Today there is a post on the NPR website about how yoga can help reduce breast cancer complications, by reducing fatigue. The statistic that women reported feeling 40% less fatigue when doing yoga is remarkable. This is a good reminder for teachers and students alike that the aim of a practice is to deeply restore the body, so that the person with cancer has greater inner reserves to heal. Poses like Viparita Karani, Baddha Konasana, Supta Virasana and Supta Padangushtasana help reduce inflammation in the body. “The participants who did yoga also had lower levels of cytokines, which are markers of inflammation, in their blood”. We refer to the blood as the prana, related to the pranic sheath (the prana kosha). Supported poses and supported pranayama are invaluable for supporting blood flow.
The article is a good reminder that deep rest, including savasana, yoga nidra and sleep help boost the body in the healing process.
