Yoga and Cancer

“Yoga Practice Improves Sleep Quality and Reduces Fatigue in Cancer Survivors”

I’m excited about this news!

The latest medical findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) are that practicing yoga improves sleep and overall quality of life in cancer survivors.  It also improves fatigue.  Both fatigue and poor sleep quality are widespread and troubling side effects for people going through cancer, and significantly affect quality of life.

The largest randomized controlled study ever to examine the value of yoga specifically designed for cancer survivors, overwhelmingly showed reductions in the need for sleep medication.

Participants decreased their use of sleep medication by 21%, compared with the control group, who increased the use of sleep medication by 5%.

“This is a readily applicable approach that improves quality of life and reduces medicine intake in cancer survivors…a real positive,” said George W. Sledge, Jr., MD, president-elect of ASCO.

The use of complementary medicine, including yoga, is common among cancer survivors, particularly women. Dr. Sledge pointed out that this study is “a creative application of scientific technique to complementary and alternative medicine approaches.”

“It 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 United States.”

This confirms my experience, studies and anecdotal research over the last 5 and a half years working with Quest for Life.

Karen Mustian, PhD, MPH, professor of radiation oncology and community and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester in New York, explained that the cancer survivors who participated in the study were enrolled into a specialized program known as YOCAS (Yoga for Cancer Survivors).   The instructors were Yoga Alliance–certified, and received specific training for the YOCAS program.

The participants of the study were mainly female (93%), with an average age of 54 years, and 75% had a diagnosis of breast cancer. Patients were randomized to either usual follow-up care or usual care plus yoga. Both groups met the clinical cutoff criteria for impaired sleep quality, and baseline assessments for sleep and fatigue used standardized and traditional tools that are common in oncology.

At the start of the study, 84% of the yoga group and 83% of the control group had clinically impaired sleep quality. At the end of the 4-week study period, 31% of the yoga group had recovered and no longer had clinically impaired sleep quality, whereas only 16% of patients in the control group experienced recovery.

Patients in the yoga group experienced a greater reduction in fatigue than those the control group and a greater reduction in daytime sleepiness.

Those in the yoga group improved their quality of life, whereas those in the control group did not experience any improvement in quality of life.

One of the most important outcomes was that those in the yoga group reduced their use of sleep medication by 21%, compared with those in the control group, who increased their use by 5% during the study period.

“In conclusion, we can state that it is possible that (specialized) yoga and restorative yoga might be useful to cancer survivors in helping these side effects that impair quality of life,” said Dr. Mustian.

I read a lot of research in Cancer and exercise, the benefits of Yoga and meditation and I am glad that this report specifies that this was a very specific Yoga Program. I have found not all yoga is a fit, nor is all yoga appropriate for people with cancer. It is very specialized.  It confirms my findings, experience and research from working with thousands of people with cancer and life threatening illnesses over the course of 5 years. And also validates my decision to teach a training program for yoga teachers to work with people with cancer.

I will be speaking about this at the Yoga Australia Conference in Melbourne in April and will write more on this later.  If you have any questions or comments about this I’d love to hear from you.

Bernadette Arena

 

Bernadette Arena

Bernadette has worked with the Quest for Life Foundation since early 2006 and is the Senior Facilitator on our residential programs.  Her work is treasured by our participants and our team. She has also been developing and refining a deep understanding of the use of appropriate yoga and meditation approaches for use in oncology and with serious illness.

Bernadette maintains close association with International Yoga Teachers Association and is a senior lecturer for their Teacher Training Course.  She has designed and delivered yoga teacher training courses for other organisations.  During 5 years in the UK she taught retreats, workshops and classes across the UK and in Europe and worked as a personal ‘lifestyle’ coach.  Bernadette brings a gentle and loving nature with insight and compassion borne out of her experience. She can assist a deeper connection with the body as a means to rejuvenate the spirit.

 

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Recapture the Wonder

Now is the time to …

recapture the wonder

Chase back through the years.
Remember that sense of wonderment you had as a kid:
that driving curiosity,
that wide-eyed thirst for knowledge.
It’s still there.
Sometimes it’s buried under responsibilities.
But it’s still in you.
Release it.
Embrace it.

‘Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up’

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

“Now Is the Time – 170 ways to seize the moment” Patrick Lindsay

How many of us lose our sense of wonderment when we are stressed, when we are unwell or when we are feeling sad?  I value being reminded of my thirst for knowledge, which is still as strong as it was. The more I learn and understand about life, myself and others, the more I realise there is to know, and I find that incredibly stimulating and exciting.

Today I turned a beetle over that was lying on its back, feet scrabbling in the air.  It took some time as the earth was uneven, however once it was back on its feet, on its way it went into the bushes.  Such a simple act, yet so rewarding and a reminder of the little things that can make up our day.

Alexia Miall

Alexia Miall

Alexia’s career began in banking and then moved via advertising to a major career change in 1980 to Adult and Transformational Education.  She has been privileged to share this incredible journey with 1000’s of like minded souls through her extensive experience as a facilitator, trainer, life coach, therapist, and mentor.  She managed her own training company in Victoria during the 1990’s, and during this time was the Course Leader for a training program from which the Banksia Environmental Foundation formed.

Alexia has acquired further education in Adult Education in Training; Somatic Psychotherapy; Life Coaching; Conflict Resolution; plus Accreditation in many behavioral and culture change models. She is an Associate of EcoSTEPS, a niche Sustainability consultancy, which supports her love of the natural environment.

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Resilience – a personal story

Photo Courtesy of http://www.flood-pictures.com

My son is now 19 years old. My daughter is 17 and my step daughter is 29.

13 years ago, when they were 6, 4 and 16, my husband took them all to visit a friend in Kangaroo Valley while I was away at a conference in Forster.

On the way down it started to rain. Then it started to pour. By the time they got to Kangaroo Valley it was torrential. It was getting dark.

With less than a kilometre to go until they reached our friend’s farm, my husband came to a causeway. It was covered in water.

He stopped the car. He waded in carefully. It seemed safe. They drove through with no problem.

With less than 500 metres to go until they reached our friend’s farm, another causeway appeared out of the now dark and gloomy night.

He stopped the car. He waded in carefully to check the depth. It seemed safe.

They drove through but as they got into the middle, a huge flash flood of water picked the car up carried it away. They dropped into the creek below and were soon ‘sailing’ blindly to they knew not where.

I assume there was a fair bit of screaming and terror at that time. I can only imagine the scene as if in a horror film. I was not there so this is only my understanding of what happened.

The first I heard of anything being amiss was a phone call the next day. “This is Nowra Police … then after what seemed an ETERNITY… everyone is ok”.

My beloved children and husband had spent the night soaking wet and climbing in and out of the car and onto the roof as the water rose and subsided. Tied onto a tree. Each with a ‘buddy’. Rescued using a flying fox by emergency workers the following day. Thank God.

When I saw the television footage, it broke my heart. My little boy looked so lost. My husband finally letting the tears of relief and exhaustion flow after protecting his kids all night long. My little girl in a silver aluminium blanket. My step daughter looking shattered.

I wanted that TV camera out of their faces… but what a hero my husband was. I felt so proud of him. I never blamed him. It was an accident.

They were all safe. It was all over… but trauma is a fickle beast and jumps up and bites when you least expect it.

The kids seemed fine at first but as time went on, my boy began to fear storms (why wouldn’t he?). That year, we were on the tail end of the hail storm that devastated the eastern suburbs of Sydney. He was terrified.

As a therapist myself, I knew the signs and took him straight to a psychologist. He was wonderful and it did help. For some kids, this treatment is enough. We had a star chart and rewarded him and he got a little better but he was still in fear of storms and after some time had passed, the trauma reaction returned.

One night while it was stormy outside and he was feeling very scared again, I said to him, “what do you feel like doing darling?” and he replied “I just want to get under the doona with you mummy and hide”.

So that is just what we did. We had a little party under the doona while the storm raged outside. Just the two of us. He felt safe at last. He continued to ask for the doona party for at least another year or so every time it stormed and blew a gale and we were all happy to oblige. The whole family joined in sometimes. It became fun!

And gradually, and without our even noticing it, he stopped asking.

So listen to your heart and ask your kids what will help. You might be amazed at what they instinctively know…

PS. He no longer fears storms and my youngest girl only remembers how fun it was to go on a flying fox … go figure.

Margie Braunstein

Margie Braunstein

Margie is a somatic psychotherapist and counsellor providing psychotherapy services to the people of the Central Coast and Sydney.  Margie lives on the beautiful Central Coast with her husband, two children, two dogs and a cat.

Over the last 12 years, Margie has also been engaged in the design, delivery and marketing of transformational learning programs. During this time she has regularly facilitated personal development programs for up to 50 people on weekend workshops, week-long intensives and advanced programs of 3-4 months.

Margie has a Graduate Certificate in Adult Education from UTS, Diploma in Psychotherapy from the Australian College of Contemporary Somatic Psychotherapy and qualifications in somatic therapy, executive coaching and relationship counselling.

Margie has a passion for personal development and regards people with respect, empathy and compassion in the belief that while we all do the best we can, a little bit more kindness and care can lead to even greater peace and joy in life.

 

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To Tweet or not to Tweet

My kind of Tweet

My friend is a self confessed Twitter addict.  She recently went on a personal retreat and decided to stop, cold turkey, her daily Tweets.  Her revelation? (and her disappointment,) “No-one noticed!”

I’ve been thinking about this.  Often people encourage me to embrace this social medium – and I can see some benefits    It captures the immediacy and intimacy of an event.   Yet, I also see it as a vehicle for an instant reaction rather than a considered response to something.

It’s said that Twitter is blogging for lazy people – short, sharp, punchy.  With instantly updated information and all the random stuff, you can find what anyone is talking about, anytime.  You can find what’s “trending” (does that word makes you cringe too?)

So much information I could really care less about.  And the dodgy spelling and grammar…

Twittering, would require work and time. Already I limit my time at the computer.  And I don’t have an iPhone or an iPad (yes, I know how great they are, and how many amazing apps you have).

Short, sharp burst of information – no matter how inspiring – I just don’t get it.   (Though, I like the idea of following Stephen Fry, one of my heros, and a famous Twitter devotee).

Anyway, for now, I’m following a different kind of Twitter.  The tweets and twitterings at my kitchen window.

I live in the suburbs in a wee house, sheltered from the road by a narrow stretch of unkempt bush. It is visited daily by an astounding variety of birdlife.

As my time and mind are precious, the Twitter I’m focussing on is that of the wee wrens and robins and finches…   And the wattle birds, rosellas and honeyeaters…   Last spring I watched a baby spotted dove get its wings from the nest in the camellia tree near my verandah – it comes back to visit often.  Who knew?

The tiny darting scraps of feather and song give me such joy.  My whole being delights when I hear them, or catch a glimpse.

I had thought of birdwatchers (‘Twitchers’?) as strange folks with no social life and a serious list of birds – completely stereotypical (pidgeon-holed!), but I’m seeing the fascination.

I have bought a field guide, and I do have binoculars… but, if I appear in a khaki vest, with special kit or a twitching list, someone please intervene!

Bernadette Arena

Bernadette Arena

Bernadette has worked with the Quest for Life Foundation since early 2006 and is the Senior Facilitator on our residential programs.  Her work is treasured by our participants and our team. She has also been developing and refining a deep understanding of the use of appropriate yoga and meditation approaches for use in oncology and with serious illness.

Bernadette maintains close association with International Yoga Teachers Association and is a senior lecturer for their Teacher Training Course.  She has designed and delivered yoga teacher training courses for other organisations.  During 5 years in the UK she taught retreats, workshops and classes across the UK and in Europe and worked as a personal ‘lifestyle’ coach.  Bernadette brings a gentle and loving nature with insight and compassion borne out of her experience. She can assist a deeper connection with the body as a means to rejuvenate the spirit.

 

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Sweet Dreams

Sleep deprivation is a serious health problem in our overly busy, stress-filled world.  If you have trouble sleeping, try this meditation to help you relax and ready yourself for bed.

Benefits

• Helps clear your mind
• Induces relaxation
• Strengthens your immune system

Meditation

When

If you are having trouble getting to sleep, try this simple meditation to help you relax.

Preparation

Prepare yourself for bed

Practice

1. Make sure your bedroom is quiet.  Get into bed and turn off the lights.  Ensure that your curtains or shades are pulled closed to keep out any lights from the street.
2. Stretch out on your back and get comfortable.  Tense up your body as much as you can and then relax.  Repeat three times.
3. Slowly breathe into your lower abdomen 20 times.
4. Now with each in-breath, breathe in peace, and with each out-breath, breath out the cares of your day.  Release your worries and welcome pleasant dreams.  Ask that your dreams be helpful.  Surrender to deep relaxation as you let go more and more.  Feel yourself sinking into a deep, healing and rejuvenating sleep.

If you are like most people, you get seven or eight hours of sleep a night – if you are lucky.  Experts suggest that you need a minimum of eight to nine to be at your best physically and mentally.  As well as not getting enough sleep, you may have insomnia, or at least difficulty falling asleep.  Stress and late-night television can leave you simultaneously wide-awake and exhausted.  Over time, getting less sleep than you need will harm your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to illness.

“The Meditation Bible- A definitive guide to Meditations for every purpose”            Madonna Gauding

Alexia Miall

Alexia Miall

Alexia’s career began in banking and then moved via advertising to a major career change in 1980 to Adult and Transformational Education.  She has been privileged to share this incredible journey with 1000’s of like minded souls through her extensive experience as a facilitator, trainer, life coach, therapist, and mentor.  She managed her own training company in Victoria during the 1990’s, and during this time was the Course Leader for a training program from which the Banksia Environmental Foundation formed.

Alexia has acquired further education in Adult Education in Training; Somatic Psychotherapy; Life Coaching; Conflict Resolution; plus Accreditation in many behavioral and culture change models. She is an Associate of EcoSTEPS, a niche Sustainability consultancy, which supports her love of the natural environment.

 

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Stress Reduction Tips Part 2

Continued….. Read Part 1 of Stress Reduction Tips by Petrea King here.

A tranquil spot at the Quest for Life Centre

8. Live in the present.

Wherever you are, be there! The past cannot be undone. Many of the things that we think will happen never do. The present is full of possibility and potential. When we are stressed, our view of the world shrinks and solutions seem to evade us. Planning and evaluating are very important. Much of our stress comes from the worry of what might happen in the future or the regrets of the past. A good day’s worry is far more exhausting than a good day with an axe. When we’ve had a good day with an axe we fall into bed and sleep like a baby. When we’ve spent a day worrying, we twitch all night and sleep is illusive. If you need to forgive yourself or others in order to release yourself from the past then learn from the experience, forgive and move on with greater knowledge and understanding.

Dealing with the past

A reaction to disappointing previous performance is best handled in three stages. First, on the emotional level, it may be necessary to experience the anger or frustration. If the emotion is a negative one, the second stage is reaching an acceptance of the performance and “letting go.” Finally, you should evaluate what you’ve learned from the experience.

Dreading the future

Catastrophic expectations of what you will do, or what will happen in the future can be harnessed as well. One way is to imagine the same situation happening to a friend. Since you can be more objective when you are not involved, this may help you recognise that your fears are exaggerated and that positive results are also possible.

Focusing on the present: It’s possible to bring yourself into the present by focusing on the information currently coming to you through your five senses. Your body is always in the present whereas the mind jumps ahead into the future or focuses on things from the past. By bringing the attention of your mind to the experiences of your body, you automatically bring your awareness into the present moment. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Taste? Touch? This is a helpful reminder that NOW is.

9. Exercise.

Exercising for 40 minutes can reduce stress levels for up to three hours. Find regular and enjoyable exercise, which can be realistically incorporated into your week. Four or five times a week is a good goal to aim for.

10. Breathe deeply.

Before a potentially stressful encounter or complex meeting, stop, bring yourself into the present moment and breathe! A few long slow deep breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth will help you release any anticipatory tension. Breathe in relaxation, breathe out stress. To stop tension from building up throughout your working day, stop regularly, bring your focus back to the present by connecting with the senses of your body and take half a dozen long slow deep breaths. Leave aside the tensions of the past and focus once more upon the job at hand.

11. Learn to relax.

Familiarity with progressive relaxation techniques helps us to recognise when we are becoming stressed. Having the ability to physically unwind is the first step to letting go mental tension. Regular use of a good relaxation tape will take the stress out of learning the technique!

12. Learn to meditate.

Learning to meditate can be the next simple step in relaxing the mind so that it becomes quieter. With a quiet and focused mind our intuition, inspiration and imagination become more readily accessible. Meditation need have no religious association though many people feel they become more spiritually alive when they meditate regularly. Meditation is one of the greatest tools for improving clarity, concentration and memory and for achieving mastery over our lives.

13. Have a purpose.

Get passionate about something! Learn to recognise and fulfil your purpose. If we are engaged in activities and relationships that are nurturing and fulfilling to us, we are less likely to find them stressful. When we feel passionate and enthusiastic about something we can speak from a real sense of authentic genuineness. Nothing beats authenticity.

14. Take care of your body.

A healthy mind in a healthy body gives us the best chance of accomplishing our purpose. Increase your fibre intake by including plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes and cereals. Reduce your intake of red meat to once or twice a week and replace it with seafood or chicken. Maintain your ideal body weight. Cutting back on fatty food will lower your total cholesterol and help you lose weight. Have at least two alcohol- free days a week. Stop smoking. Get adequate good quality rest and sleep.

Petrea King

N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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Stress Reduction Tips

This two part series from Petrea King is a great way to start the New Year on a good note. Put these things in place early in the New Year to ensure you have a balanced and grounded year.

Stress Reduction Tips

Techniques to manage stress are essential for everyone at one time or another. Stress of itself is not the problem, it is how we handle it that becomes the issue. Overcoming challenging stresses in our lives gives us a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. It is when stress is overwhelming and we feel out of our depth that the knowledge of stress reduction skills become essential for our peace of mind. So whether you feel seriously “stressed-out” or find yourself occasionally feeling too pressured for your liking, you can only benefit by trying some of these proven techniques for reducing stress levels and managing the remaining stress in a more effective way.

1.      Use “self-talk” to abort the stress response.

Self-talk simply involves telling yourself to slow down, to get to a point of high concentration and great relaxation. “My arms and legs are heavy and warm. My heartbeat is calm and regular. My body breathes freely and comfortably. I feel relaxed and at ease.”

2.      Identify and “defuse” your stressors.

Locate your stressors (those things that stress you) and deal with them. Ask yourself what they are. When you get stressed, acknowledge that you are upset with an “I am angry” statement, and then take time out. You can’t change a reaction when you’re in the middle of one. Once you’re calm again, write down your reaction and think of ways you can more constructively redirect the response. For instance, ask yourself, “How would I like to respond?” What are your options? Choose alternate, acceptable responses and remind yourself of them day after day. Eventually, you will condition yourself to react differently.

3.      Laugh it off by consciously incorporating more humour in your life.

Learn to not take yourself quite so seriously. Your body secretes endorphins when you laugh. These natural hormones give you a natural high. Where possible, escalate a smile into a chuckle, a chuckle into a laugh and a laugh into a belly- shaking one. Humour can smooth over many a difficult moment or make a tedious task more enjoyable. Humour helps create “common ground” in relationships.

4.      Try “physical impact activity.”

Or, in simple terms, hit something! The key to this is to do so as a means of preventative medicine. Exploding can be an excellent release of tension. Tennis, squash and handball are great stress relievers two or three times a week. So are jogging and body surfing.           Golf – because it requires you to be too precise and controlled – may be not so stress relieving.

5.      Embark on self-discovery.

Become aware of your attitudes, beliefs and responses. Change your view of yourself. Take responsibility for your own perceptions of yourself. Do you love, respect and appreciate yourself? What has to change for that to happen? Be open to change and learn to take a risk in making yourself more emotionally vulnerable with people you trust.

6.      Turn off the radio and TV for one week.

Or at least avoid what has come to be called “news”. Spend time looking for the good in the people around you, and comment when you see people doing something “right”. At the end of the week, evaluate how this experiment affected you.

7.      Recognise that you have control of your responses.

We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we react to the things that happen to us. We may not be able to avoid becoming emotionally upset, but we can control the intensity and duration of that upset. For example, instead of reacting depressed or hostile, we can learn to react as if only sad or irritated.

To be continued…..

Petrea King

Petrea King

N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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