Mental health and quality of life are among the most important elements of the recovery process after invasive medical treatments, such as breast cancer surgery. Fortunately, a new study has shown that lower anxiety levels in individuals who practice a special type of yoga may improve the recovery process.
Researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada analyzed questionnaires from women who participated in a 10-week session of Iyengar yoga before and after the regimen was completed.
They discovered that a staggering 94 percent of the patients reported improvements in their quality of life, 88 percent felt better physically, and overwhelming majorities saw an increase in happiness and lower levels of fatigue.
The women also tended to have a better body image, and lower levels of stress and depression.
The study was recently detailed in the journal Cancer Nursing, and the researchers say they plan to use upcoming Iyengar yoga sessions to examine how the practice affects recovering cancer patientsÂ’ joint range of motion, upper body strength as well as balance.