My Healing Journey: Meditation and Cancer
by Meditation Teacher Training student Erin Varga
This photo was taken about a month ago on the day when I finally made it back to school to visit my students!
I’ve always believed in the mind, body, soul/spirit connection. I thought I was doing a great job at keeping myself in great shape: I was a vegetarian, an avid runner, did yoga and barre classes, rode my bike, spent as much time as I possibly could in nature, read positive self help books, meditated at times, and practiced reiki … until July 2022 when I was diagnosed with colon cancer.
It was a Tuesday afternoon and I went in for my routine colonoscopy at the age of 50. The weekend before I had run my usual 15+ miles with friends, living what I thought was a healthy life.
Once I was diagnosed I jumped into action as I usually did when something needed to be done. It was never going slowly for me. Phone calls, doctor appointments, scans, labs, and beyond were all scheduled within 24 hours. I was even lucky enough (or so I thought) to have surgery scheduled 2 weeks later. Surgery went well, and everything was removed from my colon.
But after more scans it was discovered that it had metastasized to my liver. Well, once again I went full speed ahead, contacting Memorial Sloan Kettering and getting an appointment within 3 days.
Appointments with Sloan were made and more scans, just more moving forward as fast as I could. Then treatment began, with the plan of having surgery in just a few months to have a device (Hepatic Artery Pump) implanted into my abdomen to pump chemo directly into my liver as well as a liver resection to remove what they could at that time.
Once treatment began, I knew I had to slow down. I not only had to slow my body down, but I knew I needed to slow my mind down. I had to stop going, going, going. No more full steam ahead. I could not ignore and push my way through this. I knew I had to start making a mind body connection like never before.
I had done this in the past, but then I would always go back to full speed ahead. I wanted to push through, and push negativity, life’s challenges, and sensations out of my life, but I knew I could not do that now. I need to HEAL!
My healing journey began by reading more books on meditation, healing, spirituality and more. I read as much as I could. I stopped and meditated briefly everyday. I knew this journey would be different. I knew I had to reach a deeper part of myself, and heal parts of my past. I had to become aware.
My personal meditation practice was growing and I was really beginning to feel a deeper sense of healing and awareness. I knew I had to respond differently to everything I was going through.
I look forward to my daily meditation. I embrace the slower pace, awareness, sense of calm and solitude that I have found.
After a few months of meditation and some very deep soul searching I knew I had to take the next step and find a meditation course that fit me and what I needed so I could help others going through their own healing journey …and this is what led me to THE PATH!
You can find Erin on Instagram (@erin_varga) and Facebook (Erin D'heron Varga). She is currently in our March Meditation Teacher Training cohort and will graduate early this summer.