Articles

The Benefits of Yoga for Cancer Patients and Survivors, by Heather Thamer: Published in Howard County General Hospital’s Wellness Blog, Well & Wise May 2012

Yoga for Cancer? Read on…

Through the ancient practice of yoga and meditation, cancer patients and survivors learn how to manage stress, enhance immune function and feel better overall. Restoring energy, improving joint movement, alleviating joint pain while instilling a sense of calm and connection…these are all possible through yoga.

Therapeutic yoga poses can help establish a true sense of wellbeing and vitality in a balanced manner. Our neurological relaxation response is activated during a relaxing yoga or meditation session, leading to a host of documented benefits including the reduction of our stress hormone production, a decrease in blood pressure and muscle tension, and an INCREASE in immune function and activity (The Therapeutic Yoga Kit, Cheri Clampett, Biff Mithoefer).

For one cancer survivor, these benefits are amongst a long list of many reasons why she keeps coming back to yoga. “It (Yoga) makes ME feel like I’m doing something good for myself and that makes me feel more positive in all aspects of my life. I feel ‘up’ and ready to face the day. Yoga reinforces my appreciation of the beauty of life.”

Living with cancer can be overwhelming, both mentally and physically. Through gentle yoga poses and breathing exercises, toxins accrued during treatment can be cleared out more effectively (How Yoga Helps Cancer Patients and Cancer Survivors, http://yogauonline.com), blood circulates better, and the lymphatic system is enhanced thus leading to the increase in immune function. Cancer patients and survivors restore strength, flexibility and increase their anti-cancer immune cells (Yoga Therapy Today 2009, Yoga for Cancer in Practice).

For many individuals living with cancer, a sense of wellbeing is attainable. By incorporating a regular, gentle yoga practice into a weekly routine, cancer patients and survivors learn that they can feel good once again, both mentally and physically. Another yoga student and cancer survivor describes her experience with yoga:

“In the midst of chemo treatment for breast cancer, I did my best to go to yoga class every Friday. It was tough getting there, but once I was in class with friends who were in the same situation as me, I relaxed and just lived in each moment. As the teacher talked us step by step through each breath and pose, I was amazed at what I was doing. At home, I would have been sitting on the sofa- in class I was moving, stretching, feeling good. I was getting out, laughing, making new friends, being a survivor, having a positive attitude.

It felt good to be with positive people, and think good thoughts. Yoga taught me to breathe through some hard times. And get up and move to feel better. When I missed a class, about halfway through the next week I just felt like something wasn’t right- then I remembered what I was missing. Being on the mat, centering during class, meditating, moving, and relaxing, lasted throughout the week. And…… My doc took me off blood pressure meds……I really think that yoga was a part of that!”

Using simple breathing techniques, guided meditation, restorative poses and stretches with gentle movement, yoga can be extremely helpful in managing the stress and the side effects of cancer.