Breast Health Series- How Our Emotions Affect Our Breast Health

Our emotions truly affect every part of our body in a profound way. Personally, I find it easy to eat right, take my supplements, get proper sleep, exercise, and practice proper detoxification protocols but when it comes to healing emotional issues from the past, this one can be the most challenging and uncomfortable. It can be a messy, raw, and haunting place to go…deep inside the pain and traumas from your past.

Think of your emotional healing like you do a garden. If you want to have a beautiful garden with rich fertile soil, you must weed out those unwanted growths that are crowding and choking out the flowers. When we weed our emotional garden, we provide a soil of joy and love that can grow lovely fragrant flowers and healing plants to nourish and nurture our entire being. This is the part that I truly feel is the most important part of getting well and healing from the root!

  Do you have any weeds or unhealthy growths (like fear, unforgiveness, bitterness, doubt, hatred, jealousy, resentment, worry) that need to be healed in order for the healthy soil and flowers (like love, forgiveness, peace, acceptance, hope, wisdom) to grow and flourish?

  Every time I experience a weeding time, a renewal of healing takes place…sometimes a very small amount and other times, a larger amount. Every time the weed pulling goes a little deeper, a little more healing takes place. Sometimes during these times, you might feel like you hit a rock and can’t go any deeper. Then you get your gardening tools out and keep digging and the rock dislodges and comes out…ahhhhh, and you can breathe a bit deeper and another layer of emotional wounds are healed!

Are we ever really finished with this process? I don’t think so. It is a part of our journey from the beginning to the end. If we are breathing and living on this earth, we will always have some weeding to do, even if it’s a little bit here and there. This weeding process also helps to wash away old dialogues that got stuck in our mind when a traumatic experience occurred…maybe from childhood, teenage years or beyond. That is how we got through our trauma at the time, that dialogue that we formed in our mind helped us to survive, but now and here in the present, it is not helping us anymore. In fact it’s preventing us from moving forward in life to becoming what we are truly called to be.

Today we will discuss how our breasts are deeply tied into our emotional health and some ways to heal those deep emotional pains that have caused physical barriers to our healing.

Think about where your breasts are located on your body. They are located right in front of your heart area, the same heart that holds so many emotions, feelings, dreams, passions, aspirations, strength, and love. Your heart is a safe and treasured place that is a deep ocean of memories, emotional scars and wounds, and beauty that is tied together to represent the unique creation of you.

Our breasts represent nurturing, nourishment, and speaking the truth from our hearts. We as women usually find it easy to nurture and mother those we love and care for on a daily basis…this could be our children, aging parents, siblings, husbands, other family members and close friends, those in need, and our pets. This is how we were created and it is surely a beautiful gift we give to those around us. The concern seems to appear when we forget to nourish and nurture ourselves as well.

Dr. John Lee M.D. states, “Breast cancer can occur when one is not loving or nurturing themselves enough or not receiving nurturing from others.” He also stated that a 1995 study showed that breast cancer increased by 12 times if a woman had suffered from a traumatic life episode, such as divorce, grief (loss of a loved one), or job loss in the previous 5 years before a breast cancer diagnosis.

Louise Hay states in her book “Heal Your Body” that breast issues stem from a refusal to nourish the self, and from putting everyone else first, over-mothering, over-nurturing, and over-bearing attitudes. Also, most breast issues are from low self-esteem, low self-respect, and low self-worth.

Chinese Medicine philosophy states that breast lumps and cancer are a symptom of a woman having a high amount of emotional stress and frustration. This philosophy also teaches that the root of disease can be eliminated by keeping the heart and spirit in a calm and tranquil state.

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that all chronic diseases are caused by the 7 major emotions of anger, shock, joy, fear, worry, anxiety, and sorrow. Chinese Medicine also states that emotional pain and stress contribute to the development of cancer, especially depression (which is repressed anger), grief, worry, fearfulness, anxiety, and circular thinking (non -stop ideas going around in your head). These toxic emotions can turn into stagnant energy in the body and present as a tumor or some other illness. Cancer is a message to us that an imbalance is present.

The emotional wounds we carry within ourselves hinder us from moving forward and healing. Maybe it’s an old dialog in our mind that doesn’t serve or support us anymore that we carry around that left a deep gash in our hearts. Those old dialogs or fearful thoughts that were created within us from a trauma or painful time in our life are preventing us from living a life of freedom and joy. Those old patterns are preventing the light and beauty to shine through our seeping and scarred wounds.

When I was studying to be a Naturopath, I learned a very interesting thing from one of my mentors who taught how cancer is correlated with emotional traumas. The piece of information she shared was completely fascinating to me. She taught us that the right and left side of the body represent different genders. The left side of the body represents female and the right side of the body represents male. I now incorporate this wisdom into my consultations when working with those dealing with chronic illnesses and health issues.

Left Breast- Female- if you have breast issues within your left breast this usually is tied with a female relationship in your life (past or present) that is/was difficult. This could be a sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, daughter, co-worker, or friend.

Right Breast-Male- if you have breast issues within your right breast this is usually tied with a male relationship in your life (past or present) that is/was difficult. This could be a brother, father, husband, grandfather, uncle, son, boyfriend, co-worker, or friend.

Resolving these emotional wounds from these relationships could be a large part of your recovery on your healing journey.

Dr. R.G. Hammer (a well -known Oncologist) studied over 20,000 cases of cancer and its emotional connection. He concluded, “I searched for cancer in the cell and I found it in the brain.”

Our thoughts, emotional wounds, and disheartened spirit have a strong correlation with our health! Take for instance our genes. The gene that normally inhibits the growth of tumors (P53 gene) is shut down with negative experiences, while other genes that promote the spread of cancer are turned on (Bc12 gene).Our genes are highly influenced by our environment, including our emotional state. If you think of our genes as a loaded gun and our lifestyle choices as what can trigger the gun to fire and express itself. If we choose healthy lifestyle choices, including healing thought patterns, our loaded gun (genes) may never get triggered.

Emotional stress has been shown to increase breast cancer risk the following ways:

1. Stress raises certain stress hormones that lower immune function

2. Changes the metabolism of hormones and environmental toxins

3. Encourages cancer stem cell activity; disables tumor suppressor genes

4. Suppresses immune function; damages DNA and hinders repair

5. Stimulates angiogenesis; the development of a tumor’s blood supply

6. Stimulates growth factors that promote tumor cell growth

7. Increases risk of genetic mutations; alters the genes that control the stress response

8. Reduces the amount of Natural Killer Cells (NK cells)

Dr. Christine Northrup states from her book “Creating Breast Health” that unhealed issues of the heart, such as: unforgiveness, holding onto past hurts, resentment, relationship toxicity, abusive relationships, fear of not being loved, being emotionally unavailable, and feeling unworthy of love, may result in breast related conditions.

 Here is an article I wrote several weeks ago on the art of forgiveness and how to incorporate a forgiveness practice into your healing journey:

http://beautifulhealingjourney.com/updates/42

Personality Traits

There has been research linked to particular personality traits that are apparent in breast cancer and cancer in general.

Breast Cancer Personality, according to Dr. W. Douglas Brodie, M.D. (observed after 30 years of work with cancer patients)

*Extremely conscientious, caring, dutiful, highly responsible, typically above average intelligence

*Carrying other people’s burdens, taking on too many obligations and responsibilities, takes other’s worries on themselves

*Deep seated need to make others happy, people pleaser, in need of others approval

*Lacking closeness with one or both parents or spouse

*Suppressed toxic emotions (anger, resentment, bitterness, hostility, unforgiveness), internalizing negative emotions and difficulty expressing them, stuffs emotions

*Difficulty handling and coping with stress

*Usually experiences a very stressful life event several years before the diagnosis of cancer- the individual is usually unable to deal with the traumatic series of events, which is a “last straw” on top of years of suppressed reactions to stress

*Has an inability to resolve deep seated emotional issues and conflicts, usually starting from childhood, often even being unaware of their presence

If you see some of these traits that you struggle with, then take the time to reflect and start some of these healing techniques that are mentioned throughout this article, such as: a forgiveness practice, ways to nurture yourself, emotional release, prayer, and meditation. Whatever feels right for your situation, take the opportunity to include one or more of these techniques on your healing journey. Your heart, body, mind, and spirit will be able to heal the deep layers of emotional wounds from the past.

Emotional Release

I have always been intrigued and fascinated with how our mind, heart, and soul are connected with healing. My Naturopathic studies touched on the emotional and spiritual components of healing and how important it is to our physical healing but never went into great detail how to heal emotional wounds. Finding these answers as a Naturopath was very important to me because my heart has always been guided to heal the whole person, to get to the real root of the health issue, healing layer by layer.

I knew for myself, that I needed this type of healing in my own life too. How can I be fully help others when I haven't gone deep into my own heart and released false beliefs and emotional wounds that have held me back or kept me from thriving...feelings or beliefs that I am unworthy, not enough, that I have to be perfect to be loved or valued, feeling afraid to disappoint others, that my voice or truth isn't valuable or important to be shared, afraid to speak up, fear of failure...the list goes on.

Yes, I am being very vulnerable here with all of you...all of these beliefs and emotions that were inside of me for so long, keeping me from thriving or moving forward in my life...keeping me stuck! Finding these beliefs and trapped emotions within me was the start and then releasing them one by one and bringing in the real truth, God's truth and real purpose for my life....let me tell you...it felt very freeing and healing and continues to feel that way as I keep finding deeper layers.

Why am I telling you all this? I am a person just like all of you. I am real and have gone through difficulties and traumas in my own life, just like many of you. I want to share from my heart how this type of work has ministered to my soul and so many others that I have worked with to find their freedom as well.

I truly believe that most of our physical sufferings and illnesses in our lives are from emotional and spiritual roots. Emotions that we stuffed deep and didn't express or feel safe to express and now they are surfacing into a physical symptom or ailment. Getting to the root of these deep emotions is vital in our healing journeys.

Nurture Yourself

If you are wondering how you can nurture yourself, there is a very helpful and informative link below to give you some ideas. Take time daily or several times a week to include one of the things on the list to nurture and nourish your spirit. Remember, you are so important and so worth taking the time for!

http://www.lifeohm.com/nurtureyourself/

Remember the light shines through our deepest scars and reflects the beauty from whatever kind of pain you have endured. It illuminates outwardly and touches those who need to hear your story and be inspired to move forward on their own healing journey.

Shine Your Beautiful Light!

With Love,

Rhonda