Cancer Council WA is encouraging people in the Great Southern affected by cancer to access its free Life Now programs which aim to provide connection, calm and practical support during and after treatment.

The initiative is helping patients, carers and family members across WA to develop coping strategies through mindfulness, meditation and shared experience, offering a space to pause amid the physical and emotional impacts of cancer.

Mindfulness facilitator Karen Haddon, who has been delivering Life Now courses since 2022, said the sessions provide a safe and supportive environment for people navigating a cancer diagnosis and its ongoing challenges.

“Mindfulness helps us identify the start of emotional spirals more easily and provides us with the inner resources to support ourselves during these difficult times,” she said.

“People are using the practices while they are in scans, waiting rooms or waiting for phone calls from oncologists.

“They can practice with their eyes open and nobody else even knows they are doing it.”

Ms Haddon said participants often feel relieved to be surrounded by others who understand what they are going through.

“By week two, participants often say they feel like they are in a room full of other people who know what it’s like,” she said.

“They say they do not have to pretend, do not have to put on a brave face and can simply be themselves.

“There’s no expectation that people show up at their best.

“They can show up however they are, and they will be welcomed into the group.”

Cancer Council WA Life Now program co-ordinator Annika English said the program is designed to introduce mind-body practices in a safe and supportive environment.

“Our evidence-based Life Now courses offer psychological and social support to people affected by cancer and their primary carers,” she said.

“We know that people with cancer who exercise regularly have fewer and milder side effects from their treatment.”

Life Now offers a range of free programs including mindfulness, meditation, yoga, tai chi and exercise programs for people affected by cancer.