Yoga is an ancient form of exercise for the body and mind. It aims to improve strength, flexibility, and breathing through a series of postures and movements. It is a whole-body philosophy that originated over 5,000 years ago in India.
There are several types of yoga. They all aim to help you relax by using breathing exercises, different body postures, and relaxation techniques.
- Yoga works with the breath (pranayama).
- It improves strength and flexibility through a series of postures (asanas).
- Yoga uses meditation to aid deep relaxation.
Yoga aims to create harmony between your mind, body and spirit to help you feel calmer.
Some forms of yoga are quite strenuous, while others are gentler and focus more on meditation and breathwork.
Yoga teachers claim the different posture positions:
- Stimulate your nervous system
- Make your muscles and joints more flexible
- Relax your mind and body
Yoga & The Cancer Patient
As with many types of complementary therapy one of the primary reasons that people with cancer use yoga is because it makes them feel good.
Yoga teachers promote it as a natural way to help you relax and cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
Generally, it can help to lift your mood and enhance your wellbeing.
Some people with cancer say it helps calm their mind so that they can cope better with their illness. Others say it helps to reduce symptoms and side effects such as pain, tiredness, sleep problems and depression.