Oncology Yoga: Tapping into the Wisdom of the Body
This is a simple story of how this aspect of yoga intensified in my life. I will tell it primarily through the voice of 2 of my students, who tell their stories best. In 2017, after practicing for nearly 20 years and teaching for 12, one of my long-term committed students announced to me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She absolutely wanted to continue to practice yoga to support her physically, mentally and emotionally during her treatments."
Fiona Hayhoe-Weiland shares inspiration from her journey as an oncology yoga teacher.
“Yoga is like a hug, a hug for yourself. A hug to your Soul.”
A touching insight from Patricia, a breast cancer survivor who fell in love with yoga while going through cancer therapy.
How it started
As an integrative yoga teacher with a background in various yoga modalities, I aim to follow the needs of my students as they arise, not only those needs affected by their internal atmosphere, but also the collective needs. Meeting them where they are.
This is a simple story of how this aspect of yoga intensified in my life. I will tell it primarily through the voice of 2 of my students, who tell their stories best.
In 2017, after practicing for nearly 20 years and teaching for 12, one of my long-term committed students announced to me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She absolutely wanted to continue to practice yoga to support her physically, mentally and emotionally during her treatments.
At the time I had had very little experience working with women with breast cancer, however, I wanted her to know she was welcome to join. I knew her and her body well, and made one allowance - she could come to any class she wished and I would adjust that lesson to suit her needs, for as long as she needed. This worked very well. She would schedule coming to yoga around her chemotherapy sessions, either a day before, or 3 days after.
On occasions she would come to class, and do a small part of the lesson and then simply lie in savasana. On others occasions she would dive into the whole session with remarkable power and focus. She felt supported, held and nourished, not only from the practice, but also from the group around her, and a secure space in which she could simply allow herself to feel into her present situation as it was. She was given the allowance to feel and be without judgement.
“With yoga you accept your body as it is, in that moment. You move your body within your capability. The small group atmosphere was very important for me, as I felt vulnerable.” AR
This was a turning point for me as a yoga teacher. I realised that this was an avenue of teaching that deeply inspired and touched me, to observe her incredible quiet strength and determination combined with a deep release through the yoga practice. This was a woman who truly experienced what it meant to live fully. Despite her obvious vulnerability, she was living fully. Present.
“Even when I didn’t feel well, I went to yoga, knowing I would feel well afterwards. It was a ritual for me to go to yoga. In the yoga practice I was able to be at peace with my body, accepting my body, and accepting my mind. I was 100% present. This was the most powerful quality of the practice.“ AR
Yoga in the medical guidelines
At this point, I decided to deepen my knowledge and experience in this specific aspect of yoga. The practice of yoga, as a complementary support therapy during cancer treatments, was on the rise, as were the cases of women being diagnosed.
In 2017, the Society for Integrative Oncology stated in their international clinical practice guidelines for the holistic therapies for supporting breast cancer patients: Yoga and meditation are explicitly recommended for reducing anxiety/fear states and depression, as well as improving the general quality of life of breast cancer sufferers. (CA Cancer J Clin. 2017).
This was a turning point for the acceptance of yoga as a medically recognised supportive therapy during and after breast cancer treatments, and meant that many more women would have access to this valuable simple tool to not only support their well being but most importantly, empower them.
Meeting Patricia
In 2019 I was recommended to a client who would become a dedicated student and special friend, as I supported her during her 2-year journey with cancer, and beyond. When I first met Patricia, she had never practiced yoga. Until today, yoga is a part of her life.
“Yoga will be with me always if I want to have a better quality of life. It’s really very clear to me, that I will not stop practicing yoga.
I know that this will be part of my routine. I have the feeling this is something I want to do.”
When we started practicing together, the yoga practices were designed to suit her needs during her various treatment phases, as well as meet her physically, mentally and emotionally. We didn’t stop practicing, we met the challenges as they arose, especially those from side-effects of the medication. Plus, bringing in certain practices to anticipate possible side- effects before a treatment phase.
Mitigating side-effects
Some of the most common side-effects that are mitigated through a steady yoga practice:
Pain
Depression symptoms
Fear and anxiety
Fatigue-syndrome
It can also help with:
Increasing quality of sleep
Improving cognitive functions
Lymphodemia
Neuropathy
Nausea & digestive disorders
Restriction of movements (eg arm mobility after surgery)
Osteoporosis
Focus for impact in the practice
The focus in Onco Yoga sessions is, for me, to find a balance between: conscious relaxation, connection to conscious breathing, soft mobilization, stimulation of the circulation through soft repetitive movements, strength building through more dynamic movements, inner balance through balancing, and restorative poses to build positive body feeling and self- empowerment. As well as, lightness and ease in accepting the process.
I asked Patricia what she observed to be the biggest impact as a result of practicing yoga regularly during her cancer treatments:
“I think it is a combination of things. It depends on how I am feeling. The days are not always the same, physically, mentally and also emotionally.
I would say that yoga is a very good combination of whatever you need most. It’s as if your body is wiser than the conscious you.
The practice offers what you are in need of.
There were times when there was a lot of frustration or some frustration, and the breathing, the settling down, coming to myself, was particularly important. Then there were other times when, for example, I had this pain and I had the feeling I cannot move, and then I started to move and realized, ‘Oh, I can move, and it is amazing!’
It was and still is very encouraging, it gives me a boost and a lot of energy. Then I realize it is not true that I feel so bad, that I don’t have energy and I don’t feel like myself. I feel I have more strength and flexibility, and I know it is going to pass. Yoga helps to bring this out.
Yoga is like a hug, a hug for yourself. A hug to your Soul, to your back, to your kidneys, or whatever part needs it.
Even if the practice is sometimes work, it is always worth it.
I often think to myself: I am so glad I did it. This was so good. I am so grateful and lucky to practice yoga in this way, in this very important life phase.”
Meeting the unexpected & embracing “Me” time
Navigating the challenges of the unexpected diagnosis, treatments and side- effects can be very overwhelming for many women. This was Patricia’s input:
What a process, and completely unexpected, right?!
Suddenly I was in the middle of a cancer story - it just happened. And I didn’t feel like, ‘Oh why is this happening to me?’
I just take the best of it everyday. Yes, of course it is a life changing experience, and my life is never going to be the same.
I am very grateful for being able to navigate through this process in the best possible manner, and yoga is a part of that navigation. And it does not stop, it is a continuing process.
With cancer, physically there is always something going on. You don’t feel like you were before. There are symptoms during the chemo, during the anti- body and anti-hormone treatments, and then the radiation and the skin where the radiation was is sensitive and tender.
Yoga is a really nice resource. It feels so good that it makes it easy to say ‘this is the time for me, this is an important time for me.’
This process has taught me that doing something good for me is important, and not only good for me in that moment but also for my general well being, and my work. In my case it gives me a lot of energy which is very helpful.”
Working with joint pain and neuropathy
Many women suffer from extreme joint pain and degeneration, as well as nerve sensitivity. Yoga, from my experience, can be a gift during these challenging times of such obvious physical discomfort.
While working with Patricia, she had a particularly remarkable response:
“Right now I have nearly 100% sensibility back in my hands and feet, and they were a big concern for me. I was having pain and discomfort everyday. When we were doing the yoga exercises for the arms, I could literally feel the tingling in my arms; it felt like electricity connections and nerve pathways reestablishing themselves.
It was amazing! Amazing, really! And everyday this is getting better and better. It gives me hope.
I really hope that those who follow can also learn and be inspired by the stories of others. There are no impossible odds.” Patricia
Closing Gratitude
My deep gratitude to Patricia, and all the other women I have been honored to follow through their cancer stories. My aspiration and vision is to make Onco yoga as widely accessible as possible to as many women as possible, who are going through and will go through breast cancer stories. May more women become self-empowered through their illness, finding their inner grace and strength to live in a way that truly serves them, tapping into the natural wisdom of their bodies.