Mindfulness Para Mi Gente – Healing for the Latinx Cancer Community
During the months after my breast cancer diagnosis, I knew I needed to fortify my self-care practices to survive and heal. This type of self-care went beyond treating myself to a manicure or taking more bubble baths. It meant the hard but important work of increasing the frequency of my therapy sessions, reaching out to fellow survivors, and doubling down on mindfulness practices.
Research indicates that mindfulness is likely to reduce the symptoms of breast cancer compared to other treatments by improving scores of depression, fatigue, and cognitive issues.
As a Latina growing up in a mixed family, I wasn't exposed to many contemplative practices beyond the Catholic faith. Since my immediate family is agnostic, I expanded my mindfulness practices as an adult through learning about them as I pursued my social science degree, beginning with yoga and expanding into meditation, breathwork, and more.
I started going to regular yoga classes with my Filipino partner after his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer as a way to deal with grief. These classes introduced us to insight meditation and the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh.
However, as I began to grow my own practice, I noticed that wellness and mindfulness is often white-washed, with its indigenous roots and traditions papered over with a consumer-driven vision of self-care.
How do Latinx people find a mindfulness practice that is more authentic to their own identity and values? It requires community, protected spaces, and an open mind.
A Space for the Latinx Community
According to Gabriela A. Nagy et. al., “One consistent observation is that Latinx individuals have not been well-represented as practitioners, researchers, clinicians, or instructors of mindfulness.” However, there are some organizations and teachers providing mindfulness to the Latinx community, including Primoridal Multicultural Healing Community and insightLA.
In 2023 and 2024 I had the opportunity to go on two amazing AYA Latine retreats with True North Treks which focused on mindfulness in the outdoors. These retreats truly filled my cup through engagement with other survivors with my background.
It was also wonderful to have a Latinx/e mindfulness facilitator, Sylvia Ruiz, to guide us.
In my experience, practicing mindfulness in a community increases the benefits of the practice, reminding me that I am connected to mi gente (my people) on a deep level.
I draw on this connection when I'm feeling frustrated with cultural barriers within the medical community, or when I'm trying to calm the fear my Latine family has around the word "cancer."
Finding community spaces like The Latinx Breasties group also brings so much joy into the otherwise difficult experience of cancer.
Sharing resources in a common language, laughing about how our tías give us Vicks VapoRub for all of our side-effects, trading recipes – these connections make it easier to cope while bringing a sense of belonging to folks who have been alienated on so many fronts, as cancer survivors and as people of color.
Mindfulness Resources for the Latinx Community
Beyond these community spaces, or when I can't practice mindfulness directly with others through a retreat or live class, I like to use guided meditations and online recordings during the week to keep my anxiety and "monkey mind" from spiraling.
There are some great free online resources, both cancer-specific and not, that I like to use. Please share them with your Breasties!
English-Language Mindfulness Resources
- Insight timer: A free app with many different kinds of guided meditations.
- Exhale App: The first well-being app for Black women and women of color.
- Tigerlily Foundation's Pure Cat Health & Wellness Initiative: Weekly classes such as Qi Gong and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering's Meditation Library: Lots of treatment-specific meditations, from newly diagnosed through survivorship.
- Latinas Who Meditate: A community for Latinas based in LA.
- Indigenous and Mindfulness Practices for Navigating Daily Life with Brenda Salgado.