Yoga and Thyroid Disease

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I thought this was interesting...

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

 

Yoga and Thyroid Disease

Dateline: 09/28/99

 

Yoga is an excellent alternative form of healing that is very suited to

the needs of thyroid patients. For beginners, yoga's gentle stretching and

emphasis on breathing can be done by almost anyone, and reaps immediate

rewards in terms of energy, reduction of stress levels, flexibility and

reduction of muscle and joint stiffness, and much much more in terms of

peace of mind and general harmony.

 

Yoga can also be of tremendous help as a healing therapy for people with

thyroid cancer. I invite you to read yoga instructor and thyroid cancer

survivor Teresa Campana's excellent article on Yoga and Cancer, for a

wonderful look at yoga and its role in healing and wellness for cancer

patients. Teresa will also be on hand to talk more about yoga at the

upcoming second annual Thyroid Cancer Survivor's Association (ThyCa)

Conference in October of 1999.

 

I've personally been a practitioner of yoga for several years, and have

found that it is an excellent way to tone muscles, eliminate aches and

pains, dramatically reduce stress, and help breathing. While I've also

tried to do aerobic exercise, I've found that I look forward to yoga --

unlike aerobics! -- and very quickly have very rapid results from

practicing even a few times a week. For me, and for many others, yoga is

much more than exercise -- it is bringing of mind and body and spirit into

balance!

 

The " Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Hypothyroidism " chapter

of my new book covers the subject of yoga and thyroid disease at great

length, including an in-depth interview with my own yoga instructor, Swami

Rameswarananda, of the Yoga In Daily Life Center -- US in Alexandria,

Virginia. I encourage you to visit the Yoga in Daily Life website for more

information on this innovative form of yoga practice.

 

The best benefits of yoga for people with any form of thyroid disease come

from regular practice of an overall program of yoga. There are many

sources of excellent yoga information on the internet. Some excellent

places to start include Yoga Class, a free, online yoga class featuring

audio and video yoga programs. You can also check out Yoga Journal, which

publishers a bimonthly magazine, and a directory of yoga organizations.

Their website also features an online directory of teachers.

 

I'd recommend finding a good yoga class if you can, but you can also start

with a home video. Two to consider are:

 

· VIDEO: Yoga Journal's Yoga Remedies for Natural Healing

There is probably no exercise better than yoga to help tune and tone the

overall body and regain energy lost to long-term chronic thyroid disease.

In this video, yoga master Rodney Yee presents a series of yoga workouts

dealing with various physical problems common to thyroid disease.

 

· VIDEO: Living Yoga - A.M./P.M. Yoga for Beginners Set

For thyroid sufferers looking for an excellent way to ease into gentle

exercise this video is a perfect start. A pair of yoga exercises designed

to start and end the day. Includes " A.M. Yoga for Beginners " and " P.M.

Yoga for Beginners. "

 

Poses for the Thyroid

 

There is a specific pose that is thought to be of great benefit to the

thyroid. It's known as a shoulder stand, or sarvangasan.

 

To perform a yoga shoulder stand, lie flat on your back, keep your legs

together, and raise up your legs until they are at a right angle to your

shoulders/neck, perpendicular to the floor. Tuck your chin into your

chest, and rest the weight of your body on your shoulders and elbows,

using your arms to support your hips. Try to practice until you can do a

shoulder stand for a full two minutes.

 

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yoga for thyroid cancer survivors

by Teresa Campana

 

Yoga for cancer patients? That's right, the ancient Indian practice of

postures, breathing and meditation may be just what the doctor ordered. As

a devout yoga practitioner and a fellow ThyCa survivor, my yoga practice

has deepened and produced incredible additional benefits since the day I

was diagnosed.

 

First, a brief explanation on yoga. Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning yoke

or union. I interpret it a the union of body, mind and spirit - or- a way

to achieve wholeness. It is a time-honored system of self care dating back

5,000 years. Yoga involves a gentle series of stretches and poses (or

postures), done slowly and with attention to your breath and related

sensations.

 

For the healthy population, yoga helps take of your body in the prevention

of illness or disease. The benefits are many: physically, it increases

flexibility and muscular strength; mentally, it helps us learn to work

beyond our physical limits through increasing levels of awareness. With

continued practice, yoga helps us read our body signals and helps us honor

the messages it send us in order to heal.

 

For those of us with medical challenges, the practice can help us move

beyond a restricted mindset of always being sick. Continually thinking of

yourself as being sick can evolve into a long-term, negatively reinforcing

message to your body on how its supposed to behave. With lack of exercise

over time, disuse atrophy or degeneration can set it. Muscle tone is lost,

particularly in the legs, the skeletal muscles weaken and become more

prone to injury - not to mention depression.

 

The beauty of yoga for cancer patients is it can practiced anywhere and

from any position - a hospital bed, chair or wheelchair, if standing isn't

possible. When starting out, you may wish to limit their practice to 10

minutes a day, as stamina builds. Most seasoned yoga practitioners go

1-1/2 hours or more each day.

 

As a thyroid cancer survivor, I found yoga incredibly beneficial from both

a mental and emotional standpoint following my diagnosis. It provided me

with a wonderful calming feeling and put my stress, and sometime sheer

terror, in check. Fatigue was obviously an issue during my trip through

" hypo hell " ; yoga can help energize - even if you are exhausted! Specific

postures can provide help for the following physical symptoms:

 

· backache

· fatigue

· indigestion

· headache

· stress.

 

Yoga also often incorporates the practice of guided imagery and

meditation. Meditation encourages a calm mind and body. It provides a

great opportunity to send your body healing messages. Studies have shown

it puts the body in a semi-drowsy state - awake but with intermittent,

undefined thoughts. EEG (electroencephalographic) studies demonstrate

prolonged periods of slowed brain wave patterns (theta waves) among

meditators. This hypagogic state equates to a deep state of relaxation.

 

Visualizations or guided imagery for cancer patients was pioneered by O.

Carl Simonton in the ''70's as a means of stimulating a healing response.

The original process focused on visualizing an increased number of

powerful immune cells as they battled cancer cells. Currently, there is a

trend towards a more balanced visualization by imagining a healing,

functioning body which redirects wayward cancer cells.

 

Yoga has several different branches. Hatha yoga is the type of yoga which

espouses physical movement. A type of hatha yoga particularly suited for

cancer patients is Integrative Yoga Therapy. It addresses a variety of

special needs beyond cancer survival, including AIDS, cardiac health,

hospice work and back and neck injuries. For a practitioner in your area,

contact 800-750-9642.

 

Best of luck of your cancer journey and Namaste!

 

Teresa Campana is a thyroid cancer survivor who is studying to be a yoga

teacher with emphasis on children and cancer patients. You can email her

at Yoga1tbc

 

 

 

 

 

 

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