Yoga Therapy across the Cancer Care Continuum

Book excerpt: Facing cancer calls for skilled, equitable, and compassionate support. Yoga therapists are part of an evidenced-informed health care team uniquely qualified to support whole-person community care throughout the continuum of the cancer experience, professionally and with tender-hearted humanity. Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum: - Describes the unique emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual experiences of people at each stage of the cancer care continuum (including diagnosis, acute treatment, no evidence of disease or living with chronic disease, cancer recurrence, and end of life) and the responsive support offered by the breadth of individualized yoga therapy care. - Explains the biology of cancer and the challenges associated with type and stage of malignancy, as well as adverse side effects of conventional treatment (surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant), comorbid health conditions, and their impact on the whole person: mind, body, and soul. - Shares the unique perspective of 40 oncology yoga therapists with exceptional expertise working with diverse cancer populations in academic medical centers, hospitals, clinics, studios, in-home, and via-telehealth; includes clinical experience and scientific research that highlights relative contraindications and clinical "pearls". - Explores a unique model of yoga therapy that is informed by ancient yoga philosophy and modern biomedical research, reinforced by skillful and compassionate therapeutic relationship, intelligent yoga practice, and the tender-hearted humanity of co-regulation and resourcing for both patient/client and therapist. - Highlights practical and professional considerations for yoga therapists and yoga teachers working in cancer, including scope of practice, informed consent, safety considerations and contraindications, liability insurance, waivers, clinical notes, co-assessments, and essential referrals to allied health care professionals; integrating yoga therapy into healthcare. - Acknowledges disparity and inequity in cancer care worldwide and advocates for inclusive, safe, and accessible yoga for all people impacted by cancer. - Calls for the integration of yoga therapy into standard oncology care; discusses barriers, obstacles, and suggestions for the way forward. - Recognizes Yoga as a time-honored mind-body science originating in ancient India. Yogic teachings presented in this book are shared with gratitude and utmost respect. Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum is essential reading for all oncology professionals interested in yoga as an evidence-informed therapeutic intervention to improve the lives of people with cancer and for self-care, including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, acupuncturists, yoga therapists and yoga teachers, and all allied health professionals - as well as people with cancer and survivors, their families, and caregivers. List of Contributors: Karen Apostolina, Marsha D. Banks-Harold, Cheryl Fenner Brown, Marianne Woods Cirone, Amelia Coffaro, Nischala Joy Devi, Christa Eppinghaus, Teri Gandy-Richardson, Chandrika Gibson, Sandra Susheela Gilbert, Sadie Grossman, Suveena Guglani, Kate Holcombe, Sharon Holly, Kelsey Kraemer, Tonia Kulp, Johanne Lauktien, Jennie Lee, Annette Loudon, Lee Majewski, Smitha Mallaiah, Sanmay Mukhopadhyay, Bhavani Munamarty, Lórien Neargarder, Charlotte Nuessle, Maryam Ovissi, Miriam Patterson, Tina Paul, Tari Prinster, Lois Ramondetta, Kiran Shenoy, Stella Snyder, Doreen Stein-Seroussi, Michelle Stortz, Jennifer Collins Taylor, Robyn Tiger, Satyam Tripathi, Tina Walter