The more research that is done on yoga, the more it starts to look like a miracle cure-all practice that can help with every ailment, from back pain to chronic stress and anxiety. Of course, it’s not a miracle cure, but it does encompass an incredible combination of strength, flexibility, and mental training that pack a powerful combined punch against all the physical and mental stressors that threaten us on a daily basis. The wonderful thing is that solid evidence is starting to support what yoga practitioners have been saying for years: that no matter what your ailment, chances are that a sustained yoga practice will improve your quality of life and help promote your healing.

Improving quality of life

We often talk about yoga as a cure, but sometimes, a cure is not possible. There are certain diseases we have yet to conquer, such as HIV/AIDS and various kinds of cancer, and even the world’s most dedicated yoga practitioner is not going to be able to fight off these illnesses without help from the best medications we currently have available. However, there is a wealth of information on improving quality of life and overall health for people suffering from terminal or life limiting illnesses, and when it comes to this, once again, there’s no beating yoga. HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was. Although it is certainly not an illness to be taken lightly, an early diagnosis, thorough treatment and a healthy lifestyle can allow people living with HIV to expect a lifespan comparable with anyone else. While any kind of exercise is helpful in achieving the healthy lifestyle necessary for coping with HIV, yoga has the additional benefits of providing relaxation and stress relief. The additional community support and way of life attached to yoga are also a huge help to people living with the mental strain of HIV.

Cancer is a more complex situation. In fact, it isn’t one single disease, but rather a group of diseases that vary quite widely, and in some cases are relatively easily survivable, while in others are almost always terminal. While the most important factor in surviving cancer is simply treating the tumor, anyone undergoing cancer treatment will recognize that improving quality of life during the mentally and physically exhausting process of cancer treatment is essential. There is growing evidence suggesting that cancer patients need more than just medical treatment in order to cope with the illness, and the popularity of “psychosocial interventions” – that is, treatments to improve the patients’ well-being and quality of life – is growing. Multiple studies have been conducted to determine the effect of these interventions on cancer patients, and an overarching review that looked at the evidence from all of these studies concludes not only that psychosocial treatments are important, but also that they need to be sustained for longer than 12 weeks to be effective.

We know that yoga has significant benefits for well-being, energy and fatigue in seniors aged between 65 and 85 years, but much of the research on yoga for cancer patients is still in its infancy, and bigger, more rigorous trials are needed to enable us to understand the extent of yoga’s benefits, and the reasons for them. In some cases, the research hasn’t even begun: because most psychosocial cancer care is directed at children and older adults, adolescents and young adults often have needs that go unaddressed, and a study in Canada is recruiting young adult and adolescent cancer patients to determine the effects of a Hatha yoga program on quality of life and relief of side effects. However, there are a few small studies already conducted, which suggest that yoga programs for cancer patients improve the patients’ ability to conduct everyday tasks, cope with stress and anxiety, and boost overall quality of life.

Unique benefits of yoga

So why is yoga so helpful, and perhaps more so than other types of exercise? The main difference is mindfulness. Any exercise – whether walking, lifting weights, running, cycling, swimming, or exercise classes – will help to improve both the physical condition and the state of mind. Yoga provides these benefits, but the addition of its focus on deep breathing and meditation is an important added ingredient, and may just be the golden ticket. Mindfulness, the practice of focusing intensely on the present moment, is emerging as the darling of mental healthcare, with powerful potential to stave of depression and anxiety, and improve overall wellbeing and quality of life.

There is strong evidence that mindfulness-based stress reduction treatments provide an excellent complement to cancer treatment, reducing stress and boosting well-being, and even having physical benefits of its own. The combination of mindfulness in yoga with the multitude of physical benefits is undoubtedly what makes it so powerful as a psychosocial treatment for people suffering from terminal or life limiting illnesses.