5 Yoga Moves That Help With Breast Cancer Recovery

Gentle exercise after breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation is key to a successful recovery and can provide a sense of normalcy for many women.

Sierra Campbell, a breast cancer survivor and yoga expert at Grokker.com, says yoga not only helps heal her mind and body, but it aids in coping with fatigue and depression as well. “Yoga, meditation, and breathing practices allow women with breast cancer to explore their emotions, foster mindful empathy, and cope with fatigue and tightness,” she says. Before you start any form of exercise, be sure to consult with your doctor to get a sense of how much activity is good for you at your stage of recovery. When you’re ready, here are five moves to try.

Savasana

Each yoga exercise begins and ends with Savasana, a resting position and a great way to release stress and muscle tension. Stack a pillow and rolled-up blanket at one end of a yoga mat and lie flat with your back resting on the blanket and pillow. Bring your knees together with your feet flat on the mat and open your legs on each side of the mat, keeping your knees bent and your hands at your sides, palms facing up. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling. “I recommend that women recline on bolsters or couch cushions with the lower back and sacrum supported. Once the body is in a relaxed position, deep breathing practices calm the mind and release muscle tension,” Campbell says. You can transition this exercise into a spinal twist by moving your knees to one side of the mat with your arms spread apart, and your head facing in the opposite direction.

Bridge

This classic yoga pose helps strengthen the spine and improves spinal flexibility. It also promotes good circulation and relaxation by gently stretching the muscle tissue around the breasts. To get into bridge pose, lie flat on your back on a yoga mat. Bend your knees and have them hip-width apart, bringing the soles of your feet parallel on the mat and close to your butt. Lift your hips up toward the ceiling and rest your hands near your pelvic area.

Warrior II

Place a chair on the center of a yoga mat for this modified version of Warrior II, which helps expand your range of motion while nurturing your lymphatic system. Start in a seated position at the edge of the chair with your head facing one side of the room. Move into a lunge position with your front foot to the side of the room you’re facing, then extend your other foot to the backside of the mat with your heel facing up. Flatten your back foot at the outer edge of your mat and lift your hips off the chair. Open your hips and lift your arms to the sides with your palms pressing down on imaginary wooden pegs. “Asanas [like this exercise] emphasize posture and encourage breathing deeply, which is a good first step to any yoga practice. Take your time and focus on how the poses feel, not how they look or are ‘supposed’ to look,” Campbell advises.

Crescent Lunge

The Crescent Lunge stretches and strengthens the lower and upper body, including the legs, groin, and hip flexors. It’s also great for managing physical pain pre- and post-surgery. Campbell modifies this pose by using two blocks, two pillows, and a blanket as support. Place two pillows at the center of a yoga mat. Stand on your knees and place one leg over the pillows. Open your hips and lay your back leg on the mat. Then, hold one yoga block on each hand and straighten your back. If you feel comfortable, you can move the blocks towards your back foot for a lower-back stretch. Take a few slow and steady breaths. Do the same in the front and move the blocks over the pillows, then take a few more breaths.

Hero

This meditative pose helps improve your posture and stretches your thighs and ankles to promote good circulation and reduce swelling. Start in a kneeling position at the center of a yoga mat and keep two yoga blocks stacked up close behind you between your feet. Push your knees together as you separate your feet and bring your butt down to where the yoga blocks are stacked between your feet. If your knees hurt in this pose, roll up a towel and place it underneath them. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths with this pose.