Shooting for the Exceptional Life

May 8th 2014

Have you ever thought that there may be more to life? It's amazing; the appeal of the perfect scenario. The desire for something more, or better, or more exceptional. So often our perception leads us astray to think that life is supposed to be grander and greater, more peaceful or harmonious, more healthy or stronger or more fit, more abundant in relationships or finances, as we continue to strive, strive, strive for that which we don't have. This game that we play with ourselves is a bottomless pit of more wants and more desires. It's a never ending trap of chasing the perceived void of things missing in our life. Why do I say this?... What I find so often in my practice, as we start balancing and opening up the constricted brain and nervous system, is that there becomes this deep awareness, that everything is beautiful just as it is. That we find everything we want within a bodymind that we are looking to the outside for. More energy? Access that within you. More peace? It's there! More harmony? Look in the mirror. You see, so often what we are looking for on the outside, is already right there within us, waiting to be accessed at any moment. 

That moment of connecting to your inner rhythms, your breath, your body, your movements, is a moment of absolute presence with yourself, where the noise of the mind can cease, and where you can access new sources of available energy and resources. There is nothing else to chase, but watching, feeling and observing the dance of your bodymind. That is often more than enough to feel the satisfaction of what wholeness feels like in that moment. Wholeness insinuates that there is no void to be filled, no chasing, no further needs or wants. Everything is exceptional just as it is; a state of fullness. The more you connect with yourself, the more you are creating the neurological hardware and software that allows you to utilize the parts of your brain for presence, peace, inner harmony and wholeness. You don't have to create those things in your life, because they are already existing. You need to find them where they already exist, which is within you, not outside of you. They are not missing, they are just hidden.

This level of connection most often requires practice, as most of us have lived lives of busy bees, doing lots of stuff, and lacking this essential inner awareness and connection. Network Spinal Analysis is a tool we use to assist you rapidly to begin to upgrade the nervous system, so you can access more energy efficient states, and connect within 10-20 minutes, what would take some a weekend vacation away to achieve. Another strategy to access inner presence is a regular practice of giving thanks for what is already there in front of you. Practicing gratitude is essential, as we are consciously placing ourselves in a temporary state of fullness, wholeness, and in a state of abundance. There is no chasing the dangling carrot, instead, there is a divine presence around giving thanks and praise for that which we are already full with. Therefore, instead of chasing the exceptional life, what I am proposing is that we already acknowledge that life is exceptional in so many ways. So can you find within your daily life to be grateful for?

 Can you say thank you to yourself for being so exceptional?

Can you find the divine peace within?

Why I Won't Get Diagnosed....For Now

March 17th 2014 

A conversation with a colleague of mine, spurred on some interest and curiosity around the idea of a diagnosis from a doctor.So I though, "What if a diagnosis wasn't an option?"

"What if all labs, all diagnostic capabilities, all "diagnosticians", were wiped off the face of the earth? What if there was not one drug available to us? What if the slate was wiped clean? What would happen then?" These questions run through my head regularly...but I got to thinking, there would be some very interesting transformations that would take place.  My inquiry developed into a few answers I wanted to share. (Remember the Latin translation of diagnosis is di-"two"
agnosis-"to not know"  which translates into "two that don't know" ...hmmm
If we were solely responsible for our own health and well-being, with replying on zero outside influences, here are the upsides...

Well, when our bodies or minds became ill, we would have to become more resourceful.  We would need to voice our concerns, face fear, face the thought of fear of our own mortality, stop our way of being, clean up our bodies, connect with our emotions, evaluate our actions, look inside for answers, pay attention, touch our body, gain a new level of trust, develop patience, listen for whispers of insights, solve our own challenges, get in touch with reality, nurture ourselves, take time to rest, work through pain, stop life as we know it, connect with worry, psychoanalyze ourselves, express emotions like sound, laughter or crying, connect with the feeling of helplessness, hydrate ourselves, start fasting, access natural or mother nature's resources etc...

Those were some things I thought of, maybe you can think of more.  With these listed, it is a tremendous upside to being forced into a totally uncertain, scary world of "not knowing something", it can lead us into a world of transformation.
The downside is, maybe we die early.  But that goes into a totally different topic of being afraid to die.  The reason I mention this, is that the majority of diagnosed conditions are not life threatening.

The bottom line, is we would be forced to become more resourceful.  We would be forced to tap into ourselves regularly without giving our power away to others.  We would be forced to face our demons, our minds and bodies, and really travel inward to transform our situation.  And if we knew no one was there to bail us out, we would probably take better care of ourselves when we were feeling well.  We might take actions to maximize our health and well-being, and stay focused on building health and meeting essential needs.

We need to raise awareness as to what going for a "diagnosis" really does for us as humans. Most people will totally miss all the gifts I have talked about in the first paragraph, because a diagnosis makes them feel safe, and once they feel safe, they can keep on living the same, potentially unconscious and toxic life.

I would just love for you to evaluate how often you give your power away.  How often you engage in an activity, a doctor's visit, discuss a topic with someone for advice on a situation, or any tests in an attempt to diffuse the energy of discomfort and uncertainty.  Are there times when you do this so you don't have to "step up" to a challenge or focus on you; to essentially pay attention to what you need to focus on.

And what can you do to empower yourself when times are uncertain, scary or painful?  How could you stay within yourself and add more focus or ask better questions of yourself, or take different actions?

 To your Greater Awareness,

Dr. Steve 

What do you do to Disconnect?

In our efforts to become more congruent, authentic, and live inspired lives, we often still have little habits within our personalities that we do to disconnect from ourselves. I would encourage you to explore this with me. This is important to bring to your awareness, because when we are feeling like we are not enough, when we are feeling scared, or even angry, there are behaviours that we have formed that seemingly help us in the moment, but yet are disconnecting us from what we need to truly pay attention to.

Take eating for example. I find I will pick at food when I am disconnecting, or sometimes I will go and 'pretend' to myself that I am being productive at work, only to answer a few emails, and jot down a few ideas that really won't mean much in the long run. As I bring my unconscious to conscious awareness, I am then able to make more of an aware, conscious choice as to my actions so they become more congruent and authentic, instead of mindless and on autopilot.

Some people exercise like crazy in an effort to avoid not feeling worthless or fat or not enough. Some people don't eat any sugar, coffee, or "other nasties" because they are scared of what they might do, and become obsessive in that. How about Facebook, T.V., phone, emails....

Obviously there is a time to 'do' things, but most people are not taking enough time to just "be" with themselves and connect inward. I am mentioning this, because if we did spend more time inward, we continue to cultivate trust for our body, emotions, thoughts and feelings. When we cultivate trust, we become more resilient to people and circumstances around us.

Spending time inward is the time of self mastery...and since you only get one kick at the can, it may be valuable to further get to know yourself. So what is your hook up? What is the way you disconnect? At those little moments throughout the day, what actions are taking your attention away from the real you, and into some fantasy land. And why might we find these places more interesting than focusing on ourselves and finding the true joy in being an embodied spirit and feeling alive?

Hope this allows for new emerging awareness, and hopefully you can find new actions that are more congruent with what really is valuable and meaningful in your life.

Embracing a life of exceptional,

Dr. Steve

So now what?

"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again."  Alex Tan

I have to share with you, that I have a very keen interest in where are heading for the new year. What is your focus? What is your theme? What are you working on? What are your interests? So often the entrainment is such a powerful process, that we don't necessarily take the time to discuss what some of your other needs or concerns are. We often stick to health or your inner well-being and the transformation of that, but I am also gaining curiosity into your other goals, dreams, and ambitions to see how Veressent Life can hold a space to have you achieve what you are looking for.

Instead of your ego picking the goals or dreams, let me ask you a different question. What have your rhythms been telling you? What has the energy around you been telling you that you need to refine or transform? Any areas of life that keep showing up that beckon your attention? What have you been meeting against, that needs further inquiry or strategies to make change? So often we pick things or goals that we think we want, yet life is leading us, right under our noses, to pay attention to something else.

So let's bypass the "lose 10-20 lbs, or start a regular fitness program or start eating better" resolution, and look deeper. We are Veressent Lifer's and we look deeper into our core nature and what life is trying to tell us. Look deeper into what is life presenting to you right now, that you need to dive in to.
What is it? What has your soul been calling you to wake up to? What clues is life leaving you that you must face now, with courage? Stop kidding yourself with the superficial goals that you think will make you happy, and extend yourself into what you KNOW needs to be looked after.

Please email me back over the next couple of days and share with me, what your life is showing you, that you need to be paying attention to. I can hardly wait!!

Thank you for an amazing year, so much gratitude and love to you all,

In deep well-being,


Dr. Steve

Gratitude "R" Us

Gratitude. How do we get it, experience it, and feel it?

It's one of those things that you remember that you forgot to do. It sometimes feels like one of those reflective traits that is so elusive in the moment, but then somehow you get reminded hours, days or months later. You may have been on a trip, in a park, at work or resting under a tree, and just forgot to truly smell the roses and be grateful for the moment. It's the mind that wanders away from the present and into the past or future. And once you are in the past or future, there is no gratitude to access for what you are experiencing in the moment because you are busy daydreaming about other things.

How do we be more grateful in the moment then? How can we improve upon the gratitude for the day, the people we interact with, or the events that are going on? Moment by moment? I have still not found a faster or more readily available way to access gratitude and presence in my day other than asking the question, "if this is the last time I am with this person, who would I be and how would I act?" or "if this is my last time experiencing this (ie. shower, car ride, walk etc.) let me fully experience it for all it has to offer." It is questions or statements like this that allow me to access a refined level of presence and therefore gratitude for what I am experiencing whether it be will people or just the "ongoings" of the day.  I remember one of my mentors saying that the quality of your life is dependent on the quality of questions you ask yourself. We become mindless, presentless, gratitudeless (made up words), when not focused on the moment, so we require a tool or a question that pulls us out from where are minds are wandering, and yank us quickly into the present moment. These questions or statements are tools to help us do just that.

if this is the last time...

So grateful to have my fingers tapping on the keyboard at this moment,

Dr. Steve

3 things I suck at

Who wants to play?

Since this month is about clarity, let me "clear the air" as to what I suck at and why this is a benefit to you
Ego aside, here are the three things I suck at:

I SUCK AT DIAGNOSING. I can give you an impression but I am pretty sure I cheated on my diagnostic tests or copied off of my roommate. Naming conditions couldn't be more of a yawner for me. The question of "what's wrong with me," puts a flash in my head of "here we go Stevie! Time to rock someones world!"  I would much prefer to have you self inquire and use that little resource called a brain, so you can actually discover and connect with what you are disconnected from. I will be the questions guy and hold the space for you to discover how you are judging and disconnecting from yourself, so you can actually FEEL MORE EMPOWERED TO TAKE YOUR HEALTH IN YOUR OWN HANDS as opposed to me naming something for you. If you want a label to identify with, my sincere apologies. My most common diagnosis and treatment plan;
"You are a crazy "nut bar", now let's create transformation!"  (At least that is the diagnosis I circled on my board exams)

I SUCK AT FIXING THINGS. Ask my wife, I don't do it well around the house, nor do I do it well in my office. Fixing things to me, which I had done for a few years after graduating, is for inanimate objects. Cars, walls, toys, shovels, etc. You are a human being with many fields of influence affecting your well-being and life. You are a constant changing and adapting species. Honouring this principle and knowing this, leaves me no other option to challenge the idea that a human being can be fixed. And if you feel as though you were fixed by someone, it really is only a temporary state of feeling certain, when you were feeling uncertain(temporarily pacified). And since there is so much healing beyond this, you will not see me jump for joy when someone says, "you fixed me doc!". Those words to me, mean, we got a lot of work still ahead!  You are not a car, and plus there is life beyond a fix it mentality. So much more! Ask a caterpillar to fix himself back to a caterpillar while he is transforming into a butterfly...Goofy thought isn't it. Take what you think you want fixed, AND USE THAT FRUSTRATION AND ANGER TO TRANSFORM YOUR HEALTH AND LIFE AND TO SET NEW STANDARDS FOR YOURSELF

I SUCK AT KEEPING PEOPLE THE SAME. My path in life has been to expand my awareness for continued growth and transformation. This, I pass on to you. One of the 6 needs of a human being is for growth and this is where my service comes in best. If you ready to MOVE BEYOND WHERE YOU ARE, then I'm your guy. If you want me to just be agreeable, go with what your story is, pacify you with an "I understand, let me help get rid of your problem so you can go back to life as usual", then you will be disappointed. People hire me consciously, or unconsciously, for CHANGE ON ALL PLANES OF EXISTENCE. I know that people don't enter into my life so they can be comfy and stay the same. Not my gig. But my gig is to NUDGE YOU TOWARD A MORE VITAL, HEALTHY, CLARITY AND A FULFILLED LIFE.

In summary

 What I suck at                                     
1) diagnosing                                          
2) fixing things                                         
3) keeping people the same                                                                         

What I am good at:
1) assessing/asking key questions/reframing perspectives
2) creating strategies in your body/brain for a better life
3) facilitating transformation

Hope this blog adds clarity to what I do, what I don't do well, and how I may be of service.

Anyone want to play?

With love,

Dr. Steve
P.S. I gladly accept the prize of worst marketing blog of all time.
P.S.S Pass this along please to those who ask you "what does he do there?"

Big or small vision?

Creating a large, flexible vision...not a small, rigid one.

The mind loves rules. That's its job. To set the boundaries for your life. And oh, how limited it can be.
Let me explain.
Since I am a practising chiropractor I see many types of people, with all sorts of 'conditions'. But having a conversation yesterday sparked my desire to share the idea of tapping into a new potential for yourself.
I was called to ask this woman why she was coming in for her visits. She hadn't been under care for long, maybe around 12 visits or so, but I wanted to see what she was valuing, what her intentions were, and what her motive for laying on my table was. Through her eyes, I was curious as to what was she hiring me to do? So she said that she would like to have her low back pain go away, and then keep it away, but there was definitely a lack of clarity as to what she was really doing there.

I was intrigued that she was going to limit herself to what she could accomplish for herself, so I asked a few questions as to what she had noticed to this point. She said she had noticed that her breathing was improving and that she was connecting to areas that were painful.

So I then asked if she was breathing more fully on a regular basis does she think she would manage stress better? She of course said yes. I said, if you are more connected to your body, learning how to move and breath with it, could you manage stress more effectively, and release more tension? Yes. If you could breath better, release more tension, you will be more flexible. If you were more flexible could you perform better at sports and heal faster and recover from injuries better? She said yes. I said, if you were to continue to master just those two, do you think you would manage work stress better? Yes. If you could breathe more fully and stay connected to you, do you think you could manage your stresses when your kids are crazy and their is chaos in the house? Yes. And so on.

So here is the craziness of healing. If she was to come in to my office right off the bat, and say, "I want to be a better mom, I want to maximize my athletic performance, I want to be a master at managing my stress, and I want to feel great and be excited about life."With this intention, she would start to have things align for that to happen. Her focus would be different, what she watched for would be different, her energy would move differently, and her experience of care in my office would be different. Even if we did exactly the same thing...how she received care would be different. If she set a bar low, she will eventually hit that bar. If she set the bar high, she will eventually hit that as well. Either way, she will eventually hit the bar. One approach will have her stay the same, minus her pain (which we call Restorative Therapeutics), and the other way is that she uses low back pain as a way to transform herself, her health and her life (Reorganizational Healing). The choice is ultimately hers. But first is to recognize that pain is not there to inconvenience her life. It is there to wake her up so she can make a change!
Now the timing will be unique for each individual, based on their history, their life, their utilization of their energy and mind, and their stage of healing they are in. But my job, in part, is to hold you to a bigger picture and larger vision for what is possible for you; to help you see what you currently cannot.
And then take action steps to begin the process of movement toward an upgraded version of you.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Where have standards for you been way too low?
Where have you minimized your efforts just to squeek by?
Where are you settling?
Where are you continuing to make excuses?
What would life look like in 3 years if I stayed this course and kept playing small?
How much pain would I feel by not stepping up to another level?

These are some questions in Stage 4 of the healing process...associating our past pain with inaction.
If you want to learn more about healing...I invite you to our next workshop called:
The Power to Heal.
Check our website for details
www.veressentlife.com

Happy Healing!
Dr. Steve