Welcome to Wellness One Day Intensive:Restoring Balance

Back by popular demand, we are having our second annual NET retreat May 17th! Make sure to RSVP now.

I originally got the inspiration for this event while in Myrtle Beach for a seminar. I was running on the beach, thinking of how grateful I was to be able to come to a place free of judgement, be surrounded by like-minded, health-conscious individuals, and get my head cleared and centered through lots of NET. Over the years, the practitioners that I have attended these seminars with have become some of my dearest friends. We share our struggles, our triumphs, and, at seminars, our exercise and trips to health food stores.  I thought, "How great would it be if I could recreate this experience for my patients!?"  And then, it hit me: I had to make it happen!  So here we are.

TA DA!!!

Saturday, May 17th, from 8am-5:00pm, we have planned the "Welcome to Wellness One Day Intensive."

This day is designed to help you get centered, focused, and figure out not only WHAT you want from life, but how to GET it!  We're going to set goals and then release the unconscious blocks standing in the way, all in a non-judgemental, loving environment. You may even find a new friend!  I've hand-picked some of my favorite Holistic practitioners to make this day possible.  Every aspect of true health will be represented. You'll have the chance to express yourself, form relationships, exercise your body and mind, and eat nutritious, whole foods in a restful environment. If you're looking for a way to press the reset button, or even a way to take yourself to the next level, this is your opportunity. Attendance is limited to 10 participants, so this is sure to be an intimate group and a wonderful experience.

Welcome to Wellness One Day Intensive Schedule

8am Welcome Meditation

8:30-9:30 Yoga with Allison Rich of Full Circle Yoga

9:30-10 Breakfast Smoothie Demo (Breakfast included!)

10-10:30 Focus Meditation: "What do you WANT?"

10:30-12 Discussion/Goal Setting, Private NET with Dr. Redmond and Dr. Gregory

12-12:30 Invigorating Lunch

12:30-1 Mindfulness Walking Meditation/ Free time

1-4:30pm Vision Board Workshop: Making Yours Dreams Reality, Chair Massage with Tammie Starnes, Private NET with Dr. Redmond and Dr. Gregory

4:30-5 Closing Meditation 

Due to the intense nature of this retreat, all participants MUST be under consistent care of a Chiropractor or Acupuncturist for at least one month prior to the event.

To sign up, call 908.300.8800 for more information.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to experience the benefits of a focused NET session, we are now offering 15 minute, half hour, and 1 hour NET Intensives at the Somerville office .  I've been doing these for years at Hoboken Chiropractic and Wellness with great results.  Please call 908.300.8800 for scheduling and rates.

Are you down and out? Or launching into greatness?

As I wind down from a wonderful day of  seeing a select group of magnificent people leave layers of pain behind them, I have to share this brief  "Aha!" moment I had.

At the end of the day, Kitty Ghen, our guest NET practitioner, and I sat down to clear some NECs before she got on the road.  My NEC that surfaced was one relating to a very dark moment I had in chiropractic school.

As one who rarely cried in front of ANYONE, I found myself crying to my parents on the phone.  Sobbing, actually.

"That's it. I'm dropping out. I just can't do this anymore! I don't have what it takes! I just want to die!"  And though these may sound like the words of a bratty, melodramatic teenager, I meant them with every cell of my being.

I was in my second trimester of Chiro school and the stress was getting to me. Despite being an honor student with a science major in college, I was doubting my intelligence, horribly depressed, and overburdened by the stress of finals and the 28 credit course load. Between 8 straight hours of Neuroanatomy, Neurology, Cadaveric Anatomy, Microbiology, Histology, etc. every day, my commitments to student government, my work study position, and the long, dark, bitter cold winter of the Finger Lakes Region of New York, I just couldn't pull myself out of my funk.  As I released that NEC today, though, I was laughing through my tears.

I realized that it was that moment when I decided to seek help. It was that moment that brought me into Mark Fohs office. Mark was the only counselor to be certified in NET at the time.  The Walkers allowed him to learn the chiropractic technique only because he was working at a Chiropractic College. He was then the first counselor to get certified in NET.  That certification paved the way for thousands of counselors, acupuncturists, health coaches, ministers and more, but most significant for me is that it allowed me to not only deal with the stress of school in a revolutionary and amazingly efficient way, but changed the course of my career.

Because of that moment, I am who I am today.

The end of the quote above is, "So keep aiming, and focus."

Often our plan is not THE plan.  But we must keep aiming and stay focused. And listen to that still, small voice within.  The plan will always find you.

A Holistic Doctor's thoughts on the Newtown Shooting

I am heartbroken.

As I write this, the shock of today's events have yet to settle, and I doubt they ever will.

I had heard about this event through word of mouth as patients trickled in throughout the afternoon, but it wasn't until the last patient left and I read the story for myself that the tears began to flow.

I think of the children specifically.

Those who died, and those who mourn them (don't we all mourn when little ones suffer?) but even more, I think of those children who lived through this ordeal, and the scars they will carry with them.  It's hard for me to even type through my tears... because those scars strike me as worse than leaving this world, and the odds are that those scars are going to be managed by the same system that caused this horrendous nightmare in the first place.

What does the medical system do to children under emotional stress???  

Classify them with a psychological disorder and start pumping them full of psychiatric drugs, none of which have been tested on children, and all of which have the side effects of homicidal and suicidal tendencies! These kids are taught from as young as THREE YEARS OLD that there is something wrong with their brain, something wrong with their thoughts, and instead of being allowed to grow up and learn to cope with life, they are programmed to think are broken, irreparable, unable to cope, and required to be on medication for the rest of their lives, numb to everything. (and we wonder why they have horrible self-esteem!!) These medications alter the brain chemistry at ANY age, so imagine what they do to a developing nervous system (which doesn't reach maturity until about 25yo)!

These drugs were never tested on children, never approved, and yet the children of this country are treated like guinea pigs.  I was just talking to someone today who dealt with this about 20 years ago when her 6 yo daughter was bounced from one medication to another, increasing dosages, adding new drugs to the picture... The mother finally refused after about ten years of this because she felt they didn't know what they were doing (SMART MOM!) and they accused her of screwing up her daughter and claimed medication was the only answer.  Eventually, when her daughter turned 18, the doctors she saw claimed she never needed any of those medications.  And America's children continue to be abused like this today, but on a larger scale.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???

The bottom line is that the medical doctors are clueless.  They have no idea how to deal with this problem. There is absolutely NO RESEARCH proving the safety or efficacy of these drugs on children or young adults.

Instead of continuing to turn to a pill for a solution, how about we start teaching kids how to cope? How about we employ some time-tested techniques for stress management like yoga, meditation, and N.E.T.?

I had a patient comment a few weeks ago on how odd it is that there's so many suicidal people these days (she was dealing with a family member who was struggling).  She wanted to know why her generation didn't see this behavior so often.

IT'S THE DRUGS!  

When we combine mind-altering substances with the self-esteem-destroying message that children are unable to deal with life without those mind-altering substances and add in a lack of coping skills, it's the perfect storm. And those drugs are not only in prescription form... they're in our tap water! I'm still awaiting the news reports that Adam Lanza was on medication... It's been consistent with every shooting case so far, like the Batman Shooter, the Columbine Shooting,  and the Heritage High School Shooting.

Please, I implore you, if you know a friend or family member that is about to start these medications, or even a parent about to start their CHILD on these medications, let them know there are alternatives... WE CAN CHANGE THIS.

I send my prayers and love to all those affected.  This is truly a heart-breaking moment in history.  If I could reach through my computer into yours and give you a hug, I would, but in the meantime, hug your loved ones, hug yourself, and don't hesitate to reach out to me if you or someone you care about needs help.

Yours in loving service,
Dr. Redmond

Read the Full Story here.

How to boost your self-esteem! (aka Getting Out of a Funk:101)

Not too long ago, I had fallen into a funk and I decided I needed to take action to pull myself out of it. My self-esteem was suffering.

Don't we all have moments like that?  Sometimes, we feel like we're on top of the world, and the next year/week/day/minute, we feel like sitting in a corner, sucking our thumb, and singing this song:

So I thought I'd compile a list of the things I did to pull myself out of it.  Maybe it will be helpul for you, too!

STEP 1: BE A CRYBABY

I mean it!  You're hurt.  Let it out.  Give yourself permission to feel.  Give that inner child what it wants!  Grab your tissues, your blankie, find a quiet place to be alone, and embrace that pity party!  Then ask yourself why you feel this way.  Keep asking why until you get to what we NET practitioners call the "Lowest Common Denominator."  What is the core of the issue?  If circumstances are not what you would like them to be, ask yourself why it bothers you?  Does it make you feel like a failure?  Does it remind you of something you regret?  Something you want but don't have? Does it make you feel unloved?  What is the story you tell yourself that makes this a bad thing? What does it say about you that's so bad? Keep asking why it bothers you until you find the one thing underlying it all... the one thing that seems like the absolute worst thing about the whole situation... then save that for step 2. This is also a great time to journal about your hurts, whine to a trusted friend (who you've already warned that this is a venting session!!), and blubber like the baby you really want to be.

STEP 2: PUT YOUR BIG GIRL/BOY PANTS ON 

And that requires a big scoop of courage!  Let's face it: Facing inner demons can be scary.  But there's nothing scarier than getting to the end of your life never realizing how fabulous you were or never accomplishing your greatness because you were too scared to look at yourself honestly.  Go within.  Take a look at that piece of yourself that seems so detestable.  Make a list of all the things that make you imperfect.  Embrace it! Then don't stop until you hit step 3.

  

STEP 3: (REALITY) CHECK, PLEASE!

Now it's time to make a list of those things that you love about yourself too.  And start with how brave you were to make that first list... because that's pretty darn impressive. If you need some help, phone a friend or mentor and listen objectively.  You can also tell them what you think is so horrible and get a reality check.  If it's true, you know what you have to work on and start figuring out how to make a change.  But more likely, you're probably harder on yourself than anyone else.  Stop beating yourself up for being imperfect like 100% of your fellow human beings in this world. 

STEP 4: TREAT YOURSELF!

Think of something that brings joy to your heart... And DO IT!  I went dancing, I indulged in some retail therapy, I went for a spa treatment, I took myself out to dinner...  Do things that make you feel like it's a celebration and celebrate YOU!  Make yourself feel special because you are!  I even dressed up for my self-date!  You set the example for how others should treat you, so show the world what you deserve by doing it for yourself!  Listen to music that makes you happy or go for a nice  leisurely walk... if you're like me (and most of the world), slowing down and enjoying your surroundings in our busy, hectic schedules is luxury itself.  In all of these special moments you give yourself, take time, slow down, relish the experience, and celebrate being alive and having the opportunity to enjoy this time with yourself. Do these things with mindfulness. Note every sensation: the taste, feel, smell, and sounds that go with each moment. 

STEP 5: CONNECT WITH YOUR HIGHER POWER 

/VISIT WITH MOTHER NATURE

Take a walk in the woods, on the beach, or even a park nearby...  notice the stars, clouds, leaves, birds...  Pay attention to the scents in the air, the feel of the wind or sun on your face...  Breathe it all in with every cell of your being... and notice what a beautiful world you are an integral part of...  Go to church, pray, meditate... do what you need to do to feel connected to something greater than yourself.  Notice your heart beating, your blood flowing, your aliveness...  This is an exercise in mindfulness.  If you are looking for more information on this topic, try this course and tell Dr. Handlin I sent you.  (She's a fabulous teacher who's compassion and patience knows no bounds.) 

STEP 6: VOLUNTEER 

You can read about my most recent experience here , but the possibilities are endless.  Most importantly, find an opportunity that interests you where you can be hands on and get involved.  Go beyond yourself.  Stretch to the edges of your comfort zone.  See if you can interact with the people you're helping. Soup kitchens, Habitat for Humanity, and the recent efforts in Staten Island and the Jersey Shore are some suggestions to get you started.  This is such a unique experience for everyone, but it's rare that I find someone who doesn't benefit from this.  A quick online search can also help find a variety of opportunities. 

STEP 7: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Make a gratitude list.  I say this all the time.  Gratitude is a such a healing state to be in.  And don't tell me you have nothing to be grateful for: When a quadriplegic who can't even swallow and lost their entire family in the accident that took their mobility can find things to be grateful for, anyone can.  Even if it's just the face that you woke up today. Or are breathing. Or aren't that quadriplegic.

STEP 8: TAKE ACTION!
The Universe rewards the action step!  So do it!  You've looked at what you don't like about yourself and your life... what are you going to do to change it?  Commit today to make a difference, keep working at it a little every day, and eventually, you'll get there.  There is no true failure but a failure to try.

What are you going to do differently tomorrow?

The Best Thanksgiving Ever (Part 1)

When we dissect the word Thanksgiving, we end up with Thanks and Giving, and in my humble opinion, the ideal Thanksgiving would include both...

And this is where I find myself today... Giving of myself and feeling overwhelmingly thankful.

Today, I drove to Staten Island and volunteered in an attempt to make a rather bleak Thanksgiving for many just a tad bit better.  But the story really began a week ago... or even three weeks ago.

When Sandy hit, like many of us in the area, I had no access to TV... but I was watching news updates on Facebook, listening to reports on the radio, and things seemed bleak.  As I ventured out the morning after the storm to assess the damage at the office (after all, in such a stressful situation, I knew many people would need to get their nervous systems tuned up and I wanted to make sure I'd have a place to do so!) I was in awe.  Huge trees had toppled everywhere across roads, homes, telephone wires... This was so much bigger than I had imagined...  Tears streamed down my face as the I drove, overwhelmed by the circumstances the NY/NJ area had found itself in, and as one who feels better when she's DOING something versus sitting on the sidelines, I ached to be of service somehow. I immediately put my offer out the the Universe... I posted on News Station sites offering help, I called the Emergency hotline in my town offering my services to emergency personnel, I started collecting non-perishables, I called the State Volunteer hotline... And yet I kept finding dead ends or limited response. Sure, when I got in touch with someone, they were grateful for my offer, but no one seemed to want to utilize the help I was offering.

I decided I needed to take a different approach.  I prayed.

And what I determined was that I would be most useful using the gift I'm best at: Treating my patients, who were all living in the same overwhelmingly emotional soup that I was.  After all, I am armed with one of the best tools for addressing stress known to the modern world!

So that's what I did.

But still, it ate away at me... thinking of these people that were cold, homeless, and had lost so much so suddenly on a holiday that's supposed to be about celebrating bounty, prosperity and stuffing ourselves silly.  I was planning my "Annual Thanksgiving for those with nowhere to go" and wishing I could somehow invite all those who've been affected so drastically by the storm...

And then, an interesting turn of events occurred... All but one person canceled their Thanksgiving plans with me...  I was wondering how this would all pan out... That's a lot of cooking for just two people...  I was supposed to go grocery shopping that day... But I went to church, and they mentioned SandyThanksgiving.com.  They were looking for volunteers to help serve food and clean. 

How serendipitous!

I signed up immediately.

As the week went on, I got so many tempting offers from family and friends to join them at their meals... but I am not one to ignore such "coincidences"

And I'm so glad I listened. (Click here to read Part 2)

Savoring the human experience.

As an NET practitioner, I do my best to remain neutral on what I like to call "Spiritual Reality." This is the term I use to describe one's religious or spiritual beliefs.  What one believes tends to be such a personal topic that in the role of practitioner, I have chosen to see none of them as wrong or right.  Who am I to say what the true story is?

However, one commonly accepted spiritual attitude is that we have chosen the path we walk in this life in order to have the human experience.  And for the sake of this post, I am going to assume this is true (despite the MASSIVE assumption I make to go there) so I hope you bear with me.

This particular reality is based on the premise that as souls, energy, heavenly beings, or whatever form we are in before we enter this world, we lower our vibration to enter the physical world in order to have the HUMAN experience.  In this reality, these energies, being non-physical, would be unable to feel the drama of the human experience because they are above drama in general.  They don't feel human emotion.  Some have said that this is one of the many reasons Jesus and other Great Teachers came to earth... to have the human experience.  One of my mentors, Dr. Scott Walker (creator of NET), often reminds his students to "savor" the human drama.  It is running from this drama that truly causes pain.  Like a pair of Chinese finger cuffs, the more we fight against them, the tighter they keep us bound.

Instead of fighting these feelings, I invite you to EMBRACE them.  Treat them as one hungering for a human experience would... like a giant serving of the most delicious treat you could ever imagine.  When we embrace and savor these experiences, it's amazing how quickly they pass... I guess time flies when you're having fun?

Regardless, learning to embrace these challenging times will only make the good times that much sweeter.  This is the premise that NET is based on... truly FEELING what we're going through and relishing the experience...  When we run from the pain, we will never find a true resolution.  It is only by going through it that we can find the other side.

Have you ever run from your pain?  What happened?  Share it in the comments below...

Video Blog: What makes me different from other Chiropractors?

Swimming for the first time without fear? Priceless.

I'm always so excited to share my patient's successes and this is no different.

I met Michelle at a triathlon where she was volunteering and I was competing.  Somehow, we got onto the topic of her fear of the water.  I was amazed that with such a severe phobia, she was even capable of being a triathlete, which really says a lot for her strength of will and determination.  She didn't even learn to swim until three years prior.  Now in her early 50's, this incredible woman had completed multiple triathlons but still had to fight back the panic every time she got in the water.  I told her about NET and how it had helped me complete my first Olympic tri, and she took my number and said she would check it out.

A week later, she went to compete in her first Olympic tri, and sadly, couldn't finish. She had a panic attack in the water.  How scary is that?!  Shortly thereafter, I saw her at my office.  I examined her, and believed I could help (she seemed like a GREAT candidate for NET!), so we got to work.  We had one week before her next tri, and honestly, I didn't know if she'd be ready... one week isn't much time and we found a lot that needed to be addressed.  With her first adjustment we cleared her Allergy point, which we found out of balance due to accumulated emotional stress.  This was simply to set the stage for the work we needed to do, and start to bring some semblance of balance to her nervous system.

You won't believe what happened next.

On her next appointment, after only one session, she came in and reported that she had done an open water swim in the ocean that morning, and she was fine!!  Even I didn't expect results that fast!  It truly is a testament to her strong constitution!  I can't wait to see what happens when her nervous system is actually functioning at it's MAX!

GREAT JOB, MICHELLE! I'm so proud of you!!

Screw enough. Be priceless.

I had an especially profound session of NET with a patient yesterday.  We've worked together for quite some time now, working through whatever issues bubble to the surface on this wild journey called life.  This particular patient has been going through a very big transition lately... she quit her full-time job to focus on her business.  She felt that quitting her job would give her the time she desperately needed to focus on her career goals, her health, and her overall happiness.

But a funny thing happened.

She seemed to have even LESS time than before!

She was still overwhelmed, lacking the time for exercise, lacking the motivation to eat well, never able to get 100% organized.

This is really a lesson for all of us... That we have time for what we MAKE time for... but I digress...

I noticed a pattern in her life, and she was up for a journey down the rabbit hole.

We started picking apart the story she was telling herself... that there wasn't enough money, enough time, enough of ANYthing...

We tested the concept of her being ok with having too much, not enough, and even just being ok as she was... None of which she was congruent with.

But then, as we spoke, and I continued to probe, we realized that this endless, infinite pursuit of "enough" was about something more.  I asked her, "Why do you need more? Why aren't YOU enough?" and we both stopped.

We had hit the mother load; the core issue that was driving all her pain and suffering.

How many of us are driven on endless journeys just like this one because underlying it all, we are just trying to measure up?  How many of us never feel like we are enough?  How many of us can't be happy with what we have because we always tell ourselves we could do more, be more, have more?

What kind of world would we create if we all felt like we were enough? And how much better would THAT world be if we all realized we were PRICELESS?

(PS I'm happy to say that we did clear this issue for her, and she felt a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. I can't wait to see the shift manifest in her life!)

I did it!

Wow.  It's so surreal. I don't even know if I can formulate my thoughts enough to share the experience. But so many of you have been so supportive that I feel as though I'd be cheating you if I didn't share.

I completed my Olympic Distance Triathlon yesterday.  For those of you who don't know, that was a 1500 meter lake swim, 25.5 mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run on a 96 degree day.

This is one of those things that ten years ago, I thought only crazy people did. Crazy, athletic people.  Even two years ago, you couldn't have convinced me that I'd do this some day soon.  I was never athletic. And I wasn't that crazy.  I remember when friends in school signed up for a sprint triathlon and invited me to join.  I laughed.  They were obviously delusional if they thought I could EVER do something like that.

But now, I've done it. And I've done more!  And there were a lot of people who helped make that happen.  What amazes me most is that it felt... dare I say... easy?  Just another day. Another workout.  And completely pain-free.  And I'm sitting here dumbfounded wondering how that can be... What did I do to make this such an enjoyable experience?

First of all, I made sure I got adjusted. Running a race without tuning up my nervous system is like riding a bike with flat tires.  You can do it, but it's not going to be fun. 

Second, I got a massage a week before to work out all the kinks that might keep my muscles from functioning properly.  Three weeks before, I also got my troublesome IT band worked on with SASTM, a Graston-like technique that hurts more than you can imagine but was amazingly effective.

I also used Neuroemotional Technique to address the anxieties that I had about the event as well as the emotional components of some of the injuries I developed during training.

But I think the biggest help was hypnosis and visualization!  I was hypnotized the Thursday before the race by Corene Noack, practiced self-hypnosis (a form of meditation) every day from then until the race, and then was hypnotized by her again on race day, and I have never had a smoother, more focused race, or a stronger finish. I sprinted over the finish line and felt like I could keep going. I was so impressed!  I suggest everyone give it a shot!  So thank you to Corene, and all those other fabulous practitioners, friends, and family who made this such an enjoyable event for me. I see more Olympic tris in my future!

Do you keep getting in your own way?

A patient of mine was talking about her theater group a couple weeks ago, and when I expressed interest, she encouraged me to audition. I dismissed the idea, stating that I'd have to do a lot of N.E.T. before I'd voluntarily get up on a stage for an audition. (For those of you who are wondering what N.E.T. is, it's Neuroemotional Technique, a technique I'm certified in, and utilize quite frequently with my patients. You can find out more about it at www.netmindbody.com)

A few days later, she was back in for her next appointment, and she brought it up again. "Remember when you mentioned you'd need a lot of NET before you'd get back on stage again?" I wasn't quite sure where she was going with this. "Were you serious? Can it really help you with your audition?" Ah. Now I understood. And I proceeded to question her about her audition anxiety and the circumstances in which is pops up. And, yes, NET can help with those sorts of things. Some might ask, "What does a chiropractor know about anxiety? Isn't that a therapist's job?" The truth is, yes, and no. Yes, therapy is great for learning to deal with anxiety, depression, and a whole host of traumas that can happen in daily life. It's great for teaching, and coaching, and support. What NET targets is the biochemistry in the brain that has been programmed to react a certain way. Every time we find ourselves in a situation resembling (even slightly) a previous trauma, we find ourselves reacting the same way, whether it be a phobia, or simply dating the same guy (with a different face) over and over and over again. I can't even say how many times I have come across a Neuroemotional component to a problem and after clearing it, a patient has said, "Wow! I've been doing that forever!!" Everything from weight issues and emotional eating, to allergies and chronic pain/illnesses, it's amazing how often neurochemistry plays a part. If you feel that emotional blocks are getting in your way, please set up an appointment to speak with me. You'll thank yourself later. As far as my patient with audition anxiety, I'll keep you posted. These things always turn out well...