Our life experiences shape how we answer that question
By Dr. Matthew Lapp, Columnist, The Times
If you look back over the course of your life, there are probably a few significant life events that stand out. Maybe it was an experience you had as a child. Perhaps a teacher, a coach, or a mentor influenced you in some way. Whatever the case may be, our experiences have the power to influence our view of the world and impact how we interact with our environment and the people around us, and in doing so, directly affect the quality of our lives.
One example is the view that each of us chooses to take regarding health and healing. Some people believe that health comes from a prescription pad or from a doctor. Other people believe that health is merely genetic. Still others choose to take a more active role in their health, believing that they have the ultimate control. Whichever category you find yourself most closely identifying with, chances are, your previous life experiences or influences have played a role in shaping your “lens of the world” as it pertains to health.
My wife and I recently had our first child and I can list this event as, perhaps, my most significant personal life experience to date. From beginning to end, it also strengthened our view that health is a natural process that comes from within. When we first discovered that Allison was pregnant, we began to research and discuss our wishes regarding healthy birth practices, the actual birth event, and our perspectives on parenting. We found an outstanding midwife and decided to plan for a home-birth due to our wish for a healthy, safe, and natural birth process.
Although Elliot was born at home, much to our surprise and without much warning, at 3:06am on March 18th he was born about 12 weeks early and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. This occurred before we really even knew that labor was happening and before we would have had any time to go to a hospital on our own. It even happened before our midwife got to our house to check on us (because she didn’t think that we were in labor either.)
So, for a few long minutes we stood in our bathroom with our son, holding him in our arms to keep him warm, listening to him gasp for breath, and hoping that he would be alright. He is. He’s actually doing great and never really had any major health challenges during the time he was in the hospital (10 weeks) aside from being small at birth (2lbs, 5oz) and needing some time to catch up.
During our time in the hospital, one of the views that we clung to for reassurance was that our bodies are designed in an intelligent way and that this intelligence allows us to thrive, even under difficult conditions. We believe that inside each of us, is a force that promotes life and wants to be unhindered by interference. We observed this fact all along the way, as his tiny body gradually grew larger and stronger. There were times that we had to stand our ground when medical advice was given to the contrary or when we were offered unnecessary interventions and ultimately, we believe that this is one of the reasons that he is doing so well.
Although not everyone may share this particular view, it is something that is fundamental to the way we live our lives. It is both a worldview, and a personal choice that we make on a continual basis. To us, it is empowering to know that we have all the tools necessary to thrive inside us, and that given the opportunity, health and healing occur naturally when they aren’t impeded.
Drs. Allison and Matthew Lapp are the owners of Salus Chiropractic Studio in Thorndale. For more tips on living a health, happy life, visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalusChiropracticStudio
