Seven Miles Towards Healing
Nichole Thompson Photography
What does this transitional season bring out in you? Can you feel the excitement of change coming within your body, and if so, exactly where does that sensation reside? Through working with daily patients, I witness countless examples of people becoming aware of how their body responds to emotional anticipation. My patients report feeling restless at night, flighty throughout the day, disconnected from the people around them, and anxious about the sporadic tightness in their chest. To bring their nervous minds back to the present, together we move, breathe, and face change one day at a time. Using mindful movement, we turn distress into eustress!
At the end of these sessions, I step out onto the beautiful streets of Stone Harbor and witness our seasonal town finally teeming with life. For locals, we feel the energy of town change as soon as summer residents cross the bridge and businesses reopen to greet them. Each summer brings a heavily anticipated set of goals and an exaggerated work routine that if not managed carefully, can burn out even the most seasoned Type-A personalities. Once depleted, we forget to make time to enjoy the simple pleasures of this stunning area such as taking a walk on the beach or watching the sun rise. I was reminded this week from another yoga teacher that summer residents are just as affected by this seasonal shift. Once the summer begins, it can feel as though it is already slipping away.
So how to stay present? How can we align health with vacation bliss to make the most of this precious summer season? I recommend a blend of activity, community, and quiet time shared with nature. Part of my business mission as a healthcare provider is to better connect people with the true gifts of this region, helping them experience the year-round offerings of clean air, sun, and salt. Seven Mile Island is arguably home to one of the healthiest summer populations at the Jersey Shore and I am so grateful to be the island’s chiropractor that keeps everyone moving! Each day, I witness flowing bodies in yoga, swimmers lining the bay, lifeguards training on their stand, slow footprints caressing the shoreline, and bike lanes filled with wheels. And all of this before 9am! You rise early at the shore if you want to glimpse the stunning examples of God rising over the ocean and to breathe the air that somehow always realigns your priorities. We are our best versions our ourselves near the water.…family oriented, grateful, and playful. There is an imprint of innocence that lives at the shore thanks to our golden childhood memories of playing at the beach. So, utilize that inner child energy to remember, “why do you love the summer?” And, most importantly, “why did you build a life here at this specific shoreline?”
As my new business arrives at its one-year anniversary, I reflect on these exact questions that I had to ask myself before choosing to open a new chiropractic practice in a seasonal area (during a pandemic). Despite all the odds, it was a beautiful first year of building community, making others feel safe, and planting the seeds for a successful second season. There is an excitement brewing on the Seven Mile Island leading up to a “more traditional” summer, but instead of rushing into plans for year number two, I want to remember my humble beginnings in chiropractic, the unique journey that took me away from this shore, and most of all…. why I came back to it.
Chiroyogaflow was a funny name that came to me when I began an Instagram page in 2017. This would be my outlet to share all that I was learning as a chiropractic student, a yoga enthusiast, and an energy medicine wannabe. “Chiro” and “yoga” made sense, but the “flow” left things open ended. I didn’t want one job title to limit me. I needed a business platform that would give my future practice space to grow. And grow it did! What started as sporadic posts that caught the attention of 20 people, turned into a platform for healing to supplement my chiropractic practice. Then CYF became a website, a brand, an LLC, a new practice, and now this summer, a book! But before I get ahead of myself, I’ll use the beach to anchor my timeline. There are roughly twelve chiropractic schools in the country and based on my history as an athletic training student and college soccer player, I chose a program that focused on how chiropractic care aids in athletic movement. The problem with that niche? Cleveland Chiropractic College (now University) was in Kansas City, the most central and ocean-void place in the country. I was committing to four years of post-graduate study and if lucky, seeing my family and the ocean 2-3 times a year at most. To stay mentally healthy during that separation, I found the art of yoga. While graceless at first, the ebb and flow of yoga’s movement matched the tides that I missed and the peace that came from that practice matched the quiet that my mind could only otherwise find while sitting on a beach chair. I didn’t know that learning to love yoga would shift my career away from orthopedic medicine toward a holistic approach focused on healing mentality, but I’m so grateful that it did. Because with that shift came my return to the sea.
Fast forwarding to 2020, the pandemic offered me a short window of opportunity to return to my hometown, commit to love, and to accept the challenge of opening a personal practice within the beautiful Isle of Wellness. Like so many others, this year was a blessing in disguise if you had the right support around you and the bravery to surrender to change. During lockdown, I drove across the country in masks and gloves to find the safety of the familiar shore. In an unfamiliar time, the best plan was to develop a livelihood that I knew I could trust. I had no idea what the year would bring but I had an unconditional confidence in manual medicine, the support of spectacular loved ones, and a bright new space to introduce that belief to others.
Just yesterday, in preparation for summer 2021, I spent the afternoon with a local photographer who had a similar pandemic story. She grew up in the area and then left home for a decade to build a life and a craft. The pandemic brought her and her gifts back to the shore to seek the comforts of local family. Trust me, we are lucky to have her. In between balancing on one leg over the jetty and striking a pose on 96th street, we talked about our journeys back home and what it is that I actually do in my office. When describing my current practice style, I share that I am a restorative chiropractor and registered yoga teacher. I fix chiropractic issues with yoga solutions! Meaning, that I combine my love for rehabilitative movement with yoga postures to physically and emotionally prepare each patient to optimize their activities. My chiropractic style is a dynamic collective of hands-on techniques such as adjusting, soft tissue release, breath re-education, and rehabilitative exercises. My yogic and acupuncture training brings an intuitive philosophy into the treatment that separates me from any chiropractic experience you’ve previously had. Longer appointment times allows me to develop pure relationships with patients and unroot the deep sources of pain relationships. By addressing emotional perceptions of pain and injury limitations, this care will provide lasting relief in fewer visits than traditional chiropractic practices.
Nichole Thompson Photography
At its most basic nature, I help others forgive their bodies and the things that have happened to it. On the table we use changes in muscle strength or joint range of motion to demonstrate fast and permanent ways to rewire a limited movement history. Remember that you and your body aren’t separate things, it never works against you. The body just wants to be understood and sometimes that takes an outside resource to help you better communicate with each system, emotion, and movement. If you are in the area this summer and are looking to continue your health routine throughout the season, I’d love to work with you! Don’t miss a beat in your summer training routine or while preparing for college sports; Sporadic chiropractic care tied with rehabilitation will provide you and your family with the skills needed for healthy aging and injury prevention. The healing team at the Isle of Wellness now consists of two doctors (physical therapy and chiropractic) and multiple movement therapists. Together, we work to make quality healthcare accessible year-round. Alongside of the clinical care offered at the Isle of Wellness, the beautiful studio accommodates both private and group classes for Pilates and Yoga students. So again, I’ll ask, “how can we align health with vacation bliss to make the most of this precious summer season?” While not every day can feel like vacation, we can learn the skills of movement practices and healthy behaviors to vacate the obligations of life’s stressors, taking the island mindset with you to any location. Let our community at Isle of Wellness complement your summer and help to remind you why your body loves the shore.
- For more information, contact The Isle of Wellness at (609) 600 - 7292 or Dr. Marina Mangano personally, manganodc@gmail.com