YOGA AND CANCER

WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER WHO PARTICIPATED IN A 10 WEEK PROGRAM of restorative yoga (RY) classes experienced benefits in mental health compared with the control group. The 75 minute classes decreased depression, increased positive emotions, and helped create feelings of calm and peacefulness.

Lead researcher Suzanne Danhauer, PhD, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, said, 'Evidence from systematic reviews of randomized trials is quite strong that mind body therapies improve mood, quality of life, and treatment related symptoms in people with cancer....Given the high levels of stress and distress that many women with breast cancer experience, the opportunity to experience feeling more peaceful and calm in the midst of breast cancer is a significant benefit.'

RY, a gentle form of yoga, uses props including cushions, bolsters, and blankets to provide physical support during poses that are designed to help the individual feel refreshed, rested, and calm. People with various levels of health can practice this form of yoga.

A total of 44 women with breast cancer participated in the study; 22 women took the yoga classes, and 22 were in the control group. Most had completed their cancer

therapy, but about one third were undergoing treatment. At the beginning and end of the program, the women completed a questionnaire in which they evaluated their quality of life. Results were clear that those who took the RY classes experienced a range of benefits compared with the control group, including a 50% reduction in depression and a 12% increase in feelings of peace and meaning. Women who started with higher negative emotions and lower emotional well being derived greater benefit from RY. Women in the RY group also demonstrated a significant improvement in fatigue, while the control group did not. All members of the control group were subsequently invited to attend RY classes identical to the ones in the study.

Dr Danhauer explained that this was a pilot study and noted, 'Our results are very promising and will allow us to embark on a much larger scale study.'

By AJHO

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