What is yoga therapy and how can it help those with cancer
There is a big difference between coming to a class taught by a yoga teacher and seeing a yoga therapist for a session. Yoga therapy is specifically focused on helping an individual to find relief, alleviate symptoms, and improve function relating to a health condition.
A yoga therapist will meet an individual where they are at and will fundamentally focus on their needs and requirements. The tools and techniques of yoga are used and adapted to the individual and the health concerns that they would like to address. The aim of yoga therapy is to help students to overcome their challenges and gain independence and wellness.
A yoga therapy session will be completely different to a yoga class. The therapist will meet with you one-on-one where you will discuss your medical history, current symptoms, daily exercise routine, food, sleep, and anything else related to your health goals. A personalised practice will then be formulated to suit the individual. This practice is not your typical one-hour yoga sequence, it is modified asana’s (yoga postures), pranayama (breath work), bhavana (visualisations), chanting, meditation and relaxation that might only be 10 minutes per day. All of which is focused on you and your health concerns.
So what can yoga therapy help with? Yoga Therapy can help with a wide range of health concerns. One of which is working with people who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Unfortunately, cancer is extremely common in Australia with one in two men and women diagnosed by the age of 85. It is also the leading cause of death in Australia. Being diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment is highly stressful and puts a lot of strain on the body. This is where a yoga therapist can support an individual with yoga techniques to alleviate that stress, improve the immune response, reduce inflammation, and help with sleep and mood – all of which can assist the body in its healing process.
At a recent weekend workshop, our current yoga therapist trainees supported several individuals with cancer. Each module we kindly have volunteers come and share with us their lived experiences with dealing with various health conditions and in return we offer them a personalised practice and support them on their journey to wellbeing.
This most recent weekend we had some truly inspiring people who are battling different types of cancers, such as skin cancer, ovarian cancer, and leukemia. We also had a special guest this weekend, Simone Hollier a Naturopath, Nutritionist, and Massage Therapist from the Newcastle area talking with us about how she can support those living with cancer. We are so grateful to learn from them all and help them on their journey with yoga therapy.
At Yogic Wisdom you can train to become a Yoga Therapist and help empower students who have injury or illness to improve their health and wellbeing.