Cancer treatment creates multiple challenges: physical side effects like fatigue, pain, and sleep disruption; emotional impacts like anxiety and depression; and practical barriers to self-care. Standard exercise recommendations often don’t account for where patients actually are in treatment—what’s appropriate one week post-surgery differs dramatically from survivorship.
Yoga therapy is a clinical approach that adapts evidence-based yoga practices to individual patients’ needs and treatment stage. Unlike standard yoga classes, yoga therapy is personalized, safe for patients in active treatment, and designed to address specific cancer-related symptoms.
In this webinar we cover topics like:
- What yoga therapy is and how it differs from regular yoga
- The research backing yoga’s benefits for cancer patients
- How to make yoga practices safe during and after treatment
- Breathing techniques, body awareness, and meditation for cancer care
- How to integrate yoga into your actual daily life
- Interactive guided practices you can experience firsthand
The presenter, Smitha Mallaiah, PhD(c), C-IAYT, is a yoga researcher and clinical yoga therapist in the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Below are free resources for exploring a personal yoga practice.
- Meditation: Managing Scanxiety
- Meditation Practice: Body Awareness
- Mindful Breathing: Practicing self-care
- Meditation to help cope with pain
- Chair Yoga 1: Introduction and Joint Loosening
- Chair Yoga 2: Yoga Postures
- Chair Yoga 3: Deep Relaxation Technique
- Chair Yoga 4: Pranayama
- Yoga Nidra Meditation
- Alternate Nostril Breathing