This week, I found myself engaged in a dialogue with fellow Natural Awakenings publishers through our intra-company email platform where all 80-plus publishers daily share news and views related to publishing our magazines. Our conversation revolved around this month’s feature story, “Live Cancer Free: Natural Ways to Prevent and Heal Cancer."

One person disagreed with one of the sources based on a personal experience. Others debated recommended diets and therapies for cancer patients. Like anyone challenged with a health condition seeking solutions, we can become confused by the host of treatments available; sorting out what’s right for a particular individual’s needs takes time and effort. Writer Linda Sechrist, as usual, went out of her way to represent a variety of both the latest and more time-tested natural approaches for prevention and treatment.

I know how scary a diagnosis can be. When it happened to me many years ago, I never entertained the idea that removing the cancerous cells wouldn’t mean complete healing. After several years of follow-up MRIs, I was declared clear. While my oncologist reminded me how lucky I was, I had never considered any other outcome. I’m convinced that positive thinking contributed to my healing.

Several stressful things happened simultaneously during that time period, including the loss of a business partner and a child. This tumultuous time became a pivotal period spurring me to deep soul-searching. Spiritual beliefs that I had given lip service to before were put to the test. I had to surrender to ‘what is’ while consciously choosing which thoughts and beliefs would support me in creating my new story. My mantra became, “Somehow, it’s all perfect.”

While we look to any number of physical means to avoid or treat a health condition, other, spiritual elements often come into play. In her inspiring memoir, Dying to Be Me, Anita Moorjani tells the story of how, after fighting cancer for almost four years, her body began shutting down. She entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realized her inherent worth and saw through to the root belief behind the disease. Upon regaining consciousness, Anita found that her condition had improved so rapidly that she was released from the hospital without a trace of cancer in her body!

During our publishers debate, I again realized that true healing occurs on all levels, via many paths. Sometimes a crisis provides the impetus for needed inner work and healthy change, sometimes the threshold of death catalyzes openness to deep healing and other times, patient persistence in believing healing is inevitable is the key.

I hope this month’s issue of Natural Awakenings provides you and your family the tools you need for wherever you find yourself in your uniquely perfect journey.

To your radiant health and well-being,

Sharon Bruckman, Publisher