​Cancer treatment can be a challenging journey, filled with numerous side effects. One common side effect that many patients face is weakness, both physical and emotional. However, amidst these difficulties, there is a powerful tool that can help combat weakness and promote strength – yoga. In this blog post, we will explore how yoga can help cancer patients regain their physical and mental strength, enabling them to navigate the treatment journey with resilience and positivity.

​The Power of Yoga:
Yoga, an ancient practice that combines physical postures, breath control, and meditation, has proven to be a powerful tool in building strength and improving overall well-being. Here's how yoga can specifically benefit cancer patients:

1. Physical Strength Building: Through gentle, yet effective poses, yoga helps cancer patients rebuild their physical strength and endurance. Practicing yoga postures regularly can improve muscle tone, increase flexibility, and enhance overall body strength.
2. Energy Boosting: Certain yoga practices, like gentle flow sequences or restorative yoga, can help boost energy levels by increasing blood circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system. With regular practice, patients often experience reduced fatigue and increased vitality.
3. Stress Relief and Emotional Strength: Cancer treatment can bring about significant emotional distress. Yoga offers a holistic approach to mental well-being by incorporating relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and meditation. It helps patients manage stress, anxiety, and depression, providing emotional strength during this challenging time.
4. Improved Sleep Quality: Many cancer patients struggle with sleep disturbances due to treatment-related side effects. The incorporation of yoga into a daily routine can promote better sleep by encouraging relaxation, reducing stress, and enhancing overall mind-body balance.
5. Sense of Empowerment: Engaging in yoga allows cancer patients to regain a sense of control over their bodies and their journey. The feeling of empowerment gained through each pose and breath brings forth a renewed confidence and inner strength.

Tips for Incorporating Yoga into Cancer Treatment:
If you're a cancer patient interested in trying yoga to build strength and improve overall well-being, here are some helpful tips:

1. Consult with your healthcare team before starting any exercise routine, including yoga.
2. Seek out specialized yoga instructors or classes that cater to individuals with specific health conditions, including cancer. They can guide you through safe and tailored practices.
3. Start gently and gradually. Listen to your body and modify poses as needed. It's important not to overexert yourself or push beyond your limits.
4. Practice consistently but mindfully. Even short sessions of yoga can be beneficial. Focus on the quality of your practice rather than the duration.
5. Explore different styles of yoga to find what suits you best. Gentle, restorative, or chair yoga can be excellent starting points for those experiencing weakness or limited mobility.
6. Combine yoga with other supportive therapies, such as meditation, guided imagery, or counseling, to create a well-rounded approach to address both physical and emotional aspects.

Conclusion:
Cancer treatment may weaken the body and spirit, but with the power of yoga, patients can regain strength, both physically and emotionally. By incorporating the gentle movements, mindful breathing, and calming practices of yoga, individuals battling cancer can build resilience, enhance overall well-being, and approach their treatment journey with a renewed sense of hope and empowerment. Allow yoga to guide you towards a path of inner strength and healing, one gentle pose at a time.

Click here to join our Yoga Bridge classes (free for cancer patients).

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When facing a cancer diagnosis, the path to healing and well-being often involves a multi-faceted approach. In addition to medical treatments and therapies, many people turn to complementary practices like yoga to improve their quality of life. One integral aspect of yoga, pranayama, can be especially beneficial for those dealing with cancer.

What is Pranayama?
Pranayama, a term rooted in Sanskrit, comprises two components: "prana," meaning life force or energy, and "yama," meaning control. Pranayama is the practice of controlling and regulating one's breath, which, according to yoga philosophy, helps manage the vital life energy within us. This discipline plays a pivotal role in yoga and is particularly valuable for individuals battling cancer.

Pranayama Techniques we use in our Yoga for Cancer classes:

1. Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing): Anulom Vilom is a simple yet potent pranayama technique. To perform it, sit comfortably with your back straight. Place your left hand on your lap, palm facing up, and bring your right hand to your face. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and your right ring finger to close your left nostril. Begin by closing your right nostril and inhaling deeply through your left nostril. Then, close your left nostril, release your right, and exhale through your right nostril. Continue this pattern, focusing on your breath, for a few minutes. Anulom Vilom helps in reducing stress and calming the mind.
2. Bhramari (Bee Breath): Bhramari pranayama is known for its calming effects and is helpful for cancer patients dealing with anxiety and stress. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and place your index fingers on your ears. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, make a humming sound like a bee while keeping your mouth closed. The vibrations in your head can soothe your nervous system and bring a sense of relaxation.
   
   The beneficial effects of a pranayama practice:
   
   1. Stress Reduction: The deep breathing techniques used in pranayama help in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, which are common side effects of cancer and its treatments.
   2. Enhanced Immune Function: Regular pranayama practice can boost the immune system, potentially aiding the body's ability to fight cancer cells.
   3. Pain Management: Controlled breathing techniques can provide relief from pain and discomfort associated with cancer and its treatments.
   4. Improved Quality of Life: Pranayama helps cancer patients regain a sense of control over their bodies and emotions, improving their overall well-being.
   
   Incorporating pranayama into a cancer patient's daily routine, under the guidance of a qualified yoga instructor, can offer numerous physical and psychological benefits. While it's not a replacement for medical treatment, it complements the healing journey by promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and supporting overall health and wellness. So, whether you're a cancer patient, survivor, or caregiver, consider exploring the world of pranayama and its transformative impact on the path to healing.

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    Click here to join our class!

In a world where cancer touches the lives of countless individuals and families, organizations like Yoga Bridge play a pivotal role in bringing hope, healing, and strength to those battling this debilitating disease. Yoga Bridge, a unique nonprofit organization, focuses on using yoga as a powerful tool to support cancer patients and survivors in their journey towards improved well-being and enhanced quality of life.

​Yoga Bridge is participating in North Texas Giving Day again this year from September 1 - September 21. If you're considering making a difference in the lives of cancer warriors, here are five compelling reasons why donating to Yoga Bridge can have a profound impact.

1. Holistic Support for Cancer Patients: Cancer is a multidimensional battle that affects not only the physical body but also the mind and spirit. Yoga Bridge understands the importance of addressing all aspects of healing, and their yoga programs are designed to provide holistic support. Through expertly tailored yoga sessions, participants can experience relief from pain, reduced stress and anxiety, improved flexibility, and enhanced emotional well-being. By donating to Yoga Bridge, you contribute to a comprehensive support system that helps cancer patients navigate their challenging journey with strength and grace.
2. Accessible Yoga for All: Yoga Bridge's commitment to inclusivity is one of the hallmarks of their work. They strive to make yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation or physical limitations. Your donations play a crucial role in offering free or heavily subsidized yoga classes, workshops, and retreats to cancer patients and survivors who might otherwise be unable to afford such services. This inclusivity ensures that nobody is left behind on their path to healing and transformation.
3. Research-Backed Benefits: The therapeutic benefits of yoga for cancer patients are well-documented in scientific research. Studies have shown that yoga can improve sleep, reduce fatigue, boost the immune system, and enhance overall quality of life for those undergoing cancer treatment. Yoga Bridge collaborates with healthcare professionals and experts to develop evidence-based programs that yield meaningful results. When you donate to Yoga Bridge, you are investing in an organization that is driven by science and dedicated to making a genuine impact on the lives of cancer patients.
4. Building a Supportive Community: Cancer can be an isolating experience, leaving patients and survivors feeling disconnected from the world around them. Yoga Bridge fosters a sense of community and belonging through group classes and events. By supporting this nonprofit, you help create a safe and nurturing environment where individuals facing similar challenges can come together, share their experiences, and find solace in the company of others who truly understand their journey.
5. Empowering Self-Healing and Resilience: Yoga is not just a physical practice; it is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Through mindful movement, breathwork, and meditation, Yoga Bridge empowers cancer patients to tap into their inner strength, resilience, and ability to heal. Your donations contribute to empowering individuals with practical tools they can carry with them beyond their cancer journey, enabling them to face life's challenges with newfound courage and self-assurance.

Yoga Bridge's dedication to using yoga as a means of support for cancer patients and survivors is a beacon of hope for those grappling with the effects of this devastating disease. By donating to Yoga Bridge, you become an integral part of this transformative journey, offering hope, healing, and strength to those who need it the most. Together, let us empower lives, spread compassion, and make a positive impact on the lives of those touched by cancer through the gift of yoga. Your support truly matters. Donate here: https://yogabridge.weebly.com/donate.html
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​I recently discovered this article about restorative yoga by Neal Ghoshhal (Sacred Moves).  With his permission, I'm sharing it here on our blog.  Restorative is one of our favorite practices at Yoga Bridge. ~Susan

A few years ago I enrolled on my second Yoga Teacher Training course for a year at the Yoga Academy Auckland - I was on a mission to learn more about this practice and to equip myself with as much knowledge as I could. If I was going to teach Yoga, then I wanted to be good at it.
About half way through the year, course tutor Jude Hynes gave us a new practice, brought out some Yoga bolsters from the cupboard and introduced us to the wonderful world of Restorative Yoga.

In the first pose Jude gave us - Supported Bridge Pose, I was lying back over the length of the bolster so that most of my body was on the bolster, but my head and shoulders on the floor. An effortless bridge pose. I can still remember this experience: the exact moment when I felt a true relaxation response* deep within me. Tension melting, my body softening, a delicious sort of resting - along with an insight that something very important for me had just occurred.

It was clear right then that Restorative Yoga was most definitely a practice I wanted to explore further. Luckily at the Yoga Academy there was already a teacher specialising in Restorative Yoga - Karla Brodie, and I spent many sessions learning from her, studying with her and we became wonderful friends. We now work together regularly on teacher training programs and retreats. Karla, like our teacher and mentor Donna Farhi, is always developing her approach, enquiring and learning.

In Restorative Yoga we use props such as blankets, bolsters, chairs, sandbags, eye bags and more to support us in our practice. We spend time and care setting up these props so that when we practice they support us fully and we may profoundly relax. Restorative Yoga has it’s background in the work of BKS Iyengar who has pioneered the use of props to help support the body in Yoga postures. Other Iyengar style teachers such as Judith Lasater have evolved the practice and written extensively on Restorative Yoga. Judith Lasater’s Relax and Renew is an indispensable resource for anyone wishing to know more (see resources below).
Whilst our culture promotes a never ending amount of doing, Restorative Yoga is the radical, counter-cultural experience of simply being.

It’s no surprise then that my Restorative Yoga sessions are my most popular classes. I regularly run “The Big Relax”, 2½ hours of Restorative bliss - it always books out and the only reason I don’t take more people is because floor space is limited. In regular classes, a Restorative posture or two as an ease down towards Savasana is always greeted with wonderful enthusiasm by students. And in my daily life I have found that practicing just one Restorative pose each day, even if it’s just for ten minutes, brings a valuable balance to my busy life (Legs Up The Wall, Viparita Karani, is a favourite).

Restorative Yoga is Counter Cultural. Our culture is built on how productive we can be, how much we can achieve and keep achieving. It can feel as if nothing is ever enough. We can even observe this within the Yoga community itself. As a teacher I often witness the striving for a bigger practice, a more “advanced” practice, the strain to push the body towards extreme positions, and students ignoring the pain that comes with such a practice. I’ve been there myself - in the first few years of my Yoga I pushed my body into postures I saw in books (which had titles such as ‘Learn Yoga In A Weekend’), demonstrated by yogis with an alarming degree of flexibility.

Whilst our culture promotes a never ending amount of doing, Restorative Yoga is the radical, counter-cultural experience of simply being. Yes - there is the effort required to turn up for the practice, to engage in practice, but essentially it is a process of surrendering, an active letting go, of yielding. Which leads us to our first essential point:

1. Yielding
To yield is to surrender. In Restorative Yoga we actively (i.e. consciously) surrender our tension to the force of gravity. We keep relaxing and softening throughout the practice. It is, in fact, a delightful process because for most of us letting go of tension brings great relief to our body and mind. Due to this yielding being an active process, Restorative Yoga is not about collapsing into each posture, as we might slump into an old armchair.
Instead, yielding allows us to be in a clear and dynamic relationship with our environment, so that we are very present to this softening of stress and tension, present to what may be revealed from letting go. Indeed, Yoga may be seen as a practice of revelation - by practicing Yoga we reveal what is obscured by our stress - a lighter, softer, more energised, clearer, heart-centered Self.

2. Cellular Breathing
There’s a beautiful relationship between yielding and breathing. As we learn to actively release tension, our breath may naturally become freer, more at ease. It returns back to a more natural flow - a relaxed breathing pattern. It is very enjoyable when our breath is allowed to flow unimpeded through our body.
When I talk about breathing though I am not talking just about inhalation and exhalation. At a more internal level - a cellular level - our body breathes. In fact it is our cells’ need for oxygen and nutrients that ultimately drives our breathing process. With it’s emphasis on conscious deep relaxation, Restorative Yoga invites fuller respiration at a cellular level. Healthy cells which breath fully are vital and alive. Where breathing is restricted, cells struggle to function efficiently, and in areas of chronic tension and contraction, cellular breathing becomes restricted.
“An hour’s worth of conscious sustained cellular breathing may be the pinnacle of a year’s practice of Yoga.”
Donna Farhi
As a teacher of Restorative Yoga, a mainstay of my classes is facilitating students into an experience of their cellular body, of cellular breathing. It is one of the most nourishing practices I know for the body, so very restful and rejuvenating.
I have a distinct memory of my teacher Donna Farhi during an intensive saying: “An hour’s worth of conscious sustained cellular breathing may be the pinnacle of a year’s practice of Yoga.” It’s a fascinating statement to make, at once boldly debunking the myth that advanced Yoga is about mastering complex physical postures, while directing students towards a subtler, more refined practice.

3. Using Props Intelligently and Mindfully
This is not to say that good Restorative Yoga is not challenging. An hour’s worth of cellular breathing demands great presence and attention. It certainly helps when we set our Restorative postures up really well, as the resulting ease-of-being means our attention and focus won’t be distracted by discomfort.
An important part of the practice is learning about setting up the props with precision and intelligence. Like all Yoga, these postures should be modified to suit each individual - for example, someone with sore, tight neck and shoulders should have a different set up to someone who does not. A prop that is moved a few centimeters here or there can make a world of difference.
We can treat each posture as an enquiry - how do we set up to offer profound support and optimal comfort? With this enquiry approach we remain present, in the moment, self-adjusting along the way. The same posture today may require a slightly different set up from last week. Thus we create a practice which is responsive to what is being presented in each moment, always moving us towards greater balance and ease.

4. Impeccable Standards of Comfort
My colleague Karla Brodie, in her classes asks her students to insist on “impeccable standards of comfort” for themselves. A “Gold Class Standard”. We should look for ultimate comfort for all our body systems - our nervous system, muscular, skeletal and organ systems, the fluid body and so on.
It is Restorative Yoga’s profound effect on the autonomic nervous system that is a crucial element to it’s power. Modern day stressful living means that for most of us our sympathetic nervous system is constantly firing without any real opportunity of quieting - we are constantly in a state of of flight or fight. Restorative Yoga is a perfect antidote. With it’s emphasis on deliberately slowing down and optimal comfort and ease, the practice activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for resting and digesting, restoring easy breathing, lowering blood pressure and heart rates, relaxing tension, and bringing greater balance. When every joint is beautifully supported, the body receives this as a message of kindness and responds - I am safe to soften, safe to relax.

In support of our joints, no joint should be left hanging in space. Looking at one of the classic Restorative Yoga Postures - pictured below - Supported Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Salamba Supta Baddha Konasana) - the arms are supported by the blankets. I’ve seen students practice this without arm support, their elbows dangling mid-air. While this may initially give more sensation of opening across the shoulders and chest, after a few minutes, the sensations may become quite intense. The weight of the bones pull the arm away and out from the shoulder socket. There follows a response from the nervous system and surrounding body tissues that creates stress and tension around the joint to “hold on” and this is the opposite experience we are looking for.

The aim of Restorative Yoga is to induce rest and ease. Yes, the postures may gently open us to encourage greater energy flow, but this can best be achieved by sending a message of comfort, safety and cohesion to the body. When every joint is beautifully supported, the body receives this as a message of kindness and responds - ahhh … I am safe to soften, safe to relax.

In this way our Yoga practice becomes an engaging and responsive dialogue between our body and mind. I have witnessed again and again the effectiveness of this approach, not only our physical and energetic levels, but also on our emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. Restorative Yoga holistically works on all our Koshas.

5. Wise Sequencing
While we can practice these Restorative postures separately, or towards the end of a general class, a whole, extended session of Restorative Yoga can be immensely beneficial, consciously giving all the body systems the time to relax back towards refined balance. When we practice such an extended session we should be aware that the sequence we practice the postures in may have different effects - sedating, rejuvenating, affecting the flow and direction of energy and so on.
Judith Lasater suggests that any well-sequenced Restorative practice should include at least one inversion, to help counter the effects of gravity. Essentially, sequencing postures comes down to practicing safely, creatively and responsively. We must begin to truly understand Yoga Asanas, how they work, what their effects are, how they may relate to each other, so that we practice in an order that makes sense for our particular being, in this particular moment.

6. Sustainability
By emphasizing impeccable standards of comfort and wise sequencing we may embody sustainability in our practice. In setting up our postures, we may ask ourselves whether we can stay in the pose for an extended period of time without discomfort. Optimal ease means we can sustain the practice for longer. The benefits gained from Restorative postures are enhanced with time spent in the postures, i.e. spending 25 minutes in a comfortable Supported Reclined Bound Angle will be more beneficial than 5 minutes in the same posture which is set up to give stronger sensations.

7. Creating Smooth Transitions and Neutral Sensations
In service to a sustainable practice, we can set up our Restorative Yoga postures in a way that creates smooth transitions in the flow of our body. As we position ourselves we may establish gentle undulations, our body like a languid rolling river which encourages energy flow through relaxation. There should be no excessive drop or incline along the lines of the body.
This is a key point - as Yoga practitioners many of us love moving our bodies, stretching and strengthening ourselves. We love the sensations of all this movement. And that is all fine, good and necessary. It is satisfying indeed to connect into the body and delight in the sensations of it all.

Yet we can go further. We should be aware that Yoga is a tradition that spans thousands of years and we have the blessed opportunity to drink deeply of its offerings.However, we may be caught by attaching only to the strong sensations of practice - even practicing in a way which only brings greater and greater physical sensation. Living in our computer orientated virtual world has dis-connected us so much from truly inhabiting our body that when we do attempt to connect it’s in a harsh and severe way.

In Restorative Yoga we may counter this cultural tendency by leaning our practice towards neutrality. We may cultivate an attitude of real contentment with less sensation and instead encourage a healthy curiosity towards more neutral sensation. With quieter sensations we may be drawn into an inner space and explore our internal landscape. Yoga may draw us into subtler experience - a beautiful inner journey towards our True Nature.
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8. Being True Nature
It seems somewhat lost in much of modern Yoga - the original purpose of the practice, to return us to a Self-Realisation of our innate True Nature, or original wholeness, completeness and goodness.
With its emphasis on profound rest we have the opportunity in Restorative Yoga to move into the “quieter” practices of Yoga. Yoga Asana does not have to be separate from other limbs of Yoga - Pranayama (enhancing the flow of vital life-force energy), Pratyahara (balancing the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (Self-Realisation). Although a longer discussion on these aspects of Yoga would be valuable for some other post, we may acknowledge that Patanjali presented us the Eight-fold path as “limbs” rather than stages or steps - they intertwine like the branches of a tree, supporting each other. They may all be present in our practice.
In the quietness of a Restorative practice we may tune into our breath, even on a cellular level. We can relax the senses so they may be more in balance with how we interact and receive the environment around us. We can learn to focus our attention and sustain that focus throughout the practice, and finally arrive simply and perfectly in the moment, with a remarkable acceptance, presence and responsiveness to this moment. It becomes a graceful relaxation back into our True Nature.

This is the culmination of a wise and mature Yoga practice. And practice is the appropriate word! We may allow the beauty of Yoga to draw us back in, again and again, day after day, year after year, with the promise that these rewards are guaranteed.

I’ll leave you with a favourite quote which I enjoy sharing in class:
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.
~ A Celtic Blessing
Namaste, Neal Ghoshal

About Neal GhoshalNeal has been practicing yoga for sixteen years and teaching since 2003. He sees yoga as a map guiding us home to a place of peace and relaxed openness in each moment. He enjoys creating a safe and inviting space in which to learn and discover yoga as a balance between effort and effortlessness, structural alignment and organic fluidity, mindfulness and spontaneity.
Neal teaches as part of the faculty on Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training and has taught as part of the faculty on Donna Farhi’s Advanced Teacher Training

Acknowledgements:  This article would not have been possible without the support, teachings and writings of Donna Farhi, Karla Brodie, Judith Lasater, BKS Iyengar, Richard Miller and others. My heartfelt gratitude always.
Resources - Explore Restorative YogaYoga Mind, Body and Spirit by Donna Farhi
Yoga For Women, Therapeutic Practice Sequences by Donna Farhi (only available from Donna’s website)
Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times by Judith Lasater
The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health by Linda Sparrowe, Patricia Walden and Judith Hanson Lasater

*The Relaxation Response was a phrase coined by Dr. Herbert Benson in the 1970s. Dr. Benson was a Harvard professor who pioneered research into physiological response to meditation.
Copyright © 2014
(This article originally appeared on The Yoga Lunchbox)

Huffington Post Article
Link to original article here
Yoga: How We Serve Cancer Patients and Survivors
Posted: 08/27/2013 8:34 pm EDT Updated: 10/27/2013 5:12 am EDT This is an interview with Susan Reeves, who co-founded with Pamela Ryan Yoga Bridge, a non-profit in North Dallas, Texas, that offers free yoga to cancer patients and survivors. Susan teaches Prana Flow Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga, and meditation. In 2012, she completed Oncology Training for Yoga Teachers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Rob: What originally motivated you to do this work, and what continues to motivate you? My friend, Gayla. We taught Spanish together for many years and were even pregnant at the same time. When she received her cancer diagnosis, I had the urge to "fix" everything for her. It seemed so unfair that a mother of three should have to go through all of those surgeries and treatments. She was my first yoga-for-cancer student. I noticed that practicing helped her enter a peaceful place -- away from the hospital rooms, the infusions, all of the uncertainty. It seemed to give her a sense of control during a time of confusion.
Coming from a family of M.D.s, I acknowledge and am thankful for all of the work and research being done in the medical community. I am also grateful that there are alternative methods, like yoga, that can bring much-needed compassion to a difficult diagnosis. This is what motivates me now. I know that I am not "fixing" anything, but I can give what I have, and I've seen from experience the peace it can bring.
How, if at all, has that motivation changed over time?
When Yoga Bridge started a year and a half ago, we had no idea what to expect. We just knew we wanted to help people, and we hoped they would show up. Little did I know that the students who came to our first official class would have such a healing impact on me. Cancer patients and survivors are different. They are changed people. They've had their world turned upside down in a way that awakens their understanding of what is truly important in life. In this class there is no competition, no judgment, only humility and openness. I learn from them ways to value my own life, and continue to be motivated by them every week.
Is there a standout moment from your work with Yoga Bridge, or with cancer patients? There is one that stands out. Oddly enough, it keeps repeating itself. Students who first come to our class usually don't know why they are there; they are just told that yoga will be good for them. Many times after just one class, a student will return and tell us a story of how yoga immediately came to her rescue. Terrified of an upcoming doctor appointment/first MRI/medical procedure, the student remembers the breathing practice that we did in class the week before, and puts it to use. To her surprise, it actually calms her nerves and gives her the inner strength to endure a difficult moment. Yoga works in simple, yet profound, ways.
What did you know about the population you are working with before you began teaching? What were some of the assumptions you had about this population, and how have those assumptions changed?
I was fortunate to have two of the most giving women and friends as my first students. I felt free to ask them anything, and I learned from what they told me. One assumption I had was that cancer patients need to be treated with caution because they are sick. I have learned that, while there are adjustments that might need to be made with some of the poses, cancer patients and survivors are some of the strongest people I have ever met.
I also expected the atmosphere in the room to have a heaviness, a sadness to it -- also not true. Each time I teach a yoga-for-cancer class, I feel more uplifted than ever by the overwhelmingly positive energy that exists in that room. Our group can't explain it, but we all agree that it's there.
What has been the greatest challenge in your teaching experience, and what tools have you developed for addressing that challenge?
A great challenge has been introducing yoga into the medical community that is so accustomed to scientific means and results. Some still do not realize that yoga can be a powerful tool in addressing the whole body during and after cancer treatment. The clinical research of Dr. Lorenzo Cohen and Dr. Alejandro Chaoul at MD Anderson has helped to bridge the gap between the medical and yoga communities. Their studies (and others being conducted at major research hospitals) give evidence-based results on the benefits of yoga for those with cancer. Here is a link to one of their published studies: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15139072
What advice would you give to anyone who is going to teach in hospitals, and with cancer patients?
Get to know people -- the nurses, technicians, doctors, oncology staff, patients, and survivors. These are your teachers. You are entering a realm that functions differently than a typical yoga studio or gym. You have to enter on their turf. They may not understand or be receptive to some of the yoga practices that are natural to you -- meditation, chanting, the chakra system, yogic philosophy. Tread lightly with these until you know your students better. In the medical system, we have to respect that people may not know very much about yoga at all. What they do know, and respond well to, is proof that yoga can be effective in helping people during diagnosis and afterwards through survivorship. With the advent of recent clinical trials, this proof is a reality.
Get proper training. Yoga teachers have so much to offer, but there are several specifics at play here, so teachers need to be aware. They need to have knowledge of cancer treatments, possible side effects, emotional impact of a diagnosis and how to offer variations to a standard yoga practice to accommodate various needs.
What are some of your ideas about or hopes for the future of "service yoga" in America in the next decade?
Yoga is service, and the beautiful thing about it is its universality. Yoga can serve all people of all needs. A large percentage of the population in the U.S. is entering their senior years. With that come physical challenges, illnesses, and an increased risk of developing cancer. There is a need for yoga within this community in particular. At present, it is barely being met. I believe this is changing, thanks to grants from foundations, growing support from the medical community, and donations from individuals who have seen what yoga can do. I hope that yoga will become a standard part of treatment and survivorship, and that the services we provide can extend to caregivers as well.
How has this work changed your definition of service? Your definition of yoga? Your practice?
I used to view service as a means to help people. Now I see it as a means to empower them. Yoga gives people tools that they can use right away to calm the mind, to build resilience in the face of challenges, and to maintain a sense of equanimity with whatever may come their way.
Yoga has the power to give to us exactly what we need at the right time. In the beginning, yoga was the friend that calmed my anxieties of being a new mom. Then yoga was the work-out buddy that inspired me to show up on the mat. Now, my friendship with yoga goes much deeper. It has become an ally in my life that allows me to be of service to others. I watch yoga as it empowers my students and realize that it empowers me as well.

I have to give credit to the individuals who give of themselves -- the nurses, the oncology staff, our own students. These people are in the trenches, and we consistently see them dig into their own pockets and give more to the cause. They know what it's like to live with a cancer diagnosis and they want to help others by paying it forward.
Editor: Alice Trembour
Stay connected with Give Back Yoga Foundation as we share the gift of yoga, one person at a time. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Read full article here.

​In January of 2012, Yoga Bridge introduced a unique model of yoga asanas and guided relaxation as a means of supporting those in the healing process of a cancer diagnosis. Yoga classes for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers are small and allow each student to receive attention. These classes are taught by registered yoga teachers, trained specifically by Yoga Bridge to teach yoga for cancer.
The class schedule includes Restorative yoga, yoga for strength and flexibility, Chair yoga, Gentle Flow yoga, and meditation. Practicing yoga can help alleviate levels of fatigue, depression, and anxiety. The practice can also help provide better sleep and muscle strength.
The classes by Yoga Bridge are free to anyone currently in treatment. Cancer survivors and a guest can also enjoy classes for a small fee.

By Susan Reeves

“I will let my body flow like water over the gentle cushions.”  Sappho

Feeling stressed, over-worked, and fatigued? Restorative Yoga might be able to help.

Restorative Yoga is a practice that uses a variety of props to completely support the body in gentle, restful positions. It is a healing practice that gives students the opportunity to linger quietly in well-supported poses.  After effects?  You feel calm, peaceful and balanced!

I am a Relax and Renew Yoga Teacher, trained by Judith Lasater.  Much of the information from this post comes from my studies with her.

We live in a stressful world, and it can take a toll on the body and the mind.  According to Judith, we are stressed because of our thoughts about the future and as a result of our samskaras (ingrained patterns) from our past.   All of these thoughts that continually swirl around in our heads leave a residue.  Restorative Yoga helps to clear that away.

Judith points out that most people have a misguided notion about what relaxation really means.  We think we are resting when we sit down in front of the tv or when we are reading a book.  In reality, we are “avoiding” rest because, as Judith says, we are “addicted to distraction.”  Our hobbies and other leisure activities, while they are nourishing to our souls, are not the equivalent of rest.

This is where Restorative Yoga can help. It is a technique that actually manipulates the nervous system, inducing the “relaxation response”, a term coined by Herbert Benson, M.D. : "The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress... and the opposite of the fight or flight response."

There are scientific studies that prove that Restorative Yoga has positive effects on the nervous system for those going through cancer treatment.  It does take time.  It is recommended that a person spend several minutes in most restorative poses, because it takes a while for the body to relax.  Beyond that, the parasympathetic nervous system can begin to take over, quieting and soothing the mind and body, bringing about true rest.
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The photos in this post were taken in my home and were a part of my research project for my certification in Restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater.  They show an example of a restorative pose called Side-lying Savasana.  I really snuggled the participant in with this pose.  This was her first experience with Restorative Yoga, and I wanted it to be a good one.  She felt so pampered with the eye pillow in her palm and the cover over her eyes.  She loved this pose so much that one night she ended up sleeping there all night! 

At Yoga Bridge, restorative yoga plays a bit part in our teachings and can be a respite during times of great stress and anxiety.  Join one of our Yoga for Cancer Online Classes by contacting susiereeves@hotmail.com

By Amy Kelley

​We are visiting one of our dearest friends this weekend for a quick getaway. At her house on the lake in Florida, I am sitting on the back patio listening to the sounds of calling birds, frogs plopping in the water and enjoying the foggy, still morning. It’s the perfect time to remember why taking a few moments to reflect or pray or think about what you are grateful for is so fulfilling. Too often, we jump up out of bed and rush to start the day with that long list of to-do’s, worries about work, anxiety about our families or fretting about how we are just going to be able to put one foot in front of the other one more time.
It feels like such a privilege to have this moment of calm, to listen to the sounds of the creatures around me, to watch the ducks skid into the lake with a gentle whoosh.  It makes me wonder why I don’t get up a little bit earlier in my normal day-to-day routine to enjoy this hush of tranquility and temper the chaos of my mind. Our days are full of multi-tasking and hurrying about, thoughts jumbling and pushing our bodies to press on, more caffeine, more tasks to complete, more – always more.


When you have a moment to catch your breath, to watch a bird take flight or the sun rise, to listen to the gentle wind rustle the trees, you have a chance to marvel at nature, at how the world wakes up every day with fresh eyes and open arms, ready to embrace what’s to come with hope and gratitude. In these fraught and volatile times we are living in, it’s so easy to get caught up in the darkness and the futility.
So set that alarm for 15 minutes earlier. Before you get out of bed, while you are still lying down in the comfort of the covers, give your mind some time to wake up, remembering what or whom you are grateful for – good health, people that love you, a warm place to rest your head, maybe a furry nose to pet. Step out of bed, go to the window or go outside and watch the world wake up. Every new day is a chance for a fresh start.  You deserve a few moments for yourself, so start your day with this gift of time. Breathe in new possibilities, gather your strength and greet the day with an open heart.