Cheryl Canfield - Profound Healing: The Power of Acceptance on the Path to Wellness

The Power of Acceptance

on the Path to Wellness

CHERYL CANFIELD

Healing Arts Press

Rochester, Vermont

Healing Arts Press

One Park Street

Rochester, Vermont 05767

www.InnerTraditions.com

Healing Arts Press is a division of Inner Traditions International

Copyright 2003 by Cheryl Canfield

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the publisher.

Note to the reader: This book is intended as an informational guide.

The remedies, approaches, and techniques described herein are meant

to supplement, and not to be a substitute for, professional medical care or

treatment. They should not be used to treat a serious ailment without

prior consultation with a qualified health care professional.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Canfield, Cheryl, 1947

Profound healing : the power of acceptance on the path to wellness / Cheryl Canfield ; foreword by Joseph Chilton Pearce.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-89281-097-0 (pbk.)

ebook ISBN 978-1-59477-573-4

1. Canfield, Cheryl, 1947-Health. 2. Cervix

uteriCancerPatientsUnited StatesBiography. 3. Healing. I.

Title.

RC280.U8C365 2003

362.1'9699466'0092dc21

2002154849

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

This book is dedicated to God and to peace and to the preservation of our beautiful planet;

to the guardians, guides, and friends from the heavenly realm who lovingly remind us of our spiritual roots and potential;

to my daughter, Cindy, who shares my laughter and my tears and who continues to teach me;

and to my friend Randal whose enthusiasm and encouragement supported me throughout the writing of this book.

So many books on healing flood the market todaymaking audacious claims, often opportunistic and self-servingthat I can seldom read one through. I have read this work of Cheryl Canfields four times, however, and shall no doubt read it again. I carried the manuscript around with me for the first few weeks, rather as a warm companion, and still dip into it some two years later.

Canfield builds her book around several themes. First, she offers a play-by-play account of her experience with cancerfrom the initial death sentence, to her eventual deliverance from that shadowwhich she achieves without fanfare, and entirely on her own. Canfield shows us that a first step in healing is assuming responsibility for every aspect of our life, including learning all we can of the affliction facing us, and, as the Sufis say, keeping the devil in front of us, in clear sight.

Second, she uses brief biographical glimpses into her background, not from the ego posturing of one who has held the grim reaper at bay single-handedly, but rather as a foundation on which her new understanding of cancer, disease in general, and health itself could take shape and be shared. Thus, Canfields story proves far more than just an account of moving beyond illness. It is a story of transcendence and moving into new life.

Third, while subtly sensational in substance, the way of healing she describes is marked by quiet humility and understatement, from which a fresh insight into the human spirit unfolds. In claiming so little for herself, she offers so much to us all. The glimpses into her spiritual background are richly revealing, particularly her long association with that elusive giant of the spirit, Peace Pilgrim.

Throughout this book I found Canfields modesty, integrity, and honesty so compelling that I flew to the West Coast to meet her. That personal contact was even more rewarding than the intellectual contact I experienced through her bookone of those rare occasions when one finds the author in person even more genuine and impressive than that person in print. She doesnt just walk her talk; she is her talkso much so that her inner radiance is infectious and we carry something of it away with us.

Above all, Canfield shows that the onset of a disease, even a deadly one, can be the opening of an adventure of the spirit; the discovery of a wholly different aspect of life; and a challenge that can be every bit as life changing as life threatening. I have heard others speak of affliction as opportunity, but Canfield clearly demonstrates that disease and impending death can be a source of grace and liberation rather than a curse. This good news runs as a clear stream throughout her narrative. And here is a priceless hidden pearl in this work: at some point, in following her precepts for transcendence through forgiveness and nonjudgment, body healing becomes almost secondary to the many other levels of freedom and new life that open.

Surely readers will find their own gems in this work. More important, they may also find the incentive to undertake the simple journey into wholeness the book offers. Whether one is in boundless health, as was Peace Pilgrim, or facing crisis, as Cheryl was, the rewards will inevitably be great.

Joseph Chilton Pearce

Faber, Virginia

March, 2002

My gratitude goes to the many people who encouraged me and gave support throughout the writing of this book, as well as to all those whose inspiring stories are included herein.

I am most grateful to Joseph Pearce for his endorsement of my work and his support in getting this book to publication; for his introduction to Inner Traditions Bear & Company; and for the foreword that he so generously contributed.

I deeply appreciate the support of my agent, Barbara Neighbors Deal, her belief in this project, and her valuable suggestions along the way.

The staff at Inner Traditions Bear & Company have my heartfelt thanks for their professionalism and the care and support they demonstrated in all aspects of editing and production.

My gratitude flows abundantly to many friends, and particularly to Randal Churchill, whose steadfast enthusiasm and counsel kept me going through many difficult moments during the completion of this work.

Most of all I would like to thank my familyespecially my parents, who have given me unconditional love and support; my daughter, Cindy; my son-in-law, Randy; and my grandsons, Matthew, Zachary, and Nathan, who bring immeasurable meaning to my life.

I thank the wonderful network of support in the little community of Groveland. I am fortunate to live amid abundant beauty in the foothills of Yosemite, with the delightful companionship of many friends (both two-footed and four-footed). Thanks especially to Bill Zachman, neighbor, friend, and computer consultant who came to my aid whenever I needed his invaluable assistance.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didnt mention the soulful presence of my cats during the process of writing. Socrates and Maxi have the ability to inspire me, console me, and make me laugh no matter how difficult the challenges before me.

Profound Healing was born out of my own experience with advanced cancer. What happens when we find out that the life we have taken for granted may soon end? What do we do with the flood of questions and emotions that pour in? How can this be happening to me? we ask in disbelief. Why?