Thursday, January 19, 2012

Meditation. Yes? No? Who Knows?


A posting on the National Brain Tumor Society’s website suggests that those of us with tumors (or maybe even those of us caring for people with tumors) should consider meditation (see http://my.braintumorcommunity.org/app/render/go.aspx?sBlogID=5994&xslt=blog/blogbase.xslt&mode=post&sPostID=176246&cons_id=2966833&ts=1327003708&signature=1d2a0b91dafb226e687203f409e01717). 

Come again?

I have a brain tumor – why would I revert to the “think” method espoused in the “Music Man”?

According to the NBTS posting, “Everyday life is full of stress and if you are a part of the brain tumor community, there can be added stress and limitations around what you can do to alleviate it. Mindfulness meditation is an easy and free coping strategy.”

Ok, I get that.  Having a brain tumor, even one that I hope is in remission, causes a certain 
amount of stress.  Or as Steve McCroskey said in the movie Airplane, It “Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.”

But isn’t meditation hard? I’d hate to be stressed because I’m terrible at meditation which is supposed to be relaxing and restful…or is that my inner Woody Allen speaking? Hmmmm, maybe this conundrum is more of a “Catch-22” than my inner self channeling Woody Allen.

And didn’t I recently write a posting about the importance of exercising for at least 30 minutes a day?  Sheesh, that would only leave me with 23 hours a day.

Do you get the sense that I’m trying really hard to procrastinate?  I do.

Actually, the advice on the website doesn’t sound all the hard. I am going to try to try this afternoon – if that makes any sense.

While I’m also going to ask my sister the acupuncturist what she thinks, I’m interested if any of you have recently tried meditating.  If you have, please add a post with your impressions.

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