The power of a Power Nap.

I learned yesterday just how powerful a power nap can be.  This particular nap lasted all of about 10 minutes but believe me it was a full-on nap, complete with vivid dreams and twitching. 

I’ve never been a “napper”.  In fact, I don’t tend to nap well at all but after a great swim and a big lunch I was nearly incapable of keeping my eyes open.  Pregnancy does that I realize but even before I was pregnant, I had had these moments and always resisted the nap because I don’t tend to wake up very well and am anything but friendly (or conscious) for the first 20-60 minutes after napping. 

This time I decided to nap because of an article I found in Andrew’s office that stated that even our ancestors napped thousands of years ago.  It doesn’t make much sense to be out hunting and/or scavenging in the mid day sun, so naps were probably the ‘cool’ thing to do.  The article also stated that everyone naps differently and we should take the time to figure out if we do best with less than 20 minutes or as much as a 90 minute nap midday.

It was stated that 20 minute naps help to boost our productivity, clarity of mind and focus; while an up to 90 minute nap can help with creativity and ingenuity.  In fact, naps have been shown to lower your risk of heart attacks and other chronic stress diseases (these make up over 80% of the diseases Americans suffer from today). And, the 90 minute nap won’t typically interrupt your night time sleep pattern (as long as you get enough exercise in your day). 

Pretty cool for a past time I thought was for slackers. 

Truth be told, I would have napped a lot longer than the 10 minutes I had but I was incapable of keeping my eyes open and basically face planted onto the adjusting table I have in my office.  Our patients often comment that they would love to sleep on these tables; they have no idea just how comfortable they are… blissful.  Maybe this is why my 10 minute nap gave me a complete recharge.  Maybe it’s simply because I always thought I needed at least 20 minutes to have a nap in and had never tried, but for the first time, I was able to wake up from this nap with only about 2 minutes of grogginess and I felt like the day had started over!

We all need the license to sleep sometimes, pregnancy (I’m learning) offers plenty of leeway; however, next time you’re struggling to stay awake (pregnant or not), I suggest you try out a 10-20minute nap and just see if it isn’t more than you thought it might be. 

The best time according to the research is between 12:30pm and 3pm so hey, maybe go for a walk on your lunch, eat, and take a little siesta.  Heck, it’s in your genes.

It’s your life,

Love it  🙂

Liisa.

Oh Baby!

I love tackling a new project; so, recently, when I found out I was pregnant, I think my ‘project brain’ went into overdrive.  Very fortunately for pregnancy hormones, many of my project ‘brain-storming sessions’ happened from the couch and I was not able to drive myself into a tizzy 🙂

There are just so many exciting new adventures that arrive with that double pink line!  Baby names; new furniture to purchase, arrange… and rearrange; finding the perfect midwife, doula, and birth center; determining new health goals and challenges, modifying a few, adding a few more; tweaking my nutritional goals and standards; reassessing how green our home really is and how it both impacts my health and the health of our developing baby – before and after his arrival.  (I think it’s a boy 🙂

Being organized is a wonderful way to live.  I think I always have been but ‘project baby’ is giving me great reason to both laugh at myself and to congratulate myself on creating a life that is so balanced and in many ways very simple that adding a newbie to it feels wonderful more often than it does overwhelming.  I thank my husband for that too; marrying a Virgo (when you are a Virgo) can either be incredible or disastrous.  Lucky for us, it’s absolutely incredible.  We have found our niche in this world and are loving the opportunity we have at home to share our gifts, joys, talents, and silliness with someone new just as much as we have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, sharing greater health, wellbeing and balance with our patients in our Chiropractic practice these past 5 years.  This blog will be a fun place for me to share our lives with you.  Thanks for visiting today!

It’s your life, love it!

Liisa.

What better place for our hearts than on our sleeves.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. 

We have a dream that our communities grow stronger with time and age, not weaker.  We have a dream that everyone can begin again to trust their inborn intelligence and quit living a life of fear.

We dream of communities in which every individual takes responsibility for their health; where the ultimate authority for their health decisions is themselves and that quiet voice within them that speaks when one is still enough to listen.

We have a dream of healthcare that is not politically-driven, revenue-driven, agenda-driven or dogmatically influenced.  We dream of healthcare that is motivated by responsibility, empathy, wisdom and what is best for every patient.

We have a dream that living a life with proper nerve flow, a healthy diet and exercise and having optimistic, happy attitudes is considered the only way to have health care.  Everything else is crisis intervention or crisis care.

We have a dream where babies are born and checked for subluxation within the first few precious hours of life. We dream of children who are given the best opportunities to grow up healthy and strong and develop optimally in every facet of life.

We have a dream that every single one of your friends and loved ones receive wellness chiropractic care because they deserve this care as much as you do. 

We dream of our office being an alive, buzzing hub of education and wellness; full of healthy, strong, educated individuals who make a difference.

We have a dream that at Hall Family Chiropractic, we know you well and can call all of you friends for many years to come; that you look to us for a helping hand when you need one.

Thank you for trusting us as your health care coaches and thank you for helping us achieve our dreams by helping you achieve yours. 

Much love,

Dr. Liisa Hall

Is it ‘the rub’?

 

Maybe you’ve heard of it.  Okay, you haven’t heard of it because I just made it up 🙂 but I know that like everyone else, you definitely do not like it and probably avoid it at all costs.  BUT understanding it has been a key that has helped me stay “on the wagon” with my health goals, and prevented many of my old tantrums (both mature and immature) 🙂

‘The rub’ is that feeling you have when you unconsciously recognize that there is a difference between where you ARE in your life (with respect to your physical health, energy levels, financial health, education, family etc.) and where you really WANT to be.

I told you, it doesn’t feel good, but in and of itself, ‘the rub’ is not a bad thing.  It’s the fuel we use to propel ourselves toward our dreams, goals and desires.  The problem is the unconscious part of ‘the rub’.  So what’s the solution? 

First, before you’re even in ‘the rub’, determine 3 helpful ‘chill-out’ strategies. Some of my favorites include: breathing deeply, writing, exercising, cooking, reading, calling a friend, meditating, and yoga or stretching.  These are up to you to decide on.  Have fun creating a list to refer to when you’re too stressed out to be able to decide what to do.

You’ll know when you need it; you’ll be defaulting to your old unconscious strategies like reaching for the junk food or coffee, picking a fight with a friend or co-worker, or yelling at a stranger from your car!  Uhhhh, just examples of course 😉

Second, acknowledge that you’re frustrated, sad, upset, angry, whatever you’re feeling. 

Third, give yourself some credit.  You’re only feeling anxious because you have higher standards for yourself.  This is a great thing and doesn’t need to feel so bad.  No, you’re not perfect and you can get better.  I bet you’re better now than you used to be.  So let’s keep going….

Now, do something from your de-stressing list.  Choose the one that feels best in the moment you feel ‘the rub’.  From here, your next step will become clearer. 

Life is not meant to be struggled through.  Enjoy it.  I promise it will get a lot better by simply having a plan in place when you’re about to throw in the towel on your calm demeanor. 

It’s your life; love it,

Liisa.

I lied recently.

Even worse, it was to a patient.  I told them that I have never had a case that failed in my practice and it honestly wasn’t until much later that day that I realized that I had been wrong, very wrong.

You might think, “Well, of course that’s a lie, you can’t help EVERYBODY”.  But when I made my statement, I truly believed myself that no, we have never had a case that failed.  But the truth is that MOST of the cases I’ve seen in the five years of our practice have failed… except for the one’s who have stayed. 

We have met approximately 20 new patients on average each month for the past 5 years.  This means we have met and checked the spines and nerve systems of approximately 1200 people in our town.  Our practice currently has 200 active patients, of whom we are very proud of and love each and every one of them. 

BUT, you can see without difficulty that there have been around 1000 people who have not continued to take care of their spine and nerve system with us.  Maybe they started care and then stopped; some of them never got adjusted in the first place and therefore didn’t get to enjoy the benefits of a healthier body. 

To me, THAT was complete and utter failure in each and every one of those lost cases. 

So today, I’m getting real with myself.  I’m doing a “gut-check” and studying the files of people with whom I have met and NOT helped, so that I may be better able to help the next ones who show up trusting that we are THEIR doctors, health coaches, and the biggest cheering squad they may ever have. 

I LOVE what I do; being a Chiropractor is what I was born to be.  But today I will accept the bad with the good and remind myself that although Chiropractic never fails to help a body heal and get well, I do.  Because of this lie, tomorrow, I will fail less.

It’s you life; love it,

Liisa Hall, DC

Daily Spinal Warm-ups

Every day for years I’ve been doing the same 60 second spinal exercises before I even get out of bed.  So may people have asked me to help them restore proper spinal function and flexibility that I have shared these with them over the years too. 

Now, you can start them too.  I promise, they will take you only one minute (although you’re welcome to do them for longer) and you can’t do them too many times so if you like them enough to do them throughout your day, please feel free to do so 🙂

Hall Family Chiropractic Daily Spinal Warm-ups

These exercises promote healing and the normal function and motion of your spinal discs, muscles, and ligaments.  When done consistently, they prevent disc and spinal decay, break up scar tissue and reduce inflammation.  Perform them first thing in the morning and right before going to bed in the evening.  Also, taking time to do these throughout the day will help to ensure proper healing and spinal health throughout your life.  Ten repetitions to each side are suggested with each. 

Spinal Rotation:

1. Sitting upright, with feet on floor, slightly arch lower back and raise your arms to shoulder level.  Interlace fingers and point elbows out to each side.
2. Slowly turn your entire spine as far as you comfortably can to each side making sure to turn your head fully in each direction.  It helps if you try to watch your elbows as you turn each way.

   Flexion and Extension:

1. In same upright position as above, rest your hands on your knees and curl your spine forward beginning with your chin toward your chest and then your chest toward your thighs.
2. Smoothly reverse the motion and continue by dropping your head back to look up at the ceiling.  Think about moving every bone in your spine.  When extending backward, you can press gently on your thighs to increase your joint and disc flexibility.

 Left and Right Lateral Flexion:

1. From an upright seated position, begin by bringing your left ear toward your shoulder and then continue to curve your spine to the left.  See how far you can reach while remembering to bend sideways rather than forward.
2. Repeat on the right again moving each bone in your spine in a smooth, fluid motion.  It’s okay to hear or feel crunching or grinding in your joints for now as they relearn how to move properly.

 Spinal Molding:

1. This exercise helps to reshape the lost curves back into your spine.  Do this exercise in your bed right before sleeping and right after the warm-up exercises.   It will prepare your spine for a more restful sleep.
2. Lay on neck support (rolled towel) and mid back support (rolled towel).  Start with 2 minutes with your knees bent if necessary and work you way up as quickly as you comfortably can until 15-20 minutes is easy with your legs extended.
3. The neck support is placed low in the neck, almost in line with the shoulders.  The mid-back support is at the very bottom of your ribcage or in line with your elbows when lying on your back.  It is not to be placed in the small of the low back.  It may feel uncomfortable at first but if it is painful, partially unroll the towel until it is more manageable. 

We bet that your family members probably want to have healthy spines too!  Please be sure to teach them these exercises and schedule a complimentary spinal check up for them with our front desk staff.

www.HallFamilyChiropractic.com         978-646-0010          

Let’s Be Grateful Today :)

Let’s be grateful for the little things today.  Take a deep breath, smile (even if it hurts a little) and reflect on something that makes you giggle. 

My first thought is a wonderful You Tube post called “Jessica’s Daily Affirmation” which I’ve been recommending to everyone lately.  Jessica is so excited about her day that you’ll find yourself getting equally excited about her whole HOUSE, her hair and even her hair cuts!  I’m laughing just thinking about it!  Seriously, watch it 🙂

You can begin your day as happy as Jessica does by thinking about 5 things you have to look forward to; people you get to see or talk to, even things that you did yesterday that you loved doing. 

Today, my list included getting to see Christine (who many of you know works at our front desk and is a great friend) at the airport tonight with her husband, Brendan returning from their trip to Switzerland; I get to adjust 77 amazing and wonderful people in our chiropractic practice, I have watermelon in my fridge, which I LOVE; I felt great about letting my husband stay home from the office for the morning to ‘play’ catch up; and I was on a fantastic conference call with a mentor of mine yesterday who helped me clarify my vision for 2010 and 2011 even further!

Try it right now.  What in your life can you smile about?  Write them down.  Like everything in life worth doing, it takes a little practice and you may start some days with simply being grateful for being alive, or breathing, or for how comfortable your bed was the night before… whatever, it’s your list. 

I promise that it if you put pen to paper every day for then next 30 days and write just 5 things that you’re grateful for, your whole year will shift toward being more fulfilling, more joyful, and abundant. 

It doesn’t have to be pretty, just start!

I’m grateful you’re grateful.

Will you live to be 100?

My Mummu (grandmother) will be turning 93 in a couple of days and she has me thinking about her 100th birthday party.  We talk about it all the time actually.  She also has me thinking about the Hunzas.  Have You Heard of the Hunzas?

The Hunzas are a group of approximately 40,000 people who live in the region of Hunza in Pakistan.  National Geographic has been studying and reporting on their exceptional longevity for years.

The Hunzas are notorious for living past their hundredth birthdays.  What is unique about the people of Hunza is that they are not only living past 100, they are continuing to live with the vigor and vitality that they had in their youth.

Our western way of thinking often precludes that anyone living past the average life expectancy age of 75 for men and 81 for women must live a sedentary life in a secluded nursing home.  That simply isn’t true!

In fact, the Hunzas expect that they will reach their hundredth birthdays and in so doing, continue to live the extremely physical lifestyles that have gotten them to that point.  In an interview, one Hunzan woman who had recently celebrated her 130^th birthday claimed that she has only recently retired from working on the community farm and currently held the record as the fastest tea-leaf picker in the community!

There are other communities in the world that have a great percentage of centenarians in addition to the Hunzas.  What do these communities have in common?  They all supply their own food, primarily living a vegetarian lifestyle; they partake in very physical activities on a daily basis; they all live without modern medicine; and most have strong spiritual beliefs. 

Why are these factors so important?  I believe that we all need to consider the fact that we too may live to be a hundred and if we do we will need to prepare our bodies for the journey.  In other words, we need to eat well, move well, and think well.

Is your body being supplied all the important nutrients that it needs to keep functioning at its best today and 30, 40, 50 years from now?  Are you putting enough of a physical demand on your bones and muscles to strengthen them for your future endeavors?  Are you putting chemicals into your body that are damaging your cellular structure?  If you continued on the path that you are on right now would you want to live past 100?  Who will you BE for your Children? Grand children and others?

For me and my family, Chiropractic care has provided the best means for helping us all be the best we can be.  My soon to be 93 year old Mummu has been adjusted since she was very young and when we talk, she always reminds me of how important what I do as a Chiropractor is.  In addition to taking great care of my spine and nerve system, I also love eating great tasting, healthy, foods; exercising daily and feeding myself strong, healthy thoughts. 

What do you love to do that will help you live well?

Dr. Liisa Hall

Time for a new Gear

Let’s kick it up a gear shall we?  Yes, let’s do less in order to enjoy more!   Have you found yourself stuck in first gear lately and wondering why the engine is revving so hard but you’re moving so slowly?  Your heart races, your head pounds and your body just gets more run down.  If you’re stuck in first, shifting to second is going to feel like a long awaited vacation.  If you’ve been in fifth for a while, over-drive is exhilarating!  There is always room to grow.

Growth happens so unexpectedly at times.  Do you remember the last time it happened for you?  Was it hard?  Did it require more effort than you wanted to put in? 

Truth is, you don’t always need to grow that way.  In fact, you could be going along basically minding your own business and all of a sudden feel the shift.  Some will say they notice the color or the sounds in a room change and realize they’re the only one who noticed.  Nothing’s quite the same anymore and they feel connected to a source of energy, power, and inspiration that feels anything but fleeting. 

“Minding one’s own business” might imply a lack of desire for this new gear but I suppose it is exactly what inspires the shift.  You see, I think that all too often we can get caught up in the drama of trying to mind other people’s business.  Oh yes, the guise is always that you’re “helping them”.  You’re not.  More energy and focus on problems has only ever made for more problems (or bigger ones).  So what do you say, think you’re up for a new gear?

This year I have made it a very conscious choice to no longer mind other people’s business.  I figure, I’m not very good at it anyway.  In the mean time, solutions, ideas, pure joy, and greater possibility and definitely fulfillment have surrounded my days like never before.  I figure I might as well share what I’ve been doing…

I found Silence.

I learned in John Assaraf’s book “The Answer” that when we get quiet and sit in silence, we shift the pattern of our brain waves from our busy thinking ‘Beta waves’ to calm and almost hypnotic ‘Theta waves’.  It feels great to leave your daily concerns and thoughts behind for a few minutes a day. 

I recommend first thing in the morning; I love those moments when the house is completely silent.  In those moments, I’m still too sleepy to think of anything anyway, which make this even easier, but what I know is happening is that I’m creating new neural pathways that are readily available during the day.  They offer my thinking mind more solutions, more calm and clarity and always pose more solutions than problems.  I have found this so effective that I no longer see it as an option to not find and create silence during my day.  

The new gear I’ve found is incredible.  The car seems new again, the paint is shinier and the leather smells wonderful.

Try it for 30 days, even if only for a few minutes.   Your stress will decrease, your heart will open to new possibilities, your mind will engage your day more effectively, and your soul will tell you it’s the best thing you’ve done in years. 

You can do it.  It’s your life, Love it.

Dr. Liisa Hall.

In a bubble…

 

Over the past few years I have come to the realization that I live in a bubble.  Yes, perhaps we all live in some sort of box or bubble depending on what we know or what we think that we know or don’t think that we know or think that we don’t know…  But I’m talking about a kind of bubble that I’ve created over many years of asking the hard questions in life.  A bubble that surrounds my life, protecting some aspects of it, magnifying others.  Some aspects of my bubble have developed by asking the easy questions in life too; the whys and how comes that flow quickly from my brain. 

The reason I’m bringing up the topic of my bubble today is because I think we have a real responsibility on a daily basis to consider our bubble – the world we live in based on our words, thoughts, beliefs, values and actions.  What is it made up of? What size is it? What color?  Does it have any holes? Who fits in it and who does not?  When we become conscious of the words that we use on a daily basis and the thoughts that we think we influence the size, shape and character of our bubble. 

The purpose of this blog is to help us all consider our thoughts just a little more frequently; to ask questions that are more fun to ponder than the weather, a recent moment of insanity observed on the news or drive home, and especially to remind us all that we’re in it together.  Ultimately, my job is to make my bubble so strong and complete that I can see a place for everyone inside it – all lit up by the colorful soapy hue that shines through it’s thick exterior.   

Are you in?