Yoga, training and health inspiration for you

The life challenges that cancer brings sometimes seriously impairs your energy levels and ability to move around. With new circumstances you have to find new ways to increase wellbeing even though your physical ability has decreased. Is it possible to do yoga if it is not physically possible?

This is the fifth blog post in a series on living with cancer that I'll be writing the coming months. The introduction and links to the first blog posts, can be found in the first one; To live with, after and next to cancer.

Focus on wellbeing

Maybe you are fresh out of surgery. Or you are weakened from both the illness and the treatments and have become bedridden or in need of a wheelchair. Perhaps cancer and/or surgeries have caused you to lose bodily functions or body parts.

Yoga is by many viewed as a physical practice. When someone says “I do yoga” or “I’m going to yoga today” they usually mean doing poses in sequences on a yoga mat. So, what if that is not an option? Is yoga not for you if you can’t go to yoga class?

My boyfriend had a very rare type of cancer. The original tumor was on the urine bladder but there were several metastases in his spine already when he was diagnosed. During his illness he had three major surgeries – two to his back to stabilize the spine and reduce the metastases, and one in the abdominal to remove the original tumor. All the surgeries temporarily restricted him, forcing him to stay still and reducing his movement options. Eventually though, the tumor in the spine grew too big and he became paralyzed from the chest down. At the same time both the advancing cancer and the chemo made him weak and tired.

My boyfriend’s story is of course unique and only his, but it is not unusual. For so many diagnosed with cancer the impact on the body is very noticeable, leaving us to adjust to new circumstances and conditions all the time – temporarily or permanently.

Yoga didn’t become a part of my boyfriend’s life until he was paralyzed. Being a dedicated runner, he liked to run long and far. He never engaged in “yoga on a mat” before being paralyzed and wasn’t able to after. But he did find yoga helpful when he adjusted to his new circumstances living with cancer.

A little + often = a lot
Yoga offers a wonderful way to reconnect with yourself when you are going through hardship. Small movements and short exercises will improve body awareness; put focus on your vital breath; help you become aware of thoughts and emotions; and find relaxation – all of which increase both physical and mental wellbeing.

Though, it is a daily practice. Wellbeing is not a fixed state that we can accomplish, like a goal that we can “check off” and we’re done. It is a constant, ongoing way of showing up for ourselves – again and again.

To not be overwhelmed by “daily practice”, have this in mind: A little + often = a lot. We sometimes think that we have to do much and put in a lot of effort for something to have an effect. We think that if we can’t yoga for 60 minutes it’s not worth it. Forget about that.

Know that those two minutes you close your eyes and listen to your breath makes a difference.

Know that that gentle twist lying in bed makes a difference.

Know that sitting up and circle your arms a few times makes a difference.

Know that gently rubbing and massaging your feet makes a difference.

Know that taking a pause and paying attention to the constant stream of thoughts makes a difference.

Know that those seconds and minutes together equals a lot.

When cancer restricts and limits, we must try to change focus from what we no longer can do, to what we actually can do. Even if you struggle with your physical abilities there are still many ways for you to practice yoga and self-care. Doing yoga doesn’t require a yoga mat or being able to move around on it. Nor does it have to be a certain amount of time or specific postures. You can still do yoga, lying in a hospital bed recovering after surgery.

Take “A little + often = a lot” to your heart. Let those words guide you as you do what you can, with the energy level and movement ability you have right now.

Yoga, breathing and relaxation exercises online

Below you'll find some recommended videos to practice at home. Most of the videos are 5-10 minutes long. Some exercises and techniques can be done in lying in bed, even if they are shown standing or sitting in the videos.

Breath focus
After surgeries breath exercises are important. The anesthesia hampers the breath, and chest and abdominal surgery can make breathing painful. Always follow the guidelines from doctors and physical therapists, but you can keep strengthening your breathing with following exercises:

Yogobe Video: s65z Yogobe Video: 32uz

Sometimes there are no room, possibility, or energy for moving your body. Try this mini yoga using your fingers and hands. The Swedish and English version are slightly different, but both exercises help you land in your body and increase concentration and moment to moment awareness:

Yogobe Video: 37wr Yogobe Video: x53f

Relax and reconnect
Don’t be fooled that these videos are called Kids yoga. They are great – both for kids struggling with cancer, and for adults. Take part of Angelicas 5 super tricks for relaxation – short, simple, accessible to do anywhere!

Yogobe Video: kt93

Use these yoga stories to say Hi! to your body and connect to each body part.

Yogobe Video: 96re Yogobe Video: 93bz

This is a wonderful way to connect with your feet and the ground. Neuropathy is a common side effect and this gentle way of focusing on your feet can be helpful:

Yogobe Video: u45t

Gentle movements
These easy movements can be done anywhere. Stay in bed, get on the floor, or find a chair, and move your body for a while.

Yogobe Video: t68f Yogobe Video: p2d5 Yogobe Video: g23z

To watch a full video you need to be logged in as a paying Yogobe member. Haven't tried Yogobe before? Try it for free during 14 days – click here to get started!

War on cancer
The physical challenge is huge for a cancer patient. The mental and emotional challenge is at least as great. War On Cancer is a social media-app, a social network and community, where everyone affected by cancer have the opportunity to share their cancer experience and get in contact with others who actually understand. War On Cancer's mission is to put focus on, and radically improve, the mental health of everyone affected by cancer. The first step is the digital social network that creates belonging and community in a time of isolation and uncertainty. You are reminded that you are never alone. We'll fight cancer together.

Learn more about War On Cancer and download their app at waroncancer.com

Share your story, it will make a difference.

Read more

• Accessible yoga for everyone, by Sam Rudra.
• Full complete breathe technique, by Ulrica Norberg.
• Exploring the breath - Part 1, by Eleonora Ramsby Herrera.

I want you to be aware of what it is you really want to cultivate through your practice. Are you on the right path? Be curious and ask questions! For example if it is ok to ask yourself if the teacher in front of you is a person who inspires you both on and off the mat. Does their philosophy match with their everyday actions? When we take our first step on a spiritual path it is important to ask these questions to know what the path is really cultivating. 

Mismatches

The definition of Spiritual bypassing is to use spiritual terms to avoid the ‘mess’ of everyday life. Common examples are exaggerated detachment, emotional numbing, anger phobia and overemphasis on the positive. (Very prevalent in the spiritual social media world). When I lived in Thailand at a Tantra university I was guilty of Spiritual bypassing. I focused a lot on building energy into my heart chakra for two years and then believed myself to be so much in ‘anahata’ (the heart chakra) that I was far too loving to get angry.

In reality, I was scared of the emotion of anger and was using a spiritual belief to avoid dealing with emotions from the past that I had never integrated. If you keep shoving anything down in the dark for long enough its roar becomes louder, which is what eventually happened.

One of my teachers, Sarah Powers, talks about, not just waking up (reaching higher states of consciousness), but also growing up, (integrating and holding our emotions) and growing out (meeting ourselves with compassion so we can then share it with others).

Here are some examples of what I try to cultivate in my practice:

• Non judgmental loving awareness
  The moment I sit or stand on my mat I drop into moment to moment, non-judgmental, loving awareness. I check in with my body, with my emotions and then my mind. I try to see what is going on inside, (interoception) and by doing this frequently, in a loving way, it helps to regulate my emotions better.
  
  In our daily lives when an emotion comes up it is easy to be consumed by it and act from that emotional place. The more we practice mindfulness the more we can start to see what is going on in our inner landscape and choose how we respond to life.
  
  A choice is a spontaneous response, a reaction is usually a subconscious decision taken from outside our conscious control. (Think someone saying angry words that they regret after). Therefore, mindfulness practice is giving us more choices to respond to the ups and downs of life in a skilful way. It is teaching us to un-blend from the emotion, not to sit on it but to sit with the emotion in a loving way.

• Focus, Calm and Centring
  Have there ever been so many distractions over the course of humanity as now? I think not! Whether it is the TV, e-mails, Facebook or Instagram our attention spans are reportedly getting shorter and shorter.
  
  After the initial mindfulness of body, heart and mind I check in with the breath. At first, to notice the breath, is it soft or heavy? Loud or quiet? More in the left nostril or right nostril? More in the belly or chest? Everytime the mind wanders I bring it back to feeling the breath, without controlling the breath. This is starting to train the brain to focus on what we want to let go of. To attend to what we intend. This practice is literally building up the decision making part of the brain to help us not get so caught up in content but to choose which content is beneficial.
  
  Through practice it is easier to be present with our loved ones when we are at home. Instead of the planning mind sneaking in and getting caught up in thoughts of work we can let these thoughts go and give our entire attention to our loved ones. A rare and valuable gift!
  
  After this breath focus, I drop the awareness to the lower belly, and start to breath diaphragmatically, with an ujjayi breath, to a ratio of 5 in 5 out. By breathing diaphragmatically the abdominal organs and the vagus nerve (a nerve that runs through all the organs) get massaged and therefore the body moves into the ‘rest and digest’ branch of the nervous system and out the ‘fight of flight’ branch. In the rest and digest branch, the heart rate lower, blood pressure lowers, the immune system is boosted and digestion can occur.
  
  The breathing rhythm 5 in 5 out is also an optimum rhythm to relax the body and give the best fuel to the brain. From a more energetic point of view by dropping the awareness to the lower belly, we drop into the ‘hara’ - a place of ‘being’ not doing, a place where our intuition and natural intelligence can arise.

• Playfulness and Curiosity
  Look at any new born of any species and they come into the world with so much playfulness and curiosity, which as adults we sometimes forget and become far too serious. One fascinating study on bears showed that the bears who played the most lived the longest, which is a good enough reason for me.
  
  However, a posture can never be truly known. Each day is different, each moment and even each breath! In each posture we can cultivate a curiosity for what is alive right now. Physically am I stiffer on one side or the other in a posture? Does my mind wander in some postures more than others? What emotions or thoughts come up in each posture? Each posture is a wonderful frame for you to dive in and investigate what is happening here and now.
  
  These are some examples of tools I use to cultivate certain qualities in my life, as first you make habits then habits make you.
  
  To play is such a privilege as it means we are feeling safe, so if we feel safe enough in our practice how can we bring more curiosity and play into each moment? The ego likes to put things in a box, to think it knows something, so that it can put its attention elsewhere. An example of this would be childs pose, the mind thinks it knows this posture, so it wonders off to plan tomorrow.
  
  Here are some questions I encourage you to have in mind the next time you go to class or step on your mat; What do I want to cultivate more of in my life? Is this practice helping me to get there? How can I use this very moment to begin?

Video recommendations

Yogobe Video: tw35 Yogobe Video: g42f

To see a whole video you need to be logged in as a paying Yogobe member. Haven't tried Yogobe before? Try it out for 14 days for free – register here!

Read more about yoga and health

• Yoga is not important, by Simon Krohn
• Going outside, being lost, and staying found, with Frida Boström
• Prāṇa - does it really exist?, by Simon Krohn

Kiitollisuus vaikuttaa monella positiivisella tavalla elämänlaatuumme. Se muun muassa lisää onnellisuutta ja parantaa itsetuntoa, sekä lisäksi sillä on yhteys tavoitteelliseen toimintaan. Mutta tiesitkö että kiitollisuudella on myös monia sosiaalisia hyvinvointivaikutuksia?

Filosofit ja eri uskonnot ovat jo kauan pitäneet kiitollisuutta armon manifestaationa ja tärkeänä osana hyvinvointia. Tieteellisen määritelmän mukaan kiitollisuus koostuu kahdesta osasta: 1.pitää havaita elämässä oleva hyvä 2. ymmärrys siitä, että tuolla hyvällä on ulkopuoleinen lähde. Eli hyvä meidän elämässämme ei ole meidän itsemme aikaansaannosta, vaan on meillä meistä riippumatta. Kiitollisuus ei siten voi kohdistua meihin itseemme, vaan johonkin meidän ulkopuolella, esimerkiksi ystäviin, puolisoon, Jumalaan, universumiin, luontoon tai vaikkapa lemmikkieläimeen.

Anna hyvän kiertää – kiitollisuuden sosiaaliset vaikutukset

Kiitollisuudella on useita yksilöllisiä hyvinvointivaikutuksia joista kirjoitin edellisessä blogipostauksessani, mutta sen lisäksi että kiitollisuus vaikuttaa meihin henkilökohtaisella tasolla, sillä on myös yhteisöllisiä vaikutuksia.

Kiitollisuuteen liittyy siis vahvasti sosiaalinen puoli. Olemalla kiitollinen siitä, mitä meillä on, vaikuttaa positiivisesti ihmissuhteisiin. Tutkimusten mukaan kiitollisuus lisää kommunikaatiota muiden kanssa, se auttaa meitä luomaan uusia ihmis-suhteita ja ylläpitämään suhteita lähimmäisiin.

Kiitollisuuden ja menestyksen välistä suhdetta tutkineen Johanna Huhtamäen mukaan silloin kun ymmärrämme että emme ole täällä yksin, vaan monet hyvät asiat ovat tulleet elämäämme muiden ansiosta ja muilla on aito halu auttaa minua – että olen avun arvoinen – meillä on voimavaroja tavoitella omia unelmiamme.

Kiitollisuus lisää kiitollisuutta ja se on luonteeltaan vastavuoroista; kiitollisuus jossakin tilanteessa voi lisätä auttavaisuutta muita kohtaan, jolla taas voi olla positiivinen vaikutus ihmisuhteisiin. Päätös siitä, mille asialle annamme huomiomme ja energiamme ja mitä asioita sitä kautta vahvistamme omassa elämässämme, on lopulta meillä itsellämme.

Kiitollisuus - lihas, jota voimme vahvistaa

Koska kiitollisuus on kykyä nähdä hyvä ja kaunis elämässämme, siihen liittyy vahvasti positiivinen elämänasenne. Tutkimusten mukaan taas 50% onnellisuudesta ja taipumuksesta positiivisiin tunteisiin on perinnöllistä. Koska kiitollisuus on positiivinen tunne, voimme ajatella että taipumus positiivisuuteen on myös osittain perinnöllistä.

Sanon usein, että kiitollisuus on kuin lihas, jota voimme vahvistaa; eli vaikka emme kokisikaan, että olemme taipuvaisia positiivisuuteen, voimme kuitenkin vahvistaa kiitollisuuden tunnetta harjoituksen kautta. Mielestäni kiitollisuus on ennen kaikkea verbi ja aktiivista tekemistä. Kiitollisuus on harjoitus. Alla muutamia valoa tuovia kiitollisuusharjoituksia joita voit kokeilla arjessa, löydät lisää harjoituksia edellisestä blogipostauksestani.

Kiitollisuusharjoitukset

• Sano joka päivä jotain positiivista läheisellesi – työkaverille, kumppanille, ystävälle, lapselle tai vanhemmillesi.
• Meditaatio (ajasta puhelimeesi 10 minuuttia tälle läsnäolohetkelle). Ota mukava istuma-asento ja sulje silmät. Palauta mieleesi yksi ihminen joka tuo valoa ja iloa elämääsi. Kutsu hänet sydämeesi ja anna ihmisen tuoman ilon ja keveyden täyttää sydämesi. Päästä hetken päästä irti ihmisestä, mutta kuvittele, että sinä, jokainen solusi, kelluu ihmisen herättämässä tunteessa, valossa. Lähetä harjoituksen jälkeen aarreystävällesi viesti ja anna hänen tietää että olet kiitollinen siitä, että hän on elämässäsi.

• Gratitude is a practice –soittolistani Spotifyssa

Anna-Mari on helsinkiläinen joogaopettaja, joka selvittää mielen solmuja kirjoittamalla ja on sitä mieltä, että vaikka emme voi moniakaan asioita kontrolloida, voimme silti itse valita asenteen elämää kohtaan. Hän järjestää joogapurjehduksia Helsingin edustalla ja joogaretriittejä Suomessa & Sri Lankalla. Retriiteillä yhdistyy jooga, meditaatio ja kirjoittaminen. Kysy lisää tapahtumista: [email protected]

• Helli hetki - joogaretriitti Nuuksiossa
• Joogaretriitit Sri Lankalla
• Kohtaa kokonaiseksi – joogan & meditaation joulukalenteri instagramissa

Lähteet: Brene Brown Social and Personality Psychology Compass (Sara B. Algoe,2012), menestystutkija Johanna Huhtamäki ja Gratitude Works (Robert Emmons).

Anja Bergh är yogaläraren, inom Embodied Flow™, som alltid sprider ljuvlig energi och utmanar oss att röra oss friare, på sätt som vi tidigare inte gjort. Vi ställde tre frågor till Anja runt yoga, rörelse och nervsystemet – läs hennes tankar runt hur effektivt det är att arbeta med nervsystemet samt hennes tips till nya yogalärare.

Tre frågor – med Anja Bergh

1) Du jobbar väl numera ganska fokuserat på nervsystemet? Berätta gärna vad det innebär och hur du inkluderar det i din egen praktik, utbildningar och klasser.
Både ja & nej på att jag jobbar fokuserat på nervsystemet. Jag jobbar lika mycket med alla andra system i kroppen och rörelsemönster, men har börjat uttala mycket tydligare HUR vi kan jobba med just nervsystemet. Nervsystemet reagerar först, men är det som vet sist att verkligheten förändrats. Så i mitt liv och praktik handlar det om närvaroträning. Att märka sensationen i 'köttet' och stanna där, i pulsen, vibrationen, temperaturen och inte lämna. Samtidigt som jag märker att jag fortfarande andas och kan se mig omkring. Det i all enkelhet är basen till nervsystemet (som reagerar på allt som upplevs som ett hot). Så när jag kan med inre känsel veta att jag är här, att jag andas och ser mig omkring utan att släppa känseln upplever jag mig som närvarande. Man kan översätta närvaro till vad som helst i rörelse! Sen tränar vi samma sak med emotionella tillstånd. Sjukt intressant hur effektivt det är, livsrevolutionerande i all sin enkelhet!

2) Vad för element rekommenderar du, när du utbildar nya yogalärare, att de ska ha i åtanke när de börjar att undervisa?
Att de inte ger. Jag försöker lära dem att skapa upplevelser utan att behöva dominera någon annans upplevelse med vad de ska känna eller ens hur de ska se ut i ställningarna. Så att vi hjälper dem som kommer att hämta hem sin egen autonomi igen. Rörelse är vårt första språk och du kan rörelse. När vi låter någon annan styra själv utifrån din guidning så ger yogaundervisningen otroligt mycket energi. Då kan du undervisa mycket utan att bli dränerad. Trött som efter vilket jobb som helst, men inte tömd. Det tycker jag är viktigt :-)

Nyfiken på att gå en av Anjas utbildningar? Läs mer här!

3) Vad inspirerar dig just nu? På och utanför mattan?
Alltså jag är ju så sjukt lätt-inspirerad haha! Men intimitet och nära vänner inspirerar mig mest just nu! Att få vara riktigt nära varandra och jobba tillsammans, leka ihop och bara ha livet fylligt av vänskap och närhet, det känns josigt både på och av mattan! Jag vågar inte börja skriva något mer för jag kommer inte kunna sluta..

Klasser med Anja Bergh online

Spana in våra fantastiska klasser med Anja – enjoy!

Yogobe Video: 5p6h Yogobe Video: p63t Yogobe Video: b65k Yogobe Video: 3ad7

För att ta del av en hel video behöver du vara inloggad som betalande medlem. Har du inte registrerat dig på Yogobe än? Testa tjänsten gratis i 14 dagar. Klicka här för att komma igång! 

För mer läsning

• Läs mer om Embodied Flow här
• Naken ärlighet och mitt behov av detox, av Anja
• Bron mellan meditation och rörelse, av Anja

Foto: Fannie Runneberger, Yogafoto.se

Kiitollisuus vaikuttaa monella positiivisella tavalla elämänlaatuumme. Oletko kuullut että se linkittyy tietoiseen läsnäoloon ja lisää onnellisuutta? Sillä on myös yhteys tavoitteelliseen toimintaan ja se parantaa itsetuntoa. Lisäksi kiitollisuudella on monia muita hyvinvointivaikutuksia joita et ehkä ole tullut ajatelleeksi.

Kiitollisuus liittyy läheisesti tietoiseen läsnäoloon. Sitä kuvaillaan tunteeksi, joka kumpuaa siitä että arvostamme ja olemme tietoisia ympäristöstämme, meitä ympäröivistä ihmisistä ja elinolosuhteista, miellyttävistä tapahtumista ja jopa sattumista.

Kiitollisuus – kehomielen lääke

Sosiaalitieteilijä ja kirjailija Brené Brown on huomannut tutkimuksissaan, että kiitollisuus lisää iloa ja nautintoa – ei suinkaan toisin päin, kuten voisi luulla. Hän on myös havainnut että ihmiset, jotka kuvailevat elävänsä ilon täyttämää elämää, liittävät kiitollisuuden tähän tunteeseen.

Kiitollisuudella on sekä yksilöllisiä että sosiaalisia vaikutuksia (jälkimmäisistä kuulet lisää seuraavassa blogipostauksessani). Yksilötasolla se vahvistaa kokonaisvaltaista hyvinvointiamme ja auttaa meitä suunnistamaan kohti unelmia. Kiitollisuus vahvistaa itsetuntoa, vaikuttaa unen laatuun, vähentää stressiä ja voi auttaa parantumaan sairauksista.

Tunne kiitollisuudesta vaikuttaa myös sydämen toimintaan ja kivun lievittymiseen. Sanotaan myös että kiitollisuus rauhoittaa hermostoa jopa enemmän kuin rentoutumisharjoitukset, sillä se aktivoi kiertäjähermon jolloin rauhoittava parasympaattinen hermosto aktivoituu. Lisäksi se on myös yhteydessä elämässä menestymiseen sillä hyvinvoivana meillä on kapasiteettia toteuttaa unelmia.

Kiitollisuus auttaa meitä myös päästämään irti muihin vertaamisesta; sen sijaan, että olisimme kateellisia tai kokisimme tarvetta vertailla itseämme muihin, opimme olemaan muiden puolesta aidosti kiitollisia. Kiitollisuus vähentää muitakin kuluttavia tunteita kuten kateutta, kostonhalua ja masennusta sekä lisää hyvinvointia edistäviä tunteita kuten onnellisuutta, resilienssiä ja empatiaa.

Kiitollisuus harjoituksena

Vaikka kiitollisuudessa on kyse positiivisesta elämänasenteesta, mielestäni se on ennen kaikkea harjoitus. Myös Brownin tutkimuksissa iloa ja kiitollisuutta kuvailtiin henkisinä harjoituksina, jotka palaavat uskoon todellisuuden yhteenkietoutuneesta luonteesta ja meitä kaikkia suuremmasta voimasta – siitä, että lopulta kaikki palaa yhteen.

Kuitenkin, kuten myös Brown muistuttaa, vaikka kiitollisuus on elämänasenne, aina pelkkä asenne ei yletä käytännön tasolle ja kiitollisuus kutsuukin meidät aktiivisen toimijan rooliin. Jokainen voi lisätä kiitollisuuden tunnetta omassa elämässään tekojen kautta ja opettaa näin mielelle positiivista asennetta. Harjoittamalla kiitollisuutta lisäämme automaattisesti kaikkia niitä hyviä asioita, joita kiitollisuuteen liittyy omassa elämässämme ja ympäristössämme.

Kuinka harjoittaa kiitollisuutta arjessa?

• Ota päivittäiseen käyttöön kiitollisuuspäiväkirja. Voit tehdä harjoituksen aamuisin tai iltaisin. Palauta kirjoittamalla aktiivisesti mieleesi muutama asia, joista olet kiitollinen – sen sijaan, että keskityt negatiivisiin asioihin. Tässä harjoituksessa ei ole kyse pelkästään asioiden mieleenpalauttamisesta vaan siitä, että haemme aktiivisesti sanat kokemuksillemme kirjoittamisen avulla. Kokeile tätä harjoitusta päivittäin esimerkiksi viikon ajan ja tutki, miten se vaikuttaa oloosi.

• Palauta mieleesi yksi elämäsi kohdannut koetteleva elämäntilanne tai ihmissuhde. Koeta palauttaa mieleesi yksi opetus tai positiivinen muutos, jonka tämä haastava asia sai aikaan.  Reflektoi kirjoittamalla.

• Gratitude is a practice –valoa tuova soittolistani Spotifyssa – musiikki on mielestäni mitä parhain kehomielen lääke.

Anna-Mari on helsinkiläinen joogaopettaja, joka selvittää mielen solmuja kirjoittamalla ja on sitä mieltä, että vaikka emme voi moniakaan asioita kontrolloida, voimme silti itse valita asenteen elämää kohtaan. Hän järjestää elokuussa 2020 joogapurjehduksia Helsingin ja Porvoon edustalla, joogaretriittejä Suomessa, Sri Lankalla ja Italiassa. Retriiteillä yhdistyy jooga, meditaatio ja kirjoittaminen. Kysy lisää tapahtumista: [email protected]. Kuva: Heini Pekkala.

Lähteet: Brene Brown Social and Personality Psychology Compass (Sara B. Algoe,2012), menestystutkija Johanna Huhtamäki ja  Gratitude Works (Robert Emmons).

Cancer related fatigue is one of the most common side effects cancer patients suffer from. An overwhelming exhaustion that affects all aspects of life. But new research shows that there's one action that has proven very effective to alleviate and reduce fatigue. Learn more here! 

This is the third blog post in a series on living with cancer that I'll be writing the coming months. The introduction and links to the first blog posts, can be found in the first one; To live with, after and next to cancer.

The key to reduce fatigue & nausea

The legs feel like lead. No, that’s a lie. The whole body feels like lead. You can’t think and you struggle to follow the conversation you’re in. The brain feels as heavy as the body.

Cancer related fatigue has entered. Uninvited it ignored knocking on your front door. It just stomped right into your house and made itself comfortable on your favorite couch. And in your bed. And in the kitchen. It accompanies you at work, and it won’t even leave you alone when you hang out with your friends or enjoy time with your family. It puts a heavy dark cloud on the activities you love but now can’t find the energy to appreciate, or even do, anymore.

That's the thing with fatigue – it affects all aspects of your life.

Cancer related fatigue is one of the most common side effects cancer patients suffer from. Fatigue is something else than just feeling very tired. You can’t make it go away by resting more and you feel as drained in the morning as you did before going to sleep the evening before. It is a persistent and overwhelming exhaustion that decreases capacity for both physical and mental work.

Although the level of fatigue, and how long it lasts, differs from person to person, a lot of patients rate fatigue as one of the hardest side effects to deal with due to its severity and impact on quality of life. Once considered a side effect that “comes with cancer” there are now many things that can help with managing the paralyzing feeling of exhaustion.

This blog post introduces one action that has proven very effective to alleviate and reduce fatigue. One way to show fatigue that it’s not welcome, is to do exactly the opposite of what it wants you to do. Fatigue wants you to join it resting on the couch, taking an extra nap, sleep more in the morning. While all those things are good and important for recovery, they should not be all you succumb to.

Introducing: Physical activity!

Exercise is the key

Before it was said to cancer patients to rest to restore energy levels. Now more and more research show that being physically active is not only safe and well-tolerated by cancer patients but also a key factor to reduce symptoms such as fatigue and nausea. The thought of exercising may be overwhelming when you are already feeling depleted. But exercise can increase energy levels and help you to build stamina to do more of your usual activities.

In Helsingborg exercise has become a part of the treatment in cancer care. During the fall of 2019 a project started at Cancerrehabiliteringsmottagningen at Helsingborgs Lasarett. Every patient about to undergo chemotherapy is scheduled to meet a physiotherapist to come up with an individualized exercise plan.

“It’s not a study to see the effects physical activity has on our patients. We already know from many studies that cancer patients benefit from exercise when it comes to counteracting both short- and long-term side effects, especially fatigue. This is a project to evaluate how we can implement exercise as standard care for cancer patients”, says Patrik Göransson, psychologist and leader of the patient process at the Cancerrehabliteringsmottagningen in Helsingborg.

Prevention and treatment

In collaboration with Friskis & Svettis, the hospital offers patients two training sessions each week. The sessions focus on circuit training that includes both strength work and getting the heart rate up, as the combinations of those seem to give “the most bang for the buck”. For those who decide to exercise outside of the hospital-organized sessions the physiotherapist takes extra time to create a plan for them to follow on their own.

“We see physical activity and exercise as prevention and treatment, with the aim to improve the patients’ physical and mental health. We use the same terminology as with medicine, talking about training sessions as doses. It should be natural for doctors, nurses, and patients to see exercise as a part of treatment. With the right support we want to create a behavior pattern where physical activity is a natural part of everyday life.”

Apart from showing fatigue the door, exercise encourage better treatment results. As chemotherapy takes its toll on the entire body, physical activity is important for patients to keep, and even gain, strength and aerobic fitness during treatment. Being in good physical shape seem to improve resilience in a way that lead to less need of care due to treatment related side effects. It also increases the capability to endure the medicinal treatment plan.

Patrik also addresses the positive psychological impact exercise and the feeling of participating have.

“It gives a different perspective from just fighting against cancer”, Patrik says. “You fight FOR something. You fight for wellbeing, for more strength, for better energy in everyday life. It is a positive direction of intention and energy”.

Women in the Swedish study OptiTrain said that the exercise made them experience health, even if battling side effects. Participants often reported to be tired and affected when they arrived for training. Afterwards they expressed feeling better and healthier.

Managing fatigue with exercise

Being physically active is good, but it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor or physiotherapist before starting an exercise program. You can get advice about the best routines for you and discuss if there are any contraindications or limitations that can affect how you tolerate exercise.

Some tips for managing fatigue with exercise:

• Combine aerobic exercise with strength training = Do something that gets your heart rate up, like walking, running, cycling, dancing, swimming + lift, push and pull something heavy, like your own body, weights, resistance bands, furniture, a child.

• Base the activity on your own level.

• Find a regular, daily if possible, routine of being physically active. Some days that will mean high intensity training, other days that will mean a short walk. Doing something active will often make you feel better and more energized after.

• Be mindful and pace yourself. Allow for rest if necessary.

• Try breaking up exercise in into smaller amount of time. 3x15 minutes during a day might be better than 1 longer block of time.

• Exercise with friends and family or ask if there is an exercise program for cancer patients at your hospital. Having a support network both makes exercise more fun and manageable.

Exercise at home

Sometimes it feels better, and easier, to exercise at home and not having to go to a gym. Then online classes come in handy. Below you'll find video recommendations to inspire you to get started. 

STRENGTH
Get your muscles working with these nice whole-body sessions. 

Yogobe Video: 3x5z Yogobe Video: ca83 Yogobe Video: u2f4

STRENGTH & CARDIO
Include some cardio and get the heart pumping.

Yogobe Video: 6bc7 Yogobe Video: 39rz Yogobe Video: 7y9d Yogobe Video: 5h6d

To watch a full video you need to be logged in as a paying Yogobe member. Haven't tried Yogobe before? Try it for free during 14 days – click here to get started!

War on cancer

The physical challenge is huge for a cancer patient. The mental and emotional challenge is at least as great. War On Cancer is a social media-app, a social network and community, where everyone affected by cancer have the opportunity to share their cancer experience and get in contact with others who actually understand. War On Cancer's mission is to put focus on, and radically improve, the mental health of everyone affected by cancer. The first step is the digital social network that creates belonging and community in a time of isolation and uncertainty. You are reminded that you are never alone. We'll fight cancer together.

Learn more about War On Cancer and download their app at waroncancer.com
Share your story, it will make a difference.

Learn more

• About fatigue – Learn more about fatigue at Cancerfoden.se

• Ongoing studies – In Sweden there are ongoing studies to find out which type of exercise is most effective for cancer patients, both with positive and interesting results.
  • Phys-Can
    In a collaboration between the university hospitals in Uppsala, Linköping, and Malmö/Lund, cancer patients are participating in a study called Phys-Can which is comparing the effects of aerobic- and strength training at a high intensity with training on lower intensity.
  • OptiTrain
    At Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University hospital OptiTrain is a study looking at which physical exercise is best for women with breast cancer diagnosis undergoing chemotherapy: aerobic training, or combination training with both aerobic- and strength training.

Authentic Flow is built on intuition, embodiment and exploration. We asked Satu Tuomela – founder of Authentic Flow, senior yoga teacher and member of Team Yogobe – three questions on the topic authenticity.  And this is truly a yoga style channeling her entire life philosophy. Get inspired to explore authenticity in movement!

Three questions on authentitcity – with Satu Tuomela

1) What has changed in you - the persona "Satu Tuomela"– pre-yoga, vs. post-yoga?
I think the biggest change, if comparing me before discovering yoga and now, is that I truly care about what happens in this world, and that I believe that everything we do as people have an effect – positive or negative. I mean, I started yoga pretty early on and if I look back, I was way more self-absorbed then, than now. Gradually my practice changed everything: from eating meat to not, from drinking in clubs to not, from obsessing over material things to not.

Yoga forced me to get “in me”, if that makes sense. It was a total involusion, and it became loud and clear what was good for me and what was not. As I started to feel this, I also started to sense and be emotional about what was happening outside of me too. My practice really made me an activist.

2) What inspired you to create Authentic flow?
What didn’t!? Let me tell you. At that time, I had been kind of forced into teaching a set series of asanas (yoga poses) for some years and my inspiration for teaching was just dying inside of me. My dance background, even my basketball loving soul, just wanted to break free and start moving and teaching more intuitively. So I did. I started to devour somatic teachings, free movement and non-dual Tantra. The embodiment process of all that was channelling through me as a practitioner and a teacher was intense. It took me some years to get grounded with all of it and start teaching it to others fully. I am so glad I did though, now after 10+ years, our school is ever more a delight for me.

3) What values do you try to live by, for your children and for generations to come?
I have been thinking of this a lot lately as I just had my third child, my first daughter. I feel so responsible and excited at the same time. Responsible, as it is so important for me to raise my children to think for themselves and to feel responsible over the state of this planet and our communities, but also to let things shift and live through them freely as well. I am trying to be an example of that. I feel also excited, as this generation will be epic! I am so privileged to see how it all unfolds as a mother, and how they will teach us so much.

Authentic Flow classes online

Check out the new Authentic Flow-classes with Satu – enjoy!

Yogobe Video: 6gx9 Yogobe Video: 6xk8 Yogobe Video: t6d9 Yogobe Video: 5sh3

To watch a full video you need to be logged in as a paying Yogobe member. Haven't tried Yogobe before? Try it for free during 14 days – click here to get started!

Further reading

• Learn more about Authentic Flow here!
• Find your inner motivation, by Satu Tuomela
• Cut yourself some slack, by Satu Tuomela

Yoga can be a great tool to improve physical and psychological symptoms as well as emotional health – learn more here! 

This is the second blog post in a series on living with cancer that I'll be writing the coming months. The introduction to these blog posts, and to me, can be found in the first one; To live with, after and next to cancer.

Ease the process with yoga

“I learned that, having been hit by the hammer of Western medicine to save my life, I needed complementary therapies like yoga to regain my health” – Pauline Fray, Yoga teacher and acute myeloid leukemia patient

No matter what your experience with cancer is, there is no denying that being diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment is tough, both physically and psychologically. It often means great physical suffering combined with an emotional roller coaster of uncertainty, anxiety, fear, depression, and loss of security and control.

Being a cancer patient, it’s easy to feel like a passenger in one’s own life. Life is put on hold when treatment takes all focus and behind the steering wheel are the doctors who decide what will happen to you and your body. Sometimes it’s like you’re not even in a car seat, but rather lying in the trunk of the car.

Yoga for body and mind

While the tough treatments breaking you down are necessary for survival, there are things you can do to ease the process. To cope with cancer and its treatment-related side effects and toxicities, the use of yoga is increasingly popular. It’s proving to be very beneficial. Studies show that yoga improve physical and psychological symptoms and improve emotional health and quality of life in cancer patients.

The great thing about yoga is that it offers a way for you to take part in your own treatment. The moving, breathing, and meditating that YOU do are what make you better equipped to deal with symptoms and side effects. Cancer patients are used to having things done to them and for them all the time. To actively do something for your own wellbeing is empowering and gives a sense of participation. You step out of the car’s trunk and go riding shotgun instead. With your own actions you can make yourself feel better and create conditions for body and mind to handle the tough treatments better.

You can affect your everyday life. Studies show that yoga not only increases quality of life, but relieves side effects, increases stress resilience, helps with depression and anxiety, and decreases pain. Yoga strengthens both body and mind since it focuses both on physical activity and have space for recovery and stress reduction through breathing- and relaxation practices.

Exercises for balance and strength

Below I have listed some classes and exercises directed to find more balance and strength in body and mind. While you sometimes notice an immediate effect, it’s often good to create a routine and repeat the exercises often to really reap the benefits. If you find a favorite, weave it into life. Yoga doesn’t only happen on the mat. Use the exercises in those moments where you need the effects they bring – like slow breathing while in chemo if that is a stressful situation for you, or the body scan while anxiously waiting for a test result.

Most of the suggested videos are in Swedish, for videos in English, check out the video library. 

MOVE

Doing physical yoga poses and sequences has many benefits. One is to reconnect with your body and gain better body awareness. When cancer is a fact so is changes in body and energy. Enter fatigue; loss of flexibility and strength; scars; loss of bodily functions; neuropathy; dizziness; the list is long. The mindfulness in yoga makes you aware of your body, how it feels, and how to move with respect of your current state and energy level.

After surgery, radiation or chemo, appropriate poses can realign scar tissue’s collagen strands and help the body to regain lost strength and flexibility and thus improve stability and balance. Yoga can also relieve joint and muscle aches that are common side effects from medications.

While some find breathing or seated meditation the perfect antidote to their anxiety, others find that stillness simply too agitating. The chatter in the mind is amplified. There is a need to get out of the head and onto the feet and feel the ground beneath. Here yoga poses and movement is great - not as a means of escape but as a way to calmly return to center.

Try one of our classes
Let Josefin Wikström guide you through a sequence that moves your whole body and brings you back to your body to regain stability and centeredness.

Yogobe Video: k46w

During this class Milla shows how you can practice the same poses free on the mat or with a chair. That gives you a nice opportunity to adjust movements day to day depending on where in treatment you are and your energy levels.

Yogobe Video: 9h7d

BREATHE

“Cancer took my breath away. Yoga gave it back” – Tari Prinster, founder of Yoga4Cancer and breast cancer survivor

The breath is said to be a mirror of our internal state. When the mind is calm the breath is calm, and when the mind gets agitated our breath follows. What’s awesome is that it’s a two-way street - changing the breath changes our internal landscape. Your breath is one of the best tools you have to work with your mental state.

Stressful events make us hold our breath and force it high up in the chest. Like a viscous cycle this kind of breath tells our bodies that we are under a threat, keeping the breath short and high up creating even more stress. Taking control of your breath, making it even and slow, puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to dealing with stress and agitated emotions (you’re not even riding shotgun anymore!)

One reason for breathing practices’ effectiveness is its adaptability: Breathing practices can be done anywhere, anytime – in hospital beds; in treatment rooms; and during long, anxious periods of waiting for test results. And it can be done by people in all stages of illness or health.

Try one of our classes
Practice to slow down your breath to become resilient to stress.

Yogobe Video: 47ha

Use this breathing and mindfulness practice to find center, focus, and calm when you feel overwhelmed.

Yogobe Video: 3r4k

PAUSE

Just relax. Sounds easy enough, right? But we all know that’s not the case. Relaxation is something we might need to practice. A restful state doesn’t just appear on its own. It is many times a result of the modern way of living – always on the go; always online, reachable; always performing and achieving, doing something. It is for sure a result of the trauma of being diagnosed with cancer.

With stress levels being high, and being high for a prolonged period, resting and relaxation can be a challenge – but very important to practice. Learning how to pause and rest is vital to improve both physical, mental, and emotional health. Worry, anxiety, and fear thrive when the body is full of stress hormones. When we practice, and learn, how to enter a relaxed state, these emotions can’t get the same grip around us. It will lead to a calmer state of mind, and also improve sleep, which is often compromised in the presence of cancer.

Try one of our classes
This kind of relaxation, and other body scans, helped my boyfriend find calm when he had cancer, and has greatly helped me with my insomnia.

Yogobe Video: sc62

Use this soft and easy sequence as a bedtime routine to help with relaxation and sleep.

Yogobe Video: 3ad5 Yogobe Video: 2t6a

To watch a full video you need to be logged in as a paying Yogobe member. Haven't tried Yogobe before? Try it for free during 14 days – click here to get started!

Photo cred: Mikael Björk