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This included creating a healing, deep relaxation audio, Sparkle
from the Inside, which many people have used and benefited from when diagnosed with or been affected by cancer.

How all this happened.

Since 2004 I have recovered from breast cancer, anal cancer and Waldenstroms Macroglobulineamia. I’ve had surgery, antibody therapy and also successfully used alternative treatment.

When I was diagnosed with anal cancer in June 2009, my oncologist said that without chemotherapy and radiotherapy I would become terminally ill and die within 6 to 12 months. As I come from a naturopathic background this was really not what I wanted to hear. What I wanted was to make my body healthy
and bring balance back.

I was convinced chemotherapy wasn’t right for me and decided to do things differently. I’d already experienced how effective deep, hypnotic relaxation and visualisation was for clients, with issues ranging from anxiety and depression to trauma, stress and phobias. I could stop a lifelong smoker smoking in an hour.

I used self-hypnosis, relaxation and visualisation techniques every day. It was safe and I felt so much better afterwards.

In 2002 became one of the first HypnoBirthing practitioners in the UK. HypnoBirthing changes the perception of birth, and the language used. Deep relaxation with visualisation is taught and using these techniques birthing parents and their babies often had a pain free, drug free, enjoyable and safe birth.

During this time, I learnt just how much we are affected and influenced by other people’s beliefs and expectations.

My plan of action

I applied my knowledge to cancer. I used deep relaxation with visualisation. I changed my perception of cancer and the language associated with it.

Out went medical terms such as high risk, grade IV and terminal. “Battle” and “fight” went because I hate confrontation. In came “special attention needed”.
I wanted happy, healthy cells. My daughter said “You want to sparkle from the inside”

Deep relaxation and visualisation proved to be a good start. I used it three times a day and every spare moment I imagined my immune system doing its job.

One benefit of deep relaxation is, it allows you to think more clearly. Next, I needed to make cancer less scary. Not just for me but for my family and friends as well. If you can’t change the event then the only option is to change your thoughts about it.

A clinical hypnotherapist needs to find out about their client. What makes them feel worse and what makes them feel better. I wanted to know what made my cancer cells tick.

This is what I came up with.  A healthy cell has the ability to die off within a certain length of time. It has a Cell-by Date. Within 7 years every cell in our body has rejuvenated so technically we are getting younger. 

Love that thought. A cancer cell has lost its ability to die, it has lost its Cell-by Date.

I discovered that;
Cancer CELLS LOVE STRESS. They are anaerobic and stress reduces oxygen.
Cancer CELLS HATE RELAXATION. Relaxation puts the body into a healing state and reduces inflammation.

My thoughts changed again and I made the decision to help my cancer cells do what they are meant to do, that is die off.
The good news is that RELAXATION AND VISUALISATION create the right conditions in your body which help your cancer cells to die.

With any client you find out more as you get to know them but at this stage what I was doing seemed to be logical making a difference.

About 6 weeks after I began using relaxation. I spent some time at the Penny Brohn Centre, on a Nutrition for the Body and Soul course. I got to grips with my diet. I found the Rainbow Diet book and learnt about the sugar connection, many thanks Chris Woollams.

Feeling more confident and with encouragement from my husband and doctor, I saw a different oncologist. In September 2009, 8 weeks later, I found myself sitting in front of another oncologist. After a physical examination he ordered more tests. He wasn’t finding what the previous oncologist had told him. Although he still wanted me to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Whilst waiting for the results of further tests I had a chemosensitivity test which confirmed that the chemotherapy wasn’t right for me. I chose intravenous artesunate and Ukrain. Five months later the oncologist said he couldn’t find anything that told him I had cancer any more.

For 17 years I’ve worked with people affected by cancer. The combination of deep, hypnotic relaxation, visualisation and diet have help many of my clients to recover and relaxation fits with any treatment. Research says that it enhances treatment.

Sparkle from the Inside was born

Here's what people have said:

'Hi Sheila, I went ahead and bought your audio. My husband and I listened to it and it’s fab. He said it made him relax deeper than any others we’ve tried. I love the rainbow and its healing colours.'

The oncologist had said I was a 'serious case', but I am reminded by your
article of my ability to relax and not worry at that time (particularly with the help of your Sparkle cd) and that was probably my greatest aid.'

In 2020 with the help of my daughters, I was dragged kicking and screaming into the technological age when finally Sparkle from the Inside was made available on line as a download.
I couldn’t see everyone individually so Sparkle is a successful alternative. It goes with and can enhance any treatment. You can use it whilst relaxing at home or having treatment in hospital. It can make a big difference during palliative care.

How does deep relaxation work?

We have different brainwave states, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Theta.When deeply relaxed, not asleep, we enter a Theta brainwave state.

During Theta brainwave activity, both the body and the mind experience enhanced rejuvenation and healing. Due to the deep levels of relaxation that the Theta brainwaves facilitate, the body and mind are easily able to restore themselves during and after illness as well as after mental burnout and physical exertion” (neuroselfcare.com)

Deep, hypnotic relaxation, is known to

Research shows: “Those who went through the relaxation, visualisation    programme had a 45 per cent reduced risk of recurring breast cancer,  even 11 years later”
 https://www.wddty.com/news/live-without-stress-and-breast-cancer-doesnt-come-back-study-discovers

How hypnosis, relaxation and visualisation can make such a difference.

Hypnosis works with the subconscious mind which is programmed every day by thoughts and experiences.  

Every thought creates a physiological and chemical change in the body. You  can only hold one thought in your mind at any one time even though you get a  rapid series of thoughts.  The mind doesn’t distinguish between what is real or imaginary, right or wrong, good or bad. It accepts what it is told.

Negative fearful, anxious, worrying thoughts produce stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol – fight or flight hormones. These prepare you to either run from a dangerous situation or stand and defend yourself. During fight or flight oxygenated blood is sent to your arms and legs to run from or fight real    or perceived danger. The immune system is depressed. These kinds of thoughts stop you healing,  sleeping, use up your energy.

Wonderful if you have to flee from a burning building or fight your way out of a situation but no use after a cancer diagnosis. Cortisol, in emergencies, is anti-inflammatory, however when it is over used the mechanism malfunctions and it becomes inflammatory. Cancer cells love inflammation. Deep relaxation resets the cortisol mechanism Positive, happy, loving, kind, hopeful thoughts, seeing what can go right with a situation, release endorphins and oxytocin. Endorphins are your feel good hormones, 200 times more powerful than morphine they boost the immune system. They are healing.  

Visualisation

Using your imagination to see your body healing. Seeing what you want to   happen.
“Every thought produces neurons and connections in the body.” David Hamilton - How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body).  February 2022

I continue to use relaxation regularly and recently it helped me to recover from   covid. It’s part of my life now and will continue to be because of all the   wonderful benefits   As for my cancer, I’m “work in progress”.  

Sheila Barratt-Smith D.Hyp MBSCH  has been working as a hypnotherapist for 21 years.  In 2002 she became one of the first HypnoBirthing practitioners in the UK.

What's been your experience of rejection? Do you handle it well or do you find it challenging? It's certainly a very painful emotion; it can knock your confidence and create a lot of anxiety in relationships.

Over the years, I've helped many people become much better at understanding and managing rejection so that they feel much more confident in their relationships.

I know that you can do this too!

Check out this week’s blog video for some great tips on how to handle rejection and get your free 7 step guide: How To Overcome Rejection

Courage is something we all need at certain points in our lives. Some people seem to take everything in their stride, others find it harder to manage challenges.

I've found that people can sometimes get confused about what courage really means so they end up finding life much harder than it needs to be.

Watch this video to find out what real courage is and what it isn't. Discover how you have more courage than you may think.

We all find it hard to set boundaries sometimes.

There are different reasons that we can struggle with this. 

One big reason is what I call Misplaced Empathy.

Empathy is a wonderful thing. We all want to be kind and considerate to others because we’ve had our own struggles  - so we don't like to see others suffering. 

But in our efforts to be kind and considerate we can sometimes go too far the other way. Then boundaries become blurred and we don't help the other person or ourselves.

Watch this video to find out how that happens, how you can set better boundaries, and still be truly kind to others in the process.