Do Yoga St. John Offers Hope to Cancer Patients

Little House of HopDo Yoga St. John recently participated with the St. John Brewers/Tap Room and the Little Pink House of Hope in a one day event at Ditleff Point house.  Several breast cancer patients, in various stages of cancer, were hosted by Little Pink House of Hope for a week retreat on St. John.  The Little Pink House of Hope creates hopeful experiences through fostering loving relationships in a non-judgmental environment.

So what does that mean in the words of Little Pink House of Hope:

Hopeful Experiences-  to help foster family bonds through relaxed play and time away.  We believe that individuals will have a chance to grow in their well being, relationships, nutrition, and spirit to help them in their cancer journey.  We believe that at all stages of the cancer journey, it is not enough to survive, but rather to focus on thriving and celebrating life.  We believe in having fun!!

Loving Relationships- to foster loving relationships by our words, actions, service, and connections.  We believe that not only will families grow in love during our retreat weeks, but families will continue their Little Pink experience long after the retreats end.

Non-Judgmental Environment– to create an environment of acceptance among staff, volunstars, and participants.  We believe that families come in all shapes and sizes.  We do not discriminate based on race, sexual orientation, gender, disability, age, geographic location, or religion.  Breast cancer affects everyone, and it is our mission to serve everyone who is on the journey.  Cancer is the great equalizer- there is no room for judgment, only love and compassion.

You can see why Do Yoga St. John was eager to participate.  Monika Aranha and Nancy Stromp spent the morning with the group. They shared in teaching the group a gentle yoga class and Monika ended the class with Yoga Nidra.

Both teachers were extremely inspired from the experience.

YogaCancerRetreat1Yoga is a very powerful source of healing. Well established doctors and treatment centers recommend yoga for cancer patients. Here is what Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has on their website about Yoga for cancer patients.

Yoga improves quality of life in both newly diagnosed and long-term cancer survivors by reducing stress and fatigue, and improving sleep and mood.

Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy that has been practiced for thousands of years. It involves regulated breathing, moving through various postures, and meditation to achieve physical and emotional health benefits. Yoga was shown to reduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, seizures, diabetes, migraine headaches, depression, and anxiety. It is also practiced for weight maintenance. Cancer survivors including those recently diagnosed report better sleep, less stress, and improved quality of life with the practice of yoga. It is now offered in many cancer hospitals around the country.

Cancer patients interested in beginning yoga should first ask their physicians, because certain cancer treatments can cause physical limitations. It is also important that proper techniques are learned from certified instructors who have experience working with cancer patients.

For more information about The Little Pink House of Hope, visit there website here.