Does anyone else do this? They talked about it a lot at the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre, and I have since been reading up and trying it at home ( and during chemo). Finding it quite difficult though and wondered if anyone else has any tips/visualisations they might want to share. I find drawing pictures of my lumps surrounded by t cells and shrinking quite therapeutic… Who knows if it works at all but it keeps me off the streets!
Hi Scaryfox
I do this a bit and think if you find a visual that works with you that is the best one to use. Tell yourself how easily you can visualise, theory is the unconscious doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality so convince it you can do it easily. Make it interesting, change it now and agian if that’s what feels right. Also if you can imagine yourself in the future being healthy and well.
My thing was pacmen munching.
Jxx
one that I find helpful to deal with any type of stress is one which I think was mentioned on another thread but of course I can’t remember where!
anyway as you breathe slowly you imagine yourself breathing out a dirty or nasty unattractive colour which is the stress .for me I imagine a dark black brown or grey,then as you breathe in you imagine the colour of the air being a refreshing,healthy or invigorating colour such as silvery,blue,turquoise,any colour that seems to represent health ,life and vitality,as if you were inhaling a good long breath of sea air.
Hi I did the pacman munching thing too when I was having chemo.I can remember years and years ago seeing a lady (can’t remember who she was) on this is your life who had cancer and thats what she would do.It stuck in my mind for all those years.I have 2 Paul Mckenna CD’s which help with stress.Also have the breast cancer haven at home DVD and CD which is free from their site.I hav’nt listened to the CD yet. It has meditation,hypnotherapy and breathing,relaxation and a healing visualisation.
Best wishes mel xx
Cool, glad it’s not just me! I like the pacman idea, might draw a visual of that… thought I’d have a go at some animations too. Will have a look for that CD - I got one from my NHS counsellor with a garden visualisation, but mainly for relaxation not cancer related. Breathing colour technique sounds good too - thanks!
At Penny Brohn the staff told us a story about a little boy with a brain tumour (and dire prognosis) who played a ‘shoot em up’ style computer game in which he imagined he was zapping his tumour with bullets. He played it obsessively for months while having chemo. One day he became bored - telling his mum there were no ‘baddies’ anymore. Shortly afterwards a scan confirmed the tumour was gone! Strange how he knew before the oncologist told him.
Wow that’s a great story i really want ot go to the Penny Brohn. I think your mind is such a powerful thing.
xx
i use visualisation a lot i find it helps me ‘zone out’ at times of stress (or when i cant be bothered with people in general!) i was taught really good relaxation/visualisation techniques at the macmillan centre at trafford general. it has been and im sure will carry on being a great help to me
sue
Hi
Not sure where to put this, but just noticed a couple of great videos , short ones to watch on the Penny Brohn website- dont know how new they are but very good news and inspiring.
see pennybrohncancercare.org/page283.asp
Its under Getting started , then Scientific Evidence if the link doesnt work. sorry to be off topic but couldnt find a thread for Penny Brohn Centre and it is a leading model for complimentary care in the UK.
I did Nutrition for lifting spirit day there, and hope to do more. Wish I’d looked at visualisation at start of my chemo (just finished) - one big problem is that after diagnosis and treatment plans start, there is so much to take in and adjust to, and finding all the complementary stuff and working out what you want to dip into - its all too much. so much info , and so much lovely support out there but finding it and then coping with it all - it all needs to be more accessible somehow.
But what progress in 10 years - there was NOTHING for my dear Dad , not even any end of life care , I go cold cold remembering those days and know what lovely support there is now . we had just the family (Oh and me) and Mum with middle stage dementia , being a carer as Dad was, while having treatment then dying of cancer, now i appreciate more what he was going through - so wish I’d got him to go to Penny Brohn but having Non Hodginkinsons Lymphoma and no internet access at the time, the word cancer wasnt mentioned for a long time, Mums dementia was all consuming at the time, awful days. Musnt look back .
Thanks for that Kirsty - will watch it later. I’m going to Penny Brohn in 2 weeks time - really looking forward to it.
finty x
I find doing relaxation CDs very useful. I have been doing them for ages though as I have had ME for ages before getting bc. My favourite technique is yoga nidra. It means yogic sleep. One part of it is where you have to say a resolve. Different ones have different visualisations in the middle.
There is one devised for people focussing on health on sheffieldyogaforme.org.uk.
And other general ones here on the Satyananda yoga site - syclondon.com/cd/index.htm
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Thank you for this! I’m going to think of a good ‘safe place’ and give it a go. I find some of the CDs hard to get into but I think it all depends on whether or not the voice is right for you! Did you do this meditation at Penny Brohn?
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