Chat on This

Don and his wife Brandi are an incredible duo. They run a wellness-based continuing education series for chiropractors known as True Concepts, co-created The Vitality Shift (https://www.thevitalityshift.com/) and Don hosts the podcast The Vitality Shift for Chiropractors (https://drdonmacdonald.com/).

Today's episode stems around the vagus nerve and how our nervous system is so intricately designed for us to thrive. We often hear the 'stress response' as getting a bad name, fight or flight comes to mind and we all know what is feels like to be running around on a constant high alert.

Don enhances our education on all things Polyvagal Theory, how we may observe the state of our bodies, utilise the power of this nervous system to support us towards health and how chiropractic is at the very forefront of maximising this. 

The quickest way to find ease in the body is through a chiropractic adjustment - the best way to amplify this long term is to then train that pattern of ease within the body. 

We are honoured at Advanced Health Chiropractic to do this everyday. Measuring your body's stress capacity is a vital component when setting your frequency of care - and it is this care plan which has us constantly saying "this really is where the magic happens"

You can read more about the Vagus nerve by following our blog here

There are 3 governing principles in chiropractic

1) The body is designed to heal

2) The body is able to regulate itself

3) The body is equipped to coordinate all of it's own functions

Chiropractic serves to adjust the nerve system and fully enable the expression of these 3 foundations, which otherwise may be influenced and interfered with by our lifestyle stressors. 

How does this cross-over with Rongoā Māori?

When we foster the in-born strength and wisdom of the body, we allow for the full expression of life itself. From this state we know health prevails - and with that in mind, the ability for our bodies to not only thrive but also to recover and heal as they were designed to do. 

As humans health is not merely the absence of disease.

We are so incredibly passionate about this at Advanced Health Chiropractic and to see you experience it for yourself.

With Ora Chiropractic, we intend for this episode to be a starting point in appreciating Rongoā Māori, and the incorporation alongside a chiropractic model of family wellbeing

#thisiswherethemagichappensAHC

Episode 26 is a teaser for what is to come. A "Love your nervous system" focus that weaves throughout our upcoming seasons, and will enrich your toolkit with practical understanding and tips for supporting your nervous system throughout every day life.

Art Green lives in Auckland, he is a public figure, passionate about his kids and health and host of The Bachelor and Bachelorette NZ

Art's episode talks all things from life before kids, his approach to health, ice-baths and calming your stress response, to family life and setting an example for his two young children. He gives us some of his top tips and strategies for supporting your body through the modern lifestyle juggle, and explains what is happening when we regularly engage in the use of ice baths and/or contrast therapy. 

We link back to Episode 13 with Sara Higgins, founder of Hana - an immersive and nourishing space which offers ice baths, saunas and photobiomodulation therapy. You can catch that episode here 

Follow more on this topic through our blog 

Nik is our final guest for season 6, where we have had the opportunity to chat with some of our Advanced Health Chiropractic legends (you guys!) and share the experiences we think you'd love to hear about. Each of these episodes follow a different tale, yet what they have in common is the ability you guys have to live an amazing life when your nervous system is well-adjusted and clear of interference.

The episodes embody what it means to be completely un-inhibited in your pursuit of well-being, and a connected family experience. We are honoured to care for Nik, his wife Megan and their 2 boys at the practice. And in a full circle, Megan was our 3rd ever guest on the Chat on This podcast. You can find her episode here

Nik shares his perspective on the birth of their second son, an experience which he notes had some un-expected turns yet ended up being their ideal experience. When the midwife was not able to make it in time, Nik supported Megan in catching their baby. As Megan beautifully and intuitively delivered their newborn son into the world, Nik recalled an important tip should ever he find himself in this position.

Thank you Nik, Megan and your gorgeous boys for sharing with our listeners your experiences of birth, and the learnings along the way. 

You can stay connected with us by joining our Instagram community here and finding our blog here

Susan’s endeavours are exactly as the Green Wall in our practice so clearly states...

"Your body has the ability to be far more amazing than anyone has ever permitted you to believe".

Her story is a perfect fit for this season and another wonderful reason why we refer to those under care with us as "AHC practice legends"

Susan epitomises what it means to experience a huge amount of trust, expectation and ability from our bodies - knowing they were designed to be far more amazing than anyone has ever permitted us to believe.

Upon her swim between the North and South islands of New Zealand (with no wetsuit!) Susan describes having to really “boot it because the tide was changing and I was going to miss the south island”

An incredible feat and from humble beginnings as she describes herself at one stage being unfit and no longer a swimmer - right before committing to swim the breadth of Lake Taupo!

This story is inspiring and jaw dropping all the same, with an unexpected twist and a tale of resilience at the end.

This chat between Katie and Susan has got to be of those ones that make you want to go and give life everything, truly inspiring. 

Find and follow along with us here

Welcome to the podcast beautiful Lena, The Polynesian Doula

Lena is a practice member of Advanced Health Chiropractic and today she shares her story from prison warden to what is now her business, her passion and her cultural practice all intertwined as The Polynesian Doula.

This remarkable journey is one which highlights the need for more birth support that creates space for a culturally centered approach, and to go a step further in celebrating and advocating for this approach in daily practice. Lena is creating waves in her community as she does exactly this, nurturing māmā and pēpi through such a sacred time. 

We briefly touched upon the integration of traditional, cultural practices in the birth setting in episode 18 with Hope Tafa, and will expand on it further in a broader health approach in an upcoming episode with Ora Chiropractic. It's a topic which we hold extremely close to our hearts and one which we are honoured to learn more about with these conversations, and the incredible community members who are having them with us. 

Thank you Lena - for your dedication, your compassion and your commitment to honouring the needs of our Māori and Pasifika birthing wāhine.

Kimberley White and her family absolutely ooze empowerment, they are a phenomenal family of Advanced Health Chiropractic and today Kimberley shares the essence of this with us through her business Empower Yourself. 

As a facilitator of girls workshops for 7-12 year olds, these workshops are fun! They navigate friendships, growth mindsets, communication and stepping into challenges with optimism and tools for resiliency.

In essence, Kimberley's work aligns with chiropractic to a tee. We understand the value in fostering healthy patterns and well-adjusted individuals who are equipped to face life and all that may bring. When we unlock the tools within us, we can ride the waves of life with an air of confidence, resiliency and ability to face challenges head on. 

Enjoy part 1 of our AHC hero's series - Kimberley was the perfect guest to kick this off

Find Kimberley's website http://www.realfriendsnz.co.nz/

You can follow along with Advanced Health Chiropractic here

Ashleigh is absolute magic to chat with. From both our conversations on air and off, Ashleigh creates a space with her words which nourish, envelope and completely embrace the postpartum mother in all her glory. 

With her business Sacred Beginnings, she is able to put this into practice through both emotional and practical support for any new family. Ashleigh explains to us her background and training as a doula, her experiences and the direction in which she is now taking the business.

We discuss the role of a doula, different levels of support she may offer and practical advice for any new mother who is building their village around them in those early days and weeks. We hope this episode is enlightening for parents and non-parents alike, as it creates a real sense of both reality and community.

If you would like to learn more about Ashleigh and her services you can find her on Instagram here

Thank you Ashleigh for bringing something to light which we are so incredibly passionate about, and that is a united and connected family right from the start

Like all things in Motherhood, there are so many ways to do it. Ali shares a brief glimpse into the decisions her and husband Jay have made as they traversed the path of Ali transitioning between chiropractor and business owner, to mother, and now towards a journey of home-learning with an inspired approach.  

When you take this approach and apply it to health, we are able to nurture the uniqueness within every individual. We discover the inherent light within all of us, and an environment which will enable that light to shine at its brightest.

In today's episode, Ali beautifully and eloquently holds space for any approach to mothering that is right for the whole family, whatever that may be.

There is something incredibly grounding about the way Ali speaks, not just her words, but the peace that comes with following what feels right for this family. As this story is an evolving one, we look forward to re-opening our chat with Ali down the line and hearing about her experiences through home learning with her two young boys. 

We hope you find inspiration and enjoy taking this conversation out into your community, as you Chat on This

Have you met Parent Pod?

They are three kiwi mums opening the conversation on babies, kids, parenting and everything that comes with raising a kiwi family. These ladies are building a village and we absolutely love it.

Throughout this conversation we regularly discuss the need for community, and the ripple effects of bringing people together through the common stages of their life. As chiropractors, we are utterly obsessed with connection - it sets a platform for both an individual, and a family unit to thrive from. With connection comes hope, comes stability and comes the ability to adapt through changing demands.

Our conversation with Parent Pod is a heart-centred one, it't about community.

We are so looking forward to our own interview on the Parent Pod podcast launching in just a couple of months time, be following them on Instagram, Spotify and Apple podcasts to hear this one as it is released

https://www.instagram.com/parentpod.nz/

https://open.spotify.com/show/2Bc44IMnONcM10RHPwAKCn?si=643a24c5d0934b63

https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/parent-pod/id1599806870