| By now I am sure there are few among us whose | | | | ourselves. The study concluded that yoga is |
| lives haven't been touched by the affliction of Breast | | | | associated with beneficial effects on social functioning |
| Cancer. Whether it's a spouse, relative, friend or | | | | among a medically diverse sample of breast cancer |
| neighbor virtually everyone's network circle includes | | | | survivors. In other words, quality of life for patients |
| someone who is suffering or has suffered from this | | | | improves with regular yoga practice and outcomes |
| pervasive disease. Our discussion this month is based | | | | are likely improved. Looks like it's taken around 7,000 |
| on a recent paper entitled "Randomized Controlled | | | | years to get to that conclusion scientifically, but then |
| Trial of Yoga Among a Multiethnic Sample of Breast | | | | wasn't it only about 15 or so years ago that Time |
| Cancer Patients: Effects on Quality of Life" that | | | | informed us that men and women are different? |
| appeared in the August 20, 2007 Journal of Clinical | | | | Studies in North America, Europe, and Asia have |
| Oncology, Alyson B. Moadel, Chirag Shah, et.al. | | | | shown that women who exercise at moderate to |
| For the study, 128 patients from an urban cancer | | | | vigorous levels for more than three hours per week |
| center were randomly assigned to a 12 week yoga | | | | have a 30%-40% lower risk of breast cancer. This |
| program or to a 12 week waitlisted control group. | | | | reduced risk was found in women regardless of their |
| The groups were ethnically diverse, with 42% African | | | | family history of breast cancer and in women at |
| American and 31% Hispanic. The yoga group | | | | every level of risk for breast cancer. |
| participated in one gentle yoga class per week. The | | | | Generally, the higher the level of activity, the more |
| yoga program was developed by coauthor Chirag | | | | risk is reduced and while activity throughout one's life |
| Shah, an Oncologist and RYT, in conjunction with | | | | is important, activity at any age can help lower |
| experts in India and the United States. The program | | | | breast cancer risk. |
| consisted of physical stretches and poses, breathing | | | | With this wealth of data indicating clear benefits of |
| exercises, and meditation. All activities were | | | | our yoga practice, we can better appreciate how we |
| performed in a seated or reclining position, with props | | | | can help ourselves by continuing and deepening our |
| for support as appropriate. | | | | practice and also help others by encouraging them to |
| The results are hardly surprising to those of us who | | | | participate in a regular practice of their own. |
| have felt the benefits of regular yoga practice for | | | | Copyright 2007 George Carter. All rights reserved. |