Mind-body medicine is one type of alternative medicine for breast cancer that is quickly becoming more accepted by traditional medicine and the general public as an addition to traditional treatment. One reason? As long as it is used in conjunction with traditional therapy, it is one type of complementary medicine that most everyone agrees does no harm.
At worst, it costs a little time; if given a chance it can ease side effects and give your body a better chance to fight your breast cancer. It may sound strange or complicated, but it can really be very simple.
There are many categories of mind-body medicine that are believed to have very positive effects on breast cancer patients.
Among these are:
- Meditation
- Visual and Auditory Imagery
- Art Therapy
Alternative medicine for breast cancer
Classes and groups that teach and support each of these complementary medicines are available almost everywhere for minimal cost. However, in this article, the emphasis is on trying them out at home – for free.
Meditation – Meditation comes in many styles and different spiritual studies. People dedicate their lives to the study and practice of meditation. But don’t worry. For our purpose it can be as simple as sitting quietly and listening to our thoughts. Replace each negative or fearful thought with a positive, soothing one. Concentrate on one pleasant thought and push away any other thoughts that attempt to intrude. Repeat the positive, soothing thought over and over. You can even say it out loud. Don’t have much time? Just give it a full minute or two and see where it goes.
Visual and Auditory Imagery – This may sound complicated, but it is as simple as thinking of a visual image or sound that works for you. One story tells of a woman with breast cancer who lives by the sea. She went each day and sat in the shallow water as the tide went out. As the water washed over her she visualized each wave washing into her body and the cancer washing out. Another technique would be to imagine the sound of the little chemo-critters eating away at the cancer cells. Use whatever appeals to you.
Art Therapy – Do you like to draw, paint or work in clay? Use your art to interpret a positive picture of what is taking place. Is someone in your support group particularly strong or loving? Take some time and represent this love and strength in your work. On a day that you have trouble feeling strong, create a depiction of your inner warrior being victorious over the day’s battle.
The term alternative and complementary medicine may have sounded foreign or scary in the past. However, when contemplated in simple terms it becomes something all of us can do to improve our quality of life and better prepare our bodies to fight our breast cancer. Be strong!