We all have different beliefs, different gods and different religions. There are thousands of religions throughout the world, and although we pray to different gods, a common bond links all people involved with religion. This bond is faith, admiration and love in our god, whoever or whatever our god may be.
With healing, religion can be a beneficial aid in overcoming the fears and anxiety associated with cancer and also in learning to accept the possibility of death openly. Many people turn to religion when faced with sickness or death. We ask our god, or deity for help in overcoming our illness and beating cancer. For many, religion brings a sense of community and acceptance, and enables similar people bound by a common bond to support your condition and join in your fight to beat cancer.
For many people, religion provides them with a reason to live and fills them with a feeling of acceptance and belonging. Feeling needed or accepted is a desire of most humans and a desire which gives us strength to live and overcome difficult obstacles.
Having cancer can open your heart and mind to change and provide a deeper questioning of why this may have happened. Many people feel religious priests, disciples and monks can provide the clues to unraveling their individual mystery. For some this may be true, for others this may not be true. It is solely dependent on the individual. Religion usually incorporates some form of praying or meditation, which 1S a highly positive therapy in increasing concentration and attention towards the matter at hand.
Meditation is an ancient art which has been studied and practiced for thousands of /ears as an effective means of treating stress, inducing a state of relaxation and bringing about a sense of calm and peace to the mind and soul. Meditation is effective at controlling anxiety, enhancing the immune system and easing chronic pain and illness.
Many people in this world have the impression that meditation has to involve some mystical state that only shamans, swamis, witch doctors or mystics are able to obtain. In actual fact, meditation comes in many different forms and can be practiced in your everyday life. It is simply a way of training yourself to turn your concentration inward, away from your normal pressures in everyday life, while focusing on peaceful, calming thoughts.
There are many different types of meditation techniques used throughout the world, but they basically fall into two categories: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation. During concentrative meditation, attention is focused on a single sound, object or one’s breath to bring about a calm, peaceful mind.
During mindfulness meditation, the mind becomes aware of but does not react to the wide variety of sensations, feelings and images tied in with the current activity. By sitting quietly and allowing the images of your surroundings to pass by your mind without become involved in diem, you can attain a calm state of mind. Many Buddhists describe meditation as reaching a state of ‘nothingness’. This means having an empty mind without worries, fears, anxieties or illusions – simply nothing but emptiness.
Most religions throughout the world use some form of meditation. The most famous perhaps is Buddhism, which uses Vipassana meditation and everyday mindfulness of actions. Buddhist monks, who live in seaside and mountain temples, practice mindfulness or meditation during their everyday activities, no matter how boring the activity may seem. That is, if a monk is sweeping a path he thinks of nothing else but sweeping the path and all of the bodily actions involved in sweeping a path. If he is walking, all attention and concentration is focused on walking and the action of walking.
Transcendental meditation is a well known meditation which attains a state of the body being completely at rest, yet the mind remains alert.
Meditation can exist in many forms. To reach a meditative or relaxed state it is best to place yourself in quiet, serene and beautiful surroundings. Being in a harmonious and peaceful environment slows down the mind and relaxes the body.
Due to work commitments and pressures in our everyday life it is unrealistic to assume that we can keep our minds empty all of the time. However, in reality most of us can try to put aside 10 to 20 minutes everyday to relax, sit still, breathe deeply and empty out the myriad of crazy thoughts that seem to creep into our heads daily. This simple process in itself is a form of meditation that has positive effects on your body and mind.
All forms of meditation are able to facilitate a deep state of relaxation and reduce stress. Relaxation and a positive state of mind are essential in beating and preventing cancer, and maintaining optimal health and well-being.
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