This article was contributed by blogger Kathryn Livingston and Starseed yoga teacher Susan Herman, PhD to Montclair Patch on June 1, 2011. Photo credit Belinda Shimamoto
One of the reasons I’m so passionate about yoga is because it saved my life. I’m not saying it worked like a pill or surgery; but it gave me the inner strength and courage to face breast cancer. It just so happened that I had begun practicing yoga a year or so before my diagnosis, and I haven’t stopped practicing since. I just passed my five-year survivor date.
Because of my personal journey with yoga and breast cancer, I was thrilled to learn that Starseed Yoga & Wellness offers a free (donations accepted) class for women cancer survivors; I stopped in last week to give it a try. Yoga teacher/psychologist Susan Herman, PhD, calls it “Thrivers Class.” The group meets every Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Participants are in various stages of the cancer journey—some have just been diagnosed, others are in treatment, and others are well on the road to recovery. The class, Susan explains, is not just restorative (she includes some more challenging poses for those who are able), though all levels are welcome and no prior yoga experience is necessary. And of course, some restorative and less challenging poses are part of the class, as well as a yummy, resting, savasana (my favorite part). Susan is a trained Yoga for Cancer Survivors teacher and has studied many styles of yoga.
Why is yoga beneficial? Observes Susan Herman, yoga helps to address bone loss (often caused by chemo), it helps boost the immune system, speeds recovery, helps with fatigue, increases blood flow to the organs (especially with twists), and enhances a sense of well being. “Along the way students get more flexible and feel better about their bodies,” she adds. Yoga also helps us develop strength, courage and trust. Frankly, I don’t know how I would have made it through my cancer challenge without yoga.
I’m not alone in my opinion that yoga helps one cope with cancer. Many hospitals and health centers are now offering yoga to cancer patients. Therapists are recommending it, too, to deal with stress and anxiety issues. And studies are being conducted about yoga’s health benefits for cancer patients and survivors: in one, researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that breast cancer patients who practiced yoga experienced less stress and better quality of life. I’m also a supporting blogger for Dr. Susan Love’s Army of Women, an online effort to find the cause of breast cancer (http://www.armyofwomen.org). One of the AOW research studies currently being conducted at The Ohio State University examines the effects of yoga on fatigue, immune function and mood in breast cancer survivors.
But don’t take my word for it. If you are a woman facing or recovering from any type of cancer or know someone in the Montclair area who is, consider coming to Susan Herman’s class at Starseed Yoga & Wellness, 215 Glenridge Ave. (http://www.starseedyoga.com or call 973-783-1036). Once a week, for an hour and fifteen minutes, you’ll reap the many benefits of yoga, experience the support of other cancer survivors, and soak up the warmth, humor, and expertise of a petite teacher with a large and loving heart.
