YOGA IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY OF CANCER SURVIVORS

YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY
AND REDUCES FATIGUE IN CANCER SURVIVORS

www.medscape.com - Practicing yoga might improve sleep and overall quality of life in cancer survivors. It appears to also improve fatigue, which along with impaired sleep quality are the most prevalent and troublesome adverse effects experienced by cancer survivors. Both can significantly affect quality of life. Cancer survivors also reported reducing their need for sleep medication once they began a yoga program, according to the findings of the largest randomized controlled study ever to examine the value of yoga specifically designed for cancer survivors. Participants in the yoga program were able to decrease their use of sleep medication by 21%, compared with the control group, who increased their use of sleep medication by 5% during the same time period. Almost all participants were women (96%) and 75% were survivors of breast cancer. The results of the study are presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 46th Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

“This is a readily applicable approach that improves quality of life and reduces medicine intake in cancer survivors. This is a real positive,” said George W. Sledge, Jr., MD, president-elect of ASCO, during a press cast in which the results of the study were highlighted. Dr. Sledge pointed out that this study is “a creative application of scientific technique to complementary and alternative medicine approaches.” “Physicians frequently have trouble discussing these approaches with patients, but this study applies real science to the issue,” he said, adding that “this emphasizes the increasing importance of ameliorating complications of therapy in long-term cancer survivors, as there are literally millions of patients to whom this might be applicable in the USA.” Cancer survivors can cut down on sleep medications once they start specialized yoga programs.


The Yoga Asanas are a stage in the spiritual path under the system of Ashtanga Yoga. It is very encouraging that Western medicine use them to help patients who have suffered a disease so painful as cancer. Hatha Yoga tones the body, gives peace, smoothes emotions, strengthens the mind and restores the vital balance which was lost.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Overall benefits of the asanas: (a) Physically, the important endocrine system controls and regulates all the glands to secrete adequate amounts of various hormones, which affects both our physical and our mental activity to life. The Asanas can repair, rejuvenate and stimulate diseased organs, to resume its normal service. (b) Mentally, the Asanas strengthen the mind and allow you to endure the pain and unhappiness. (c) Spiritually, the Asanas are the third stage of the eightfold path of Ashtanga Yoga, in this context is the way to have a strong body to reach the most advanced techniques Pratyahara or withdraw the senses, which ultimately culminates in Samadhi which is the realization of Paramatma. Hatha Yoga attaches great importance to the purification of the body through Asanas.

Yoga Inbound :
“Hatha Yoga - Overall benefits of the Asanas”
http://www.yogainbound.org/ws/hatha-yoga
http://www.yogainbound.org/ws/hatha-yoga/30-articulos-interes/