Lift them, hang them, hold them…..but most of all, love them.
I’m talking about your breasts.
If you are lucky, you have two healthy ones. The problem is that statistics show that 1 out of every 4 women will get breast cancer. It is a scary and chilling statistic. Is it because cancer is more prevalent or because we have better mechanisms for detection? I am not sure of the answer. But my general rule of thumb is not to live life in fear, but rather be prepared and strong.
The same goes for your immune system.
Put it this way. Your body is made up of trillions of cells. All kinds of pathogens (negative things like cancer cells, parasites or toxins) enter your body at any given moment. When your immune system is strong and able, it can generally protect you and fight for you. If your immune system is weak, the fight could easily be lost.
There are many factors involved that may lead to a weak immune system, genetic tendency is one of them. Stress can also play a major role. Stress on your mind and body can range from lack of sleep, to poor diet, exposure to toxins, lack of exercise, not enough love or play, too much work without rest, and even negative thinking and emotions, according to many studies.
In order for the immune system to stay strong, it needs breaks. Some stress is good as it acts as a challenge to the immune system so that it can get stronger and better. Too much, weakens it. Your immune system needs you to be in balance.
Perhaps you cannot change your genetic predisposition, but you can have some control on the stress in your life, and there are many ways you can achieve this.
One such way is to meditate, or elicit the relaxation response, which has the effect over lower your stress response and lowering the production of stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol, that can negatively effect the immune system. Another tool you can access easily are positive thoughts and images, which also have the effect of lowering the stress response and helping you feel good. More so, studies are also showing that love–be it love you receive from people or pets, the love you receive from connecting to spiritual beliefs or nature, or the love you give yourself—also has a positive effect on your stress response. I call it The Love Response®.
Does it work? Well, as a physician who has cared for many a woman with breast cancer, all I can say is that my patients are all doing well. Though each woman has chosen different paths for her care—some surgery, some radiation, some chemotherapy, some all of the above, some only Chinese medicine, etc—all of the women chose meditation with loving thoughts and imagery. In other words, it doesn’t hurt and can only help you get stronger.
Visit Steven Halpern’s website or any on line store to get your CD. (http://www.innerpeacemusic.com/prod/sound-healing-music/breasthealthaudible.html)