Mindfulness Meditation

ABOUT THIS GROUP

Weekly group to enhance wellbeing in the present moment.

Mindfulness Meditation is a secular practice that actively facilitates the mind/body connection by cultivating present moment awareness, without judgment. In hospitals and clinical settings throughout the country, it has been proven to effectively enhance health and well-being with people experiencing stress, pain, anxiety, depression and/or illness, such as cancer. This group will provide a foundational experience of mindfulness, within a supportive group setting. It is designed for individuals who have or have had cancer, with the aim to reduce cancer-related stresses while enhancing the quality of one’s life. Each session includes guided mindfulness meditation experiences, sharing and education.

Mindfulness is being present with your moment-to-moment experience as it is arising, on purpose, without judgment. With mindfulness we develop a quality of kind awareness that can be present no matter what is happening. This cultivates peace, ease and balance in our lives as we learn to recognize that it is not so much what is happening, but more about how we respond. All too often, we are mindlessly driven by and lost in thoughts preoccupied on the past or the future, which only leads to states of poor mental and physical health. Through mindfulness, we experience that it is only in the present moment that we actually live our lives, fully, truly and deeply.

The benefits of mindfulness for cancer patients are, improved quality of life and overall outlook, even with cancer, stress reduction, decrease in “Mind Wandering” and other maladaptive mental patterns that lead to anxiety and depression, and mind/body connection and enhanced immune function.

What You Should Expect From Groups

FACILITATOR

Shiori Lange, LCSW

SCHEDULE

Weekly, Thursdays
10:30am – 11:45am

LOCATION

This group meets virtually.

TO ENROLL

To enroll in a support group or get more information on how to access our groups via Zoom, please contact the Simms Mann Center at 310-794-6644(Link opens phone app) or email us at simmsmanncenter@mednet.ucla.edu.

Most support groups are available only to UCLA Health patients and their loved ones.