While the yoga scenes in Los Angeles have gone more mainstream, yoga practitioners in recent decades have promoted the practices of integrative oncology, alternative medicine, spiritual practices, and personal growth and recovery. What exactly do yogis have to say for themselves about these topics?
Managing stress
If everything you do in life seems to have a physical link to stress, it may be the cases of obese individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer that provide the greatest dietary and lifestyle benefit.
A 2016 review of 700 studies by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that very low-calorie diets and probiotics, both with or without supplements, were associated with reduced stress levels and shorter survival.
“A paradoxical pattern is present here in various trials,” reported the author. “Those individuals given probiotics seemed to live longer than those given a sugar drink. A seeming paradox of heart disease mortality was found to be alleviated by low-calorie diets.”
Clearly, lifestyle choices can affect our stress levels in both good and bad ways.
Thinking of your particular cancer
While the cancer diagnosis is not so easy to understand from a gut-level perspective, there are many benefits that can come from taking these personal gains seriously. One of these, for the yogis, is a better sense of self-knowledge. After all, when in self-knowledge, you can write an impactful blog post or engage with a friend or family member in a supportive way.
Practices and benefits of Oncology Yoga Classes (Video)
Other cancer patients can seek out yoga classes to build awareness and self-esteem, reduce anxiety and improve self-image. Since the increase in awareness of cancer has coincided with the widespread practice of health and wellness for all ages, yoga for cancer patients has become increasingly well-regarded by practitioners and patients alike.
Mindfulness
There is a growing body of scientific research that shows how a good understanding of yourself can improve self-preservation through mindfulness practices. Mindfulness meditation, for example, has been used to relieve depression and anxiety, and to combat substance abuse.
One of the methods being tested as an effective method to develop mindfulness for cancer patients in a 2018 review by the World Health Organization is Kundalini yoga, which is a form of hatha yoga with a form of yoga based on Vipassana meditation.
Inclusive Culture
Beyond their own self-care needs, yoga practitioners often act as liaisons to broader communities and to government agencies. From canvassing for food stamps and offers of mental health care for veterans, to organizing donor drives and physical fitness activities, yoga has played an important role in supporting healthy lifestyles.
Most yoga practitioners have learned to appreciate and understand their body and environment in its entirety and can promote a universal and inclusive culture in the world in its place of origin.
Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, there are clear benefits from yoga exercises that can be directed towards helping with the digestive tract, and there are clear benefits from yoga practicing that can be used for health care. As of today, yoga is listed as one of the best dietary supplements by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Adherents of yoga stress its importance in improving digestion, heart health, and skin health. Studies are now finding that yoga may have direct health-related benefits on conditions as diverse as osteoporosis, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Even more recent research is showing that yoga can significantly improve gut-lung function in the lungs of patients with cancer, which can lessen heart failure.
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