Wellness Within Cancer Support

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In this meditation, you are invited to find a secret doorway into your special tree and enter your own private space in which you relax and create. This is a continuation of her last 3 meditations which can be heard by clicking below, but it can also be enjoyed on it's own.

1. Discover Your Life Tree
2. Exploring Your Earth Connection
3. Climbing the Canopy

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this episode, we are joined by Theresa Brown, RN where we discuss her new memoir, HEALING: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient. Theresa presents an honest look at struggling with cancer while navigating American health care, she does this through her unique perspective of being both a patient and a practitioner. 

Theresa Brown, RN, author of the New York Times bestseller The Shift, has been a contributor to the New York Times. Her writing appears on CNN.com and in the American Journal of Nursing, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She has been a guest on MSNBC Live and NPR’s Fresh Air. Her first book was Critical Care, and during what she calls her past life, she received a PhD in English from the University of Chicago. She lectures nationally and internationally on issues related to nursing, health care, and end of life. You can learn more about her at theresabrownrn.com

Below are some optional links for finding her book:

1. City of Asylum Books
2. Barnes & Noble
3. Amazon 

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce.  Guests and information on this podcast are not an endorsement of those individuals or practices. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

In this meditation, get to know your Life Tree by tuning into the way it is nourished by the light and air. This is a continuation of her last 2 meditations which can be heard by clicking below, but it can also be enjoyed on it's own.

1. Discover Your Life Tree
2. Exploring Your Earth Connection

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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After Pam was diagnosed and treated for uterine cancer in 2000, she experienced first-hand a lack of guidance for addressing how cancer and its treatments can devastate your body.  She recognized the gap in medical treatments in treating the whole person. This is why she has dedicated 17 years of her life to making Triumph Cancer Foundation a part of our community, with the mission of empowering cancer survivors to recapture their lives after cancer treatment through physical fitness. In this episode Pam acknowledges how cancer survivors can begin to set some amazing goals for themselves when allowing room for grace in their recovery process and take the needed time to build up your strength from experts who understand how issues like lymphedema, neuropathy, balance and range of motion can impede progress. 

Pam continues to thrive as a cancer survivor and advocate. She is grateful to have the steadfast support of her husband Paul Almond and her family, and the guiding hands of many advisors over the years to help her steer the ship. As an architect, she strives to design homes that inspire her clients and is sensitive to the environment. As a cancer survivor, her goal is, and will always be, to inspire other survivors and to make the cancer journey a bit easier through the work of the Triumph Cancer Foundation.

To learn more visit https://triumphfound.org/

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce.  Guests and information on this podcast are not an endorsement of those individuals or practices. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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Join Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, LMFT in this brief meditation to assist you in getting yourself grounded before an event, appointment, or a difficult situation.  You can utilize this meditation to find your center and get back into your body so as to navigate with more confidence.

Wellness Within is the realization of a dream for Patti. After 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, she decided to honor the tugging at her heart and open a grassroots organization to serve a community dealing with cancer and its aftermath.  It is her life’s work to teach, support, and mobilize the body and mind for healing.  Learn more on our website at: www.wellnesswithin.org.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. It is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this episode, Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, MS LMFT is joined by Qigong Instructor, John Brewer. John is an honored instructor at Wellness Within and he provides Qigong classes in-person at the center and online. In this episode, he shares about how his own journey led him to Qigong and helped him heal. He discusses what is “qi”, breaks down the components of the Qigong practice, describes the power of Wisdom Healing Qigong, and much more.

John has been studying, practicing, and teaching qigong for years.  He is a lifelong educator, versed in making learning effective and fun. He creates a safe, engaging environment through his practice of compassionate communication and empathy. John has been trained in, and will draw from, two systems: Wisdom Healing Qigong with Master Mingtong Gu, and Integral Qigong with Dr. Roger Jahnke. Should you wish to explore these two very compatible paths you are invited to examine the following websites:  www.chicenter.com or www.instituteofintegralqigongandtaichi.org  

He looks forward to serving those who are interested in giving Qigong a try either in person or online via Zoom. Visit www.wellnesswithin.org to register for a class.

Additional Resources:

The Physiology of Tai Chi & Qigong – This is a 12-minute practical introduction to fundamentals of Qigong in relation to our human bodies.

Qigong Demystified with Dr. Cynthia Li – Check out this previous Wellness Within Podcast episode with honored guest, Cynthia Li, MD. Dr. Li's health challenges with an autoimmune thyroid condition and chronic fatigue changed her life and her practice of medicine. In this in-depth conversation about healing, she shares her experience of how Zhineng (Wisdom Healing) Qigong contributed to her radical remission and her observation of how science is evolving to measure and support the benefits of this ancient practice.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce.  Guests and information on this podcast are not an endorsement of those individuals or practices. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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Karen Penfold invites you to utilize your curiosity in this mediation as an embodied practice and antidote to anxiety. 

Karen is an inspiring 11-year, two-time breast cancer survivor who was introduced to yoga while recovering from treatments, surgeries, and a broken pelvis.  Karen shares, “I could tell my body was healing and getting stronger, but something else was happening.  I was healing from the severe anxiety I developed from post-traumatic stress from my cancer battle"…"I then set out to learn all I could about healing PTSD, Anxiety and Depression using what I now know as Body-Based Interventions like Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Breathwork, and other mind-body practices of Somatic Awareness, Mindfulness, and Therapeutic Meditation.”   

Karen is a Registered Yoga Trainer (RYT) through YogaFaith with specialty certifications in Trauma Sensitive Yoga as well as Meditation and Yoga Nidra.  Karen leads four weekly classes from her Full of Hope Yoga home studio and sees private clients in person and Online for Trauma Recovery. You can learn more at www.fullofhopeyoga.com or contact her directly at [email protected]. “My passion is to help you find greater health and freedom from trauma so you can breathe, move and live - Full of Hope” ~ Karen Penfold 

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

This meditation takes you into the roots of your Life Tree and connects you to other trees that surround it, bringing a sense of stability and belonging. This is a continuation of her last meditation which can be heard by clicking below, but it can also be enjoyed on it's own.

Discover Your Life Tree

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

This guided meditation takes you on an imaginal walk to discover your own tree of life. You'll also engage in a grounding practice to give you a full sense of presence.

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode we are joined by cognitive neuroscientist and associate professor, Dr. Shelli Kesler, as we delve into the topic of Chemo Brain, the common term used for the cognitive changes that often occur with cancer treatments. She offers helpful information and tips, while also debunking some of the myths about Chemo Brain.   

Dr. Shelli Kesler, cognitive neuroscientist and associate professor in both the School of Nursing and the Department of Diagnostic Medicine at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.  She is also the Director of Statistical Services, Cain Center for Nursing Research, Co-Chair of Survivorship and Supportive Care Research, and LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes Director, Cancer Neuroscience Lab. As a cognitive neuroscientist, she has specific expertise in neuroimaging, neuropsychology, biostatistics, machine learning, and computer programming. Her research program focuses on the neural mechanisms of chronic conditions, especially cancer-related cognitive neurotoxicities.  Her work includes both clinical and preclinical studies that focus on translational approaches for measuring the functional and structural connectome in both humans and animals using MR neuroimaging. The overarching goals of her work concern the neurobiologic subtyping of cognitive impairments as well as neuroimaging-based prediction of cognitive-behavioral outcomes, survival and treatment response across the lifespan.  She has obtained over $14 million in external grant funding including four NIH R01's and the prestigious NIH Director's New Innovator Award.

Dr. Kesler is also the author of Improving Cognitive Function After Cancer.

For more resources about Chemo Brain, click the links listed below:

• American Cancer Society
• Mayo Clinic
• Dana Farber Institute

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce. Guests and information on this podcast are not an endorsement of those individuals or practices. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.