Meditation is a helpful technique for cancer patients to alleviate symptoms of illness and improve mood, but many people do not know where to start. Some general steps to follow when meditating are to sit tall, relax your body, be still, focus on your breathing, and repeat a mantra in your head if you would like.[1] Rather than sitting tall, some forms of meditation utilize movement such as tai chi and qi gong. Tai chi incorporates motion of the entire body in a flowing sequence, whereas qi gong is more internal and includes the repetition of a specific movement to achieve a purpose.[2] For example, the movement of pulling a bow to shoot an arrow can open the lungs, while pushing your hands to the sky can lower heart rate and blood pressure. This link provides a list of some common qi gong movements and explains how to do them and what their health benefits are.[3] Additionally, if you are looking to practice a type of still meditation but sitting is uncomfortable, you may do this while lying down.1 A quiet place with few distractions is ideal for meditation.[4]

It is important to remember not to be hard on yourself if you struggle to keep focused at first. It will get easier with practice. To get the greatest benefits, it is recommended to meditate daily. You can start by meditating for as little as two minutes and work your way up to longer time periods.[1] To help guide you through your meditation, there are options such as in-person or virtual classes or apps for your phone or tablet. Some popular meditation apps are: Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, Ten Percent Happier Meditation, Unplug, Buddhify, and Simple Habit.[5] This link provides a list of guided meditation videos for cancer patients with various focuses such as managing pain, calming anxiety, or promoting sleep.[6]

References

1.     Meditation for Cancer Patients https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/201702/meditation-cancer-patients#:~:text=Meditation%20for%20Cancer%20Patients%201%20Sit%20tall.%20The,5%20Repeat%20a%20mantra.%20...%20More%20items...%20 (accessed May 19, 2021).

2.     The difference between tai chi and qi gong https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-difference-between-tai-chi-and-qi-gong (accessed May 20, 2021).

3.     The Basic Movements of Qigong Exercises https://qigong.com/the-basic-movements-of-qigong-exercises/ (accessed May 21, 2021).

4.     Simon, S. Take a Moment With Meditation https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/take-a-moment-with-meditation.html (accessed May 19, 2021).

5.     Migala, J. These 7 Apps Will Deepen Your Meditation Practice https://www.verywellmind.com/best-meditation-apps-4767322 (accessed May 20, 2021).

6.     Meditations https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/multimedia/meditations (accessed May 20, 2021).