HOW YOGA CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY AGAINST CANCER.

A cancer diagnosis can consume all areas of a patient’s life, especially their mental state. Implementing self-care and relaxation into their routines while maintaining a busy schedule of treatment and the requirements of their own lives is incredibly important for those living with cancer. Yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India, connects the mind and body through breath, movement, and meditation and has taken the United States and the rest of the world by storm. Patients with cancer that practice yoga regularly find their quality of life and the complications of their emotional and physical states have drastically improved. Yoga has the ability to reduce the psychological stress caused by one’s diagnosis as well as helping manage the physical symptoms and side effects of treatment.

People often report increased anxiety and depression after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Some symptoms include difficulty sleeping, fatigue, inability to focus, and increased negative thought patterns. Yoga has been proven to reduce psychological distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can be challenging for patients with cancer to prevent their minds from wandering, dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future. Meditation and deep breathing exercises allow them to clear their mind and focus on their breath, which grounds them and helps them to focus on the present. Yoga creates a sense of self-regulation and awareness making it easier for the patient to cope with stressful situations. These skills are incredibly useful when managing the many stressors that accompany a cancer diagnosis. Yoga can also facilitate a spiritual experience and inner peace, which can be lost when initially diagnosed.

If done in a studio, yoga can foster a sense of community and camaraderie, decreasing feelings of isolation that can be caused by a cancer diagnosis. Yoga and meditation are not only useful while in treatment. The mindfulness achieved while practicing yoga carries into post-treatment survivorship. It can help limit anxiety caused by longer gaps between doctor visits, the fear of recurrence, and the uncertainties of follow-up scans.

Determining how to squeeze yoga or other methods of self-care into their routines when patients are busy with treatment and doctor visits may feel overwhelming. An essential point for doctors, nurses, social workers, and other members of the medical team to make to patients is the importance of taking care of their bodies and minds. Yoga is a great option because it is affordable, non-invasive, and can be adapted based on the patient’s needs.2 Yoga can also serve as a segue to more intense workouts when first starting to exercise after treatment. 

Patients should speak with their doctors to ensure that yoga is right for them prior to practicing. They need to be aware of any physical limitations they might have to know what practice suits them. If new to yoga, it is best to start with a licensed instructor to learn the proper techniques and accommodations. Once comfortable, yoga can be done in the comfort of one’s home. Breathing techniques and exercises can be done almost anywhere, which is what makes them so valuable. Ultimately, yoga can have tremendous benefits for anyone undergoing treatment for cancer, both for emotional and physical reasons, and can have ongoing benefits as patients continue their care.  

Therapeutic activities like yoga can complement cancer-fighting medical treatment to help heal the body, mind, and spirit in the midst of the cancer battle.

1. Lower fatigue

Several studies have linked yoga with reduced fatigue in cancer patients. Several studies have reported a significant decrease in fatigue through the use of yoga and showed that patients’ fatigue decreased the more yoga sessions they did per week.

2. Reduce stress

Battling a life-threatening disease is physically, emotionally, and mentally stressful. Yoga may be able to help with this aspect of cancer as well. One study found that practicing a seven-week yoga routine was able to reduce the likelihood of developing “mood disturbance” by up to 65 percent. Other research has found that the reduction in stress also improves the quality of life, appetite, and could be responsible for a reduction in pain.

3. Improve physical functioning

In addition to everything on your mind, cancer affects your ability to move. Spending time in the hospital or sick at home can make the body stiff and sore and make it more difficult to complete daily tasks. As a regular form of exercise, yoga is a gentle way to stay limber and active. A review of 16 trials found that regular yoga practice can improve functional well-being in both cancer patients and survivors.

4. Sleep better

A combination of physical and mental stress can make sleep difficult, but healing the body requires ample rest. Yoga can help with insomnia and make it easier for cancer patients to relax at night. Some research has found yoga to be able to help improve sleep quality, efficiency, and duration.

5. Lower risk of recurrence

It has been shown to result in decreased body fat density, which can help to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.” Obesity is a risk factor for cancer, and managing your risks is important even after diagnosis and recovery. Regular exercise through yoga is just one way of keeping the risk at bay.

Cancer patients and survivors wholly unfamiliar with the practice of yoga should talk with their doctor about programs that may be specific to their condition. An increasing number of cancer centers offer such wellness programs, and yoga instructors are increasingly experienced in working with such patients. A yoga practice focusing on restorative postures, relaxation, and meditation is very helpful for fatigue, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment.

1. Seated Spinal Twist

Bellofatto says this pose can help with digestion and nausea. Start by sitting cross-legged on the floor.

1. Breathe deeply.

2. On the exhale, slowly twist your body to look over your right shoulder, placing your left hand on your right knee and your right hand behind your body.

3. Breathe deeply and hold the stretch.

2. Legs up the Wall

Also known as Viparita Karani, this pose can help combat fatigue.

1. Sit on the floor with your left side against the wall.

2. Turn to the left and bring your legs up against the wall as you lower your body into a prone position.

3. Scoot your buttocks against the wall.

4. Your shoulders and head will rest on the floor while your legs stretch up the wall in this relaxed position.

3. Reclined Bound Angle

Supta Baddha Konasana can also reduce fatigue and stress.

1. Begin seated and bring your feet together in front of you, with the soles facing one another, knees bent and heels pointing toward your groin.

2. Slowly lie back, supporting yourself with your arms until your back is against the floor.

3. Relax and breathe deeply, with arms out to your sides.

4. Seated Meditation

A beginner pose, seated meditation helps you to focus on breathing and mindfulness.

1. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you.

2. Feel your sitting bones in contact with the floor.

3. Lengthen your spine to sit up tall, and gently drop your chin down slightly so your neck is aligned with your spine.

4. Breathe deeply and try to keep your mind from wandering.

“We know that life is painful — that getting cancer and going through cancer treatment is extremely painful, emotionally as well as physically. “But as yogis, we are also taught that suffering is optional, that we can transform our suffering into awakening with the recognition that everything in life is for our awakening.”

Dr.Vikash Agarwal

Edited by- Kshitij Agarwal