YOGA and CANCER
At any stage of life, the diagnosis of a cancer has devastating consequences. The diagnosis of a cancer increased with age. There are several reasons for this increase but there are actions that can be taken to reduce this age-related risk
Cancer develops when the body’s cells grow and spread within the body, in an uncontrolled manner. The original cancerous cell can develop in any tissue in the body.
There is a sharp increase in people over 65 developing a cancer and this increases again by age 75 years of age.
Yes – there are daily activities that can be done to reduce your risk of developing a cancer. YOGA offers many interventions. However the statistics will still put you in a high risk category as you become older.
“The cancer needs both a ‘seed’(the primary defective cell) and the ‘soil’ (the environment around that cancer cells to provide the nutrients needed for the cancer to grow)”. Dr A. Sharma. 2026. Garvan Institute of Medical Research. 2026.
YOGA has many interventions that help with keeping the environment cleaned out to reduce the build-up of waste that may encourage the cancer cells to grow.
YOGA can also many practices that can support you if you do develop a cancer.
About 88% of all cancer diagnosis occur in people over the age of 50 years.
The main types are skin cancer, prostate cancer in older men; breast cancer in older women; and colorectal (bowel) cancer for both sexes.
So why are older people at an elevated risk?
§ There has been a higher cell turn over by the time we reach old age. Every cell replication poses the possibility of a genetic mutation occurring.
§ The old body has been exposed to many environmental toxins that may have accumulated in the tissues.
§ There is a higher concentration of cortisol due to the HPA axis becoming less sensitive to controlling the output of cortisol.
o Higher cortisol increases insulin resistance, Fat storage especially visceral fat, anxiety, and chronic inflammation – inflammaging.
§ The changes to the immune system reduces the body’s ability for detecting and removing cancerous cells.
o Increase in the development of senescence cells
o Slowed lymphatic clearance of the interstitial fluid
o Thymic involution
o Immune response
I will briefly go through each change to the immune system and suggest some interventions that YOGA can offer.
CORTISOL: The regulation of cortisol relies on the initial activation in the hypothalamus following a stressor, then the hormone Cortisol Releasing hormone activating the Pituitary to release ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) to the Adrenal and then the production of cortisol.
Actions of cortisol: These are some of the main effects. There are many others.
§ Increases blood glucose to allow for greater utilisation by the brain so you can respond to a stressor efficiently. Aids with fat breakdown for energy if necessary. These actions increase the availability of energy to the body’s cells.
§ Anti-inflammatory actions: reduces some inflammatory cells and chemical inflammatory actions
§ Immunosuppressive actions: Reduces specific immune cells that are involved with antibody production.
§ Excess, elevated cortisol can result with irritability and anxiety
§ In chronic stress’ there is an effect on bone and calcium absorption
The homeostatic mechanism (the body’s ability to return to and maintain all systems in the most stable and efficient internal working condition). Most homeostatic mechanisms work by a ‘feed-back’ mechanism.
This is how the cortisol levels are returned to normal. What happens when either your cortisol remain high &/or the feedback does not signal the adrenal gland to turn off the production.
Within the brain; the amygdala turns the HPA axis on and cortisol production continues as it is needed. When the stress treat has reduced, the SNS alert the Hippocampus to turn the HPA axis and therefore cortisol production – off.
However, if the stressors remain active/chronic, the cortisol levels remain high and cortisol does a lot of damage throughout the body and brain. (The HPA Axis and cortisol homeostasis is a complex system. Please review some YouTubes for more detailed explanations. Dr Matt & Dr Mike have good videos.)
How YOGA can help: By normalising your cortisol, both the physiological and psychological systems of your body are greatly impacted.
Stress symptoms can increase insidiously. You become more irritable, feel tired/fatigued, and you just do not enjoy the things you used to. This is when you do need to take some time out to reflect on how you are going.
Simple pranayama practices such as Alternate Nostril Breathing. Nadi Shodhana is an excellent starting place. Can you sit for at least 10 rounds without become irritable, wanting to move, feeling ‘fed up’. If not – some reflection with a full body Yoga Nidra especially before bed.
Waking your body up slowly in the morning with some full breaths, gentle stretches and joint movements will help get you and your body ready for the day. You may often wake in the morning without feeling refreshed, so just take it easy – be kind to yourself.
Sleep: Bhramari Pranayama just before you lie down is essential. This practice aids with enhanced blood flow to the brain with increased nitric oxide in the blood, aids glymphatic drainage from the brain during sleep as the muscles in the neck become relaxed after your days stress. The usual ‘healthy sleep’ practices are also necessary. Turing off blue light 1 hour before bed and no electronic equipment in the bedroom. Having a warm shower before bed and rubbing a scented oil (of your choice) on your body, complete blackness in the room.
Chronic stress in the body is also associated with reduced lymphatic flow and increased senescence cells. Chronic stress results with impaired blood flow to and from all body tissues especially the muscles and essential organs. This result with a build-up of metabolic by-products in the interstitial fluid that are not removed by the lymphatic system.
YOGA: The ‘dead bug pose’ Stambhasana is a generalised asana that has many benefits. Done in the morning with slow stretches of the limbs, rotation of all the synovial joints and attention with the breath, this pose will awaken the body in a gentle manner. Remember that cortisol naturally rises in the morning, so as you are ‘normalising’ your cortisol, slow and steady will reduce any sympathetic nervous system activation.
Doing this asana about an hour before bed will encourage lymphatic drainage of all the muscles and organs and re-new that interstitial fluid that is bathing all the cells.
Remember that chronic stress has a systemic effects on all the body tissues and keeps them in a constantly taught state, preventing circulation into and out of tissues.
Don’t try and do too much. A small amount daily and use the movements to feel where your body is restricted.
So keeping the fresh oxygen rich blood circulating to all the cells, ensuring all metabolic waste products are constantly being removed can help reduce the development of a cancer as you age. There are no guarantees, but it all helps to stay healthy.
