by Dr. Stills on February 12, 2011
Hi everyone,
I hope you had a great week. Here in the Northeast we actually made it through without a storm!!! Perhaps, that groundhog was correct and spring is arriving soon!!
I’m happy to announce we have some super sales going on at our medicinary on February 22 and April 4th. Please call the office at 516-935-1334 to find out the details!!
I would like to share what happened on my commute to work the other day….As my exit was approaching I chose to get into the right lane a couple of minutes early. A big SUV was waiting to enter the parkway and decided to do that by cutting me off. I literally had to jam on my breaks and swerve and really thought we would crash. Gratefully we didn’t and the SUV sped ahead without even so much of an acknowledgment of the scare I had just experienced. My initial response was to scream and curse and then to develop hate for this person. How dare she cut me off? How dare she be such a poor driver? How dare she not even acknowledge me? I thought about speeding up so I could catch up to her and give her the finger! I’m sure you all know the feeling!
And then I checked in with myself… First off, what had happened was now in the past and being angry about it was only going to cause me stress in my present as well as my future. When we get so angry our stress hormones surge and our muscles contract. This excess cortisol has negative effects in the hippocampal area of the brain where our power for short term memory is derived. Hmmm…didn’t I forget where my cell phone was the other day. Did I really want to degrade my own health over this??? That excess cortisol also affects the lining of the gastrointestinal tract -one of the weakest links in my own body. Was this worth creating new food sensitivities -didn’t I have enough already?!?!? So I decided that being angry was not going to serve me. In fact, it was just the opposite it was going to hurt me.
And then something more beautiful even happened. I switched from thinking about myself to thinking about the driver of the SUV. And compassion flooded in……I realized that this driver was somebodies mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, colleague….Why had she made a poor choice when she cut me off? Was she upset about something -did she just have a fight as she was leaving the house? Did she have a problem with brain fog and had not yet seen a Naturopathic Doctor 
Was she lost, distracted and making poor choices? Was she late for work, rushing around stressed and creating her own internal cortisol chaos? Or was she simply a poor driver who put herself first and didn’t care if she cut someone off? Any disgust I had for her initially was now melted and a feeling of compassion was front and center. I began to send her the energy of loving kindness. Wishing for her peace and hoping whatever had led her to almost cause an accident with me would be healed and that she would learn to drive safer. I noticed that now I wanted to catch up with her so I could wish her well and pray for her safety for surely if she continued to make choices like that she would end up in an accident sooner or later. I never caught up as we went separate ways on the Southern State.
I checked in with my body and felt all the tension melt away and enjoyed the pureness in my heart. The opportunity for learning and spiritual growth is always present -it’s just a matter of waking up into it. I walked into the office that morning remembering the kinship we all have. Just fellow human beings doing the best we can do.
Had I hung onto my anger at this other driver I easily could have ended up with severe muscle tension and a headache for the day. This would have made me reach for some Bio-Allay and Topical Magnesium Cream. Although those are natural and have no side effects they still would have been treating my physical body only. By addressing my whole person emotional state I was able to avoid that by embracing Tolle Totum. The whole person I was healing was me!! And by healing me I am able to show up and help facilitate the healing of you!!!!!!
May we all draw upon the compassionate heart that resides within us all.
Namaste!
by Dr. Stills on January 30, 2011
I cannot believe it has been 3 weeks since my last post. Creating a new habit (like blogging or exercising) takes persistence to build the new neural connections that make it part of you! I am committed to blogging more often as I have so much to share with you all. Tonight I want to talk about the third principle of Naturopathic Medicine.
Tolle Causam – Discover and Treat the Cause -Not just the Effects.
There is no doubt that everything always happens at the perfect time. Life is full of interconnected circumstances. I just spent the whole weekend at an amazing conference studying Brain and Neurotransmitter Function. I discovered there is always more to learn which is why I am so committed to my continuing education.
Adrenal function is a root cause of poor health resulting in numerous symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance and anxiety. Throughout the years I have helped many of you with protocols focused on rebuilding your adrenal function with herbs and nutrients. In addition, crucial lifestyle changes in the diet and sleep hygiene support the glands in a powerful and unmatched way. I have been following the principle of Tolle Causam. Yet, today I learned that there may be a deeper root problem associated with low adrenal function. This deeper problem may lie within the brain, specifically at the hypothalamus, and can be mediated by immune issues or neurotransmitter imbalances. WOW! And here lies a big difference between a doctor such as myself and a traditional MD who is stuck in their ways. I am excited to learn that there is another level and I now have another layer of tools to help those who are still sufferring or haven’t had 100% success in their care. If you have symptoms that are still plaguing you and preventing the highest quality of health please let me know. Perhaps this root issue of neurotransmitter imbalance can be what’s getting in your way.
Together we cannot give up. We must always continue to ask why and dig deeper until your health concerns are resolved!!
As we get ready to start a new week. Focus on bringing in gratitude for the gift of being alive!
by Dr. Stills on January 11, 2011
It is a cold and wintry evening here on Long Island. The beginnings of yet another winter storm are upon us with predictions of up to 18″. I am reminded of how tiny I am in the grand scheme of the universe. I am reminded of how there are many underlying forces guiding the unfolding journey I am on. The storm that I am witnessing reminds me that my life is intimately affected by forces I can see and others that I cannot.
Tomorrow is now a snow day rather than a busy day at the office. I tend to typically get stressed out when I am forced to cancel a day of scheduled patients. There is work to be done, healing that needs to take place and overhead to be paid. I remind myself that I am a firm believer in trusting that the universe will provide and that all is in order. I am really committed to embracing that in my life in more than just words but in actual action. So I let go of the typical angst that a situation such as this would typically impose upon me and instead jump into the flow of the moment.
I begin by embracing the inner child that resides within and get in touch with the feeling of having a snow day. By 6:00 this evening I am in my pajamas and cooking up Organic Gluten Free Blueberry pancakes with Ben and enjoying a nice dinner conversation and some much needed one on one time with him. Typically I would have been busy moving about preparing for a day at the office tomorrow and instead I received some quality time with my eldest son who will be returning back to college in 4 days.
I can feel the ease in my body and my soul as this surprise break is thrust upon me. Plans for a lovely morning bath and a snow filled walk along the ocean are what I am looking forward to tomorrow. The feeling that is associated with a nice long exhale is permeating my body. I am noticing the blessings that show up when you put your favorite inspirational sayings into actual practice. This storm is good for my inner peace and wellness.
And now for the next fix of Naturopathic Philosophy….
The second principle of Naturopathic Medicine is Vis Medicatrix Naturae – The Healing Power of Nature
Our bodies inherently have the power and the knowledge to heal on their own. An elementary example of this would be when we cut our finger. With a little bit of washing and, perhaps, a band-aid to keep the area clean… an open wound will heal itself without the conscious mind telling the body what to do.
In our society, when we become sick we are trained to look for a pill that will fix it. We tend to search outside ourselves when very often the answer lies within. Although I use a lot of remedies to help rebalance your body, I am also always seeking to remove what is impeding your bodies ability to summon up the Vis and heal on its own. Let this serve as a reminder that our bodies are capable of miraculous healing and often we get in our own way. Let me serve as a guide to help you create a body that is in touch with its own ability to heal and a mind that understands and allows it to occur!
Tonight the healing power of nature is showing up, literally, in my life. As a reminder to slow down and embrace what is truly important and often gets overlooked or undernourished in the midst of a regular busy day. Although I strongly dislike the cold weather -I am enjoying the gifts it is bestowing upon me.
May you all find peace in the storms of your lives…..
