After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, Elise signed up to our Life Now meditation course. She shares her experience with the course and how it helped her relax during a stressful time.
The shock of receiving a cancer diagnosis
In October 2023, Elise noticed a hard lump in her breast. She booked in for an ultrasound and the results showed that the lump was malignant.
“It was a massive shock. I had a lot going on in my life at the time. I had just moved to Perth, then I got COVID on Christmas Day. Three days later I was called into the GP. It was a highly stressful time,” she says.
Elise adds, “My Mum had breast cancer so it had always been a theoretical possibility, but it hadn’t registered that this lump could also be breast cancer.”
An hour to take a break during a stressful period
Elise shares that one of the highlights of the course was that it gave her permission to take some time for herself.
“I’ve always been someone who has worked and been very busy in my job and active in my community, but this course gave me permission to stop and to actually take the time to think. It was a beautiful hour for that reason. It was very healing just to be allowed to be gentle with yourself”, she says.
“The facilitator Karen was so vastly experienced in running the course. She brought not only an understanding built on years of teaching and practice, but also a real empathy for people, and understanding of the need for different styles of meditation. Karen’s mindfulness of participants being on their own journey was as important as anything that she was teaching. I just found her so gentle and such a beautiful person.”
Incorporating meditation in her day-to-day life
When asked about how she has incorporated what she learnt into her daily life, Elise said that she still uses meditation when she’s feeling anxious, worried, stressed or even overly busy.
“Meditation can be practiced at any time in your day, and that’s the really peaceful and reassuring thing about it. I know that whenever I really need to, I can give myself permission to stop and meditate.”
Elise encourages others who are also going through a cancer journey to sign up to the course, even if they are nervous or new to meditation.
She says, “there is no pressure to speak if you don’t want to, or to share thoughts if you don’t want to. But that same space is available for you to share part of your own journey if you feel comfortable to do so. It’s a very safe space to try something out and be vulnerable.”
