At least one in three women diagnosed for breast cancer suffers from lingering fatigue months or even years after treatment ends, but practicing yoga significantly reduces this symptom and also helps lower levels of dangerous inflammation. Thats the finding of a new National Cancer Institute-funded clinical trial that randomly assigned 200 breast cancer survivors to take either a 90-minute hatha yoga classa gentler form than the popular hot bikram yogatwice a week for 12 weeks or to be in a control group that was waitlisted for the class.

At the end of the study published online Monday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, those who practiced yoga reported about 50 percent less fatigue than those in the control group and had 20 percent lower levels of three proteins in the blood that are markers for inflammation. The proteins, generated by the immune system, are known to cause fatigue, headaches, and general malaise when we develop an infectionthe bodys way of forcing us to get rest.

Excess inflammation has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence and chronic diseases of aging such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease, according to study leader Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The more times women practiced yoga each week, the lower the levels of their tiredness and inflammation. Whats more, these benefits persisted three months after the study endedpresumably because many of the study participants were keeping up their yoga practice.

Sleep was significantly improved in the women who did yoga, and that could be a major reason for the decline in their fatigue and inflammation, said Kiecolt-Glaser. Many breast cancer survivors suffer from chronic insomnia, she added, often due to anxiety that persists after their diagnosis with a life-threatening disease.

Studies show that some patients continue to have moderate-to-severe fatigue years after treatment, states the National Cancer Institute website. Besides lack of sleep, anti-estrogen drugs like tamoxifengiven to many breast cancer patients for 5 to 10 years after their diagnosis to prevent a recurrencecan also contribute to fatigue, according to NCI.

Even in those without breast cancer, yoga has been shown to provide the sameor even biggermood-boosting effects than running and other forms of strenous exercise. But newcomers to yoga also need to be careful not to overdo it since pushing too much, too fast, can raise the risk of injuries.

Breast cancer patients who are older or still recovering from surgery or chemotherapy could certainly benefit from the practice. Kiecolt-Glaser recommended starting with a hatha yoga class, a restorative form that focuses on gentle stretching and a period of resting meditation at the end.

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Study shows yoga may reduce fatigue and inflammation for breast cancer patients - Boston.com

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Yoga helps cancer survivors lessen problems, study finds

WHEN I started practicing yoga, the idea of final rest at the end of practice was my main motivation. I loved lying on my mat when a long day and challenging practice were done. I dreaded the moment the teacher told us to roll to one side and sit up.

Yoga Nidra takes final rest, known in Sanskrit as savasana, to the next level. It is essentially yogic sleep and creates a deep, meditative state. A teacher guides you through the yogic sleep by speaking to different parts of the body for about 30 minutes. It sounded dreamy.

Yoga Nidra has become popular the past few years, cropping up at yoga studios around the region as a way for people to add rest and rejuvenation into their day.

I headed to YogaBliss on Mercer Island on a Friday evening to take a Nidra class with teacher Amy Swanson. The room was dimly lit, with candles set up in the room, and people were grabbing every prop imaginable bolsters, blankets, straps, blocks. Yes, I thought triumphantly.

Swanson explained we would do a 45-minute practice, then a 30-minute Nidra practice.

The class started slowly enough. We laid back on bolsters, closed our eyes and listened to our breath. I was thrilled to relax after a long week, and I would have been happy to stay in that position for the entire hour-and-15-minute class.

Alas, Swanson had us get up. We dived into a fairly vigorous practice, starting with core work. Since when does Yoga Nidra include core? I thought grumpily. Clearly, I needed an attitude adjustment.

Swanson moved us into a practice that was fairly active, with some vinyasa flow that worked on strengthening the upper body and legs. As soon as I stopped being cranky about moving, I relaxed into the practice. We did some standing poses, gentle twists and balancing poses, and I built up some heat. I might also have cast a couple of longing glances at my bolster.

I was saved by the clock. Our 45 minutes were up, and Swanson sent us to our mats to lie down.

Once we were all on our backs, she told us to relax, then started talking us through different parts of the body. At least, thats what she told me she did. I didnt hear much. Within moments, I was asleep.

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Yoga Nidra helps you unwind, one body part at a time

Registration is underway for a new 200-hour certified yoga teacher training course scheduled March 28 through July 19 in Orcutt.

The Prema Yoga 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Certification course will be offered by registered yoga teacher Lisa Jansen.

Designed for those who want to become a certified yoga instructor or simply want to delve into personal growth, the course will be divided into four modules March 28 to April 5, May 2 to 4, June 6 to 8 and July 11 to 19.

Each module will offer yoga asanas and anatomy, techniques, daily practice, foundation work, history, philosophy, mantra, mudra and more, Jansen said.

Jensen has 30 years of experience as a practicing yogini and 17 years as a yoga teacher and intuitive healer and holds certifications in craniosacral therapy and reiki.

She formerly owned and operated Central Coast Yoga in Arroyo Grande and is an instructor for the San Francisco Zen Center.

The cost for the course starts at $2,719, with a payment plan available.

For more information, visit http://premayogahealing.com or http://yogaformankind.com or call Jansen at (707) 721- 6988.

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Yoga training course slated