WHEN MARGARET DUBAY Mikus - author of the book As Easy As Breathing, the story of her struggle and triumph over cancer - was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, her first reaction was one of fear.
She had just recovered from multiple sclerosis the year before and felt betrayed and abandoned by the news, calling it 'the dark night of her soul'.
Armed with the experience from her earlier multiple sclerosis healing process, Mikus integrated conventional treatment with her own mix of holistic therapies, including yoga, hypnotherapy, reiki, expression through poetry, and jokes, backrubs and hugs with her children.
She attended seminars on healing, formed a healing circle with family and friends, ate healthy foods and exercised. Mikus eventually healed from the cancer and now dedicates herself to helping others discover their full possibilities in life.
Disease is the way in which our bodies try to give us a message. According to Louise Hay, author of the best-selling You Can Heal Your Life, cancer is a sign of 'deep hurt, long-standing resentment, deep secret or grief eating away at the self, carrying hatred and asking: What's the use?'
Emotional healing, through counselling, bodywork, deep breathing and other emotional release therapies, form a critical component of any cancer healing programme.