Breast Cancer Awareness Tuesday Tension Release

Mindfulness Meditation

Click Here to experience meditation recordings courtesy of UCLA mindful Awareness Research Center

Below is more information on the benefits of meditation. This resource is provided by the Breast Cancer Haven. You can review more of their research at www.breastcancerhaven.org.uk

What is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is about deliberately paying attention in the present moment,
being awake and aware in the present experience of our lives. When we meditate,
we bring the mind back to the present moment again and again in a kind and nonjudgemental
way towards ourselves. The mind’s natural tendency is to wander to the
past or the future. This constant chattering of the mind and the thoughts, worries and
stories it creates about our lives can simply leave people feeling exhausted mentally,
emotionally and physically. With regular practice, meditation can gently help you
develop the skills to face stressful situations with more calmness and clarity.
When practising mindfulness meditation, we are literally ‘come to our senses’ by
bringing the mind back to being with things just as they are in each moment. This
might be by becoming aware of breathing, aware of sensations in the body, aware of
thoughts as they pass through the mind or aware of sounds coming to the ears. By
using these methods it is possible to learn to become aware of what it is like to be
present in the spaces and silence between thoughts, sensations, emotions and
sounds and, start to touch the peaceful, calm inner centre of our being where true
self-healing takes place.
From this practice it is possible to cope better with everyday life by starting to bring
this level of inner awareness into each moment of our lives.

How can it help?
You may have heard, or read about meditation, you may even have seen someone
else practising it, but until you have a go it is difficult to appreciate the benefits. It has
repeatedly been demonstrated that meditation helps the body to heal naturally. It is a
way of ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’ in the bustle of life.
Some other benefits of meditation are the clarity or insights that arise about a
particular situation. Sometimes letting go of habitual thinking can bring people to a
different way of approaching situations that can be helpful and freeing. Ultimately, by
practising any form of meditation, signals are being sent to the body that help the
body heal, which is also reflected in calmer breathing and feeling more peaceful.

When can mindfulness meditation be practiced?
Mindfulness meditation can be practiced at any stage of breast cancer. Bringing
awareness to our breathing and to our bodies can help to bring people ‘back to
earth’, to help calm and clarify the mind.