Yoga at Home: Guest Post on How Yoga at Home Helps Cancer Patients

Today I am sharing a guest post by Jillian McKee on the benefits of doing yoga at home for cancer patients.

Those With Cancer Find Comfort in Home Practice by Jillian McKee

Cancer patients often find it very easy, convenient and nourishing to practice yoga at home. Often, a cancer patient's energy level will fluctuate dramatically during the course of his or her cancer treatment. Practicing yoga at home will allow the patient to set the pace of the yoga session, have easy access to the bathroom for bouts of nausea and will be able to adjust the temperature of the yoga room. The patient will also be free to spend as much time as he or she feels it is beneficial in restorative poses such as savasana.

The ease and comfort of practicing yoga at home while battling cancer is a wonderful way to decrease anxiety and enhance quality of life. During the course of cancer treatment, a patient may not have the energy to go to a yoga studio. If he or she is undergoing chemotherapy as part of a cancer treatment protocol, it may be much more comfortable to practice yoga in the privacy of his or her own home where there is a private, easily accessible bathroom and an adjustable thermostat.

By practicing at home, a cancer patient can easily set the pace of the yoga workout. If the patient is using a DVD or following a yoga class online, he or she can stop the DVD or class in order to take a break, have a glass of water or rest in child's pose if the patient is feeling exhausted, light-headed or dizzy. For example, a mesothelioma patient who is battling a mesothelioma diagnosis may need to take several breaks in order to complete the pranayama portion of a yoga class. He or she may even want to skip the more intense pranayama exercises and focus on restorative and soothing yogic breathing exercises.  These exercises may increase the life-expectancy and enhances one’s quality of life.

There are many benefits to a home-based yoga practice for cancer patients.  A cancer patient may enjoy practicing yoga at home much more than in a public yoga studio because he or she will be able to set the pace, the temperature of the room and be able to stop and start the practice, if necessary. Every yoga class finishes with a wonderfully restorative pose called final relaxation pose. Often at a yoga studio, you are limited to five or ten minutes in final relaxation pose. If a cancer patient is practicing yoga at home, he or she will be free to remain in final relaxation pose for thirty minutes or even an hour in order to receive all of the nourishing benefits of his or her home-based yoga practice. 

Thank you, Jillian for your thoughtful article!  You can see more by Jillian S. McKee at:

 http://center-yourself.blogspot.com

Yours for reaping the rewards of a home yoga practice,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

 

Comments

[Tina]

"A cancer patient may enjoy practicing yoga at home much more than in a public yoga studio because he or she will be able to set the pace, the temperature of the room and be able to stop and start the practice, if necessary."

I am not a cancer patient, but everything you say about home-based yoga is true for a vinyasa student. My practice is getting a bit softer now, at my age, I am already "over the hill" ... My practice had peaked about 2 months ago.

I go back and repeat my standing balancing backbends as often as I like. Not so with a class ...

I may practice vinyasa at home, but when I go to class, I make sure it is relatively old-school hatha ...

Signed,

Can't Keep Up in Class Anymore

[Laura Rodriguez]

Yes - that's the benefit of home practice - complete flexibility and control over what you do. I would advise you, Tina, however, not to start describing yourself as "over the hill" or any other associations/limitations related to age. I probably could have never done an intense Vinyasa class as a twenty or thirty-something because of my seeming lack of coordination.

As I mention in my book, the Washington Post had an article about 4 years ago about an 85 year old woman doing super difficult yoga poses that I could never master at any age!

Laura

[Tina]

Laura, I do remember a home yoga practice from just a few months ago that had my midsection sore and hurting a day and a half later, such that I could not cough, sneeze or laugh without feeling socked in the stomach. Definitely don't do/don't wanna do that anymore.

I developed a very mild case of costochondritis a little over 2 months ago, so I had to finally slow it down. As a younger person, I had been capable of splits and (very) light acrobatics, at the outside. A great sense of rhythm probably made up for my lack of coordination. And I had been a step-aerobicizin' fool.

Half-headstand (variation II) clown pose, crow, bound half moon are the only challenge poses I am left with.

There is a hill that peaks. Or, barring that, there are mental qualities that can do just so much to fight physical lacks of strength or coordination ... sense of rhythm being one of them ... lol

But, spiritually speaking, all of life is rhythm ... and seasons ...

[Laura Rodriguez]

Well - it appears that you do a much more intensive and challenging form of yoga than I. I focus on gentle hatha yoga - that's it - so, to date, I notice no difference between how I am doing the poses now and how I did them 30-40 years ago except that I put my heart into them much more now. And, I feel more of an energy boost!

Laura

[Tina]

The fact is that neither my practice nor your practice could be commercialized in the form of yoga studio chains, video deals (or even YouTube gone viral); and, in your case Yoga Journal has yet to see the light ...

Too many trends exist in yoga today. Neither of us took up yoga to be cool and trendy ...

This is true from restorative through vinyasa and all points in between; in that sense, this blog speaks to me ... whatever my practice is at the time ...

[Laura Rodriguez]

That is true! I agree that in many circles yoga has become too trendy and competitive and a big business. I believe more of the focus should be on its healthful benefits and its aid in becoming more focused and serene. And, that it should be a lifestyle.

Thanks for your insights!

Laura

[Tina]

In addition, I forgot a link to the blog post of an Ashtangi, who feels that there is such a thing as a practitioner's own physical limitations in 3-D, impacting the pace and the reach of one's practice. (And having little to nothing to do with the practitioner's spiritual takeaway from the practice.)

http://ecoyogini.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-reject-external-yoga-ideal-its-time.html

It made my day and proves why you have always been on the right track.

[Laura Rodriguez]

Wow- thanks for sharing this article - it is so right on! That's why I ALWAYS advocate listening to one's own body. And, yes, not everyone's body type or bone structure allows them to do every yoga pose.

Laura

[small home business ideas]

Is it Yoga nice for cancer patient? Yes, I agree with you that not everyone's body type or bone structure allows to do every yoga posed. I myself admitted that some yoga pose are really so hard for me to do..Thank you for this blog. From this I can helped my friend suffering with cancer..

[Laura Rodriguez]

Thank you, for your comment!

[moncler jacket]

Very, very nicely done!

[Laura Rodriguez]

Thank you - this was a post by a guest.