Yoga for Cancer Recovery: Turning Within

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

There are many ways to incorporate the practice of Yoga during your recovery from cancer. Although this may seem counter-intuitive at first, setting aside time each day to focus on nurturing yourself through practicing Yoga postures, pranayama exercises and relaxation techniques, such as Yoga Nidra, will help to support your physical and emotional health during a very trying time. Sitting in an oncologist’s office and being told that you have cancer is clearly one of the most frightening times in a person’s life. In previous decades, only one in twenty people would be confronted with a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. 

Sadly, today the statistic is roughly one in two. This is an enormous increase over the last fifty years, and most experts agree that the level of carcinogenic chemicals in our water, food and air contribute substantially to the rise in cancer rates. In addition, the chemicals in common household cleaning products and personal care items are also believed to increase the chemical burden on our bodies, and therefor increase the possibility of developing cancer at some point in your lifetime. So, if you have received a cancer diagnosis and are in the process of learning how to mitigate the symptoms of your disease, while you eradicate cancer from your body, you are clearly not alone! 

Even those of us who have a very healthy lifestyle are vulnerable to developing cancer, especially if cancer runs in our family. Another clear contribution to cancer pathogenesis is stress. Unremittingly high levels of stress create havoc with the immune system and prevent the body from repairing itself naturally. A regular practice of Yoga poses, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques will help to balance the nervous system and lower adrenalin and cortisol levels, which will help your body to fight disease more effectively and will also improve the quality of your sleep. Sleeping deeply and restoratively every night is one of the primary ways of ensuring that your immune system is functioning as well as possible. 

Yoga can also help you to recover from cancer, because the practice allows you to drop into your own intuitive state of being from which the wisdom of what your body and mind truly need to recover will become apparent to you. If you are contending with a cancer diagnosis, the vast number of conventional and alternative treatments is only limited by how much time and money you have. Truly, the treatments that are available for cancer are almost endless. If you are under the care of a traditional oncologist, you may be feeling a bit intimidated by all of the experts who are telling you how to treat your cancer if you want to survive.

Researching all of your cancer treatment options is important, of course. In addition, by taking some time daily to nurture yourself through a balanced practice of Yoga postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, you will provide yourself with a set amount of time to decompress your body and mind. In a way, your Yoga mat can be seen as your own portable meditation sanctuary where you can drop into your own being and check-in with yourself, in order to clarify what your body is telling you what it needs. This is the very essence of the ancient Yogic practice of pratyahara. 

Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses from all outside stimuli. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, many well-meaning friends, family members and doctors are probably offering you advice on a variety of cancer treatment options. However, by taking some time each day on your Yoga mat to decompress and allow your mind to calm down and rest in a place of stillness, the wisdom of what to do next will be more readily apparent to you. For instance, simply resting on a Yoga bolster in Supported Child’s Pose for five to ten minutes will help you to relax, which will allow your mind to clearly see the next steps to take in your cancer treatment and recovery process. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com. 

© Copyright 2015 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Romancing Divine Love with Yoga: Chanting

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

It is a cold and snowy Valentine’s evening in the Northeastern United States. This year, Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday. Saturdays are traditionally viewed as “date night.” So, not only does Valentine’s Day fall on “date night” this year, it is also too snowy for many of Yogis and Yoginis in the Northeast to drive around safely on this evening! If you are a die-hard romantic and sentimental to boot, this combination of factors might bring on a degree of despair or frustration. If you are single but wish you had a date this evening, but you are spending the evening alone or with friends, you may also be struggling with feelings of loneliness and sadness. 

In the same vein, if you are involved in a romantic relationship that is not quite what you had hoped for, Valentine’s Day may generate ambiguous feelings in you. However, there are many different types of love. The ancient Greeks even had several words to describe some of these different types of love. One such word is “philia,” which refers to brotherhood, friendship or other non-sexually based love. The ancient Greek word for romantic love is “eros.” This is the form of love that most often comes to mind when we are thinking about Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Eros is also the kind of love that can bring great pleasure, beauty, happiness, and a sense of effervescent lightness of heart. However, doggedly being focused on acquiring and maintaining an erotically or romantically based connection, regardless of the consequences or the situation, can also cause great pain and frustration. In fact, by continuing to chase a romantic connection that may cause you distress, you are separating yourself further and further from the joy that lies at the heart of your own being. 

Another form of love that was well known to the Greeks and the early Christian Church is “agape.” This form of love refers to the divine love that flows unimpeded between God and humankind. It is considered to be the highest form of love and is based on a deep sense of awareness of God’s love for all of us and a humble state of gratitude for the grace that surrounds us when we connect to this unfathomable source of love - This form of love is also considered to be selfless and focused on the well-being of those around us, which is a wonderful virtue to aspire to if you are a Yoga teacher. 

In the 4th Chapter of the Gospel of John, John succinctly states, “God is love.” The form of the word love that John uses in this context is agape. By focusing on romancing divine love through Yoga, you will free yourself from constantly searching for a loving connection outside of yourself. The divine love that pulsates in the cave of everyone’s heart is the spark of divinity that animates each one of us - By romancing and deepening your connection with your own divinity, which lies at the very core of your being, you will be filled with the love and enthusiasm of God’s grace, in whatever form you conceive God to be. The practice of chanting the names of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, as well as the repetition of divine mantras and syllables, is an especially effective way of romancing divine love through Yoga. 

A well-known Christian author, Thomas Oord, has defined agape as an intentional response to nurture well-being in the face of that which has generated a state of ill being. On a day-to-day level, romancing divine love through Yoga has very practical applications. For instance, if you are commuting to work, and you are feeling rushed and frustrated by a long traffic jam, you can opt to chant along with a cd or your iPod, instead of steeping in an endless stream of negative thoughts. This will allow you to spend your time sitting in traffic in a productive and uplifting way, so that when you do arrive at your destination you will be able to offer your love and compassion to those around you, whether it is a Yoga class that you are scheduled to teach or a date with a potential new romantic partner.

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.