Meditation is a practice of gently bringing your attention back to the present moment. It does not require a quiet mind or any special experience. Some practices focus attention on the breath or body, while others invite open awareness of thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
Rather than trying to stop thoughts, meditation is a practice of noticing when your mind has wandered and returning your attention, again and again, to a point of focus such as the breath, sound, body sensations, visual attention, texture, or movement. For patients and caregivers, meditation may help ease stress, support calm, and offer a greater sense of choice and steadiness during challenging times.
Meditation is a workout for your mind, and with practice, it can help you respond to difficult moments with greater intention and clarity.
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and kindness. It invites awareness of thoughts, emotions, and body sensations as they arise, without needing to judge or change the experience right away. It can be brought into daily life while eating, moving, resting, spending time indoors, or outside. Mindfulness can help create space for moments of presence, steadiness, ease, and self-compassion, even during challenging times.
To practice mindfulness, try noticing three new things right now. This small shift in attention can help you become more present, curious, and aware.
Mindfulness and meditation are closely connected practices that build on one another, and each person can choose the approach that feels most helpful in the moment.
Guided Meditation
Guided meditation virtual sessions are offered for patients and caregivers on the MyZakim website several times each week. These guided sessions provide a supportive space to practice present moment awareness and to explore different approaches to mindfulness and meditation.
Some of Zakim's related programs include Doodling for Stress Reduction, Sound Bath, Mindfulness Meditation, and Qigong/Tai Chi. These practices offer a variety of ways to pause, reflect, and reconnect. They may help you reduce stress, support calm, and strengthen your ability to respond to thoughts and emotions with greater steadiness. They may also help you build resilience by practicing compassionate awareness of what is present and noticing what brings a sense of ease, support, or connection.
View meditation class descriptions on MyZakim.
Mind Body Resilience Program
Mind Body Resilience is a virtual, eight-week group program for Dana-Farber patients and caregivers. Through evidence-informed mind-body practices, participants learn skills to support coping, build resilience, and respond to stress, uncertainty, and the challenges of illness and caregiving.
Each Mind Body Resilience class includes guided learning, discussion, meditation, and opportunities to practice skills in a supportive setting. The group meets live on Zoom, with additional course content available on MyZakim.
Topics that are covered in the program include:
- Understanding the body’s stress response
- Building a meditation practice that feels accessible and sustainable
- Developing present moment awareness through mindfulness
- Exploring mind-body strategies to support coping, emotional flexibility, and resilience
All of our meditation programs are delivered virtually through MyZakim. To register, visit the MyZakim website and select "Sign Up" at the top of the page.
Patient Consults
One-on-one mindfulness and meditation consults provide Dana-Farber patients with individualized support to help reduce stress, ease anxiety, and build coping skills during and after treatment. Patients learn simple, practical mindfulness techniques and guided meditation practices tailored to their unique needs and preferences.
No prior meditation experience is needed. These free, individualized consults are available to patients receiving care at Dana-Farber and are tailored to each person’s needs and preferences. In keeping with Dana-Farber telehealth guidelines, consults are available for patients located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Florida, and Ohio.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact the Zakim Center at Zakim_Center@dfci.harvard.edu.
Meditation Resources
- Learn about how mindfulness-based groups may help support people experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms in these guidelines presented by American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Society for Integrative Oncology.
- Listen to recorded meditation sessions on MyZakim.
- Learn more about meditation as complementary therapy from the National Institutes of Health.
- View a video about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation from ABC correspondent and co-anchor Dan Harris, keynote speaker at the 13th annual Lenny Lecture.
- Practice Mindfulness, Meditation, and Relaxation with the American Cancer Society