Yoga for Cancer Patients: Finding Union

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 Above photo via Flickr. Below photo by Beth Altrogge.

A reader of Alive in the Fire recently wrote to me about the ways cancer patients can benefit from yoga.


It's hard to imagine how much someone suffering so greatly would truly need a consistent practice.


Today I have been thinking about this along with the sanskrit meaning of the word yoga, which translates to "union." By putting our bodies in asanas, we cultivate union of the body's many systems, union of the mind and heart, union of the self and the outside world.


Body, mind, breath. By deeply experiencing these, you can find a deeper awareness of your self during moments of stress or pain. 


A big thanks to Jillian for providing this content!


Photo via Center Yourself.

Doctors Prescribing Yoga as Complementary Care
Yoga practitioners have said for years that yoga can provide positive benefits for those suffering chronic illnesses, and for the last decade, doctors have been prescribing yoga as a way to aid in treatment and alleviate symptoms in cancer patients at all stages of the disease. For instance, the American Cancer Society recommends yoga as a method to alleviate symptoms of chronic disease and to promote relaxation, physical fitness, and quality of life.

Many doctors now see the benefits of integrative oncology that not only uses traditional medical techniques to treat cancer but also employees other forms of treatment to increase patient comfort, mood, and outlook on life. This can be especially important for patients with mesothelioma cancer and other aggressive forms of the disease as it has been shown that outlook can have a significant impact on the overall prognosis of a patient.


The benefits of yoga for cancer patients, both those undergoing chemotherapy and those who have already completed treatment, are varied. Some studies have shown that practitioners report an improvement to overall sleep quality (including sleeping longer, falling asleep faster, and needing fewer sleep medications). Other reports have shown a lower level of mood disturbances and stress than those in control groups who did not do yoga. However, despite these differences, nearly all studies show an overall increase in global quality of life than they did before they began the yoga regimen.

Prescribed as complementary care for a variety of cancers including mesothelioma, patients are typically advised to attend at least one- to- two yoga sessions per week with some doctors recommending daily practice. With regular practice, tangible symptom relief can contribute to extended mesothelioma prognosis. 


Above photo via Tumblr. 

When first beginning, it may be helpful to find a licensed instructor in the patient’s area that can lead them through the poses and correct any errors. However, if this is not available, a number of available books and DVDs are on the market are tailored towards different needs within the yoga community.

As with any course of treatment, a yoga regimen should not be started without first consulting a physician to make sure that the cancer patient in question is physically fit enough to begin a yoga routine. Further, care should be taken not to overstretch joints and damage ligaments. Also, it should be noted that yoga is considered complementary care and should not take the place of the course of treatment prescribed by a patient’s medical team. 

 Above photo via Tumblr. 

Do you know of any cancer patients with a regular yoga practice or someone who could benefit from one? If so, please write to me at aliveinthefire [at] gmail [dot] com. I'd like to sponsor some classes. Namaste.

The Right Balance

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Photo by Angie Mistina, courtesy of Richard Krzyzanowski.

Can you strike a balance between ease and effort? 


Last night in class, I did a lovely crow pose, thanks to a wonderful guest teacher at Grateful Yoga. We started with a forward fold, hands placed outside the feet, knees bent. After stretching my bum upward and pulling in the abdomen, it was easy to place each knee on the back of the upper arm. A head tilt forward ("like you're going to sniff the floor," as our teacher explained it), and you're in the pose!


Photos via Flickr.
I also loved how during this pose and other challenging ones, our instructor kept repeating, "All is well, all is well, all is well."


Can you balance out negative thoughts, frustration and impatience by repeating a mantra to yourself? Can you practice peace being fully present? 


I love Julia of Julia Yee Yoga's description of how we can apply carefulness to our lives off the mat:


The key word here is balance - meaning, not all ease, but not all effort either. Similarly, the opposite of passive doesn't necessarily have to be aggressive or active. When we are engaged in our lives, we can cultivate inspiration through a collaboration of time and conscious reflection. We can manifest love, and joy, and happiness, through a combination of fate and making the decision to open our heart. Sometimes, the simple act of being engaged is more than enough. 


The next time you're attempting an arm balance, just think: what effort can you release? What can you let go of? From there, you find progress.


Photo by Angie Mistina, courtesy of Richard Krzyzanowski.

Memory

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Photo above via Lilie Zen Coach. Photos below via Carl Zoch Photography.

The mind shifts. Memory, loss, integration.


Rumbling over low hills, kicking up dust. Sadness and loneliness, together. What do you remember about that summer?




Common images, simple moments, goodness, emptiness. A  guitar slung over the back. A shoe left in the dirt.


The two of us sitting near a riverbank. My eyes closed, the sun overhead. You'll have to hold what's yours in your mind.

Cooler Temperatures

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Photos via Carl Zoch Photography.
I am so ready already for fall. I keep walking down the stairs in the heat saying, "If only it were 60 degrees right now!"

The other day, I even wished for snow. Snow?!

"That's a big step for you," my friend told me. "Since you're a California girl and all."

I smiled. It's so true! I've come a long way. :)



Yoga for Healthy Knees

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Above photo via Liztan on Flickr. Below photo via I_Need_Coffee on Flickr.

Do you have tight knees?


Have you suffered from prior injuries playing sports or running? 


Yoga can help. It's important to remember to go slow and be patient. You must give your body time to heal.


Listen to your body as you enter a posture. If you feel sharp pain, back off. A little discomfort is OK, but you don't want to go past your edge to sharp or excruciating pain.


Ideally, you want to practice at a studio under the guidance of an experienced teacher. If you can't make it to a studio, you can practice at home. All you need is a little floor space, some patience, and permission to give yourself time to slow down and release tension.


Try these poses to start.
Wind removing pose
 Photos via Bikram Yoga Bethesda.

Standing separate leg forward fold

 Photo via B_Keith88 on Flickr.

Triangle 
(remember to engage the quadriceps!)

 Photo via Dietnesstea on Flickr.
 Photo via Yo-Fi on Flickr.
 Photo via B_Keith88 on Flickr.

Cobra

 Photo via Lila_Yoga on Flickr.

Locust

 Photo via OldMoonYoga on Flickr.


Warrior I & II
(be sure the knee is lined up directly over the ankle!)
 Photo via iyogalife.
 Photo via Yoga Dudes on Tumblr.

Be especially careful when doing reclining hero pose, cow face pose, and lotus pose. You may want to skip these for a while, until you gain more flexibility in your knees.

  
 Photos via Yoga One on One PM on Flickr, Yoga by Melissa, and Ulrika Laan.


I also highly recommend epsom salt baths to ease tension. Supplementing for your joints, with vitamin D and maybe even glucosamine, is a great way to improve your bone and joint health from the inside out, too. YogaEarth is another great superfood supplement for overall health. Just mix it with juice or water for on-the-go nutrition.


Namaste.

How Should We Live? Insights from Colin Beavan

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Photo via Yes Magazine.

A while back I went to the Chicago Green Festival and heard from inspiring speaker Colin Beavan, who starred in the documentary No Impact Man and who now runs No Impact Project. He gave a fascinating speech on the way we can live consciously, in a way that benefits us and the planet. Here are a few excerpts from his speech (long overdue!).

How should we live? What's our relationship to the world the way it is? And what do we do about it? How can we go about changing it?


It is possible to care about people and polar bears.


If we can't support polar bears, how long will it be before we can't support us?


Photo via FYeahYoga.

If we could say, "We wrecked the place, but damn we had a good life," that would be one thing. But what's happening is we're wasting resources and they're not even making us happy.


Good news: what's wrecking the planet and what's making us unhappy are connected.


We have a tremendous opportunity to do something that fixes both. We can adopt a way of life that does both.



Photo via FYeahYoga.

When we hear someone say, "I want a happier world," often our instant reaction is to argue about how to achieve that. We divide ourselves politically. What should be a conversation becomes boring, useless, only bickering.


We have tendencies to make matter worse once we engage in the argument.


When asking yourself the question "How shall we live?" we should step out of the argument.


I got the idea for No Impact when I came home from work to a cold apartment on a hot August afternoon. Cold air came blasting through the doors and I realized I couldn't even wait 20  min for the room to cool down. 


Everyone said, "Not one person can make a difference." 


What about save yourself to save the world? 


If all you can change is 2%, that's the only part you can fix. If all of us figured out our 2%, and all of us changed it, the problem would be gone.


So many multi-sourced problems that it requires thousands of solutions. Networked solutions.


Give the gifts you have. Return to that part of yourself.


Photo via FYeahYoga.

A hero is somebody willing to leave the familiar, to find a new path, to share it with others. A hero is dissatisfied, and has the courage to try something different.


What green things can you do that are not depriving, and not against your nature?


When you simultaneously see a need in the world and see how your behavior can meet that need, you inspire a particular way of helping.

A Review of Onzie Yoga Gear by Rich

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Photos via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr. 


Here is a review of Onzie yoga gear by Rich, one of Alive in the Fire's sponsored yogis.

I finally remembered to grab my Onzie shorts for yoga this morning.


I have to admit that when I first saw them, I was worried that they would be a touch short. The possibility of falling out of them seemed very real to me so I wore some supportive underpants. In retrospect, I think that may have been a mistake on my part because there is a fitted strap inside the leg sleeves of the pants that would have done the job well. I feel like the extra layer was superfluous.


Photo via Onzie.

I ordered size medium/large and they fit my 36 inch waist perfectly. These shorts certainly show off your body well! They are so easy to move in, too. They are super light. If I hadn't put on my underthings, I feel like I would have felt like I was wearing nothing at all (for those who don't know me, that is a huge bonus).


In conclusion, these shorts look great, feel great, and are super easy to move in. Get a pair and enjoy them!


Namaste,
Rich


Check out Rich's sweet new tattoo! Photo courtesy of Rich.

Young and Alive

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First two photos by Jaquilyn Shumate Photography.

Pastoral

I copy out mountains, rivers, clouds.
I take my pen from my pocket. I note down
a bird in its rising
or a spider in its little silkworks.
Nothing else crosses my mind. I am air,
clear air, where the wheat is waving,
where a bird's flight moves me, the uncertain
fall of a leaf, the globular
eye of a fish unmoving in the lake,
the statues sailing in the clouds,
the intricate variations of the rain.


Nothing else crosses my mind except
the transparency of summer. I sing only of the wind,
and history passes in its carriage,
collecting its shrouds and medals,
and passes, and all I feel is rivers.
I stay alone with the spring.

 Last two photos via Momfilter.

Shepherd, shepherd, don't you know
they are all waiting for you?


I know, I know, but here beside the water
while the locusts chitter and sparkle,
although they are waiting, I want to wait for myself.
I too want to watch myself.
I want to discover at last my own feelings. 
And when I reach the place where I am waiting, 
I expect to fall asleep, dying of laughter.
-Pablo Neruda

Meditate

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Photo above via FYeahYoga. 

I have started a new meditation practice. My goal is to meditate for five minutes a day.


Today, I spent 30 minutes in meditation with three other yogis. What an informative experience. I found myself at the bottom of my own heart, watching memories float by. There was darkness and pain, but eventually, relief.



Photo above via Alo on Flickr. Photo below via Reya on Flickr.

I watched as deep fears, painful moments, pallid faces gradually gave way to release. A bright light shining up through black water. A pearl of light. A hand filling the space where the heart used to beat.
Photo above via FYeahYoga. Photo below via Hearts Expanding.

I believe the meditation will open new doors in my yoga practice, as well as my writing. May it allow new words to be spoken, new spaces open, new freedom found.


Photos via Hearts Expanding.

Do you meditate?

Summer Giveaway!

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Hey, who wants to win two boxes of YogaEarth, the finest natural, organic superfood supplement you can find?

I love their Balance and Vitality formulas, specially created to help with pre- and post-practice nutrition. I'm giving away a 30-day supply box of each flavor going to one lucky reader.






To win, leave a comment below about what creative ways you'll mix your YogaEarth if you win. Namaste!

Beautiful Foods

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Here are a couple beautiful little videos about the art of food. I love them! Such gorgeous colors, graceful movements, and whimsical text.


See the above for something sweet, and below if you're in a more savory mood.


And if you haven't checked it out yet, Kinfolk is all the rage in the blogosphere right now. A magazine and artist collective dedicated to small gatherings. I love that they recognize the wonder of sharing a table with friends.


Compassion

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Photo via Lululemon.
Pigeon pose is a great posture for practicing active compassion. As sensation fills up the hip joint, turn your thoughts to those who suffer from chronic pain. Allow yourself to love others and yourself, despite any momentary discomfort.

Learn to apply this off the mat, and you begin to change the world around you.

A practice that can lay the groundwork for drawing wisdom from our own sufferings is to be present to other people’s suffering. To witness. To see how many are the ways people dealing with suffering. To learn how suffering can elicit creativity or deepen hope or resilience or understanding. 


Some people recoil from others’ suffering—don’t like to visit hospitals, don’t know what to say, wish they were somewhere else, or could just send flowers. 


But a willingness to show up, even in our uncertainty about how to behave, may not only be a gift, it may help us learn to enter the places of darkness with confidence and trust, not needing to know how, or to predict outcomes, but to be fully present to whatever the moment calls for.
-Marilyn Chandler McEnryre