What happens in a yoga class for cancer survivors?

Chances are you have seen a yoga class, whether it be on television, in a photograph, or even walking past a studio. But at Wild Grace Arts a yoga class for anyone living with cancer, survivors and caregivers is just a little bit different.

First, we sit in a circle. I’ve found that this arrangement creates a unification throughout the class and encourages the feeling of belonging and community cohesion. While traditional yoga classes begin with silence and self-reflection we take the time to chat and check-in with each other. It’s this time when students can talk about how they are doing, what treatments they’re currently undergoing, what fears they may have, really anything on their mind. We also use this time to provide feedback. Maybe a fellow student has already been through the same treatment or feels exactly the same way. In this manner my yoga class is very much like a support group setting. Over the years I am continually reminded how therapeutic it is to be able to tell your story to a sensitive listener.

Of course, we practice yoga too! And again, don’t worry if you have never done yoga before. We are very skilled at adapting yoga poses to meet the needs of any health or fitness level. This class is gentle, designed to release stress and optimize immune system function.

We also work to improve our relationship with our bodies. It’s about expressing gratitude to the body that we have in the present moment. Self observation without judgment is an important part of our practice. In a yoga class for cancer survivors (remember, survivorship begins the day you are diagnosed) we don’t dwell on who you were before your diagnosis. Instead we move forward and think about who you are now.

If you are interested in joining the group I would invite you to come and check it out. The first class is free. We meet every Tuesday from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at Wild Grace Arts located at 507 Cherry St. SE in downtown Olympia. An 8 class card costs $80.00. Family, supporting friends and caregivers are also invited to participate. Give yourself the gift of a therapeutic yoga class. You deserve it! I look forward to meeting you on the mat.

Editor's Note: Yoga Loft located at 219 Legion Way SE, Suite 202, is also part of the Providence Integrative Cancer Care Program. Taught by Maureen Oar, RYT, classes are every Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. You can register for either class by calling 360.412.8951.

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Combating survivor's guilt

The following was received via our "Suggest a Blog Topic" feature. If you would like to write in please click here to use the form provided.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in October of 2009, I had my first chemo treatment in Dec of 2009 and had my last chemo in April of 2010. I had complications from the chemo and radiation that required me to go back to the oncology clinic on a regular basis for labs and fluids through August of 2010. I still have monthly visits to have my port flushed and for routine labs that require me to continue to visit the clinic. There are times when I walk into the clinic and see so many people struggling with their personal battle against cancer and often feel like I am intruding as I am now well into my recovery phase. I find myself feeling guilty as I still have my hair, I am not wrapped in a blanket sick from the chemo, and am sitting next to patients that may see me as ‘too healthy’ to be there.

What you are describing is called "survivor guilt" and it is not at all unusual during recovery from cancer and its treatment. Guilt after surviving a trauma also can occur after war, plane crashes, natural disasters, and other events where people feel they have no control over outcomes. Just as cancer is actually hundreds of different diseases with a myriad of treatments, there are also a variety of emotional responses one may have throughout the cancer journey.

Every individual diagnosed with cancer is on their own journey. The waiting room in a cancer treatment center is filled with individual stories, some very painful and others uplifting and healing. When we focus on the superficial exterior of others, we sometimes miss the complexity and depth of their experience. Some individuals with early stage disease, minimal treatment with few side effects and excellent prognosis suffer more emotionally than those with later stage disease and poor prognosis. Judging what others may or may not be experiencing and then judging ourselves can be paralyzing.

Cancer is not equitable or fair; accepting what you can control and releasing what you cannot can be therapeutic. Some cancer survivors describe that they feel less guilt when they "give back" to the cancer community in some way. The period after cancer treatment ends can be a ripe time for self-reflection and an examination of how to move forward. Seeking help from a mental health professional or spiritual adviser can significantly help cancer survivors process their experience, reassess goals, and realize being in each moment.

You might also like:

• Who is a cancer survivor? What's in a name?
• Soup ladies warm hearts of cancer patients

 Other resources:

• curetoday.com: "Getting Through Survivor Guilt"

A 2011 resolution: Exercise more to help your cancer treatment

"Exercise, Me, are you joking?" This is a comment that I have heard many times over by those in treatment who simply cannot imagine another part to their cancer treatment. As a lymphedema therapist at Providence St.Peter Hospital Outpatient Lymphedema clinic I have had the privilege in my 6 years specializing to work closely with numerous cancer patients on their treatment journey.

Exercise is often viewed as a double sided coin; on one side is the desire to work out and the other is the fear of the unknown and how exercise will effect someone going through cancer treatment. In fact, The American Cancer Society advises that individuals going through cancer treatment, with approval from your doctor, benefit from moderate activity 3-5 times a week. Moderate activity is defined as the equivalent to a brisk walk OR performing a task where you can still carry on a conversation.

Exercise has many positive side effects in cancer patients such as:

• Decreasing fatigue, nausea, anemia
• Improving mental clarity
• Promoting a sense of well being
• Reducing stress
• Reduce the deconditioning that can come with decreased activity

If you have found yourself feeling "tight" after surgery or radiation or "drained" from chemotherapy simple stretching can be a wonderful tool to helping you feel "more like you."

Exercise does not have to be a structured program! Just getting up and moving will help and feel good. Simple housework and your daily routine may be enough. Did you know vacuuming or mopping burns ~150 calories an hour? Calculate how much you're already doing with The American Cancer Society's exercise calculator.

Your body will tell you if you’ve done too much or are where you should be. Again, be sure to talk with your doctor and consider keeping an exercise journal. That way you can track your progress and check in at your appointments to make sure you're on the right track for you.

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• You don't have to put up with cancer related fatigue
• Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe

What is yoga and how can it help me?

You are probably familiar with the phrase “fight-or-flight response” but just as a refresher, imagine a caveman a billion years ago out walking in the forest. Suddenly he encounters a saber tooth tiger. Immediately he has to make the decision to stay and fight the tiger or flee as fast as he can. It is this decision to stay and fight or run away as fast as he can that engages the sympathetic nervous system.

What happens when the sympathetic nervous system is engaged?
The stress response is activated and all muscles are primed and ready to go. Heart rate and blood pressure increase and your body starts producing adrenaline. This stress response stops or slows down several processes in the human body, most notably those surrounding urinary and bowel movements, the need to eat and the desire for sexual arousal. If you think about it, it makes sense. That same caveman doesn’t need to be worrying about any of the above while he’s trying to overcome the menacing stare of the saber tooth. Most importantly this stress response diminishes the effectiveness of the bodies immune system. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol interfere with the mission of our white blood cells, the very cells that destroy cancer cells.

How does my body recover from this response?
In theory, once the caveman has either run from or defeated the tiger his body will activate his parasympathetic nervous system allowing his heart rate and blood pressure to decrease; restoring the body’s natural functioning. This period is often referred to as “rest-and-digest” and when the nervous system goes parasympathetic the immune system gets cracking and does its best work to protect your health destroying disease causing cells. A gentle yoga practice teaches you many skillful ways to shift your physiology and optimize your immune function. This ancient system of self care uses deep breathing techniques, mindful movement sequences, intelligent stretching, deep relaxation and meditation techniques to give you a wonderful antidote to the stress response.

What does a saber tooth tiger have to do with cancer treatment?
The domino effect of challenges that a cancer diagnosis requires creates more stress than your body would normally encounter. Chances are the caveman didn’t encounter a menacing tiger every day of the week, meaning his body was always given time to “rest-and-digest”. Unfortunately the fast paced lifestyle of today’s society seems to plant tigers around every corner, just waiting to pounce. Scientists know that when your body spends too much time in a stress response your immune system is suppressed and your body is left open to infections and a variety of stress related illnesses.

This is where yoga comes in. The practice of yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system causing a cascade of physiological changes in the body that supports holistic health. Nearly everyone can benefit from yoga, but as part of Providence’s Integrative Cancer Care Program we firmly believe that therapeutic yoga can complement conventional medical care.

Cancer: What's in a diagnosis?

When you or someone you love receives a diagnosis of cancer you find out a few things.

First, the type of cancer. These terms you are probably familiar with: breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer … the list goes on. In fact, The National Cancer Society reports there are around 200 types of cancer.

The next modifier you receive will most likely be a number, I, II, III or IV. The stage of cancer reflects how far the cancer has spread through your body.

• Stage I indicates that the cancer is small and still contained within the organ of origination. 
• Stage II indicates a larger size than stage I but the cancer is still contained in the organ of origination. In some cases the cancer may have spread to the lymph nodes closest to the affected organ.
• Stage III indicates a larger cancer in which the spread has surpassed the organ of origination and is now affecting the surrounding tissues and the nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage IV indicates that the cancer has spread from the organ of origination into another body organ.

Your physician may also use terms like, “localized,” “regional,” and “distant”. These are simply a different way of categorizing the stage of cancer. A good rule of thumb is, the lower the stage the more localized the cancer.

With every cancer diagnosis you will also receive a treatment plan where you and your physician will talk in-depth about the benefits and risks of all your options and inevitably your chance of beating cancer. While we say that the lower stage the higher an individual’s survival chances the reality is that we are continually making strides in the treatment of late stage cancer.

In all cancer diagnoses it’s important that you work with your entire care team to develop an integrated approach to treatment, combining the latest advances in science with healthy life options.

You might also like:

• Lynns #1 lesson: There are no stupid questions
• Who is a cancer survivor? What's in a name?
• Integrative care basic and what others are saying