As sunrays offer growth, so we too can help those grow stronger
I read a very interesting article located at http://www.naturalnews.com. The title reads, “Chemotherapy Treatment of Children Multiplies Risk of Cancer Later in Life.”
Below is the quoted introduction on the topic. Please go to above site to read complete article – it is worth it.
“Adults who underwent chemotherapy as children are at a significantly higher risk of developing cancer as adults, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, Denmark, and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.”
My thoughts…
You can imagine my shock and sadness upon reading this article. It got me thinking about something I would like to bring to the table of children dealing with cancers.
I am envisioning a yoga therapy program specifically catered to children while they are patients at an oncology ward.
The break down…
This program could be offered twice or three times a week in the hospital setting and would last 15 minutes in duration. The program would be open to all children on the ward but it would be specifically geared toward kids that were going to have a a scheduled procedure (often times painful).
The child would come to the safe place yoga room and spend 15 minutes with the yoga therapists/teacher. In the 15minutes, different methods would be taught to the child along with gentle yoga poses (geared towards those with cancer) that would enable the child to use all these great tools as a way of helping them navigate through the difficulties that they are experiencing.
Ward time…
Being in a hospital setting can be very stressful and painful to the patients. Every week I see how difficult it is for adult patients to cope with their illness so can you imagine more so how scary it must be for a child? Not only is the child going through a sense of “no control” over what is happening to their body, they are often experiencing physical pain along with the psychological stress.
Oncology Yoga Benefits?…
Just take the time to reflect on why you love your yoga practice so much. Now reflect on how you feel after you have finished a yoga class. Now all the great benefits adults get from practicing yoga are the same for children, after all they are just small and cuter versions of us.
It is a fact that yoga not only helps the mind but also our physiology. After all our physical and energetic selves are intertwined.
The pre procedure yoga sessions would aid immensely in helping the child ease their fear, restore their sense of control, build their confidence and courage, improve their mood, help them relax, reduce some of the nausea and some of the other side effects that come along with treatments.
There have been countless research articles studying and proving the beneficial effects of yoga on individuals dealing with cancer, and it great that some health care institutions are starting to recognize the powerful and positive effects of other healing modalities.
My hope is that one day I can some how be a part of a program where yoga is brought to the pediatric oncology wards in an effort to help them heal.
Have a beauty filled day and give thanks for what you have today.
riNa
