Part 4 (final) – Living Beyond Expectations

….continued….

Science continues to discover new hormones and chemicals which act as neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers are constantly tweaking our cell’s performance. One of the hormones that we secrete has been named anandamide – the bliss hormone – ananda being a Sanskrit word meaning bliss.

When it locks onto the receptor on many of our cells it gives a positive message that encourages the cell to optimise its performance. It’s part of our body’s internal pharmacy of hormones and chemicals that improve and maintain our health. Why wouldn’t our body secrete self-healing, health maintaining hormones and chemicals to help fulfill its purpose ~ to house the spirit that is here to be realised?

We’re only just beginning to understand the contribution our feelings make through these chemical messages. We smile about people in love because the world looks different through lover’s eyes. We even say they’ve got stars in their eyes because people in love have a sparkle about them. The chemicals of love and joy tingle in our bodies and give a sense of peace and wellbeing.

It’s obvious by the lines on our faces which emotions visit their most frequently. Those who live in the present and are content and peaceful have an aura of joy about them. They are spontaneous and available to fully experience the present moment. Their minds are uncluttered by unresolved issues or perceived threats to their peace.

The chemicals of joy, peace, love, contentment and bliss are powerful immune and health enhancers whilst the chemicals of fear, blame, resentment, entrapment, hopelessness, anxiety, stress and powerlessness are not.

We need to honour and listen to this wise inner voice because it is our greatest asset in life. It is the voice of our creative spirit and the guiding light for our journey to full consciousness. It is in the presence of this intuitive self that we feel a deep sense of connectedness to that which is sacred within us.

We don’t heal from something we resist or fear we heal into that which we more deeply desire.

Healing requires that we’re willing to examine every belief, judgment, value, desire, inhibition, expectation and assumption we hold. In time, we discard everything but those things that we find true in their depths.

To aim for a cure requires the same kind of thinking processes that we use when we’re problem solving and not listening to our intuition. It is only focused on ridding ourselves of something. Yet, life is a process of unfolding rather than a finite state that we achieve. Curing is only about the finite state not the process. Healing addresses the whole person taking into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects thus leading to a deeper understanding and wisdom about our selves. After all life is not a competition to see who stays alive the longest. We value a life by the passion with which it was lived, by the love made evident, by the peace or joy given to others rather than its length.

In modern medicine a cure is normally considered an external medical intervention that reliably removes physical disease in most people. Whereas healing in contrast, is an inner movement towards wholeness and can take place at physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Most ancient healing traditions of medicine place their primary emphasis on this inner healing, on caring for the human soul, rather than on curing.

Real health is our capacity to embrace every moment, regardless of its challenges, with an open heart and a quiet mind. This definition of peace is embodied in the Four C’s: We regain a sense of control, choosing not to react from our history but making an appropriate response to the situation in which we find ourselves. This requires awareness and a desire to participate rather than feeling a helpless victim of our circumstance. We care enough to be committed to getting emotionally up to date with our life so that we can be here now ~ in the present moment. We have healthy priorities, are in clear communion with ourselves and have the capacity to communicate with our loved ones. We find our life positively challenging recognising that we’re here to grow in wisdom and our capacity to love and we make meaning of our suffering. We feel lovingly connected to those we share our life with and to our own spirit or we have a profound sense of connectedness.

When we desire to live with this sense of peace in our lives the outcome is guaranteed. Peace is always possible and regardless of the circumstances of our lives, peace becomes our reality. The living presence of these qualities creates the ideal environment in which physical healing can take place. If physical healing is not to be our lot then we still have peace. This is the peace that passes all understanding and which allows us to take our leave of life lightly if that is to be our pathway.

Petrea King

Petrea King

N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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Living Beyond Expectations – Part 1

The greatest antidote to cancer is to be fully engaged in living the life you came here to live. When we actively engage in a fulfilling life and take care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually then we create the ideal physiology in which our health can be maintained or regained.

Over the past twenty-five years I have worked with tens of thousands of people living with the impact that cancer has on their lives and who are looking to actively contribute to their own healing. Healing is different from curing. Curing focuses on the physical body. Healing focuses on the whole of the human being – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I know people who have been cured but are still in need of healing and people who have died healed of everything that ever stopped them from truly living. These are the paradoxes of healing.

When I first started working with people with cancer as a naturopath and meditation teacher, I shared with my clients my knowledge of nutrition, supplements, meditation and other healing therapies. Over the years as I saw many people regain their health I realised that there is no one pathway to health and healing. There is no one diet, no best meditation practice and no perfect supplement program for all people.

It became obvious to me that the people who were far outliving their prognosis or who attained unexpected remissions were not all doing the same things. They each found their own particular path to healing and in each case it was a pathway that was right for them. What these people all have in common is a way of being rather than doing. In this lies the key to profound healing.

Focusing only on the physical aspects of healing addresses only part of the problem of ill health. It is easy to focus on the aspects of healing that are involved in ‘doing’. Indeed we feel reassured when we are busy ‘doing’. But our doing can be at the expense of our being. The state of ‘being’ is described in the Four C’s. These four qualities of ‘being’ are usually found in people who attain unexpected remissions, who far outlive their doctor’s expectations or who are now entirely free of their disease when that was never expected. People don’t always do the same things but they generally all have these same qualities of being.

The state of being described in the Four C’s is a profoundly beneficial physiological state in which our bodies will do whatever healing is possible. A physiology of heightened fear, anxiety, agitation, disappointment, upset, depression and/or panic is less conducive to healing than one in which we feel calm, responsive, confident, capable, supported, loved, cared for and in which we feel able to make meaning of our experience and have healthy priorities that support our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

People who have these qualities described in the Four C’s do all kinds of things. They may seek second, third or fourth opinions. They may research their options. They may get their relationships up to date and find improved ways of communicating. They may forgive people or past wounds. They may improve their diet and research what vitamins or other supplements may be beneficial. They may meditate, practice tai chi, qui gong, yoga, exercise, drink juice, have intravenous vitamins, take antioxidants or seek counselling, psychotherapy or attend a psychosocial support group. They may pray, sing, paint or fulfill a long-held dream. They may deepen their relationship with themselves, with others or with animals or nature. They choose to make meaning of their experiences through the choices or decisions they make.

……. to be continued.

Petrea King

Petrea King
N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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Midlife – Crisis or Opportunity

Jane Ewins

I have been thinking about the number of people I am meeting at present in their 40’s and 50’s who are searching and often struggling to find answers to their version of two questions: “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” and “I feel like I have lost myself – who am I?”

I went through a similar search after finishing treatment for cancer. I was 44 and at the time hoping I’d make it to 50! I think significant crises like cancer, acute and chronic illnesses, car accidents etc often become a catalyst to reviewing our lives. It seems to me that approaching 50 and moving towards our 60’s also seems to trigger similar questions in increasing numbers of people. I guess that’s why “they” call it a midlife crisis!

There are apparently “logical” reasons for this including children leaving home, (or at least children paying board!), divorce, early retirement, retrenchment, reaching the top of the work-force chain in your chosen line of work, the death of a parent.

While some of the people I have spoken with may talk about one or more of those things as causing them anxiety or grief, without exception, these “causes” are far too simplistic and don’t scratch the surface of the “real” reasons. While they sense there is a deeper “reason” it is often hard to actually identify what is really going on under the surface. This can feel frustrating, because if we can’t properly identify the problem – how on earth do we “fix it”! This can feel like a never ending circle going round and round – no beginning – no end – no relief, or worse: a spiral going down and down, leading to deep depression.

From my own personal experience and through my work as a counselor and group facilitator I think what is happening may be described as an internal spiritual alarm -whispering to some, singing or screaming to others  “ So you’re halfway through life, how are you going to live the rest of it – you’re on the downhill slope? What is your life about?”

To recognize that we are not getting any younger and that “life waits for no (wo) man” can be an invigorating shake up if we choose to see it as an opportunity to take stock of our lives – see what we want to take with us – physically, emotionally and spiritually for the second half, discard what we don’t and become aware of what it is that provides the spark and enthusiasm to live the second half of our lives.

Some people may realise that their life is ok, but they have been taking it for granted and it only needs a bit of a polish – gratitude, and awareness of and recommitment to what is important. Others they may feel they need a personal renovation rescue team for their life!

There are many resources available to help us when we reach a crossroad whether it be the big 50, illness or crisis. In my experience the most important thing each of us can do is recognize and acknowledge that we are feeling challenged/scared/angry/depressed/uncertain/excited or whatever it is we are feeling, then depending on your religious and/or spiritual preferences trust and ask soul/god/Allah/the universe/your higher self for guidance on a regular basis and create at some quiet time in your life on a daily basis to still your mind.

There are many books, cds, workshops and programs that can support you in finding, perhaps it is more appropriate to say – creating- the answers to your questions. Those answers are yours and yours alone. Others can support and encourage you through sharing what they have learned and experienced, but only you can decide what is right for you.

Midlife can be a wonderful opportunity to explore our untapped or underutilized creativity, interests and wisdom. We may be getting looser skin, greyer hair, senior memory moments – but we still have a lot of living to do. My mother gave me a card on my 16^th birthday which said “to thyne own self be true”….the crises in my life have been important to help me do that. We often hear “ If I only knew then what I now…” We can’t change or go back to “then”, but we can choose to live the days ahead well in ways that develop and express love, understanding and awareness for ourselves and contribute.

Jane Ewins

Jane is a counselor and group facilitator. She spent the first 20 years of her working life as a marketing and communications executive. Jane was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2002 and faced many challenges adjusting to the changes following her diagnosis and treatment. Her experience inspired her to become a counselor, facilitator and advocate.

Jane developed the popular ‘Living Well after Cancer” program for the NSW Cancer Council. She has also developed education programs for several other not-for-profit organizations on issues including parenting after separation, conflict resolution, self esteem, and stress management. Jane has worked as a family relationship counselor. She currently counsels and supports carers in the Shoalhaven, NSW in addition to her own private counseling practice. She is also writing a book about the challenges and opportunities of life after cancer.

Jane Facilitates the Quest for Life program and other programs that support the Quest for Life community.

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Vivacious and Healthy Breasts

Michelle Richmond

Supermarket shelves, TV screens and bill boards  are splattered with pink ribbons, whilst statistics report one in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85, however little is shared on how to keep your breasts ‘Vivacious and Healthy’.

Our busy lives and the daily pressures of being a mother, daughter, partner, wife, friend and income producer often sees our daily routine encompassing little more than hair and makeup, as our breasts are tucked away or perked up in the latest ‘wonder bra’ hardly getting a second look in, unless something goes wrong.

It may sound too simple to be true however 30%-50% of breast cancer could be prevented with a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. The human body knows exactly how to take care of itself when given the right tools and by creating the right environment.

Girls, it’s time to be proactive and add a little verve to your breasts for your own health, vitality and longevity. Personal development guru’s encourage being in the flow and that’s exactly what’s needed to create healthy, perky breasts. High levels of stress, emotional, mental and physical congestion and toxicity all contribute to a less than healthy breast tissue.

A recent study found that women who wear a bra 24 hours a day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetimes. The tissue around the breasts, neck, shoulders, and arm pits contain the lymph system which unlike the vascular system does not have a pumping station, relying on movement and breath to rid the body of nasty toxins. So along with your shoes, fling your bra off at the door.

As stress is a major contributor to disease, rather than adding a few more things to that already over sized list, become present and choose to take advantage of existing moments of time to self nurture and create flow.

Tips to Vivacious Breasts:

• Regular breast massage helps to improve circulation and lymph drainage; it decreases symptoms of PMS, menopause and menstrual cramps, and decreases the discomfort from pregnancy and breast feeding.

Take 10 minutes a day a little Almond Oil or other natural oil and using the flat of your fingers use small circular movements, around the breast, armpits, and shoulder blades. A relaxing thing to do when in bed at night whilst focusing on things that you are grateful for throughout the day, thus calming your neurology and physiology before sleeping.

• Where there’s movement in your body, there’s movement in your life. Dr Finn Skott Anderson from the Humlegaarden Clinic in Germany says Exercise, Exercise, Exercise is essential to heal cancer. What heals must prevent. Bushing walking, sport, gardening, yoga, dancing.  Meet your girlfriend or colleague at the beach or park and go for a walk to discuss business instead of at a coffee shop or office.

• Choose to still the mind by focusing on breath or an affirmation whilst walking, exercising, sitting  on the bus, in traffic, when going to sleep, taking a shower become present with your body, your environment, your breath.
• Increase lymphatic movement and relax the mind with long slow breathing through the nose down into the pelvis – can be done whilst sitting on the train, at the traffic lights, waiting for a meeting or to pick the kids up from school.
• Avoid seafood, which is farmed, including prawns, barramundi and salmon. And commercially farmed chicken and eggs.  Organic is always best.
• Drink filtered water, not from plastic bottles.
• Never use plastic when micro waving, only glass.  This includes plastic wrap which when heated releases sexo-estrogens into the heated produce. Avoid micro waves if possible.
• Choose organic live foods, greens and high enzyme foods. If not ensure you wash your vege’s in apple cider vinegar and peel the fruit or vegetable well. Foods which have anti cancer benefits; broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips garlic, onions, cabbage, cherries, beans, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, winter squash, yams, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, citrus, grapes, walnuts, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates, tomatoes, carrots, guava, ruby red grapefruit, watermelon, green tea, nuts, seeds, especially flax seed.
• Never believe a pesticide is safe.
• Use non toxic hair, skin and household cleaning products – It is known that the breasts can store quite high levels of toxins from our environment. Studies of human breast milk have shown a quite alarming tendency for traces of household cleaning products to be present for example. It is believed that there could be a connection with the onset of breast disease from these toxins.
• Do what you love and love what you do – you might not always like what you have to do in a day, you can complain about it or look at the benefit … find the benefit, the blessing and change the colour of your day.

Ghandi said ‘Be the change you want to be in the world and watch the world change around you’ … next time you see a pink ribbon or a cancer statistics ask yourself ‘Have I put a little verve in my day and done my bit to lower breast cancer statistics?’

You’re truly worth it.

Michelle Richmond

Michelle Richmond is an innovator of holistic health, wellbeing and personal change management. In her previous role as CEO of the Asher Institute of Integrative Medicine Foundation, she has mentored 1000’s of people seeking a deeper understanding of an integrative approach to wellness. She combines research into Human Behaviour, Business Intuition, The New Sciences Quantum Physics, Energy Medicine and Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence. As a teacher and presenter Michelle is a natural; her presentations utilise a well tested understanding of what inspires people to make change in their lives. Michelle is a published writer, she consults in a private practice to individuals and is a Director of; energy at work – Corporate Wellness Strategies’. ‘WR business Enlightenment’ and maxAwareness.com an on line educational membership hub and a Founding Trustee for the Children’s Neuro Development Research Foundation. http://www.michellerichmond.com.au

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Meaning and Purpose or Enjoying Life

Jane Ewins

I met an amazing man the other day and it got me thinking about what is it that gives us meaning and purpose in our lives, and how important it is.

Five years ago this man had several radical surgeries to cut out cancers from his face, mouth and neck. He is now unable to eat or drink through his mouth. He has no voice box any more. He has not tasted food or liquids for over 5 years. Life as he had experienced it for over half a century has changed in so many ways.

He now uses a portable typing machine that translates his one-fingered typing into his new American-accented voice. He has considerable facial disfiguration, breaths through a hole in his neck and eats and drinks through a tube in his stomach.

We had a wonderful conversation about how he still enjoys life. He had a sparkle in his eyes I have seldom seen in anyone. He said his eyes have become a major way of expression and punctuate his typing. He told me that before he had cancer his eyes showed no emotion, but now he agreed, they were in deed the window to (and from) his soul.

I asked whether he would let me interview him about his experiences and philosophy of living after cancer treatment for a book I am writing. He excitedly agreed and said he would also send me some of his writings. The writings are private, but I was brought to tears and humbled by the generosity of spirit of this man whose current major disappointment is due to his geographical isolation he is limited in the amount of connection and inspiration he can offer other people experiencing a journey similar to his own.

He finds pleasure and meaning in being with family and friends, fishing and his animals. He appreciates getting up in the morning!

I also had cancer about 7 years ago now and have had, and still have to some extent, my own emotional, physical and spiritual ups and downs.

“Listening” to this man reminded me what gives my life meaning and purpose: simply enjoying “being” here on earth, experiencing a sense of connection with others – not just friends and family, but people like this man, who cross my path for a time, enjoying nature in all its moods, and supporting others in any way I can to experience peaceful and meaningful lives.

When I was diagnosed with cancer I read Petrea’s book “Quest for Life”. I was struggling at that time with thinking that if only I could only figure out what I had done “wrong” I could stop cancer from coming back. She wrote that for her it’s not about living the longest life, but living each day well.

That was a huge “ah ha” moment for me and became the turning point of my healing. Whether I survived cancer or not was no longer the major issue. (Of course I was happy to stay alive!)

Living each day well in ways that are important and significant to me creates meaning and joy. This courageous man reminded me of that as he endeavours to do the same.

Just goes to show that we don’t have to be perfect, we can have bits of us missing, cut out, burned up, not working properly and still enjoy life!

Jane Ewins

Jane is a counselor and group facilitator. She spent the first 20 years of her working life as a marketing and communications executive. Jane was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2002 and faced many challenges adjusting to the changes following her diagnosis and treatment. Her experience inspired her to become a counselor, facilitator and advocate.

Jane developed the popular ‘Living Well after Cancer” program for the NSW Cancer Council. She has also developed education programs for several other not-for-profit organizations on issues including parenting after separation, conflict resolution, self esteem, and stress management. Jane has worked as a family relationship counselor. She currently counsels and supports carers in the Shoalhaven, NSW in addition to her own private counseling practice. She is also writing a book about the challenges and opportunities of life after cancer.

Jane Facilitates the Quest for Life program and other programs that support the Quest for Life community.

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