A cancer diagnosis and treatments of cancer pose emotional pressures to the patient. We find that yoga can help. For instance, treatment regimens for cancer pose serious side effects such as change in appearance, loss in libido, hair loss, fatigue, nausea, pain, infections, low blood counts all of which have a huge impact on the overall quality of life (QOL).

Other side effects associated with extended stay in hospital, invasive treatment procedures, surgery and radiation are an increase fear and anxiety.

Moreover, advances in early cancer detection and treatments have improved survival rates and a lot more people today live longer than ever before. Surviving cancer, however, also means living with the reminder of the disease, worry about reoccurrence, worry if the cancer has progressed and worry about dying of cancer.

These sets of anxieties together with the side-effects of treatments for cancer can lead to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and pain symptoms.

Studies show that aside from physical benefits:

• Yoga can reduce self-reported depression.

• Yoga can help reduce states of anxiety. For instance, breathing techniques such as Bhastrika, Kapalabhai, and Ujjayi pranayama have anti-depressant effects.

• Yoga can help reduce the stress for patients undergoing active cancer treatment as well as in survivors.

• Yoga has been used in the management of a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, it helps dealing with side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea and pain.