Mind-Body Therapies

Mind-Body is a term that covers a broad range of modalities, from ancient mindfulness meditation to modern neurofeedback. The primary goal of mind-body therapies is to trigger a relaxation response, but they also help build up one’s resilience against stress. Throughout your lifetime your brain adapts and changes through experiences and training which is known as neuroplasticity. There is no question that receiving a cancer diagnosis can be stressful so trying mind-body techniques to help decrease stress and increase relaxation are likely to be beneficial. Mind-body approaches may enhance health in other ways as well, such as decreased pain, better digestion, improved sleep, and enhanced immunity. Many mind-body approaches stem from simply becoming aware of breath and being present. Practices that focus on breathing at their core can be still such as sitting meditations or they can involve movement such as walking meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong. Many organizations offer classes or structured activities to help teach and practice these approaches, including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), among others. Other mind-body activities involve guided experiences such as medical hypnosis or guided imagery. Research continues to illustrate the positive impact mind-body activities can have on quality of life and psychological well-being in cancer patients. Many of these modalities also help with other common cancer-related symptoms such as sleep disturbance, fatigue, and anxiety or fear of recurrence.

Explore Different Modalities

Harnessing the mind-body connection activates powerful inner resources for healing and relaxation. Though the techniques may differ, the end goal of triggering the relaxation response is the primary aim and combining different modalities is fairly common. For example, imagery is often included as part of meditation and hypnosis; biofeedback often uses imagery and relaxation techniques; and most techniques modulate the breath to help elicit the relaxation response. Many studies examining the health benefits of mind-body interventions reflect this overlap, which can make validation of individual therapies more challenging.

There are many other mind-body practices not discussed specifically here that can be beneficial to promoting health, decreasing side effects of cancer, and improving mood and quality of life. It can be an enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor to discover and try these practices. Many wellness centers, as well as a growing number of cancer centers, offer mind-body classes, groups sessions, or educational series. Some, such as Yoga, Qi Gong or Tai Chi, involve movement, while others focus on imagery, biofeedback, meditation or mindfulness. Most involve focused breathing.