By Kimaya Singh

People who endure the long, grueling process of chemotherapy are often depleted of energy, strength, and overall well being. For cancer patients, yoga techniques have been found to be extremely beneficial in increasing an individual’s sense of well being, decreasing anxiety levels, and prompting a better “mind-body” connection, which is extremely helpful when fighting cancer.

The core of yogic methodology focuses on meditative practices, which are essential for the effective practice of this ancient and evolving tradition. Meditative practices associated with yoga training have the tendency to induce an extremely calming response to participants. Meditative practice can, in turn, prompt the brain to release endorphins and chemicals in order to promote a long lasting sense of well being.

Chemotherapy is extremely draining for individuals who have to undergo this unforgiving cancer treatment. The use of restorative yoga methods, in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments, is a great way to incorporate holistic methods which focus on the mind body connection, in order to improve a patient’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

It is important for everyone to understand that anyone can get cancer. If you don’t have it, thank your luck stars for your good health every day. Good people, who eat right, treat people nice, don’t have addictions, and make wise health decisions are diagnosed with cancer every day. Yes, some lifestyles can lead to a higher risk of cancer, but no amount of self-righteousness will protect us from the reality that cancer can attack anyone, including innocent babies. This is the lottery that no person wants to win!

With cancer, it is often difficult to focus on the present, with so much uncertainty in regards to the future. Additionally, some people tend to second guess their past decisions and engage in self-blame. Thinking about what might have been the cause can’t solve the present. This cycle tends to drag one’s spirits down. Yoga also focuses on the use of pranayama (slow and controlled breathing) and asana (the physical postures and moves associated with yoga methods) practices in order to bring the body into a more congruent state. When an individual utilizes the breathing methods associated with yoga training, he or she is focused on the here and now. Pranayama practice has the power to bring into effect positive changes within one’s mental focus and well being. It becomes easier to take each day moment by moment, while focusing on the present, and not on the future or past. It is imperative for individuals who are undergoing chemotherapy to learn how to not let themselves become overrun with worries and fears in regards to the future.

Many cancer treatments are now incorporating the use of restorative yoga to promote a great sense of overall well being, mental health, and higher quality of life among cancer patients. Cancer is an uncertain disease, with unclear outcomes, which often has an extremely negative effect on families and the patient’s psychological well being. A person who has cancer often feels betrayed by their body and angry with themselves for things which they cannot control. Yoga has the power to help cancer patients learn how to regain a sense of power over their mental well being, as well as develop an appreciation for what their bodies are still able to accomplish.

© Copyright 2013 –  Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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By Faye Martins

Before we discuss lifestyles for cancer prevention, it is important to note that cancer does not discriminate. It is possible for a person of any culture, religion, ethnic origin, age, gender or lifestyle, to encounter a battle with cancer. However, certain lifestyles are at higher risk. Cancer risk is in some ways like the risk of getting into an auto accident, in that wearing a seat belt does not guarantee that we will get home safely. However, if we decide to forget the seat belt, drink beer, drive over the speed limit, and text our friends, while driving, we are less likely to get home safely. If we do arrive home at all, after such taking risks behind the wheel, we are “lucky to be alive.”

The Yoga Lifestyle and Prevention

Yoga is more than an exercise routine. It is a philosophy and a practice from India that possibly stretches back into prehistory. It is about good health in general, and ideas extend into the realm of diet and anything that affects the health of the body. It is also an ongoing tradition that easily incorporates new knowledge to achieve better effects.

Proper diet, as it turns out, can have an enormous impact on a person’s chances of suffering from cancer in a lifetime. Modern foods are loaded with chemicals, pesticides, hormones, and food colorings. While vegetables might be contaminated with pesticide residue, factory processed meat is generally the worst to eat.

It is surprising how well the traditional Yoga diet fits into a modern healthy diet. It is better to avoid red meat, because of the many contaminants the production process involved. Most red meat animals were fed hormones and then stuffed with grains, which were produced with petroleum fertilizers. Red meat is injected with nitrates and other food colorings in order to make the aging meat look red.

To be, or not to be, a Vegetarian

Simply preferring a more vegetarian diet goes a long way to eliminating the artificial compounds that have made cancer endemic in the modern world. It is a hard-to-admit fact, but the chemistry that runs the modern world also makes cancer much more prevalent than in previous centuries. Very little in the modern diet is natural, and it is good to gently remind antagonists of that fact.

Chemical fertilizers destroy soil and can also put unnatural substances into grain. It is enough to eat grain directly as to eat meat that concentrate those poisons. It is not necessary to eat meat; grains as well as beans and nuts easily substitutes for meat. A little known pseudo-grain called amaranth can provide all the amino acids that are normally supplied by meat.

Many Yoga practitioners are vegetarians, but some are not. Some sources of meat are actually healthy, and the benefits out weight the small amounts of contamination the meat might contain. Fish concentrate poison in their liver, and the meat is largely free of toxins. Fish that are grown in tanks by organic farmers are especially free of heavy metals. Free ranged chickens are both natural and taste different from the supermarket variety.

Back to Nature

A person who is serious about Yoga should consider gardening. It is consistent with an Earth-friendly mentality, and gardening with hand tools can be excellent exercise. Gardening produces vegetables and fruit that are free of contaminants and the soil is improved rather than destroyed, because organic fertilizers are used.

© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Sometimes, the subjects we teach in a Yoga class make us feel much better about what we do. When one decides to become a Yoga instructor, he or she usually does not appreciate the complete package of benefits one gains from meditating. With age comes appreciation, and sometimes wisdom grows from within. So, if you are a Yoga instructor, please remember that everything you present in classes is a valuable life skill. The new Yoga practitioners do usually not appreciate meditation and pranayama, but they are of extreme value.

The mere thought of cancer causes most of us to tense up, and undergoing tests is even more traumatic. If you have never been through it, imagine how scary a diagnosis must be, and that is only the beginning. Surgery, treatments, and uncertainty often lead to anxiety, depression, and negative emotions, which also affect the outcomes of all chronic diseases.

How Does This Help Cancer Patients?

Clinical studies show that meditating is an effective complementary therapy in the fight against cancer. Not only does it reduce discomfort and improve mood, but also evidence suggests that it boosts immunity and possibly improves prognosis. This is likely due to its effect on the autonomic nervous system.

Responsible for involuntary actions such as breathing, sweating, heartbeat, and digestion, the autonomic nervous system serves two functions. One part, the sympathetic nervous system, prepares the body for emergencies by increasing heart rate and restricting blood flow. The other part, known as the parasympathetic nervous system, slows heart rate, increases blood flow, and releases beneficial digestive enzymes.

As a result, this reduces toxic cortisol levels and boosts the release of feel-good endorphins into the bloodstream. It also increases the level of activity in the regions of the brain associated with positive emotions and compassion.

How Do Students Learn to Meditate?

There are many different kinds of meditation. For anyone who is dealing with cancer, there are many options. Many people like learning from meditation or Yoga teachers in private or public sessions. Those who want to practice with others who are dealing with cancer may prefer specialized classes offered at many medical centers. For those who want to meditate at home or alone, the following techniques are good choices:

• Guided meditations are available as both digital downloads and CDs, and some are designed especially for cancer patients.

• Breath awareness meditation brings the focus inward, returning attention to each individual breath when the mind wanders.

• Moving meditations, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, or Qigong, offer active options for restless practitioners. They also prepare the mind and body for other kinds of meditation.

• Mantra meditation concentrates on particular vibrations or phrases, such as the “AUM” sound or a mindfulness affirmation, such as: “May I be at peace.”

Conclusion

The demand for Yoga in oncology departments is growing. As research confirms the benefits of meditation for the management and recovery of cancer, its practice will likely become a part of standard medical care. Who knows where the future will lead us? Meditating is part of every Yoga teacher training course. Perhaps meditation has been under appreciated recently, but its future as an adjunct therapy looks very bright.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Leukemia, or cancer of the blood or bone marrow, is a terrifying disease that strikes both young and old. Damage to the blood stream, from the cancer, results in reduced immune response, anemia from lack of red blood cells, and other conditions. In the U.S., about 245,000 people are affected with some form of leukemia, including those currently in remission. Treatment of leukemia typically involves medication, chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation. The most common form of leukemia has a five-year survival rate between 15–70%, and a relapse rate from 33-78%.

Like Yoga for cancer in general, Yoga for leukemia can provide physical and emotional support for those with leukemia specifically. A study with 410 participants, highlighted at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, demonstrated that Yoga stretching and breathing exercises reduced dependence on sedatives, improved sleep, and helped cancer patients resume the routine activities of everyday life. Meditative breathing helps to clear the mental fog of chemotherapy, and stretching decreases stress levels while it rebuilds the immune system.

Asanas recommended for those diagnosed with leukemia include those that open the chest and prevent pneumonia, which is common in people with compromised immune systems. Ustrasana, or Camel pose, Gomukhasana, or Cow Face pose, and Balasana or Child’s pose with arms extended in front, combined with Bhujangasana or Cobra pose are all excellent chest openers.

All of the above named postures can be modified and the use of props is recommended. A certified Yoga teacher should know how to modify any pose for a student. If one’s goal is to restore energy, physically taxing or hot classes are not recommended.

Pranayama, or Yogic breathing, can be very powerful in calming the mind during invasive procedures like chemotherapy. Connecting with the body is important during any illness. It can be tempting to see one’s own body as having “betrayed” one, or to see the body as the enemy itself. Emphasizing the body, the spirit, and staying in the moment can help bring the focus needed for healing.

Practicing restorative poses, like moving gently in and out of Sarvangasana, or Bridge Pose can be helpful as well. Remember to use props, while allowing the body to rest, relax, and restore, in each asana, rather than pushing through them. A peaceful savasana should end every restorative Yoga practice.

Visualization techniques, such as picturing the cancer cells disappearing, are sometimes used in conjunction with complimentary practices like Yoga. These kinds of actions are not only beneficial to the physical health of the body, but also give the individual actions to take during a time when many feel powerless.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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