Enjoying Your Windshield
Have you ever got into your car and noticed your windshield was dirty? I have noticed my spotty windshield for a couple days now. You know the kind- dried dead bug splat (how does it dry within a split second anyway-and it wasn’t even a 100 degrees yet), other finer dots and smudges of unknown origin, etc. When I first get in my car,the dirt is more obvious. As I begin driving I quickly forget about the dirt on my windshield-in fact I don’t even see it. The next time I may notice it is when I once again sit down in my car- before I begin driving. Isn’t it amazing how when I’m driving I don’t notice my windshield-unless of course a bug decides to fly a suicide mission right into my windshield. Then my attention for a split second goes to my windshield (if I kept my attention on my windshield for too long I may run into someone ahead of me).
I find something similar to people and their bodies. Often people will come in with a complaint-let’s say lower back pain. I will do a complete chiropractic evaluation and find a problem (subluxation- a term when our spine is out of proper alignment and interfers with the flow of energy/information between the brain and a part of our body) in a place the person didn’t report or even know of. In this example, let’s say I found an additional problem in the neck. Because everything is connected it is possible the lower back pain is related to the condition in the neck-a condition the client wouldn’t have even know about unless there was an awareness. In this case – a symptom. Symptoms or pain for many people is like an annoying bug buzzing around-distracting us from enjoying life or getting something done. If this pain could talk what would it say?
If my windshield could talk it would probably say “clean me”. Of course I will push the button and out comes the cleaning solution. Sometimes it cleans better than other times ( I guess it depends on the chemical composition of the dead bug). But what if my windshield could talk? What if I refused to listen and just go about my day? At the very least- my windshield would get dirtier wouldn’t it? Let’s say I have a high tolerance for dirt and I am not so easily swayed by the mounting blotches and dead bug remains. In fact, instead of driving my car in the daylight (which illuminates or exposes my dirty windshield), I decide to drive my car only at night-or on overcast days.
This is how many of us unknowingly care for our bodies. It’s not till we have built up so much stress, distorting our posture and life line (a.k.a. spinal chord), blocking out our bodies many cries for help that finally a symptom is too big or too annoying to ignore. We are definately experts in not listening to our own bodies. We keep our lives jammed with one thing after another; or if we do get a ’symptom’ we reach for Big Pharma’s special chemical concoction-not considering what message our body maybe trying to communicate to us.
What’s really cool is-and when it’s not too late- a symptom-or even better- a spinal adjustment refocuses our attention. A refocus to the windshield called our body. So much of our attention is outside our bodies. So the times we get a spinal adjustment (or for some people on some occassions, a symptom) it is a time we may see, hear or feel things we didn’t know about. This is one way and practice of staying healthy. In life we are going to come into contact with bugs-or symptoms. Our windshield-or body is going to require our attention. The question becomes- do we love ourself enough to have a daily,weekly or monthly practice of checking in on our bodies without the mounting presence of symptoms? The gentle form of chiropractic I offer (and receive) is one such practice. Next time I will go over some things that have resulted due to a better connection achieved thru this practice. Till then -enjoy your windshield!
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Tags: back pain, chiro, chiropractic, cleaning, lower back pain, spine, stress, subluxation