Medical Meditation is a free app developed by Dr. Nikhil Joshi, a Canadian physician and cancer survivor who discovered that mindfulness, introspection and reflection helped alleviate his experience of both mental and physical suffering throughout his diagnosis, treatment and recovery.



The app allows those with serious or chronic illnesses, such as cancer, to access guided meditations – enhanced with Canadian-created imagery and music – to reduce stress and initiate positive change in physical and mental well-being.



Mindfulness meditation is defined as an awareness of moment-by-moment experiences that arises from purposeful attention, along with nonjudgmental acceptance of the experiences. Using mindfulness meditation as a foundation, the nine Medical Meditation modules developed and produced by Dr. Joshi include:



• Abdominal pain – Many illnesses or conditions can cause abdominal pain, such as Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux. Mindfulness can help minimize tension and pain by creating moments of quiet focus and breathing.



• Anxiety – Everyone at some point will feel the effects of anxiety. Stress, restlessness, worrying thoughts and feelings of uncertainty can be relieved through a meditative practice that helps calm the mind.



• Depression – Depression can be chronic and can make one feel sad, cloudy-minded, heavy and unable to enjoy life. This practice helps people find resiliency and lightness of being.



• Cancer diagnosis – Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing. Meditation provides the chance for people to find some alone time amid information overload, doctor’s appointments and worrying about the future. These quiet moments can help one process the trauma by allowing healthy escapism and relaxation.



• Chronic pain – People who feel chronic fatigue and pain, from with fibromyalgia, for example, can often feel there are not a lot of treatment options. Reducing the background pain level can make it easier for medications to have positive effects. Meditation is a side-effect free way to help alleviate the effects of musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleeplessness, mood and memory loss.



• Grief – It is a universal part of the human experience to experience the loss of a loved one. Meditation can help people cope with the dark times and ponder the questions - both philosophical and spiritual - that often accompany grief.



• Insomnia – To making sleep a positive and happy experience, one must reduce the chattering mind, thoughts and worries before going to bed. Meditation can relieve the feelings of anxiety over trying to get to sleep. It helps to slow everything down, enables one to look forward to sleep and feel good about getting rest.



• Palliative Care – A good death is as important as a good life. This meditation for the dying person and their loved ones is about celebrating that person’s life and allowing them to feel free and happy. It also reduces anxiety about what happens next.



• Relaxation –This is an introduction for anytime meditation. Both people suffering from serious or chronic illnesses and their loved ones can benefit from soothing moments. No matter what is being faced in life, this is a helpful path to support a deeper meditation practice.