Fresh Living

In addition to co-writing this blog and working at Beliefnet full-time, I’m writing a book. It’s about how I got through cancer five years ago with a combination of heavy-duty Western meds and all I knew from my personal and journalistic experience of yoga, meditation, non-religious spirituality, and alternative medicine.

Meaning, I had chemo and I also did yoga, drank green juice, got reiki and massage, practiced visualization, and attempted to have healing thoughts, accept love, and chill the eff out. Some of it worked really well, some of it not so much, and some of it will always be a an unquantifiable mystery. But today, I am well.

I’m looking to include stories from other survivors to enrich this book and make it most helpful to people–how did you or a loved one heal from cancer? Not just physically, but spiritually, energetically, mentally, emotionally? Do you have stories, anecdotes, favorite quotes, books, lessons? I’m delving into things like surrender, letting go, meditation, yoga, silence, gratitude, Buddhist teachings, relating to pain and suffering as a teacher, and what it means to truly heal–turning shit into sunshine, if you’ll pardon my English.

How did you/they do it? And bonus follow-up: How are you different today?

Thanks–your voices are very welcome. You can also drop me a note if that works better. valerie AT valeriereiss DOTCOM.

Blessings.

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I haven’t been writing about the oil spill in the Gulf because, frankly, every time I think of it I feel such a deep sense of overwhelming, immobilizing sadness and anger. But this prayer from Dr. Masaru Emoto, the author of “The Hidden Messages in Water” inspired me today.

He’s the Japanese scientist who has researched and written about how our thoughts and words affect the molecular structure water. For example, water vessels covered with the word “love” freeze into symmetrical, beautiful crystals, and those covered in words like “hate” create deformed, uneven structures. Whether you’re skeptical or not, it’s really pretty amazing to think about.

In addition to anything else you might be doing to help the situation–from boycotting BP to going down there to help–we can all say this prayer a couple of times a day. Or at least when we think of the spill, instead of sending our worry energy, we can be mindful to send loving, grateful heart energy. That’s what I’m working on. 

“Now let’s give energy of love and gratitude to the waters and all the living creatures in Mexico Gulf by praying like this:

To the water, whales, dolphins, pelicans, fishes, shellfishes, planktons, corals, algae and all creatures in our Gulf of Mexico:

I apologize.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.”

- Dr. Masaru Emoto

Amen

For more: Dr. Masaru Emoto’s website

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I’m almost through editing a new Beliefnet feature that’s currently titled “How to Put Boundaries Around Worry,” and….yeah.  This passage from the introduction might just become my new mantra.  Try reading this out loud to yourself in a (lovingly) strong tone of voice: 

“The act of worrying is an obsessive, habitual behavior–and one you can give up.  But before you can give it up, you must accept that the act of worrying serves no purpose.

Worrying is stealing your energy, fatiguing your muscles and body, exacerbating your aches and pains, increasing your vulnerability to stress and infection, distracting you from the present, interfering with your sleep, inappropriately increasing or decreasing your appetite, and keeping you from more pleasurable or important tasks.

It’s time to recognize that the act of worrying serves no purpose.”

Wow.  Yes, ma’am. 

As the gallery will explain, the key is to distinguish “worry” from “realistic concern,” and not put any eggs into worry’s basket.  Not easy.  But can you imagine your life–and brain–if you could accomplish that?

(image via: http://www.bellasugar.com/)

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