By DAN GALLAGHER
Associated Press Writer
(AP) BOISE, Idaho
Many Americans who have cancer have rushed through their daily grind until they are brought up short by a disease which wreaked havoc on their physical and emotional lives.
A growing number of hospitals and other organizations are discovering a tranquil 5,000-year-old therapy from India that may help them _ yoga.
"It's the oldest strategy for stress management," said Debra Mulnick, a registered nurse who offers classes through the Mountain States Tumor Institute at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Boise. "Our culture is just starved for the concepts we teach, such as how to be kind to ourselves. When we're tired, we usually just go for a triple latte and go for a run."
But cancer and treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation produce such side-effects as fatigue, nausea and pain from surgery. Running after a latte is not in order and even aerobic forms of yoga are not appropriate.
Society may look at yoga as a New Age whim, but advocates say that while it may not directly fight a tumor, it does have positive effects which can complement medication.
The American Cancer Society said research has shown that yoga can be used to control physiological functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, metabolism, body temperature, brain waves and other bodily functions.
Stress can weaken the immune system, making it even tougher to battle cancer.
Yoga means "union" in ancient Sanskrit, the language the first practitioners spoke, Mulnick said. The many yoga forms can involve stretching and strength exercises, deep breathing, meditation and religious observance.
"Ahimsa" means "nonviolence." But that means nonviolence to oneself, Mulnick said. Cancer patients may be extremely fatigued and a hard workout is not workable. She instead emphasizes relaxation and deep breathing.
"The goal isn't to reach a physical peak. It's the exact opposite of 'no pain, no gain.' You want to be nurturing," said Debra Murphy, who teaches yoga classes for cancer patients under the sponsorship of McCall Community Hospital north of Boise.
The two teachers said they tell participants that if a certain yoga move is painful, they should avoid it.
In Sanskrit, "pranayama" means "science of the breath." Yoga students consciously learn to breathe slowly and rhythmically. Sometimes the only thing cancer patients can do during yoga sessions is breathe deeply, but they can practice it at any time.
They can do the same with meditation.
The teachers said everyone has a continual internal monologue and the chatter is even worse when they are troubled, such as fighting cancer. Meditation allows them to focus their minds on other things, such as how their bodies feel.
"Sometimes, just a minute of not having those thoughts can be a reprieve," Mulnick said. "But the training has been shown to have lasting benefits for days and even weeks. People don't have to be pulled down a path of habitual worrying."
Murphy said a McCall psychiatrist visits her sessions to advise the participants in meditation.
"Sangha" means "community." The people in the yoga sessions realize they aren't alone in their cancer experiences.
Mulnick said the vast majority in her sessions are women. They can discuss side-effects from breast cancer and medication, such as hot flashes, insomnia and the early onset of menopause.
Murphy said one woman who finished cancer treatment found the yoga sessions had become a big part of her life.
"She said that when you're undergoing chemo, you feel like 'I've done everything I can.' But when you're done, you're in freefall. You need something to do."
Mulnick said she studied for five years under Jnani Chapman, a registered nurse and stress management specialist for the Breast Cancer Program at the University of California, San Francisco. Murphy has a doctorate in exercise science and specializes in adaptive exercise programs.
At the country's most prestigious cancer clinics, such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center in New York City, rolled-up yoga mats are a common sight. Yoga is routinely prescribed by oncologists for stress and to regain movement.
"These programs, more and more, will be part of what is offered," Mulnick said. "Yoga is not ever thought of as in lieu of professional treatment. But it's going to become a standard of care."
On the Net:
Mountain States Tumor Institute: http://www.stlukesonline.org/SLMSTI/info/healthnews.html
Sloan-Kettering Center: http://mskcc.org
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