Probably the most significant difference you can make to your health is to take care of the underlying state of your spirit. When you are fully engaged in living a meaningful, authentic life which expresses who you are, the sense of well-being this generates affects the function of every tissue and cell of your body and you become well from the inside out.

Lawrence LeShan, a psychologist and one of the pioneers of holistic health, has spent over 40 years working with cancer patients. His approach is to explore the unique nature of each patient, to find out what gives them a passion for living, what is blocking them from expressing it and how they can move towards a full and zestful life. Approximately half of his 'hopeless', 'terminal' cases went into long term remission, many others far outlived their medical predictions and nearly all found this new style of living the most exciting and interesting time of their lives.

“For each individual the goal is different. Each person is seen as having a special song to sing; a special rhythm to beat out in terms of acting, reacting, relating and creating. When he sings his own song, he experiences a zest for life, an enjoyment of life, and a meaning in life.”

"Do not worry about what the world wants of you. Worry about what makes you come alive because what the world needs is people who are more alive."

From Cancer as a Turning Point by Lawrence LeShan

You don't have to wait to get ill before starting to enrich your life in this way and although working through the process with a professional therapist is usually more beneficial, you can make your own exploration, either by yourself or with a trusted friend or supportive group. It is usually best approached as an iterative process, each time you return to the questions you make a journey through deeper levels of yourself. Remember that it is an adventure not an examination with right or wrong answers. It's best approached in a meditative frame of mind, where you let the answers come to you rather than over-thinking them. The following questions are only offered as possibilities, you may have different ones and will have your own way of phrasing them. Perhaps you won't choose to use words at all and will decide that an artistic, musical or dance-based form of exploration expresses you better!

1. Exploring who you are

What are your special qualities? What are you good at doing? What are your personal values? What is most important to you in life? Which activities make you feel more alive and vibrant? What fires your enthusiasm? What is essential for your happiness? What ways of relating to other people do you most enjoy? What do you see as your life's purpose?

2. How could your life reflect this better?

How can you nurture the best in yourself? What way of living would be most natural and authentic for you? What would make the best use of your particular gifts? What would give you the most fulfillment? What would make you glad to get out of bed in the morning and sleep peacefully at night? Do your current relationships support your desire to change and grow? What are your ultimate goals and dreams?

3. What is blocking this expression?

• letting go of unresolved emotions

There is a saying in holistic medicine: 'what the mind represses, the body expresses'. An emotion produces chemical neuropeptides in the brain and body and as emotions are expressed the neuropeptides are discharged or metabolized and equilibrium is restored. Many people find it difficult to express certain kinds of feelings, such as anger, disappointment, guilt or grief which prevents the chemicals being released and they then become stuck in the body causing physiological change. We literally 'embody' the feelings we can't let go of. This ties up vital energy and compromises our immune systems. There are various ways of discharging the emotions either through counselling or body work such as massage or Reiki, or by actively choosing to forgive and let go of old wounds and resentments.

• shaking off limiting beliefs and unhelpful roles

For most of us, our childhood is the source of our underlying beliefs about ourselves and the world. If we have been starved of the love and attention we needed, we are likely to feel unlovable and undeserving. If we have been brought up in an abusive environment, we will probably grow up to fear the world as a threatening place. We also tend to get assigned our 'roles' - the carer, the leader, the brainy one, the sensible one, the rebel, the clown. In order to change, the first step is to identify and list any limiting beliefs that you have, and then to make a separate set of statements which reverse them. You can then use these 'affirmations' when you find yourself thinking in a negative way. If you feel trapped or drained by a role you've been given, perhaps it's time to let different aspects of your personality emerge?

• getting free of dominant forces

Is somebody or something dominating you to the extent that you're not sure how you feel or what you want? It might be your partner, parent, child, boss, friend, a group, or just modern society in general. If you don't feel in control of your life, perhaps it's time to reclaim your power and rebuild your sense of your own needs and values?

4. Planning a course of action

Once you have a clearer idea of what you want to achieve, start to think step-by-step how you can get there. These need to be small but real steps towards changing the balance of your life. What can you do this week/ month/ year to move towards a life that excites and fulfills you?

References

'Cancer as a Turning Point' by Lawrence LeShan

'The Cancer Prevention Book' by Dr Rosy Daniels

'The Bristol Approach to Living with Cancer' by Helen Cooke