Hi everyone,
Just back from Glastonbury a little tired physically but spiritually revived.
This last week or so I have been mostly:
Listening:
To live bands at Glasto. We didn’t get to see many artists as we were adjusting from 11- 6pm everyday. However ,I loved Future Islands live as Sam Herring is such a presence on stage, but my favourite gig was Warpaint at the Park stage. A smaller stage than the others and more intimate. 4 ladies sonically killing it at 11pm. Worth listening to any of their albums but 'Love is to Die’ is a great place to start.
Loving:
This year at Glastonbury the great majority of people we saw had never seen a Chiropractor before so it was a great opportunity to introduce them to the big idea. One couple of young scientists had never seen a Chiropractor before but came back everyday to get checked. As they were leaving they thanked us for making their Glastonbury.
Learning:
I adjusted one lady who was a science communicator. I spent some time explaining the science and theory behind what we do and was pretty proud of myself. After the adjustment I asked if I had communicated well. She said that after the first minute or two she knew she could trust me, would be cared for and didn’t really care about the science.
Appreciating:
The power of music and the performing arts to bring people together in love, tears and laughter. After a tumultuous 2017 it was a great relief to see so many people in harmony singing, dancing, talking, eating and drinking together. Glastonbury is a 7 mile square site filled with people from all over the UK and the wider world. It feels like a cooperative medieval city with prominent themes such as revelry, sustainability, charity, community, healing the earth and each other. As the late Jo Cox said on immigration: "We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.”
Consuming:
Lots of organic food. Glasto is great for the organic food tents you can find. After a long night on the tiles I found a cup of Masala Chai to be a rejuvenator. A mix of black tea and Indian herbs and spices. Yum. Plus a shout out to the lovely lady who kept bringing us homemade Spirulina balls to keep us going in exchange for an adjustment.
Until next week,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (10)
Hi folks,
Welcome to the latest edition of Finemore's Five For Friday. This week I have been mostly ...
Listening to:
‘is a woman’ by Lambchop. Finally been released on vinyl. Sounds great and brings back memories of one of the best concerts I have ever been to following the release of this album back in the day.
Watching:
Twin Peaks - The Return. On Sky Atlantic at the moment. If you loved the first 2 series then you will also love this new series some 25 years on even though the story escapes the town of Twin Peaks. David Lynch being his fantastic surreal self with most of the old cast. Love it. Not for the faint hearted or squeamish however.
Remembering:
A quote from philosopher Alain de Botton, “When people seem like they are mean, they’re almost never mean. They’re anxious.”
You cannot expect to understand what someone else is going through at any given moment. Communication and understanding is difficult whether in contact with others or understanding who we see in the mirror every day.
Eating:
A great sweet but nutritious and fibrous treat when watching Twin Peaks. Organic dates, stone removed, split down the middle and filled with clotted cream. Yum, it works, try it.
Drinking:
Mushroom Coffee. Some clever chaps in Finland have combined certain healthy varieties of mushroom with coffee to produce interesting and tasty warm beverages that seem to boost your mental performance (I find). The company is called Four Sigmatic and I like their products. Sounds a bit weird, not cheap but tastes good and feels good plus the mushrooms are considered superfoods (whatever that means).
Until next time,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (5)
Hi folks,
After a week off while I was in Panama, Finemore’s Five for Friday is back. This week I have been mostly:
Listening to...
Vinyl re-issue of Elliot Smith’s marvellous Either/Or album. Genius.
Pondering...
How fearful we are as a society. The great thing about my Panama experience is that there was no common language between the people I adjusted and me. I could only communicate with my eyes, my hands and my heart.
The Panamanians often had no idea what Chiropractic was but they were happy to put there spine in my hands. After their first ever adjustment the response was more often than not a smile or a laugh. Trust, faith and appreciation it would seem are things that may be more cultural than experiential, energetic than cognitive.
Appreciating...
An awareness of how much communication is non-verbal and how complicated verbal communication can sometimes make things.
Protecting...
My skin from the sun in Panama. 30+ degree heat and a sun that burns. I had been making sure that my Vitamin D3 levels were sufficient before Panama as low Vit D3 levels (very common in UK) have been correlated with a higher incidence of skin cancer.
Using lots and lots of organic coconut oil as protection but only having 20 mins of direct sun before finding shade. For me a good Panama hat was essential to protect my naked scalp.
Eating...
Ceviche. Yummy and healthy. Easy to make. Could eat it all day (in the heat). Try some.
Have a great weekend and if there's any questions you'd like me to answer in next week's email please send them through.
Thanks,
Simon
Finemore's Five for Friday (4)
Hi folks,
In another international instalment of Finemore’s Five for Friday this on finds me en route to Panama and that's exactly what I'm pondering...
I'm about to get on a plane to to meet 50 other Chiropractors and help as many people as we can in the space of a week.
People travel from all over Panama to receive Chiropractic and we shall each be adjusting up to 500 people every day. I can’t wait to serve the people of Panama but I also love new experiences. I have never been to central America or been on a Charity Mission trip.
New experiences lead to new feelings which inspire new thoughts which inspire new choices which inspire new actions and behaviours which in turn lead to further new experiences. Change. Doing the same things every day in the same routine does not inspire much. New thoughts lead to growth.
You (and all biological systems) are never static, you are always in a state of flux. You are either upgrading or downgrading, expanding or contracting. Do something new each day, even if it means walking a new path to the supermarket. Taking a new path is a metaphor for making new neural connections in your brain. Learning something new means you wire new nerve connections. Grow your brain.
This week I am mostly listening to...
Idris Muhammad - Power of Soul, getting back to my jazz/soul/funk roots. You’ll notice there is a riff that the Beastie Boys stole for Paul’s Boutique (another great record).
This week I am mostly practicing...
Meditation. It sounds a little ‘hippy' or 'woo woo' but the scientific evidence for the positive benefits of a regular meditation practice is solid and growing all time. It makes you sit with your thoughts long enough to try not to have any. Your body will tell your mind to do many things instead but with practice your mind will have dominion over your body and relax into the present tense; quietening those thoughts of the future and the past. With practice each meditation leaves you in a state of gratitude and sets you up for the rest of your day. Everyday is a gift.
This week I am mostly moving...
My hips and legs with a "Cossack Squat" recommended by Pavel Tsatsouline former PT to the Soviet Special Forces and all round strong dude. You can do this with or without a kettle bell to your chest. Point your feet out, knees inline with your toes, heels on the ground throughout. Hip immobility is the #1 reason for the rates of hip replacement surgery we see in the west as Pavel says, “Grease the groove!”
This week I am mostly wearing...
My Vans High Tops which have a particularly low profile sole (and soul) which allows the millions of receptors you have in your feet to fire more often as they feel the surface you walk on and send more information up the nerves of your legs to the spinal cord and then to your brain. The more input your brain receives the better able it is to process that information and provide your body with exact output it requires to make you perform and be healthy (this is also the premise of Chiropractic).
Until next time,
Simon
PS - Would love to know what you think of these or if you've got any questi
In 2017 a drive to increase HEALTH awareness in the young: a Discount for Students and Children
In 2017 LivingRoom is on a mission to increase awareness of health potential to the young. Health potential as opposed to disease potential. We are often told what we should NOT be doing but we are rarely informed about what we CAN do to improve our health potential, to be as good as we could be.
A few minor tweaks to our lifestyle choices can make a massive impact on our general health and wellbeing in the long term. If only someone could tell us what tweaks to make and how to make them.
For example globally in 2012 (YN Harari):
620,000 people died from human violence (war and crime)
800,000 died from committing suicide
but 1,500,000 died from diabetes which is a largely avoidable complication of modern lifestyle choices
At LivingRoom we want to increase health awareness sooner rather than later. We want to help more Children and Students. We are offering a discount of 50% on the initial consultation fee (one of the most important things is to know what your challenges are and the best course of action to improve). We will also give a 20% discount on any further visits to all Children and Students.
All you have to do to be healthy and happy is to make the right consistent small steps to relieve the stress on your system to allow to heal and improve naturally.
‘There is but one cause of disease. The body’s inability to comprehend itself and or it’s environment.’ Fred Barge DC.
Consistent small steps...