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In this episode of the Real Retirement Show, hosts Yasmin and Kathleen discuss with special guest Dr. Laura LaJoie the essence of living life to its fullest, especially during retirement. Dr. LaJoie shares her vibrant vision for a life well-lived, her journey from aspiring orthopedic surgeon to a chiropractor, and her mission of encouraging wellness and joy among people of all ages. She also provides insight on the profound impact of posture on our physical and mental well-being, offering sim...
In this episode of the Real Retirement Show, hosts Yasmin and Kathleen discuss with special guest Dr. Laura LaJoie the essence of living life to its fullest, especially during retirement. Dr. LaJoie shares her vibrant vision for a life well-lived, her journey from aspiring orthopedic surgeon to a chiropractor, and her mission of encouraging wellness and joy among people of all ages. She also provides insight on the profound impact of posture on our physical and mental well-being, offering simple actionable steps to reclaim vitality. The episode inspires listeners to find purpose and community, highlighting the importance of crafting a fulfilling retirement built on health, joy, and service to others.
---- About Dr. Laura LaJoie
Dr Laura LaJoie has been a practicing chiropractic in Oregon for 30 years. She is extremely involved in her community works with people of all ages to get the most out of their life and health. Dr LaJoie believes that we have an opportunity to thrive as we age and that it requires proper planning and surrounding yourself with the right people who are also hoping to get the most of life at all ages.
---- Resources
Dr. Joy Show: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tRixE6VYnaATvm0GyBJ9V?si=7dde67332c4248e3
Joy of Life Chiropractic Website: https://www.joyoflifechiropractic.com/
Books Mentioned
- The Game of Joy by Yasmin Nguyen: https://a.co/d/7XYORKi
- The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama & Desmund Tutu: https://a.co/d/49cQi9T
- Built to Move by Kelly Starrett &Juliet Starrett: https://a.co/d/3RZN4u0
Real Retirement Video Podcast: Real Retirement - YouTube
Welcome to "Real Retirement," a groundbreaking podcast where your hosts, Yasmin Nguyen and Kathleen Mundy, delve into the multifaceted world of retirement beyond the numbers. This isn't your typical retirement discussion; it's a vibrant journey into what retirement truly means in today's world.
Each episode of "Real Retirement" brings you compelling conversations with guests who bring a wealth of expertise and authentic retirement life experiences. Our goal? To inspire and educate our listeners to approach retirement with intentionality and a broader perspective.
But "Real Retirement" is more than just a podcast. It's a community for those navigating the uncharted waters of retirement, whether you're just starting to plan or are already on this deeply personal journey. We explore a wide array of topics, including:
What sets "Real Retirement" apart? It's our commitment to authenticity. We bring you real stories from real retirees, discussing real challenges, surprises, joys, heartaches, and the myriad emotions that come with retirement. From addressing family dynamics to confronting identity shifts, we tackle the issues that truly matter to retirees.
Join Yasmin and Kathleen as they journey through the honest and often unspoken aspects of retirement. "Real Retirement" isn't just about ending a career; it's about beginning a new, exciting chapter of life with all its complexities and joys. Tune in and be part of a conversation that redefines retirement in the most real way possible.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Here's my plan
.
I'm going to live to be 110.
I decided that at 108, I'm
going to the rockest party in
the country for the
tricentennial so in 2076, and my
husband said that he doesn't
think he's going to live that
long, and so I have permission
to take two guys halfway.
So I plan to have about two 55
year old hotties on each side of
me and we're going to be going
to whatever the fireworks and
Fourth of July display or
whatever that looks like.
That's where we're going.
Yasmin Nguyen: Welcome back to
the Real Retirement Show.
My name is Yasmin, here with my
co-host, kathleen.
Whether you're retired or
thinking about retirement, we
delve into the multifaceted
world of retirement beyond the
finances.
This isn't your typical
retirement discussion.
It's a vibrant journey into
what retirement truly means in
today's world.
We bring you real stories from
real retirees and experts
discussing real challenges,
surprises, joys, heartaches and
the myriad of emotions that come
with retirement.
From addressing family dynamics
to mental and physical health
to finding purpose, we tackle
the issues that truly matter to
retirees and those thinking
about retirement.
Today we're embarking on a
journey that redefines the
essence of living life to its
fullest, especially when we
embrace the golden years of
retirement.
Our special guest is the
extraordinary Dr Laura LeJoy, a
beacon of joy, health and
vitality.
In this episode, dr LeJoy
shares her vibrant vision for a
life well-lived, including her
audacious plan to celebrate the
tricentennial in style,
surrounded by youth and
fireworks.
But it's not just about living
long, it's about living well.
Dr LeJoy, with her unique blend
of chiropractic expertise and
passion for life, takes us
through her personal journey
from aspiring orthopedic surgeon
to a chiropractor who doesn't
just adjust spines, but
attitudes as well.
You're in for a treat, as Dr
LeJoy reveals how she creates a
community of wellness and joy
within her practice, turning her
clinic into a place where
people of all ages come not just
for physical adjustment but for
an upliftment of spirits, from
impromptu dance parties to
personal connections that extend
beyond the treatment room.
Dr LeJoy embodies the spirit of
living joyfully and
intentionally.
But that's not all.
Dr LeJoy delves into the
profound impact posture on our
physical and mental well-being,
offering insights and simple,
actionable steps to reclaim our
vitality.
She shares heartwarming stories
that bridge the gap between
generations, highlighting the
importance of community service
and forging meaningful
connections.
By tuning into this episode,
you'll discover the secret
ingredient to a fulfilling
retirement, one that's built on
health, community and, most
importantly, joy.
Whether you're seeking
inspiration to revitalize your
own retirement journey or are
looking for ways to contribute
to the lives of others, dr
LeJoy's wisdom and infectious
enthusiasm will surely light the
way.
So gear up for an episode that
promises not just to inform but
to transform.
Let real retirement be your
guide to a retirement that's not
just about winding down, but
about gearing up for the most
exhilarating chapter of your
life.
Tune in, be inspired and
remember it's never too late to
infuse your days with joy and
purpose.
Let's join our conversation.
Laura, would you share a little
bit about your journey into
knowing your profession and how
you help others that are
navigating this retirement
chapter of their lives?
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Absolutely.
I started out when I was eight
years old wanting to be a doctor
, and I was headed for med
school all the way through my
school into college and I wanted
to be an orthopedic surgeon and
work for the NFL.
And I got into my junior year
in college and had the
opportunity to spend the summer
at Cedar Center Hospital working
with pathologists and
orthopedists and I realized that
I did not want to spend my life
seeing patients of role-lead
and pain or that I was seeing
when they're under anesthesia,
and so I started looking at
other ways that I could pursue
my goals in the healthcare area
and I looked at all kinds of
different things and finally
landed on chiropractic.
So when I was 25 years old I
graduated from chiropractic
school.
I moved to Oregon to go to
school because I knew I was
going to stay here.
I love the outdoors and I
gripped it so in California and
it's been such an incredible
journey because I see literally
the summer I had a patient that
was three days old and my
currently my oldest patient just
turned 102.
Oh my gosh, I stayed at Gammack
.
I've been in practice for 30
years, so some of these people
are family.
I tease that.
This is the cheers of
chiropractic in Wilsonville
because we have so many people
that come in at the same time
every week or every other week,
for performance adjustments they
come in for not only for their
wellness but also for their
community, and it's an
opportunity to really connect
with people.
I say I give attitude
adjustments.
I have this woman, joan, who's
just, she's a delight.
She was a dancer.
She is just turned 92.
And one day she came in here
and I said how you doing?
She's like it's a bummer day,
I'm just not having a great day.
And I said, well, hey, how did
a dance party?
And so I turned on the song
Happy by Pharrell and we had a
spontaneous dance party in the
waiting room.
And I had another woman who came
in who was in her early 20s and
I was like hey, brooke, how
about you join us for having a
dance party?
She's like okay, and so we just
had a dance party right there
in the waiting room and I said,
yes, I am unconventional as a
doctor.
I have not a white coat and I
don't have that traditional
stiff feel, but people know
they're going to leave here
better than they came and I give
out hugs freely, so people
don't really like to be touched,
and so they might get a squeeze
on the shoulder, or they'll
take both of their hands in line
and just look them in the eye
and let them know their care is
short.
But I just think that that
personal touch is something.
Especially people that are in
their third and fourth chapters
are missing, and there's little
ways that we can enrich that,
and that's one of the things I
really trying to do with my
people.
Kathleen Mundy: When you
mentioned that you wanted to
help people engage in their
community, I'm going to assume
that you also helped them
enlarge their communities as
they retired, with kind of a
wellness approach.
Can you just elaborate a little
bit on when a retiree comes in
to see you, how you help them
expand their world?
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Wow, that is a
great question.
I really spend a lot of time,
particularly at the beginning,
getting to know what they want.
There's so many different types
of people and I find that some
people really want that
one-on-one connection.
There's other people that are
really kind of quiet in the
background, but they enjoy being
in groups.
They just don't want to be the
one in the front of the room.
So I just get to know what are
their interests, especially for
people that don't have family
nearby and they're coming in
here, and part of their
condition, if you will, is that
they're alone and they're
experiencing loneliness, and so
I really listen for what their
cues are.
So, for instance, I have a
patient who is a professional
knitter.
She teaches knitting and she
has a knitting circle, and so if
I find somebody that is
interested in that, I can say
hey, I happen to know that on
Wednesday mornings at 10 o'clock
there's a knitting circle at
the community center.
You might be interested.
We talked about the book clubs
that we have at the library.
We have a really active
pickleball community and there's
other people that just want to
go and have coffee on a regular
basis with someone.
So we have the Wilsonville
Walkers and we have a group that
walks two miles twice a week.
They have fast and slow paces
and at the end of it they go and
have coffee, and there's
sometimes up to 25 people having
coffee together at this local
pub.
So some people might say, oh
well, I can't walk two miles,
and I say, well, why don't you
just meet them at the park, walk
around the parking lot while
they're out, going their two
miles out and back, and then
meet them at the coffee shop.
There's even people that have
retired from the group because
they just don't feel like they
have the capacity to walk two
miles anymore, and so they show
up at the coffee shop at 1030
and meet everybody when they're
done walking.
I mean, I think it's just being
able to make people aware that
these connections are possible
and having them find a place to
start, and I think that's really
what it comes down to.
A lot of people don't know
where to begin, and so I always
try to meet them where they are,
help them find a starting point
.
For instance, I just read this
fantastic book this last year
called Built to Move by Dr Kelly
Starrett and his wife Julianne
Starrett, and it's all about the
elements of healthy living.
Well, it starts out with
getting on the floor.
Get on the floor and get up.
And some of my patients look
like me, like I have three eyes,
and they said, well, if I get
on the floor, I can't get back
up.
And I said, well, that's the
point.
If you were to fall on the floor
and you are by yourself, what
are you going to do?
You're not necessarily carrying
your phone around the house,
you're not necessarily have
anybody in the house with you.
You need to be able to get up.
And so get down on the floor
and build those muscles that are
going to allow you to get up.
And the ones that have actually
done it find themselves getting
stronger because it's a partial
pushup and it's getting up with
their legs.
In fact, I'm going to be doing a
talk here in my local golf
course and I had a woman who's
kind of leading the charts and
she was saying what we talk
about and like well, for an
example, I'm going to have you
come up to the room and get down
on the ground.
And she goes what do you mean?
And I got up, I stood up in
front of her, got myself down on
the sidewalk and got up and I
said no, it's your turn.
And so she didn't.
She's 74 years old.
She got down on the sidewalk
and got herself up and she goes.
Well, that was harder than I
thought it was going to be, and
I said that's the point.
We want to build those muscles
that we want to keep using for
the rest of our lives.
Kathleen Mundy: This reminds me,
yasmin.
You and I had a conversation
about the last quarter of your
life versus the first quarter of
your life, and how you have to
learn how to walk and talk, and
you also have to learn how to
exchange with other people and
make friends, and so I believe
that it's the same experience in
the last quarter.
One of the things that we have,
our resource center, is called
the Sandbox, for specifically
that reason.
In many instances, that was the
first venue that people met,
congregated and made friends,
and sometimes they were on the
floor and they learned to get up
with a lot of help when they
were very young.
So I love the fact that you
think that way.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Well, I was
just going to say I think that
one of the challenges that I see
now is that sitting is the new
smoking People are.
They're sitting far too much and
I'm seeing kids that are 10 to
15 coming in with posture and
weakness and strength issues
that I used to see in 20 to 25
year olds the people that were
just getting out of college and
sitting for four years studying
and in class and then going into
a job where they're sitting at
a computer and now they're
developing these short type
muscles and is creating a huge
problem for a society.
I actually find some of my
seniors people their 70s and 80s
are more flexible than the kids
in their teens and it is
remarkable because we played in
the sandbox, we played in the
playground, we climbed trees, we
rode bikes, we didn't come home
until dark and I think that
that's a huge element that's
missing.
So when I do see families
because I actually have a couple
of families that I see four
generations and it's remarkable
that these great grandparents
are able to influence their
great grandchildren to get out
and walk, to work in the garden,
to get outside and participate
in life instead of sitting on
their computers- so powerful.
Yasmin Nguyen: Laura, I'm
curious for those seniors that
may not be as active physically
what do you do to help them
start moving again, and
especially when they have mental
beliefs and blocks around?
Well, I can't move like that
anymore.
What advice do you have for
someone to start getting their
body going again?
Dr. Laura LaJoie: I really meet
them where they are.
I have a man right now who is
lovely and his posture looks
like this, and so what I did is
posture scan and his exam.
At the very beginning I showed
him a picture of what his
posture looks like and I invited
him to sit up straight and pull
his head back and I said now,
does that cause pain?
And he said no.
I said then that's a habit that
you've developed that is not
serving you, and so we started
with habit.
Then I have them stand on the
doorway and put the doorway in
between their spine and push
their spine up against the
doorway and their head, and they
just have to bring their arms
back and do angel stretches so
that they can open up the pecs,
which are muscles, especially
the men or the female athletes.
Their chest and shoulders
become really strong and shut
down and it causes the forward
rounding of the shoulders.
Well, if they're able to
stretch that out, then they can
start to restore the movement in
the shoulders.
In some of them I might have a
woman that says, well, I'm
having a hard time reaching up
to the top of my closet, and
I'll end up saying, well, then
start reaching towards the top
of your closet, like do the
things that you are missing, so
that you can help to improve the
quality of that movement.
So I just started to kind of
meet them where they are, like
they're having trouble with
balance, which is a big one.
I will have them stand.
Also, have them start with
their feet shoulder with the
part, head back and looking
straight ahead, because so often
when they're walking they're
looking down towards the ground
so that they don't miss a step
and then they become walking in
a forward hunch and that's their
common habit.
Well, if they can then stand
tall, develop their balance, we
go from standing with the feet
shoulder with the part to
standing with the feet together,
and then we'll have them close
their eyes.
Often they'll tell them stand
in a hallway or in a doorway so
that you start to feel in
balance, open your eyes, but
reach out for the wall.
Once they start to develop the
balance where they're standing
just on the ground, then we say,
okay, now what?
You do that without your shoes
on, because now you have more
grounding and you're able to
have more tactile sensation from
your feet to your brain, and
then we'll go from that to have
them standing on a pillow.
So now they're a little bit
more imbalanced because the
pillow is soft, but again, it
gives them that feedback that
they need their brain to be able
to get them to balance
appropriately.
So we start with it wherever
they are.
If there's somebody who says I
can't even walk to the mailbox
and back anymore without
becoming winded, okay Well, is
it because you don't have the
strength and endurance to watch
the mailbox or is it because
you've been breathing shallow
and you don't have the breath to
be able to get to the mailbox?
And so we try to get to the
underlying cause of the problem.
If they're winded because
they're not breathing, well,
okay, then we start to work on
posture and deep breath, holding
breath and then getting that
diaphragm pushed down so that
they're really able to breathe
with a more complete breath.
If they start coughing when
they're breathing, instead of
saying oh, don't do that, I say
I see the problem is that those
muscles are weak and we need to
develop them just like any other
muscle, and so we'll do a deep
breathing exercise that we might
hold for a shorter period of
time or a shorter breath, but
we'll develop that.
If they're having a problem
getting to the mailbox because
they're not strong enough, I'll
have them start with sitting in
a chair and give them marching
in the chair for a minute.
So it just really has
everything to do with how
intense their daily activity is
or if they have no daily
activity.
That's a really important piece
.
The one I was mentioning there
was 102.
When she was 95, she was
walking two miles a day.
She was flipping houses.
So she would buy a house or a
condo and she would have her
grandkids come over and help her
do a cosmetic remodel.
She'd live in it for a year and
a half and then she would flip
it and buy a new place and do
the same thing.
And she did that over and over
and over again because she
didn't want to be bored and it
gave her something to do.
It gave her an opportunity to
engage with her grandchildren,
and then the walking she was
doing with this group.
I mentioned the Wolfs of the
Walkers.
Kathleen Mundy: I'm so excited
about this topic.
I just think it's so amazing.
I found myself straightening up
very nicely as a result.
I think that's really critical,
and some of the things I was
thinking about is posture has so
much to do with everything we
do in life, and so I know that
you believe that your posture
contributes to your overall
health as we age, both mentally
and physically.
Can we just talk about that a
little bit?
What adjustments, if there are
some that you might consider
important, to regain that?
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Absolutely.
I'm going to start with the
mental health part of it.
I strongly believe that posture
is directly tied into
confidence and self-esteem.
I was told from a young age
stand tall, you're going to be a
tope.
I'm 5'10", stand tall and keep
your head back.
And my children are 5'11", 6'1"
and 6'2".
So I have these daughters that
are 6'1" and 6'2" and when they
got into middle school they were
these gentle giants and they
wanted to get down like this and
make eye contact with their
friends.
And I taught them take a step
back, stand your full height,
and then you still have the
right angle to be able to make
eye contact with somebody.
So I think that posture is
really important for self-esteem
because it opens you up and it
allows you to get a full breath
when you're speaking.
It also makes you ready for
anything.
We were taught growing up in LA.
I was taught that when you're
walking down the street at night
in the dark, you stand like a
giant, you walk like a giant,
you look at the people around
you, and so I think posture has
a big influence on how people
are able to see us.
I think it also makes us
approachable or not when you see
somebody in the room who's shut
down and their posture is very
closed.
Their arms are closed, their
hands are together, their head
is down and they're not making
eye contact with anybody.
They're not as approachable as
a person who's sitting tall or
standing tall making eye contact
, smiling, and they're, given
that introduction, like yes,
engage with me please.
And so I think posture is
really important from that
perspective.
It's also really important in
terms of degeneration.
When we get into these postures
where our head is forward, our
shoulders are rounded, we drop
our head down.
It really impacts that spine.
The spine and nervous system is
the most vital organs in our
body.
We live our life through our
nervous system, which is why
chiropractic is so inspiring for
me to be able to help people to
allow that movement and
function to be such a big part
of their lives.
But when your posture is tall
and open and more flexible,
you're able to get to action
more quickly.
You're able to move from
sitting to standing.
You're able to catch somebody
if they're falling.
If you're in a rounded posture
and your head is down, you don't
see the things happening around
you and you don't feel the
sense in your body when people
think of chiropractic as
something that is popping the
spine.
Well, it's just so much bigger
than that because when you
consider, for instance, the
lower spine, the lumbar spine
directly innervates the
digestive system.
So if somebody is having a
stomach ache, I look at is there
a problem that they're having
in their stomach or is there a
problem that they're having in
their spine, and is there
anything that they can do in
terms of mobility?
Because the stomach is all just
muscle and so how is the
stomach moving in a way that's
going to allow them more comfort
?
One of my favorite patients is a
guy that came in.
He was having mid-back pain,
like right below his shoulder
blades, and I was checking it
out and he had a restriction in
his spine.
And so then I asked him are you
having any kind of like reflex
or GERD or any pain or any
diaphragm?
And he said yes.
Actually I was just prescribed
Zantac.
I haven't even started taking
it yet, but I have
gastroesophageal reflex and I
said well, if you don't feel
like you have to take it, give
me a couple of days to see if
your nervous system will
actually start functioning
better once we get you adjusted.
Well, t5 and 6 actually
innervate the stomach and
diaphragm.
One adjustment.
He never had the reflex again.
He never took the medication
because it wasn't a problem in
his stomach, it was actually his
spine that was giving him a
miscommunication to the stomach.
And I see those things all the
time, people that fell out of a
four-year-old girl that came in
one time with her siblings.
I was seeing her older brother
who was on the preschool
football team, and her mom said
do you think you could help my
daughter with her hearing?
And I said well, I don't know,
it depends on the underlying
cause, but we can take a look.
Well, it turned out the
daughter had had a fall off of a
piece of furniture, she had
strained her neck and the
muscles that were affecting the
ear were actually affecting the
upper part of the spine.
And so when I went to adjust
her, she actually took about six
or eight visits, but it
restored her hearing.
That's remarkable.
I'll tell you my favorite story.
It's on the other end of the
spectrum from retirement, but I
had a three-week-old baby that
came in one time and the mom was
just beside herself.
From the time she was born, the
baby had not been able to not
cry for more than 20 minutes.
She was just miserable, and so
a friend told her to come and
see me.
I adjusted her.
I saw her for about six weeks
and by the end of the six weeks
the baby wasn't crying anymore.
Now the biggest thing was that
after I adjusted her to the very
first time, the mom stayed in
the exam room and sent her and
she was back there for like an
hour and when she came out she
was crying.
The mom was crying and I was
like, is everything okay?
And she said yeah.
And she said this is the first
time since she was born that I
held her when she wasn't crying.
Wow.
And then just last summer I got
to meet the young lady when she
was 16.
They had moved away and they
had just moved back and I got to
meet the young adult woman.
But it's amazing, I talk about
like Dennis and Mary.
Mary is the woman who's 102,
who is vibrant and lovely and
communicates well and eats
healthy, and Dennis is a
28-year-old man that I saw after
he was in a car accident.
I was having these ridiculous
migraine headaches, had through
the roof, blood pressure, and I
told him at his very first visit
.
I said I know you're here for
the headaches of the pain from
the accident, but I hope you're
open to a conversation about
your general health because you
are diabetes and a heart disease
waiting to happen and I hope
that you're willing to have this
conversation.
And he had a two-year-old
daughter and, long story short,
I saw Dennis sift for about
three weeks, three times a week.
He was getting better, the
headaches were going away and he
didn't show up for an
appointment.
Then he didn't show up.
So the next appointment we
called him to see if he was
going to make his third
appointment.
He didn't show up.
So finally I called his fiance
and he had had a massive heart
attack and died.
Yes, 28 years old.
And I think that so frequently
our young people take for
granted the fact that they do
have this ability to bounce back
with their health so quickly.
And I think that's one of the
beauties of being in your third
and fourth act in life is that
people who've made it this far
they're like okay, I have two
choices.
I can either sit on the couch
and wait to die, or I can figure
out how I'm going to make the
most enjoyment out of the rest
of my life for as long as I live
, and it can be two years and it
can be 22 years, we just don't
know.
I mean, the oldest woman on
record lived to be 118.
So she started fencing at 85.
This woman was amazing.
She was still riding her bike,
but she was a hundred years old.
It gets remarkable and it just
has that difference in the shift
of how you see yourself.
And if you see yourself as
somebody who is vibrant and
capable, then you're going to be
doing more.
If you see someone who is weak
and suffering, then that's how
you live your life.
But a lot of people that I see
that have gotten into a rut and
they're stuck and they feel like
they've had too many injuries
or they have too much pain and
they can't do anything.
Then they start to wonder how
can I change?
And that's where I come in,
because again, I meet them where
they are.
I have this one woman that I saw
for years and years that every
single time I saw her she was
just a negative Nelly, like she
was never happy.
She was always happy to be here
and she would feel better when
she left.
But this one day I was just
tired of always meeting her when
she's unhappy and I said hey, I
have a homework assignment for
you.
I said I want you to go home
and before I see you again in
two weeks, I'm going to have you
write down 10 things that bring
you joy, and your assignment is
to do two.
And I said you've got two weeks
to write down this list and
then do two things.
So two weeks later she was
supposed to come in for an
appointment and she didn't make
it for her appointment and I
thought I had scared her away
and I thought, I'll be honest, I
pushed her too far.
Like pushing her to joy was
just too much.
And so then the third week she
did come in and I said well, so
how did it go?
And she goes wow, I only have
seven things on my list.
I'm like that's great, like
let's celebrate that.
And I said so, what crazy
things are on your list?
And she said, well, I love to
play with my cat and I enjoy
being in the garden.
I like walking to the mailbox,
especially when it's sunny.
And I said, well, did you do
any of those things?
And she goes yeah, I played
with my cat and I worked in my
garden.
I'm like, great, you did the
homework assignment.
And some people want to make it
this big grand expression and
the reality is.
When we meet people in the
world, sometimes a simple smile
or meeting someone with eye
contact is all they need to know
that there's somebody that is
seeing them and recognizing them
, human to human.
Yasmin Nguyen: Laura, you are so
much more than a chiropractic
professional.
You, in many ways you are a joy
ambassador and you're helping
people all different range from
early in their lives to later in
ways that really show them
what's possible.
It seems like mental health is
important to you, and could you
share a little bit more about
your perspective on the
importance of that and also why
joy?
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Well, joy is
such an important piece of our
lives.
Joy and happiness are different
.
Someone can be happy in the
moment, but joy is something
that you cultivate, in my
opinion.
I've been inspired for a long
time to be studying health and
longevity, and part of those
studies have had led me to joy.
So, like the book by the Dalai
Lama, desmond Tutu, it's called
the Book of Joy, and they are
these incredible people in their
80s that have thrown through
this incredible strife and yet
they meet life from the lens of
joy.
And so I was so inspired and
that's where I really started to
dig deep in my exploration of
joy.
Your book, the Game of Joy, is
so important to the world.
I'm excited that you got it out
there.
I really bought a case of those
books and I give them to my
patients to actually help in
their lives.
Another person who was really
struggling she was going through
a tough time and she'd gone
through a tough breakup and she
was not happy at work and she
was coming in here and I didn't
have any more advice, I didn't
have any more things to say, and
so I gave her your book and I
tagged the chapter on joy
activators and I said you
already know what's blocking
your joy.
You don't need to focus on that
piece, I said, but what you
need to do is focus on the joy
activators and look at the ways
that you can activate joy in big
and small ways, because it
doesn't have to be complicated
and you are the one in control
of how your mind works, how your
body works on a day-to-day
basis and how you meet up with
other people is also your
personal expression of joy.
I come from a place where my dad
died when I was four, but I had
the gift of my grandparents,
who actually had me live with
them for a couple of years when
I was growing up, and a lot of
my mom's friends were very
critical of the fact that she
sent me away.
Well, she sent me to the people
that had raised her, and my
grandmother was one of six
children.
She lost her mother in a year
and a half old, and these six
adults who were her and her
brothers and sisters were people
that every single time we got
together for family parties, it
was laughter and joyful and just
this incredible love of life,
and so I knew that that was
possible, regardless of what
you've been through.
One of my uncles had been a
prisoner of war in Japan for six
years during World War II, and
the things that kept him going
was his faith and his love of
his family, knowing that they
expected him to come home.
And so at the end of the war,
when he was released, one of the
Japanese officers that had been
overseeing their cell block
actually gave him the strap that
he had used on these soldiers
and my growth I'm sorry it makes
me tear up my uncle hid it back
to me and said no, and you were
just doing your job and I
forgive you.
And I think that that's another
thing, that forgiveness is just
such an important part of
getting to this point in our
life.
The people that live with these
poisons of unforgiveness it's
really hard, you know is when we
talk about that mental health
piece.
They try to meet people where
they are and they think that
they've done to themselves that
they have not forgiven
themselves for, and so they're
living in this quagmire of
self-heat or self-destruction
because something happened that
they feel like they should have
had control over, and instead of
looking forward and saying how
can I do different, how can I be
different, how can they come
out of this in a way that is
going to make up for it if you
will.
And you see families that are
broken because there was a
disagreement and somebody is so
stubborn that they won't allow
the forgiveness.
You don't have to forget, you
don't have to put your guard
down and let that person hurt
you again, but you can forgive
the situation just so that you
can heal.
A lot of times we get to those
positions in the clinic where I
start to understand that this
physical pain has nothing to do
with an injury or degeneration
and has everything to do with
how the body keeps score.
I mean, there's actually a book
called the Body Keep Score and
the body will keep all the
stresses internally and that
creates inflammation, that
creates spasm, that creates
stress.
It can increase your cortisol
levels and your body has an
opportunity to release all of
that as you start to work
through the mental, physical,
emotional stressors that pile on
and cause people to have these
pains or discomforts in their
life.
Kathleen Mundy: Wow, you've hit
every barker and I can honestly
say that I think that we can
isolate a particular trait in
each relationship and you think,
oh my gosh, I never really
thought about that, because we
always think why did something
happen?
What's the root of that?
And what you just explained to
us now seems incredibly simple
but incredibly accurate about
going to the source, what it is,
what we bring to life, the
things that are hidden and we
bring it in a way that we don't
even want to see it show up.
So how do we get rid of these
energies that are within, from
the history and the life
experiences that we've had?
Once again, we seem, whenever we
have these conversations, the
intention was to speak of your
practice and how you can bring
chymopractry to the elderly and
look where we are.
We are exactly where we were
supposed to be Dealing with
things that cause heartache and
discomfort and the inability to
live a joyful life and
experience the things that are
available to us.
And to that point, I'm going to
circle back a little bit.
One of the things I know that
you're very good at and very,
very involved is that you give
to your community.
Talk to us a little bit about
how important you believe that
is for the third and fourth
chapter of your life.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: I think it is
vital.
I think that service to our
community, to humanity, is one
of the greatest gifts that we
were given, and I had the gift
of joining a community when I
was 25.
I moved to this town and we had
a very active Rotary Club.
I was single, no kids.
I was first out of school and I
just knew that I wanted to be
involved in a community of
service and the Rotary Club.
We don't talk about our
professions so much, I mean you
learn what each other does or
did, but I was the youngest
person in the room and the
oldest was in their 80s and
currently and very involved in
Rotary.
I work a lot with youth
services because I think that if
we can teach the youth of the
world that service is fun and
you have ways that you can be
creative and helpful, that
there's an opportunity for them
to then take that into the next
generations.
And so, like one of my best
friends in Rotary right now, he
just turned 87.
He was a pilot in the Navy,
actually, and just this
incredible man who is constantly
serving in ways that he got our
club really involved in youth
exchange.
So we bring young people from
around the world to our town.
We host them, we send our high
schoolers out to other parts of
the world, so we have a youth
service club at the high school
and one of the advisors for that
.
A couple of the really cool
things that we're doing right
now is the students are going to
be doing a tech day, so we're
going to be going to the senior
center and the seniors will come
and be able to ask any
questions they want about how to
use apps, how to use Instagram,
how to make a reel, how to
engage in their email, and
they'll be able to do an
exchange with the students,
using the skills that they have
been born with and develop
through their early lives, and
the seniors will be able to
develop new skills that will
help them to engage with their
own grandchildren.
The other thing we're doing is
an adopt, a grandparent day.
So there's a lot of seniors in
town who they don't have family,
that are local and they have
stories to tell and with a lot
of times, I think that when we
look back in a lot of cultures,
they hold their people that are
in their third and fourth
chapters of life at the highest
esteem and I think a lot of
times we take our seniors and we
put them away.
You know we'll put them in a
senior housing unit without
really having an expression for
how do they get to continue to
live an enriched life, and so we
want to be able to take our
students in to do this, adopt a
grandparent program where
they'll do it almost like speed
dating.
They'll sit down, we'll have
the seniors at different tables,
the students will have
conversations with them for five
to 10 minutes and then rotate
so that the students will each
get to hear different stories
from at least three to five
different people, and then we're
going to take the stories and
create a project where there'll
be an essay or a poster or some
kind of gift that we'll be able
to give back to the seniors, and
then we'll have opportunities
where these kids will be able to
reconnect with the seniors if
they choose, and it's also going
to give the seniors an
opportunity to figure out what's
missing that these kids really
need to know about.
What do they need to hear about
in terms of giving back to
their community, engaging with
family, like what's important,
and what are these students
maybe not even thinking about
the needs of their own
grandparents where they can then
take these ideas and go home
and really use them.
So I think that community
service is one of the vital
things.
More than 50% of my club is over
the age of 65.
And sitting at the knees of
these people and just listening
to the stories and the life that
they have lived and helping
them to continue to feel like
they matter I think it's really
important, because when you're
sitting at home alone for hours
on end and you're not really
sure where your place in the
world is, I think a lot of
people just need to be reminded
that the reason that they've
done it to this point in their
life matters, and they all have
a story.
I love when I hear that my
friends, especially the ones
that have retired, are writing
in book or engaging in a writing
class or writing process to
give the story of their life to
their family, because I think
that that is such an incredible
gift to be able to tell the
stories of the previous
generations and share that.
Kathleen Mundy: I think you've
hit the mark again because it's
really important, for,
especially when grandparents
perhaps don't live in the same
city or even close by, I think
that multi-generational aspect
of relationships absolutely have
been lost.
Yasmin knows my story a little
bit, where I lost my mom when I
was 23.
My children had never had an
opportunity to meet her, my
youngest daughter.
When she came out of university
and started working with me and
my company, I said okay, here's
what you're going to do, part
of giving back you're going to
join the Rotary Club.
She said oh, mom, they're all
really old.
I said you're absolutely right,
that's why you're going to do
it.
And she had over 10 years.
Oh no, 15 years later she has
great relationships with people
in their 80s and I think that's
a wonderful pseudo grandparent
for her and she understands that
.
Generational differences Again,
that goes to family dynamic.
It isn't necessarily always
have to be your own biological
family.
It's learning that dynamic so
that you can have better
exchanges with people in your
life.
So I love that story.
I think that's amazing and the
Rotary Club has just done
amazing things around the world.
I think their mission was to
eradicate polio.
My mom had polio, so they
helped our family tremendously
at that point in her young life
as well.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: But one of the
other things that I think has
really come out of Rotary for me
is realizing that these people
have often slowed down in their
life.
That takes them longer to
remember a thought or to
consider a memory and it reminds
me that sometimes, when I'm
going a million miles an hour,
that it's really important for
me to slow down so that I can be
with the people in front of me.
It's easy for me to just go
like a butterfly from flit to
flit to flit and or hummingbird,
and I have to remind myself
that what they have to say is
just as important as what I have
to say and sometimes I learn
something new that I just
discovering.
A lot of times I use these men
and women as advisors because
they have so much joy in what
they're doing and I'm inspired.
My goal actually is to live to
be 110.
Here's my plan I'm going to
live to be 110.
I decided that at 108, I'm going
to the rockest party in the
country for the tricentennial,
so in 2076.
I don't know if it's going to
be DC or New York or Boston or
where it's going to be.
And my husband said that he
doesn't think he's going to live
that long.
He only thinks he's going to
live to be about 100.
And so I have permission to
take two guys halfway.
So I plan to have about two 55
year old hotties on each side of
me and we're going to be going
to whatever the fireworks and
Fourth of July display or
whatever that looks like.
That's where we're going.
So then started to realize like
why am I going to wait until I'm
108?
Like I'm still going to live
that long and in order to get
there, I want to live healthy
and vibrant and vital.
I don't want to just exist at
that age.
I want to do what it takes to
get there and I've done so much
longevity research on health and
aging because I think it's
important and it's something
that I want for myself.
But I decided that, starting in
2026.
I'm going to start exploring
every five years and going to
the big parties.
I've heard Austin has a
fantastic Fourth of July.
I've scubaid.
I heard there's one in Nebraska
.
Kathleen Mundy: I'm like I don't
know what's there, but I want
to go see it and I think, just
having these targets, that we
can make it to create joyful
enrichment you again, you're
ticking all the boxes for me,
because the planning of an event
in the future and the looking
forward to it gives you joy in
and of itself.
If you don't have something to
look forward to, you are
consistently looking backwards.
Yasmin Nguyen: That's so true,
and I think part of this is also
surrounding ourselves with
those that inspire possibilities
.
I think sometimes when we get
stuck is when we're in our own
little circle and we can only
see as far as our arms and we
aren't surrounded with others
that can show us like wow, I can
have two 50 and five year old
hotties next to me at 100 plus.
So it's really important to
have the people that show us
what's possible.
Kathleen Mundy: Well, it
certainly is a motivating aspect
.
When I listen to you, laura, I
mean gosh, you have such a
wonderful outlook.
And in order for us to
appreciate that, I think the
fact that we've had an
opportunity to really listen to
what you have enriched your life
with and how you are bringing
joy to your own existence
through your attempts to bring
joy to others.
It's a gift that you've been
given, and I'm very grateful
that that gift is now something
we can share with our audience.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: Well, thank
you.
I'm actually really excited to
share your message with the
people that I'm around.
So when I go to Rotary on
Thursday, I'm excited to tell
them where they can find real
retirement on YouTube and to
share with them that this isn't
just your basic financial here's
how you get there but really to
be able to look at enriching
how do you get there in a way
that is joyful and vibrant and
interactive, because that's the
message that I see you guys
taking to the world that is so
powerful.
Kathleen Mundy: Well, thank you.
In fact, one of the first
presentations I did was to a
Rotary group and explaining what
our whole joyful retirement
project was all about.
And it was accepted and embraced
and it was a real comfort to me
because you know, with any
project that you do, whether
it's trying to enrich and talk
about longevity and elders lives
or whether it's trying to bring
joy to people, we sometimes
question am I doing this for me
or for them, or am I on the
right path and how am I going to
get to the next step?
And I think that from our
perspective and I hope I can
speak for you, yasmin is that
the sharing of it has to happen.
We encourage people to
subscribe and do all the normal
things that you do, but it's
more important that they share
it with a friend to get our
message out.
We're not the first people to
ever talk about retirement or
believe deeply on how to improve
your retirement years, but I
believe that we're the first
that really want to share
information that's going to make
a difference, a meaningful
difference, in their mindset and
in their movements going
forward, both physical and
mental.
Yasmin Nguyen: Laura, you have
been such a gift today, sharing
so many different aspects of
this journey.
How can people learn more about
you and I hear you've got an
upcoming podcast in which we get
a chance to dive a little bit
deeper into your exploration of
joy and the people and the
stories that you have to share?
Dr. Laura LaJoie: I do and thank
you for that.
So the podcast will be called
the Dr Joy Show DRJY Show and
it'll be on all of your major
platforms, and I couldn't be
more excited.
It's been a project in the
making for the last two and a
half years and it really came
out of the desire to write a
book about the journey to joy.
And I started out with wanting
to interview my friends who are
over 65 about living that life
through the lens of joy, how
they got there and what it takes
in your life.
How do you have to prepare?
Who do you need to surround
yourself with?
And in the process I had one of
my coaches say well, if you're
going to do these interviews,
why don't you do a podcast?
So the podcast was birthed two
and a half years ago, then
manifesting it all this time and
finally we're getting it off
the ground.
And I'm so excited because my
first guest is Yasmin.
That was I love and your
expression of joy and the joy
project that you bring to the
world is so important.
And then my second guest is a
man who has, in his mid 70s.
He's been a mentor of mine for
almost 30 years and has really
taught me how you get to each
stage of life and you don't have
to lose your enthusiasm just
because society has put this
stamp of aging on you.
And so that's the Dr Joy shows
really going to be about having
conversations with people on
their journey to joy.
And what does that look like
and how do we manifest it, and
what are some of the things that
we can bring to the world, like
joy hacks that's just such a
fun thing to consider.
Where you can hack into joy,
like having a date with your
puppy.
For me it's going down to the
beach and seeing waves or going
kayaking, watching Greece Like
I've seen it 50 times, but it
doesn't change how much I love
to sing and dance to the music.
So I think that the Dr Joy show
, for me, is a continuation of
being able to express joy in the
world in ways that I can share
it with even more people.
Yasmin Nguyen: You're a true joy
ambassador and I'm so grateful
that we get to create and
inspire joy together in this
world.
Kathleen Mundy: Well, I
certainly have experienced it
today Not that I don't every day
with Yasmin.
He brings a lot of joy and it's
so wonderful to see this
blossoming in many different
areas.
Well, you guys are doing such
great work.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: So thank you
for including me in your project
, and I love that I get to take
your episodes and then turn
around and share them with my
mother and with my friends.
I just think that the message
is powerful and important.
Yasmin Nguyen: Thank you Well,
as Kathleen invited us all to
share these messages with
friends, loved ones and others
that could really use maybe some
inspiration and new hope,
possibility and some guidance,
and you've truly been such a
guide and inspiration today,
laura.
So thank you for being here
with us and being so generous
with your experience your wisdom
and your joy.
Kathleen Mundy: Well, this was
wonderful.
I love, love, love all the
people that we interview because
, yeah, okay, I'm in my fourth
quarter.
Dr. Laura LaJoie: You're late in
your third quarter.
Kathleen Mundy: Well, actually,
you know what this is so funny?
Because I've always told my
husband I'm gonna live to 126.
And he said, kathleen, I hate
to tell you this, but you're not
gonna live to be 126.
I said, okay, if that's the
case, as long as I'm on the
smucker jar, that's my goal.
I went the smucker jar.
On the Today Show there's a
smucker jar and if you're 100,
you get your photo.
So that was always my deal.
But I said, okay, if I'm not
gonna be 126, that means I have
to pack a lot of stuff into my
life now, and so this project is
actually one of those things,
because I don't know if the
husband shared with you or not,
but I did retire, but it only
lasted three months and it
wasn't for me.
So I'm packing all that stuff.
There's just so much stuff to
do in life that you have to
decide when.
And someone said to me the
other day there's a good friend
who is an amazing musician and
he's decided to cut another LP
and go on the road and tour and
all this kind of stuff again,
and he's in his 60s.
And he said to me I just
decided, if not now, when, and
if not me, who?
Who?
That's right.
Yasmin Nguyen: Thank you for
taking time to join us today.
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