How to Manage Stress When Living with Breast Cancer

Yoga keeps you physically and mentally fit to help you manage stress, anxiety, and depression, especially when you are living with a disease like breast cancer. With yoga you can develop a more positive mind set. Yoga also improves the functioning of your organs and your circulatory system. Yoga strengthens you from the inside out by using breath work or pranayama to regulate your emotions and calms the mind.

Yoga keeps you focussed

When the mind is productively engaged, then you won’t be drowning in negativity. Wake up early in the morning to perform gentle asanas, pranayama and meditation. You can include breathing exercises such as Anulom-Vilom, Bhastrika Pranayam etc.

Yoga for spiritual health

While physical postures in Yoga build strength and flexibility; pranayama and meditation help you become connected to yourself. When all these are combined, yogic  techniques when done regularly also affects your mental well being in a positive manner.

Most importantly, yoga is a spiritual process that means ‘Yuj’ or union. It is a journey towards uniting with your higher self or the divine consciousness. All the different techniques in yoga are practices to align your mind, body and soul with the state of your higher consciousness.

Think Positive

You can keep the mind positive with positive affirmations, prayers, mantras and chants. Ganesh Mudra can be done with Ganesh mantra or Linga Mudra can be done with the Mahamrityunjay Mantra to bring calmness to the mind.

Ganesh Mudra

Importance of Ganesh Mudra

Ganesha mudra is a sacred hand gesture or "seal" used during yoga and meditation practice as a means of channeling the flow of vital life force energy known as prana. Named after the Hindu elephant God Ganesh, this mudra is believed to invoke his energy as the remover of obstacles. As such, practicing the Ganesha mudra is said to enhance self-confidence and provide the courage to overcome anything that is holding one back.

Formation

To practice Ganesha mudra, first bring the palms together in Anjali Mudra, before turning each hand so that the fingertips point towards opposite elbows. The right palm should be facing towards the body, the left palm facing away. Once in this position, slide the hands back until the fingers lock together and grasp each other. The thumbs simply rest on top of the little finger of the opposite hand and the hands stay at the level of the heart.

Linga Mudra

Importance of Linga Mudra

The shape of the hands and upright thumb in linga mudra looks similar to the erect penis (phallus). In Sanskrit, the phallus is termed as Linga, hence this mudra is called Linga mudra. It’s also called “upright mudra”.

Formation

Linga Mudra is made by interlocking the fingers of both hands together (knuckle pointing out) and then upright the thumb.

Yoga and meditation practices allow you to completely relax the mind. This leads to greater clarity and increased focus. Once you start to gain this positive focus, you will surely gain better self-awareness and self-confidence.

Inputs by Himalayan Siddha, Grand Master Akshar