Written By: Sean de Lima Thiel
Current Life West Student, Sean de Lima Thiel, shows us how his past, present, and future, come together with a conscious act of intention
Before I became a student at Life West, I taught weekly yoga classes. Working in yoga studios and seeing people coming to classes was inspiring. Those who committed to showing up week-after-week reignited themselves, and became vibrant and alive.
What I loved to see most was the mindfulness and attention people gave to themselves. As a result of their dedication, frustrated emotions and neglected bodies became purposeful happy attitudes and strong vessels.
Giving up my life, career and community in Calgary was incredibly difficult. Friends I’d known and practiced with for years attended my farewell yoga class. For one final session, we breathed deeply together. In sync, we moved and challenged our bodies. In quiet contemplation, we sat and enjoyed one another’s presence.
The next day, with my car packed and more than 1300 miles of road ahead, I wondered how my life would change. How could anything feel as rich and fulfilling without my beloved community?
I had built my identity around my connection to the yoga world—it had been a supportive crutch that helped me shift from my awkward late-teen years into confidence, acceptance and adulthood. Leaving Calgary, I felt like I was abandoning an important part of myself.
At the time, I had a baseline understanding of what chiropractic was. Over the years I had been under sporadic care (mainly to relieve headache symptoms). I was attracted to the fact that chiropractic is a drug free approach to health and I loved that it offered care as preventative maintenance. It all seemed to fit with the lifestyle I already believed in.
My adventure into chiropractic has lead to an unexpected, but very welcome lesson. Life is absolutely delicious when it’s lived with intention.
Our contagious sense of optimism is one of the most unique factors of our profession. Practicing doctors offer their time and space to teach and work with students. Faculty members see the opportunity to impact lives of future patients by being part of our education. Students find chiropractic niches that light them up and make them excited for practice.
Where yoga taught me to value mindfulness, chiropractic has showed me how to apply it to all aspects of life.
When palpating the spine, attention and care is given to the nuances and texture of movement. In that moment, the world melts away and the subtlety of muscular tone and joint articulation seems to be the only thing that matters.
