Chiropractic Principles are NOT just for Chiropractors! By Dr. Lisa Rubin, Ph.D.

As a psychologist, people walk in my office everyday with emotional pain and suffering which changes their physiology and often manifests into physical symptomatology. Everyone has a story, a little box with the lid locked tight, a closed door slammed shut and bolted, a ball and chain that gets thrown off balance, everyday, every night, all the time. It is so important to look at the whole person. Listen to them and watch their body language and how they say what they say. People give you incredible clues into their lives, but first you must open your eyes and ears just a little more, each time you see them. For instance, have you ever sat with an individual that felt so lost and out of touch with universal intelligence that they wanted to hurt himself/herself of someone else? How do you tenderly touch their innate? Help them find light in the darkness. Listen. Guide. Teach gently the priceless gifts that chiropractic philosophy has taught me and my family over the years.

To be responsible for someone else’s life is a huge responsibility, isn’t it? With that responsibility comes extra hours away from your family, sleepless nights of tossing and turning. Thoughts go through one’s mind, asking, “Did I do the right thing?” “Is the patient ok?” “Should I have made a different choice?” “Could I have done more, not just for their physical pain but for emotional suffering as well?” That loud voice gets even louder, and it takes every ounce of energy to hear that ‘wee small voice’. To remove the ego, focus on the individual and know you are not walking in this journey alone.

So you see, many of the chiropractic principles apply not just to chiropractic; they are timeless laws that apply to all mankind, to every profession and person, young or old. As a species, we must celebrate our uniqueness, and realize that with each one of us, our effects are far reaching, far more than you will ever know.

What's Love Got To Do With It? 5 Questions About Love for You & Your Spouse

1. How did you meet and when?

Lisa: Drew and I met 23 years ago when he was in Chiropractic school at Life and I was at Emory University. Drew and his friends would come to the medical school library at Emory to study. I would study at the med library because it was across the street from my dorm. We were introduced by Drew's friend and would all go out to eat for study breaks. Drew and I were friends for 4 months before we ever dated. Drew asked me out on our first date on February 6th and we went to a dance club. We spent most of the night talking for hours learning about each other. Our lives changed from that night on.

Drew: It was September 1987. Life library was maybe ¼ the size it is now, with few books and fewer places to sit. My friend and I had this crazy idea that maybe if we went far enough away from our apartments to not easily make it back home to nap or eat, we could get a lot of work done. Little did I know studying at the Emory Med School library would be so life-changing. After I met her, every time I was at the library I would go to the water fountain a thousand times just so I could stop at her table and briefly chat with her. She was just so fun to talk to. Still is, 20 + years later.

2. You and your spouse both have the commonality of working or studying at Life University. How does it feel to have that in common?

Lisa: Drew & I, early on, decided we wanted to work together on our mission of helping others and promoting health. We created a plan to design our life. Here we are 20+ years later sharing a location for our private practice and working at Life University together. I love the energy at Life U and the ability to share the philosophy, vitalism, chiropractic and special people with my husband. How many people can say that they work in the same location and love being together everyday? We also have the ability to have our son present with us. He is currently in high school and at Life U with dual enrollment. Our son comes to seminars and events with us. My husband and I always try to meet for a kiss or a quick hello on campus, just to share our love for each other.

Drew: We are extraordinarily blessed. Few couples get to share their work life with each other, let alone being passionate about what they do. We both adore chiropractic, and still after this many years of marriage plot and scheme to find more ways to spend time with each other. Being at Life gives us the best of both worlds. We get to do something we love and believe in while spending some extra time with each other. It must look funny to others…we are constantly texting back and forth, trying to coordinate where we are so we can grab a hug.

3. What strengthens your marriage?

Lisa: We base our love on the following path: G-d, family, chiropractic. This foundation helps us decide which decisions are right for us as a couple. Our marriage is based on love, trust, compassion, philosophy and positivity. The journey is one we share together every step of the way. It is amazing to be more in love today after almost 20 years of marriage. We honor and cherish each other daily and constantly work on our relationship. We do everything together from the moment we wake up with a ritual of stating our intention for the day, reading, prayer, working out, making breakfast, listening to motivational tapes, texting throughout the day and always connecting and sharing our day with each other. Every day is a blessing and miracle we get to spend together.

Drew: The bedrock of a successful marriage is honesty and integrity. There is no substitute for these characteristics. Years ago, everyone told us that we’d stop holding hands and showing other displays of affection once the ‘honeymoon’ period is over. We have set out to prove them all wrong. Another key attribute is getting rid of the concept of ‘balance.’ There is no such thing. It’s always 100%-100%. You can’t give 50% to something and expect the kind of results that only 100% can give you. Add to these things lots of laughter, smiles, humor, and don’t forget hugs.

4. What kinds of things do you like to do together as a couple?

Lisa: Most of all, Drew and I like to spend time together. We love to go for walks in nature, go to waterfalls, and roller blade together. We love to watch a thought provoking movie or go to a seminar that challenges our thought process so we can discuss it. Drew and I love talking. We focus on our goals, our vision and our purpose. I love when we sit in front of our fireplace or go in our hot tub together. How many people can say they love being with their significant others and are always trying to find ways to spend more time together?

Drew: We love challenging each other. We try to find things to bring us to higher levels of awareness. Whether it is going to a Life U basketball or rugby game, listening to Jim Rohn or Zig Ziglar audio tapes, reading books like “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” or “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, or watching movies like “Defiance” or “I-Robot”, we always find a way to bring chiropractic philosophy into the mix. We have this idea that “everything matters”, so we try to really plan whatever we do to really matter. My favorite time spent with Lisa is a tie between going to some really awesome seminar and talking for hours about it, versus going to an incredibly gorgeous place out in nature like Sedona, and talking about that for hours too.


5. What is the most challenging thing about being married?

Lisa: The most challenging thing about being married is having to be ‘an adult’. It is much more fun to be giddy and laugh. Responsibility from the outside world makes it difficult to have the quantity of time with each other that we would like. Relationships are a work in progress. Our challenges, when handled correctly, help us learn from our mistakes and become the best people we can be. We try to make every minute count when we are together. We have to work harder today to keep our relationship energized and exciting. Falling in love is easy; staying in love is a constant work in progress. We have tried to master the secret to an exceptional and incredible loving relationship that is more powerful today than it was 20+ years ago.

Drew: Clearly the hardest thing we have to deal with is time. Quality has to make up for quantity. When we first started dating, while Lisa was at Emory and I was at Life, time seemed so endless, so eternal. Now with both of us working at Life U and having private practices and being parents and playing sports and all the other stuff involved, time really has been whittled down. I have taken lately to a quantum view of time. Time can be Newtonian, like 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour. Or time can be Quantum, like when you spend an hour doing something you truly enjoy with someone you love, and it is described as “time flying.’ Contrast this with sitting in a boring meeting and in the same 60 minutes is described as “time drags.” It is the same amount of time, just a different use of it. So we try to maximize our time together. Make it count. ‘Cause everything matters!


Ask these questions of you and your spouse, write down the answers, and then read them to each other. This simple exercise gave us 2 hours of awesome conversation and lots of good feelings. Try it and tell us what you think!

Adapted from the February “Love at Life” newsletter, Life University, Marietta GA

Life Change Through Saying ‘No’ By Dr. Lisa Rubin

I began my health quest about 23 years ago, when my husband and I first met. As a chiropractic student at Life University, he started sharing a whole new world of health I had never heard of before. I received chiropractic adjustments and began giving up dairy products and red meat. Next went all dairy products. Then I began to incorporate organic products. I read labels and started going to health food stores. Eventually, I consumed no processed sugar, no caffeine, no chocolate, no white flour, no preservatives, chemicals, and the list goes on. The more I gave up of the “old” and added more of the “new,” the better I felt. I also realized how other choices in my life began to change. I tried to get rid of negative input that was in my life: no more TV; no newspapers; no radio; and no magazines. I no longer took medication of any kind. I started letting my body heal itself. The body heals by removing interference that is in its way. This interference may come in many different forms: from the nervous system, or from chemical, emotional, spiritual, or even environmental factors.
I received a lot of pressure from my family and friends about my new lifestyle which increased when my husband and I decided to have a homebirth. All “*#@&!” broke loose. My family was in fear of what could go wrong as opposed to what could go right. Of course I knew that their concern was for my safety. I acknowledged their worries, explained my side of the story and showed them that I was unbending in my choices, but that I was open to conversation about those choices. This was very difficult for people to understand. The homebirth was magical.
As my son has grown, the choices have become easier; however, the resistance increased temporarily. Some of our alternative health and life choices included: no vaccinations, no drugs, nursing on demand until my son decided to wean himself, a family bed, vegetarian diet, attachment parenting, home schooling, etc. Some people comment that “You look normal, buy you just don’t do anything like anyone I know.” I take that as a compliment. I don’t want to be like anyone else. I don’t want my son to feel pressure to be like all the others. If we show our children it is okay to step outside the box and look at life differently, maybe we can begin to contribute to a healthier more positive outlook on life in the next generation.
Now the resistance is minimal. Our son is almost 16, and is taller and healthier than all his cousins. Many in our extended family are adopting or at the very least taking a deeper look at our health choices. All those “No’s” across all those years has made a lot of “Yes’es.” So start small. Start by saying no to what you don’t want anymore, and by saying yes to what you do want. Then move forward in the direction of your dreams.

Dr. Lisa Rubin, Clinical Psychologist, specializes in natural parenting, motivation, and transformation. She sees clients individually, hold workshops, and lectures in the community. Call 770-937-6300, or email her at lisa.rubin2@gmail.com

A Better Way To Live

Sometimes, just when we think we haven’t got a clue as to how things are going to work out, innate provides. Have you ever examined your life as it zigs and zags, wondering, “how did I get here?” I don’t mean physically in the place where you are sitting or standing or sleeping, but here at the place where you are spiritually and emotionally and healthfully. How did you get here?

Innate has been on the job. How did you find your occupation, your mate, your first client, your home? How did all this happen? Some people think life is a series of coincidences, or that they are being pulled around in life by a force called fate. They show up and whatever happen to then just, well, happens.

That’s not the philosophy BJ Palmer, the developer of chiropractic, lived by. He practiced an art of connectedness to source that emanates through his writing, which is affectionately known as the Green Books. BJ recognized the power of becoming one with this source, the fountain of all love, creativity, and abundance that exists in the universe. “Get the big idea..all else follows” was not solely based on the idea of chiropractic as ‘the big idea.’ It was really about reconnecting to innate. He wished us to understand that, if we can free up our innate intelligence and our ability to talk to the ‘wee small voice inside,’ then we will be lead by this intelligence to all the right people, places and things in our life, at the perfect time.

People are coming to my chiropractic office to learn this, to be a part of something bigger than fixing a backache. They are searching us out not for simple pain relief but for another way, a better way to live.

There are thousands of families and individuals in chiropractic practices who have caught the idea that there is a different way to live life altogether, one at which they are at 100% of their potential, all the time, subluxation-free. Women have better pregnancies and quicker labors while under regular chiropractic care, benefiting both them and their newborns. Children live healthier lives with less ear infections, asthma, allergies, and chronic illness than their peers. Adults live more active lives playing sports and running around after their 2.5 kids with chiropractic care on their side. I even watched my father pass away quietly, without fear or pain, in his sleep, because with chiropractic on is side, there’s even a different way out of this earthly plane. There’s a different way into this world, there’s a different way to live, and there’s a different was out.

Innate is on the job. Look around you when spring begins. The flowers will pop up and the buds will sprout on the tress. How did they get there? Yes, you can argue that someone planted them, or that a seed somehow managed to find its way into the soil, but I believe in a divine intervention for everything. There are no coincidences, just lessons, teaching us daily, ever moving us toward the source of all creation. This entire universe was created by what science calls a big bang, in which all the matter of the universe stemmed from. If that is true, and we are created from energy, that means all of ‘this’ came from the nothingness into the somethingness in a millisecond of intention. That would mean, if you want to wax really into philosophy, that all of the energy contained in our bodies dates from the very moment of the creation of the universe (as Dr. Wayne Dyer says)!

The abundance of the universe is ours to connect to, if we so desire. How? Listen to the wee small voice. Get the big idea. Reconnect to the majesty of this grand intelligence. Feel the power of the entire universe in your fingertips. Transfer that power to others, through your thoughts, words and deeds. Live an innate life. Chiropractic can show you how. Email us at rubinchiropractic@gmail.com.

Can you imagine getting your tooth drilled without Novocaine?

I had to go the dentist to check out what to do for 2 cracked fillings. This always makes me nervous, since my teeth and gums are very sensitive, even when merely having my teeth cleaned.

Bad news. Not only were my fillings cracked, but also the dentist informed me that decay had developed underneath. The answer may be appear very simple: get a shot of Novocaine, or use nitrous oxide/laughing gas, and get the teeth fixed. However, over the last ten years, I have not had any drugs in my body of any kind, so what choices do I have now? I began to ask myself, “Can I do this without any anesthetic?” I wasn’t sure. I tried convincing myself that this is an invasive, minor surgical procedure and therefore have the right to use Novocaine IN THIS SITUATION, just to be somewhat comfortable. But my own mind wouldn’t let me get off that easily. I had a homebirth with no drugs and intervention. Surely, I could have 2 little teeth drilled if I could get a 7 pound 6 ounce baby out of my body. The debate in my mind lasted for three months as I investigated what dentist to use, what techniques were important, what substances should be used in the filling, what supplements and herbs should be used before, during and after treatment to help with detoxifying and strengthening my body.

I finally decided to go with my local dentist. Even though he is not really “holistic”, he has always been totally respectful to myself and my family with our alternative choices. No x-rays? OK. No Fluoride? OK. He respects our differences of opinion. The main deciding factor was that my 8-year-old son was totally at ease in his office and loves going to the dentist.

I knew that I could trust this dentist and he had agreed to do the filling with no Novocaine and using a non-mercury based filling without hesitation. The next decision I had to make was what supplementation I should use. I began taking garlic and vitamin C regularly for two weeks before my scheduled appointment. I am not a big user of supplements so I try to stick to the basics only. I went to our local health food store, Natural Marketplace, and spoke to David, the owner, who I also trusted. He told me his wife had also done the same type of procedure and used clove oil on her gums to naturally anesthetize the area, and used Bach’s ‘Rescue Remedy’ cream on the outside of her jaws on her face before and after the drilling. He also gave other suggestions (which I did not need to use), but included arnica cream to rub onto to one’s face to prevent swelling, soreness, and any black and blue marks (none of which I experienced). David also stated that their were homeopathic remedies that could be used if one experienced any toxic side effects due to the release of mercury gases form my old fillings (i.e. fatigue, moodiness, depression, etc.). Luckily, none of those effects came my way.

I began to use specific visualization techniques such as ‘seeing’ how I would look in the dentist chair, while he was drilling my teeth, in a state of calmness and experiencing no pain or discomfort. I then visualized how I would feel after the drilling. I would feel energetic, excited and empowered. I also used repeated positive affirmations (i.e. “Anything is possible, no matter what!). I incorporated these two techniques with my daily workout routine when my energy level was very high and my heartbeat was up. In this way, I anchored the positive thoughts and visualized them over and over again in this intense state. This is one way of outsmarting your brain, which, during both intense exercise and significant fear or pain, raises your heart rate. By creating a raised heart rate and linking to it a positive visual and auditory affirmation, I built something in my mind to turn to that was anchored in there.

On the day of the procedure, I took garlic, vitamin c, and started with Echinacea tincture. I went in feeling a bit nervous, but continually kept repeating positive affirmations and visualizing my end result. I used rescue cream on my face and put clove oil tincture on my gums. The dentist went very slow with the drill and used lots of water to decrease the amount of friction and heat on my teeth. He also used hand tools as much as possible to decrease the use of the drill. He explained exactly what he was doing at each step and gave me a mirror to watch. I also squeezed a pressure point (the skin between my thumb and forefinger) to help reduce pain centers.

I couldn’t believe it only took 30 minutes. The dentist had scheduled in one hour of his time so he would not be rushed. I walked out feeling exhilarated. I accomplished something everyone told me was not possible. Where did the notion in my head start to define pain to a filling when I never experienced it before? As a matter of fact, is the pain we feel after going to the dentist from the Novocaine shot and its after effects? I never even thought of that before.

I believe this is the same for birthing. I was able to have a healthy and happy homebirth because I refused intervention into my innate expression of life. My hope is to help others use these techniques to understand how to live life to the fullest.

Dr. Lisa Rubin, Ph.D. is a holistic counselor who focuses on motivation and transformation. Her private practice is in East Cobb on the corner of Johnson Ferry and Paper Mill. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and is the Director of the Student Success Center at Life University. She also runs educational workshops throughout the community.

Autism, Asperger's, ADHD, Allergies and Asthma: Are they related?

Recently there has been a lot of talk about Autism in the news...how it is NOT linked to vaccinations. While I agree that vaccines are not THE cause of autism, there is no doubt that vaccines can create a situation in a child that can make them more susceptible to a cascade of events that can lead to major problems...not just autism.
Autism is one of the more severe issues that can occur in the mixture of a immature immune system with chemicals that are way too powerful for THAT PARTICULAR CHILD to handle. But other challenges can be a result, ones that may not show up as immediately as Autism. What about the other "A" disorders? Asperger's and ADD/ADHD to start. How about Allergies and Asthma? With the exception of ear infections, those 5 "A" disorders are amongst the most common health issues we are seeing in today's kids.
Do I mean to imply that these 5 "A" disorders are somehow related? Autism, Asperger's, ADD/ADHD, Allergies and Asthma? Yes, and I am not alone in this thinking. Check out this book, my favorite in the league of new information coming out about linking these problems together: Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders. Dr Bock, the author, doesn't include Asperger's which is on the "Autistic spectrum" as it is called. His book does a great job describing the problem and tackling some of the main issues, like diet and supplementation. He omits chiropractic care which I have found to be critically important in getting these kids to the next level, and doesn't include rehabilitative exercises, also a must with children in the 5 "A" category.
Another great book is Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders. Dr Melillo is a chiropractor with a specialty degree in neurology. He talks about how kids with Autism and ADHD have brains and body's that are in a way "disconnected." The left sides and right sides of the brain and hence the body do not communicate very well with each other, and hence the child cannot function at his/her optimum. He calls it "Functional Disconnection Syndrome", and is very big into rehab exercises and dietary modification.
Several months ago an article came out in the AJC, "Settlement Reached in Autism-Vaccine Case." It was the first case in which a child was awarded a monetary settlement due to proof that the child's autism was in part caused by the vaccine. Just so happened that the child's father was an MD who did his own research after all this happened and wrote 2 articles in the Journal of Child Neurology proving his case. Dr. John Shoffner's main thesis was that in certain children who have a genetic disorder that may not have been identified prior to vaccination, the vaccine may trigger an event that he calls "autistic regression with fever." Check out the article at http://jcn.sagepub.com/content/early/2009/09/22/0883073809342128.abstract.
All in all, the issue we are dealing with here is what we would call "Roulette".
You cannot KNOW FOR CERTAIN how a child or adult will react to any given drug or vaccine at any given time, even if they appeared fine during prior exposures. The suggestion is to think twice before everything you do, especially when related to health care. Will whatever suggested course of treatment or even examination have more positive benefits by doing it than negative ones by not doing it? A patient a few years ago told me about his neighbor's child that went in for MINOR ear tube surgery and DIED because of a reaction to the anesthesia. Risk vs. benefit must always be played out. Think twice, and have a happier, healthier New Year!

Everything Matters

My wife and I believe that one of the most important qualities that create a successful anything, be it a relationship, a business, a family, falls into one 2 word idea. It is NOT: Anything goes. It is: EVERYTHING MATTERS.
Everything you think, say and do matters. Whether you are on the grocery line or at the bank, with your patients or your kids, on the phone or driving or whatever, it ALL MATTERS. I enjoy the thought that I heard a few years ago, that you should live your life as if there is a video camera that follows you around. You don't want to put anything on film that could cause a problem later. Everything matters.
I think this is the problem with the world today. Imagine if before we think, say or do ANYTHING, we thought about it first. And thought about what the long term ramifications of this comment or this action might be? The world would be a much better place.
This Thanksgiving season, think about doing a little more than is expected. Especially if shopping on Black Friday. Hold open the door. Give an extra complement. Smile more. Show someone special how much you love them by your actions not necessarily your expenditure. Give for the sake of giving. Surprise your spouse or partner. Share the most valuable gift you can with someone, your undivided attention. Time is our most precious commodity. Enjoy the holidays more this year than ever. Make it matter.