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Using Yoga to Relieve the Stress of Illness

By Caroline Fuller, Yoga Student

Crisis. Stressful. Painful. Horrible. Life-threatening. Devastating. These are just some of the words used to describe a diagnosis of a serious or chronic illness. But there is enough stress in daily living today without adding the challenge of cancer.

While you are getting medical treatment for your disease, or if there is no more treatment available for you, what can you do to reduce the stress caused by that disease—as well as by stress of life in general? Many people with serious illness (and their family members) are turning to an ancient form of stress control, yoga.

When you practice this simple technique, you take time out of your day to exercise in a gentle and quiet manner, focusing on your body and your breathing. This can greatly enhance your sense of well-being and the all-important "quality of life" that is increasingly seen as a component of cancer treatment and survival.

Just What is Yoga?

Before briefly describing what yoga is, I want to make very clear what yoga is NOT. Yoga is NOT a religion or a cult. Yoga is NOT a cure for your disease. Rather, yoga is simply an ancient form of self development that attempts to help the individual integrate the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of the body. In fact, the word yoga is actually a Sanskrit word which means "union" or "joining together".

"How does this help me as a patient?", you might ask. In several ways. First, whether you are actively in treatment and working toward a cure—or whether you accept your disease as a chronic condition you will need to deal with for a long time, you want to keep your body in the best physical shape possible. By integrating your mind and body so they operate as a whole and are not at cross purposes, you are better able to get in touch with the source of natural healing and strength that lies within you.

Yoga can be an especially important source of energy for people who are told to exercise but have a lot of fatigue. They don't know how they can possibly do any "exercise" because their idea of exercising is "working out" until they are at the point of total exhaustion. Since they're already tired, facing the prospect of doing exercise can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, perspiration, pain and fatigue are not a part of the practice of yoga. In fact, the yoga session is designed to be pleasurable and invigorating. The movements are performed with a minimum of repetitions in a slow and relaxing way. No strain should ever be felt and the practice sessions should leave you feeling elevated and revitalized, not drained.

Of course, you may see some yogis (those who practice yoga) perform very difficult postures. That is not the goal of yoga. Yoga is a very individualized practice and you should never strain or stretch farther than is comfortable for your body. The various postures that you will perform in a yoga session—as well as the technique of yogic breathing, or pranayama—are designed to promote health, stimulate energy in the body and promote calmness and relaxation.

There are many different types of Yoga that exist today. Some are involved substantially with the physical body (hatha yoga) and some emphasize meditation (raja yoga). And, as with anything you try, there are varying degrees to which you can become involved. Some people have dedicated their lives to the study of this ancient philosophy. Others have only dabbled in it, looking for a purely physical benefit. There are also nutritional and hygienic guidelines which can be followed, depending on your level of interest.

Learning and Practicing Yoga

Yoga can be learned from books, but probably the best way is to attend classes, since the emphasis is on practicing what you have learned and doing the postures on a regular basis. Finding the right class and teacher may take some time, but you will find that it is well worth the effort.

Ideally, one practices yoga like a ballerina who constantly practices her dance steps, in preparation for performance. Yet, the ballerina knows that there will always be another day in the studio, practicing once again. It is the ongoing practice that benefits the doer. When learning from a book, as I first did, I finally reached a point where I wanted to attend classes, because I wanted to make sure I was doing the postures correctly and to expand what I had learned.

As you will notice if you compare many books and articles on the subject, there are different approaches to yoga. Many claim to be "the first" kind of yoga although no one really knows what is first or authentic. We just suggest you experiment with several until you find one that will be just right for you.

See Yoga With Fred Miller to understand more about this technique and read Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times* by Judith Lasater. (Berkeley, CA: Rodmell Press. 1995) The author, a leading practitioner of Iyengar yoga, is known for her emphasis on restorative yoga poses, which she refers to as "active relaxation." With good photographs and clear instructions, she details 27 basic restorative poses, which are very beneficial before, during and after illness and major life events.

[* NOTE: By clicking on the title and buying this book from Amazon.com, you help support LPO.]

© Copyright 1998, Revised 2002