Mindfulness based meditation is gaining popularity amongst cancer patients. Because of the palpable benefits on quality of life, this technique seen a strong following, often being used as complementary to traditional oncology treatments. Mindfulness-based meditation is a meditation that focuses on a heightened sense of presence or awareness. Notable benefits include:
- Increased sense of calm and wellbeing
- Diminishing pain
- Better sleep quality
- Increase in the immune system
- Decrease in chronic inflammation
It is not a surprise that mindfulness-based therapies show to reduce anxiety and depression in cancer patients. To practice mindfulness meditation, you can either go to a specialized center or do it from the comfort of your own home. If you wish to practise mindfulness meditation from home, here are a few tips:
- Sit down or lie down
- Be still and quiet
- Focus on being aware and present at each moment
- If your mind wonders to other thoughts, gently bring your attention and awareness back to the present moment
- Repeat between 15-30 minutes every day
Many demonstrations can be found online. This is a great example.