Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 41

"It has a very long history of use to
help people become calm and have
physical relaxation," says Wen Chen,
PhD, acting branch chief of NCCIH's
Basic and Mechanistic Research in
Complementary and Integrative Health.
The benefits don't stop at relaxation,
either. Research suggests that meditation may reduce blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, anxiety
and depression, and insomnia.
Read on to learn how to start your
own mindfulness meditation practice.

Find a quiet
place.

Meditation is all about focusing on the mind and body, but that's
hard to do if you're busy worrying
about street noise from outside or
the dings and chirps from your phone.
So silence all devices and seek a quiet
space where you can begin your practice with as few distractions as possible. "You want to have a quiet moment
so you can focus on the inner body,"
Chen says.

Get
comfortable-
literally.

Find a position that works for you. That
may be a seated, cross-legged position,
but it doesn't have to be. You can also
lie down or even walk around while
meditating. "Meditation is not really
about how you sit," Chen says. "It's just
so you feel comfortable so you don't
feel distracted by the discomfort."

Focus.

Even in a quiet place and
in a comfortable position,
being mindful and focusing your attention can seem daunting at first. But

HEALING

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Meditation has been known to help
relieve anxiety, stress and pain and is
being used as a healing tool for cancer
patients at the Cancer Resource Centre.
Sound Healing is one of the classes that
aims to help caregivers and survivors
relax and refocus.
"Studies show that sound can produce changes in the immune, endocrine
and other systems of the body," says
class facilitator Pam Kozy, EEMCP. "We
look at sound as a powerful tool in the
healing process. Sounds and vibrations
emanating from the crystal singing
bowls can 'retune' the listener's body."

Other classes offered at the center
also incorporate meditation, including
tai chi, reiki and stress management.
These free cancer programs are
designed to complement treatment at
the hospitals of Community Healthcare
System-Community Hospital in
Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East
Chicago and St. Mary Medical Center in
Hobart-to better meet the needs of
cancer patients and families.
This comprehensive approach to
care provides the right combination of
resources and expertise to treat the
whole person.

CALL

there are plenty of ways to sharpen
your focus. "Sometimes people focus
on chosen words" or phrases, Chen
says. "Many forms of meditation ask
people to focus on the sensation of
breath." Another option is to focus on
your body, slowly scanning from head
to toe.

Don't be so hard
on yourself.

As you're meditating, you
will get distracted-and that's OK. "It's
very hard to focus on one thing for
a long time," Chen says. Sometimes
people get stressed out because they
are distracted, but it's important to
accept that the mind will wander, and
that's fine. "Let the distractions come
and go naturally without saying, 'Oh
darn,'" Chen says. "You don't need to
be judgmental."

Cancer Care
Community Cancer Research
Foundation's Cancer Resource
Centre is located at 926 Ridge
Road in Munster. For information, call 219-836-3349.

Keep at it.

"It's one thing to do meditation once in your lifetime,"
Chen says. "It's another thing to do it
every single day." So, to make the most
of meditation, carve out some time
every week and make it a habit. The
payoff? Studies suggest that regular
meditation may change parts of the
brain that are responsible for everything from memory to fear. ■

WIN TE R 2017

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