Week 2

Theme of the week: emotional awareness

I invite you to notice this week what emotions you are experiencing, both good and bad:

—How has having cancer affected your emotional well-being?

—Notice when you are experiencing negative emotions: fear, anxiety, self-judgment/body image critiques, depression etc

—Notice when you are experiencing positive emotions: gratitude, hope, love etc

Notice when these emotions 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.

Once you have instituted the mindfulness practices in the recordings below, you may also add to your journaling and documenting if/when you notice a positive benefit or change in your thought processes.

meditations for week 2

These meditations bring to light that practicing mindfulness is not just about creating light and calm. It is about allowing the full range of human experience to be as it is.

1 Gratitude (10 min)

2 Equanimity (12 min)

3 Allowing the full range of emotion (12 min)

4 Practical techniques for triggers and anxiety (5 min)

5 Self Love (12 min)

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.