Lisa Hanigan, yoga instructor at the Nassif Community Cancer Center, discusses meditation, how it can benefit patients and much more.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a way to calm your nervous system and release stress. Research shows this can help your health and wellbeing.
What can patients expect at a meditation class?
Patients can expect to sit in chairs and be led through a different type of meditation each time they come. Research shows it can benefit you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Meditation is a personal practice, not a religion.
In what ways can meditation benefit cancer patients during treatment, as well as cancer survivors?
Patients can expect to learn ways to deal with anxiety and stress related to cancer, but also everyday life.
What would you say to someone who may be hesitant to try meditation?
If you are hesitant to try meditation because you “can’t stop thinking,” you should come give it a try. The nature of the mind it to think. Meditation is a practice to help you release stress and possibly slow down your thoughts by staying present.
What is your goal when working with patients at the Community Cancer Center?
My goal is to give you the tools that can help you become less anxious and more relaxed so that you are better able to deal with anything life throws at you.
Lisa Hanigan
Lisa Hanigan has been practicing yoga for 12 years and teaching for over eight years. She first tried meditation because it was part of what she found beneficial from yoga – the mindfulness and presence that you feel when you focus on something worthwhile. To her, meditation was a natural extension of yoga, but in a more intentional way. Lisa completed her training at the McLean Meditation Academy in 2017.
