9/5/2016

FiveWaysThatYogaHelpsPreventCancer|Kripalu

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FiveWaysThatYoga
HelpsPreventCancer
TariPrinster | Presenter

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Youhavecancer.Abouthalfofallmenandonethirdofallwomen
intheUnitedStateswillhearthosewordsintheirlifetime.Thats40
percentofus.Weeachhopeitsnotus.Buthopeisnotaplan.Andif
youveheardthosethreelittlewords,asIdid,yourlifechanges
forever.Butblamingyourself,retreatingfromlife,andhopingforno
recurrence,isalsonotaplan.Addingyogatoyourdailyroutine
thatsaplan.Andaneffectiveone!
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Anincreasingbodyofresearchshowsthatyogacanhelpprevent
cancer,andhelpcancerpatientsandsurvivorsmanageriskandside
effectsaftertreatment.Asabreastcancersurvivor,diagnosedin
2000,Ihavefelttheimpactinmyownbodyaftermanysurgeries,
chemotherapy,andradiation.Yogabringsbalanceandalignmentto
allbodypartsandsystems:muscles,bones,organs,andthemind.
Itsaholisticpathtowellnessthatfocusesoninterconnection.
Herearefivereasonswhyyogashouldbeineveryonescancer
preventionand/orcancerrecoveryplan.
Yogastrengthenstheimmunesystem.Thegoalofstrengthening
theimmunesystemistokeepallofthebodyssystemsworking
together.Ittakesavillage:Failureofanyonesystemthreatensthe
healthofthewholecommunity.Cancertherapiesthatseekto
strengthentheimmunesystemareincreasinglyprovingtobehelpful
infightingawidevarietyofcancers.
Researchshowsthatyogaboostsimmunity.A2013studyinNorway
foundthatregularpracticeofgentleyogaandmeditationhadarapid
effectatthegeneticlevelincirculatingcancerfightingimmunecells.
Mindfulnessmeditationalsoappearstochangethebrainand
immunefunctioninpositiveways.
Yogadetoxifiesthebody.Detoxificationisthevitalmetabolic
processbywhichdeadcellsandtoxins(thefluvirus,aroguecancer
cell,oranotherpathogen)areexcretedfromthebody.Yogaisthe
muscleofthelymphaticsystemthebodysplumbingandtrash
removalsystem.Similartohowtheheartmusclecirculatesblood,
yogaincreaseslymphaticflowwithspecificbreathingandmovement
practices.Inversions,afundamentalpartofastrongyogapractice,
utilizemovementandbodypositioningtoreversetheeffectsof
gravityonourbody,enhancingtheprocessofcardiovascularand
lymphaticdrainage.
Anotherwayinwhichyogadetoxifiesthebodyisthrough
compression.B.K.S.Iyengarcalleditthesqueezeandsoak
process,whichcleansinternalorgansinthesamewaythatasponge
dischargesdirtywaterwhensqueezed.Forexample,abdominal
twistsactivateinternalorgansandguidethereleaseoftoxinsintothe
lymphaticsystem.

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Yogadetoxifiesthemindaswell.Asurvivorliveswiththefearof
cancerreturning,andthisdailyanxietyisamentaltoxin.Wecan
detoxifythemindbyusingthemovementofthebreath,byrelaxing
intogravityinarestorativepose,andbyquietlywatchingour
thoughtsinmeditation.
Yogabuildsbones.Howarestrongboneslinkedtocancer
prevention?Ourboneshousebonemarrow,wherenewredand
whitebloodcellsareconstantlybeingproduced.Whitebloodcells
areneededtoformleukocytes,ournaturalcancerfightingimmune
cells.Ifourbonesarecompromisedfromabreakorfrom
osteoporosis(asideeffectofchemotherapy),sotooistheproduction
ofanourishingbloodsupplyandimmuneprotection.
ArecentpilotstudybyKripalupresenterLorenFishman,MD,applied
yogapracticetosufferersofosteoporosis(decreaseinbonemass)
andosteopenia(reductioninbonevolume).Theresultsshowedthat
85percentoftheyogapractitionersgainedboneinboththespine
andhip,whilenearlyeverymemberofthecontrolgroupmaintained
orlostbonemass.Ibelieveyogaissaferforstrongbonebuilding
thanmanygymroutines,becauseitputsweightonthebonesina
precise,deliberateway.
Yogareducesstress.Cancerpatientsandsurvivorsexperience
stresssimilartothatenduredbymilitaryveterans.Theyare
bombardedbyfrighteninginformation,subjectedtoinvasive
procedures,andmustendurecoldclinicsandblankstares.
A2009studyofcancersurvivorsdevelopedandtestedaconcept
thatmeasureshowwerespondtoposttraumaticstressgrowth,the
positiveflipsidetosufferingwithstress.Thisgrowthoccurswhen
peoplemakethetraumaticeventapivotalpointintheirlife,changing
theirsituationbymakinglemonadeoutlemonsultimatelythriving
aftercancer,forinstance.Thethrivingsurvivorenjoysherblissful
moments,whichcanleadtofurtherchangeandtheabilitytofind
positivewaystomanagestress.
Yogacanenhancethatpositivity.Theresultsofa2009studyonthe
effectsofyogaonemotionsfoundanincreaseinpositiveemotions
suchascalmnessandasenseofpurposeinmorethan50percentof
subjects.Womenparticipatingina10weekprogramofrestorative
yogaclassesgainedpositivedifferencesinaspectsofmentalhealth
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suchasdepression,positiveemotions,andspirituality(feelingcalm
andpeaceful),ascomparedtothecontrolgroup.
Yogaisweightmanagement.Obesityisakey,ifnotthelargest,
indicatorofbothcancerincidenceandrecurrence.IntheUnited
States,excessbodyweightisthoughttocontributetoasmanyas
oneoutoffivecancerrelateddeaths,andbeingoverweightorobese
isclearlylinkedwithanincreasedriskofseveraltypesofcancer.The
AmericanCancerSocietyrecommendsthatobeseindividuals
increaseweeklyexerciseto300minutesperweektoreducethe
chancesofcancerorrecurrence.
Researchontheimpactofyogaonweightgainisstillintheearly
stages.Onestudyshowedthatyogahadamorepositiveimpacton
obesityanddepressionthanaerobicexercise.Whileyogaforcancer
survivorsoftenfocusesongentleorrestorativeyogamethods(which
arenecessaryandbeneficialapproaches),itcanandshouldbe
active,andthereforecalorieburningwhilealsobeingsafe,
physicallyaccessible,welcoming,andinclusive.Yogacanhelp
cancersurvivorsmanageweightgain,whichimprovesselfesteem
andtheabilitytofunctionnormally,andultimatelyreducestheriskof
recurrenceandmortality.
Thebenefitsofyogaforcancerpreventionareprofoundandwell
substantiated.Foryogateacherswhoworkwithcancersurvivorsand
thoseintreatment,havingspecificknowledgeaboutthebenefitsand
modificationsforthiscommunityisimperative.Teachersmust
understandthelimitationsandrequirementsinordertosupportthis
communitytopracticeeffectivelyandsafely.
KripaluCenterforYoga&Health.Allrightsreserved.Torequest
permissiontoreprint,pleaseemaileditor@kripalu.org.

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