of our ego minds and surrender to the truth of who we are: Spiritual beings having a physical experience centered around giving, loving, and serving one another.

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within

December 1, 2009
Over the previous five issues we covered five of the six most essential components of a healthy lifestyle – what you eat and drink, how you exercise and rest, and how you breathe. Any positive change in one or more of these areas is considered a wise investment in your health. What you may or may not know is that the sixth essential – what you think – affects your health more than the first five combined!

There are two levels to our thinking mind – conscious and subconscious. The conscious mind is what we use to observe our environment and to make decisions about it. It is the part of our thinking that we can “consciously” control. The subconscious mind, however, doesn’t judge or reason. Subconscious thinking is automatic and beyond our ability to control. The job of the subconscious mind is to immediately and constantly respond to the instructions given by the conscious mind, and to run and regulate all body functions – heart rate, breathing, digestion, and virtually everything else that happens in the body.

The conscious mind is the gift we were given as part of the overall human design. It is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom and is the reason why we are at the top of the food chain. Early in our evolution, humans used the conscious mind to construct tools that have ensured our survival as a species – the ability to create fire from rocks and twigs, weapons to hunt and gather, and utensils to eat what we’ve acquired. When we use the conscious mind with positive purpose – right thoughts and right actions – we are gifted the blessing of Heaven right here on Earth. When we choose to focus on what is working in our lives with the attitude of gratitude, we create for ourselves the experience of Heaven on Earth. When we forgive any and all transgressions, or “wrongdoing,” we create Heaven on Earth. When we give to others out of an authentic sense of abundance rather than an expectation of receiving something in return, we create Heaven on Earth. On the flip side, when we use our conscious minds to complain about what we have or don’t have, to blame others for our circumstances, or to pass responsibility for our experience onto others, we create the opposite: Hell on Earth.

So you see, the conscious mind is where we choose how we are going to look at the world. It can be our best friend or our greatest enemy. It’s ultimately our choice. What choices will you make tomorrow? Will you blame your parents or your children for what’s not working in your life, or take personal responsibility for it? Will you give your spouse the credit for your success or acknowledge yourself as deserving of it? Will you choose to eat and drink well, exercise and rest well, breathe and think well, or leave your health up to chance and bank on having good genes to keep you healthy through life? One of my greatest teachers, Dr. John DeMartini, taught me that the quality of my life is based on the quality of my questions. Come up with some high quality questions for yourself so you can live the quality of life you deserve.

Tune in next month when we will cover the subconscious mind and the role it plays in determining our health and creating our reality.

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within

November 2, 2009
Did you ever noticed that babies do things differently? Have you ever wondered whether they have a better idea of what to do to stay healthy than adults?

I know this might sound crazy. Nevertheless, the truth is babies do a lot of things naturally that are healthy. Once babies have been conditioned, or taught, to do things like their adult parents they begin to forget their natural programming. One such example is with breathing. When you have the opportunity to observe a child younger than a year old, notice how they breathe. What you will most likely see is the following sequence of movement: Belly first, chest second, throat third, and lastly the head. This is called “belly breathing,” and is the natural and healthy way to breathe. In this form of breathing the primary breathing muscles (diaphragm and chest) are used first and the secondary breathing muscles (neck and shoulders) are used to finish the inhalation. Exhalation, for the most part, is passive and virtually automatic. This deep form of breathing allows for maximum expansion of the chest and filling of the lungs with oxygen. The end result is optimum levels of sustained energy and clarity throughout the day.

What many adults do when it comes to breathing is, in fact, backwards: They start the inhalation using their neck and shoulder muscles, then their chest expands, and then their belly comes up last. This pattern of breathing, called “emergency breathing,” happens as part of the stress response – also known as “fight or flight.” Here breathing is intentionally shallower because time is of the essence. When the possibility of real danger exists we don’t have the luxury of taking deep breaths. Emergency breathing is very appropriate when we are experiencing a physical injury, in an auto collision, confronted by a rattlesnake, a perpetrator, or any other real threat to our survival. However, when we are at work, in traffic, watching television, arguing with our spouse, or doing any daily activity that is not a true threat to survival, emergency breathing is not only inappropriate but unhealthy. In all non-emergency situations, belly breathing is the appropriate and healthy way to breathe.

I believe that the cause of most dis-ease in the western world is an inappropriate response to everyday stresses. When the body is constantly responding as though there are true threats even when there aren’t any, this sets the stage for physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and illness. When we commit to deepening our breath using belly breathing as outlined above, we can ensure that the nervous system remains in the natural state of relaxation and self-healing. An excellent tool to use in everyday stressful moments that are not legitimate threats to survival is what I call “Rhythmic Breathing.” This simple exercise when performed for as little as 30-60 seconds helps to restore calm, tranquility, poise and composure to even the most challenging situations.

Rhythmic Breathing – Using belly breathing, take a breath in to the count of 4, hold in to the count of 4, breathe out to the count of 4, and hold out to the count of 4. Repeat this for at least 2-5 minutes, or until you feel calm and relaxed.

In the bigger picture, it is helpful to remember that deep breathing is also a great way to connect with our spiritual essence. The scientific word for breathing in is to “inspire,” which, when broken down to its individual components, means to be “in spirit.” This reminds us that the breath is a powerful way to stay connected with our divinity – the source of all healing.

Be sure to read the next issue in two weeks when we will cover The Sixth Essential: “What You Think.”

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within

October 15, 2009
The third element of a healthy lifestyle is regular exercise. Generally speaking, there are two types of exercise: cardiovascular and resistance training.
Cardiovascular (Aerobic) Exercise
This type involves raising your heart rate until you reach your Target Heart Rate (a formula based on age, gender, and resting heart rate) and then maintaining it at that level for a minimum of 20 minutes. When the heart is beating that fast for that long it starts to develop endurance and to increase circulation to all parts of the body. This helps your cells receive a healthy supply of oxygen (that’s good!) and to release toxic waste (that’s also good!). Cardiovascular exercise is also good for burning fat, which gets used as a fuel source to supply you with energy for your workouts. Common forms of cardiovascular exercise include walking, jogging/running, swimming, team sports, and certain styles of yoga (my personal favorite). If you’re not already doing so, I suggest incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your lifestyle for a minimum of 20 minutes at a time (not including warm up and cool down periods) at least 3 days per week. Remember, the key here is a sustained, elevated heart rate for 20 minutes in your target heart rate zone.
Click on What’s My Target Heart Rate to find your target heart rate zone.

Resistance Training
This form of exercise emphasizes development of the body’s muscles and tendons. Generally speaking, Americans seem to have a fascination with having to do more, to push fast and to push hard, often to the point of exhaustion. We love our extreme sports: We do push-ups until we feel like vomiting, and lift weights until our muscles reach the point of failure. This level of intensity is certainly helpful for growing your muscles, however it can be, and often is, detrimental to your spine, especially when little attention is paid to proper form (this is sadly the majority of cases). My recommendation for resistance training is to focus on doing exercises where you are using your own body weight to develop muscle size, tone and core strength. This is often accomplished with exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, dips, and pull-ups, as well as more formal practices like yoga (again, my personal favorite) and pilates. Not only are these safer for the body when done properly, they can also be done at home, making them practical and cost effective – two pluses for our fast-paced & cost-conscious society. For those determined to pump iron and use dumbbells and barbells, paying attention to form is vital. Get with a certified personal trainer who is form-oriented and can teach you the basics. After all you only get one spine!

Which form of exercise is better? Neither. They are both equally important components of a healthy lifestyle. A valuable fact many people don’t know is that developing muscle with resistance is an excellent way to burn fat. Studies show that for every pound of muscle gained the body is 5 times more effective at burning fat. Now, that’s incredible!

Be sure to read the next issue in two weeks when we will cover The Fourth Essential: How You Rest.

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within

October 1, 2009

In our last issue, we covered the first essential of optimum health: What you eat. While food is clearly essential and foundational, so too is what you drink.
In fact, current research supports the fact that the human body can sustain itself for a maximum of 14 days without fluids, whereas it can do so for up to 40 or 50 days without food. What that means is that, in many ways, fluids are even more essential to our health than food.

Health experts universally agree that the the most important fluid we can consume is water. The reason for this is that the vast majority of the human body consists of water (anywhere from 60 to 80 percent, depending on who’s doing the research). The highest quality water comes from natural running mineral springs. It’s recirculated rain water purified by Mother Nature herself. As this water runs downstream it picks up from the earth below many of the trace minerals that are necessary for proper absorption.
These minerals also help to eliminate many of the contaminants commonly found in tap water, such as bacteria and fungi, thereby purifying the water and making it safe to drink. If access to natural spring water is not feasible, there are two alternatives I am comfortable recommending:

1. A high-end Reverse Osmosis water purification system.
This is an effective way to purify water using technology. If you choose to use this method of purification it is vital that the filters are serviced and replaced in accordance with manufacturer specifications. (For more information check out Seagull Distribution and Reverse Osmosis).

2. Distilled water with trace minerals added back in.
Distilled water is the purest water you can find. It is pure hydrogen and oxygen and devoid of practically everything, including necessary minerals. This makes it very aggressive at pulling minerals out of the body and setting the stage for a mineral deficiency. Thus, prolonged drinking of pure distilled water as your primary water source is not recommended, that is unless you replace the trace minerals lost during the distillation process. (For more information check out Trace Minerals and Distilled Water).

How you store your water is also important. There is sufficient research demonstrating that chemicals, such as BPA (Bisphenol A) and others, are linked to cancer and other toxicities and are leached from conventional plastics. The highest leaching rates occur in the clear, thin, flimsy plastic bottles. These usually have the number 1 within the recycling symbol on the bottle. The higher grade of plastics are the variety seen in Nalgene and other similar bottles. These are made of a polycarbonate material which is thicker, stronger and more durable, and are marked with a higher number – usually a 6 or 7 – within the recycling symbol. These plastics demontrate lower levels of leaching and are a better option, though they are still shown to release the toxic chemicals into your water.

The best options available today for storing your water are bottles and/or containers made of :
1. Glass – this is by far the best option because glass is chemically inert, which means it doesn’t leach, but also the least practical since it can and does easily break when dropped.
2. Stainless steel (see Kleankanteen.com) – shown to be safe, non-reactive and doesn’t leach.
3. Aluminum, as long as there is an internal protective coating that does not react or leach (see Sigg.com)
4. BPA-free plastic – high grade polycarbonate plastics.

To further reduce the likelihood of leaching keep your bottles out of the sun and heat, as this is shown to increase leaching rates. This is especially true with the plastics and does not apply to glass. In fact, the UV rays coming through clear glass may actually provide another level of sterilization and, thus, purification.

I’m often asked, “Dr. David, how much water is one to drink?” Well, my answer to that is “it’s different for everybody.” What most experts suggest is drinking a minimum of the equivalent, in fluid ounces, of 1/2 of your body weight. As an example, a person weighing 150 lbs. is recommended to drink a minimum of 75 fl.oz. of water per day (that’s just over 9 glasses per day). More is recommended in high level athletes, people on medications and other diuretics, and those in very hot climates.

Be sure to tune in to the next issue when we will be discussing the third essential for optimum health: How You Exercise.

Dr. David

Awaken The Healer Within