http://www.care2.com/greenliving/breast-cancer-dealing-with-the-diagnosis-holistically.html
Breast Cancer: Dealing With the Diagnosis Holistically
By David Simon, M.D., from Intent
In that moment you learn you have cancer, your life changes. Disbelief and dismay struggle for dominance in your awareness, activating a chemical cascade of stress hormones that flood your body, inciting you to fight or run. But unfortunately, unlike a stranger in a dimly lit alley, the source of your anxiety is not outside of yourself, and you feel betrayed by your own cells.
These reactions to learning you have cancer are natural. It’s a rare person who is able to casually navigate this turbulent sea. And yet, in the midst of this unwanted storm lies an opportunity for deep insight into life, for with the power inherent in your heart and mind, you can steer a course to a place of profound healing.
Upon learning of your condition, you must engage in the process of defining your illness and plotting a therapeutic strategy to address it. With this, a procession of questions arises: What more can I do to improve my outcome? How can I stimulate by inner healing response to maximize the benefit of my medical treatments? How can I be an active partner rather than a passive participant in my therapeutic journey? Staying centered in the midst of turbulence will enable you to make the best choices that support your healing process.
In Chinese, the word for crisis, Wei-ji, is a fusion of the symbols for danger and opportunity. Although no one consciously chooses to develop a serious illness, many people look back and see their challenge with cancer as the most important and meaningful experience of their life. The suggestion that this illness may at some point be seen as a gift may seem unimaginable, yet, with a new perspective, this unintended journey may yield opportunities for personal growth and wisdom that nourish your body, mind, and spirit in unprecedented ways. Your thoughts, emotions, and life choices are capable of creating an inner and outer healing environment.
Recognize that other than the new information that a few cells in your body are misbehaving, you are the same person you were before receiving the diagnosis. With modern medical care and the appropriate use of holistic interventions, your chances for living a long, disease-free life are greater than at any time in human history. Although the journey can be a little rocky, you can justifiably feel hopeful and confident that you will be a successful cancer graduate.
So right now, take a few slow deep breaths. Close your eyes and bring your attention into your body. Beginning with your toes, progressively relax the muscles in your legs, thighs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck and face. Now bring your attention to your breath and simply observe the inflow and outflow of your breath. When your awareness drifts away from your breath to thoughts or sensations, gently bring it back to your breathing. Simply allow yourself to disengage for 10 to 20 minutes a couple of times each day.
Scientific studies confirm that our natural immunity is enhanced when we can maintain a state of restful awareness. Our experience at the Chopra Center is that the regular practice of meditation provides the foundation for healing and transformation. Please take advantage of this subtle, yet powerful health promoting tool.
David Simon, M.D. is CEO, medical director, author, and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing (www.chopra.com). He is a board-certified neurologist and author of The Ten Commitments: Translating Good Intentions into Great Choices, Vital Energy, Wisdom of Healing, and Return to Wholeness: Embracing Body, Mind, and Spirit in the Face of Cancer.
For more breast cancer articles, go to Intent.com. Intent is a new site providing content and a community for who you aspire to be–personally, socially and globally.
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8 comments
add your comment »I take it no one that has commented or the author has had a cancer dx??!
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thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner
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I'm gratified to see someone besides myself talking about REAL prevention - not mammograms, etc., which are only diagnosis (and not that accurate at that).
My organization, Toxics Information Project (TIP), co-sponsored a talk on Environmental Connections to Breast Cancer a while back, featuring a speaker from the MA Breast Cancer Coalition. Check out some articles of possible interest on our website:
http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/factsheet/general/fs45.chemical.cfm
www.toxicsinfo.org/healthconnections/umassstudy.htm
www.toxicsinfo.org/healthconnections/breastcancer.htm
www.nomorebreastcancer.org.uk/chemical_carcinogens.html
Also, in response to the savvy person commenting on personal care products, there is much info online on safer cosmetics, especially the Skin Deep database www.cosmeticdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php
Also see: www.toxicsinfo.org/TIPS_personal.htm
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I'd like to see more articles on alternative cancer choices.
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It is so disheartening for me to hear of anyone who perishes from breast cancer or any other cancer for that matter - especially since I absolutely know beyond a shadow of a doubt that cancer can be prevented almost 100% of the time and can be cured well over 90% of the time by the greatest healer of them all - nature.
I am a natural health author, researcher and advocate as well as the host of two internet forums, and I know of what I speak and write. The war against cancer has been lost and is little more than a huge deception, especially when it comes to breast cancer - and mainstream medicine continues to cling to barbaric yet highly profitable treatments which center around trying to cut out, burn out or poison out the symptoms of cancer (tumors) without addressing the underlying causes or achieving a true cure that prevents the return of cancer.
For more information (all freely posted) I invite readers to take a look at the articles on http://www.tbyil.com/articles.htm - especially "Hiding the Truth About Losing the War on Cancer", "Modern Medicine versus Nature in Treating Cancer" and "A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol".
Live long, live healthy, live happy!
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My heart goes to all of the women w/ the dx of breast cancer. I lost both of my parents to cancer and empathize w/ what you are going through. I actually have left a28 yr career in critical care nursing to help people be proactive with their health. I work with a wellness company with toxin free products for the home. I now can offer free private duty nursing to those who need it and can't afford it. I am passionate about being proactive about cancer and helping others. nursenorris@comcast.net
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I would love to see more articles on preventing cancer in the first place. While the articles on dealing with it are wonderful, we need our health care to be based more on prevention & maintainence. Imagine the difference this would make to our children & their future wellness!
By raising our daughters, & sons, to be conscious about how their choices, from food, to exercise & lifestyle affect their lives they will have many advantages over the older generation.
Women need to be aware that foods containing growth hormones, preservatives, & other questionable ingredients are best avoided.
Also, many of the makeup lines, face creams & hand lotions, etc. have parabens which create an estrogenic effect that contribute to tumor development. Between those ingredients & our use of prescription birth control (yet another impact on the body's hormones) we have many contributing factors to be conscious about.
We have to get into the habit of reading labels & researching what our exposure levels to the many toxic ingredients which impact our health & the health of our families. I hope this information helps everyone to raise their awareness about the impacts our personal choices
have on our health & those around us.
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I think this is a wonderful article..I've always felt that the trial of disease (offers a huge opportunity, a triumph of spirit over the physical and huge personal growth. Knowing someone going through this, I see how the person is relying solely on chemo to do all the work without any lifestyle changes, reflection or personal growth, which I've always felt is a lost opportunity. I often think the personal/spiritual aspect of healing is neglected in western medicine. Ironically, I saw the person open to it, until they went on chemo and now is lazy about it...and not doing very well, I might add.
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