The relationship between mind and body is a complex and amazing thing. It has been shown that we can often influence how we feel physically by how we think. It may even help us to combat disease like cancer. Meditation has been used as a technique not necessarily to combat cancer but to help offset or minimize the side effects from traditional treatments. Let’s explore this further.
Meditation is a mind-body process that uses concentration or reflection to relax the body and calm the mind. It has been defined as the intentional self-regulation of attention, a mental focus on a particular aspect of one’s inner or outer experience.
Meditation is a way for people to relax and focus on images or situations which puts them in a different plane of consciousness in some cases. It has been found that it can be an excellent way for cancer sufferers to alleviate pain and discomfort either from the disease itself or from some of the traditional treatment methods.
There was an independent panel which was set up by the National Institutes of Health which did in fact find that meditation was an excellent way for cancer patients to treat their chronic pain as well as address sleeping problems like insomnia.
There was general agreement that meditation did not play an active role in treating the disease itself. But it had excellent results when it came to improving the quality of life of those people suffering from the disease.
The development of cancer can certainly be a very stressful affair. And as the disease progresses it can become very uncomfortable. On top of this the traditional cancer treatments themselves can cause pain, nausea and other unwanted side effects.
The application of meditation techniques allows the patient to place himself in another world where the stress of dealing with the disease as well as the pain and suffering he may be going through is much lessened. The person who uses meditation can become much more relaxed, tranquil and at peace.
Many medical facilities recognize the importance and benefit of meditation as a way to improve the quality of life for their patients. They recognize the benefits it can bring and actively promote its use. Successful meditation is something which is best taught by a qualified practitioner. They can help the patient to relax and utilize effective imagery to attain a state of consciousness which allows them to overcome much of the pain and discomfort they may be experiencing.
By using meditation, patients have been able to reduce the amount of pain killing drugs they would otherwise need. And the ability to achieve a peaceful state allows many of these patients to have a far easier time dealing with their illness.
And as indicated earlier that while meditation may not be viewed as a cancer treatment, it can allow traditional treatments to be implemented in a much easier manner on the patient. In some cases more aggressive treatment can be tolerated by the patient when he/she is utilizing meditation to help to address the pain, discomfort and stress associated with these treatments.
