Yoga, training and health inspiration for you

Positive psychological changes can be developed after going through cancer – I talked to Fabian Bolin, a survivor of leukemia and the CEO and co-founder of the app War on Cancer, on the subject. Read more about post traumatic growth and strategies to process what you’ve been through here!

This is the seventh blog post in a series on living with cancer that I'll be writing 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.

Before doesn't really exist

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Viktor Frankl

When things happen, we absorb and adapt. We respond to what we experience, and that is neither good nor bad. It simply is. Recovering from cancer doesn’t mean going back to who we were before. Before doesn’t really exist anymore. The ground we’re standing on has been shaken and our response will create changes in ourselves and our lives. There is not so much going back, as moving forward.

There is no one way of moving forward, and definitely not one way to feel when moving forward. For me, who lost my boyfriend, life has become a blend of heart wrenching low valleys and wonderfully high peaks. On beforehand I would have guessed that high peaks wouldn’t be possible anymore. How can they when he’s gone?

Then, reading a post about post traumatic growth (PTG) on the digital social network app War On Cancer, I understood more about what I’m experiencing. The post was written by the founder of War On Cancer, Fabian Bolin. Fabian is a survivor of leukemia. He has in several posts and interviews stated that he thinks his life has improved after being diagnosed with cancer. I called him to talk about mental health, cancer, and post traumatic growth.

Trauma is , in different degrees, traumatizing
How going through cancer affects each person will always be different. No matter the outcome; your role; or the severity, living with cancer is, in different degrees, traumatizing.

– If trauma isn’t properly dealt with there is a pretty high risk of developing either PTSD or clinical depression”, Fabian says.

– Research shows that 22% of cancer patients suffer from PTSD within the first six months of diagnosis and 25% suffer from clinical depression at some point during or after treatment.

But while mental health issues being quite common in cancer patients, there are also reports of positive psychological changes that develop after going through cancer. That experience – that from adversity and the following struggle, positive life changes occur – is what’s called post traumatic growth PTG).

Fabian describes that PTG generally happens in five areas in life:

• Improved relationships with others – It’s very common to value friends and family more deeply and develop closer and stronger relationships.

• New possibilities in life – We might see opportunities we didn’t see earlier. We dare to, and see the value in, taking steps; making changes; and do things we might have hold back on before.

• A greater appreciation of life – Coming face to face with our mortality can lead us to appreciate and treasure moments we may have taken for granted. We are more able to live in the present and often life take on a new meaning.

• Personal strength – Going through adversity increase our inner strength and faith in our own capability, often with a strong feeling of “If I lived through that, I can face anything”.

• Spiritual development – As cancer often evokes bigger questions about life, death, meaning and purpose, it’s not unusual to gain a stronger connection to our spiritual side.

Not everyone experiences PTG. You may relate to having positive changes in one or all the areas above, or none. Most people who experience PTG are often surprised by the growth that occurs. It often comes unexpectedly, as the result of trying to make sense of an unfathomable event.

And while you can’t make PTG happen, there are known strategies to process what you’ve been through that increases mental wellbeing and contributes to the possibility of experiencing growth and positive psychological changes:

Strategies in processing what you've been through

• Reflect on your experiences
 – Write, talk, and share about your story and the effects living with cancer have on you.

• Connect with others 
– Apart from telling your own story it’s good to hear others’ stories. From a trauma perspective it is very healing to have someone empathize and say “I know exactly what you mean, I’ve been through that”.

• Help others – Helping others is healing in many ways. You can volunteer or support charities that are important to you, but simply sharing what you’ve been through can also help others going through cancer to feel better, or more comfortable, or less scared.

• Create a post trauma life vision 
– Reflect on what you’ve learned from your experience and what's meaningful in your life going forward. Then with small steps day by day, make positive changes to support your goals, like schedule activities involving these interests.

• Allow yourself to feel what you feel
 – Don’t diminish your response to the hard time you are going through. Our natural inclination are to avoid uncomfortable emotions and thoughts. However, you have to go through the difficult emotional process before adversity can turn into advantage.

• Reduce anxiety 
– Relaxation techniques, such as meditation and progressive muscle relaxation, and regular exercise can both prevent and decrease anxiety.

Approach these strategies in ways that make you feel safe and are suitable for you. If you want support and help, practicing with Yogobe and using the War On Cancer app will provide you with appropriate tools.

As Fabian and his team build and develop the War On Cancer app they take into consideration the strategies above. The social network app is created just to serve the needs there are to reflect, connect, help, and create visions moving forward.

Awareness and openness to allow all emotions and thoughts to be present is a central part of yoga. At the end of the article you find suggestions for videos for reducing anxiety and connecting with your emotions.

Beauty despite of trauma
It’s important to be aware that PTG does not make everything all better. Even if you, or someone you’re close to, is experiencing growth it does NOT mean that they will not suffer. Both can occur simultaneously. The trauma was and is still real.

Personally, I can relate to positive changes in all five areas. That doesn’t make my boyfriend’s death less painful. It doesn’t exclude the days when I’m feeling numb or the days when I’m just a limp puddle on the floor crying so hard I can’t catch my breath. It is all real. But nonetheless, I’m genuinely happy with my life today. Through all this I have learned that I can go through trauma and still find beauty.

"And if you were to ask me

After all that we’ve been through

Still believe in magic?

Well yes, I do

Oh yes, I do"

– Magic, Coldplay

Video recommendations

Progressive muscle relaxation and meditation are good tools to reduce anxiety:

Yogobe Video: sc62 Yogobe Video: 7z3r Yogobe Video: h85u Yogobe Video: te37

Use this Sankalpa practice as one way of creating your post trauma life vision:

Yogobe Video: k2z8

Practice noticing and being with your feelings:

Yogobe Video: fp68 Yogobe Video: x67g Yogobe Video: 64ur

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

• To live with, after and next to cancer, by Sara Ivarsson.
• Traumaanpassad yoga – lindring på vägen (in Swedish), av Josefin Wikström.
• Managing hardship through connection, by Eleonora Ramsby Herrera.

Cancer affects our physical body, but also our mind and mental wellbeing; our entire existence. Treatment to eliminate cancer cells is of utmost importance, but we need to remember that it takes more to regain balance after cancer knocked us. Discover how the five koshas can help us see we're not just physical beings.

This is the sixth blog post in a series on living with cancer that I'll be writing 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.

Used yoga to keep performing

When I started doing yoga in my early twenties I came from a world of hard training and competitive running. I took my physical abilities and my performance mindset to the yoga mat. The first year it was just a show, all about looking good doing the postures. From years of training and exercise I was well aware and in contact with my physical body. But I had less knowledge of the rest of me, and I used the yoga poses to keep pushing myself further into performance anxiety and stress, and away from mental wellbeing. Luckily, I had a good teacher who guided me to connect with more aspects of myself and the integrative touch of yoga. That changed everything for me and my overall sense of wellness.

At first glance, cancer is a disease of the physical body. Cells growing out of control causing mayhem in otherwise healthy tissues. It is also medical care for mainly this issue that the health care provides. Killing, eliminating, decreasing the tumorous cells in the body.

The truth is that cancer is a disease that affects not only our physical body, but also our mind and mental wellbeing; our emotions; our beliefs; our entire existence. When faced with the trauma of a life-threatening disease, no matter the outcome, everything we thought we knew is put into question. Whether you are the one living with cancer or the one living next to it, cancer can easily make one feel broken as a person and within one’s life. Sometimes it is physical. Sometimes mentally. Other times emotional, or existential or spiritual.

Because we are not just physical beings.

What is often lost after being diagnosed with cancer, is the care and help for all issues concerning the aspects that is not the physical body. And if you are a loved one, you're often completely on your own. While treatment to eliminate cancer cells is of utmost importance, we still need to remember that it takes more to regain balance after cancer knocked us off our feet.

Yoga is all about integration and bringing together. I often practice and teach from the yogic Kosha model. It gives me a better way to see how everything is connected and that we can’t ignore parts of ourselves if we want to experience wellbeing. It offers help to see, appreciate, and pay attention to the whole person.

The five koshas


Every human being has five Koshas, meaning ‘body’ or ‘sheet’. It is like five layers, kind of like a Russian doll, going from the gross outer physical body to the subtler inner bodies. But, different to the Russian dolls, the bodies/sheets are not separate. They are intertwined and always interacting to make us stay in balance.

1. The physical body: The first body is everything you can touch, see, and feel. It’s skin, muscles, bones, and organs. It’s the tissues that cancer cells destroy. This body is often what us humans are most familiar with because it is visible and touchable. And it is what has the most focus in health care.

2. The energy body: As we reach the inner Russian dolls, the composure of the bodies gets more subtle and less tangible. The energy body includes breath, prana (life force), energy, and the channels which energy runs through. I usually describe it as what gives life to your physical body. You can have a body, but without breath, without energy, there is no life – it is just a pile of flesh and bones.

3. The mental/emotional body: The mental body contains the mind, our senses, emotions, and basic instincts and urges such as hunger, thirst, and sex. It also includes the “older mind”, meaning the sympathetic nervous system with the stress system and fight/flight/freeze response.

I think of this body as what takes in the world. You have a body, you breathe, you have energy and you are alive. But without this Mental body you are in a coma, not aware, not taking in your surroundings, and not communicating with the outer world. When we are exposed by too much and too intense stress, may it be physical or mental, and don’t make time for quiet and recovery, this kosha goes off balance and it often impacts the other koshas strongly.

4. The wisdom body: The wisdom body is the higher mind where your intellect, understanding, reasoning, and intuition resides. It contains the parasympathetic nervous system’s relaxation response that is able to influence and reduce the fight/flight response. That makes us see a bigger picture, analyze a situation and choose a proper response instead of just living by hasty reactions to everything that comes our way. The wisdom helps us see that a thought is just a thought and not necessarily the truth.

5. The bliss body: Here resides the sense of being whole. The connection to your own center, but also the connection to others and the universe. It’s a sense of flow and ease. Connecting to the Bliss body gives you spiritual and existential awareness and meaning. The sense of wholeness and connection is something that can be experienced even when diagnosed with a life-threatening disease; knowing that you are facing death; or loving someone in those situations.

Foto: Mikael Björk

Appreciate all aspects of you

Acknowledging all of these aspects of ourselves, and understanding the interlacing effect they have on each other, help us to work to integrate instead of separate. This is especially important when facing challenging situations.

When we do practices to help release tension in all bodies, we are more likely to experience the joy, ease, and connection to our own center that resides in the Bliss body. We are more likely to feel whole as a person no matter the circumstances.

We can do practices that incorporates all Koshas. We can also focus on one Kosha to access another that might be hard to connect with. For example, if you struggle with a lot of fear and anxiety, that resides in the Mental body, the calm and sensible reasoning that is the Wisdom body might be blocked, as the survival instinct in the stress response is stronger. Focusing on slow, even breaths (Energy body) and muscle relaxation (Physical body) can lower the stress response and reduce the fear and anxiety in the Mental body. Then exercises that strengthen the Wisdom body can have more effect.

Examples of what to focus on for each kosha:

• Physical body – connect through physical poses; focus on how you place your body for comfort and strength; body scans; muscle relaxation techniques; and so on.

• Energy Body – do breathing exercises and learn to notice your energy levels – feeling energized, sleepy, dull, restless, or calm are all attributes of the vital energy body – and choose practices that brings your energy in the best direction.

• Mental body – work with concentration- and focus exercises; mindfulness techniques; and other types of meditations that help direct the power of the mind and thought.

• Wisdom body – try mantras, visualizations, and guided meditations that help you experience space within. Reflecting upon your own experiences, sharing your story, connection with other with similar experiences is a wonderful way to release tension in the Wisdom body.

Videos integrating all koshas 

Try these practices lead by experienced yoga teacher Mona Anand. She has created a physical flow with focus on integrating all koshas, and a restorative practice to create stillness in the mind. Follow up with a Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation to release tension in all bodies and experience a greater sense of ease.

You can also go back to older posts in this series and look for videos and chose from them if you wish to focus on any special Kosha, for example breathing techniques or meditations.

Yogobe Video: tw35 Yogobe Video: g7x9 Yogobe Video: 8u4g Yogobe Video: x2b5

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

• Lär känna dig själv genom dina koshas (in Swedish), av Veronica "Vevve" Jäderlund.
• To live with, after and next to cancer, by Sara Ivarsson.
• Prāṇa - does it really exist? by Simon Krohn.

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.

Näinä erityisinä, ennalta-arvaamattomuuden sävyttäminä aikoina monet meistä voivat tuntea olonsa epävarmoiksi ja ehkä myös voimattomiksi. Voimme kuitenkin löytää lääkettä epämukavuuteen ja voimattomuuteen läheltä, omista arkirutiineista. Usein rutiineihin liittyy negatiivinen kaiku ja ne yhdistetään helposti automaattiseen toistoon ja tylsyyteen. Pidämme niitä myös helposti luovuuden tukahduttajina. Mutta tiesitkö että rutiineihin liittyy useita terveyttä edistäviä vaikutuksia? Lisäksi ne jopa edistävät luovuutta ja ovat yhteydessä erääseen ihmisen perustarpeista.

Nyt kun monet meistä tekevät töitä kotoa käsin, on juuri otollinen aika kääntää katse kohti arjen rutiineja, niiden järjestymistä päivään ja sitä, mitä ne merkitsevät itselle. Kotoa työskentely tarjoaa myös uudet ja erilaiset mahdollisuudet järjestää arkirutiinit.

Rutiinit liittyvät läheisesti turvallisuuteen, ihmisen perustarpeeseen. Tämänhetkisessä epätietoisuuden ja epävarmuuden yltäkylläistämässä globaalissa tilanteessa rutiinit ovat erityisen tärkeässä roolissa, sillä ne luovat elämälle rakenteen ja lisäävät turvan tunnetta. Ne rauhoittavat silloin kun oma elämäntilanne, tai kuten tällä hetkellä, koko maailma, on myllerryksessä ja olo tuntuu voimattomalta. Automaattisesti toistuvat rutiinit voivat olla vastalääke väsymykseen ja stressiin.

Luovuuden kannalta rutiinit ovat tärkeässä roolissa, sillä ne tekevät tilaa mielelle ja luovuus tarvitsee tilaa kukkiakseen. Automatisoituneet ja tutut rutiinit tarjoavat mielelle mahdollisuuden olla luoviaa ja yhdistellä asioita uusin tavoin. Samalla kun teemme arjen rutiineja jotka toistuvat itsestään, mieli voi keskittyä uusien asioiden ideoimiseen. Minulle juoksulenkki meren rannalla on ihana luovuutta ruokkiva rutiini; samalla kun jalat kulkevat tuttuja reittejä pitkin, mieli saa tilan leikkiä.

Kannattaa pohtia ovatko omat rutiinit hyviä vai huonoja; hyvinvointiin positiivisesti vai negatiivisesti vaikuttavia asioita? Esimerkiksi aamurutiinit vaikuttavat ratkaisevasti koko tulevan päivän luonteeseen sillä aamu luo perustan koko päivälle. Itse huomaan merkittävän positiivisen eron aamuissa, jotka aloitan meditaatiolla ja intuitiivisella kirjoittamisella verrattuna aamuihin, jotka lähtevät käyntiin kiireessä.

Rutiinien hyvinvointivaikutukset

• Lääke stressiin. Maailma on kyllästetty vaihtoehdoilla ja tämä voi helposti uuvuttaa. Rutiinit sallivat aivoille hetken levon jatkuvasta päätösten teosta.
• Helpottavat rentoutumista. Rutiinit lisäävät turvallisuuden tunnetta ja voimme rentoutua vasta kun koemme olomme turvalliseksi.
• Edistävät aivojen hyvinvointia. Aivot rakastavat tuttua ja turvallista ja toimivat terävästi vain jos arki on kyllin ennakoitavaa.
• Auttavat selviämään vastoinkäymisistä. Rutiinit katoavat elämästä usein silloin, kun niitä eniten kaipaa. Menetämme rutiinit usein silloin, kun koemme suuren vastoinkäymisen. Silti, juuri vastoinkäymisten keskellä kannattaa sinnikkäästi säilyttää arjen rutiinit sillä ne pitävät elämässä kiinni ja voivat antaa välimatkaa tunteisiin. Paraneminen alkaa kun löydämme takaisin arkirutiineihin.
• Mahdollistavat energian keskittämisen johonkin mieluisampaan. Koska rutiini on niin tuttu ettei se vaadi keskittymistä tai päätöksentekoa, se vapauttaa tilaa jollekin mielekkäämmälle.
• Edistävät terveyttä. Hyvät rutiinit kuten säännöllinen nukkumaanmenoaika ja iltojen rauhoittaminen tai liikkumiseen liittyvät rutiinit edistävät sekä kehon että mielen hyvinvointia.

Minkälaisia arkirutiineja sinulla on? Miten arkirutiinit ovat lomittautuneet päivääsi? Jos teet töitä kotoa käsin, voitko ripotella hyvinvointia tukevia rutiineja päivän eri kohtiin, jolloin ne ovat myös mikrotaukoja työpäivän keskellä?

Valoa päivääsi! <3

Anna-Mari Pentikäinen on helsinkiläinen joogaopettaja ja yogoben sisällöntuottaja. Hänelle jooga on harjoitus, joka opettaa löytämään rauhan ja ankkurin omasta itsestä silloinkin kun tuntuu, että kaikki ympärillä on mullistusten keskellä. Anna-Mari järjestää joogapurjehduksia Helsingin ja Porvoon edustalla elokuussa 2020 ja joogaretriittejä Suomessa, Sri Lankalla ja Italiassa. Voit lukea lisää tapahtumista ja tutustua lyhyisiin onlineharjoituksiin nettisivuilla, facebookissa tai instagramissa (kuva: Matti Keski-Kohtamäki).

Tulevat joogaretriitit

• 19.–21.3 Villin feminiinisen voiman retriitti Nuuksiossa
• 30.7–1.8.2021 Kehoni kodissa –joogaretriitti Frantsilassa
• Sri Lankan joogaretriitit kaudella 2020-2021

Videovinkit

Yogobe Video: f85c Yogobe Video: 25au Yogobe Video: ck75

Uupumus ja loppuunpalaminen ovat koko ajan yleistymässä ja niistä kirjoitetaan paljon, mutta uupunut ei itse aina huomaa tilaansa ennen kuin se nielaisee mukanaan. Mitä eroa on väsymyksellä ja uupumuksella? Miten lähipiiri tai työkaverit voivat huomata uupumuksen merkit? Entä miksi nuoret naiset ovat kaikista uupuneimpia? Haastattelimme Heltin työpsykologi Johanna Ojala-Oksalaa.

Burn outilla ja työssä uupumuksella ei ole eroa Ojala-Oksalan mukaan. "Kyseessä on sama asia eri nimellä. Työterveyshuollossa käytämme työuupumusta burnoutin synonyyminä, joskin burn out on trendikkäämpi sana ja nykyään uupumukselle on myös useita muita eri trendisanoja kuten burnis."

Miten sitten väsymys ja uupumus eroavat toisistaan? Väsymys menee nukkumalla ohi, kun taas työuupumus on tila joka ei mene levolla ohi. "Uupumus alkaa usein niin, että esimerkiksi viikonlopun nukkuminen ja lepääminen eivät riitä palautumaan kuormituksista."

Kehotietoisuus auttaa havaitsemaan ensioireet
Uupumuksen ensioireita ovat muun muassa väsymys, ärtyisyys ja huonontuneet yöunet. Jooga ja muut kehotietoisuutta vahvistavat läsnäoloharjoitukset ovat merkityksellisiä työvälineitä uupumuksen ennaltaehkäisyssä, sillä kehotietoisuus auttaa huomaamaan uupumuksen ensioireet aikaisessa vaiheessa.

"Kannattaa hakeutua lääkäriin tai psykologin vastaanotolle jos unettomuus jää päälle." Myös hälyttävä merkki on se, että elämä ei enää maistu samalta ja iloa eivät enää tuokaan ne asiat, joista on aikaisemmin nauttinut. "Uupuneelle se, mikä on ollut aikaisemmin kivaa ja miellyttävää ja mistä on tullut hyvä mieli ei olekaan enää nautinnollista tai mukavaa. Myös kaikenlaisista sosiaalisista suhteista vetäytyminen on tyypillinen oire."

Työuupumuksessa tyypillistä on uupumusasteinen väsymys, ts. väsymys, joka ei mene ohi lepäämällä ja nukkumalla. Lisäksi työuupumukseen kuuluu ammatillisen itsetunnon heikkenemistä ja kyynistymistä ja kokemus siitä ettei osaa eikä omalla työllä ole mitään merkitystä. Kylkiäisinä edellisille tulevat somaattiset stressioireet. "Somaattiset oireet ovat nähtävissä esimerkiksi epämääräisinä särky- ja kiputiloina monessa kohtaa kehoa joihin ei monestikaan löydy lääketieteellistä vastausta kuten pääkipu, selkäkipu, vatsakipu, heikotuksen tunne ja huimaus."

Lähipiirin ja ystävien merkitys
Aina uupunut ei itse huomaa tilanteensa vakavuutta joten ystävän, työkaverin tai perheenjäsenen on tärkeä pitää silmät auki, sillä hänen huomionsa läheisen tilasta voivat olla kullanarvoisia. "Kannattaa kiinnittää huomiota asiaan silloin, kun näkee että ihminen jollain tavalla muuttuu. Huomionarvoisia ovat kaikki sellaiset tilanteet kun käytös muuttuu toisenlaiseksi eli kun työkaveri tai läheinen vetäytyy sosiaalisista suhteista tai ei jaksa lähteä mihinkään ja linnoittautuu kotiin. Jos huomaat muutoksen käytös- tai toimintatavoissa kysy onko kaikki kunnossa.""

Uupumustilan ennaltaehkäisy
Ennaltaehkäisyssä on tärkeää kiinnittää huomio sekä työpäivän aikaiseen ja jälkeiseen tekemiseen.

• Palautumishetket työpäivän aikana. Ne voivat olla yksinkertaisimmillaan esimerkiksi hengitysharjoitukset, jooga- ja mindfulnessharjoitus tai vaikkapa kävely korttelin ympäri – eli tuokio jossa saa ajatukset täysin pois työstä. "Pidä sellaisia taukoja työpäivän aikana joilla saa ajatukset pois työstä eli työn aiheuttama vireystila laskee."
• Rentoutuminen työn jälkeen. "Tee jotain, jonka tarkoitus on irtautua työstä. On tärkeää että sekä työpäivän aikana että sen jälkeen tehty ennaltaehkäisevä toiminta ovat molemmat itselle mieluisia asioita."
• Liikunta ja musiikki. "Tiedämme kaksi hyvin tärkeää palautumiskeinoa: liikunta- ja musiikki, joilla on valtava parantava vaikutus. Musiikkia kuuntelemalla voimme laskea verenpainetta."
• Hengityksen merkitys: "Keskity ottamaan rauhallisia ja syviä hengityksiä."

Uupumuksen moninaiset syyt
Miksi uupumus sitten on niin yleistä ja erityisesti naisten keskuudessa? "Näyttää siltä että nuoret ja keski-ikäistyvät naiset uupuvat kaikista eniten, ja voi olla että syy on somenäyttäytyminen: meidän täytyy olla jokaiseen suuntaan päteviä ja näyttää että asiat ovat täydellisesti elämän jokaisella osa-alueella, vaikka se ei ole normaalia."

Yksi syy voi olla myös se, että naisvaltaisilla aloilla tukihenkilöstöä on vähennetty ja työnkuvan moninaisuus voi uuvuttaa. "Asiantuntijatyötä tekevät joutuvat tekemään itse myös sellaisen johon eivät ole saaneet koulutusta."

Yleisesti ottaen kilpailu kiristyy ja globalisoituu, määräaikaiset työsuhteet ovat yleistyneet ja jokaisessa hetkessä työ on lunastettava uudelleen. "Ei voi hengähtää hetkeäkään. Yksi merkittävä syy ovat myös itseohjautuvat organisaatiot. Itsen johtaminen ei ole helppoa monellekaan ihmiselle sillä se vaatii hyvää itsetuntemusta ja sen tietämystä, mikä työtahti ja millainen työ sopii minulle ja miten intensiivisesti tekemällä minä jaksan arjessa."

Valo tunnelin päässä
Toisaalta edessä on valo; nuoremmat sukupolvet ovat muutoksen mahdollisuus. "6 -vuotias poikani opetteli meditointia jo päiväkodissa, ja tekee sitä myös kotona. Uskon että tulevat sukupolvet osaavat paremmin kuunnella itseään ja tätä kautta suhtautua palautumiseen sen ansaitsemalla vakavuudella. Nykylapsille kerrotaan jo päiväkodissa, että on OK ottaa aikaa itselleen ja rentoutua. Nyt työiässä oleville ei ole aikoinaan opetettu, että aikaa pitää ottaa itselle, vaan on kannustettu pikemminkin tehokkuuteen ja suorituskeskeisyyteen."

Muutos erilaisuuden ymmärtämisessä
Ymmärrys siitä että jokainen ihminen on erilainen on yksi tie muutokseen. "Meillä on erilaiset elämäntilanteet: ihminen joka perheetön ja lapseton saattaa pystyä tekemään ajoittain pitempiä päiviä kuin neljän lapsen äiti, tai 60 -vuotias työntekijä joka joutuu hoitamaan omia vanhempiaan sekä lapsenlapsiaan. Se, että olemme erilaisia ja meillä on erilaiset elämäntilanteet, on otettava huomioon, jotta kaikilla olisi mahdollisuus voida työelämässä hyvin."

Johanna Ojala-Oksala on Heltin työterveyspsykologi ja työelämän uudistaja.

Tule mukaan Yogoben keväthaasteeseen

• #YOGOBESPRINGCHALLENGE
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Videovinkit

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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

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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).

Spouses and partners to cancer patients have a higher risk of illness. The stress and the increased demands in caring for a loved one may be too overwhelming. This is why self-care is so important. You need to care of yourself, for yourself.

To lose oneself while caring for another

This is the fourth 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 fact that yoga and a routine of introspection, self-care, and exercise was well integrated in my life didn’t matter when my boyfriend was diagnosed with cancer. He and the cancer became center of attention and I neglected myself to support and care for him.

Luckily, he was smarter than I. He shoved me out the door to go running. He told me to leave the hospital and go to yoga when I wanted to stay with him. He said that he would be fine alone if I wanted to meditate, and that I would feel better if I did so. He was right. Of course, he was.

It is so easy to lose oneself when living next to cancer. When someone we love and hold so close is threatened by death or suffers greatly during treatment, how can we not? At the hospitals and in the health care system all focus is on the sick person. As loved ones we suffer too. We are scared, sad, tired, and overwhelmed too. But our needs are put aside, and we are often forgotten.

You become the Project leader

Research made by Katarina Sjövall at Lund University show that relatives to those diagnosed with cancer get sicker as well. Spouses and partners to cancer patients have a 25% higher risk of cardiac disease; joint- and muscle pain; mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety; and burn out. Exactly why is not firmly established but probably due to the psychological stress and the increased demands caring for the spouse.

Ola Ringdahl talks in his book Att stå bredvid cancer about the roles loved ones take on. It is easy to understand how and why we ourselves end up at the doctor’s office in need of care. When “The Cancer Project” starts you become the Project leader keeping track of doctors’ appointments; making sure information is not lost between different hospital wards; and acting as the Interpreter, the Translator, and the Extra memory. You are the Caretaker putting on band-aids, cleaning up vomit, and making sure the medications is taken at the right time.

When the sadness and anxiety become too great you are the Comforter, giving your partner, child, parent, or friend a hug and wipe away their tears. You are also the Informer, the one others turn to to know how the sick one is doing. And even if cancer puts pause on your lives, the world around continues to spin. That means that you also shoulder the tasks of the Everyday creator, maintaining some kind of normalcy with work and family.

Prioritize yourself / Self-care

You are also a just You. But You are often not allowed to take up space. Living next to cancer usually means that when You are in a desperate need of a break from all the roles, guilt kicks in. Taking time for yourself when cancer is raging in your loved one’s body is just selfish, right?

The guilt is a constant companion. I’ve lived with it, and from conversations with others living next to cancer, I know it is something almost everyone struggles hard with. A common comment in cancer communities is that they work so hard all the time, but they don’t know how they can keep it up. They are running out of energy. Deep down you KNOW that prioritizing yourself once in a while is important. You need to find ways to make yourself last. For your loved one’s sake, but mostly for your own. You know best which ways works best for you to recharge, but here are some tips:

Sara Hoy has written the book Yoga och vetenskap – därför funkar det. Science show us that yoga makes us more resilient to stress, decreases blood pressure and reduces the risk of cardiac disease; helps with depression; and reduces anxiety. See how that correlates to the illnesses I mentioned above that those living next to cancer are in higher risk of?

Based on her book Sara has created two versions of the same class – one slower and one faster – so that you can choose based on your energy level:

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A video in English for the busy mind, with Sara Platt Finger:

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Rest to restore and get an understanding on how to work with situations out of your control:

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Be kind to yourself. You do so much. So much. Even if it feels like you’re doing nothing. 
Try this meditation for self-compassion and loving kindness:

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Give yourself a short break and a few moments of breath, space, and movement. You will feel better afterwards:

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Reach out for support

It’s important to know that you are not alone. All the hard questions, the weird thoughts, and forbidden feelings have been asked, thought, and felt by thousands other. There are comfort and perspective to find. You need someone to share the emotional whirlwind of despair and hope and happiness and grief with.

Friends and family provide love and support that no outsider can. Reach out for arms that hug you and ears that listen, ask for help with errands and chores – everything that makes life easier for you. You don’t need to be strong alone.

A therapist provides an objective view and professional experience of untangling gnarly thoughts and feelings (and won’t judge you when you share that you are angry at your partner for getting cancer and ruining your life and future, or that you’re so tired you just wish everything would end.)

A community gets you. They live, or have lived, through the same as you do. The understanding and exchange of stories and experiences are truly helpful.

Cancerkompisar
Under the words “No one should become sick from being a relative” Cancerkompisar (Cancer buddies) does a huge job of lifting the relatives cause into the light to prevent illness and giving hope, support, and help to those who help others. They both provide an online platform working as an open support group, and a service where you get matched with someone in a similar situation – you get a cancer buddy to share with and seek comfort from. 

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 both cancer patient and loved ones have the opportunity to share their cancer experience and get in contact with others who actually understand. It creates belonging and community in a time of isolation and uncertainty.

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. Learn more about War On Cancer and download their app here!

Share your story, it will make a difference.

Read more

• Genom cancer – att älska kroppen för vad den klarar, interview in Swedish with yoga teacher and author Karin Björkegren Jones.
• Managing hardship through connection, by Eleonora Ramsby Herrera.
• Breathe life into your life - part 1, by Ulrica Norberg.