Over the past several weeks we have focused on cancer. As we reported in our previous Column, in order to develop a robust "beat the cancer mindset", it is essential to face chronic stress in your life. We reported earlier that people, who are chronically stressed, have stress hormones that remain elevated day and night and this predisposes them to a wide variety of illnesses. Chronic stress can precipitate cancer because it suppresses the immune system. 

Life in Samoa is becoming increasingly stressful for various reasons, like a rise in the cost of living, and the extra demands of an increasingly consumer society. The impact of the increased stress on our people has been frankly discussed in the 2018 Ombudsman’s Report on Family Violence, which paints an alarming picture of widespread family strife that is tearing families apart. As a result, many of the chronic disease sufferers like those affected by cancer, if they are victims of disharmony in their families, suffer chronic emotional stress. In addition, finding their "Good Samaritan" in such conditions is often a difficult task. 

But an important observation: "Stress comes not only from what’s going on in your life but, even more important, from how you react to it". The patient with cancer, who is facing chronic stress, in order to heal the cancer, needs to find ways to control and eventually eliminate it. One of the keys to managing stress effectively is to be able to turn it off, allowing you to find inner peace and a way to take stock of your life.

This is where METI can help. Over the past two years, building on its 20 years of experience with adult interactive training, METI has offered life skills training to the adult population in twenty villages around the country in order to restore communication and most importantly, to build up goodwill and peace between family members. The stress reduction techniques offered by METI help people to realise that they have more power and control to turn things around than they had thought. And indeed, it has been our observation in these villages, that when people practiced on a regular basis, it gave them more power to control how they reacted to stressful events. It was the participants’ own observation that the longer and more frequently they practiced these techniques, the more benefits they received. 

As an example, METI teaches participants of the "one-pointed concentration" technique, also called "mindful breathing".  The purpose of this exercise is by taking full slow breaths, you stay focused in the present, which will relax you. It is a perfect exercise for you to practice if you are overwhelmed by emotions. Initially, practice for about 10 minutes per sitting. As a beginner, it is to be expected that during this exercise you will eventually become distracted by your thoughts, memories, or other sensations. That’s ok. That happens to everyone doing this exercise. 

Just notice that when your mind wanders, let the thoughts go without getting stuck on them and return your focus to your breathing. When practicing mindful breathing, some people feel as if they become "one" with their breathing, meaning that they feel a deep connection with the experience. If that happens for you, great! If not, that’s ok, too. Just keep practicing. To practice, find a comfortable place to sit in a room where you will not be disturbed. If you feel more comfortable, you may close your eyes.  Try to sit cross-legged on a mat or sit on a chair with your back straight. Now slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose or mouth. Feel the breath moving in across your nostrils, and then feel your breath blowing out across your nostrils or your lips. 

As you breathe, notice the sensations in your body. Feel your lungs fill up with air. With each breath, notice how your body feels more and more relaxed. If you have some difficulty concentrating on your breathing, when your mind begins to wander and you catch yourself thinking of something else, return to focus on your breathing. Try not to criticise yourself for getting distracted. Keep on doing this, and with each exhale, feel your body relaxing, deeper and deeper. Keep breathing until the 10 minutes are up. Then slowly return your focus to the room you are in. Do this exercise once or twice a day starting with approximately 10 minutes. As you become more familiar with this technique, gradually expand it to 30-minute sessions, once or twice a day.

We invite you to visit the METI Healthy Living Clinic at House No. 51 at Moto'otua (across from the Kokobanana Restaurant) and become acquainted with the METI whole food plant-based diet and Lifestyle Change program. Or call us at 30550. Learning how to follow these Programs might be your "game changer!"