By Bonnie Berk, MS, RN, HNB-BC, E-RYT
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root Yuj,
which means to join or to yoke together, body, mind and
spirit. When practicing Yoga, you exercise from the
inside out. Yoga postures, or asanas, stimulate and
balance all the systems of the body including
musculoskeletal, nervous, circulatory, respiratory,
digestive, endocrine, and reproductive.
Yogis view the mind and body as one, and that if given
the right tools and taken to the right environment can
find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is
considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware
of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of
movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you
relax even in the midst of a stressful situation.
Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands
of years. It consists of ancient theories, observations
and principles about the mind and body connection which
is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial
research has been conducted to look at the Health
Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga
Breathing (Pranayama) and Meditation.
The positive effects of yoga have been explored in a
number of patient populations including people with
asthma, cardiac disease, arthritis, multiple sclerosis,
epilepsy, headaches, depression, diabetes, pain
disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and addictions.
In recent years, researchers have begun to explore the
benefits of yoga for cancer patients and survivors.
Results have shown positive effects on a variety of
outcomes, including sleep quality, mood, stress,
cancer-related distress, cancer-related symptoms and
overall quality of life. According to one of the first
scientific studies of its kind, women going through
treatment for breast cancer felt better when they
practiced yoga in a controlled six week program at the
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
The study focused on 61 women who had surgery for breast
cancer and were getting six weeks of radiation
treatment. Half of the women were assigned to a test
group that took twice-a-week yoga classes. The other
half were not. At the end of the six weeks, researchers
found that the women who participated in the yoga
classes reported higher physical function, less fatigue,
better sense of well-being and overall quality of life
compared to women who did not attend the yoga classes.
Many aspects of yoga practice can benefit patients
dealing with the physical, emotional and spiritual
challenges of cancer treatments. Practicing postures
helps restore physical function, while breathing
exercises relax the body and still the mind. Meditation
helps people connect to their spiritual selves as well
as reverse the negative effects of stress and assists in
acquiring a healthy immune system.
Here is a simple yoga breathing and meditation exercise
that can be used in any situation to help relieve
tension, promote relaxation and bring balance into the
body:
Find a comfortable position either in a chair, on the
floor on lying in bed. Place your hands over your
abdomen and notice your breath. Try to breathe so that
your abdomen rises as you inhale and relaxes as you
exhale. Notice the rhythm of your breath. As you become
more focused on the breath, start to count the inhale
and then exhale to the same count. As an example: if you
inhale for four (4) counts, then exhale for four (4)
counts. Try to relax your shoulders, neck and jaw.
Continue consciously breathing until you feel calm and
relaxed.
The fundamental issues that tend to predispose us to
disease and affect our healing is the disconnect from
ourselves and others. In everyday life, we tend to focus
so thoroughly on the external world – meeting the
requirements of job and family, hoping for the
satisfactions of future fulfillment – that we lose
awareness of the actual, intimate, moment-by-moment
experience of our own physical, mental and emotional
selves.
Yoga helps us break down the distance from ourselves and
brings us into close contact with our sensations and
feelings. Knowing how our bodies really feel at any
given moment, can help us make decisions that can
positively affect our relationship to cancer healing.
And perhaps the most compelling reason for cancer
patients and survivors to use complementary therapies
like yoga, is that they show us how a person stricken
with a serious illness, instead of “running away” from
their threatened body, can connect more strongly to that
body and begin to experience self-empowerment and
overall sense of well-being.
Yoga classes for cancer patients and survivors are being
offered at the YWCA Carlisle under the Partners in
Wellness grant funded by the Carlisle Health and
Wellness Foundation, the Huston Foundation and the
Greater Harrisburg Foundation. For more information,
contact YWCA of Carlisle, (717) 243-3818.
Author:
 Bonnie Berk, RN, RYT, MS, is a speaker, author and
consultant to a broad range of businesses and
institutions on issues related to fitness and wellness.
She is a pioneer in the field of maternity fitness,
teaches a wide variety of Yoga classes including Yoga
for Cancer Patients and Survivors and currently serves
as the Wellness Coordinator for the Carlisle Family
YMCA. For more information, call (717) 258-4641 or send
email to: bonnie@bonnieberk.com
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