Productivity Consultant Sheila Green with Sanoviv's President, Elaine Pace onsite at Sanoviv

 

Many thanks to Sheila Green, celebrated speaker, productivity consultant, and Sanoviv guest for this heartfelt and educational post.  Read Sheila’s article in WomenEntrepreneur for more about her Sanoviv experience. 

If we pay attention, sometimes we are fortunate to experience wake-up calls that will impact the rest of our lives. The answers are usually already in our conscious realm but we choose to block them out with noise and clutter of things we think are important.

When I arrived at Sanoviv, I was suffering from excruciating back pain. Through years of therapy, adjustments and painful injections I had grown accustomed to never-ending pain. What happened over the next seven days is stuff of which movies are made. Had it not been a personal experience, I don’t know if I would believe it.

Lesson 1 – Treat the cause, not the symptoms. In our day-to-day lives, we spend so much time and energy on superficial quick fixes, but the pain always comes back. Sanoviv’s Dr. Mercado made me wonderfully uncomfortable when he continued to probe the true cause of my pain. He was not amused or put off with my quick, flippant answers. By focusing on the cause of my pain we unlocked what was holding me back and only then could we start treatment that offered sustainable relief and a healthy future.

Lesson 2 – Unplug and de-stress. I was told my back pain was from a car accident. Doctors in the USA were baffled. They had done all they could and no one could figure out why I was in so much pain. As it turns out, a great deal of my pain was a result of an inordinate amount of stress. Stress that I disguised as daily life. When I cut off television, radio, my computer, my phone, coffee, wine and junk food, I honestly thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I secretly contacted my husband in Florida demanding that he come and rescue me! After a day or two of thorough cleansing, awesome food, and nurturing spa treatments I was able to enjoy experiences that I hadn’t felt in too many years to count. Experiences such as simple and meaningful conversations, playing in the pools under a full moon, walking on the grass and the experience of connecting with something bigger than yourself. Most of us can’t live in a disconnected society but what I learned was how constant connectivity was negatively impacting my life and my health and how was stress I was putting on myself to be Super Woman. I know where I was before I went to Sanoviv, wired and stressed to the point of no return and I will never allow myself to feel that way again. The key is knowing when to disconnect and then really doing it.

Lesson 3 – Be Open to New Experiences When you are truly looking for advice, techniques or treatment that will enhance your quality of life, it is vital to be open to new experiences. We’ve become so entrenched in our day to day routines, I felt as if I were sleepwalking through life. Change is often scary, often we feel worse before we feel better. (And sometimes we call Florida in a panic!) Knowing the range of emotions the guests could be experiencing, the staff at Sanoviv go out of their way to be personable, helpful and above all – encouraging and motivational. They were amazing on so many levels.  When I was able to let go of my control issues, I was open to hear, see and live new experiences at Sanoviv that made me see and enjoy the world in a whole new way.

PS – It’s been almost a year since my stay at Sanoviv and I am still pain-free!  Unbelievable, I know, but it is my truth.