How yoga can help in the fight against breast cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Most of us have been impacted by breast cancer to some degree or another in our lives. Maybe you have faced the fight yourself or know and love someone else who has.
One in eight women in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Faced with such a startling statistic, it’s so important that we do our part to support the effort to increase awareness, support research, and protect the lives and well-being of our community. For us, that community includes you and all members and friends of Razz Yoga.
Did you know? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 days per week can lower your risk of developing breast cancer by 30-50%.
I’ve seen the incredible health benefits of yoga at work in my life and the lives of the members of our Razz Yoga community. I’ve shared with you how yoga helps me manage my own high blood pressure and what an integral part it plays in my journey to a holistic lifestyle.
In addition to lowering the risks of developing breast cancer, yoga can help those fighting as well as their caretakers and loved ones navigate the scary, stressful, uncertain path this terrible disease takes them on.
My sister’s breast cancer story.
I still remember the day my younger sister told me she had to go back for a follow-up after a routine mammogram. And I remember sitting with her at the oncologist's office and holding her hand as they announced she had Invasive ductal carcinoma, Stage 1, Grade 3, triple negative.
I felt the way so many of you have felt in similar situations with loved ones. I was shocked, scared, angry, and worried... not just for my sister but for her young children and my parents.
It was hard to see someone I love in pain and be powerless to make it all go away.
As the older sister, I often jumped right to giving advice and trying to fix things to make life better or easier for her. This time, for the first time, I didn't have a personal experience to draw from and couldn't give her any real advice. Instead, I knew in my heart that what she needed most from me was to just be there.
How yoga helps fighters and caregivers.
I'm grateful for my yoga practice because it grounds me and helps me find balance during challenging times like this. I knew that I needed to be calm and encouraging for my sister and do what had to be done.
In stressful times like these when I feel out of control, yoga has taught me to let go of what I can't control and focus on what I can. For me that meant preparing meals for my sister and my parents who cared for her in their home, inviting her to restorative yoga when she felt up to it, sending love notes and guided meditations for her to listen to during treatment or when she was trying to rest, helping out with the kids, answering phone calls and sharing updates.
According to a 2018 study, people who practiced Hatha yoga three times a week saw significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression after 12 sessions. I have seen the positive effects a yoga practice has on managing stress in my own life and the lives of so many members of our Razz Yoga community. When there is a health crisis, whether it affects you or someone you love, you will experience feelings of stress, anxiety, and possibly even depression. Let your yoga practice help you.
Obviously, if you are being treated for breast cancer, consult with your doctor about the types of exercise that are safe for you and any restrictions you may have.
Take action in your fight against breast cancer.
Every week in October and beyond, I challenge you to exercise 3-4 days for 30 minutes or more to show your personal commitment to reducing your risk of developing breast cancer.
I also encourage you to focus on your own five pillars of wellness:
What you eat.
How you hydrate.
When and how you rest.
How you care for yourself with meditation and breathing.
When and how you move and exercise.
Pay particular attention to the first pillar: what you eat. Food is fuel for our bodies. Food can cause our bodies harm or help prevent disease. Food can heal.
Helping your body help itself means giving it plenty of the good stuff and crowding out the bad. This means including TONS of fruits and vegetables. For me, plant-based eating has made a tremendous difference in how I feel. Even if you’re not ready to transition to a fully plant-based diet, incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet each day is a great step in a healthier direction. I give my body what it needs with soups, buddha bowls, and flavor-packed, healthy smoothies.
A recent article published on Healthline.com further discussed the importance of food in preventing breast cancer. They listed leafy greens, citrus fruits, berries, and walnuts among their 12 foods to eat. When it came to foods to avoid, there are six:
Alcohol
Fast food
Fried foods
Processed meats
Added sugar
Refined carbohydrates
Preventing and fighting breast cancer takes all of us. This October has special meaning to me as a sister. I will continue to support my sister in her fight long after October has ended.
My sister is blessed to have a loving, supportive family and an awesome network of friends. The support poured in and continues to this day, which is comforting. It’s my hope that our Razz Yoga community can be part of your fight against breast cancer as you work to prevent it, fight it, or support a friend or loved one through it.
If you’re not yet a member of our Razz Yoga community, we have a special intro offer just for you that allows you to attend unlimited studio classes for 30 days! We’d love to share our home with you and help you find the class that best meets your needs.