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our mental well-being is just as important as your physical well-being. Fear and depression can creep up with any major life-changing event or illness. Many questions can arise that make you fearful of what the future may hold. It’s important to acknowledge how your body and mind feel as you go through challenging times.

Mindfulness meditation focuses on the present moment, and how aware one is with their surroundings. It is paying attention in a particular way, on purpose to the present moment and non-judgmentally. There's a lot of freedom in choosing how you might practice meditation.

You don’t have to meditate for long periods of time for it to be effective. It is more about consistency than duration. Whether it’s 5 minutes every night before bed or 5 deep breaths while on the bus, try to get some meditation in daily. Take time and reflect on your life, your day, or your morning. Just put the focus on yourself and how you feel. You will feel the difference the more you practice.

By integrating mindfulness meditations into your daily life, you will feel changes in your body and mind. Focus on your breath and the sounds around you and feel the physical sensations around you. Be that informal mindful meditation or meditation with movement such as yoga. Visit kidney.ca/webinars to view the recorded session from our 2023 Kidney Foundation Patient Forum about Inner Well-Being and Mindfulness.

Meditation is not a cure-all. It will not cure kidney disease, but it can still be a moment of self-care for both patients and caregivers. If you currently are living with mental health challenges, consult your doctor before starting meditation. Take care of your mind just as you do your body. One cannot improve without the other.