The therapy and treatment stages for a cancer patient can be excruciatingly difficult. Extended rounds of chemotherapy and radiation have been known to bring on many side effects that have an impact on quality of life. Luckily there have been growing options in complementary treatment options that are directed towards alleviating some of these symptoms. One of the popular and growing options includes Bikram yoga, primarily because of its ability to mix both physical and mental benefits for patients.
Bikram yoga has a great impact on regular participants for its ability to cleanse the body and its impact on cancer patients is no different. Patients have been known to help reduce their acidity through hot yoga. Acids are removed from the body during hot yoga through working the lungs with heavy breathing, the kidneys with increased metabolism and heart rate, and creating an alkaline environment within the body. All three of these elimination methods help to cut down on the acidity within these cancer patients.
Hot yoga also allows patients a chance to get more oxygen in the body. Because breathing is such a heavy focus during hot yoga, they help to move stagnant air out of the lungs. What this is doing is taking out acids and making room for oxygen to come in. This oxygen goes on to diffuse in the blood and be carried throughout the body of a patient.
Perhaps the biggest reason that hot yoga is so popular with cancer patients is because of the ability to connect the mind and body. The treatment stages of cancer can be busy, stressful, and fearful. Hot yoga provides a chance to reconnect the mind and body through tranquility and peace. All types of yoga, including hot yoga can help people to find peace of mind. A great example of the impact that hot yoga can have on cancer patients involves its help with mesothelioma patients. This is a type of cancer that results from asbestos exposure and forms within the lining of the lungs and abdomen area. These patients have an extremely low average life expectancy and hot yoga has been known to give them peace of mind and tranquility during the stressful and fearful time following diagnosis. The ability of hot yoga to have astounding mental benefits is one of the main reasons it is continuing to grow as a complementary treatment option.
While hot yoga is not as popular with cancer patients as traditional forms of yoga, it is continuing to grow. More research from physicians and scientific evidence will continue to make hot yoga a great option to cancer patients looking for a complementary therapy to alleviate some of their side effects.
Krista Peterson is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer. As a health and safety advocate, she shares a strong passion for the wellness of others in her community. Krista has been practicing yoga for 3 years and loves to encourage others to do so as well. Through her writings, she helps to spread awareness of such issues as cancer and chronic illness and how they can be treated." If you wish to contact Krista she can be reached at krista.peterson925@gmail.com
