Dancing with Cancer describes my personal experiences and the ways I faced the everyday reality and extreme challenges that followed a diagnosis of in-curable, treatable cancer. Sounds pretty daunting, huh… but actually it was one of the most fascinating, creative times of my life and I knew it had to be shared.
From the moment I learned of my diagnosis, my conscious choice to have the best recovery possible filled me with ideas to “manage the illness” and guide my life with cancer through the everyday moments of living. I found myself creating a mindset to optimize joy, creativity and healing that was amazingly empowering. I called this process Thought Work, reflecting the importance of conscious, active use of verbal and nonverbal activities to face the challenge and maximize healing potentials. As my days filled with Thought Work activities I focused on creative ways to ‘heal’ wounds, create tranquility and release the anger, fear, and frustrations that are part of the cancer patient’s world. I used Thought Work activities to actively support my conventional cancer treatment protocols, to regain my strength, transform my broken vertebra, enhance my mobility, and become empowered when I found myself weakened physically, mentally and emotionally.
Dancing with Cancer is for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer, whether as a patient or as someone who supports cancer patients either personally or professionally. Part I of the book presents my personal cancer story, and shows how Thought Work is put into practice. In Part II, the Thought Work tools are described in detail and include instructions for setting healing intentions, using mindful breathing, guided meditations, creative activities, reflective brainstorming and cultivating an attitude of gratitude and more. Examples of transformative art works, mine and those of others, appear in the book showing the benefit of creative self-expression. It is important to note that it is the doing, the process that matters, not the ‘beauty’ of the final product.
And why DANCING with Cancer? I love dancing. I love letting the music dance me … body and soul. For me - Dancing with Cancer - means being one’s most joyous and authentic during each moment of life, no matter what.