Meditation can be of enormous value

Meditation puts pain in its proper place


Meditation can be of enormous value for those with painful conditions like multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, cancer or fibromyalgia, to name a few.

At the (Breast Cancer) Haven in Fulham, London participants were guided by Dr. Caroline Hoffman in a mindfulness meditation exercise.

We concentrated on our breathing, trying to be “in the moment”, focusing on the five senses and, all the time, returning our busy minds to the here and now.

Explaining the technique, Dr. Hoffman quoted from James Joyce’s “A Painful Case”.
Describing Mr. James Duffy by saying that:

“...  he lived at a little distance from his body ”. 


Dr. Hoffman investigated the impact of MBSR on women with breast cancer.  The study, published in the Journal of Oncology, declared that the practice of 'Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction' produces a “statistically significant improvement in physical and emotional well-being”.

MBSR is a form of meditation popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre.  It has become hugely popular since its introduction in the 1970’s.

MBSR can be of benefit to people generally while being particularly beneficial to women with breast cancer and people other maladies.

For instance,  a woman patient dealing with the pain of lupus,  described how MBSR helped her:

“It doesn’t take away the pain but it puts it in its place – down a notch or two”. 


Mindfulness can help treat mental health issues, including obesity, bulimia and anorexia by keeping the person awake to and aware of their actions and experiences around food.

 "Mindfulness meal breaks" are arranged by progressive companies like Google where food is eaten without distractions from devices like cell phones.  Meals are eaten slowly, paying attention to what is being eaten –  flavour, colour, smell and texture of the food.  This is what is constitutes eating mindfully. 

Paying attention to your food slows down the process to the extent that the brain signals the person is satiated, they notice the feeling of being full and they eat less than if the had rushed through their meal and just 'stuffing' themselves .
 





Read more:

Meditation puts pain in its proper place – Telegraph Blogs
By Judith Potts Health and lifestyle



Link: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/judithpotts/100170088/meditation-puts-pain-in-its-proper-place/




Tags: Dr. Caroline Hoffman, James Joyce, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness, Mindfulness at Work, Nice, Royal College of Nursing, The Haven, University of Massachusetts Medical Centre