How Yoga Helps Cancer Patients & Survivors

October 12, 2014

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, hope and positive thinking are the last things they think about. This is when yoga comes into play and provide you with the right support to help you fight through and emerge a winner.

Yoga is not just physical exercise. It involves following a holistic pattern of living, eating, breathing and exercising, so that the mind and body reach the optimum stage of efficiency.

In order to live the yogic way, we need to eliminate the defects of ego, attachment, ignorance, fear of change and detachment from our lives. This will ensure that there is no further negativity in our systems. By following yogic techniques one can manage most diseases that are not hereditary.

When the body is in pain, the mind usually controls it. Negativity interferes with the body’s natural healing process. It doesn’t allow the body to respond to external forms of treatment. To fight cancer, you must have a positive and healthy attitude. This can be achieved by eating correctly, living a disciplined life, being positive and enjoying healthy relationships.

Apart from the above changes, include these exercises in your daily routine to manage the disease better. The key is in being perseverant.

The Stick Pose (Yastikasana)
Lie down on the floor. Stretch and raise your hands as high above as possible while inhaling deeply. At the same time, stretch your legs with the toes pointing down. Breathe normally while maintaining this stretching pose for 10 seconds. Relax before repeating it thrice.
Lying Down Butterfly Pose (Suptabhadrasana)
Sit on the floor with your legs straight ahead. Bring your feet close to your body while trying to touch both the soles together. Keep the legs in this position and lie down. Stay in this posture till comfortable.
Yogendra Breathing Technique 4
Lie down on your back and bend your knees while placing the feet close to the body. Place a hand on the navel and observe your breath as you inhale and exhale for 3 seconds each. Keep the chest still. Do 10 repetitions.
The No-Movement Pose (Yogendra Nishpandhbhava)
Sit on the floor with your legs straight ahead and your palms resting on your thighs. Close your eyes and focus for 5 minutes on any sounds in the distance.
The Mountain Pose (Parvatasana)
Sit cross-legged and raise your arms high above your head with the palms facing each other. Stretch each arm by catching it at the wrist with the other. The strain will be at the abdominal muscles. Maintain the pose for 15 seconds. Repeat this thrice.
The Happy Pose (Sukhasana)
Sit on the floor in a cross-legged position, with the palms resting on the knees. Connect the tips of the index finger and the thumb of both hands. Focus on your breath with eyes closed and relax. Stay like this for 5 minutes.