One sentence. That’s all it took to change everything.
“I’m so sorry; you have incurable cancer”.
In that moment my body shut down – immediately and entirely. The doctor’s words barely registered beyond that devastating sentence. My mind fixated on one thought: I am going to die.
Time blurred as my husband listened intently while I sat frozen. Eventually, the doctor’s words pulled me back to reality: “I will get you a wheelchair so you can take Jenny to your car”.
No. I refused to be wheeled out. Mustering all my strength, I rose, leaning on my husband, and made my way to the car – slowly and painfully. I had entered the clinic as a vibrant, and what I believed, healthy woman. I left feeling frail, old and on the brink of death.
In hindsight, that stark physical decline revealed a profound truth: beliefs shape the body. This understanding would later guide my healing journey but, right now, all I felt was despair.
In my journey back to wellness I uncovered 6 steps to healing which I have called HEAL-U.
Step 1: H – Hope and Belief
As an Intuitive Healer for over a decade I had devoted my life to helping others. Yet my diagnosis left me grappling with shame. How could I heal others but not have healed myself?
In December 2012 I felt healthy despite a lump in my lower abdomen, which I assumed was a harmless fibroid. Cancer never crossed my mind. Other symptoms which I attributed to menopause turned out to be part of the insidious nature of ovarian cancer, aptly dubbed the “silent killer”.
Shock soon gave way to terror. I trembled from sunrise to sunset, consumed by fear. Sleep was rare and restless. Sharing the news with loved ones was heart-wrenching – I hated the thought of burdening them.
But then, ten days later, everything changed. Early one morning a voice in my head woke me saying: You are healed.
This wasn’t mere wishful thinking; it was a profound, undeniable knowing that flooded my body with relief. I liken it to a mother hearing that her lost child has been found – a palpable reassurance even before reunion.
My intuition had always been strong, honed through years of professional and personal growth. Facing this life-death situation, my survival instincts – driven by my reptilian brain – took over. That voice was my intuition guiding me.
I didn’t yet know how I would heal, but I knew I would.
Step 2: E – Encouragement and Support
People reached out after my diagnosis, some offering encouragement, others unintentionally deepening my fear. One friend said “You’ve got this, you have the skills to heal yourself – this is just part of your journey”. These words fortified my hope.
But not all interactions were helpful. Another friend shared a story of someone who had recently been diagnosed with what I had and had died. I immediately went into fear. However, I then resolved to surround myself with people who believed in my ability to heal.
This marked my second step.
Step 3: A – Aware of Your Inner Knowing
Once I believed in my ability to heal and had surrounded myself with supportive people the question then became: How?
With no clear path to follow I turned inward. Trusting my intuition and seeking confirmation through signs from the Universe.
One day, during meditation, I asked my body to reveal the cause of my illness. As I scanned my body I “saw” the tumour – a foreign body disrupting a perfect system. I asked it: Why are you here? What have you come to teach me?
The response was clear:
“You look good and feel great, but you are out of alignment with your soul. You are not living authentically. The veneer is cracking as the truth tries to surface. By following the signs your body gives you is the pathway to healing.”
This realisation formed my third step.
Step 4: L – Led to the Root Cause
I shared my insights with my friend Jude, who offered to hold space for me as I explored the root cause of my illness. Together we offered a prayer for guidance and clarity. During meditation, I visualised descending a staircase, each step leading me deeper into a place of spaciousness where I could access my subconscious mind. At the bottom, a door awaited – a gateway to truth I needed to uncover.
As I entered a vivid scene emerged. A musky smell filled my nostrils as fear, shame and guilt surfaced. I was transported back to a past life in the 1500s in Switzerland, chained in a dungeon. I was a healer – what some called a witch – and I was being punished.
Three young apprentices were with me, also chained. My punishment was to witness their burning at the stake before meeting the same fate myself. The memory was overwhelming. Tears streamed down my face as lifetimes of suppressed emotions rose to be released.
In that moment I uncovered two powerful beliefs – It is not my fault and I am innocent.
In that past life I had sought only to help others. Yet my actions, however pure, had led to tragedy. The realisation freed me from the burden of guilt I had unconsciously carried across lifetimes.
Jude guided me through a process of cutting energetic cords to that past life, releasing its hold over me. These beliefs had carried into this lifetime, manifesting as being a chronic people-pleaser and a lack of boundaries. In this lifetime I had experienced, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Recognising this helped me connect with my inner strength and begin setting boundaries. This awareness not only changed my life but impacted my son, who had been struggling with addiction. As I healed my guilt, he began to take responsibility for his life.
This is my fourth step to healing.
Step 5 – (which is the -) Let Go and Surrender
My cancer diagnosis forced me to confront the root cause of my illness. I had spent years in a fight-or-flight state, unable to activate my parasympathetic nervous system, which is essential for rest and repair. Learning to breathe deeply and reconnect with my body helped me shift out of chronic stress. It also allowed me to let go and surrender and learn to trust the Universe. Letting go of fear and trusting my intuition was crucial. When I was able to learn to let go and surrender from a place of believing that I was being fully supported and would be led to the next step in my healing journey I realised that I was a co-creator. Aligning my mind, body and spirit with the divine flow of life, allowed me to take inspired action.
Letting go of fear is not an easy thing to do. Part of shifting from fear to a place of belief was to surrender to the fear. In fact, surrendering to and feeling all emotions as they arise allows them to move through the body rather than suppressing them. Healing is NOT about thinking positive all the time. Emotions are energy in motion, and allowing them to flow helped me release traumas and create space for healing. Dr Bruce Lipton’s research on the power of belief resonated deeply with me. By changing my beliefs I began to reprogramme my body for health and vitality.
And the final step.
Step 6: Unleash Your Plan
Healing required a personalised plan that aligned with my values and intuition. My plan included
- Eating a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and small amounts of meat.
- Walking barefoot on the beach and swimming in the ocean.
- Practicing Qi Gong, even just visualizing movements when I was too weak to perform them physically.
- Dancing to uplifting music.
- Surrounding myself with positive people and doing activities that brought me joy,
- Regular massage.
- And most importantly, listening to my inner voice and doing my inner healing work.
This plan allowed me to take control of my healing and boosted my immune system, giving my body the best chance of healing.
A Life Transformed
My healing journey didn’t just restore my health; it transformed every aspect of my life. My relationships deepened, my financial situation improved, and I began living a life of authenticity and joy. My husband and I relocated to Mount Maunganui, a warm, beachside town – something we had dreamed of for years but had always postponed.
However, my story does not finish here. By shifting to Mount Maunganui I had to get a new medical team. On my first visit to my gynaecologist, he informed me that I needed to get blood tests done so he could see where I was at. Surprised, I replied that I had decided long ago that I did not want to do any more blood tests and I thought it would have been written in my notes. He persisted 2 more times in persuading me to get blood work done. Furiously, I succumbed – feeling disrespected and unheard. Off I went, resentfully, to the Path Lab and the results showed that my cancer markers had shot back up again. My oncologist recommended that I begin another round of chemo, but this time I listened to my intuition and spoke my truth. I informed my oncologist that I would wait three months and then go back for more blood tests. Away I went, and did more healing as I uncovered how I had allowed my gynaecologist to over ride what I knew was the right thing to do for myself. On an unconscious level he had triggered old traumas when NO did not mean NO. Three months later when I went back for more blood tests my marker had dropped right back down again. This gave me medical evidence how releasing past traumas and suppressed emotions can create healing in the body.
The Power of Love and Belief
Healing, for me, has been about learning to love myself and trust my inner guidance. As I released old traumas and embraced new beliefs, I experienced profound shifts in my health and well-being. LOVE – both for myself and from the divine – has been the ultimate healer, enabling me to live a life beyond my wildest dreams.
My story is a testament to the power of hope, intuition and self-love. I now share my journey to inspire others to believe in their own capacity to heal and create lives filled with joy, purpose and connection.
by Jenny Kennedy
www.jennykennedy.co.nz
