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There is much confusion in our culture about the difference between healing and curing. We have been culturally hypnotized to believe that healing and curing are the same, and if the body is not expressing symptoms, then we are healthy and well. This concept of wellness not only leads us down a dangerous path, but also robs us of a beautiful journey of self-discovery and self-empowerment. 

As chiropractors, we at Serving Life Chiropractic are blessed with the opportunity to participate in the healing process and to witness people experiencing the power of innate intelligence. We believe that a clear picture of your life depends on the clarity of your nervous system. Many people associate chiropractic with back pain, but we will tell you that many experience something much bigger than symptomatic relief of pain — they gain a reconnection to themselves and to life around them. 

So what is healing? There are times when some feel life would be easier if the process of healing and growing were the same for every person. For many, there is comfort and ease in knowing what to expect in life. Fear can accompany the realization that we may not know our path, the significance of certain events or what our bodies are expressing. But the beauty in life might be lost if the art of living — and healing — were the same for every person, and we always knew what to do, what to expect and how to respond. 
Life is a healing journey orchestrated by the tapestry of life experiences that make up the matrix of the body, mind, emotions and soul. Certain events and experiences can leave us feeling stranded, abandoned, separated and lost. The juice of life lives and breathes in this isolated disconnection, and as we journey through the reconnection to our environment and ourselves, we gain valuable wisdom for healing. In chiropractic, we call this disconnection from life force a subluxation — a condition of less light — and the applied art or skill for reconnection, an adjustment. As an example, think about when you go on a trip, how you disconnect from your daily routine, and how you might notice that the change of environment allows you to peek into your life from a different perspective. This new perspective allows insight, clarity and understanding. When you return home, you have gained valuable awareness that often leads to solutions, resolutions, forgiveness, gratitude and a more creative expression of who you are as a human being. A similar experience can occur when you learn a new skill. When skiing or snowboarding the first few times, it’s impossible to learn everything you need to know in order not to fall without ever having your own experience of falling. It’s in the falling that you learn how to stand.

There is an art to healing. One could define art as the conscious use of skill and creative imagination. The word heal comes from hal, meaning to make sound or whole, to restore to original purity or integrity. The art of healing could then be described as consciously using skill and creative imagination to become more whole. A journey of self-discovery, a process unique to the individual, healing encompasses growth in life and requires being honest with ourselves about where we are and where we can go. The growth, wholeness and forward movement can be in any realm of our being and involves the harmonious alignment of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our being. 

Physical healing is the process of cellular replacement, allowing our cells, and therefore our tissues and organs to regenerate in a healthy, vital manner. Mental healing requires the practice of being in the present moment; if we live in the past or the future, we create depression or anxiety, respectively. As we face our lives’ past wounds, traumas and stresses, and we learn to live in the present moment, we emotionally heal. And we all have unlimited access to spiritual healing; the word spirit comes from a Latin word meaning breath. The spiritual aspect of healing is essential to the healing process. 
The experiences we have in life create opportunities to sharpen our ability to be conscious, whether we are falling while skiing, integrating a diagnosis of cancer or transitioning from this life to the next. What if we did not view ourselves as victims of our bodies? What if “things” did not just happen to us? What if our experiences in life were a function of our perceptions of our environment and how we relate to it? Our perceptions of what is stressful can create tension in the body, disconnecting us from our essence, our life force, the invisible recuperative powers of the body. If we clarify our perceptions, we can, in the reconnection, gain wisdom for the body, mind and soul to heal.
This life is a journey. We can choose to think of life as a healing journey of bumps, peaks, valleys, waves and cycles to go nowhere and everywhere; to just be; to not eliminate, get rid of, mask or cure, but to allow, accept, discover, become aware, become conscious. The art of healing for the individual lies in the ability to create a positive relationship to ourselves, to others, to the world. What can you learn about this life, your purpose for being here, from the opportunities you have been given to heal? Whether it is through the chiropractic adjustment or some other modality, take your life a step forward by consciously healing today. Serving Life Chiropractic is located at 
1040 Main Avenue, upstairs 
(970) 422-2032
http://www.servinglifechiropractic.com wellness@servinglifechiropractic.com

 Chiropractors Nick and Rachel Kapustka own Serving Life Chiropractic Studio, a family wellness practice established in December 2006. They provide exceptional chiropractic care through masterful adjusting, ongoing education and affordable wellness plans. When not serving at the studio, they are kicking their feet up with their bulldog Diego as they await their first baby’s arrival in December.