"Sacred pauses are mini meditations based in mindfulness practice," says Angela Buttimer, LPC, a facilitator at Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness at Piedmont.

Sacred pauses can help you feel calm, centered and grounded. By helping you relax deeply, sacred pauses help the body release its stress response.

"There is so much research coming out now in integrative oncology about the benefits of mindfulness meditation," she says.

The benefits include:

• Reduced inflammation in the body
• Improved immune system functioning
• Reduced anxiety and depression symptoms
• Improved sleep
• Regulated blood pressure
• Better pain management and regulation of chronic pain

Click the video above to have Buttimer guide you through a series of sacred pauses.

For more relaxation techniques, click here.

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