Meditation, Mindfulness, and MBC: Finding Your Inner Calm
Inspired by a very enthusiastic response to monthly meditation sessions from one of SHARE’s MBC support groups, this episode kicks off our plan to post these recorded mediation sessions on the Our MBC Life website.
April Pichon, Oncology social worker at Houston Methodist Cancer Center, and Barbara Chutroo, long-time meditator and social worker, join OMBCL co-hosts Nancy Roylance, Victoria Goldberg and Miranda Gonzales in an exploration of how meditation and mindfulness can help MBC patients find calm amid the stresses of living with the disease. You’ll also hear participants from SHARE’s Monday night MBC support group reflect on the group’s meditation sessions, which are led by Ms. Chutroo--an MBC patient herself and a member of the group. And we conclude with a 20-minute guided meditation created with MBC patients in mind.
While meditation and mindfulness have increasingly become part of popular culture, the actual practices can be intimidating and even mysterious to the uninitiated--or, worse yet, one more thing to add to the already long to-do list. So, think of this podcast as a chance to hear different perspectives and approaches, some practical suggestions for getting started, and a candid discussion of the benefits and challenges of these practices. Most of all, it is an invitation to “join” our guided meditation, and maybe embrace some calm along the way.
Below are some meditation and mindfulness resources recommended by this episode’s guests. They include apps, meditation organizations that offer online and offline sessions, classes and retreats, and other resources Needless to say, this is a tiny sample of all that’s available. So, keep looking until you find what resonates with you and unlocks your own experience of inner peace and joy.
Episode Notes
Meditation and Mindfulness Apps
Insight Meditation Timer (free) https://insighttimer.com/
Headspace www.headspace.com
Organizations, Teachers, or Websites with Comprehensive Resources
Insight Meditation Society www.dharma.org Online classes, resources and events; virtual and in-person retreats in Barre, Massachusetts.
Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center www.spiritrock.org Online classes, resources and events; virtual and in-person retreats in Woodacre, California.
Tara Brach Meditation www.tarabrach.com Recorded meditations and talks; live meditations on youtube and facebook; strong emphasis on self-compassion
Dharmaseed www.dharmaseed.org Extraordinary collection of recorded meditations and talks by many teachers along with other meditation resources.
Research and Articles
Mindfulness in Cancer Care: Hype or Help? https://ascopost.com/issues/july-10-2018/mindfulness-in-cancer-care/
Using Mindfulness to Reduce Stress and Strengthen Your Immune System https://www.bcrf.org/blog/using-mindfulness-reduce-stress-and-strengthen-your-immune-system/
Evidence for the Role of Mindfulness in Cancer: Benefits and Techniques https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6623989/
Meet the Guests of the Episode
April Pichon
April Pichon, MBA, LCSW-S, OSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker and member of the cancer care team at Houston Methodist Hospital Medical Center. She has been a social worker for nearly 17 years and has spent most of her career assisting cancer patients and their families. She has worked at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Baytown Cancer Center where she helped patients with a multitude of psychosocial needs related to treatment. She also has experience providing counseling to patients with chronic illness and has trained in Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She is a member of both the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She is also a certified oncology social worker (OSW-C). April is passionate about working with oncology patients and their families and being a resource to them during such a life changing experience.
Barbara Chutroo
Barbara Chutroo has made use of SHARE’s services since her first diagnosis in 2015 and is eternally grateful for all the support she has received. She is a clinical social worker and movement therapist who worked with severe and persistent mental illness in the South Bronx for thirteen years. She also taught psychology and child development at NYC College of Technology. She is especially interested in the integration of body and mind, an investigation she makes use of in her meditation practice. She began to study zen as an undergraduate in 1976 and has continued since then to explore various different meditation practices. The meditation community has provided her with valuable guiding principles for her life and personal growth.
She was born and raised in New York City where she lives with her husband and two rescue cats.
