Few situations are more upsetting in life than hearing the words, “You have cancer.”  Regardless of the severity, cancer is always a fearful, life-altering experience.  And traditional treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, can be just as strenuous and frightening. 

Over the past several decades, doctors, patients and survivors have sought out alternative and holistic therapies to help manage the disease as well as the side effects of the treatment.   Many have chosen to pursue Yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India some 3000 years ago. Yoga consists of a multitude of spiritual practices and disciplines, but one aspect that has spread like wildfire throughout the western world is Hatha Yoga, or the Yoga of postures (asana), exercise and stretches.

Recently, a study at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center focused on more than 70 women who were undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer.  One half of the women were assigned to participate in twice weekly Yoga classes for six weeks and the others were not.  The Yoga sessions included breathing and relaxation exercises, basic Yoga movements and meditation.  Researchers found that the group who practiced Yoga reported less fatigue, better general health and greater ability to participate in their everyday lives.1

While the physical benefits of practicing Yoga are readily evident, it should be noted that many report a renewed sense of well-being, especially through the practice of pranayama or controlled breathing. Breath is the essential life force and most patients have not given much thought as to whether their breathing is shallow or irregular.  When practicing pranayama, the patient breathes deeply and evenly into their lungs. They are encouraged to feel the breath extend throughout their torso into the belly and often to visualize their cancer dissolving with each exhalation.2

There are also reports of cancer patients discovering an entirely new dimension of spiritual awareness. This is because Yoga is more about nurturance as opposed to a nerve-wracking dictum of “no pain, no gain.” In Yoga, pain is a boundary to be honored instead of feared.  It is in this atmosphere of self-acceptance that many patients find a strength they never knew existed.  For example: they may discover that a pose that once proved difficult – maybe even impossible -- is suddenly effortless.  A breakthrough moment like that can transform an attitude of sorrow and loss into one of hope and renewal.

Frequently a cancer patient may begin to view their condition as a gift instead of a curse.  Former cancer sufferer Lisa Powers, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, has written that “…my cancer experience had opened my heart and I was eager to work with people and share the blessings of Yoga…The freedom to be ‘me,’ with all my imperfections, felt extraordinary. I was learning how to enjoy the divine connection we all have with one another, and to allow divine love to flow through me…Having a disease that strikes fear into most people was the experience that freed me from fear. Cancer was [God’s] gift to me, and I will be eternally grateful for it.”

Ms. Powers did not stop the radiation or chemotherapy.  She used Yoga the way one would use a healing balm for a wound. She underwent a mastectomy. However, her doctors could not find any traces of cancer remaining in her body.  They speculate that her Yoga practice stimulated her immune system thus eradicating what was left of the disease. Ms. Powers has been free from cancer for several years and attributes her health, in large part, to the practice of Yoga.3

As most cancer survivors who practiced Yoga have noted, the biggest obstacle in their healing was the fear brought about by their condition. That obstacle was virtually overcome by the relaxation that slowed down their thoughts and opened them to the possibility of healing.  Patanjali, a Hindu scholar who is the author of The Yoga Sutras wrote that “Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness.”4 As Virginia Veach, the Director of the Ting-Sha Cancer Retreat north of San Francisco attests, “Relaxation brings the patient to a state of openness and readiness…It’s in these moments of silence and relaxation that healing occurs.”