ALUNA TEMPLE MAGAZINE EDITION No4 'BRIDGES' | Page 27

I didn’t think I was sick: I thought I was starting to heal deep stuff, also related to my ancestors, family and to the grief I held for my mum’s death, for the toxicity I held in my system, as I used to abuse myself when I was younger (with drugs, unhealthy relationships, lack of self-love and self-esteem). Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a fast growing cancer of the lymphatic system, that gets basically clogged with toxins and is not able to support the immune system. I decided that this situation was going to be an adventure. I went to therapy, changed my diet, interrupted communication with my family (as at that time it was needed and part of the healing process, related also for me to keep my boundaries), enjoyed my bold head an wore huge earrings, got reflexology treatments, went to EFT sessions, rode the bike, hiked in snowy hills an most of all danced my socks off. I used to show up on the dance floor and some people would ask me if I was a Buddhist monk, they wouldn’t think I had cancer. The dance helped me stay fit, strong, have fun and gave me the gift of practicing being present and grounded in the body: that was a very important element, as I couldn’t afford to fall into the fears and anxieties related to chemo or the possibility do die. I decided to live day by day. I attended two intensive workshops with Susannah and Ya’Acov, dancing in each for more than a week. At the end of that journey I felt so confident in myself and in the natural capacity of the body to heal, that when I was called into the hospital for following the protocol and having radio, I refused and walked away. I have been cancer free ever since. Also drumming and using my voice have been powerful tools during my recovery, to reconnect to myself, to find my wisdom and ways to create and express myself. I started studying sound therapy, so that I could use it for myself and then to share my journey with others. Drumming and chanting made me feel centered, grounded, expanded and open. 27