Healing Program - Module 2 - Empowering Your Body

Module 2 - Empowering the Body

Meditation – Creating Space for Healing (7 min)
Lecture - Complete Cancer Care (28 min)
Home Program (see exercises below)
Meditation – Alchemy of the Heart (20 min)
Homework

Meditation – Creating Space for Healing

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Lecture - Complete Cancer Care

Dr Rutledge outlines how to get the best care from the medical system, including simple and effective health habits to empower your body, and providing advice on exploring complementary therapy.

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Home Program

Exercise 1 – By Yourself

In this segment, we look at healthy lifestyle habits by asking the following questions. [Note: If you are on active treatment or if your body is very weak, the expectation of how you can take care of your body may be completely different. Consult with your medical professional.]

1. During the last week, how many minutes of exercise did you do?
2. Yesterday, how many servings of fruits and vegetables did you eat?
3. Are you maintaining a reasonable weight?
4. Last night, how many hours of sleep did you get?
5. Are you practising a daily relaxation or meditation exercise? 

Exercise 2 – By Yourself

Here, we are setting an aspiration for you to love your body. Regardless of your physical state, you can set an intention to take better care of your body in some way. Take a moment and consider whether you have been pushing too hard and your body is in need of relaxation. Perhaps you sense you need to gently push yourself further, for example, by exercising more.

Use any of the five questions listed above to consider how you can love your precious body more. For example, you may choose to eat a healthy meal more slowly and mindfully, and experience how that feels.

Look, for a moment, at your answers to the five questions in Exercise 1. As you go through this exercise, move into a state of really loving yourself, like a mother cares for her child. Be honest with yourself, and let yourself feel whatever feelings arise without judging yourself or trying to escape. Now, look inward, to your own heart. It is full of loving kindness, wisdom and limitless compassion. Ask your heart to help you.

Looking forward to the coming week, make some goals about how you will love and nurture yourself with healthy eating, increased exercise and scheduled periods of relaxation/meditation or deep rest. When you are ready, write down one or more of these aspirations for the coming week. Remember to set realistic goals, and to not push yourself beyond what is right for you.

Meditation – Alchemy of the Heart

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Homework: Practice between Modules!

1.  Practice a meditation every day. You can follow any of the meditations from the first two modules, another meditation from our website, or any other meditation practice that works for you.

2.  Every night, write in your journal how you have been kind to your body by living up to your aspirations. Review the day in your mind and make notes. Also ask yourself, “Have I overdone it or neglected loving myself in some way?” Observe your emotions around these issues and make notes on how you can work with these feelings.

3.  List the things that you are grateful for that day.