Preface from the book,

Cancer Odyssey
Poems and Drawings on a Cancer Journey

By Andrea Isaacs

The work I do with "Physical Intelligence" translates emotional energy into physical energy. It uses meditation and the creative process (writing, drawing and moving) to explore emotions and their impact on the body. After receiving my cancer diagnosis, it naturally evolved that I applied the same theory to the process of my emotional and spiritual healing. I believe the only way to the "other side" of difficult feelings is to go deeply into them.

The handbound book, Cancer Odyssey: Poems and Drawings on a Cancer Journey, is a collection that captures different emotional phases of this journey. After each event of writing, drawing and moving, I had the relief of seeing or experiencing my feelings outside of myself which eased their grip on me.

There were several drawings in the "Pain" series. After the initial surgery, the pain was so great that I was driven to draw and draw and draw until the image on paper clearly reflected back to me what I felt. Only then did the pain finally loosen its hold and I had some relief.

"Lust" is part of the "Woman" series and reflects probing questions such as: what makes a woman?, what is sexuality?, what will my relationship with my sexuality be like after losing my breasts and my uterus?, will I be sexually attractive to a man again? Seeing the drawings in this series gave me the reassurance that this part of my life would be okay. It1s also been quite fun to hear other people1s interpretations of the drawings in this sequence.

I was fortunate to be able to participate in two different breast cancer support groups. One was a talking group, and the other did art projects, both healing in different ways. Margaret, the leader of the art group, guided us in a mask making project. We made the masks with plaster of paris directly on our faces and decorated them in a way to reflect our inner healer. You1ll read about this in "I Could Only Lie There," and you1ll see a photo of the mask as well. This was around Halloween time, and wearing my mask to a costume party at a ballroom dance event won me a first place prize of $250 worth of dance lessons!

"Unmasking," the gratitude section, represents a huge shift in how I perceive all my relationships. The kind of love and support I received from family and friends is beyond description, often moving me to tears. These pieces are an attempt to put those feelings into words and a way of letting those people know what their love has meant to me.

My cancer experience has been one of transition in many ways. Externally, my life seems to have stopped, though perhaps paused is a better word. Or rather, poised, as a bird caught gently in the hands of St. Francis of Assisi. The drawing "Poised" captures a sense of my life being held gently between such a pair of hands. Internally, there has been tremendous movement, change and growth. My sense now is that the hands are about to open, and my life is about to change and take off in ways I don1t yet know, thus the sense of flight in the drawing. However, it1s been quite entertaining to hear the phallic and erotic interpretations others have of this drawing.

Finally, I felt able to imagine life after cancer and a time when the whole ordeal wouldn1t even cross my mind for days. Writing and drawing my way through this has healed some wounds older than my cancer, and has helped more than I can say.

Realizing the importance of this process in my own healing journey, from cancer and from the ordinary wounds of life, my teaching has expanded. In addition to programs in "Physical Intelligence," I1ve also been teaching "The Wounded Warrior" and "Creating Through Cancer" programs and have developed a private practice in order to bring this kind of work to others.

I understand it1s not uncommon for cancer survivors to say this: I would never wish for a cancer diagnosis, but having received one, I will say that my life has been forever deepened by it. I hope that the words and images on these pages can touch you in some way and perhaps give you a bit of hope and courage along the way.

Emotional and Physical Intelligence Programs
for People Whose Lives Have Been Touched by Cancer

You, or someone you love, has been diagnosed. Cancer. Now what? For most of us, cancer ranks as one of life's scariest possibilities and suggests an end to life as we know it. Cancer can say to us - "The End." But it doesn't have to.

By turning the attention inward, we are able to find, explore and accept our reactions to the diagnosis of cancer. Difficult feelings such as anger, grief, loss and sorrow, are a natural part of this process, and can be translated into simple movement and then onto paper with writing and drawing. No arts training is necessary to do this. It's sufficient if you're able to sit, stand, walk and bring pen to paper. In this way, an authentic expression of deep, hidden or frightening feelings are allowed to surface. You might ask, "Why? I was doing so well when not dealing with them."

"Repression of expression" can be damaging to our psyche, our physical and emotional well-being, and prevents us from moving on with our lives. This program helps us get in touch with, express and release these feelings. Once we've done that, they're outside of us and not locked up inside. This gives us a more objective perspective, and this distance loosens the grip that disturbing feelings can have on us.

These workshops can help you find and express difficult feelings and can help to expedite emotional and spiritual healing.

Click here to read more about the Cancer Program.

Testimonials from "Cancer Odyssey" Workshop Participants

It was eye-opening to by-pass my over-thinking and feel my feelings through movement. I found I didn't need to continue storing them in my body.

- Cancer survivor

I loved the movement which helped me to identify and release emotions. I'm feeling more confident in myself. The day was well spent.

- Cancer survivor

Andrea was authentic and spontaneous and put the group at ease. She has great insight, is knowledgeable, honest, caring and supportive. She has a wonderful gift.

- Cancer survivor

This program made me feel very peaceful, relaxed, and encouraged about how to deal with negative feelings.

- Cancer survivor

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Having surgery put me through a lot of mixed feelings. This was fabulous and made me feel more grounded and in touch with me. Andrea is a wonderful teacher!

- Cancer survivor

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

I could be myself, say, do, feel, all of the feelings I wanted to have. I am at peace.

- Cancer survivor

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Andrea Isaacs' unique skills in turning psychological principles into physical experiences has a dramatic healing effect. One can read about anger, fear, sorrow and loss, but to experience these feelings in the context of her workshop brings the individual to a depth that can not be found in mere words.

Patients who cannot find the words to express their devastation with cancer or other illnesses can find a voice in Andrea's non-verbal work.

Her program is based on non-stressful movement that encompasses the full range of emotion that all of us share when confronted with life altering illnesses. It can be the vehicle for release of these emotions when traditional methods are unsuccessful. I have seen examples of patients who had social prohibitions that inhibited them from verbally expressing their anger, being able to non-verbally express and release these emotions in this format. I highly recommend her work for the large majority of patients who are dealing with cancer or other major illnesses.

- E. Stephen Purdom, M.D., Internal Medicine

Advisory Board, Emory University School of Medicine
Board Member and retired Executive Vice President, AFLAC