Mindfulness for the New Year

Written by Laura Roe Stevens | Photographed by Vincent Rios

Reducing stress is paramount to good health and wellbeing. This is why “mindfulness” has become a popular catchphrase in our country. Mindful living, or present-state awareness best reached via meditation, yoga and other practices, is for anyone who’d like a healthier life.

Studies conducted by Harvard University, UCLA and the Centers for Disease Control showed a reduction of stress, depression, insomnia, anger and reactivity among its participants who meditated. Studies also show how meditators increased compassion levels, patience, empathy, focus and gratitude.

For these reasons Torrance Memorial Medical Center offers mindful learning opportunities via drop-in meditation sessions for physicians and staff; beginner yoga and meditation classes; healthy living workshops for patients and community members; and outpatient meditation, massage and holistic health services.

Daily meditator and mindfulness expert Albert Grabb, MD, a radiologist at Torrance Memorial, feels as if his life has improved significantly due to his regular meditation practice. “It has been of extraordinary benefit to my life,” Dr. Grabb says.

The physician, who has become certified in mindful awareness practices, unified mindfulness and compassion cultivation training, has helped start weekly drop-in meditation sessions for Torrance Memorial staff. Why? Because he knows the transformation that can come from starting a daily practice.

“I have much less anxiety. I can more easily regulate my emotions. I can focus on what I need to do,” he explains. “My relationships with family, friends and colleagues have improved. I have more gratitude for everything in my life. Food, movies, music and sex are all a lot better.”

The Science of Relaxation

Scientists are now studying how mindfulness practices aid in patients’ recovery. Clearly, lowering stress hormones such as cortisol and glucagon can only aid in one’s quality of life. Scientists quantified this specifically by observing breast cancer patients participating in a collaborative study between the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

“There is evidence that mindfulness-based stress reduction—a type of meditation training—can help cancer patients relieve anxiety, stress, fatigue and general mood and sleep disturbances, thus improving their quality of life. Most participants in mindfulness studies have been patients with early-stage cancer—primarily breast cancer—so the evidence favoring mindfulness training is strongest for this group of patients,” says Miriam Sleven, RN, director of the cancer survivorship program at Torrance Memorial.

Other research has linked awareness training with a boost in long-term memory and focus. There are studies showing meditation’s benefit to overcoming addiction. Athletes who meditate before games claim it helps them “see” the win and increase drive and motivation while reducing fear and doubt.

Being Present In the Real World

A mindful mind, one that openly observes one’s physical, mental and emotional experiences without judgment, allows for the cultivation of gratitude, acceptance, reliance, response verses reactivity, and love in all its forms. How does that work?

Experts like David Ji and Deepak Chopra explain how practices such as meditation, Tai Chi and yoga help us break free from the ego, our nonstop thinking mind that drives thoughts of fear, cravings, criticism and feelings of longing or lack. When we pause during meditation and find stillness, we connect to the observer mindset. We can then see without judgment that we are not our thoughts, not our feelings, not our body—we are the observer. (Find free guided mediations at davidji.com.)

I’ve been teaching yoga and meditation since 2013. In my 650 hours of yoga trainings, I’ve been introduced to many types of meditation. Many beginners are surprised to know they don’t have to sit in lotus pose and that they can even practice mindfulness while brushing their teeth or running (see Mindfulness Tips for Beginners).

If you have never meditated and have a hard time sitting still for lengths of time, try a guided meditation. Why? Because you can put on earphones, listen and let go. Experts like Chopra offer free 21-day meditation challenges (chopracentermeditation.com) where beginners can meditate the entire month for free, in the comfort of their home.

Nicole Alexander, MD, a family medicine practitioner at Torrance Memorial Physician Network, also likes the guided Chopra meditations but reminds her patients they are 15 minutes in length. Some may need to start out with just deep breathing, then move up to three- or five-minute meditations.

“I struggled with meditation and was restless when I first started,” explains Dr. Alexander, who now meditates twice a day: once in the morning, once in the evening. “I’m a type-A multitasker, so to slow down was a hard sell. But I’ve noticed that meditation levels my stress and I’m able to do more with the pause, as creative thoughts come with solutions and I have a higher mindset.”

Dr. Alexander studied integrative Ayurveda medicine at the University of Arizona with well-known integrative physician Andrew Weil, MD, so she can offer other healing modalities to patients who are interested.

Mind-Body Therapy Offerings

Torrance Memorial also offers mind-body holistic healing therapies for patients, staff and community. Recently its Urban Zen Integrative Therapy™ program received a four-month pilot project grant to expand services within the oncology department, says Vickie Hershberger, MA, coordinator of the Health & Healing Program at Torrance Memorial.

The program is trademarked as it is affiliated with Donna Karan’s program, inspired by her husband’s notice of stressed staff workers when in the hospital for cancer treatment. The idea behind the program is to offer stress-reducing therapies, incorporating mind-body approaches to traditional medicine. This program began in February with patients in the hospital; however, Torrance Memorial has been offering a full range of complementary wellness treatments for patients, staff and community for years, aimed to “reduce stress, decrease pain, boost relaxation, mood, blood flow and circulation—while stimulating the body’s ability to heal,” says Hershberger.

Therapies include yoga, meditation, Reiki, healing touch; lymphatic, pregnancy, oncology massages; reflexology and acupressure; and craniosacral. For an appointment, call Community Health Education at 310-517-4711.