Serious illness can come as a shock, leading to a sense of powerlessness and despair. But these feelings can in themselves hamper healing and recovery, according to Jan Alcoe, author of Lifting your Spirits, a new and unique guide to support people coping with illness or disability.
Jan, a member of the British Holistic Medical Association, had been involved with writing and publishing health care training manuals for 25 years when she was diagnosed with cancer. It seemed ironic. However, her experience of cancer treatment, which included radiotherapy and chemotherapy, combined with the adoption of self-help strategies she had earlier researched for publication, produced both the inspiration and the information for the new guide. She also drew on the insights of friends who shared their own stories of illness and of healthcare colleagues and practitioners who supported her on her journey.
Lifting Your Spirits introduces the seven simple practices that helped Jan so much in making a full recovery – meditation, visualisation, appreciation, creativity, listening, play and reflection.
Says Jan: “When serious illness strikes and we are cast into the role of ‘patient’, it can seem that we have no control over what is happening to us and that our well-being lies in the hands of others.
“However, within ourselves we can discover a vast capacity to build our resilience on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level.”
It is beautifully illustrated with full-colour butterfly paintings by Lou Beckerman, a nurse and healing arts practitioner, who uses the butterfly as a symbol of healing, hope and transformation.
It has been published by a UK based charity for global healthcare.
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