February 4th is World Cancer Day. Take a moment to send love to everyone whose lives have been touched by cancer. That’s just about all of us.
Cancer crashed into my life, uninvited and unwanted. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I went through all five stages of grief and loss:
Bargaining- if only I hadn’t eaten those foods or said those mean things about my ex
Depression – sometimes you just have to cry
Acceptance- ok now let’s get on with this journey
After the initial shock faded, I shifted gears and made a decision to treat myself with LOVE. Instead of seeing cancer as a battle to be fought, I looked at cancer as a message to decipher, a lesson to learn.
I turned to my therapist. Psychotherapy has the power to unburden your soul and free your spirit. It can help you develop new life skills, access intuition, and process trauma. Don’t forget the day-to-day s**t that happens to us all. Everyone needs someone to talk to!
I examined my life to find a reason for cancer. I knew I wasn’t being punished, yet I felt shame about old resentments, and eating the “wrong” foods. I had some emotional debris to clear. Awareness of where I came from led me to awareness of where I wanted to go.
Cancer taught me to love my body. I began to pay sharp attention to all aspects of self-care: emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual. I set an intention to treat myself and everyone around me with lovingkindness. I started juicing and eating organic foods. I practiced allowing my feelings to surface and feeling them without judgment. I noticed how focusing on breathing, sensing, and being. rather than doing could shift uncomfortable feelings to self-acceptance.
Most importantly, I kept on loving myself even in the bleakest moments.
I help people who struggle with trauma.