Yoga for cancer treatment
Yoga has made a slow and steady progression for its benefits to people diagnosed with cancer and is a recognised therapy before, during and after treatment. Many hospitals and other centres now offer specialised courses specifically for people having treatment. In addition, there are many yoga therapists who can provide one-on-one programs or make adjustments for their students in existing classes.
In fact, there is a considerable evidence-base for yoga and exercise as a necessary component of therapy during treatment to increase the uptake of chemotherapy, to reduce stress and increase wellbeing and is included in cancer management in Australia.
In the yoga philosophy cancer is regarded as a black hole of prana, where prana is the lifeforce that exists in each and all of us and in fact throughout the Universe. Yoga does not profess to cure cancer but it will help to restore prana in the most appropriate way for each individual.
Yoga philosophy describes a system called the Kosha system. I have shown this system to people who have come to see me. They tell me it is really helpful as it can reduce negative feelings such as blame and guilt often associated with their diagnosis.
The yoga philosophy also has a system of qualities of all matter called guna; rajas = energy/ movement; tamas = rest/lethargy; sattwa = balance. We need each of these qualities at different times, but when rajas or tamas becomes excessive illness can occur physically, energetically or mentally. These two systems offer a roadmap for yoga therapists to provide effective practices pre, during and post cancer treatment.
Swami Nirmalanada in her book Yoga for Cancer (2009) represents what is happening in these two systems when cancer occurs in the following diagrams.
So, our aim in yoga is to decrease imbalances in tamas and or rajas and increase prana.
There are many practices that can help with this at every stage of treatment and for every cancer and individual. Practices may be physical, meditative, based on relaxation or breathwork. Practices can also include mudra, mantra, yantra and chakra. It is the role of the yoga therapist to find a practice suitable for each individual.
Here is the link to a yoga nidra based on balancing the chakra to help improve prana.
Some helpful resources are:
Journal articles:
Danhauer SC, Addington EL, Sohl SJ, Chaoul A, Cohen L.(2017) Review of yoga therapy during cancer treatment. Support Care Cancer. 2017 Apr;25(4):1357-1372. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3556-9. Epub 2017 Jan 7. PMID: 28064385; PMCID: PMC5777241.
Hayes, SC, Newton RU, Spence RR, Galvao DA. (2019) The Exercise and Sports Science Australia position statement: exercise medicine in cancer management. J Sci Med Sport. 2019;22(11):1175–99.
Books:
Leibel, L. & Pitman, A (eds) (2023) Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum. Handspring Publishing, Edinburgh
Nirmalananda, Sw (2009) Yogic Management of Cancer. Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India
Yogapratap, Sw (2009) Exploring Yoga and Cancer. Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India
DVDs
Loudon, A (2010) Yoga after breast cancer
Loudon, A (2014) Yoga for secondary arm lymphoedema
Informative YouTubes
Cancer and Exercise
Exercise before, during and after cancer treatments and other conditions is having great therapeutic value. Please watch the following Catalyst shows on research being done at Edith Cowan University in Perth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP_7l8jJdoc
Cancer and stretch of fascia
Dr. Robert Schleip Interview Part 3 | Yoga, Fascia and the Mechanics of Soft Tissue Healing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWsDbP8vu3s (5 mins)
Professor Helene Langevin
Stretching, Connective Tissue, Chronic Pain, and Cancer