This time we are living in, after the “end of the Mayan calendar” in 2012, has begun to seem like the dawning of a new period of human history. I have characterized this as Conscious Evolution (see the category Conscious Evolution) because that is what visionary teacher Barbara Marx Hubbard has called it. It is a time when we humans have become aware of our evolutionary path and have actually begun to participate in it consciously. One unlikely manifestation of this development is the work of Donny Epstein, a Boulder, Colorado, chiropractor.

Epstein has created a form of treatment that he first called “Network Chiropractic” and now refers to as “Network Spinal Analysis” (NSA) and “Somato Respiratory Integration” (SRI). None of these terms adequately describe the series of treatments, in my opinion. So I’ll describe my experiences over the last few months since I began the process at a clinic in Barcelona.

The hands-on part of the treatment is unlike any chiropractic I’d received before. Instead of the sometimes-startling cracking of the neck and back as in traditional chiropractic, the Network practitioner barely touches the body and only slightly shifts its position. In my first treatment I thought, “This isn’t any treatment at all. Why am I paying for this? I don’t feel a thing.” I was surprised when there was some discomfort afterward. The pain quickly dissipated and I continued weekly treatments, which were just as gentle as the first. I have noticed that my posture has improved gradually and I’m having fewer aches and pains. My life seems to flow better, and I notice greater freedom in the chest area, which I had been unconsciously holding tight.

The second part of the process is called Somato Respiratory Integration—SRI for short. This is an optional series of 12 breathing practices that combine conscious breathing into various areas of the body with simple physical movements, that you do yourself. The 12 are in a sequence that Epstein says moves from Suffering, through Reclaiming Our Power, to Community. I don’t personally resonate with the story line, but the breathing practices are effective in bringing awareness to places where I hold tension, and helping to generate movement and release. I have found areas in my body that I was holding and not allowing to move freely. As I’ve freed myself up, everything seems to work better.

Unlike regular chiropractic, NSA expects—requires—the patient (me) to participate in the treatment by breathing into locations, by pushing up into practitioner’s thumbs, etc. In this way, the SRI is integrated into the NSA.

What came to me after doing the process for a month or so is that NSA and SRI help to bring all my systems into alignment. These systems are named in different ways in various traditions, but I’ll call them physical, energetic, emotional, mental, and spiritual. My conception of traditional chiropractic is that it is usually aimed at the physical body and the nervous system. What I’m experiencing in NSA is a growing coherence in all my systems. It seems to me that when my Network practitioner is touching what she calls “gateways,” she is actually activating the connection between the physical and energetic bodies, which links all the “bodies” into a coherent whole.

When I go to Donny Epstein’s website I see that he might agree with what I am experiencing. For example, he is offering a workshop in Moltrasio, Italy, entitled: “Energetics of Extraordinary—Daily Practices for Exceptional Living.” And another in Como, Italy, called: “Donny Epstein’s Eurogate—The 167th Transformational Gate.” We don’t intend to go to Italy for these events, but I sense that Donny Epstein, a person who is described as a “world renowned evolutionary change expert,” would understand what I’m experiencing—in fact, that’s the whole point of NSA.

I can recommend NSA and SRI to anyone who seeks greater coherence and is willing to take the time (and spend the money) to achieve it. And if you are near Barcelona, you can contact our NSA/SRI practitioner, Francine Denis, and schedule an appointment or two. It’s really amazing stuff.