Breast cancer survivors could benefit from doing mindfulness meditation, as a new study has found that protein complexes located at the end of chromosomes (known as telomeres) maintain their length in people who practice this. Longer telomeres are thought to help protect against disease.

According to the University of Calgary’s Department of Oncology and Alberta Health Services’ Tom Baker Cancer Centre, telomeres actually shorten in those people who are not involved in any sort of intervention, such as a support group or attending a meditation class.

“We already know that psychosocial interventions like mindfulness meditation will help you feel better mentally, but now for the first time we have evidence that they can also influence key aspects of your biology,” principal investigator and director of research in the Psychosocial Resources Department at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre Dr Linda Carlson remarked.

One survivor, Allison McPherson, said that she remained sceptical at the beginning but she has come to practice mindfulness every day, which has really helped her to be kinder towards herself as well as others. Fellow study participant Deanne David, meanwhile, said it had made a massive difference to her life and she believes that other people with cancer would benefit from learning more about it.

This isn’t the only area that mindfulness is thought to be effective in either. A recent study has shown that it could also be used to treat the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, while it can also do a lot to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety. Some say it can help with migraines, while others believe it can do a lot to help epileptics manage their condition more effectively.

FISU Meditation teachers a spiritual form of meditation that incorporates Mindfulness.

http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/10604.asp

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