Yoga Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention

By Kimaya Singh

Does the yoga lifestyle for cancer prevention really make a difference? The truth is, anyone can have cancer, regardless of lifestyle. There are certainly no guarantees in life for perfect health, but practicing the yoga lifestyle can truly make a difference. When it comes to cancer prevention, there are preferred foods, meditation, breathing techniques, and postures that do wonderful things inside us. Yoga practice supports and strengthens the immune system and major organs. Yogic practices allow the student to discover a healthy relationship between the mind and body. That mind and body connection focuses on concentration and living in the moment.

About Cancer

If we look at what cancer is, any dictionary will explain it as an abnormal division of cells in part of the body. Additionally, cells multiply abnormally and spread into surrounding healthy tissue. It is a frightening thought to all of us. We want to protect ourselves and our families from this disease. How could yoga possibly prevent cancer? Does the yoga lifestyle for cancer prevention really make a difference? The truth is, anyone can have cancer, regardless of lifestyle. When you consider the yoga lifestyle for cancer prevention, it is a positive factor, but yoga is not a “magic bullet.”

About Postures

It’s important to see what is going on inside our bodies. When we practice Yoga poses and proper breathing techniques, we must focus on our actions. In other words, this intense focusing is one of the keys to a holistic way of living. For instance, inversion poses like the Shoulder Stand, zero in on balancing the thyroid and pituitary glands; twist poses such as the Revolved Triangle target the liver and kidneys by massaging organs internally through mild compression, cleansing these organs, and removing toxins. A simple Legs up the Wall Pose allows the student to focus or clear the mind of negative distractions.

Yoga Pose Modifications

Additionally, all postures can be modified by attending classes that are gentle, therapeutic, and restorative in nature. That said, if you are searching for therapeutic classes, be aware that yoga training sessions can be very different due to the variety of styles, teacher methods, and yoga school philosophies. Teachers who guide Yin, restorative, gentle, and therapeutic classes should give detailed class descriptions for students who are recovering from medical procedures.

Inner Workings

Correct breathing or pranayama is also essential to the health of the human body. In yoga, we learn that it’s not just about the pure alignment and holding of these poses, but also through the clean flow of energy going through the body. The more oxygen to the blood and brain, the better, because oxygen purifies the bloodstream, while it takes away toxins and waste products. The brain becomes more mentally alert and rejuvenated when stagnant air is moved out of the lungs. During the Abdominal Lift, the stomach, intestines, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, colon and kidneys all receive a natural massage and toning up. It also corrects the functioning of the adrenal glands and sex glands.

What Can We Do?

Yogic methodology as a way of life cannot promise a life free of cancer, but it can reduce many of the risk factors associated with cancer. Living a yoga lifestyle for cancer prevention becomes a lifetime program along with sound nutrition and a healthy way of living. Obviously, this is a daily commitment for one’s entire life. Unfortunately, cancer doesn’t take a break.

Way of Life

“According to the U.S. government, 53 percent of all illness is caused by lifestyle choices. That makes daily meditation and Yoga Science the cheapest and most practical form of health insurance available.” – Leonard Perlmutter, founder of the American Meditation Institute. Therefore, we can consider the yoga lifestyle for cancer prevention to be similar to a seatbelt in an automobile. We know seatbelts save lives, but they cannot prevent accidents. The challenges of life are not always predictable. Yet, we may be able to take action that protects the amount of damage experienced.