Christopher A. Pickard B.Sc
Building Adaptive Vitality — One Regulated Human at a Time
My work is grounded in a simple but urgent belief:
Self-health responsibility is not optional anymore.
It is a social responsibility.
Dysregulated bodies create dysregulated minds.
Dysregulated minds make poor decisions.
And poor decisions — scaled — shape an unstable world.
If we want a sustainable, peaceful planet, we must start by restoring the biological, behavioural, and psychological capacity of individuals.
This is the focus of my mission.
A Life Shaped by Science, Spirit, and Systems
I grew up influenced equally by science and spirituality.
My father was an atheist astronomer.
My mother a caring, active Christian.
So from an early age, I learned to respect Newton and Jesus, evidence and meaning, logic and love — without seeing them as opposites.
I was also deeply influenced by:
- The creativity and humour of great comedians like Rowan Atkinson
- The optimism and peace movement of the 60s and 70s
- The music and consciousness-expanding curiosity of The Beatles
When my parents introduced our family to Transcendental Meditation — after carefully ensuring it wasn’t a cult — I began a practice in my teens that decades later would be recommended by global business leaders for resilience, clarity, and performance.
By the age of 17, I was already training a skill that helps regulate the nervous system — though I didn’t yet have the language for it.
From Practitioner to Integrator
I chose a career in healthcare because I wanted to help people feel better and function better — not just manage symptoms.
I trained as a chiropractor, where I learned first-hand how profoundly the spine and nervous system influence overall health. But it quickly became clear that no single modality was enough.
So I expanded:
- Functional nutrition
- Movement and exercise prescription
- Behaviour change psychology
- Stress physiology and nervous system regulation
Over time, a pattern emerged:
Many problems labelled as “psychological” are actually biological.
Many failures of discipline are failures of capacity.
And many people are trying to meditate, optimise, or self-actualise on exhausted physiology.
A Defining Insight: Health Shapes Humanity
A pivotal influence came through my coach and mentor, Pete Cohen, who introduced me to the work of Dr Bob Rakowski — a chiropractor and functional nutrition pioneer.
Through Bob’s work, I saw something unmistakable:
When you restore biological capacity, behaviour changes.
When behaviour stabilises, psychological depth becomes accessible.
When people feel regulated, they make better decisions.
Not just for themselves — but for others.
This reframed everything.
Health was no longer about avoiding disease.
It was about human behaviour, decision-making, and peace.
Why One Size Never Fits All
Three people can present with the same diagnosis — and require three entirely different interventions.
One may need:
- Physical restoration
Another: - Detoxification and metabolic repair
Another: - Psychological or behavioural work
The mistake most systems make is assuming the same entry point works for everyone.
It doesn’t.
Sequence matters.
From Individual Care to Global Impact
Working one-to-one taught me depth.
But I wanted scale.
Through other mentors like Roger James Hamilton, Brian Johnson, Mark Divine, and a chance meeting with Paul Dunn, my work expanded from clinical practice into education, frameworks, and thought leadership.
They helped me articulate what had become clear:
If we help people restore their capacity to regulate stress, they:
- Think more clearly
- React less
- Make wiser decisions
- Lead better families, teams, and organisations
Multiply that effect — and you change culture.
The Integrated Ascent & Adaptive Vitality
This led to the creation of The Integrated Ascent — a three-stage framework for building Adaptive Vitality:
- Biological Foundation – restoring the body’s capacity to recover
- Behavioural Capacity – building habits that hold under pressure
- Psychological & Spiritual Depth – accessing meaning, presence, and inner authority
This work integrates:
- Functional nutrition & metabolic health
- Behavioural mastery and habit architecture
- Nervous system regulation
- Psychological tools for inner authority
- Ancient wisdom applied through modern systems thinking
My Work Today
Today, my focus is on:
- Education
- Frameworks
- Writing
- Speaking
- Coaching and mentorship
- Online programmes and courses
All aimed at one outcome:
Helping people become regulated, resilient, responsible humans — capable of contributing to a healthier, more peaceful world.
A Closing Principle
If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
— Confucius
Peace does not begin in politics.
It begins in physiology.
Chris Pickard, BSc, DC
Founder of Adaptive Vitality
Creator of The Integrated Ascent
Looking to thrive under pressure — not just cope?
If you’re a high-performer struggling with:
• Chronic fatigue or fog
• Health that won’t stabilise
• Inconsistent habits under stress
• Loss of clarity, meaning, or direction
You may be missing Adaptive Vitality.
> Explore how The Integrated Ascent works
Book a Discovery Conversation
Looking to thrive under pressure — not just cope?
If you’re a high-performer struggling with:
• Chronic fatigue or fog
• Health that won’t stabilise
• Inconsistent habits under stress
• Loss of clarity, meaning, or direction
You may be missing Adaptive Vitality.
Explore how The Integrated Ascent works:
Book a Discovery Conversation
