The other night I sat down with the family to enjoy one of Sir David Attenborough’s documentary’s – ‘The Hunt’.
I watched fascinated as a pod of three dolphins hunted fish. But this was not any ‘normal hunt’. These dolphins, in order to feed had had adapted to their environment. They had changed their hunting technique in order to feed.
What did they do that was so different?
These three dolphins carefully swam up and down a river, selecting a river bank. The river bank that they selected served a very specific purpose. The dolphins would hunt as a pack, herding fish towards the river bank, bringing the fish closer and closer to the shore. They would then launch themselves from under the water onto the river bank. The bow wave that they created would push the herded fish onshore.
As the dolphins lay onshore with their mouths open, they would then catch the fish coming back down the river bank trying to make their way back into the river.
Why the specific selection in the river bank?
Too steep and they would not be able to successfully hunt. Too flat and they could become stranded on the river bank.
A very smart way to hunt. This adaptation though has come with consequences. As the dolphins lay on their side chewing and catching the fish, they would also take in a mouthful of the soil and sand of the riverbank. This, over time, wears down their teeth on the side that they lie on to feed. Over time this affects their ability to hunt and feed themselves in this way.
Like the dolphins, we too adapt and change to our environment. Over time changes that we make also lead to new habits being formed. Though great at the time, and often quite inventive, some of these habitual changes can cause long term effects to our health and wellbeing.
Too often we live in the now and not realise the degenerative effects of our lifestyle. These tend to catch up with us over time.
Look at what you do. Look at your habits. Your sleeping posture; how you sit (posture and length of time); how you carry your bag; how heavy your children’s school bag is; the amount of sugar (refined and raw) in your diet; how often, not to mention the type, of exercise you undertake; your down time and how much; your internal language; and how often you move. These are just a few things to look at in a lifestyle audit.
Over time, some of these habits can create stress within your body – be it physical, mental or emotional. These are all things within your control. The culmination of this stress creates ill health.
As a Chiropractor in Chatswood, our role is to not only help you adapt to the environment and allow your body to better cope with the external stressors, but to also show you ways in which to stop recreating problems.
Even if that means finding an even better way in which to catch fish!
