After receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, Elise enrolled in a Life Now meditation course. She shares her experience with the course and how it helped her relax during stressful times.
The shock of receiving a cancer diagnosis
In October 2023, Elise noticed a hard lump in her breast. She scheduled an ultrasound, which revealed that her lump was malignant.
“It was a huge shock. There was a lot going on in my life at the time. I had just moved to Perth and contracted coronavirus on Christmas Day. Three days later I went to my GP. “It was a very stressful time,” she says.
Elise added: “My mother had breast cancer, so in theory it was always a possibility, but I never thought that this lump could also be breast cancer.”
1 hour to take a break during stressful times
Elise says one of the highlights of the course was being allowed to take time for herself.
“I’ve been working all my life and I’ve been very busy with work and I’ve been active in the community, but this course has given me time to stop and really think about myself, so it’s been a great time. It was very comforting just to have people be kind to me,” she says.
“Facilitator Karen had a tremendous amount of experience in running courses. She not only brought an understanding built on years of teaching and practice, but also a genuine empathy for people and Karen brought an understanding of the need for different styles of meditation because continuing their own journey with mindfulness was just as important to her as what she was teaching. I thought she was a very kind and beautiful person.”
Incorporate meditation into your daily life
When asked how she incorporates what she has learned into her daily life, Elise said that she still uses meditation when she feels anxious, worried, stressed, or just too busy.
“Meditation can be practiced at any time of the day, and that’s what’s really peaceful and reassuring. I know I can give myself permission to stop and meditate whenever I really need to.”
Elise encourages others who are on a similar journey with cancer to take up this course, even if they are nervous or new to meditation.
she says: “There’s no pressure to talk if you don’t want to, and there’s no pressure to share your thoughts if you don’t want to. But you can use the same space to share your own journey if you feel like it. You can share some of it.” That’s a very safe place to try things and take risks. ”
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