When cancer is diagnosed, the doctor will go through steps to figure out the stage of the cancer.
Cancer stages are used to help patients understand the extent of their cancer and the prognosis.
It is actually not that difficult to understand staging cancer, even it may seem confusing.
Defining Staging
A process called staging will determine cancer stages and the severity of the cancer.
Cancer staging is based on the extent of how much the cancer has spread in the body.
Doctors will usually perform another tests to check the body for cancer as well as to get an idea where the cancer is, where the cancer began and if the cancer spreading.
Importance of Staging
How to treat the cancer is one of the most important parts of the process.
Staging process is also useful for future research as well as understanding how that cancer reacts in the body.
Here are the main reasons why staging is important:
* Helps form a treatment plan
* It helps doctors to form a prognosis
* Staging is helpful in research studies
Components of Staging
Staging is done by looking at different factors.
There are certain elements that are included when determining cancer stages in order to help maintain a level of consistency for staging. These staging elements include:
* Finding a location of where the cancer began
* Size and number of tumors
* Location of cancer in the lymph nodes
* Grade and cell type of tumors
* Amount of metastasis
In general, cancer stages are based upon a simple five-stage chart. Here is how that looks:
Stage Zero: Only pre-cancerous cells are present or early.
Stage 1, 2 and 3: Cancer is present and may have spread in the localized area
Stage Four: Cancer has spread everywhere in the body
It is not easy to understand cancer stages, but is actually very important. A person receiving a diagnosis of stage one cancer will know that the cancer is a lot easier to treat, and so their prognosis will be good.
Anne Durrel has written extensively on Lung Cancer . She comes from California. You may want to check out her other guide on signs of lung cancer tips, and lung cancer symptoms guide!
Symptoms of lung cancer may not appear until the cancer is in the advanced stages, making diagnosis difficult in many cases.
That is why it is very important for people, especially those at high risk, to understand lung cancer symptoms. People must be aware what these symptoms are and see their doctor if they even suspect they may have lung cancer.
Hidden Disease
In the early stages of lung cancer, symptoms are usually not present. In many cases, it is not until the tumor has grown or the cancer has spread, that clear symptoms will appear. Chest x-rays taken for other reasons may be the first suspicion that lung cancer is present.
Without early symptoms, early detection of lung cancer is not possible, and as the disease grows, it becomes more difficult to treat and the likelihood of it spreading to other parts of the body becomes more likely.
Even when symptoms do present, it can be difficult to notice that they are something more than a chest cold or other common respiratory illness. Many times people ignore them or use over the counter medication to try and treat what they believe is a simple virus.
Symptoms
You know what it feels like to have a common virus or infection. Lung cancer symptoms are usually similar and can include:
Be aware of how your body feels is the best way to catch lung cancer symptoms early. Be aware of the following:
* A new cough that develops suddenly, especially if you smoke or used to smoke.
* A nagging cough that does not respond to cough medication
* Chest pain that does not go away
* Panting
* Raspy voice
* Repeated respiratory illness
Metastatic are a type of lung cancer tumors, which cause different symptoms and react differently in the body. They can affect the adrenal glands, the bones and even spread to the brain. Other types of lung cancer do not cause any symptoms.
Part of the reason why lung cancer has a high death rate is because it is very difficult to catch in the early stages.
Anne Durrel originally comes from Stockton, California, USA. She has written many articles about Lung Cancer . Other guide you may be interested in reading: lung cancer prognosis tips, and lung cancer stages guide!
Meditation is defined as the art of unwinding your body, mind and spirit through stillness and engrossment. Meditation can come in numerous forms, and is typically connected to some religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. However, religions such as Islam and Christianity often use some forms of meditation during spiritual ceremonies and supplications.
Meditation has been recorded as being practiced at least for five thousand years, although much of the history of this meditation is long lost. It is thought that the Buddhists movement beginning sometime around five hundred BC is the earliest known and recorded cases of meditation.
If you are enthused about meditation, you should be cognizant of the various types of meditation you can learn. There are two major kinds of discipline in the Buddhist faith. They are the Samatha and the Vipassana. Samatha is the art of focusing, relaxing your body, and pursuing tranquility so that you may be able to purse Vipassana, which is the art of gaining Insight. Samatha and Vipassana are the bases in which Buddhists seek to reach Enlightement; The goal of Buddhist religion.
Other forms of meditation are used as methods in which higher enlightenment came be obtained. Japa meditation, for example, is a meditation that applies a strand of supplication beads, or the Mala, to repeat mantras that are supposed to bring peace and clarity to the mind and spirit.
There is an array of tools that are used with meditation, although all you need to meditate is yourself. To allow a high level of comfort, most people use meditation benches, seats or cushions to give themselves the back support they need while meditating. While not all forms of meditation utilize some poses or postures, many do. Japa meditation, as well as many other forms of meditation, use strands of beads. In Christianity, these are called the Rosaries, although they are also called Prayer Beads. In traditional Japa meditation, it is a strand of 108 beads, named the Mala.
Numerous people will utilize comforting music when meditating to help put them in a better state of mind for the meditation. This is popular in certain forms of Zen meditation, as well as in some guided meditations. Music is used in guided meditation as a method in which the teacher can let those listening to reflect and do the meditations that they have been apprised to do. Imagery meditation is other form of meditation that may utilize music, as some forms of music will aid invoke the correct imagery.
Guided meditations are usually experienced with the help of a meditation teacher, or by listening to a guided meditation recording.
Your meditation guide will ask you to sit comfortably, or in some cases, you may be asked to lie down. You then listen to your guide while they lead you through a series of relaxing visualizations. As you gradually relax and become more and more still, stress fades away, and your mind becomes clearer and clearer.
While you are in this deeply relaxed state of mind, your subconscious is open to positive suggestions, and your guide will use this time to take you on an inner journey that is designed to improve one or more aspects of your life. For example, a guided meditation might be tailored towards personal empowerment and positive thinking. Another might focus on emotional healing or spiritual development. You might be taken on a guided journey to unleash your full potential, or you may choose to go on a guided meditation journey simply for the sheer pleasure of experiencing profoundly deep relaxation.
As you can now see, a guided meditation can be an experience that is not only relaxing, but one that enhances your sense of self, that transforms your perspective in positive ways, and that inspires you to live your life to the fullest.
It’s an effortless and very enjoyable experience that results in deep relaxation, elimination of stress and a heightened appreciation of life.
At the conclusion of your guided meditation, your guide will gradually bring you back to a state of normal awareness, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and relaxed. A guided meditation might be as short as 5 minutes, or as long as an hour, depending on your personal preference. In most cases, a guided meditation of 20 minutes or longer is recommended if you wish to experience a truly deep state of relaxation and maximize the positive benefits.
What makes guided meditation different?
Most traditional meditation techniques require you to take command of your own awareness by concentrating your attention on a single point of focus. This point of focus might be your breathing, it might be a physical action, or more commonly, it may be on a mantra – a sound, word or phrase that you repeat to yourself mentally.
While these powerful meditation techniques are wonderful for achieving inner stillness and for enhancing your ability to concentrate, some people find them difficult to master.
One of the main reasons why guided meditations are such a popular alternative to traditional meditation techniques is because they require no previous training or effort to enjoy. Even if you are someone who finds it extremely difficult to let go of thoughts, even if you are highly stressed or overloaded with mental activity, you will quickly achieve inner stillness and peace of mind when you listen to a guided meditation.
Because guided meditation is so easy, it is very useful for people who are new to meditation. However, guided meditations can also be of great benefit to people who are very experienced at meditation. Experienced meditators will still use guided meditations in order to experience a deeper or more vivid meditation, to delve deeper into their mind than they are normally able, or to target a specific aspect of personal development that they wish to address.
Guided meditation also differs from traditional meditation in the way that it uses music and nature sounds to enhance your meditation experience.
The role of music and nature sounds in guided meditation
Guided meditation recordings usually include tranquil meditation music that helps you to relax while you are guided through the meditation. Think about how much difference a good soundtrack makes to a movie. Guided meditations benefit from music in a similar way. Music adds another dimension of expression and depth to your guided meditation journey, whilst soothing your mind.
It’s also not uncommon for Guided meditation CD’s and MP3’s to include nature sounds. These sounds are very relaxing, and they may also be used to enhance the vividness of the visualizations that you experience during the meditation. For example, if you are guided to visualize yourself standing on a sandy beach, then your experience of that visualization will be more authentic if you can actually hear the sound of ocean waves.
In contrast to traditional meditation, in which your aim is to achieve mental stillness through concentration exercises, guided meditations rely on a vivid tapestry of visualizations, music and environmental sounds to relax you, to captivate your attention and to immerse you in an inner journey. Because this inner journey can be tailored to achieve specific outcomes, guided meditation may be even more powerful than traditional, passive meditation techniques when it comes to effecting positive personal changes in your life.
Meditation really is one of the most powerful ways to experience inner peace and to improve your quality of life. For more information about guided meditation and to learn how to meditate for free, please visit The Guided Meditation Site.
Posted in Meditation at 10:11 pm by Trevor Johnson
More and more people are looking for a way of relaxation. There are many different ways you can accomplish your goal, and the end result will always depend on the person doing the relaxing. In the older day’s one would take up a good book, sit in a cozy bed and read for an hour or two before going to sleep. This alone used to suffice; however, it does not anymore. This is why most people are asking “how do you meditate?”
Many people find that they are really tired when it comes time to go to bed. Some even feel tired just after dinner time. This means that there is no time to meditate before falling asleep.
Meditation is done properly by doing it in a quiet room. There is a ton of reasons why you would want to meditate. Relaxation is just one of them, and it was also found that meditation could be a form of therapy for some people. This type of meditation, however, is the topic of another discussion.
Most people say that they feel revitalized after a good meditation session and others feel that they did not accomplish anything. It is important to do a meditation first thing in the morning, as it ensures that you do not fall asleep during your session.
Many people say that they feel meditation is too intimidating for them. This is only because they do not understand it, and because they feel silly doing it. These people also do not know how to do it properly, but it is very easy to do.
The first part is to find a room or place where you will not be disturbed. Make sure it is quiet, sit with your legs crossed and close your eyes. The best position would be to site with your hands on your knees and your back straight. Relax and think of nothing. Let all of your worries go, and with them relax all of your muscles. Once you have focused on clearing the mind you are meditating.
How to Meditate with Pema Chodron: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind
Price: $59.99 How to Meditate with Pema Chodron: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind Product Description When it comes to meditation, Pema Chödrön is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost instructors. Yet most of her books and teaching programs have focused on the benefits and challenges of a well-established practice . . . until now. On How to Meditate with Pema Chödrön, the American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun and author of When Things Fall Apart (Shambhala, 2000) presents her first complete audio course for those new to meditation. This in-depth, 5-session curriculum helps listeners honestly meet and compassionately relate with the mind–the fundamental skill in meditation–as they join Pema to explore: * The basics of mindfulness awareness practice, including proper posture, inner and outer focus, and breathing * Overcoming common obstacles like physical discomfort, difficult emotions, wandering attention, or drowsiness * Guided sessions for resting in the nature of mind, staying present, and more–plus straightforward advice for bringing the fruits of practice into everyday life If you could handpick someone to teach you the best way to meditate, Pema Chödrön would be a first choice for millions. Now this beloved voice shares with listeners everywhere her unique approach–simple and down-to-earth while informed by the highest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism–on How to Meditate with Pema Chödrön. How to Meditate with Pema Chodron: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind
“You sit down comfortably, don the electrical headgear, flip a switch, close your eyes and sink into a state of what seems like deep relaxation. A half hour later, as you turn off the machine, you feel extremely alert and lucid.
Your brain is now functioning more effectively than it was before. Your memory, both your ability to memorize new information and to recall information you have already learned, has increased dramatically. Your ability to focus and to solve problems has expanded. The speed with which your brain cells pass messages among themselves has increased. In fact, many of your brain cells have actually grown. A microscopic examination would show that the brain cells have developed more dendrites, the branching filaments that carry messages from one cell to another, and more synapses, the junctures between the brain cells across which impulses are transmitted. You are more intelligent than you were a half hour before. Such devices now exist and are being used by increasing numbers of people.” So begins Michael Hutchison’s high tech mind training book, Megabrain.
Startling New Brain Research
Scientists have learned more about the brain in the last two decades than in all previous history, and the implications of the latest research are clear: the human brain is far more powerful, with the potential for immensely greater intelligence and peak performance than was ever before imagined. Many scientists believe the brain that tiny 3 1/2 pounds of neural jelly composed of 100 billion or so neurons, each single neuron an information specialist of unimaginable efficiency, conceivably capable of carrying on several million conversations at the same time, is our last frontier — the most mysterious and complex structure in the universe.
As brain scientists debunked the previously held assumptions that the brain’s operations were much like the nervous system (beyond conscious control), and that every imaginable mental state was the result of electrical and chemical activity, we now know that we can definitely ‘learn’ to produce the various brainwaves completely at will and change them. In effect, we can alter and control our own minds. The implications were almost beyond belief as scientists discovered that through Biofeedback and Brainwave training we can learn to trigger such specific brain states as problem solving, memory recall, heightened physical and emotional abilities, as well as certain brainwave states that alter such “involuntary” mechanisms as blood pressure, heart rate, immune system etc. The applications of this line of brain research for Trader performance have been nothing short of profound.
Behavioral Psychology Meets Online Trading
The recent boom in online trading with the advent of the personal computer, has presented science with an unprecedented opportunity for Behavioral Scientists to research and analyze the influence and consequences of mental, emotional and physical behavior on financial decisions, investing and trading. Interestingly, this particular area of interest has generated so much attention it recently became known as Behavioral Finance.
Behavioral Finance is now beginning to see in Trader’s performance the effects of the newest generation of high tech Mind Training, which Olympic athletes and other elite achievers have relied on to expand their performance for years. Today’s traders are the newest breed of worldclass peak performer –Trading Athletes.
Even more appealing, newcomers to online trading are also discovering that this new Mind Training can help level the trading playing field dramatically, comparatively with seasoned Traders, since it is generally accepted that trading is 80% mental and 20% method. Brett Steenbarger, PhD Professor of Behavioral Science at SUNY and also a veteran Trader, makes an important distinction about mind training in his June 2006 paper titled, Trading as a Performance Sport , “Most trading psychology texts emphasize such techniques as positive thinking and visualizations. These can be helpful, to be sure. But to transform oneself as a trader, it is necessary to transform one’s state of consciousness. Traders lose when their mind states interfere with their natural processing of market data”.
High tech Mind Training can actually teach a Trader to “transform” his mind state and thereby dramatically improve his trading performance. Mind Training works by plugging people and showing them their brain’s activity LIVE, using Biofeedback to accurately identify each “losing” trading behavior, habit, and even unhelpful subconsciously held conditioned beliefs. Following this, state of the art Brainwave Entrainment machines guide the Trader to create the various brainwave states (states of consciousness) specific to achieving whatever necessary “winning” trading behaviors are indicted. The overall goal of a full-day of plugged-in Mind Training is to enable mastery of powerful mental peak performance skills that a Trader can take home at the end of the day and use forever. These skills are neither difficult nor time consuming to learn or use, and the process is anything but boring!
High Tech Brainwave Training
Biofeedback with Brainwave training works directly to correct the various specific “deadly trading behaviors” at the root of the poor trading performance. For example, when Behavioral Finance research ascertained the leading reasons why new traders fail at an alarmingly high rate, Biofeedback with Brainwave training was the “A” Game for overcoming these five self- saboteurs easily and quickly: Unrealistic Expectations, Lack of Patience, Lack of Self Discipline, High Risk Aversion and Poor Training (the other most important reason being Undercapitalization, which mind training can help indirectly). High tech Mind Training is helpful in mastering such specific mental skills as:
– Trading with far less stress, with authentic confidence and mental ease. – Sticking to trading system with effortless discipline. – Achieving freedom from the emotional win/lose roller coaster. – Achieving states of prolonged mental sharpness together with heightened states of physical calm during a trading session. – Revealing and deprogramming a trader’s own individual subconscious self- saboteurs – Overcoming ego-centric conditioning. – Overcoming fear of risk, failure, doubt, hesitation, and the most overriding of all human fears – the fear of loss.
What is High Tech Mind Training Like?
Traders of all levels begin by simply experiencing firsthand how their thoughts, self limiting behaviors and habits powerfully affect their trading performance moment to moment.
Within minutes Traders learn the ease of achieving optimal trading brainwave states completely at will, as a Live Biofeedback display (at right) helps them realize precisely when they are in the elusive “Peak Performance Trading Zone”, what it feels like, and why it is so critical to their trading in terms of increased profits and capital preservation but also, just as importantly, stress-free trading performance. To see this brainwave activity display in vibrant color please visit: www.successkey.com/mindpower.htm
Creating Specific Brainwave States for Achieving Trading Goals
As the above brainwave biofeedback spectrograph shows, real-time Biofeedback ( body) and Neurofeedback (brain) monitoring is as instructional as it is compelling. Here we see Alpha brainwaves generated in 6 minutes using a Brainwave Entrainment Mind Machine in a training session. Predominant brain electrical activity in the 10 Hertz range, tells a Trader when alpha brainwaves are being created, the optimal brainwave state for superlearning, “ in the zone trading”, among other things. Each brainwave state: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma has its own corresponding mind-state with characteristics and abilities which are uniquely suited to various specific mind training goals such as accelerated learning, behavior modification, problem solving, memory enhancement, restorative sleep etc. For example, assessing risk/reward trading parameters is best achieved in Beta brainwave states whereas other elements of a trade’s execution are best achieved in Alpha brainwave states. Professional Mind Training gives a Trader the learned ability to optimize his trading performance by simply optimizing his brain function suited to the task at hand.
Mind Training Pays Lasting Dividends
Trader, Rick Smith of Forex Advisor, who has made mind training an integral part of his trading and Trader Training, humorously calls Biofeedback and Brainwave Entrainment, “training wheels for the mind.” He adds, “Basically you only need it until you can balance your mind-states yourself. Then it’s like riding a bike, you never forget how.” Rick did his initial mind training eight years ago but periodically, whenever he wants to achieve some new goal to take him to his next level of excellence, he enjoys a day of ‘ plugged-in’ training. One of those levels of excellence was trading Live in an online fishbowl every day for an entire year before a worldwide audience of Traders, generating a 197% return characterized by trading consistency, no big drawdowns, disciplined money management and freedom from stress – all the hallmarks of a mentally well-trained Trader.
Professional Mind Training is neither hard nor costly and for after training support there are also biofeedback monitors and personal mind machines designed for home use. Mastered mind skills never leave you, which is valuable for achieving any other self improvement goal in the future. With the initial experienced guidance of a Professional Mind Trainer and the aid of state of the art Mind Machines and the fascinating Biofeedback and Neurofeedback of one’s own brain’s activity, Traders can master the powerful brainwave states and mental skills that can take them directly to their current trading performance goals and keep them growing as accomplished Traders for life.
If you would like more information on various mind machines and other firsthand experiences please visit: http://www.mind-power-media.com/mind-machine.html.
Patricia has over 20 years experience training the minds of financial professionals, world-class athletes, educators, corporate leaders and elite achievers in all fields of endeavor. After becoming an accomplished Trader herself six years ago, her private mind training practice has specialized in mind training for Financial Market Traders.
Meditation is a group of mental training techniques .You can use meditation to improve mental health and capacities, and also to help improve the physical health. Some of these techniques are very simple, so you can learn them from a book or an article; others require guidance by a qualified meditation teacher.
WHAT IS MEDITATION
Most techniques called meditation include these components:
1. You sit or lie in a relaxed position.
2. You breathe regularly. You breathe in deep enough to get enough oxygen. When you breathe out, you relax your muscles so that your lungs are well emptied, but without straining.
3. You stop thinking about everyday problems and matters.
4. You concentrate your thoughts upon some sound, some word you repeat, some image, some abstract concept or some feeling. Your whole attention should be pointed at the object you have chosen to concentrate upon.
5. If some foreign thoughts creep in, you just stop this foreign thought, and go back to the object of meditation.
The different meditation techniques differ according to the degree of concentration, and how foreign thoughts are handled. By some techniques, the objective is to concentrate so intensely that no foreign thoughts occur at all.
In other techniques, the concentration is more relaxed so that foreign thoughts easily pop up. When these foreign thoughts are discovered, one stops these and goes back to the pure meditation in a relaxed manner. Thoughts coming up, will often be about things you have forgotten or suppressed, and allow you to rediscover hidden memory material. This rediscovery will have a psychotherapeutic effect.
THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION
Meditation has the following effects:
1. Meditation will give you rest and recreation.
2. You learn to relax.
3. You learn to concentrate better on problem solving.
4. Meditation often has a good effect upon the blood pressure.
5. Meditation has beneficial effects upon inner body processes, like circulation, respiration and digestion.
6. Regular meditation will have a psychotherapeutically effect.
7. Regular meditation will facilitate the immune system.
8. Meditation is usually pleacent.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPNOSIS AND MEDITATION
Hypnosis may have some of the same relaxing and psychotherapeutic effects as meditation. However, when you meditate you are in control yourself; by hypnosis you let some other person or some mechanical device control you. Also hypnosis will not have a training effect upon the ability to concentrate.
A SIMPLE FORM OF MEDITATION
Here is a simple form of meditation:
1. Sit in a good chair in a comfortable position.
2. Relax all your muscles as well as you can.
3. Stop thinking about anything, or at least try not to think about anything.
4. Breath out, relaxing all the muscles in your breathing apparatus.
5. Repeat the following in 10 – 20 minutes:
– Breath in so deep that you feel you get enough oxygen.
– Breath out, relaxing your chest and diaphragm completely.
– Every time you breathe out, think the word “one” or another simple word inside yourself. You should think the word in a prolonged manner, and so that you hear it inside you, but you should try to avoid using your mouth or voice.
6. If foreign thoughts come in, just stop these thoughts in a relaxed manner, and keep on concentrating upon the breathing and the word you repeat.
As you proceed through this meditation, you should feel steadily more relaxed in your mind and body, feel that you breathe steadily more effectively, and that the blood circulation throughout your body gets more efficient. You may also feel an increasing mental pleasure throughout the meditation.
THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION UPON DISEASES
As any kind of training, meditation may be exaggerated so that you get tired and worn out. Therefore you should not meditate so long or so concentrated that you feel tired or mentally emptied.
Meditation may sometimes give problems for people suffering from mental diseases, epilepsy, serious heart problems or neurological diseases. On the other hand, meditation may be of help in the treatment of these and other conditions.
People suffering from such conditions should check out what effects the different kinds of meditation have on their own kind of health problems, before beginning to practise meditation, and be cautious if they choose to begin to meditate. It may be wise to learn meditation from an experienced teacher, psychologist or health worker that use meditation as a treatment module for the actual disease.
Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. Please go here to find anti-aging supplements, medicines against acne, eczema, scars, wrinkles, other skin problems and natural medicines against many common diseases.
