Surgery As A Rite of Passage

Released on = January 3, 2007, 4:08 pm

Press Release Author = Elizabeth Hepburn

Industry = Healthcare

Press Release Summary = About the Author: Elizabeth Hepburn\'s victory over cancer
shifted her career from musical theater to the healing arts. She is now a Wellness
Facilitator and through her programs, DVDs, CDs and the Better & Better Series, she
sets the stage to invigorate the magnificent healing power within us all.

Press Release Body = Every moment in life is precious. Every single one. Even the
difficult ones. Even the one when your doctor says: \"We have to operate\". Never good
news yet an important moment in our lives. I\'ve been there - several times. A bout
with cancer necessitated my having six surgeries in four years and then three years
of chemotherapy. Admittedly, this was a rough road. However, this journey through
the labyrinth of critical illness and multiple surgeries truly transformed my life.
It turns out that it was a great blessing to me. It was precious time. Therefore,
I\'m proffering a reframing of this dreaded fate - surgery.

It\'s not a walk in the park, that\'s for sure. It\'s going to involve discomfort and
probably pain, to say nothing of an abrupt interruption in life as usual. We\'re
going to be weakened and not up to snuff. The anticipation of surgery is so
daunting, that we almost always succumb to major resistance. There\'s fear - anger -
sadness - \"Why me?\" - \"Why now?\" \"What did I do to deserve this?\"

We\'re aching for the answers to these questions. Nevertheless, once we\'ve
acknowledged all this upset, it behooves us to understand that resistance creates
tension and a lot of suffering within the body/mind system. That\'s the last thing we
need right now. There\'s a Zen teaching that says: \"in this life pain is inevitable-
suffering is optional\". So if we choose to have this situation be as easeful as
possible, we have to let go of the suffering -- to let go of the resistance and
surrender to the process. As hard as it is to fathom it, this surgery experience is
here for a reason. This is not an accident. And, believe me, it\'s not simply here to
adjust something in our bodies. It\'s a very well disguised gift with the potential
to take us on a journey to the very essence of ourselves -- a journey for which we
will be eternally grateful.

It seems to me that by the time our immune systems are sufficiently compromised to
require someone taking a knife to our bodies, the Universe has surely been shouting
to get our attention for a long time. Our lives for many and varied reasons have
gotten unbalanced and we need to regroup in a major way. I find it very interesting
in these days of miracle drugs, that we can be extremely unwell but kept going by
super pills or injections that mask our symptoms and allow us to continue our
relentless pace. How ridiculous. Our magnificent body/mind system is giving us the
message to lie down and rest deeply, and we keep truckin'. Sooner or later the
condition becomes so acute we\'re brought to our knees. And here we are in the
hospital in this silly little cotton dress anticipating surgery.

And this is where my new perspective comes into play. I\'m suggesting that we
consider surgery a rite of passage . Furthermore, I m advocating that it (and all
crises) be acknowledged as such. In this light, what is commonly considered an
onerous situation can be acknowledged as a catalyst for wondrous transformation.

A definition of rite of passage is: a ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a
person\'s life indicative of a transition from one stage to another. As in rituals of
old, there s an interesting parallel to the surgical event in that it plucks us out
of our daily routine; takes us to a foreign space where we have very little control
of our comings and goings; introduces us to strange substances that alter the way
our bodies feel and our minds perceive; and, compels us to surrender our fate to the
prevailing leadership.
I contend that instead of grinding through all that the surgical process entails,
kicking and screaming until the big drugs take over, that we relax and surrender to
this arduous ritual, trusting its mysterious, sacred purpose in our lives and
opening up to the magnificent transition that can provide us with entry into a whole
new way of being. Even if we think our lives are just fine, I assure you, our
capacity for feeling fabulous is boundless. It\'s all about love.

Our bodies are truly magnificent. They are marvels. They are healing machines. They
are constantly renewing themselves, though admittedly not so effectively when we\'ve
gotten too far out of balance. And all they want is to be appropriately cared for.
They want delicious and nutritious food and drink. They want fresh air and exercise.
They want rewarding work and delightful play. They want deeply satisfying rest and
relaxation. And they want to be loved. Not just by our parents, friends, colleagues
and significant others - they want to be loved by us!

I understand that when our bodies are hurting and giving us a lot of grief, we\'re
not feeling all that loving toward them. But this downtime is the perfect
opportunity to begin a life-long loving relationship with our body. It\'s time! It\'s
imperative!

Even if you\'re having problems with your physical heart right now - acknowledge it -
the constant, vital service it provides to your body throughout your entire life.
How fantastic! Say \"thank you\" to your miraculous beating heart. Say \"thank you\" to
your breathing - even if it may be hampered at this time - say \"thank you\" for this
totally natural function within your body/mind system - relax and let it be as
easeful as the tides in the ocean. Every organ in our bodies is unceasingly
performing its specific function to sustain our well-being. It\'s time to say, \"thank
you\" - \"I love you\" - \"I\'m so grateful for all you do\". Yes. Smile. Breathe. Your
body is feeling better already.

Right this moment decide that this surgery is your personal, sacred \"Rite of
Passage\". Decide that this challenging passage is here to totally enhance your life,
ultimately providing you with a glorious sense of wholeness and connection and
vibrant aliveness. Decide that this \"Rite of Passage\" is going to deliver you to a
path of such great caring and love and gratitude for yourself and others and all of
life that you and your life will bloom beyond your wildest dreams. Feel the
gratitude. Life - it\'s all about Love. Every moment is precious.

Web Site = http://elizabethhepburn.blogspot.com

Contact Details = Elizabeth Hepburn
www.elizabethhepburn.com
info@elizabethhepburn.com

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