On the Live Chat this evening I mentioned a trial that I did which was for women with Metastatic Breast Cancer to see how Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction could help us deal with our diagnosis. By far and away it is the best thing that I have been offered (only support I have been offered) by my hospital. Rather than just repeating myself maybe you would like to have a look at the post I put on my blog after another blogger said that there had never been trials about meditation and Mindfulness for those with MBC.
inspiringmetastaticbreastcanceradvocacy.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/mindfulness-and-me/
Thanks for that Vicki. I have been doing weekly mindfulness meditation at ‘Freshwinds’ in Birmingham. I have found it amazingly helpful and would recommend this to anyone who has a chance to try it. Your trial course sounds much more elaborate but even the simple procedures I have followed have strengthened me every day. It’s hard work, though! I think with our diagnosis we have time to mull over a)the life we’ve had and what we’ve done with it and b) the life we have left and what to with it. Mindfulness helps you to focus on the present moment rather than cogitate on what might have been or what will happen. It must be rare to be able to look back on the past and say, ‘Je ne regrette rien’, I know I can’t do that, and it is the mistakes and unhappy memories that come to the fore, poisoning any chances for peace of mind.
I’ve also found it helpful to consider the value of compassion, and have done this with the help of a counsellor. This is compassion towards oneself as well as towards others. We cannot change our past but we can look on past experiences through the light of compassion and understanding rather than through anger, blame and shame. This has helped me to let go of some of the complicated feelings. Again, not easy, but well worth it.
Thanks for the read! :smileyhappy: I try and live in the moment. Some times it’s easier than others. I’m lucky to have had ten years with mets, I’ve had time to adjust to life. I have had long periods of stability with treatments. But, of course, I still have ‘how did this happen?’ moments. Now is the only real time we have isn’t it? I’m able to leave my past in the past. Up to a point I’m able to deal with, live with now, I don’t overly worry for the future. I’m not a group joining person :womantongue: but I have read a bit of Thich Nhat Hanh, I highly recommend ‘peace is every step’ :smileyhappy: if you haven’t a copy I think you would both like it.