Developing a True Relationship with My Breasts

From a very young age the only relationship I had with my breasts was one laced with despair, discomfort and shame. Having developed breasts from a young age I spent most of my life trying to hide their size and wishing they were not so large, as I didn’t like the attention that they attracted, particularly from boys and later on men.

It wasn’t until I had a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008 and being faced with surgery did the relationship I had with my breasts change.

The first change in relationship was that it was now based on fear – the fear of losing my breasts, the very breasts that I had for such a long time ignored and condemned. All of a sudden they were not so bad after all.

Breast Cancer – How and Why?

I developed breast cancer five years ago and I knew it was a ‘wake up call’ for me to change my ways. I had spent most of my life focused on helping other people instead of first caring for myself by living in a way that is loving and honouring of me.

Focusing mainly on others proved to be detrimental to my own body. I had been disregarding of how I was living. By being constantly on the go, propelled by the nervous energy that seemed to be energizing but in fact was extremely exhaustive. At the time, I didn’t feel the degree to which I was exhausted and how tired I was as I hadn’t been focusing on how my body really felt.

Could it be that our body’s intelligence knows what is true and what is not and therefore brings to our awareness behaviours that do not support our health and wellbeing? Could it be that all illness and disease is our body’s way of healing aspects of ourselves that are not true? This is certainly my experience with breast cancer. Through cancer I have found out that my body had another reality about life.

What is Your Relationship with Your Breasts?

When was the last time you stood in front of a mirror, naked, and looked at your breasts?

When was the last time you stood in front of a mirror, naked, and looked at your breasts, absolutely without any judgement?

When was the last time you washed and moisturised your breasts with the tenderness, equal if not greater to holding a newborn baby?

When did you last care for your breasts the way you care for your face?

It is well worth stopping and pondering on these questions…

So, how do we see our breasts? 

Baring My Chest – Mammograms, Expression and Healing

In 2008 I had breast cancer at the ripe age of 33, and now every year I choose to have both a mammogram and ultrasound as part of my overall breast care program.

Over the past couple of years I have become more aware of how I am as I go into having my mammograms. I realized that for the first few years, I would pretty much check out so as to not to feel what was really taking place – which is that your breasts are being squished several times uncomfortably between two glass plates!

Preventing Breast Cancer – Changing How We Feel About Our Bodies

Having lived through breast cancer I now truly know that ‘prevention is better than a cure’, and the way forward in terms of preventing breast cancer and indeed all illness and disease has to be; changing how we feel about our bodies and embracing, acknowledging and appreciating how very precious and tender yet powerful they truly are. Honesty is the first step. Having discovered for myself the powerful medicine honesty is, I can share from my own experience with breast cancer and say without any hesitation:

I created my own illness from the choices I made on a daily basis.

A powerful statement, powerful in its honesty, and which had a powerful, remarkable impact on my treatment and recovery. By all considerations I was a healthy woman, I did lots of yoga, and did not smoke, rarely drank and was not overweight. So how did I create my own illness?

Breast Cancer – Prevention Has To Be Better Than A Cure

In the media there has been a lot of coverage on breast cancer, mastectomy and the ‘very few choices’ a woman has when diagnosed. It feels there is no time like now to look at how prevention is better than a cure and how more choices become available when we come back to honesty, and truly listen to our bodies.

A simple question perhaps we should address is:

What do we women need to change in order to prevent a diagnosis of breast cancer in the first place, so that we never have to face the possibility of a mastectomy, or taking drugs like Tamoxifen to prevent a mastectomy (not forgetting that there are side effects that come with this drug)?

Where do we begin? The answer appears obvious….

We have to look at ourselves, in how we are living on a daily basis and the choices we are making, in the knowing that every choice we make has a consequence and catches up with us at some point.

Esoteric Breast Massage

I felt really inspired to write a blog about Esoteric Breast Massage after hearing an Esoteric Women’s Health Practitioner give a presentation called “Mum & Me”.

An Esoteric Breast Massage (EBM) was the first opportunity I had ever been presented with, where I was free to choose to claim my breasts back and feel within me how my breasts emanate energetically the true symbol of nurturing. The nurturing we give to ourselves and the nurturing we provide in all our relationships.

Our breasts are our nurturing centres, not only biologically but energetically as well. There is no other part of our body that symbolises this nurturing expression and the quality we bring to the world as women. These jam-packed powerhouses of energy have been used and abused for centuries, it’s no wonder breasts bring up so much stuff for everybody and it is no surprise there have been reactions going off left, right and centre from the media and from individuals a-like, about Esoteric Breast Massage that beggars belief. With such a massive reaction, I figure breasts must be pretty important, otherwise come on … Why is it such a big deal to others if you choose to have an Esoteric Breast Massage?

Having a Mastectomy… Prevention against Breast Cancer: A Woman’s Choice – or is it?

Have you ever considered whether we are being controlled by the latest information? – Take Breast Cancer and Mastectomy, for instance.

In the media there has been a lot of discussion around women having a mastectomy (and in some instances, double mastectomies) as a form of prevention against breast cancer. Much of the information being put forward is that women have one of two choices: “Currently, women facing a strong likelihood of developing breast cancer have only two real options – to have both of their breasts removed (a double mastectomy) or hope that it will never actually happen”. (BBC News Online, 14^th May 2013)

This stopped me and got me pondering –

Are these really a woman’s only choices?

And if so, what does this do to a woman’s state of being, when both are based on breast cancer being a pre-determined outcome? When people believe they have no power or choice over a situation they begin to feel a sense of hopelessness – this is termed in the psychological world as ‘learned helplessness’ – a condition by which a person feels they have no control over a situation. In this state they behave in a hopeless manner, overlooking any opportunities for a different choice and feeling they have no ability to change (Peterson, 1996).

BREAST CANCER & MASTECTOMY – PRESENTING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A DIFFERENT CHOICE

How many women, due to what is being reported in the media etc, are giving up, thinking that their only choice is having a mastectomy if they want to prevent breast cancer and because of this, are overlooking opportunities for a different choice?

It’s the little things – Breast Screening – Mammogram

Mammogram emerged in the mid 1960’s and by the late 1970s mammography was widely used, but had become a source of tremendous controversy. On the one hand, advocates of the technology enthusiastically touted its ability to detect smaller, more curable cancers. On the other hand, critics asked whether breast x-rays, particularly for women aged 50 and younger, actually caused more harm than benefit. Despite the publication of hundreds of research studies, this dispute about mammography persists.

I recently received a letter (and a small pile of explanatory leaflets) to invite me to go for breast screening – as this service is available every three years for women over 50, like me. On reading the letter I could feel the value of having regular screening as part of taking care of myself.

Very Early Signs of Pregnancy: My Breasts Told Me I Was Pregnant (Twice!)

I have been pregnant twice in my life and both times the first very early sign of these pregnancies came from my breasts.

My First Pregnancy (2007)

In my first pregnancy I knew I was pregnant a few days after conception:

• My breasts had grown larger, were more full and were very tender.
• They became so tender and the nipples so sensitive that wearing a bra was painful and not wearing a bra was painful.
• Having the shower water run over my nipples was almost unbearable.
• Lying on my stomach was not an option as any sort of pressure on my breasts was just not tolerable.
• Wearing tops over my bare breasts was difficult. The tops had to be very fitted so there was no movement across my nipples, as any friction from the material was excruciating.
• I also noticed that the veins in my breasts had become more prominent, my nipples had become larger and had darkened in colour.