How Yoga Helps Cancer Patients/Survivors?

Yoga is a complementary mind–body therapy for the cancer patients or cancer survivors that may help people manage cancer symptoms and the adverse effects of cancer treatments and is one of the best ways to improve their quality of life. As per the research of National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health on mind–body interventions, yoga helps in handling anxiety, distress, depression and stress in cancer patients. Results of studies held on the patients with early-stage breast cancer and breast cancer survivors, say that yoga may help to reduce fatigue.

Cancer patients who practice yoga during their treatment often refer their yoga practice as a life-saver. Yoga has a great healing power that helps both cancer patients and cancer survivors. When battling with cancer, the worst part is not just the symptoms of cancer, but also the discomfort and debilitating fatigue that is brought on from cancer treatments. But the interest of cancer patients in more holistic approaches to healing is growing. Yoga therapy for cancer patients and cancer survivors is becoming the more successful methods for combating the physical discomfort of cancer and cancer treatment.

Benefits of Yoga for Cancer Patients:

No doubt, yoga can help you center your thoughts and maintain flexibility of body but do you know it has many benefits for people living with cancer. Symptoms of Cancer like fatigue, insomnia, and pain can lower the quality of life with cancer but the use of yoga has been evaluated in many studies for lowering the effects of cancer symptoms. And some gentle yoga poses for cancer patients can work like a magic on many levels. Please read in detail below:

1. Clear out Toxins

When yoga is used as a therapy for cancer then it can help in clearing out the toxins that can be accrued during cancer treatment and that is too in a more effective way. Yoga asanas not just stimulate muscles, but these work also in increasing blood flow, balancing the glands and enhancing the lymphatic flow in the body, which ultimately enhances the body’s internal purification processes. The deep, relaxing breathing often emphasized in yoga for cancer therapy. It increases the current of oxygen-rich blood to the cells and helps in delivering vital nutrients to tired cells and furthermore clear out the toxins.

2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Yoga therapy, apart from removing toxins also helps dissipating tension and anxiety and enables the cancer patients to settle down into a greater sense of ease and well-being.  As we all know stress depresses the body’s natural immune function that could be one of the main reasons for the lower quality of life. But there are evidences that patients or survivors who practice yoga for cancer have greater recovery rates.

3. Form of a Regular Exercise

Regular exercise has also been proven to stimulate the natural anti-cancer defenses of the body. But, few cancer patients/cancer survivors don’t find it easy engaging themselves in a ‘regular’ exercise regimen. Many of them find that yoga is a therapy for cancer and provides an ideal, balanced form of whole-body exercise. And you shouldn’t feel wondered that more and more doctors have begun to recommend yoga as exercise for the cancer patients and cancer survivors.

4. Holistic Healing for Cancer Patients

For those patients who are going through chemotherapy and radiation, yoga provides a means to strengthen their body and boost their immune system. It further produces a much-sought-after feeling of well-being. For the cancer survivors who are trying to recover from surgery. For instance the people recovering from breast cancer, yoga can help restore the motion and flexibility in their body and in a gentle and balanced manner.

The yoga practice for cancer survivors and patients also provides an internal anchor of calm. Many cancer patients who are practicing yoga therapy have discovered an interesting, an increased awareness of a great, subtle benefit, internal stillness and sense of unity. They have found, at the most fundamental level of their own consciousness, a sense of true health and vitality that spills over into other aspects of life.

Important Note: These benefits of yoga are for the improvement in the symptoms of cancer and are not considered a “treatment” for cancer. Yoga helps an individual cope with symptoms, but to properly treat cancer the traditional medical practices such as surgery and chemotherapy are used.