If you have a pet, you know exactly how a wagging tail, meditative purr or soft belly begging for a scratch can make you feel instantly better on even your worst days. Now the medical community is also recognizing—and putting some scientific proof behind—pets’...

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we continue with another excerpt from Ken Wachsberger book, Your Partner Has Breast Cancer: 21 Ways to Keep Sane as a Support Person on Your Journey from Victim to Survivor. After a quick lunch, Tante, Emily, and I...

We hear on the news and read in our magazines that we need to manage our stress. We are told that stress can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, muscle tension, weight gain and inflammation. Is it possible to manage these symptoms? Let us first...

After getting clearance from your doctor, returning to work after cancer involves three primary considerations: 1) Treatment side effects, 2) Financial and personal factors; and 3) Workplace flexibility. 1) The side effects from some treatments may impact your...

With the ushering in of mindfulness—a relatively novel idea in the secular realm—arises an abundance of explanation and instruction. But what do experts have to say on what it really means to be mindful? DOING WITHOUT STRIVING OR ARRIVING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS In...

Meditation is not just a practice used by monks living in the Tibetan plateau as part of their rigorous daily training. It is not just a spiritual path some choose to walk. Fascinating science behind the benefits of meditation indicates that sitting down and tuning...

There’s a thin line between being strong, which is good, and being unfeeling, which is bad. And sometimes timing is everything. When Emily learned that she had breast cancer, she was at work. Stunned, she called me to share the bad news. I told her I would bring...

Cancer changes everything. From the moment of diagnosis, life is forever altered. Not only for the patient but for their friends and family, too. Friends may be unsure of what to do and what to say. Family members may move into the role of carer often changing the...

BEYOND BUZZWORDS Mindfulness, meditation, being present, body scan, spaciousness, loving-kindness:  Terms mainstreaming in our society, do individuals truly understand what they suggest and entail? Or are these expressions fast becoming trendy lingo, their...

Cancer, defined by medicine as an uncontrolled growth of cells, is a leading cause of painful death worldwide. I do not want you to bring forth the statistics for other diseases and even suicide rates to beat my argument. Why? Because, cancer is painful. Yes, it...