Yoga for cancer patients
Bay yoga teacher Tanja Pau to run workshop to raise funds for training
Port Elizabeth AnandaMaya Yoga teacher Tanja Pau is wanting to learn how to teach yoga to cancer patients and survivors.
There are certain poses which are difficult or even impossible for cancer survivors, depending on their illness and treatment plan.
A woman who underwent a mastectomy, for example, would find certain arm and shoulder movements challenging while recovering from the operation.
With this in mind, Tanja is raising funds for her training by hosting a yoga and gut health workshop on December 1 at Humewood Golf Course.
She said some of the proceeds of the event will go towards travelling overseas to train as a Yoga for Cancer (Y4C) teacher.
Tanja will co-host the event with Judith Reynolds, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. The two women met a few months ago when Judith attended one of Tanja’s classes.
Judith had been doing yoga for several years before her cancer diagnosis and although she wanted to continue during her cancer treatment, she struggled to find a way to do this.
“When I looked at YouTube videos of yoga that was supposed to be appropriate for women who had had mastectomies, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The poses were all stretches of the arms and shoulders,” Judith said.
“I couldn’t get my arm above shoulder height for a couple of months after the operation, so I couldn’t do any of the sequences.”
She then bought two books on yoga for people with cancer and used the books to put together her own way of continuing to practise yoga.
One of the books was Yoga for Cancer by American breast cancer survivor Tari Prinster, who offers training for yoga teachers who want to learn how to teach yoga to cancer patients and survivors.
Now Tanja would like to do this training so that she can expand her yoga teaching to offer classes to people with cancer and perhaps also other health issues.
The workshop will include yoga poses that are good for the digestive system, information about gut health, a mindful eating exercise, and learning how to make “gut healthy” dishes, such as sauerkraut and kombucha.
Snacks and lunch will be provided and participants will go home with a goodie bag. Further information from Tanja, 082-322-5535, tanja@anandamayayoga.co.za or contact Judith, 072-858-6895, judesreynolds@yahoo.co.uk.
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