What is Yoga?
Yoga is a classical form of physical exercise for the body and the mind. It focuses on improving strength, flexibility, and breathing through a series of positions and motions. Yoga is a complete body belief that began over 500 decades ago in India.
The main aim of the practice is to offer harmony between the mind, body and soul to assist you to feel better and calmer. Yoga also encourages and provides ways to stay healthy and limit the body from any illness.
Approximately there are about 80 prominent yoga positions can be performed standing, sitting, lying down, and kneeling. There are also a number of yoga styles, namely, Hatha, Iyengar and Ashtanga yogas. Some of these yoga postures are exhausting, while others are easy and focus on the breathing part and medication.
Your Yoga practise can improve your life, and a few of the benefits are:
- It can stimulate your nervous system
- It eases your muscles and joints and makes them more flexible
- Yoga practises can also relax your mind and body
Yoga can play a vital part in helping people who are suffering from Cancer both mentally and physically; Research and other scientific experiments have shown that Yoga can’t defeat Cancer, but it can help ease some of the severe side effects from the disease and its therapies. Some of the research studies have also shown that Yoga can help helo relieve fatigue due to Cancer. It helps to improve the sleep cycle drastically, Helps with the rehabilitation from cancer surgery, and reduces immense stress, depression, and anxiety.
Yoga and its connection with Cancer
There are several complementary therapies available, and one of the primary reasons that people diagnosed with Cancer opt for Yoga is that it makes them feel comfortable and good. The yoga practice instructs people to adapt to any situation or circumstances and live life to the fullest. Yoga experts or tutors encourage it as a natural way to help your body and mind relax and also allows you to handle stress, depression and anxiety. Usually, Yoga enables you to brighten your mood and boosts your well-being. Some of the patients with Cancer have been told that it calms their minds so that they can cope with their treatment and recovery in a better way. Some of the others have suggested it reduces symptoms and other side effects such as pain, sleep issues, depression, and fatigue. Yoga can also sometimes help you move quickly and in a better way after surgery.
Cancer patients and cancer survivors who are not familiar with Yoga practice should first consult any of the yoga experts about their program as Yoga practises are personalised to their own condition. At present, most of the cancer centres offer wellness routines and yoga instructors who are experienced in the field and also have handled patients previously. Yoga practices focus on therapeutic postures, relaxation and meditation, which is very useful for fatigue, anxiety, depression and any other symptoms of Cancer and its treatment.
The Poses recommended for cancer patients are,
- Seated Spinal Twist – This pose can help with nausea and digestion
- Viparita Karani – This pose can help you fight fatigue
- Supta Baddha Konasana – This pose also helps you to combat fatigue and stress.
- Seated Meditation – This is a significant yet straightforward practice that helps you to focus on your breathing and mindfulness.
Life with Cancer can be extremely painful, and going through the treatment process is a much harder task. It can be mentally taxing and also hurt you emotionally. Suffering can be optional so that we can transform obstacles into opportunities with the recognition that everything in life is for our awakening.
Yoga – An overview
A regular yoga session can last around 60 to 90 minutes. It can be a group session, or you can also consult a private yoga expert.
What a yoga session comprises will rest on the style of Yoga you personally opt for. An introductory yoga session will usually be a combination of postures and breathing exercises.
It is essential to wear comfortable clothes that you find easy to move and stretch. You will need a Non-slip mat. The yoga expert will provide you with these, or you can also bring your own. It would help if you only practised Yoga at home after learning the safe and proper way to do the postures. You could injure yourself if you don’t do them in a proper way.
Side effects and precautions
Yoga practises usually very safe when you perform them under proper guidence from a qualified instructor.
Yoga experts and qualified teachers usually suggest the following safety measures.
- Give at least 120 minutes after food before performing Yoga.
- Never perform Yoga alone at home until you have a certain amount of experience or a call with a qualified teacher.
- Before you start, open up to your yoga instructor about any medical issues you are facing, including back issues and joint problems.
- It is important to tell your yoga instructor if any of the positions are painful.
- Do not start with challenging poses, namely head and shoulder stands, without getting instructions from the yoga expert.
- If you are pregnant or have your periods, Do not practice specific postures, and your yoga instructor will advise which poses can be performed without any trouble.
- Drink plenty of water after every class – Stay hydrated ( Drink lots of water after every yoga session )
Research – Yoga and cancer care
There are no research studies or scientific pieces of evidence that show beyond doubt that Yoga can cure or prevent any type of Cancer. However, some of the analyses help us understand better that it can assist cancer patients in coping with the symptoms and side effects.
A review study done in the last decade found that Yoga could help reduce fatigue or tiredness, anxiety, depression, and stress for some of the patients. It also helped improve the spiritual well-being and sleep cycle and helped them mentally be in a better place.
Yoga is also connected with many positive effects on psychological well being for people diagnosed with Cancer. However, some of the results from the review showed some weaknesses and differences as well.
Some other research studies have shown that Yoga can help limit or reduce depression and tiredness in people diagnosed with breast cancer. One of the small studies also showed that men with prostate cancer also saw an improvement in their quality of life and general well-being when they were practising Yoga regularly. Yoga can also help you improve your sleep cycle, but consistency is vital. Various other studies also helped in finding out that Yoga can help people with other health problems such as
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Lower back pain or Back issues
- Joint problems, such as arthritis
- Lung problems
- Central nervous system disorder
- Matters concerning the large intestine
- Anxiety, Depression and Stress
- Tell your yoga instructor if you have any of these issues before you start
Finding a yoga teacher or yoga expert
There are no specific or single organisations that control yoga instructors or experts. There isn’t any organisation by law or any personal training either. Contact any yoga organisation and enquire for a list of centres and instructors in your locality.
You may want to ask them some of these questions.
- How many years of yoga training have you had?
- How long have you been practising? –
- Do you have training or any experience teaching people diagnosed with Cancer?
- Do you have indemnity insurance? If there is any act of negligence
