An initiation of the heart
Within our body there are seven major energy centers, called chakras. These spiritual centers are aligned along the spinal column and are related to certain organs in the physical body. When energy is out of balance or not flowing correctly in the spiritual centers of the body, it can manifest as different kinds of imbalances, eventually resulting in illness or imbalance in the corresponding organs. Since the breast is close to and associated with the heart chakra, breast cancer can be seen to be related to this chakra.
The heart chakra is the center of divine love, and the light of this chakra at spiritual levels is a beautiful rose-pink. The heart chakra is often likened to a rose—a twelve-petaled rose-colored center from which divine love flows.[1] There has been much written about the heart and the path of the heart. Even in our everyday language, the significance of the heart is seen: “Her heart is broken” or “It pains my heart to hear of all that she has been through” or “Get to the heart of the matter” or “Follow your heart and do what your heart tells you to do.” These are but a few of the many little phrases that tell us that we all know intuitively how important the heart is as a spiritual center.
The heart is our most important spiritual center. There is a spiritual flame that burns in your heart; the light in your heart is greater than all of the darkness that is in the world. This is why the Bible says, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”[2] The “he that is in you” is the spirit of the living God, the flame of life that is anchored within your heart.
For some time prior to my diagnosis, I had felt a pain in my heart. I had been greatly burdened in my work and by changes that had been occurring in the organization where I served. My spiritual teacher had been diagnosed with an incurable illness, the organization was in transition, and I cared deeply about many situations that I seemed to be unable to do anything about. I felt all of this as a pain in my heart.
This pain felt like a piercing of the heart, almost as if it were being pierced by a dagger. I could also feel it as a weight, heaviness, or burden around the area of the heart. I had felt this from time to time in my life, but never for such a prolonged period of time without respite and with the feeling of being powerless to lift it or do anything about it.
I had a dream where my heart was pierced by two spears. I could now relate to those pictures of Mary where her heart is pierced with a sword or surrounded by a crown of thorns. Although not brought up Catholic, I had accompanied some of my Catholic friends from medical school to Mass; I was familiar with the paintings of the pierced heart, although at the time it was hard for me to relate to those paintings of Mary. With the diagnosis of breast cancer, I felt that there was indeed someone in heaven who understood intimately the spiritual initiation that I have come to associate with breast cancer.
At the time, I wrote in my journal about the pain in my heart that was not a physical pain. Here is what I said:
I have watched two videos about Padre Pio. I pray to him and find it very helpful. He always told people to “pray, hope, and don’t worry,” which I find very comforting. He suffered so much and yet helped so many people—so many cures and miracles.
I feel quite well except for some loss of appetite and a pain in my heart that is not physical. The pain comes and goes. It eases when I pray and do spiritual work. When I think about my illness or sadness or dying or work or other stressful matters, the pain comes to my heart, and it extends into my right breast. It surely shows the mind-body connection. It is like someone literally pulling at my “heart-strings.”
I am very focused in doing what I need to do for me. I am not able to help others right now and must keep silent and concentrate on myself. People who are depressed or not interested in my welfare burden me, and I feel it in my heart. Conversations with difficult people have made me realize that I need to work on forgiveness and hardness of heart.
I know that not every woman with breast cancer will feel this experience as I felt it, but I write of it because there will be those who will understand it and for whom it will resonate with their own experience. If they read this story, they can know that they are not alone.
My experience as a minister, doctor, and patient tells me that breast cancer is an initiation of the heart chakra. It is a time of testing of the heart and the correct use of the energies of the heart. It is an initiation, or testing, of love. No matter how much we love or have loved, it is a calling to come up higher and to love as never before. That love may mean letting go of a part of our body or even our life as we know it. It may even mean the loss of our life altogether.
The first person I had to learn to love was myself. I found within me a love that was yearning to be expressed as greater care and nurturing of myself at all levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I had to learn to love without anger or bitterness or sadness or depression or hopelessness. I had to learn to love through the pain and turn the pain into bliss—the bliss of greater love for God and of my fellow man and woman. I had to learn to share greater love with others, whether they understood me or not. I saw this love as the love of Christ and his disciples, the love of the Holy Spirit that we all share.
I believe that all forms of cancer and, indeed, all life-threatening illnesses have a similar kind of spiritual lesson to share. I was acutely aware that I was not alone in this initiation. In fact, within 48 hours of my diagnosis of cancer, the realization came to me of how many other women were going through this illness at the same time that I was. It staggered me. Here I was, going through this terrible thing, and thousands of others were going through it with me. I felt a great love for them and a kinship with them.
Why didn’t someone tell me what it was like? Why hadn’t I understood before this that one in eight women will go through this at some time in their life? Why don’t we teach every little girl and teenager and woman about this? Why don’t we teach every woman how to prevent breast cancer? Why aren’t we shouting it from the rooftops? Why aren’t we banding together in great numbers?
Yes, I was not alone by any means. Many women had been through breast cancer before me, and sadly, many would follow. I wanted to learn from those who had experienced this rite of passage, and I wanted to share what I have learned with those who would come after me.
The seven chakras
Each of the seven major chakras corresponds to particular organs and systems in the physical body. If you have a condition related to one of these organs, you can use this as an opportunity to work on spiritual issues related to that chakra.
Chakra |
Related organs |
crown |
pineal gland, cerebral cortex, nervous system |
third eye |
pituitary gland, portions of the brain, eyes |
throat |
thyroid, mouth, throat, lungs, respiratory system |
heart |
heart, thymus, circulatory system |
solar plexus |
digestive system, liver, pancreas |
seat of the soul |
ovaries, testes, kidneys |
base of the spine |
sexual organs, adrenal glands |
1. Elizabeth Clare Prophet, Your Seven Energy Centers
2. John 4:4.
Excerpted from A Journey through Cancer, by Neroli Duffy
