TIDINGS THAT INSPIRE
Spontaneous Healing
By Jennifer Mwangangi-Ayoti
T
he body has the ability to heal
itself. How? I was preparing for a
health talk last week to do with
mind/body connection when it comes to
healing. The talk required a lot of research
and that’s how I stumbled on Kelly
Turners research on radical remissions;
How people’s spiritual, emotional, mental
and physical aspects bring their ailments
into remission.
Her work was inspired by Andrew Weil
who believes that each one of us was
created with a natural healing system.
Drawing on fascinating case histories as
well as medical techniques from around
the world, Dr. Andrew Weil shows how
spontaneous healing has worked to
resolve life-threatening diseases, severe
trauma, and chronic pain.
Why did I find this study fascinating
you may ask? Well, during the study,
Kelly identified more than seventy-five
factors that cancer survivors said they
used as a part of their healing journey.
Nine of these factors were used by almost
every one of them. These were: Radically
changing your diet; Taking control of
your health [My personal favorite as I
have heard it described as an important
element by so many empowered patients];
Following your intuition; Using herbs
and supplements [Kelly is careful to
state that this should be done under a
doctor’s supervision]; Increasing positive
emotions; Embracing social support;
Deepening your spiritual connection; and
Having strong reasons for living.
Now I know Kellys research was based on
cancer patients; however, this study was
able to shine a light on healing tactics that
can and probably should be employed by
anyone facing a serious illness. In fact,
most of these tactics are ones that healthy
people should use too. Look at the factors
listed once again and you will be amazed
that only two factors are physical, the rest
touch on mind, emotional and spiritual
aspects. The strong connection between
the mind and the body cannot be ignored.
Susan’s story
Kelly uses case stories to illustrate how
the people she interviewed used each of
the nine key factors listed above. Under
the Intuition factor, Susan, was diagnosed
with late-stage pancreatic cancer with
metastases to the lungs. She was told that
she probably only had a year or two to
live. As her doctors were explaining that
We all need to start treating our bodies with
respect; we must start feeding our minds
with joy, gratitude, nutritious food and all
positive vibes because the mind and the
body speak. They communicate deeply.
Your thoughts will affect emotions and vice
versa.
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she needed immediate surgery, followed
by chemotherapy and radiation, she heard
a voice telling her this was not what she
needed to do.
In her words: “At that diagnosis, I was
sitting on the [examination] table and I -
are you ready for this one? I heard a little
voice in my head! I had never heard voices
before. But I heard a voice that said. Not
that way, not this time. [My doctor] told
me that the diagnosis was very serious and
that I needed to follow his exact rules and
guidelines in order to get myself better.
If not, I did not have a good prognosis.
I smiled then, because a yoga teacher had
once told me that if you smile, you can
sense danger fifty feet away. The smile
incensed the doctor, at which point he
became verbose and authoritarian. That’s
when I knew that the danger was there
- in that diagnosis, in that office. I never
told him that I was not going to do what
he recommended. I simply slipped from
the table and left the office”.
Susan set about changing her habits and
applying the other factors listed above to
various degrees. She is symptom-free five
years after her diagnosis, but she has not
confirmed the disappearance of her cancer
with medical imaging, such as MRI or CT
I speak a lot about the importance of self
love and how it relates to our wellbeing.
Choosing to eat what nourishes your body,
having massages, choosing to forgive,
being in nature more often, hydrating
your body, choosing to let go of what you
cannot change among others are all forms
of self-love.
How do you learn to love yourself?" Now
that's a good question; most of us don't
know. The first place to begin is to just
notice how you relate to your body's
physical needs in general. Start listening
to your body.
Remember every time you stay up just
a little longer when you need to sleep
(because you have a deadline), or "hold it"
when you really have to pee; rush through
breakfast or lunch (not chewing your
food) so that you can attend to a call/
email/meeting etc. you send the message
to your body that it's not important. That
we are not important. Then we expect the
body to perform for us, like a dog doing
tricks. That’s how we end up getting sick.
The body/mind/spirit just shuts down.
I totally love the nine key factors
highlighted in Kelly’s research. It’s a great
reminder that we all need to start treating
our bodies with respect; we must start
feeding our minds with joy, gratitude,
nutritious food and all positive vibes
because the mind and the body speak.
They communicate deeply. Your thoughts
will affect emotions/state and vice versa.
Listen to your intuition; this will not
happen if your body always feels rushed.
You need to be present; here; now. Invest
and cultivate your relationships - this
is your social support which is key for
your wellbeing. Deepen your spiritual
connection, incorporate herbs and spices
in your food - great immune boosters.
Here is a challenge for you for the next
7 days. At the end of the day before you
go to bed, get a piece of paper (I use a
journal) and write a thank you note. Give
thanks for life and allow your body to
feel the gratitude. Part of the research
highlighted that there are about 1200
different chemical reactions that go on in
the body that begin to restore and repair
the body in a state of gratitude. So, take
only 10 minutes, and just feel it with all
your heart, that’s it!
Oh wait one last thing. Take a moment
during the day. Be still, Close your eyes
and just breath. Become aware of the
space around you and just sense it. This
act of opening your awareness begins to
reduce the stress hormones and creates
more coherent brain waves states. Its
amazing. Its healing.
I hope you are inspired to read more
about the mind/body connection. Kelly
has written a book - Radical Remission.
Whether you are a person whose life is
touched by cancer or not, I think you will
find her book a fascinating read.
Start paying attention to your body’s
intelligence and experience spontaneous
healing.
Jennifer Mwangangi-Ayoti is a
Chartered Marketer (UK), and a
seasoned Wellness Coach at Licial
Wellness. You can commune with
her on this or related issues via mail
at: [email protected]. You
can also visit the website at: www.
licialwellness.com.