Do not go gentle into that good night

I think when you hear that first diagnosis, “you have cancer”, there’s a part of us that is screaming, I don’t want to die! I’m not ready for that.
Then we quickly realize, cancer is not a death sentence. It is possible to survive it and thrive in life. In my case, I expect it to be only a temporary inconvenience but also deeply know it will be life changing for me.

Which brings me to Dylan Thomas. I love his looking into the face of that great unknown and basically saying “Bite me”. In my case, I am not raging but in the attitude of Norman Cousins, I have decided to “Laugh, laugh against the dying of the light”. Especially now that I know there is no dying of the light…it is just getting brighter.

Norman (I like getting on first name basis with people…even if they are no longer with us) basically laughed his way to health from a death threatening illness….along with super mega doses of Vitamin C. I’m not pushing his book but if you want to look at a different perspective on healing, take a look at “Anatomy of An Illness”. It is quite amazing. Norman found that for every 10 minutes of deep laughter, he could have 2 hours of deep, natural, drug free sleep. It is very healing…the laughter and the sleep. I am experimenting with the concept of it now. Working on laughing. Hey if I can get healthy watching comedies on television and on film, that’s a discipline I can embrace. So, when I say, I have a healing therapy I have to go to, you’ll have to wonder, am I just watching TV? I have to control myself at this point to not morph into a movie review blog but I love Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin in “All of Me”. If you want a good healing laugh, it’s great. See, I brought it back to healing.

“Laugh and the world laughs with you”

I am inserting here a laughter link from the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. The Mayo Clinic is one of the top hospitals and health organizations in the world. As well, many Yogis are familiar with the benefits of Laughter Yoga. It may sound like a joke, but that is the point….laugh!!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

There is stress relief in laughter and believe me, having cancer can be stressful. A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data are mounting about the positive things laughter can do.

As I Lay Here Laughing…

So, as I lay here laughing (sounds like William Faulkner but with a better ending), I am still dealing with the patience thing. I have a few weeks before my surgery. OMG, I forgot to tell you, I have a date for my surgery!!! March 21, the spring equinox! Nice cosmic date for new beginnings! I like the connection. And I am saying my goodbyes to Tiny. In the beautiful voice of Ella Fitzgerald:
Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye-bye, TINY!

I have some time now before my surgery, but little energy and a good dose of discomfort…so again, what to do. And here comes Hilda….”work on your core vitality”. I knew at some point we’d have to get to this. We’ve talked about Mind and Spirit and how to keep those in a good healing space but I haven’t discussed much about the body. What am I doing there?

Well, I want to keep this conversation on the healing and positive energetic aspects of my physical self and not a big discussion about my pathology. As we say, we are where our attention and focus take us. So, I am focusing on my excellent vitality, health and healing. I realize before my surgery, I want to build my life energy as strong as I can. In these past few weeks, I have lost almost 18 pounds (8 kg) and with that a lot of energy. This could be a lead into a weight loss program, “Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How”, although this is not a program I would recommend.

I have received so much input in this area as well. Some of it I put in the “I can do that” category and some of it I put on hold for the “Wacky and Desperate” category. I hope I don’t have to go there. I am using Hilda as my touchstone on this and she’s been a good guide.

So here are a few things. Eat an alkaline plant based diet. Drop the following: refined sugar (no fun, boo hoo), processed wheat, animal products except cultured foods like quark (I don’t know what that is yet) or full fat yogurt. Avoid gluten (80% there…I’m using the “avoid” qualifier rather than absolutely no…it gives me a little guilt-free space). I am also taking Flax Seed and Flax Seed Oil, Goji berries, Chia Seeds, coconut oil and getting into fresh daily vegetable juicing, and morning fruit smoothies with Green Super Food (again, I don’t know what that is exactly but it is very green and a little gnarly).

As well, I am dosing up on my vitamins especially Vitamin B for stress, Vitamin C and Vitamin D. I also take a good multiple vitamin for good measure and I am taking non-dairy probiotics for the anti-biotics I have recently had to take and the ones I know are coming.

I am already a vegetarian, don’t smoke and don’t drink so I really didn’t have to change too much although I have been called the Coca Cola Yogi…I miss my Coke…it’s like I’ve been listening to that line “Things go better with Coke” for so many years it’s just in there. And here in Italy, they have regular caffeine free Coke…what an invention! But it’s off the menu.

So, I am adjusting my diet to get more alkaline. Alkalinity is a pH thing for those of you who may not know. Things are either acid with a low pH factor or alkaline (or basic) with a higher pH factor above 7 pH. The body is naturally alkaline so when we are more alkaline we are more in alignment with our natural state of healthy balance and healing. It helps. Diet makes a big impact on our alkalinity and therefore natural healing balance. As well, I am doing a whole Homeopathic program for cancer. That’s a bit complicated and I can discuss that in another blog entry. I want to keep these short so you will read them.

Along with the above, I am doing some awesome Relaxation – Visualization – Body Scan deep relaxing as well as continued meditations and pranayama (1 minute breath, breath of fire, and breath of 10) as well as some yoga…a little limited due to lower abdominal discomfort but slowly expanding in that as I find modifications. ) And when the weather is good, walks in the sunshine.

So, that is me for the moment. I feel so very honored to able to share this with you. It is an opportunity to teach some but it is also so very powerfully healing for me. Thank you for joining me in this journey. Your support gives me great strength and courage.

Love to All, Light to All, Peace to All,
Sada Sat Singh