Patient Meditation Groups

Find out what's available in your area

Meditation instruction specifically tailored to the needs of those with chronic illness or pain are sometimes run by charity/voluntary sector organisations or NHS patient groups. In some cases, joint ventures between both sectors lead to local initiatives bringing meditation instruction to patients (see below). If you want to investigate whether such an initiative has been carried out (or is being considered) locally, try the appropriate self help groups and outpatient clinic for your health condition(s). Try to ensure someone logs your request, even if the answer is ‘no’, and state that you hope it would help you manage your health condition: in this way the growing interest in meditation is more likely to be taken into account by decision makers who develop services. Other useful sources of information include disability forums, local health centres and your local library.

Setting up a group - a case study

Simon Ounsley, a former committee member of the Leeds ME self help group, told us about a successful meditation class he helped to set up for their members. “Funding can be obtained in some cases from the Local Authority or Health Trust via a Joint Community fund”, he advised, adding, “probably the best way to find out is to contact the local umbrella organisation for voluntary groups, who can usually provide information on sources of funding.” As for the teacher, Ounsley made an arrangement with the local branch of the FWBO (Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) to be the group’s instructor. Some individuals prefer this to learning how to meditate at a mainstream course or retreat, as a class can be tailored and allows the instructor to focus on specific physical or mental difficulties related to symptoms, eg posture, concentration etc. It can be embarrassing to always be the only one in a group who’s ill or can’t sit for long periods due to pain. “You feel less self conscious when everyone in the room knows what its like to have mobility problems or pain,” says one participant of such a group. At the time of the Leeds course, Simon found that their teacher had ‘no problem with people lying down to meditate if they find sitting difficult, and problems with meditation were discussed at our last session.' Simon wants to make it clear that projects such as his are rare. Doing the organising yourself requires considerable energy for form filling, locating a venue, organising publicity; added to which you may need the back up of a willing committee or fellow members some personal interest in meditation.

What about those too ill to attend?

If you are too ill to attend a group, you could try an audio guided meditation -

see reviews of guided meditation tapes and CDs