Yoga and Cancer

Cancer is one of the most feared diseases known to mankind.  Although heart disease still kills more people, cancer is a formidable challenge for anyone who receives news that their bodies have developed it.  Some people point to stress as a mitigating factor in creating cancerous cells in the body, however there is not much evidence to prove that this is the case within western medicine.  Yogic medicine (ayurveda) views all factors that affect the psychological self as contributors to a break down in the physical self; however, so it is with that in mind that many yoga therapies in the west are now being developed. A 2.4 million dollar study supported by the National Cancer Association, for example, will investigate yoga and the treatment of patients with breast cancer at M.D. Anderson Hospital. 

While most of the benefits of yoga are aimed at cancer recovery and to help patients with treatment related side effects, the study will also aim at improving the psychological health of the women undergoing chemotherapy for their breast cancer. These types of studies regarding cancer treatment will more than likely show that the body is affected by genetics, environment and stress, just as many other early studies regarding yoga and disease treatment have. Furthermore, genetics are affected by stress, and stress affects our environment.  The faster western medicine accepts the inter-relatedness of all aspects of our being, I would assume, the faster they will be able to treat disease with what were previously considered alternative methods, such as, of course, yoga.


Another imperative form of yoga philosophy that can greatly benefit cancer patients is the idea of Sangha or community.  There are many support groups available for people dealing with cancer.  There are groups for the cancer patients themselves as well as for family member sand friends that are struggling with their own acceptance of the disease and the appropriate ways to support a loved-one dealing with it. Some groups simply provide information, and others act as emotional support systems for those who are unable to find support in their churches or families, or among friends who have not dealt with life-threatening illness. 


There is suggestive evidence from Dr. Dean Ornish that yoga practice and Sangha are imperative forms of support which help to increase survival rates among cancer patients. Another study completed by the university of Calgary in Canada showed that women who practiced Iyengar yoga for seventy five minutes once a week had significantly less tension, anxiety, depression, confusion, anger, fatigue, diarrhea, and emotional upset than the control group participating in the same study.  Another study conducted at UCLA, again involving women with breast cancer, found similar findings. One additional difference in this study is that these women also reported less pain. In a study conducted by Dr. Raghavendra Rao and his colleagues at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation with doctors at the Bangalore Institute of Oncology looked ta the effects of yoga on women with stage I and II breast cancer and found similar findings to the western studies.  Ninety-eight women who participated in this study also reported reduced toxicity in their bodies from cancer treatments by practicing yoga asana, pranayama, mediation, chanting and group therapy. These women were all undergoing traditional cancer treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. There are also studies being conducted on immune function, yoga and its relevance with cancer treatment.   The results of these are just coming to the surface in reputable medical journals and on the Internet.


Although many cancer patients suffer from reduced energy levels during and after chemotherapy and other cancer treatments, yoga can be significantly personalized for a patient’s own ability.  If a patient is feeling more energetic one day, they can practice asanas which are more vigorous and other days, they can concentrate on restorative poses, meditation and pranayama.  The mental balance that is created with yoga practice and meditation translates to all the reported improvements in the studies coming from western universities.  Patients feel more centered, less pain, and a generally happier outlook in the face of a great physical challenge.


Although yoga does not yet profess to “cure” cancer, it can definitely be a preventative tool to use in the overall health of the body.  Many cancers form as we get older – as the bodies, healthy, natural way of functioning becomes out of balance. There are over 200 different types of cancer known today. Cancer cells form because of carcinogens that pollute the body. It is true that some cancers form because of genetics, but there are a number of changes that happen to a cell prior to it becoming cancerous.  The changes can happen by accident when the cell is dividing.  Or they can happen because the cell has been damaged by carcinogens and the damage is then passed on to future 'daughter' cells when that cell divides.  The longer we live, the more time there is for us to accumulate these genetic mistakes in our cells. If we can remove the damage to a cell before is divides, we can stop genetic mutation and plausibly cancer. Although it would be pointless to practice yoga and continue a smoking habit, for example, or continue to work in an environment full of asbestos, the studies being conducted today show that if carcinogenic effects on the body are eliminated or reduced through yoga practice, an environment in which cancer can grow becomes impossible.


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