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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