Your body has the ability to heal itself. Do you have the courage to listen to it?
After my 2nd round of chemo last week, I was listening to a compassionate body scan meditation (https://meditationforbreastcancer.org/). I was guided to rest in the resilience and natural healing intelligence of my body. The reminder that we carry an innate intelligence to stay healthy and balanced really resonated with me. When you receive a cancer diagnosis, you feel a bit betrayed by your body – some of your cells go rogue and your immune defenses fail to recognize the abnormal behavior. And then to “fight” cancer, you cut out the cells and surrounding tissue and overwhelm it with chemicals and maybe add on some radiation treatments for good measure. This whole process can feel disempowering and it creates a natural disconnection to the intuitive healing intelligence that lies within. So the reminder that my body does know how to heal itself is a powerful concept to me. To remember and cultivate that intelligence makes me feel that I am working in conjunction with my body and not against it – and that my body is working with me. The balance, the intuition, and the beautiful dance of that connection is something that we can see all around us in our natural world. But we have forgotten that we have it within since we have moved away from a close symbiotic relationship with nature.
In our western world, we view nature as separate from us. The dictionary defines nature as the phenomena of the physical world — including plants, animals and the landscape — as opposed to humans and human creations. The word “nature” means everything that is not human, and anthropologists have pointed out that this is a concept specific to Western cultures. But for indigenous cultures whose way of life is intrinsically woven into the natural world, it is viewed as a sacred, interconnected entity. So closely tied to our own beings that when we cut ourselves off from nature, our own balance is thrown off. And when that balance is thrown off, we get sick – mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, energetically. There are many humans out there that are suffering on a deep level. And it is not a coincidence this is happening in a time where our earth is sick too. The disconnect we have from nature is hurting the earth as well.
Ever since my diagnosis, I have felt a stronger pull than usual to be immersed in the natural world. Being outside, in the fresh air, bathing in the green expansiveness feels very healing. This desire to be outside is something that I almost feel powerless against. This need is deep in my bones. In my soul. And it turns out that this may be my body’s natural intelligence talking to me, guiding me to incorporate the powerful healing powers of nature. Turns out that time spent in nature has been associated with increased expression of anti-cancer proteins and natural killer (NK) cells– immune cells that can kill tumor cells or cells infected with viruses. When you are out in a forest and you take a breath of fresh air, you breathe in phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants give off to protect themselves from insects. Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities which help plants fight disease. When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number and activity of our NK cells.
When I pause and think of nature and its ability to heal and survive after it has sustained damage, I feel a deep connection to that natural cycle of rebirth. New beautiful, green growth emerging from a tree stump after it was cut down. The power of a root to push through concrete or stone covering. That same desire to heal and grow back stronger flows through our bodies as well. I personally experienced it after my mastectomy. The surgeon cut open my chest, removed my breast, and sewed me back up. But my body had to do the real work of healing – my tissues had to grow back together, and they did so in a healthy manner even with a foreign object, an implant, in their way. Truly miraculous.
The intuitive healing ability that lies in all of us is something we have lost faith in to today in our modern western world. And it is not a coincidence this is happening in a time where we have decided that nature is something to be controlled and manipulated instead of revered. We have forgotten how to live in nature, to learn from nature. The holistic manner in which the natural world operates is a window into how we should view our health. We are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings. If you do not care for all of these components that make us whole, you are jeopardizing your health., The beautiful thing about nature is that it is good for all parts of us. Movement outside can lower blood pressure and help us maintain a healthy weight. It has been proven that being outside helps to calm your central nervous system and encourage the release of feel good hormones, thus reducing stress levels. And there is a divine presence to nature. Watching a sunrise or a sunset, seeing a starry night, or a breathtaking vista or a mountain. A spiritual feeling of awe and reverence that is visceral. This is your body connecting to an ancient part of yourself that feels like home. That takes comfort in the familiarity and the interconnectedness of being immersed in the expansiveness and intelligence of the natural world.
As I continue on this cancer journey and keep an open, curious mindset to all that I may learn, I can’t help but feel a remembering of all the knowledge that I already have within. A remembrance that I have the ability to heal what is hurt and broken. That I have a deeper connection to the earth, one that not very long ago, my ancestors knew in their daily lives. And when that connection is revered and respected we can cultivate balance with our own health and vitality.
