The Maranhão Cancer Hospital organizes meditation workshops as a therapeutic resource – Jornal Pequeno

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Lights, instrumental music, deep breathing and concentration. It is in this atmosphere that the services of the cancer anticancer hospital of Maranhão organize meditation workshops, a therapeutic resource based on traditional knowledge to promote moments of relaxation for cancer patients and caregivers. from them. The initiative also teaches users how to control anxiety and intense emotional reactions, as well as to help with the treatment of depression.

"The meditation workshops were born from the need to involve patients in an activity that was previously reserved for staff and companions. As interest began to grow, it was decided to offer them the opportunity to participate in order to allow their thoughts and feelings to fade a little, thus relieving the disease a little less, "said the director. General Hospital for Cancer. from Maranhão, Ana Flávia Lustosa.

The workshop lasts for at least three years, always on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the morning and in the afternoon. At each session, patients are asked to think beyond their problems, their illness and their circumstances.

Maria de Jesus Ferreira da Silva, 64, began her treatment on Thursday (18) and is waiting for the moment to undergo surgery. "I feel calmer during the meditation exercises. I take advantage of these moments to think of good and happy things, "said the patient.

The participant selection process takes place each week with respect to the time, willingness and acceptance of the patients in the area where the workshop is taking place, which offers equal treatment to all those who enter the service. , providing moments of rest and facilitating the recovery process.

Márcio de Moraes Farias, occupational therapist at the Maranhão Cancer Hospital, contributed to the success of this initiative. "Patients appreciate the times when we participate in workshops. The main feedback we have is the interaction of patients and caregivers, "he said.

Volunteer in the workshops, João Gilberto Nascimento emphasized the need to create a favorable environment. "The lights are out, the eyes are closed, the concentration is on the breath and the instructions given. It's a rewarding job because it helps the harmony of patients, whether they enter the surgical process or that it has already left, in addition to those who undergo chemotherapy. "

Meditation is on the list of Integrative and Complementary Practices (PICS) established by the Ministry of Health. Meditation exercises increase concentration, relaxation and stress relief, while allowing a better balance between the mind and the body. Thanks to the workshops, the patient can organize his emotions and thus present positive responses to the treatment.