Apollo Hospitals, Isha Foundation launch initiative to combat tobacco addiction
On the eve of World No-Tobacco Day, Apollo Cancer Centres and the Isha Foundation have jointly announced a unique initiative that aims to help individuals quit tobacco addiction on Friday.
The initiative includes the practice of 'Miracle of Mind' meditation by the Isha Foundation and a meticulously designed 6-week programme to help individuals naturally outgrow the need for tobacco. The 'Miracle of Mind' is a free meditation app offering a a powerful 7-minute guided meditation by Sadhguru, helping individuals take charge of their well-being.
It also features streaks, reminders, rewards, and personalised wisdom from Sadhguru. Over 2 million people have downloaded the app to establish a daily meditation practice and transformed their lives. The collaboration represents a shared understanding that healthcare must be holistic, treating not just disease but the human experience of illness, including mental strain, isolation, and loss of control.
Addressing the media on behalf of the Isha Foundation, Dr. Rajesh Babu Devabhakthuni, Consultant Neurosurgeon, said that Isha Yoga offers several practices aimed at improving well-being by helping with emotional regulation and increasing self-awareness, some of the key factors in breaking habits like tobacco addiction. Among these, the 'Miracle of Mind' meditation was chosen as it was a short, effective practice of just seven minutes and fits easily into today's busy lifestyles. It could be done anytime and anywhere.
One of the key factors of addiction is emotional dysregulation, due to which people often develop habits as a way to cope with stress and emotional imbalance. Backed by substantial research, Isha Yoga practices address these underlying issues by promoting emotional regulation and stress reduction, making them effective components in addiction programs. These practices provide both psychological and physiological support to individuals, helping them manage stress better and improve their overall health, he explained.
Screening initiative launched
Apollo Cancer Centres (ACC) has launched #OraLife, a proactive screening initiative focused on the early detection of oral cancer. The program emphasises public awareness, routine screening, and targeted intervention, particularly for high-risk individuals, including tobacco users, alcohol consumers, those with HPV-16 infection, and people with prior oral lesions.
Tobacco users are six to seven times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-users. Oral cancer is one of the few cancers that can be detected early through a simple oral examination, said Dr. Pradeep Ventrapati, Consultant, Medical Oncologist.
Dr. Dheeraj Kondamudi, Consultant – Head & Neck, Surgical Oncology at ACC, Visakhapatnam, was also present.
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