Elephants and Tea - March 2022 - 19

FIRST DESCENTS Spiritual Practices
based on the principle of balancing the life force energy within the
body. In the law of physics, we are all energy, and energy cannot be
destroyed; it is simply transferred from one place to another. Reiki
gave me a new way of relaxing. Tuning into a space of mindful
rest. My nurse brain couldn't quite understand how it worked, but
I trusted the evidence of how calm I felt after every session.
I practiced with close friends and family and occasionally offered
it to patients who were open to it, but it wasn't something I shared
very often for fear of being too weird or woo-woo. However, once
I faced my cancer diagnosis, I was open to whatever could help me
ease my busy mind.
My Reiki teacher is a kind and generous soul, who upon hearing
of my diagnosis offered to have me advance my training and become
a Reiki master. She believed it would be a great tool to have
for my upcoming battle of starting immunotherapy. She was right.
Each night as I went to bed, I would lay a hand on my chest and
my stomach and give myself Reiki. It was my time to unfold. Surrender
and trust that I was doing everything I could to face this
incredibly challenging time.
Months went by and the heavier non-visible effects of my treatment
weighed on me. Severe depression. Medications took the edge
off, but I felt like I was simply floating through the days. One by
one. And truthfully, that's the only way I could look at it without
getting completely overwhelmed. One day at a time.
I always found solace in being outside, breathing in the fresh air of
nature. It had the ability to reset me, like plugging into an outlet to
charge, if even for a moment. During the summer of my treatment
year, I found First Descents. A nonprofit organization that funds
and creates outdoor adventures for those affected by cancer and
chronic illness. I went rock climbing, white water rafting and hiked
alongside fellow young adult survivors from across the country. It
was a type of healing that I never truly realized how much I needed.
As the fall came, I muddled through the end of treatment, received
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Elephants and Tea - March 2022

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