Inside The Polished Apple

Thanks to Scott Hutchison, Registered Massage Therapist at Elan in  Bowness/ NW Calgary, for these words to celebrate what our amazing practice members and community have contributed towards!  Wow... just... wow.  Last year, with your help, Elan Family Wellness raise and purchased over $900  in cash that we turned into food for the little free pantry here in Bowness.  Plus we lugged (and I do mean lugged) well over 200lbs of food from our location over to the pantry. That is massive.  If you averaged that to say... $9 a meal plus the food donated, we easily fed over 120 meals between Dec and Feb.  Thank you.  That is outstanding work and I am so proud to have you a members of our practice here at Elan.  We would like to celebrate you!!! This December, we are going to do it again.  This time, we will are going to smash last years numbers.  So please... when you can... chip in.  You can win stuff by helping! Thank ...

Thank you to Dr Robert Clarke, Network Spinal Chiropractor, for these words on Celebrating Life. You can find Dr Rob at our office in Bowness, in the mountains, or with his family!  When a crises happens, there is a pause, at time when those day to day worries fall aside and we realize what is important. Family, Friends, our Health these are what really matter. Connection with others, is key to thriving, it is through the people around us that we find support. Some will come into our lives briefly, others are with us our whole lives, regardless of the roles they play, that dance of humanity is what creates an amazing life. Sure, there are challenges, and hard times, through those we grow, we become wiser, our hearts grow. Most of us grow more through challenging times than we do during those less stressful phases of our lives. So find the space for gratitude every day. Celebrate your achievements, Embrace your Loved Ones, be proud of your path. Part of that Path is the hurdles yo...

Its one of our favourite times of the year!! We have 12 days of Celebration planned for you-yummy treats in the office, a craft to make, and prizes to win.  We will also be collecting food for the Bownesian Free Little Pantry now through the end of December. Donations earn you an entry into our Grand Prize-a Christmas basket from Bownesian Grocer . To wrap up the 12 Days, we will finish with a holiday wrap up party at the end of our Thursday work day. Come for appies, refreshments and holiday cheer! Looking forward to seeing you this December at Elan! You can schedule or drop in to see us at #48, 7930 Bowness Rd NW, Calgary. 

This fall we were able to celebrate 12 practice members who have had amazing changes with their health and help to make our workplace a joy to come to. These individuals had a range of care from 2 months to 15 years-wow! Here are some of their changes that we want to celebrate! It is amazing to see the changes that can happen through NetworkSpinal Chiropractic care!  "Since I began care, I've noticed": New Lease on Life! More Energy Decrease in Pain Better posture, Body Language in More Positive, I feel more confident New level of balance I can participate in activities and not always feel sore afterwards I feel healthier and that my body can heal itself better and I manage stress better. I have learned how to relax and let things go. I sleep better and my posture and back pain are improving. Less back pain and shoulder pain. More calm and peaceful when I leave the office. NSA has helped my body feel younger than it is! ...

Elan was excited to participate in the first Courageous Self Care Festival held at Mount Royal this past weekend. It was a day dedicated to Women's Health and Self Care~more then just chocolate and bubble baths! Here's some photos of the day.  Margaret, Registered Acupuncturist, ready to offer NADA ear needling.  Christina Marlett of Courageous Self Care Kim, Elan Office Coordinator and Jodey Sharman, Registered Psychologist ready for the afternoon! 

The wonderful team at   SensaKids   will be in office this Wednesday and Thursday for this month's Family Days! Sensory play encourages whole-child development and makes for magical childhood memories! We can't wait to see everyone, call 403.217.5577 to make your appointment!

Thanks to Dr Robert Clarke, Chiropractor at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness/ NW Calgary, for these thoughts on Perception-part of the Triad of Change.  After looking at Structure and Behaviour the past two months this time we will look at Perception and how we can sometimes use our Perception in creating change in our lives. For some people finding their inspiration or motivation is key before taking action. The feeling of accomplishment is what drives them create a structure or to get things done. If you are one of these people, it is essential to get to know what makes you feel good, where in your life you get inspiration from. For me personally, I lead with Structure, take action then feel that sense of accomplishment. The shift in perception is the reward for me. Take a little time to think of things that make you feel good: being with family, mountains, water, certain colours or a nice tidy work space, etc. Once you have identified some, hold them in your consciousnes...

Thanks to Scott Hutchison for this thoughts on Perception, our theme at Elan this month! Scott is a Registered Massage Therapist at our office in Bowness, NW, Calgary.  We have reached November. It’s a big month!!! Our daughter turns 10, I am one grey beard hair away from wizard status and we have a whole month at Elan dedicated to Perception.   As of writing this, I have just competed at the Pro Level at an international speaking competition. It was a big deal to me and kinda fell into my lap actually. There were two judges for the event, one from Calgary and one from Las Vegas. Both super amazing speakers in their own right so there was no question as to their street credit. But a person’s perception can colour a behaviour and a structure.   Judge one... I’ve known for a year and have run into many times. Judge two was new to me, so I made it a point of getting to know him over the first day and a half. My scores were 92 vs 77 respectively. With bonus point...

Hello from Denver and Advanced NetworkSpinal Training!!  With November's theme of perception, the opportunity presents itself to reflect on areas of our life with gratitude. The last weekend of October, I had the opportunity to continue my Network Spinal training at the Awaken/ Advanced care in Golden Colorado. Awaken care presents the opportunity to connect our spinal gateways with our heart center and it is an inspiring, graceful phase that allows more ease and helps ourselves and others to share their gifts. I am in awe of being in such an amazing Community of professionals and individuals when I am with my Network Spinal colleagues.  As a perception person it helps me to feel part of a bigger community and purpose (even as an introvert!) and reminds me why we created Elan. We're here to provide a warm, nurturing environment to help you discover & create your amazing health. We are excited to help transform the health of both our practice members and local comm...

Thank you to Marguerette, Registered Acupuncturist with Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, NW Calgary, for this information on how Autumn effects our body.  AUTUMN: ELEMENT – METAL, Emotion – Grief. Autumn is the end of the growing season(summer), now is the time to clean out Old Negativity. As Nature lets go and everything goes bare, so with our life cycle, it’s time to eliminate, turns inward, rest, release what we no longer need and look at what is important in our lives.   Failure to let go, hanging onto the past and things that no longer serve us, how we can be open to a healthy future with a new vision of who we are. Grief, the emotion of the Metal element, is healthy and cleanses us of our losses. Inappropriate grieving or not grieving(holding on) results in a blocked metal energy and imbalances. Organs: COLON – Letting Go Eliminates all waste from the physical body, the mind and spiritual garbage. It releases toxicity, constipation, allowing us to see the...

Thank you to Dr Robert Clarke, Chiropractor with Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, Calgary, for his thoughts on how Behaviour and Your Body are connected.  Building on our discussion on Structure last month, we now look at Behaviour. How you act, behave, and move affect your structure and how you feel. When you do things that feel rewarding or that you enjoy, notice how you hold your body and how you feel. What you will notice is that you have better posture, stand taller and are more open hearted. You will feel good. So notice how you respond and bring this feeling and openness to other activities. Pay attention to the increase in your productivity, your overall feeling of satisfaction and joy that it brings to what you are doing. This increases your energy from neutral or low to an energy rich state.   The more you pay attention to how you move your body and how it affects how you feel and how you hold your body, the easier it becomes to shift towards...

Thanks to Scott Hutchison, Registered Massage Therapist with us at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, for these thoughts on how to apply behaviour in your life!  Do you ever find yourself stuck on the sofa with a list in your hand and no energy to do it? Have you ever had a problem that seemed so big that there was no way even to start it? Have you ever felt trapped trying to come up with a plan, but seem to chase your tail finding the correct “right” way? This is me... all the time. With some of you, this will resonate. For me, it's like a sledgehammer. So, how does one break out of this mess? I find myself struggling with the above a lot, however, I have a different awareness over the last few years. You see, if I start from a structure or a feeling before I do a behaviour, my energy drops and nothing happens. But.... If I do something productive, almost anything productive, my confidence grows, my ability to think clears and my superpowers of strategy emerge. Prest...

We're in the middle of our Triad of Change series-this is when we learn about how we most effectively make change in our life and how to be in an energy rich state. If you've seen our posters for “Three Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make with their Health”, that's what we share. What's the Triad of Change? That's whether we like STRUCTURE best in our life (or as a lead), PERCEPTION (that's coming up in November), or BEHAVIOUR-that's our actions and physical movements. Behaviour is not my favorite. As we finish up September, which has been a very busy month with lots of new schedules, new activities, new transitions and quite short on free time, I will require a brief pause (that's Perception) before jumping into a new month! I've thought perhaps that I can use Behaviour as that pause. When I need a short escape, I can take a walk outside to see the changing colors and to see new projects in the community-there's always a new house go...

Thank you to Dr Robert Clarke, Chiropractor at Elan Family Wellness Centre, for this article coinciding with Structure in September. Dr Rob offers Network Spinal care at our office in Bowness, Calgary.  What makes up this physical structure we call our bodies? Certainly bones, muscle, connective tissue, nerves and fluids all are parts of our physical self. What influences the expression of our body is an interesting exploration.  Our thoughts, feelings, social programming, every aspect of who we are affects, our body (our structure). So when you are on the table at the office, where and how you hold tension, is a reflection of your life. As we palpate, where and how you hold tension, we are asking ourselves  what series of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical stressors have influenced you resulting in this expression of you. Then what gentle contact would best help you shift the pattern you are in. In this way, a gentle contact, can have a powerful ef...

Its that time of the year again, the weather is getting colder, and that means back to the winter boots and socks. Did you know that socks are the least donated clothing item in Alberta? Even with charitable donations they are in high demand, so we at Elan are holding our annual Toasty Toes Sock Drive. This is part of the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors fall campaign.  Bring in new socks (Baby to Adult sizes, girls and boys) to the clinic to help others who need to keep their feet nice and warm this winter. It is running from September 1 to September 30th.  Our goal is to raise 200 pairs of sock during the month.

Thank you to Margarette Kennedy for this information on Reflexology. She is a Registered Acupuncturist and is also offering Reflexology at Elan Family Wellness Centre.  Reflexology is an ancient art used in Asia for over 5000 years. Reflexology is a natural and drug-free way of stimulating the internal organs and increasing circulation to all organs. It works to relax the entire body and restore its functions to normal. In the feet are mirrored all of the organs of the body. Reflexology performs the following functions:- Removes waste deposits from the feet, allowing the energy to be grounded. Removes congestion and blockages from the energy pathways, allowing unobstructed flow of energy through the organism Balances polarity Improves blood circulation Normalizes organ and gland function, activating or inhibiting their performances, so improving the cooperation and coordination of organs. Relaxes the whole system, including the mind. Stress, tension and st...

Thanks to Scott Hutchison, Registered Massage Therapist at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, for his thoughts on our September theme: Structure!  September and Structure. There is a certain feel to these words. One calls up visions of packed lunches and the nervousness of the first day back. The other is a wall to lean on, containing the chaos, or perhaps a solid plan. I've mixed feelings about both. I once thought of myself as a master planner, but in truth... I'm a doer that needs a bit of motion to simulate the feels. This leads me to discover or create the structure, the master plan. It's my magic formula. If I start into structure first... I just can't seem to get what needs to be done into reality. Yes yes... planning is a form of action, but it really does not bump my energy. In fact.. it may actually drain me to a point of hiding from a challenge. When I was a kid, unavoidably, September and the new school year rolled around. It meant new uncertainti...

Backpack Checks today at Elan for Family Days!  Is your bag lightweight? 2 wide shoulder straps; with extra straps at waist or chest & are they used? Does it have lots of pockets? Does it weigh less then 10% of your kid's weight?  Is it packed with heavy items closest to back?  Can your child put it on a table or chair and then put the straps on? This avoids lifting and twisting the bag.  A heavy or improperly used back pack can lead to back, neck or shoulder strain. Please talk to us if you have a concern about your child's health-we love to adjust kids and keep them feeling healthy!  Happy Back to School!  

Thanks to Margaret Kennedy, Registered Acupuncturist with Elan Family Wellness, for these recent reviews. Please ask her how Acupuncture care may support these health concerns or lifestyle changes.  Mental Attitude:  Diabetes and Parkinson’s Risk.  Following a review of patient data concerning over eight million individuals, researchers report that type 2 diabetics have a 32% increased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. The researchers note their “findings may reflect shared genetic predisposition and/or disrupted shared pathogenic pathways with potential clinical and therapeutic implications” Neurology, June 2018  Mediterranean Diet May Protect the Brain!  The Mediterranean diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, healthy fats (such as olive oil), and lean sources of protein such as fish and poultry. In addition to improved heart health, studies show that the Mediterranean diet may also protect against cognitive decline a...

Thank you to Scott Hutchison, Registered Massage Therapist at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, for this article on the end of summer and recent community contributions!  It's almost over! #summer #gone Back to school is on the mind of most parents by now. Certainly the retailers, but I hope the kids are still lost in the long summer days. Having as much fun as possible in the wonderful weather in western Canada. I want to take a second and thank you all for the great support for Carya on our Patient Day this summer, the 30 lbs of food collected for the Food Pantry Round Up during stampede and the well over 200 books that have gone in and out of our little tiny library. Thank you very much! August 1 st  you will see a little box and some bracelets for sale in the office. Have a look, buy a bracelet. The funds raised are being handled by an amazing young girl facing her own health, the world with grace, dignity and a mission bigger than herself. She needs a bit of...

Thank you to Dr Robert Clarke, Chiropractor at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, for this article on Heritage Day and our ancestral patterns.  As we work towards improving ourselves and our lives, we often come up against some of our old patterns. Ideally we break through those patterns and emerge as a better version of ourselves. The wisdom gained in this process feeds our natural desire to expand and grow. On other occasions we fall into our old patterns. This can be and often is frustrating. We all have our patterns that we have developed, many things we do automatically, ride a bike, tie a shoe or cook amazing meals, relay on using the patterns that serve us. Just as we have these great patterns, we also have many that don’t sever us. Often we develop strategies to survive during stressful times in our lives. Unfortunately there is a big difference between survival strategies and thriving ones. Not only are there patterns that we develop in our own lives, we also need...

They're not just for kids... although chances are, if you're a parent, this is on the top of your back to school list. Many professionals are also choosing backpacks over briefcases, so whatever your age, let's look at how best to shop and use them! There can be long term health risks with wearing poorly designed backpacks and carrying too much weight. Here are backpack tips from our Chiropractic Association's Pack it Light Wear it Right Campaign: Choose a bag that is lightweight, has a padded back, a waist or hip strap and two wide straps (2”) with lots of pockets. Pack the heaviest items close to your back. Use the pockets as much as possible to distribute the load. Pack it light with only what you (or your child) need in the day. Less then 10% of their body weight for kids in grade 8 or younger; less then 15% of their body weight for older kids and adults. Wear it right by placing the backpack on a waist height surface, and slipping th...

Thank you to Margaret Kennedy, Registered Acupuncturist with Elan Family Wellness Centre, in Bowness, Calgary, for this posting on the element of Fire.  The Element Fire, is one of the elemental powers, that represents Summer, where the energy reaches its maximum potential. this follows the energy of Spring. In Spring, the seeds that are sown, grow and come to fruition in the summer. We, are all part of Nature, and by understanding the aspects of the Fire Element within us we can improve and balance our own health  and our lives. Nature’s energy flourishes and blossoms in the summer, not only in Nature but also within us, in what we have planted in the garden of the Earth and in our  personal garden within ourselves, our dreams, visions and plans.. This is the season when Nature blossoms and the time for us to blossom, so that we can move forward on the dreams, visions and plans that we made. Failing to do this, means we will not have our harvest  We will depl...

Thank you to Scott Hutchison, Registered Massage Therapist at Elan in Bowness, for these thoughts on Community!  A few years ago, Josephene came up with this concept of Inside the Polished Apple. It was a nifty idea she formed after a trip to the dreaded DisneyLand. (It wan't that bad actually and we learned a ton about creating and morphing a culture) We get similar impulses and ideas every time we visit europe, but this concept of the external matching and balancing the inside has stuck with us. You see, both Josephene and I come from the perspective that our community, business and home life should be an extension of our family. It should all match or be moving towards being in alinement. We value our family and by extension we should value those mention above. The outside of the beautiful apple should match the tasty insides. But if it doesn't, we see the value in finding ways to culture and nurture the insides to match the outsides. The question of what's In...

Thank you to Dr Robert Clarke, Chiropractor at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, for this article on Community. Dr Rob practises Network Spinal Care and 12 Stages of Healing Somato Respiratory Integration.    Human nature craves community. For some it’s a small intimate circle of friends, for others it’s a large group of friends, coworkers, relatives and the people connected to them. Regardless of size it is an essential element in our health and happiness. There are books and seminars on building community, but really it’s as simple as, talking to your neighbors, calling a friend or cashier at your grocery store. It’s about reaching out. A fun way to engage is having a potluck; it used to be the way people connected in the past, sharing food, conversation and helping each other. In our modern times we are almost too independent, in the past we had to help each other to survive. Now it is essential for us to thrive. Our successes are better when share...

We are pleased to announce!!!! We have a Free little library!  The library is open to the community! The idea behind the library is to exchange a book for one of the books in the library, this helps create community spirit and you know you won't read the same book twice! We take book donations anytime! Thank you for helping to stock our Little Library! 

We at Elan Family Wellness would like to thank all that came out to our patient appreciation day party this past month, we raised over $800 for Carya! Dr. Josephene is our new chili champion taking the win over from McKenzie. The party was jammed packed of awesome energy even with the rainstorm earlier that day.  Thank you to everyone that braved the weather to join us!! Thank you to all of you that donated door prizes as well,   Extreme Restaurant and Catering ,  The Dell Cafe ,  The Place Restaurant ,  Bowness Community Assocation ,  Bowness Library , Merric Morrison,  ALCLA  Native Plants and Wildflowers - Pat Fedkenheuer ~ Elan Family Wellness Team

"We experience our involvement with humanity and recognize that wholeness comes from bringing our individual gifts into community. This occurs in our internal and external communities. We receive gifts from within ourselves and from others. We recognize that all our choices are spiritual ones and affect all beings. Eventually we recognize that our limits stem from our own lack of wholeness. Consequently, we seek to re-experience the rhythm of stage one." ~Dr Donald Epstein, 12 Stages of Healing From the perspective of the 12 Stages of Healing and The Sacred Seasons, Community is the 12th Stage and part of Awaken-receiving our gifts and sharing our gifts with community. Ideally, we are able to move fluidly from Discover to Transform to Awaken as needed and to bring elements of the different seasons together. From our office perspective, what opportunities we have to spend time in community! Our recent June Appreciation Day is a great example-we had many members of the...

What a fun month! Here's a few of the highlights!  Yum! Have you ever heard of FIKA? We thought it was something we should implement on a Saturday morning. FIKA is fancy for coffee and sweets. Conveniently, we have Sweet Home Bakery just around the corner from us. We had P.I.E. and FIKA-that means Pain Integration Experience followed by coffee and sweets.  We had a ball for Father's Day!  Elan was set up at Run Bowness. Here's Scott with MLA Deborah Drever, and a photo of our team of Margaret, McKenzie and Scott. Scott was doing on-site massage to help the runner's injuries, and Margaret was there offering advice on how Acupuncture can help those concerns.  It was a busy month! Last up in June was Patient Appreciation Day. 

Recipe of the Month Avocado Salsa INGREDIENTS: 3 ripe avocados, diced ½ red onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, diced ¼ cup cilantro, chopped 2 limes, juiced 2 cloves garlic, chopped Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar ½ cup feta cheese Tortilla chips, for serving PREPARATION In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and gently mix together. For best flavor, allow to set 30 minutes. Garnish with additional feta just before serving. Enjoy!

Thank you to Marguerette Kennedy, Registered Acupuncturist, for this information on the Nada Protocol. Have you ever heard of the 5-Point Ear Acupuncture Technique? These 5 points calm the spirit, open connections to one’s heart, increases the ability to love oneself and others. They remind us of our will and intention to hear the positive. They help the connection with the internal self and help us to find direction in life and provide inspiration. Acupuncture is part of an ancient medical tradition that originated in China over 3,000 years ago, and is an integral part of primary health care for hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. For most of this history, the practice of acupuncture was confined to Asia. But since the 1950's, it has been increasingly accepted in the United States, Canada and Europe as an effective, low-cost, simple, safe therapy for pain control and substance dependence. Research in the past decade has shown that acupuncture is a helpful somatic ther...

We love growing our community of people we meet and get to know-check out these events that are we're either attending or hosting at our office in Bowness.  Join Elan at these events: Spring Goddess Gathering May 6th 1-6 pm. Glamorgan Community Association  4207 41 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, Alberta T3E 1G2 RELEASING TOXIC ENERGY THROUGH FORGIVENESS  Join us   to explore the value of self love and forgiveness. The journey that we are all on brings us through experiences that can often hold a place of repeated destructive behavioural patterns and stored anxiety in the body. It's when we can find a new perspective of those experiences, we can release the pain surrounding those memories and replace that pain with love and gratitude. Space is limited. Thursday, May 10   at  7:00pm (happening at Elan!)  Just Be YYC Mothe r's Day Market Saturday, May 12th 10-4   Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Market.  For information on any of these events, ple...

Have you had a chance to meet our newest team member? Say hello to  Jodey Sharman, Registered Psychologist,  the next time you see her in the office!     Jodey is offering a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Class at Elan, starting THIS SATURDAY, MAY 5th. This is a treatment method that helps change self talk so it is accurate and helpful, and change behaviour to decrease avoidance and improve mood.This group will be over 4 x 2 hour classes and cover the 4 areas of CBT- cognition, emotions, behaviour and body/ wellness.  You can see more about Jodey’s services on her  Psychology Today profile . Her services are covered by most benefit plans.

In honour of Mother’s in May… Be sure to visit us the days before Mother's Day (starting Wednesday, May 9th), to enter in our Mom's Draw and to take home a small token of our appreciation for all you do!  Happy Mother's Day to you! 

Recipe of the Month Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Meatballs INGREDIENTS: 2 pounds (3 medium-sized) zucchini, spiralized 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups marinara sau ce, homemade or store-bought 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese FOR THE MEATBALLS: 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey 1/2 cup Panko 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. 2. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, Panko, Parmesan, egg yolks, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/2-to-2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs. 3. Place meatballs onto th...