The word 'cancer' scared me sick

SHARAN’s 21-Day Health Retreat is a holistic programme that focuses on food, exercise and the effect of our thoughts on our well-being. Our amazing facilitator for the retreat, Tehseen Mehdi Dudani, walks the talk and shares how affirmations have proved magical for her and others too!

I strongly believe in the power of affirmations as I have experienced miracles with regard to my health since 2012 when I went through a major surgery for a condition that was suspected to be cancerous. I was worried sick. The night before, I surprisingly calmed myself down and harnessed the power of affirmations by writing in a book with complete belief exactly how well the operation would go and how I would not be diagnosed with cancer nor have the need to undergo chemotherapy/ complications. Sure enough, when I regained consciousness a day later after a gruelling eight hour operation, a senior doctor told me: “I wanted to personally give you the good news because this is nothing short of a miracle. You will not need any chemotherapy and you will be absolutely fine.” I still remember how I cried tears of joy on hearing this and thanked the universe for its blessings. I knew in my heart that my affirmations had worked their magic. Since then I have used positive affirmations many a time, sometimes repeating lines several times a day, such as “Every cell in my body has healed”, “I am strong and healthy”, “I love and accept myself just the way I am” and “Everyday in every way I am getting better and better”.

As a facilitator at the 21-day programme, I conducted a detailed session on the mind-body connection. Many of the participants understood and implemented their affirmations for better health and in other areas of their life through visualisations, daily repetitions. In just a few days during the retreat itself, some came and told me how it had miraculously worked for them much to their surprise. For one, a problem area that had drawn out for five long years got resolved within the next two days when she received a confirmation call. Another participant at the retreat found to her utmost surprise that she could walk no less than five km effortlessly during our weekly trek to the nearby village despite suffering from arthritis for the past 10 years and barely able to walk in her daily routine. I also had someone who was very sceptical in the session about using affirmations and frankly didn’t believe it would work. After trying it for a few days, he informed our group about how to use it to test if it worked, it actually did work for him. Yet another lady was being plagued by mosquito bites for almost a week during the retreat. She used affirmations and reported how within a day none of the mosquitoes came anywhere close to her. She happily declared herself mosquito-bite free.

Each of us has the power to heal ourselves or make things happen. We just have to trust ourselves and make an affirmation and leave the rest to the universe to play out our wishes!

Ligurian Minestrone

This warm and wholesome soup can make an ideal lunch or dinner. Please don't look at the recipe and say it's too much to do! It isn't and remember Discomfort is a Gift:)

Ingredients

• 100 g spinach, coarsely chopped
   
• ½ a cabbage, shredded fairly finely
   
• 2 large potatoes
   
• 100 g any kind of cooked beans
   
• 300 g fresh peas
   
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into strips
   
• 2 zucchini, diced
   
• 1 medium-small onion, minced
   
• 1 clove garlic, minced
   
• 1 rib celery, minced
   
• A small bunch of parsley, minced
   
• 150 g short pasta (either hollow or long and flat pasta, crumbled)
   
• 1 to 2 tbsp vegan pesto
   
• 1¾ L water
   
• Unrefined salt to taste

Method

Wash the vegetables well. Combine the minced celery, parsley, onion and garlic and sauté them until the onion is a light golden colour. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add spinach, cabbage, beans, peas, tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini. Stir the onion mixture into the pot and simmer everything together for about 45 mins.

Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon, mash them with a fork or a potato ricer and return to the minestrone, together with the pasta. Continue simmering, until the pasta is done. Remove the pot from the fire, stir in the pesto sauce and serve.

Serves 10-12

Food For The Mind

FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP

1. SHARAN India is SHARAN's main Facebook page which you can like and follow for getting useful daily updates and news from the plant based health world. You will also get news about the latest SHARAN events, see testimonials, and more.

2. SHARAN's Vegan Support Group is an open support group to know more about vegan/plant-based lifestyle. Here you can ask questions and share inspiring stories, tips, recipes, etc.

All our doctors and presenters will be here to answer your questions and give you tips. If you have attended our events join this group to be a part of our family.

Please like the main SHARAN page and join the group(s) applicable to you.

Is change uncomfortable? 

Adaptability is one of our greatest virtues. The difference between the ordinary and the extra-ordinary is that the latter embraced discomfort. For a butterfly to bloom, it has to undergo the struggle as a caterpillar.

So whatever your goal may be, welcome discomfort with a smile. It is this very process that brings with it the satisfaction of achievement. A truly happy person actually invites discomfort with the knowledge that success is guaranteed!

Find out how you can too. Here are some suggestions –

1. Sleep on the floor Start with one day a month if you like, but do give this a shot!

2. Wake up earlier According to scriptures, the ideal time to wake up is between 4 am to 6 am, when we are at our best. If you usually rise after 6 am, try and shift your body clock to half an hour earlier. Tip: Keep the alarm away from your bedside!

3. Let breakfast be raw  When they say eat breakfast like a king, it only means eating the highest quality of food for optimum nourishment. Organic fruits and salads are the richest in nutrition. Start with a big glass of green smoothie. If you feel hungry again, have fruits.

4. Start lunch or dinner with a salad Nutrients are the spare parts for healing and raw foods are the highest in nutrients. They are also the easiest to digest. So include a big bowl of salad with every meal. This will automatically reduce your intake of cooked food.

5. Intermittent fasting If we were living in nature, we would be eating only between sunrise and sunset. Artificial light has upset our body clock. Intermittent fasting, or eating only during 8 hours of the day when the sun is up is a great way to reset your body clock.

6. Set a physical target for yourself Resolve to do 50 surya-namaskars a day or 100 push ups a day or 200 star jumps a day. You don’t have to accomplish all of this at one time! You can spread the target across the day and do it whenever you get the time. Remember, start small and build it up slowly.

7. Challenge yourself  Take a cold shower on a cold day. Do an activity that you are not comfortable doing. Get into reading. Call up someone you have a problem with and share your thoughts with them…whatever it may be, challenge yourself. Get out of the comfort zone.

8. Work on your addictions Having tea/coffee, being lazy, getting hooked to junk food, spending too much time on social media, smoking, alcohol – are all addictions. Consciously through this understanding, start working on these.

9. Do something new everyday Routines are great, but there can be something new done within the routine. Take a different route to work. Join an interesting class. Opt to walk instead of drive to run an errand. Write a letter to someone. Rack your brain in a crossword.