Lymphedema Management With Flowing Yoga

BreastCancerYoga

 

Flowing Movements 

Practicing continuous flowing movements has a positive impact on the lymphatic system, and in particular Lymphedema. When lymph fluid is disrupted through breast cancer surgery, trauma or infection there may be an excessive fluid build up. This stagnant fluid can play havoc on the tissues and create swelling. There also can be a reduction of the oxygen intake or absorption to the lymphatic system; all of which increases the chance for infection.

 

Yoga For Lymphatic Fluid Movement 

Practicing a flowing yoga keeps the lymphatic fluid pumping throughout the body’s channels, rather than accumulating or backing up. It is great for maintaining healthy breast tissue. To keep this fluid moving, we need to also foster relaxation. It will facilitate renewed or restored strength, and flexibility.

 

Stimulate Immune System 

Flowing yoga movements develop a supple spine and a strong nervous system so when the nervous system is in balance the parasympathetic and sympathetic system work together creating great calm. When flowing in the practice the poses encourage digestion, assimilation and elimination. The body’s immune system is stimulated to maintain health. When flowing from a backward bend to a forward bend, the spine will roll vertebra by vertebra, either in an ascending or descending order, while following the natural wave of the spine. Here it will recognize naturally that a backbend (extension) will flow from a forward bend (flexion) and vice versa.

 

By: Diana Ross, E-RYT 500

Founder: Breast Cancer Yoga 

Binney4

Wow, Dawn, I went and visited your website and it sure looks like you're selling a lot of stuff: books, CDs, herbal teas, massage oils. You might want to review the rules for using this discussion board if you hope to avoid being banned.

What's more concerning to me though, as a person with lymphedema, is the string of claims made by your cohort Diana Ross in the article you quoted above. If you're going to tell us what flowing yoga can do for our lymphedema, then we'll want to see the evidence-based data rather than just your cheery assurances.

According to your website both you and Diana Ross claim you want to "share [y]our knowledge and favorite things regarding breast cancer recovery and lymphedema management."  Lymphedema is a very specific condition requiring considerable training to manage it competently. Seeing as how there are a number of women here who have developed lymphedema as a result of yoga practice at the hands of lymphedema-incompetent instructors, we'd want to see your lymphedema training credentials before we'd feel comfortable accepting either your claims or your advice.

As a matter of fact, we do have a long and informative yoga thread in this forum, and I wonder if you took the time to read it before posting? Don't mean to sound harsh -- we're a really nice bunch of women here -- but we sure don't suffer professional incompetence lightly, much less attempts to sell us products and services that are not backed up by solid evidence. If in fact you do have any experience with lymphedema, than I feel certain you'll understand our wariness.

Binney