I’m driving to work this morning, listening to holiday
music. The sun is shining brightly. It's a beautiful day. There’s a herd of
deer grazing in the sunlight next to a white rail fence. I’m suddenly filled
with emotion; it strikes me how peaceful and wondrous the sight is.
I’d like to challenge you today to see if you can experience
the sensual in every moment.
What I mean is, to really see and feel clearly.Become open to smells in the air, the food you
eat. Be open to touch. Notice what it feels like to be in your body. Notice the taste of things.
Slow down. Smell
the food, taste it with the tip of the tongue and then let the taste permeate
other regions. Different tastes occur on different parts of the tongue. Some
tastes stimulate the tip of the tongue, some on the side of the tongue and some
in the middle of the tongue and some in the back of the tongue. Ayurveda
recognizes 6 tastes. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.Take time to notice, where do you taste your
food? How does it feel in the mouth and on the tongue?
This is sensual. Can you heighten your senses in moving
throughout the day? We are told that the blind have a sharper sense of hearing,
smell, taste and observation. They are not blinded by mere sight.
How
can you fully experience what it feels like to live on this earth in your unique body?
Here’s to the holiday music and to a sensual holiday season!
I plan to spend as much time as possible with my grandson. Is there anything more precious then the scent and feel of a baby?
Carpe Diem!
Lisa
PS, My gift to you are my favorite Holiday desserts. Click HERE if you don't have them already.
About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN
Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker and coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.
She is also the Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven step process towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.
Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.
You can own your cancer or you can own your life…your
choice.
This sentence strikes hard for me. As I’ve been immersed in cancer
the last several years, both personally and professionally, there is one thing
I’ve noticed. Those that refuse to own their diagnosis, heal.
You are not your diagnosis. You are not whatever label
family or society may give you. You are your own unique self and you are far
more powerful than your family, society or doctor will let on.
You have the power to
heal from within.
The power of your mind is profound. The power on your plate
is profound.
According to Dr Kelly Turner, after radically changing your
diet, the #2 most powerful common trait amongst those who’ve achieved Radical Remissions is taking
control of your health.She describes
this in three parts: not being passive, willingness to change, and dealing with
resistance.
All of this takes real courage…to go against the grain…to
know and believe that you are not a statistic, not a number, but a unique individual. Yes, it is easier to remain passive; to do
what the doctor tells you to do; to be the good girl or boy. Sure, everyone
resists change. Yes, it takes great courage to question your doctor or not
worry what others think of your decisions.
Those who achieve radical remissions
refuse to believe in the statistics. The patient who takes healing into their
own hands, often will find resistance from the medical community.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is facing the fear and moving forward in spite of it. We either react out of fear or we respond out of love. I'm talking about self love and self preservation. What is the most loving choice you can make for your unique body?
Dr. Turner describes Shin, a Japanese gentlemen who was sent home
to die after doing surgery, radiation and chemotherapy for his renal cell
carcinoma. He then started to take control of his own healing. First, he followed his
sense of smell and realized his tap water was making him ill.
He did simple
solutions. He consumed only clean water, he learned to breathe deeply, he fasted and employed high
dose IV nutrition so his digestive organs could heal. He practiced and
experienced gratitude. He faced his fear of dying and replaced it with immense
gratitude for each day he was able to breathe. Shin discovered how to open up
his chakras (energy centers) in his body.He rediscovered his love for music. He practiced deep healing breathwork
and immersed his body in oxygen and exhaled toxic waste.
Shin did just the opposite of conventional
medicine. Instead of declaring war on his body, he sent love to his
tumors.He realized that his lifestyle
and toxicity played a role in his cancer development and he chose to treat his
body like a wounded child. He felt that this was his baby that he created
and needed to nurture and heal.To
his pain he said,
“Thank you very much for saying you are hurting. I love you,
my child.” I touched this (points to his kidney) and said to my cancer, “I love
you, I love you, I love you.” And pain decreased! That’s why I sent love to my
cancer always, from morning till night…Unconditional love, that’s unconditional
love. I said (to it). “Thank you very much for existing.”
Shin has been full of love and cancer free since 1988.
My mission is to inspire wellness and empower you with education so you can trust and believe in the power to heal from within. Yesterday I completed my certification in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. This is a complete program to teach you how to identify hidden stressors while building health through fundamental principles. We don't treat, diagnose or cure you. In fact, no one can cure you. Your body cures itself, if you follow fundamental principles of building health.
We merely help you identify and remove the roadblocks.
One big roadblock to optimal health is fear. There is nothing so fearful in our society today than a cancer diagnosis. I know this intimately well. I started this blogpost after my daughter was diagnosed with lymphoma over 5 years ago. My goal is to help turn fear and overwhelm into empowerment.
Now her husband, Brad at 35 years old, has been diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer with metastasis to the lung, liver and the spine. It is very hard not to be in fear mode. I'm told that I can't possibly know this fear. What I do know is to find peace and joy, you have to overcome fear. To heal and repair, you have to move from "fight or flight" to "rest and repair." (See previous post)
Brad and Dana have started a website that includes a podcast that was originally started to discuss fear that interferes with the goal of fully living an authentic life. It was based on the movie. "Defending your Life"
Little did they know that Brad would indeed be defending his life. www.defendingyourlife.us
Every moment of every day we have choices on how to live our life. We can react out of fear or respond out of love. There can be tough choices that feel scary. There are so many conflicting thoughts and opinions. In the conventional world there are three tools, surgery, radiation and pharmaceutical drugs. The alternative world preaches radical changes in nutrition, detoxification, meditation and self-healing modalities. My goal is to bridge the gap.
You cannot create war on yourself and war on the body without rebuilding health as the foundation. (see previous post). My daughters oncologist said, "Getting rid of cancer is the easy part, keeping it gone and rebuilding health, is the challenge." This is why we must change the terrain that allows cancer to grow. We must detoxify the body, heal the gut and build up the immune system.
This is not about diet or deprivation. We must overcome this "no pain, no gain" mentality. Optimal health can and must be decadent and delicious or we will not stick with it. In today's fast pace world, we need support to "rest and digest."
Optimal Health is not complicated
How do you prioritize time for your own self healing? This is difficult when you are busy fighting in the war on cancer. Our pharmaceutical healthcare system is not set up to support rebuilding health. It does not pay for functional medicine testing, for health coaching, supplements, yoga or meditation. It does not yet recognize these vital fundamental principles to support a strong foundation for healing.
When Dana was diagnosed, we took a leap of faith and went to Arizona to an integrative program. My fear was that she would not survive chemotherapy in the winter in Detroit at 5'10" and 110 pounds. I believe we were right. Dana radically changed her diet and underwent multiple therapies including a few weeks of low dose chemotherapy. She got a clean Pet scan in 10 weeks. The proof is in the pudding. Unfortunately, none of it was covered by her insurance. We paid $70,000 out of pocket. We were fortunate to have this available.
Every cancer patient has the same dilemma. They can do everything in their power with conventional medicine to kill the cancer, but how to rebuild health? Unfortunately, our healthcare system is only based on killing cancer through surgery, radiation and drugs.
Health building strategies are not covered. Supplements, organic juices and food, bodywork, yoga, meditation, infrared, hyperbaric oxygen, nutritional IV therapy, detoxification methods, are all considered "value add" "nice to have" and not covered by insurance. I pray for the day when we have freedom of choice on how we spend our healthcare dollars.
In the meantime, my twin sister has started a new business and she and her partner are donating a percentage of their profits to helping others. Next Friday we are having a celebration to her business and fundraiser for Brad. As a reader, I invite you to join us, (but please RSVP!).
I've never asked for something from my followers. But it's the end of the year, if you are looking to give a personal gift please consider one for Brad. http://www.defendingyourlife.us/contribute.html
Here's a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh's book,
Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm
Without fear, we are able to see more clearly our connections to others.
Without fear, we have more room for understanding and communication.
Without fear, we are truly free.
Here's to courageous warriors who can take the Road Less Traveled.
Namaste. With Love & Gratitude,
Lisa
About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN
Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker and coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.
She is also the Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven step process towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.
Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.
