Week 1

theme of the week: the unknown

I invite you to notice this week when your thoughts are taking you out of the here and now:

—How much of your mental energy is spent worrying about the future?

—How often are you worrying about things that you cannot control?

—How much does you inability to control the outcome of your cancer impact your current mental health?

Notice when these thoughts are coming up for you, and document these moments. Documenting can be in the form of journaling, capturing a photo of the moment with a short caption, or taking a quick video with your commentary. Please submit these as one batch per week to ellencookemd@gmail.com.

Here are some examples that have been shared with me by other patients:

worrying about what radiation treatment is going to be like

worrying about cancer coming back

worrying about future parenting roles

worrying about potential side effects

there are many other examples, so please do not feel limited as to what you can share.

meditations for week 1

The guidance provided in these meditations is meant to introduce you to how applying mindfulness may help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings in this moment, and give you tools to reduce living in a state of constant worry.

1 Present Moment Attention (11 min)

2 Acceptance (14 min)

3 Nonjudgment (13 min)

4 Intro to Mindfulness (13 min)

5 Anxiety over test results (AKA scanxiety) (8min)

Testimonials

“Dr. Ellen Cooke is a masterful physician and meditation leader. I started working with Dr. Cooke 2 years ago at which time, she was creating Circle of Hope. I was so impressed with the way she was able to encourage others to use meditation to improve their lives. She now has created a custom meditation program for my company. My clients are raving fans and Dr. Cooke is a regular at our live workouts where she ends the session with a customized meditation. She has allowed me to use mindfulness in my work and in my everyday life. Dr. Cooke is beyond gifted and I am so fortunate to learn from her.”

~Dr. Ali N. (Life Coaching for Women Physicians)

“I really like the “Meditation of the Week” each week…the centering thought, the deep breathing sessions, and the length of quiet time. Hopefully, with enough practice, I'll get better at being in the present moment. Learning to do so promises a way to handle what all of us experience (anxiety, impatience AND restlessness)! Thank you for these excellent, informative and useful meditation sessions.”

~ a loyal Circle of Hope follower!

“As a fellow healthcare provider in the oncology field, I have found Circle of Hope and Dr. Cooke's guided meditations to be invaluable in both my career and my personal life. A cancer diagnosis and the associated treatments are not just physically challenging, but emotionally challenging as well. I have been grateful to have this resource to share with my patients to help address the emotional challenges they may face. In my personal life, I have found meditation to be helpful in managing daily stress and feelings of being overwhelmed and stretched too thin.”

~Staci C.