How To Reclaim Your Body After Cancer Treatment

Did you know that bodywork can help reclaim body image and self-esteem after cancer?

Integrating the experience of cancer for survivors is both physical and emotional. Each survivor’s journey is different and the impact on physical function, feelings and sexuality are unique to them.  After cancer, it’s important to take care of the body, deal with emotions, trauma, and re-connect to sexuality.

Physical changes are more readily addressed because they appear tangibly. They frequently interfere with activities of daily living.  Some physical changes will be temporary while some last a lifetime and can range from the loss of hair, body parts, scars, change in weight or skin color and texture. These losses are very real, even if they are not visibly obvious from the outside; there is a sense of loss of self.

Physical changes bring up associated feelings that can range from embarrassment, shame, anger, and grief.  There may also be feelings about unsupportive health care providers, family, friends or trauma from many invasive medical procedures. Some emotions may come as a total surprise and our core values and family values color the way we deal (or don’t deal) with them. These emotions are important to deal with because they affect our physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Your Body and Trauma:

Emotions and trauma are held in the body like a blueprint of our personal history impacting our physiology and function. Consider the impact of stress and anxiety on the body during times of turmoil.  We all know what it feels like to be under the stress of writing an exam. Imagine the effects of these emotions as it creates a cascade of hormones and chemicals released into the body that affects physical health.  If this is just a temporary situation then the body will recover quickly, however, when stress is on-going it creates a chronic circumstance of muscular tension, inflammation and an environment for lack of health/dis-ease.

Invasive medical procedures can result in trauma that remains stuck in the body until it has the opportunity to release.  In nature, animals will automatically “shake off” the trauma of a near-lethal attack by a prey animal, shaking until they have released that energy. Trauma-informed bodywork releases physical restrictions and emotions that are being held in the tissues.

Releasing trauma and compressed emotions through bodywork creates better physiology and function, and sets a clean template to write the next chapter.  It’s an opportunity to establish a fresh connection with the body, heart and being with what is alive right now and ready to be expressed physically, emotionally and through our sexual vitality. Our sexual vitality supercharges our overall health and wellbeing.

Please book a 15-minute free meet and greet session to see if you feel aligned to work with Sheryl Watson. Some healing bodywork she does is; lymphatic breast/chest massage, holistic pelvic care™, Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy ® or integrative manual therapy.