By Admin at 5 Oct 2015, 09:21 AM

Mind-body therapies such as mindfulness meditation and attending support groups are well known to offer mental benefits to cancer patients, but now research shows they have a positive impact at the cellular level, too.

In a study of 88 breast-cancer survivors, those who practiced mindfulness meditation or attended support groups maintained the length of their telomeres, while those who had no intervention had shorter telomeres at the end of the study. Telomeres are protective “caps” at the ends of your chromosomes (sometimes described as the plastic tips on the ends of your shoelaces), which have been marked as a measure of aging. The shorter your telomeres become, the faster your cells age and die.

Dr. Linda E. Carlson, PhD, director of research in the Psychosocial Resources Department at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the study’s lead author, said: "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.”

So in addition to a healthy lifestyle that includes nutritious foods and exercise, cancer survivors may benefit from psychosocial interventions that provide stress reduction and emotional support. Such support groups are widely available across the United States, and if you’re wondering about mindfulness meditation, it’s a state of mind that allows you to “observe” your thoughts without judgment. When you’re mindful, you focus on the present moment without letting your mind wander to past events or future obligations.

According to Harvard: “The effects of mindfulness meditation tend to be dose-related — the more you practice it, the more benefits you usually experience. A less formal approach can also help you stay in the present and fully engage in your life. You can practice mindfulness at any time or during any task, whether you are eating, showering, walking, touching a partner, or playing with a child.”

For best results, you may want to receive professional instruction, but you can also try this basic mindfulness meditation from Harvard Medical School.

• Mind-body exercises, such as yoga, can also help you to promote mindfulness by focusing on deep breathing, relaxation and slow, purposeful movements.
• Sit cross-legged on the floor or in a straight-backed chair.
• Focus on your breathing, noticing the air flowing into your nostril and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling with each breath.
• Once you’ve become focused, slowly widen your awareness to include sounds, sensations and ideas.
• As you experience different thoughts, allow them to enter your mind without judging them as good or bad.
• If you begin to have racing thoughts, focus once again on your breathing and then try to gradually expand your awareness again

The video below provides poignant perspective on the impact of long-term stress on our bodies. 

Sources:

Cancer
EurekAlert
Harvard Medical School
Newsner

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