I saw this article in The Guardian today
Yoga can reduce anxiety and insomnia for people living with cancer, study finds
“Yoga can reduce emotional distress, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia in people living with cancer, according to the results of the first clinical trial of its kind.
“Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are living with cancer, with advances in treatments meaning more patients are surviving the disease than ever before. But for many, the physical and mental side-effects of their diagnosis and treatment regime can last long after treatment ends.
“Up to 95% of cancer survivors experience sleep disturbances or insomnia at some point during or after their treatment, and more than half experience mood disturbances, anxiety or fatigue.
“Now the first clinical trial of its kind has shown that regular gentle hatha and restorative yoga can help improve those side-effects, without the need for medication.
“Compared with the standard care participants, yoga participants experienced meaningfully less overall mood disturbance, corresponding to a moderate-to-large effect of yoga. They also had less anxiety, corresponding to a small-to-medium effect of yoga, and experienced less fatigue, corresponding to a medium-to-large effect.”
This isn’t surprising. We’ve known, empirically if not from research, for some while this is the case. Cancer is going to put your Nervous System out of balance; Yoga will help to reset this.
A couple of words of caution though. First, to be clear, Yoga helps with living with cancer and its treatment. It is not a cure for cancer, nor does it reduce cancer risks. Anyone who suggests this is likely to be in breach of S4 Cancer Act 1939 which prohibits unverified claims about treatment.
Second, yes, Yoga will help, but not all Yoga is the same. Teaching Yoga for people living with Cancer needs a experienced Yoga Therapist or Yoga Teacher who can work therapeutically, holding space for their student, with a very client centric approach. Simply imposing a routine or set of postures on a student won’t be helpful, neither will be online programmes or apps. . This really is where Yoga Therapy comes into its own, helping with the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of living with a cancer diagnosis.
All said, its lovely to see this endorsement of Yoga’s benefits. But no surprise.
