iRest® Meditation
Intended Audience
All members including people living with cancer, family members and significant caregivers.
Program Description
This 90-minute program may be enjoyed by those new to, and those familiar with, Integrative Restoration (iRest®) yoga nidra. iRest meditations blend deep relaxation with personal awareness gained through exploring body sensations, breath, emotions, thoughts and images. iRest meets participants where they are, offering tools for life designed to reduce suffering and restore a sense of wholeness.
“The iRest program is a wonderful mediation practice … it is informative, restful, an exploration of ourselves and our experiences.” – Dianne G.
“The calmness that I’m feeling right now (during and iREST session) is so appreciated in this world of unrest.” – Lynn G.
Benefits and Impact
Wellspring’s iRest program invites participants into deep rest. Participants learn life-long skills and confidence to engage their inner resources and gain mastery in facing daily stresses and challenges. Participants report experiencing deep relaxation, reduced anxiety and a sense of calm. They also report:
- decreased insomnia
- improved interpersonal relationships
- reduced depression, anxiety and fear
- decreased perception of chronic and acute pain
- increased sense of control and comfort
Widely gaining scientific attention, iRest offers transformative healing strategies for those impacted by cancer and those suffering from post-traumatic stress.
What to Expect at a Session
Each session includes instruction on a principle or theme, leisurely experiential iRest guided meditation, and opportunities to reflect, discuss and ask questions.
The guided meditations may be done in any comfortable position, including lying down with the use of props for support and comfort.
Participants gain background understanding as well as suggestions for daily integrative practices. Components of reflection and learning include:
- developing an inner resource of comfort and safety
- befriending the body
- exploring the role of feelings and emotions in our life
- learning strategies for working with challenging emotions and thoughts
- cultivating mindful conscious awareness
- connecting with true self and deeper layers of one’s being
What the Research Says
Research has demonstrated that meditation (including iRest meditation) can have important health-related benefits for those with cancer. Improvements in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, stress, and quality of life have been reported in people living with cancer following meditation (D’cunha et al., 2021; Galantino et al., 2019). As further potential benefits of iRest meditation, a Calgary-based study in 2015 found positive outcomes in a biomarker thought to be important in the prognosis of breast cancer following participation in a program involving mindfulness meditation (Carlson et al., 2015). Another more recent study noted a reduction in stress in cancer patients participating in meditation programs delivered online (Trevino et al., 2020).
