Life is stressful, even in the best of times. When you add breast cancer to the mix, the stress seems to multiply itself exponentially.

Studies have shown time and time again that mindful mediation and other relaxation techniques, such as yoga, help decrease stress. These techniques also increase your melatonin levels, and low levels of melatonin have been linked to breast cancer (please see this article for more information on melatonin and breast cancer).

Some practicioners even believe that mediation boosts your immune system and can actually help fight cancer. At the very least, mediation and visualization help you feel more relaxed and in control of your condition, which is no small feat!

Meditation versus visualization

I decided early on in my diagnosis that meditation is something that I would try. I was very nervous at first, because sitting still and not letting my mind wander seemed like an impossible task. I thought meditation would be too hard for a type-A personality like me. That's when I started looking at it as a challenge. I dared myself to sit still, focus on my breathing and a certain phrase or prayer for five minutes. Those five minutes soon became 10, then 15, then 20.

A member of my support group told me that when she was receiving chemotherapy, she made it more bearable by imagining the chemo as the "scrubbing bubbles" from the commercials, which were entering her body to scrub away all the bad cells. This is an example of visualization. Athletes often use visualization to prepare themselves for games and events. And hey, if it's good enough for gold medal winners, it's good enough for me.

Breast cancer-specific meditations and visualizations

The meditations and visualizations you choose should make sense and feel helpful to you. I selected meditation phrases that focused on relaxation and the theme that things would get better. The following are from the book, "Present Moment, Wonderful Moment: Mindful Versus for Daily Living" by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Breathing in I calm my body; Breathing out I smile.

Feelings come and go, like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

I also wrote meditations of my own, and they were very effective and meaningful to me.

Being still, I am what will, Strength and heart and mind, Enjoy.

I also used personalized visualizations. Since I liked to do my visualizations immediately following my meditations, I started out using breathing as a source of healing power. Everytime I inhaled, I'd imagine that the air was circulating through my body, cleansing it of toxins. When I exhaled, all those toxins would leave.

As time went on, I became more creative. Being a science fiction and fantasy fan, I imagined one of my favorite characters (an alien/human hybrid who had special healing powers) healing me. I also had a visualization that played up my love of kung-fu films, as millions of tiny ninjas coursed through my body beating up all the bad cancer cells. I even had one that used the Powerpuff Girls, as millions of them flew around my body, fixing every cell that wasn't perfect. I'm not exactly sure where that one came from, since I've never seen a Powerpuff Girls cartoon before, but it worked! The point is, use something that works for you.

Remind yourself to meditate and visualize

The effects of meditation and visualization increase when you make regular repetitions of them. You can train your thoughts and body to deal with stressful situations if you practice. Many cultures have taken this concept to heart and have created rituals and reminders of meditation. For example, Catholics have the rosary to practice prayer, and Buddhist monks ring a bell all throughout the day to remind them to meditate.

You should use some sort of reminder system that makes sense to you. I created small boxes out of old greeting cards, then filled them with meditation sayings and visualization images. I placed these boxes strategically around my home, so I was reminded to slow down and meditate whenever I saw one.

It's okay to take your time and figure out what techniques work best for you. Be creative and don't be hard on yourself if you "mess up." As breast cancer patients, there are certain things we can control, and certain things we can't. With practice, we can control how our bodies and mind respond to stress. Good luck!