Gawler Foundation Media

Jon Faine from ABC 774 Melbourne will moderate an intriguing panel discussion on the challenges, opportunities and vision for the future of integrative cancer management at this year’s Profound Healing – Sustainable Wellbeing conference at Melbourne’s Hilton on the Park.

Joining Faine on the panel is Cancer Council Australia CEO Prof Ian Olver, long term cancer survivors Dr Ian Gawler and Petrea King, along with GP and Monash University senior lecturer Dr Craig Hassed.

This significant panel discussion is just one part of the informative and inspirational program at this year’s Gawler Foundation conference, to be held on Saturday and Sunday November 14 and 15.

“This panel clearly illustrates that the gap that once existed between mainstream medical care of cancer patients and organisations such as The Gawler Foundation is continuing to be bridged,” said Karin Knoester, Gawler Foundation CEO.

“Twenty years ago I don’t imagine that this sort of discussion would have taken place in the way in which we’ll see it at this year’s conference,” Ms Knoester said.

“There is a real understanding now that mainstream medicine and the sort of lifestyle programs offered by The Gawler Foundation can and do work well together in an integrative framework.”

Run annually over two days, The Profound Healing – Sustainable Wellbeing conference brings together 16 recognised world leaders in the field of Mind-Body Medicine to share their research and practice through a series of keynote addresses and interactive workshops.

This exciting and enlightening program is ideal for anyone interested in learning about prevention and wellbeing to enhance their own health and for people, their families and carers affected by cancer, multiple sclerosis or other chronic illness.

Health professionals who attend the conference can also qualify for Royal Australian College of General Practitioners training points.

For more information and to download the conference program and registration forms, visit www.gawler.org or call (03) 59671730.

Biographies:

Jon Faine:

After seven years as a lawyer, Jon entered radio broadcasting in 1989. He has been presenting the morning program on 774 ABC Melbourne since 1997. Known for his provocative and probing debate, quick wit and willingness to ask the stickiest of questions, Jon Faine delivers thought-provoking radio.

Dr Ian Gawler OAM BVSc MCounsHS:

Founder of The Gawler Foundation, Ian is a pioneer in the development and application of meditation and other mind-body medicine techniques. With initial training in Veterinary Science, Ian holds a Masters degree in Counselling and Human Services.

Dr Craig Hassed MBBS FRACGP:

A GP and Senior Lecturer at Monash University, Dept of General Practice, Craig’s teaching, research and clinical interests involve mindfulness-based stress management, mind-body medicine, meditation, holistic healthcare, integrative medicine and medical ethics.

Petrea King ND DBM DRM Dip Cl Hyp IYTA:

Petrea is a best-selling author of eight books and a dozen meditation CDs. She is the Founding Director of the Quest for Life Foundation. Since her recovery from leukaemia in 1984, Petrea has inspired people facing life’s greatest challenges to make meaning of their circumstances.

Professor Ian Olver MD PhD CMin FRACP FAChPM MRACM:

CEO of the Cancer Council of Australia, Prof Olver has been a practicing oncologist for over 25 years.

He completed a PhD in bioethics exploring life and death issues, trained in medical oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Alfred Hospital and University of Maryland Cancer Centre in Baltimore.

Tweed Heads Weekly – September 4

REMARKABLE RECOVERIES from diagnosed terminal illness can be courageous and inspiring, but the most admirable people are often those who maintain balanced and healthy lifestyles · without contracting major health complaints, according to lifestyle consultant Ian Gawler.

The Victorian-based cancer survivor has spent the past three decades travelling the country to teach people how good diet, natural medicine and general’ healthy living can help deal with serious illness such as cancer. They are all lifestyle choices he employed to successfully beat deadly bone cancer 30 years ago, lending extra weight to .the Inner Peace, Outer Health seminar he will present in Tweed Heads on September 8.

“However, the people I really admire are those who are fit and well but appreciate that life is precious and make good choices in dealing with modern life he said! They tend to be quite questioning, take responsibility for their decisions and are committed to their objectives of what is really important in life.”

So while this month’s seminar is linked to his Gawler Foundation’s I cancer self help program – a 12-week course starting in the Tweed on September 16 – Inner Peace, Outer Health was aimed equally at people who were generally healthy and  looking to stay that way. Ian, teacher of meditation and natural medicines, said one of the seminar’s roles was to act as a circuit breaker to get people out of poor lifestyle routines. He said serious illness proved ultimately to be a positive step in many people’s lives because it prompted them to reconsider what was really important and to adopt better lifestyle choices. It extracted them from the spiralling vicious cycle of busy lives spent pursuing the ideal of material wealth.

“It’s clear these days that a lot of people are looking for happiness outside themselves. They believe they will be happy if they have a good job and nice possessions. “They can help, but we all know people who have a lot of material wealth but aren’t happy and other who don’t have much but are very content.”

Ian was working as a vet when he developed bone’: cancer in his left leg in 1975. Conventional thinking at the time meant the leg was swiftly amputated but Ian had to look for other options when the cancer, osteogenic sarcoma, recurred.

“I was told I had a 5% chance of being alive in five years.  I refused to ‘ accept the prognosis and my inquiring vet’s mind led me to explore the therapeutic side of nutrition,” he said.

“Mind-body medicine was in its early days in Australia, so I looked further afield for alternatives. “When I · became well after a couple of years, it was clear the things that helped me were not readily available in Australia, so it became my full-time job.” His recovery led to the creation of the not-for-profit Gawler Foundation.

Download Article as PDF

My Career – The Age, Saturday 22nd September

DR IAN GAWLER
This doctor might have
battled cancer but he wasn’t
able to stomach lunchtimes at
the abattoir.

MY FIRST JOB was as a “boba-
job” cub aged about 10. I
loved knocking on people’s
doors and being surprised.
There was car washing, digging
in the garden, cleaning up
rubbish, Mostly genuine
kindness, occasional gruffness
but overall a great opportunity
to meet my local
neighbourhood, have fun and
raise some money.

MY WORST JOB was at the
end of first-year veterinary
science studies. I was very
keen on anatomy and thought
if I worked in an abattoir over
the holidays, I could learn more
about it. The fellow I signed on
with had a knife in his left sock
“for protection”. At lunchtime
there was a stampede to the
killing pens so people could eat
their lunch and grab a prime
spot from which to watch the
killing. I was assigned to the
end of a conveyor belt to pack
cans of dog food . I lasted three
days and went to work as a
brickie’s labourer.

EFFIE MANN
Ian Gawler is the founder of
The Gawler Foundation.

www.gawler.org

Download Article as PDF

Gold Coast Mail September 5th

THERE are plenty of popular myths about cancer. There are those that say you can get it from plastic water bottles or underarm deodorant. Other s say massive doses of vitamin C can drive it away. However, Ian Gawler, one of Australia’s foremost cancer counsellors, says it’s a lot more fundamental than that. “Stop smoking and get your diet sorted out,” he said. “That will reduce your risk by two-thirds.”

Dr Gawler will be at Twin Towns Services Club on Tuesday, September 8, to present a seminar called Inner Peace, Outer Health and to launch a 12week self-help program facilitated by Tweed Heads woman Cathy O’Neill. Ms O’Neill trained with the Gawler Foundation in Victoria.

Dr Gawler, a veterinarian who was 24 when he lost a leg to bone cancer, is a pioneer of the “mind body” response to cancer, involving a healthy diet, exercise and meditation. “It is what you do for yourself,” he said. “To call it alternative medicine is not helpful – it sounds like you have to do one or the other. “But it is compatible with what medicine can do for people.” Dr Gawler said hereditary factors accounted for only 10 percent of cancers, with lifestyle factors – smoking, diet and exercise- responsible for up to 80per cent. “The best way to treat cancer is not to get it in the first place,” he said.

Ms O’Neill was diagnosed with, breast and lymphatic cancer in 2005. Surgery, eight courses of chemotherapy and seven weeks of daily radiotherapy followed before she attended the Gawler Foundation’s live-in retreat. “The body has a natural inherent capacity to heal itself, given the right environment,” Ms O’Neill said. “I learnt how to reawaken my body’s full potential to heal.” The self-help course is based on Dr Gawler ’s book, You Can Conquer Cancer. Ms O’Neill said a group approach worked well for many people, as they could share their progress with other patients. “It is designed to improve quality and quantity of life by empowering people to help themselves,” she said.

The self-help group will run from September 16to December 9. Phone 5523 3206 for more information.

Download Article as PDF