About the 2008 Extravaganza

Outstanding presentations, workshops and forums.

Topics included: Leading Edge Neuro Science, Genetics, Pregnancy & Birth, Vaccinations, Neuro Sensory Integration, Holistic Family Care, Cranial Care, Sports Performance, Community Outreach Workshops... and more!!

... all supporting the Wellness Lifestyle from conception and throughout childhood.

Freedom for Family Wellness Extravaganza

The first Freedom for Family Wellness Extravaganza lived up to its name as authors, activists, practitioners and parents gathered to hear the science behind the consciousness shift that supports vitalism in conscious conception, birth and child development. This included presentations on epigenetics, the power of emotions in healing; the need to return to natural birthing, the importance of informed choices, symptoms as s sign of wellness and the amazing innate ability everyone shares in facilitating our own healing through intention, awareness and conscious choices. The Extravaganza was held from May 8 – 11 at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing overlooking the Delaware River.

Dawson Church, PhD, author of The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention, kicked off the four day event with an introduction to the consciousness shift in healing potential occurring around the world. Church explained that, “In reality, genes contribute to our characteristics but do not determine them.” He further clarifies that the environment that activates genes includes both the inner environment – the emotional, biochemical, mental, energetic, and spiritual landscape of the individual – and the outer environment. Because our bodies cannot tell the difference between an objective or subjective threat, the biochemical and genetic effects are the same. Using Emotional Freedom Tapping or EFT, Church demonstrated the impact of emotions on well-being.

Joe Dispenza, DC, author of Evolve Your Brain, The Science of Changing Your Mind and participant in the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know?, continued the discussion of shifting our personal consciousness to facilitate our own healing and that of our families and planet.

Dispenza’s research in neurology, neurophysiology and brain function has shown our “new brain”, also called the neocortex or frontal lobe, not only houses the capacity to learn and reason and the free will to create, but it also affords us the potential to transcend the gradual process of evolution and to move into rapid nonlinear evolution. Our own habits of thinking are the obstacles to these quantum leaps.

“A habit is when the body becomes the mind, or the servant becomes the master. We need to pull the mind out of the body and put it back in the brain, but the brain doesn’t want to give up the throne.

“This is why people are addicted to an emotion, which is why they can’t change. Continuously thinking about a trauma conditions the body to be the mind, you are conditioning yourself. Energy medicine frees you up to go back into the world and re-perceive it.”

Dispenza pointed out the relationship of chiropractic as an energy medicine. Although not always considered as such, he emphasized the role chiropractic can fulfill in this emerging field.

Continuing our collective shift toward the paradigm of vitalism and away from the current collapsing mechanical paradigm that dominates Western medical thought, Nancy Wainer, CNM pointed out the atrocities in modern obstetrics and the rise in unnecessary interventions. She demonstrated how these current birthing trends are leading to an increase in interventions and therefore outrageous and unwarranted rise in c-sections. Nancy reinforced the attendee’s ability to trust the natural birthing process being consistent with the chiropractic saying, ‘Nature needs no help, just no interference”.

Offering a shift in perspective and therefore approach, Larry Palevsky, MD, a holistic pediatrician and president of the Holistic Pediatric Association, walked the audience through the need for “Letting Children Get Sick to Get Well.” Outlining the “current state of affairs” with American children’s health, Dr. Palevsky offered dismal statistics of the rise in chronic childhood illnesses. He related the rise to today’s children having a large toxic load to bear and because they are not allowed to be sick. Western trained practitioners and parents are obsessed with preventing childhood illnesses,” said Palevsky.

“We should celebrate symptoms because their appearance means that whatever has gone deep into the body is being pulled out and expelled,” said Palevsky. “But in our culture, instead of celebrating the body’s ability to heal itself, we suppress the symptoms. Chronic illness is the failure of the body to resolve the inflammation. The body is too weak to complete the exit so it will keep finding a place in the body to go.”

Palevsky emphasized the importance of practitioners and parents working together to build a “Holistic Health Care Team” that would support the body’s healing properties with a holistic approach.

With a passionate presentation, Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center pointed out the “utilitarian view” that fosters the U.S. vaccine mandates is part of the old and dying mechanical paradigm. She acknowledged the current rising level of intensity and open conflict between government and parents over forced vaccination policies. In support of parents during these transitional times, Fisher created NVIC’s “Stand Up And Be Counted”

Fisher’s rousing speech of empowerment and taking back our right to choose inspired a standing ovation in honor of her commitment to speak the truth and to fight the good fight on behalf of parents.

The outstanding keynote presentations were rounded out by additional presenters who brought hands-on tools for practitioners. These included the importance of neurological integration, the use of homeopathy along with chiropractic and cranial sacral techniques. Parents were offered options and guidelines to foster on going support and the advancement of parent networking, holistic healing and family wellness in their own communities.

Throughout the weekend, attendees viewed research poster presentations submitted by ICPA Diplomate Candidates. In Saturday afternoon's graduation ceremony, these fourteen doctors were awarded Diplomate status from the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice. This was the third graduation for the ICPA‘s successful Diplomate program. There are now forty ICPA Diplomate doctors providing outstanding services for chiropractic family wellness. There are several hundred candidates currently participating in the rigorous post graduate classes internationally.

Next year’s Family Wellness Extravaganza will be in the fall of 2009. With the overwhelming positive feedback from the first Family Wellness Extravaganza, we are expecting record attendance.

To receive our save-the-date announcement, sign up for our free e-newsletters: http://www.icpa4kids.org/e-news

To view pictures of the event visit www.familywellnessfirst.org.

To meet the ICPA Diplomates visit:http://www.chiropracticfamilypractice.org/

Featured Speakers:

Joe Dispenza, DC

Encounter dynamic discoveries in neuroscience and its exciting relationship to holistic care. Author of Evolve Your Brain, and participator in "What the Bleep Do We Know!?," expect Dr. Joe to open you to unlimited possibilities.