Alternative Cancer Treatments - Yoga

By Author: Paula Jimenez
Total Articles: 32

Yoga is known as a physical, mental and spiritual discipline which originated in India. According to the definition in Wikipedia, the person who practices yoga works to attain the state of having a perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while they are meditating on the Supersoul.

How and when did Yoga started?

Nobody can tell when Yoga started, but it is certain that Yoga is literally written in history. People discovered many stone carvings in the Indus Valley which was approximately 5000 years old. The stones have the figures of Yoga positions which were drawn on the discovered stones.

The tradition of Yoga has always been passed on individually from many teachers to their students engaging in practical demonstrations. The formal techniques that are now being applied by many students are believed to be a collection of experiences by many individuals many years ago.

The eight well known steps of classical yoga are the following:

1. Yama which means restraint, to refrain from violence, lying, stealing, and the likes.

2. Niyama is observance

3. Asana is physical exercises

4. Pranayama is a breathing technique

5. Pratyahara is the form of preparation for meditation and described as withdrawal of the mind from the senses

6. Dharana means concentration, the ability to hold the mind on one object for a specified time.

7. Dhyana is meditation, the ability to focus on one thing that is indefinite.

8. Samadhi which means absorption

Yoga arrived in the United States in the late 1800s but it wasn’t practiced mainstream until 1960s.

Yoga as an alternative cancer treatment

Yoga is a combination of stretching exercises and deep breathing. In a yoga class, you will be positioning yourself and your body in different positions which requires bending, twisting of the body and stretching. The main benefit it brings to cancer patients is that it gives short term stress relief and long term stress management benefits. A person who has cancer can be stressed in many ways.

a. They might be thinking too much of their disease that they cannot do the things that they want to do. Which made them emotionally stressed.

b. They can also be physically stressed due to pain

c. Lastly, spiritually stress because they might be asking why these things are happening to them. Asking why God allowed this kind of disease to enter their bodies.

Yoga quiets the mind; the practitioner or patient becomes aware of his emotions and learns to swap negative thoughts to positive or neutral ones. However, for yoga to be effective, studies have shown cancer patients must engage in yoga 2 to 7 times a week. It’s known to help improve sleep and reduce the fatigue our body accumulates everyday of our lives.

Those are just some of the benefits of yoga for cancer patients. Nevertheless, your doctor’s advice is also needed. Yoga is a great option for everyone not only to people who have cancer. Check out the next article as part of a series of alternative cancer treatments.

New Hope Medical Center is an Alternative Cancer Treatment center where each person is given Alternative Treatments for Cancer based on their body makeup. One size doesn't fit all in this Cancer Treatment Center.