The practice of mindfulness is a topic frequently discussed as of late, but it’s a task that can feel too daunting or challenging to attempt – especially while enduring your cancer journey. However, these practices are proven to help greatly with stress relief and coping skills, and work together to improve a person’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
With generous funding from a Quality of Life Program from the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, patients, caregivers and survivors alike have the opportunity to participate in popular self-care courses – both virtually and in-person at our Oneida Health Cancer Care location in Oneida, NY.
Enjoying the benefits of mindfulness
Jim Bojanowski experienced these benefits first-hand after a cancer diagnosis in 2017. After undergoing colon surgery to remove a cancerous mass, Jim attended a Healing Touch session, a service provided by Roswell Park’s Supportive Care Program. Healing Touch utilizes the practice of Reiki to transport energy to a patient’s body, improving the flow and balance of energy to support healing.
“I was so moved by every session that, in 2018, I became a practitioner of Healing Touch, and then Reiki, as part of a volunteer group at Roswell Park’s Survivorship Clinic,” says Jim. “We offer 20-minute Reiki sessions to patients, caregivers, and staff, who are all in need of stress relief.”
When Jim learned about the mindfulness courses led by Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, board-certified physician in Preventive Medicine, he jumped at the chance to participate. “After experiencing the variety of benefits of Tai Chi, especially Healing Touch and Reiki, I was very open to learning more about mindfulness and meditation.”
Non-invasive strategies to control stress
Mindfulness Meditation courses educate participants on a variety of evidence-based practices that can help to improve your overall emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as being present and grounded in your everyday life.
While participating in these courses, Dr. Bismark will break down, step by step, how to practice mindful actions.
“She gently guided our group through the simple mindful task of examining a raisin,” explains Jim. “Its texture, weight, appearance, smell, taste, chewing and swallowing. This focused attention to detail raised my consciousness to new heights.” Jim was surprised at how much this simple task had proven to show benefits far beyond that day.
“The very next morning, every action I performed seemed to have a heightened and special significance,” Jim says. “Previously, I was usually persistent in problem solving, albeit often frustrated. Now, my patience is better, and my frustration is reduced, even in vexing situations.”
Is mindfulness for you?
You do not have to previously have practiced mindfulness or taken meditative courses to sign up for these free classes. And, as Jim reiterates to anyone on the fence about joining, there is no downside to seeing if you can benefit from these techniques.
“Today more than ever, we are all bombarded by a variety and intensity of stimuli that add stress to our lives,” says Jim. “Mindfulness is a wonderful way to reduce stress and, as I have found, makes it easier to do the right thing at the right time.”
Sign up for Mindfulness Meditation Courses today
Learn more about these virtual and in-person courses taking place throughout the month of October. In-person sessions start on Tuesday, October 11, from 5-7:00 p.m. and virtual sessions start on Wednesday, October 12, from 6-8:00 p.m. Call now 716-845-4887.
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