Restorative yoga may have positive effects for breast cancer patients

Restorative yoga may provide some relief of fatigue and depression problems for women with breast cancer, according to a new study.

The pilot study, published Wednesday in the journal of Psycho-Oncology, assigned 44 participants to a restorative yoga or a control group. The average age of participants was 56 and more than a third of the women were undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

The yoga group took 10 weekly 75-minute classes that combined physical postures, breathing and deep relaxation. By using props participants were able to find a comfortable position so they could hold the poses for several minutes.

Researchers found women who practiced this gentler version of the popular mind-body therapy had a 50 percent reduction in depression and a 12 percent increase in feelings of peacefulness.

Read the whole article here: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=118827